Business Network April 23

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BUSINESS

Keep up to date on latest developments at

network www.emc-dnl.co.uk/news

APRIL 2023

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USING SMART TECHNOLOGY TO MAKE SMART DECISIONS HOW CHAMBER MEMBERS ARE EMBRACING INDUSTRY 4.0

INTERVIEW

POLITICS

SCENARIIO IS CREATING SMARTER AND BETTER OFFICES

BUSINESSES GIVE THEIR VERDICT ON SPRING BUDGET

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THE FIRST WORD

CONTENTS APRIL 2023

NEWS UPDATE 4

MEMBER NEWS Digital marketer sets sights on US market

24 APPOINTMENTS Family law role for newly-qualified solicitor

THE BIG INTERVIEW f ever the importance of the technology industry to the UK economy needed highlighting, it arrived with a resounding thud last month. The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank sent the sector into a tailspin, almost leading to the Government rescuing its UK business before Europe's biggest lender HSBC eventually acquired it. The panic that surrounded its demise signalled the huge strategic importance of UK tech, which is identified as pivotal to the country's future economic success.

The sector is packed with high-growth start-ups that are developing innovations with the potential to solve everyday problems and global challenges.

In this issue of Business Network, we provide a platform to some of those companies in the East Midlands deploying smart technology for smart business purposes.

Our big interview (p27) is with George Pritchard, technical director at Scenariio, the Derbybased firm that is helping to create smart buildings and workplaces by installing sensor technology. He talks to my colleague Jasmine Thompson about how the data gleaned from this system gives insights into everything from where heat is escaping in a building to desk usage, enabling occupants to make decisions that can save money, energy and carbon.

There are other great examples in our focus feature (p64) – The Simulator Company has developed a training simulator for surgeons practising life-saving open heart and lung surgery techniques; Devtank’s environmental sensor and energy monitoring device has created a “smart factory” for another Chamber member; Affari Media has designed a virtual replica of a multinational’s cyber security operations centre to help it win new clients; and Batfast’s artificial intelligence-driven cricket simulator is “re-engineering how sports are played and experienced”.

We also feature some relevant thought leadership articles from a couple of patrons – Blueprint Interiors examines emerging technologies in the workplace (p32) and Duncan & Toplis explains the growing importance of data analytics in auditing (p82). The Chamber’s Digital Marketing Conference, covered on p76, likewise had a smart technology flavour.

Returning to this column’s opening remarks, despite its failure, it’s worth remembering that Silicon Valley Bank played an important role in turning the San Francisco Bay Area from a burgeoning local tech cluster in the 1980s into the globally-significant one it is today.

The scale of the response to its eventual fate demonstrates that small tech finance is now mainstream finance, and so too are the start-ups in the tech ecosystem.

In the East Midlands, we should cherish these companies and help them to help us.

I

Dan Robinson, Editor, Business Network

27 George Pritchard, technical director of Scenariio 32 STRATEGIC PARTNERS AND PATRONS Boost office productivity with technology 34 CHAMBER NEWS Survey reveals positive signs for the region

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT & EVENTS 50 How Jo Jepson made the most of Level 7 Women in Leadership course

SUSTAINABLE EAST MIDLANDS 54 Auditel helps businesses to meet their commitment to reduce carbon footprint

INTERNATIONAL TRADE 56 Learn about the ITOPS qualification

POLITICS 58 Spring Budget discussed at roundtable event

FEATURES 61 Legal Services Why there’s no need to fear ransom strips 62 Is your business ready for the Worker Protection Bill?

64 FOCUS FEATURE How Chamber businesses are making the most of smart technology 70 Green business Top tips on greener ways to work 72 How Wilson Bio-Chemical is turning waste into resources

Editor Dan Robinson T: 07764 431028 E: dan.robinson@emc-dnl.co.uk Contributor Jasmine Thompson All Submissions E: magazine@emc-dnl.co.uk Chamber Membership E: membership@emc-dnl.co.uk Follow the Chamber W: www.emc-dnl.co.uk Twitter: @EMChamberNews

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DIGITAL & TECHNOLOGY

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BUSINESS SUPPORT

76 Conference discusses business applications and benefits of artificial intelligence

80 LEGAL Revised guidelines for e-marketing

Designer Lloyd Hollingworth Advertising T: 0121 765 4144 E: jon.jones@kempspublishing.co.uk Printers Warners (Midlands) plc

BUSINESS NETWORK is produced on behalf of East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire) by Kemps Publishing Ltd and is distributed to members without charge. The Chamber and the publisher are committed to achieving the highest quality standards. While every care has been taken to ensure that the information it contains is accurate, neither the Chamber nor the publisher can accept any responsibility for any omission or inaccuracies that might arise. Views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the Chamber. This publication (or any part thereof) must not be reproduced, transmitted or stored in print or electronic format without prior written permission of Kemps Publishing Ltd.

82 FINANCE Investing in technology provides a return 84 SKILLS Business school offers new digital courses 87 PROPERTY Council approves Markham Vale expansion 88 MOTORING Nick Jones takes the MG4 EV for a spin 89 INFORMATION It’s always time to invest in your employees

THE LAST WORD 90 Chamber president Stuart Dawkins decides that ‘unusual times’ have become ‘usual’ April 2023 business network

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East Midlands is leading the way for tech start-ups The number of technology companies set up in the East Midlands increased by 38% in 2022, according to analysis of Companies House data by audit, tax and consulting firm RSM UK. A total of 1,390 tech businesses were incorporated in the East Midlands last year, up from 1,009 in the previous year.

Sheetal Sanghvi, partner and head of innovation reliefs in the central region at RSM UK, said: “It is great to see the East Midlands at the top of the table with the biggest increase year-on-year.

‘The cost of workspaces in the East Midlands is more competitive than the capital’ “The region has always benefitted from a thriving technology sector, particularly in fintech and medtech.

This is largely due to the quality of the local incubator hubs, universities and the scale of global businesses from which experienced individuals go on to build their own businesses.

“Like many regional cities, the cost of workspaces in the East Midlands is more competitive than the capital. For start-ups and small businesses tight on cash, this has been a huge factor when setting up headquarters and is reflected in the numbers published. New businesses also tend to attract

Sheetal Sanghvi

younger demographics and the region has a generous pool of young talent to hand.

“In addition, with many workers moving away from the bigger cities during the pandemic and postpandemic, triggered by the rise in remote working, regions with lower costs have become an appealing option for tech workers. This is another key driver in the decisionmaking process for businesses when deciding where to locate their new business.”

The data cements tech as an area of huge growth across the UK, with 46,474 tech businesses incorporated in 2022, up from 38,240 in 2021. The total number of incorporations in 2022 is nearly double the 23,531 companies in 2020, demonstrating sustained growth in new tech incorporations year-on-year.

Marketing firm has its sights on US market Marketing content and digital solutions specialist Bloc Digital has launched a US business to unlock further opportunities for growth within North America.

The establishment of Bloc Digital Inc comes as the company continues to experience sustained and increasing expansion in the US market, experiencing an 80% increase in income within the past year.

The launch was fuelled by a number of US businesses specifically seeking to further their collaboration with the Derby-based company due to its unique combination of creative, multimedia and technology skills.

The company has a strong portfolio of global clients, particularly within engineering markets, where its industrial knowledge; comprehensive

‘The digital nature of our business gives us a truly global reach’ marketing, training and operational services; and ability to deliver highquality results at competitive costs make it a market leader.

This significant milestone in the business’ development is being consolidated with a trade mission to the US, during which Bloc Digital’s co-founders Keith Cox and Chris Hotham will be welcomed by prominent US companies such as Nordson Corporation and RollsRoyce Defence America. The visit is being hosted by the Chamber of Commerce in Mentor, Ohio – a centrally-located hub for industrial and manufacturing businesses that distinctively mirrors Bloc’s East Midlands roots.

University professor earns national recognition

Prof Melissa Mather

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A University of Nottingham professor of quantum sensing and engineering has gained national industry recognition after receiving a Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Emerging Technologies.

Prof Melissa Mather, from the Faculty of Engineering, has been awarded £2.5m over 10 years to create the next generation of quantum sensors, by turning tiny flaws in diamonds into incredibly sensitive quantum devices, which will transform the way we sense the world around us.

Funded by the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Chair in Emerging Technologies scheme provides awardees with long-term support and funds to cover employment and research costs, helping to bring their research to fruition.

Prof Mather said: “I feel very privileged to be able to say that I’m doing my dream job and hope that, through this research, I’ll be able to engage, educate,

and maybe even inspire, other people by opening their eyes to the world of quantum and the possibilities it creates – not just for industry but on an everyday level too.”

Diamond quantum sensors can be used for a variety of measurements, including magnetic fields, temperature, pressure, and even biological or chemical substances.

Prof Mather’s work will enhance the measurement speeds and sensitivity of these sensors to create customised sensing methods and prototype devices that will translate the technology for use by non-specialists, as well as unlocking new applications in sectors such as healthcare, food security, defence, and more.

As part of the award, a brand-new Diamond Quantum Sensing Research Hub is to be established, which will be based at the university’s Institute for Advanced Manufacturing.

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MEMBER NEWS

Businesses urged to check ISP contracts before internet switch-off Internet service provider (ISP) Gigabit Networks is urging businesses to check their paperwork in order to safeguard their access to the internet ahead of the upcoming nationwide “big internet switch-off.”

The 2025 deadline is a critical line in the sand, as this is when traditional analogue services are switched off and outdated copper connections are rendered obsolete.

If firms have not agreed new service contracts ahead of that deadline – with many business contracts 24 to 36 months in length – they may no longer be able to access the internet from their offices and places of work.

As a result, Gigabit Networks has ramped up its capacity to deliver business full-fibre services nationwide. With guaranteed speed and reliability, its GigaFast business service offers speeds from 150Mbps up to 1Gbps.

Co-founder David Yates said: “Most people don’t change their business internet provider until things go wrong or contracts are up for renewal, but we would urge all businesses to look over their contracts sooner than later and see how future-proof their internet is – especially with the ‘big analogue switch-off’ deadline looming.”

David Yates

CEO Jonathan Jackson with co-founders Dr Avi Baruch and Professor Yu

Keith said: “The digital nature of our business gives us a truly global reach and has enabled us to work successfully with American clients for many years. Building on our growth and the foundations we laid prior to global Covid disruptions, we are thrilled to establish Bloc Digital Inc and be transitioning from a business with international clients into being an international business ourselves.”

Chris added: “We’re looking forward to connecting with several high-profile companies in the US which are already impressed by our portfolio and are excited by the new opportunities and collaborations our trade mission will bring.”

Read more about Bloc Digital’s international trade operation on p56.

Benefits of predicting flood risk Loughborough University Science and Enterprise Park (LUSEP) spin-out Previsico has been recognised

by InsuranceERM as Climate Risk Management Solution of the Year 2023.

The beginnings of Previsico started when cofounder Professor Yu pioneered a 2D flood modelling software. It was established as a spin-out company in 2019, and now provides forecasting servicing around the globe – helping insurers, businesses, governments

and humanitarian organisations to mitigate flood impacts.

CEO Jonathan Jackson said: “Flooding is a huge and growing issue, globally, and at Previsico, we are committed to predicting and preventing its impact, with our accurate, timely flood warnings.

“We are delighted that our work, which utilises data from many sources, including satellites and IoT devices, has been recognised by InsuranceERM.”

Helping manufacturers make most of digital A new report that seeks to futureproof the UK’s manufacturing sector has been published – with the aim of helping it adapt to, and benefit from, digital technologies.

The Digital World 2050 report marks the conclusion of a six-year study funded by Connected Everything – a network led by the University of Nottingham comprising circular economists and digital manufacturing experts, and funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

It has identified five key recommendations that will support the longevity of UK manufacturing, including connecting technology to

manufacturers; reducing digital manufacturing knowledge barriers; consolidating digital manufacturing guidance; supporting employee wellbeing during the digital transition; and transparency of value chain data.

Dr Oliver Fisher, co-author and former research fellow at the University of Nottingham’s Faculty of Engineering, said: “By bringing together expertise from across disciplines, we were able to gain new insights and perspectives on the challenges and opportunities that may emerge as digital technologies are embedded within manufacturing processes and workforces.”

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MEMBER NEWS

Kul Mahay

‘Chat’ no substitute for communication As artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots increasingly become the norm among school, college and university students, a leadership expert has warned about the risks of allowing traditional communication skills to lapse.

Kul Mahay, who works with NHS trusts, education providers and large corporations, believes it is vital young people master the art of “softer skills” as technology like ChatGPT becomes integrated into everyday life.

He said: “We are living in a world where the developments in artificial intelligence and technology are reshaping the way that we communicate.

“With the latest advances with sites such as ChatGPT, we are able to improve our ability to communicate in the written word across most platforms and situations.

“It really is a very impressive software. However, there is a real danger that young people, and adults, can become reliant on this type of technology and reduce our natural ability to communicate with each other.”

Kul’s comments come after a recent study by online education resource Study.com found more than a quarter of 200 surveyed teachers revealed they had caught at least one student cheating using AI chatbot ChatGPT. However, in the same survey of 203 teachers, about two-thirds did not believe the technology should be banned in schools.

“Effective communication skills can help make better impressions on others and it is essential that young people can get their message across effectively, whether that is orally or in written form,” he added.

“Without well-developed communication skills, students run the risk of falling behind their peers and becoming emotionally overwhelmed.”

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NHS crisis leads to rise in demand for health tests Delays in seeing a GP and a rise in the number of people suffering with food intolerances have sent sales of at-home health tests developed in the East Midlands soaring.

Test Your Intolerance, provided

by Castle Donington-based Healthy Stuff, has experienced a 200% increase in sales of its products over the past 12 months from customers wanting to take control of their own wellbeing.

The company supplies a range of allergy, intolerance and health tests, and has doubled in size in the past 12 months to keep up with demand.

It receives finger-prick blood samples and uses state-of-the-art equipment to produce validated results to determine allergies and food intolerances, giving customers

the information to make changes to their lifestyle and amend diets.

Cris West (pictured), who runs Test Your Intolerance with business partner Jason Wootton, said: “We have never been busier. This is almost certainly because the NHS is in crisis and people can’t get an appointment to see their GP, never mind the ability to ask for a blood test.”

Test Your Intolerance also supplies tests that can measure a person’s kidney and liver function, as well as a prostate health test and levels of Vitamin D, and has recently released a menopause kit.

Cris believes the experience of using self-test kits during the

pandemic, when millions of people became accustomed to checking for symptoms using lateral flow tests at home, has increased awareness and trust in how the technology can help them.

He added: “Our tests are clinically proven and because people have more faith in carrying out self-testing, as they did during Covid, there is increased confidence in the kits we produce.

“The majority of our tests are identical to those used by medical professionals, which means that presenting your GP with evidence of an allergy or intolerance will place you a step nearer to suitable medication, or an appointment with a specialist.”

...which can spot lack of fatty acids too Troy Whyte

SureScreen Diagnosis’ sister company has launched a new service under its NeoVos brand to enable people to find out if they are lacking in fatty acids, which are necessary to prevent disease.

The Omega-3 test, which involves taking a blood sample via a finger-prick and sending the results off to SureScreen Scientifics’ lab, in Morley, Derbyshire, is one of a number of home tests offered by NeoVos to help people better understand their bodies.

Omega-3 fatty acids are key building blocks of all the cells in our bodies, including those in our brains, and so are essential for mental and physical health.

There are very few regular sources of Omega-3 in a Western diet – they are most commonly found in fish – and, as a result, deficiencies and imbalances are widespread, which can lead to diseases related to inflammation.

Managing director Troy Whyte said: “Our tests are at the cutting edge of an area of science that has huge potential for helping people to change their eating habits for good, and change their health and life expectations.”

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MEMBER NEWS

Scheme puts franchisees on the ladder to success A national franchise has secured a key expansion just months after it was bought by Derbyshire entrepreneur Liam Hobbs.

Liam bought the More Than Loft Ladders franchise last October – nine years after he became a franchise holder with the company and built up his business across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire – operating from his base in Long Eaton.

Tidy day hailed for making a difference

‘We have been working hard to cement the support package available to new and existing franchisees’ Since acquiring the national franchise, he has invested heavily in developing an extensive support, training and services package for franchise holders who, as the name suggests, also install hatches, part or full loft boarding insultation, lighting and smoke alarms to transform dark and forgotten lofts into usable space.

The first new franchisees to join More Than Loft Ladders since the acquisition are London-based entrepreneurs Indika Wanigaratne and Krish Hapugoda, who will operate in Edgeware, Harrow, Uxbridge, Watford and Wembley.

Both have run several businesses in South East England – most recently a restaurant near Watford.

From left: Indika Wanigaratne, Liam Hobbs and Krish Hapugoda

Liam said: “We already have seven franchise holders who cover a wide area, from Liverpool to Northampton, and are delighted to have Indika and Krish on board in this important patch around London so soon after acquiring the franchise.

“We have been working hard to cement the support package available to new and existing franchisees which ranges from a full training programme and customer finance packages.”

St Peters Quarter Business Improvement District (BID) hosted the first of its “tidy days” in February.

The tidy days are organised to meet the “welcoming” objective of the BID’s business plan, which aims to make the streets more inviting to encourage a sense of pride in the area.

The team was supported by members of Derby’s Street Pride, Derby Police and the city centre public protection officers (PPOs) who, alongside volunteers, spent a few hours collecting rubbish and abandoned items across the BID area, followed by a free lunch donated by McDonald’s.

Brad Worley, the BID’s manager, said: “Having joined in on previous tidy days, I’m constantly amazed at the difference these events make to the local environment, and the great fun and camaraderie that is generated.”

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Clinic offers safe place to discuss male mental health Blueprint completes new facility for Bupa Blueprint Interiors, a workplace consultancy and fit-out company based in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, has completed the six-figure fit-out of a new Bupa assessment centre in Cheshire.

Working in partnership with Enigma Wellness, it transformed 3,230 sq ft of commercial office space based at Portal Business Park on the outskirts of Tarporley, into a flagship Bupa and Enigma Wellness health assessment centre from which to deliver treatment and diagnosis.

Hannah Dixon, lead project designer at Blueprint Interiors, said: “As with any design and build project, the real hard work is done during the discovery phase.

“Working with the Enigma Wellness team in the defining stages enabled us to realise their vision and develop that within the design. This ensured there was total clarity, and the finished outcome met all expectations.

Leicester-based Purple House Clinic (PHC) is offering a new service to support men with their mental health.

Dr Ed Rainbow, a newly-appointed associate clinician at the private psychology clinic specialising in male mental health, will provide a safe environment for men to talk about their feelings and help regain control of their life.

A GP for more than 10 years focusing on delivering lifestyle healthcare, he will run tailored support sessions for men who are experiencing difficulties with their psychological wellbeing and mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, stress or burnout.

The one-to-one and group gatherings have been available from February and provide scientificallyproven lifestyle change approaches with the aim to help clients feel understood and empowered again.

Dr Rainbow said “Men’s mental health is an unspoken problem that is affecting so many people up and down the country. It is vital we break down those stereotypes and make it totally normal for men to ask for help, particularly with suicide being the single largest cause of death for men under the age of 50.

“This statistic shows the pressing need for mental health support for men and why it is so important to open up rather than turning to alcohol or drugs as a coping mechanism. Social pressures can also mean that men find it harder to discuss feelings of

vulnerability, or ask for support, but the evidence is clear that bottling up these feelings can make things worse. There are many options to help you cope, and the sooner you seek help the better.”

Dr Vicki Edwards, director at Purple House Clinic, said: “Ed’s appointment at the Purple House Clinic is a real boost to our team of 25 associate clinicians, and with his extensive experience, we are now able to offer expert mental health support to men.”

Dr Ed Rainbow

College flagged among best for LGBT+ inclusion

Survey gets manufacturer to invest more in training Bakewell-based The Little Survey Company has helped a manufacturer to expand internal training and career progression opportunities.

It designed an in-person survey for Mansfield-based Asmech, which makes materials handling systems, to gather insights from its workforce to gain a deeper understanding of staff views and experiences.

Each employee participated in an individual semi-structured interview over two consecutive days. The responses analysed and collated 8

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into a concise report with aggregated findings and actionable recommendations.

Shane Gunstone, chairman of Asmech Systems, said: “The individual interviews went well, and the staff were happy to see the results of their participation in the survey as they saw we took positive action and brought it to completion.

“The survey findings and recommendations informed how we continue to invest in the fantastic team of staff we have here at Asmech.”

West Nottinghamshire College has been presented with the Rainbow Flag award, a national quality assurance framework that focuses on positive LGBT+ inclusion and visibility for schools and colleges.

It demonstrates a commitment to improving the lives of all young people the college works with and has been evidenced by implementing monthly and termly LGBT+ meetings across various campuses, enabling students to raise matters among like-minded peers.

The college is encouraging an organisational approach to LGBT+ inclusion, as well as developing strategies to effectively challenge and combat bullying.

Organisational development manager Sara Arnold, who worked on projects that earned the accolade alongside student coach Wayne Golding, said: “We have evidenced some fantastic inclusive teaching practice that takes place within the college. We have been supported by the LGBT+ Nottinghamshire team, which has facilitated internal training with our staff on transgender awareness and learning about terminology.”

Principal Andrew Cropley accepts the Rainbow Flag award on behalf of the college

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One of the apartments in the Phoenix Court development

Region hosts events showcase Delegates from 90 organisations visited Nottingham for a Great Supplier Winter Showcase by the UK’s business events, accommodation and meetings trade body, beam.

Hosted at Nottingham Venues’ East Midlands Conference Centre (EMCC), the event showcased leading venues and agents within the sector, which is worth £31.2bn annually to the UK economy.

The biannual event promotes best practice and education between venues and offers the opportunity for suppliers to network with their agency counterparts, promoting product knowledge and building genuine and integral relationships.

Beam, a membership organisation within the business events sector, chose EMCC for the national event due to the combination of conferencing facilities and hotel accommodation available at the four-star Orchard Hotel on the same site within the 300-acre University of Nottingham campus.

The EMCC has recently undergone a £2.1m refurbishment programme and is on course for a record year, with strong demand for conferencing and events facilities from organisations across the UK as the sector recovers from the pandemic.

Melissa Sobo, director of sales at Nottingham Venues, said: “We want more companies to choose Nottingham as a destination for conferences and events as this will bring commercial benefits to the whole city. Raising awareness of the first-class facilities available at the EMCC, alongside our other venues to beam members is a step in helping us to achieve that aim.”

Serviced apartment firm adds Nottinghamshire site The Stay Company has added a site in Nottinghamshire to its growing property portfolio.

The serviced apartment provider, which has its headquarters in Friar Gate, Derby, has secured the lease on a new, purpose-built block in Gedling.

The Phoenix Court development offers nine serviced apartments, with both one and two-bedroom options and private off-street parking. As with all sites operated

by The Stay Company, guests also benefit from secure premises, professional housekeeping and 24-

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hour phone support.

This acquisition takes its total number of apartments to more than 100, located across several sites in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

Director Dan Wilkinson said: “It is clear there is a growing demand for affordable, extended-stay

accommodation in and around the East Midlands.

“This latest addition in Nottinghamshire reflects this strong growth and expansion of businesses across the East Midlands. We believe the site in Gedling complements our other offerings perfectly, adding to Whitefriars House in Nottingham city centre and Devonshire Court in West Bridgford.

“It is so rewarding to be able to grow the number of serviced apartments that we can offer our clients.”

Alliance on road to helping wildlife

Environmental work on the A38 10

‘It is so rewarding to be able to grow the number of serviced apartments that we can offer’

The Smart Motorway Programme (SMP) Alliance is taking part in a long-term biodiversity and wellbeing initiative led by Hill and Smith Infrastructure, which aims to record information about wildlife living near our road networks.

The online project, name Biodiversity and our Roads: Do we thrive where we drive?, is set up on the National Geographic iNaturalist app, to discover the impact that roads have on nature around us.

Midlands-based Hill and Smith Infrastructure, which comprises Hardstaff Barriers, Varley and Gulliver, Asset VRS and Hill and Smith Barriers, set up the project six months ago for employees, road construction partners and members of the public.

Since then, more than 1,500 individual observations and more than 550 different species have been logged as part of the project.

From plants and fungi to animals and even microorganisms, observers have been busy – in their work breaks and in their spare time – recording as many different types of biodiversity as possible.

Kathryn Cooper, head of ESG at Hill and Smith Infrastructure, said: “Consciously looking out for biodiversity has got people out of their heads and into the present moment, taking in the sights, sounds and smells around them, which is proven to contribute to mental wellbeing. It’s been great to lead improvements in mental health and wellbeing for our industry.”

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MEMBER NEWS

Marketing agency will keep putting people first After achieving the Great Place to Work certification in 2022, multi-channel marketing agency Cartwright Communications has been listed as one of the UK’s Best Workplaces for Wellbeing in 2023 by the global authority on workplace culture.

The award recognises its dedication to creating a progressive working environment and supporting personal development. Private healthcare, a mentor system, and generous maternity and paternity packages were some of the benefits highlighted.

Leisure centre a big asset to community

‘In 2023 we will be placing even more emphasis on wellbeing through a range of new benefits’ The agency also runs an engagement survey every 90 days to assess whether staff are feeling valued within the team and to gauge the sentiment in reaction to company decisions. Last year, the engagement score peaked at 88.9%, demonstrating strong positivity across the team.

Rose Hayes, director at Cartwright Communications, said: “Our team is our most important asset and supporting it to be the very best they can be sits at the heart of our business plan – last year alone, we delivered more 45 hours of continuous professional development (CPD) training, for example.

“In 2023, we will be placing even more emphasis

on wellbeing through a range of new benefits and initiatives that we encourage everyone in the team, regardless of seniority, to engage with and be involved in.”

Cartwright Communications has also recently named BAFTA award-winning drama group and charity The Television Workshop as its Charity of the Year.

The talent organisation – which has made stars of Samantha Morton, Jack O’Connell, Karl Collins, Bella Ramsey and Alison Hammond – is celebrating its 40th year, and Cartwright will be helping to spread the word about the workshop, kicking off with its “40 years, 40 stars, 40 awards” campaign.

The £13m Bingham Arena Leisure Centre is now open – hosting a 25metre, six-lane swimming pool, teaching pool, fitness centre, spin and exercise studios, café and community hall.

The site, in Chapel Lane, is managed by Lex Leisure, and is the first facility locally that can host significant swimming galas, competitions and events at the 330-seater swimming pool.

The Jubilee Community Hall can also host a range of events for audiences up to 300 people, courtesy of part-funding from the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership and support from Bingham Town Council.

Leader of Rushcliffe Borough Council Cllr Simon Robinson said: “This is a wonderful new facility for the people of Bingham and Rushcliffe at a time investment in our growing communities is so important.”

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MEMBER NEWS

Duo’s initiative aims to shake up coaching sector Andy Taylor

Rising costs putting pressure on business East Midlands businesses accounted for 6% of administrations in 2022 – the sixth lowest region in the UK – according to analysis by full-service law firm Shakespeare Martineau.

A total of 1,340 businesses, 74 of which came from the East Midlands, filed for administration last year, marking a 56% increase compared to 2021.

Construction, manufacturing and retail were the sectors worst hit, accounting for 39% of administrations. Greater London led the way with 20% of the filings, followed by the South East and North West (16% each), data from The Gazette Official Public Record has revealed.

Even though administrations are still yet to hit pre-Covid levels (1,794 in 2019), recession fears and the financial pressure on households and businesses means the worst is still yet to come, an insolvency and restructuring expert has warned.

Andy Taylor, partner and head of restructuring at Shakespeare Martineau, said: “The latest statistics show that the true costs of living and doing business are beginning to bite.

“Numerous headwinds – such as the cost of borrowing, and increasing energy, fuel and raw material costs – have become a new normal at this point and businesses are being pulled from every direction. Furthermore, while supportive in the main, pressure from lenders is increasing and HMRC is taking a firmer stance, seeking to cap levels of liability for non-payment of tax.

“While the UK is perilously close to recessional phase, businesses must have a clear focus on cash flow and look to save costs where possible. Directors must continue to plan strategically for the ever higher costs of ‘doing business’.

“For businesses to survive longer term, they will need to act now to address underlying issues. I cannot overstate how important it is to get to grips with matters at the earliest possible juncture and to take the appropriate professional advice, if needed. Taking a proactive approach will provide options and help to keep businesses afloat.”

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A dynamic coaching community has been launched in Leicestershire that aims to shake up the sector.

The Insight Centre is the brainchild of business coach Amanda Daly, who has joined forces with Dr Alex Morgan, and is a new concept in coaching for top business executives looking to develop themselves as much as their organisation.

‘We are disrupting the profession we love for the benefit of our clients’ Amanda, who owns The Turnaround CEO consultancy, said: “At the Insight Centre, we do not believe in a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to coaching. We are disrupting the profession we love for the benefit of our clients.

“For too long, the coaching industry has relied on you, the client, committing to a long-term relationship with just one coach.

We do not believe this always gets the best results.”

The Insight Centre is a community of coaches with the aim of offering business members flexible access to a trusted coaches, consultants and therapists that can offer valuable coaching and advice.

Amanda Daly (left) and Dr Alex Morgan

Dr Morgan said it could support in everything from leadership and financial coaching through to assisting with presentations and management challenges.

“We don’t feel it is realistic, or in fact ethical, for one coach to

guide you through every imaginable scenario,” she added.

“So we have created a way to access different coaches with different expertise, providing a range of growth experiences right for you at just the right time.”

Festival set to make a splash

The Chesterfield Canal Trust will hold its festival at Staveley Town Basin on 24 and 25 June.

All four of the trust’s tripboats, two of which have wheelchair lifts, will be in action. Pleasley Vale Canoe and Activity Club will run canoeing sessions, with free entertainment – including music, dance and street theatre – taking place throughout the day in a marquee and outdoors by the lock.

The trust’s development manager will hold Q&A sessions in the marquee about plans for the restoration of the canal.

In addition, there will be birds of prey, children’s rides, water walking balls, bumper boats, newfoundland rescue dogs, wildlife groups, face painting, craft stalls, charity stalls, food stalls and a real ale bar. Admission is £6, and is free for under 16s.

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MEMBER NEWS

Staying healthy will help your business success Weight loss and better mental health are among the wellestablished benefits of working out – but a Leicestershire entrepreneur has now linked physical exercise with business success.

Maz Patel and business partner Paz Patel have grown interior fitout company Scope Construction into a £6m turnover business within just three years, landing the Chamber’s Leicestershire Business of the Year last November.

‘Feeling much better in myself and having more energy to focus are the key benefits’ He partly attributes the success to turning around an unhealthy lifestyle when setting up the company in November 2019.

At the time, he was balancing the venture alongside a project manager job based in Birmingham, which required him to spend long hours working away from his Loughborough home.

“My diet and fitness levels were all over the place”, said Maz. “I was in really bad shape and my health was not good. My average day would consist of one meal in the evening, heavily loaded with carbs and no water. I quickly put on a lot of weight and in 2021, I came to the realisation that no-one can sort

these issues out but me and not by a quick fix.

“I was feeling really low and reached out to Matt Hall, who set up MH Studio in Leicestershire, and asked for his help. My wife and I joined together and doing so massively turned things around.”

MH Studio, in Rothley, specialises in bespoke group and one-to-one personal training fitness programmes that are specifically tailored to the goals that clients are aiming to achieve.

This has provided Maz with a daily routine and he believes he is now far more switched on as a business owner.

He said: “Feeling much better in myself and having more energy to focus are the key benefits I’ve experienced since regularly working out.

“My days are structured around my sessions and I am in the studio at 6am rain or shine. This sets my mind up for the day and allows me to focus better on tasks ahead.

“I find I am able to manage stress far better now, which is a big part of what comes with being a business owner. On those extra challenging days in business, I book myself in for an evening session to wind down and reflect.”

Maz added that winning Business of the Year was an “amazing feeling” and the company is now looking to grow by 25% this year.

Maz Patel speaking at the Chamber’s AGM last December

Oil’s well for filtration firm A Chesterfield firm that provides oil filtration and analysis products to a broad range of industries has been appointed UK distributor for a Canadian manufacturer.

FA-ST Filtration Analysis Services Technology has added oil analysis company Checkfluid’s range of sampling valves to its product portfolio.

Having already marketed Checkfluid products for the two years, FAST business development manager Craig Cousins said being an official distributor was a “real gamechanger for the business and the entire oil sampling and analysis industry”.

The boost to the business means FA-ST is now looking to grow its team by hiring an apprentice to work in its warehouse and engineering department.

Craig said: “We understand that our customers require high-quality and reliable products, and the Checkfluid valves certainly meet this criteria. With the cost of oils and fuels continually rising, our ongoing task is to promote the use of these sampling valves, combined with oil analysis, to aid companies in reducing their usage of oils. In doing so, this will reduce their overhead costs of purchasing new oils, reduce waste disposal and aid the environment improving their green credentials.”

Finalists revealed for Real Entrepreneurs’ Awards

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Budding business owners and innovators are among the finalists hoping for success at this year’s Real Entrepreneurs’ Awards 2023 has been revealed.

Five finalists have been selected in each of the 10 categories ahead of the awards ceremony, which takes place on 4 May at Nottingham Business School, part of Nottingham Trent University.

A group of five independent judges examined hundreds of nominations for the annual awards.

Born off the back of Cross Productions’ networking forum Real Entrepreneurs’ Club, they celebrate people who have started a business, invented a product, collaborated with other, or grown their company significantly.

The event is headline sponsored by fellow Chamber patron Fraser Stretton, whose founders Narinder Nijjar and Jaz Kaur will make a speech on the evening that encourages entrepreneurship.

It will also feature a “pitching platform” in which up-and-coming entrepreneurs take to the stage to compete for the prize of a non-executive board of directors comprising Jenny Cross of Cross Productions, Rik Pancholi of Pattersons Commercial Law and Paul Bevan of Breeze Consulting.

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MEMBER NEWS

55 redefined? Taking an alternative approach to filling your job vacancies

By Sarah Loates (pictured), founding director at Loates HR Consultancy.

Since the start of the pandemic, the proportion of economically inactive people aged over 50 has increased, according to the Over 50s Lifestyle Study by the Office for National Statistics.

The most common reason among those aged 50 to 54 for leaving their previous job was because of stress (21%), followed by being made redundant (19%) and not feeling supported in their role (19%).

With employers facing an increasingly tight labour market, there is an opportunity for employers to access this untapped pool of talent.

BARRIERS TO WORK However, whether in or out of work, two-thirds of over-50s expect to encounter ageism in recruitment processes, according to research that identifies the barriers older workers face when looking for work.

The Centre for Ageing Better

found these included a lack of confidence, with a widespread belief among older jobseekers that employers prefer younger applicants. When combined with out-of-date job search skills, and unfamiliarity with modern job search techniques and tactics, these can all act as a major barrier.

BE VISIBLE IN THE RIGHT PLACES To access this untapped talent pool, employers must be visible to the over-50s community. Don’t rely solely on social media to advertise jobs.

Use methods such as flyers, posters, local Facebook groups – also consider community locations such as faith groups and libraries.

Alternatively, employers could access bespoke job boards such as Rest Less (restless.co.uk), or 55/Redefined (55redefined.co), a work and careers site for the over50s.

WORK WITH OTHER ORGANISATIONS Employers should also consider working with projects or programmes that are supporting the over-50s to get back into work, such as the Chamber, Job Centre Plus, community centres, training providers and voluntary organisations.

It is also vital that employers have plenty of re-skilling

opportunities on offer and consider providing access to essential skills refresher courses, as well as vocational training related to specific roles.

Flexible working and part-time opportunities are also essential as part of the offer to lure older workers into their workforce. It’s a case of employers articulating that older employees are genuinely wanted.

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emc-dnl.co.uk/EMComingTogether

Social enterprise forges Tigers link A Leicester-based disability social enterprise that gives young, disabled students a “life-changing” introduction into the world of work has welcomed on board the Leicester Tigers Foundation as its latest partner.

Access Rating CIC conducts disability access audits for businesses to improve disabled visitors’ experiences of their sites.

The funds raised from this are reinvested back into The Employment Hub, a lifechanging work experience programme that takes place at SEND schools in Leicestershire.

The programme creates an office environment in the school to give students work experience on behalf of local businesses in an environment tailored to meet the pupils’ specific health and educational needs.

Previously, students at Ash Field Academy were tasked with creating a disabled access guide for Leicester city centre. They will now work for the Leicester Tigers Foundation as fundraising assistants, with a brief to help plan a real-life fundraising event for the charity.

Sam Johnston, senior inclusion officer at the Leicester Tigers Foundation, said: “Many of these young adults have lots of experience within their education already, which makes them very employable.

“However, boosting their confidence in these skills is essential. I hope that being part of the Employment Hub will help them understand their skills and the talents they can bring to the workplace in the future.”

Richard Copson, co-founder of Access Rating, added: The foundation has recognised the value in our work and share our vision to take the project to the next level to support SEND school students to gain valuable work experience and employment opportunities.”

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Church to be converted into hub for community Disability charity Mosaic 1898 has purchased Whetstone Baptist Church – and now plans to turn it into an all-encompassing hub for Leicestershire’s disabled community.

The organisation, which celebrates its 125th anniversary this year, hopes the project will act as a catalyst to further its work in enhancing the lives of disabled people by creating spaces where they can thrive.

Mosaic 1898 works closely with local businesses and community organisations to ensure its clients have access to the resources and support they need to succeed and live well.

CEO Zoheb Shariff said: “This is a significant milestone for our organisation and a critical step in our ongoing efforts to create a more inclusive and supportive community for disabled people. We look forward to serving the community from this new

location for years to come.”

The charity, which provides life-enhancing support and care services to more than 2,200 people each year, plans to modernise the church while preserve its historic features.

It comprises three buildings. The Manse, a three-bed home on the grounds, will be transformed into an around-the-clock respite care facility providing nonnursing short breaks for disabled people with complex needs.

The community buildings will become fully accessible to accommodate adult day services, disabled children’s clubs, holistic therapy and wellbeing sessions, peer support groups and information services.

Finally, the iconic chapel is envisaged to become a place for community activities such as exhibitions, events, outreach and vocational training.

Cosy staff will join Big Help Out An outdoor educational resources specialist is leading the way as a UK-wide volunteering initiative is launched to mark the coronation of King Charles.

Cosy will close during the week commencing 8 May so its staff can volunteer their services to help schools nearby to its headquarters in Tutbury, on the DerbyshireStaffordshire border.

This is part of The Big Help Out initiative to get people volunteering in their local communities following the coronation, which takes place at Westminster Abbey on Saturday 6 May. Nick Walker, managing director at Cosy, which gives more than 10% of its profits to support grassroots projects at home and abroad, said: “Volunteering is important to us here at Cosy and we give our staff two paid days off every year to volunteer. This generates more than 2,000 hours in helping our communities.

“We’re suppliers of early years and nursery school products, so it

CORONATION TREAT

felt right to give back to schools in the area. We have 100 members of staff who will be taking part in The Big Help Out, which we will split into groups of between six and eight.

“They will then go into schools in Derbyshire and Staffordshire to paint walls, dig gardens and to generally improve the school environment in any way that they can.”

The King’s Coronation provides two corporate social responsibility opportunities for businesses.

Organisations can support The Big Lunch, which takes place up and down the country on Sunday 7 May, by supporting local community gatherings and fundraising for charities by hosting workplace lunches.

Event kits, ideas and support are available at www.edenprojectcommunities. com Starting on Monday 8 May, The Big Help Out is an initiative that encourages businesses to put their employees forward for volunteering initiatives.

For more information, visit www.thebighelpout.org.uk/ business

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NEW MEMBERS In February, the Chamber welcomed 31 new members: • Ascentant Accountancy • Base Materials Limited • blu Salons • Broadstone Corporate Benefits Ltd • Cedar Tree Chiropractic • C M Ward Ltd • Consortio Technical Solutions • CPL Service Response Ltd • Designeering • Discovery Trust • Euchner (UK) Ltd • GERBHARDT European Conveyor Systems Limited • Giorgio’s Continental Limited (GCL Food Ingredients) • Harborough Innovation Centre • Inspired Coaches • JAKT Ltd • Kingfisher Professional Services Ltd • The Limelight Orchestra • Little Local Jobs • Nelson Carter Consultancy Ltd • The Style Room • Polestar Interactive Ltd • Priory Belvoir Academy • Priory Federation of Academies Trust • Really Awesome Coffee • Repeat Digital • Sentient Business Support Services • Strezza Wood-Fired • Studio Minutia Ltd • Unique Positive Solutions Ltd • Vale Holistic Therapy

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Alphageek founders Alex Mills, Art Lindop and Kieran Flynn at the Generation Next Awards

MEMBER FOCUS: ALPHAGEEK DIGITAL Tell us what your company does and a brief overview of its history?

We offer a range of digital marketing services, including paid social and pay-per-click advertising, website design and development, content creation, SEO and social media management. Essentially, we facilitate and grow a company’s presence online whether this be through increasing awareness or sales.

We started life as We Are Media Group, which our managing director Art Lindop started while he was still at university and took on full time after he graduated. Kieran Flynn and myself then joined in late 2019 and early 2020; Kieran being a friend from school with myself and Art being on the same course at university.

In mid-2020, our offering developed as we picked up the pay-per-click work for Casio’s Edifice watch brand, allowing us to improve our knowledge within the space. In the same year, we renamed to Alphageek Digital and relocated to Cubo last year.

Who are your main customers and what is your USP to them?

Our main customers are Casio GShock, Cubo, Project D, Huub, The Island Quarter, Do Not Age and Marketing Derby.

We work with about 50 clients based in four continents and our USP is how ROI-obsessed we are – delivering actual business value rather than jargon-based KPIs with limited benefit to a business.

Location: Cubo, Victoria Street, Derby Number of employees: 15 Spokesperson: Alex Mills, sales director

All of our services are delivered professionally and productively, and we have recruited strategically to ensure exceptional performance in every discipline we operate within. We work incredibly hard, which is why we’re the best at what we offer, even if we’re not the biggest – yet.

What is your position in the business and what does your day-to-day role involve?

Being a relatively young business, all three directors are still involved in areas outside our typical “job description”. However, my main focus is within new business development and helping make sure Alphageek continues growing towards our lofty ambitions What challenges have you faced in recent times and how have you tried to overcome them?

The biggest challenge was postlockdown, when the return to the workplace meant the results we were achieving in our online marketing campaigns dropped off significantly, so we had to adapt fast to get to grips with the rapid changes.

This involved learning new skills and techniques, investing

significantly in new staff, training and software, and it ensured we had the capability to get to work quickly with clients whose digital partners were not able to adapt and were now failing to hit their targets.

What are the company’s plans for the future?

We want to be the best in the country in 10 years’ time! We plan to continue adding to our team of exceptionally talented individuals and make sure we stay at the cutting edge of our industry, while investing in systems and processes to put efficiency and productivity right up alongside our customer service, which is second to none.

How long have you been a member of East Midlands Chamber, and how have you engaged with the membership benefits to support your business activity?

We have been a member for well over a year now and have benefitted by taking part in the Generation Next Awards, where we were proud to win both Entrepreneur of the Year and the Breakthrough Award.

We have always realised that hard work, talent and ambition are the key ingredients to building a successful business, regardless of your age, and to have won two awards that recognise young talent is a great endorsement. It has also helped to raise our profile in the local business community and is a huge morale-booster for our company.

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APPOINTMENTS

Solicitor joins family law team after qualifying A newly-qualified solicitor who trained with Timms Solicitors has been rewarded with a permanent position in the firm’s family law team.

University of Derby graduate Leonnie Watson joined Timms in an administrative role in 2018 and went onto complete the legal practice course at Nottingham Trent University alongside her job.

She was then promoted to the role of paralegal in the family team based in Burton-on-Trent and was awarded a training contract with the firm two years ago – working with the family, wills and probate and conveyancing teams.

Having qualified as a solicitor, she will work alongside Adrian Rose and Jessica Barnett in the family law team. Leonnie will be based in the Swadlincote office helping clients with divorce, separation, children and financial matters.

She said: “I am delighted to have qualified and been offered a permanent position with Timms,

which has put its faith in me and supported me through my academic studies since the day I joined the team.

“It has been a privilege to gain experience with colleagues in other departments throughout my training and I know that my passion is in the area of family law.”

The firm has also promoted family lawyer and resolutiontrained mediator Adrian Rose to a partner.

Adrian joins the leadership team of Fiona Moffat, Dee Khunkhuna and Jo Robinson, having made a positive impact on the work of the family law team with the development of mediation services for clients.

Managing partner Fiona Moffat added: “Adrian’s expertise and his excellent reputation on family law matters and mediation services has greatly enhanced the fast-growing team and this timely and costeffective resolution has had a hugely positive impact on clients during difficult times in their lives.”

Steven Ostle

Steven’s career is on track A health and safety manager who previously worked on oil rigs, and in car and construction equipment assembly lines, has taken on his first role in the rail industry by joining depot maintenance company MTMS. Steven Ostle has been appointed as the company’s new health, safety and environmental manager, with responsibility for ensuring engineers and sub-contractors continue to work safely at rail depots all over the country.

His role will be to review and update its H&S policies, offer training and advice, and make site visits to discuss any issues with staff in the field, while also drawing up specific health and safety procedures for minor engineering projects carried out to improve the depot infrastructure.

He will also help the company attain the coveted ISO 45001 international standard for health and safety at work.

Steven said: “Rail is a new industry to me but it is a sector where health and safety is of paramount importance, and it’s enjoyable doing something different after working in factory settings for the past five years.”

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From left: Jessica Barnett, Adrian Rose, Leonnie Watson and Fiona Moffat

New general manager for top Leicester aparthotel Mark Hills (pictured) has been appointed as general manager at The Gresham Aparthotel in Leicester.

With more than 25 years of industry experience, including 15 years of senior management in luxury and branded hotels throughout the UK and abroad, Mark’s most recent roles include the transformation of Ramada Hotel & Suites by Wyndham in Coventry and the development of a city centre property in Birmingham.

In his new role, Mark hopes to support The Gresham Aparthotel in its vision to become a longer-stay destination hotel for people visiting Leicester.

“From speaking to the staff and the guest reviews, it is evident that everyone involved is truly passionate about every detail and level of service,” said Mark.

“The superb location combined with the flexibility offered by the stylish boutique apartments provide a real home-from-home experience, which means that staying really suits people doing business.”

Baker has right ingredients for accountancy position A baker who has spent the past four years building up her small business has joined a growing Derby accountancy firm as she aims to “help others achieve their business dreams”.

Rose McCarthy (pictured) is the latest recruit at Vibrant Accountancy. She is the company’s book-keeper and says the “caring ethos” at the Lodge Lane-based company is what attracted her to the role.

“Vibrant Accountancy is passionate about what it does and has a great, caring ethos,” said Rose, who also did bookkeeping for her own business Poses Pantry before joining Vibrant.

“I thoroughly enjoy having my own business but I wanted a career where there is scope for progress. I also wanted to be a part of a business who are helping others to achieve their business dreams.”

Rose is currently studying for her AAT exam and, in her spare time, she will continue to run Poses Pantry from her kitchen.

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APPOINTMENTS

New MD will be driving force for bus operator they can develop and improve, enhancing their key role within the communities they serve.”

Wellglade chairman Brian King added: “Tom has a wide experience of the bus companies in our group, having held various positions over the last few years from operating depots to heading up our commercial and marketing functions.

“Alongside the recent arrival of John Bickerton as group engineering director, the group is now better positioned for our operators to create synergies and seize new opportunities.”

Jeff, who started out as an apprentice at 15 years old, stepped down in February. He said: “Bus operators are nothing without their people and that’s been central to running trentbarton. We look after our people. And I leave very optimistic that public transport has a great future. It may be different, but constant innovation will get us there.”

From left: Mark Copley, Jamie Clayton and Matthew Fenn

Medical specialist in a healthier position

George Oliver and Amy Orton

Beth Walsh

Trentbarton group commercial director Tom Morgan has stepped up to managing director of the bus company’s parent company Wellglade.

The move follows the retirement of trentbarton and Kinchbus managing director Jeff Counsell after 24 years at the company, and almost half a century in the bus industry.

Wellglade bus operators also include Midland General, Notts & Derby, and TM Travel.

Tom said: “It’s an honour to lead our wonderful teams, fronted by our friendly local drivers. Working across the group benefits all the operators and enables us to take advantage of closer cooperation.

“Trentbarton and Kinchbus will remain a major focus for me, and I will also be supporting the great managers who run all our operators. I want all our teams to be empowered to think of their team as their own business that

Nottingham-based medical devices manufacturer Copley Scientific has appointed two new members to its senior team.

Jamie Clayton has joined the company, an industry leader in pharmaceutical and inhaler testing equipment, as managing director and Matthew Fenn has joined as head of business development.

The appointments come off the back of sustained growth for Copley, which ended with it winning Nottinghamshire Business of the Year at the Chamber’s Business Awards last year.

CEO Mark Copley said: “Copley has grown substantially over the last five years, and we continue to welcome new recruits at all levels to augment our well-established team.

“Securing senior talent is an essential element of our long-term strategy but relies on identifying experienced individuals that combine a ‘Copley mindset’ with complementary and relevant experience. Both Jamie and Matthew are an ideal fit, and I’m excited to begin working with them.”

Legal firm adds employment director David Downie

WBR Group makes senior appointments WBR Group (WBR) has announced two senior appointments to its leadership team.

David Downie joins as managing director of small self-administered scheme pensions (SSAS) and actuarial, and Peter Collier as director of marketing and distribution.

In his role, David will lead the SSAS and actuarial division of the business, while Peter will develop a clear brand identity and proposition for the newly-named WBR Group.

David said: “Having seen the developments WBR Group have made in becoming a well-respected and entrusted provider in the pensions industry, I can say that I am genuinely excited to be joining the team to help drive it further forward.”

Communications role is ‘write’ move for Amy Journalist Amy Orton has joined corporate communications agency 1284 as account director – becoming its first full-time hire.

A trained reporter with more than a decade at well-known news titles across the East Midlands, Amy most recently spent three years as senior local democracy reporter for Leicestershire.

Working between the Leicester Mercury and BBC Leicester, she provided public interest coverage of local authorities which was then syndicated to dozens of local, regional, and national news titles.

After leaving the role in 2021, Amy spent almost two years as a communications manager at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, working on internal and external comms relating to a series of major news stories, including the Omicron outbreak.

1284 director George Oliver said: “Amy is a first-class journalist and communicator who will bring her knowledge and understanding of local authorities to provide real value to 1284 clients.

“As account director at 1284, she will bring insight, speed and networks across the East Midlands.”

Chesterfield-based CMP Legal has expanded its team with the appointment of a new employment director.

Lauren Pickard (pictured) has joined the niche commercial law firm from Knights plc, where she worked as a senior associate.

She has a wealth of knowledge and employment law experience from managing performance, disciplinary and grievance matters to redundancy and restructuring advice, delivering training, drafting contracts and much more.

Lauren said: “CMP Legal has swiftly established itself as a niche practice offering high-quality advice. The lawyers at CMP Legal have a wealth of experience and this, combined with their desire to do things in a dynamic and progressive way, works strongly to the benefit of clients.”

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THE BIG INTERVIEW

Scenariio’s technical director George Pritchard

alking into Scenariio’s head office in Derby, visitors may be struck by the absence of the traditional reception desk welcoming them into the building. Instead, their presence is automatically registered by a dashboard as they open the door.

As they ascend the stairs, walk into the lounge area and enter meeting rooms, their movements within the building are being monitored and logged via a dashboard.

It’s a level of intelligence that has only recently become available in the building management space, and one that technical director George Pritchard explains is a result of interconnected sensor technology, known as the internet of things (IoT).

“The data is pulled from sensors that are attached to physical objects to detail everything from when an electric vehicle charger is in use to which desks people are sat at,” he says, holding up an example of a lighting sensor that is just shy of an inch long.

The boardroom alone comprises eight sensors that collect data from the lighting, conference meeting system, carbon dioxide monitor and windows.

These are transmitted via a wireless network to a local server, which then feeds insights into an online dashboard.

“It helps a business to understand what’s happening in that room and make decisions based on these insights,

W

Technology is changing the face of the workplace Scenariio’s smart building technology and intelligent infrastructure is helping to transform workplaces into more energy-efficient and collaborative spaces.

Jasmine Thompson visits its “smart office” in Derby to speak to technical director George Pritchard about how the company is enhancing productivity through connectivity.

Scenariio’s dashboard technology at The Chocolate Factory in Derby

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THE BIG INTERVIEW

whether it’s when to set a timer to automatically turn off the lights, closing windows to retain heat or on meeting room capacity,” says George.

The 5,000 sq-ft office at The Chocolate Factory, in Siddals Road, serves as a testing ground for the technology Scenariio uses to make buildings and office spaces work smarter and more efficiently.

From here, his team has developed new systems used by major companies including Gymshark, Tarmac and Mondelez. Closer to home, it has worked with Derbion, Derby College Group and Bustler Market, while it was recently recognised as Severn Trent’s Supplier of the Year.

Scenariio is able to address a variety of customer needs, ranging from tackling energy costs to making workspaces more collaborative, which are key considerations for businesses during a time of escalating cost pressures and new ways of working.

End users benefit through a “two-pronged approach”, believes George. Not only can they contribute to a building’s energy consumption levels and sustainability, but the changes brought by the technology also “fundamentally improves the experience of people working in buildings”.

He adds: “From their homes, people are able to determine if it’s worth going in the office on a particular day as they can find out how many people are going to be there, and whether there is a free desk or enough quiet spaces to work in, which creates a smarter way of working.

“Over the past few years, people have spent a lot of time in the comfort of their own home, so it’s all about making the office a comfortable environment, where you can still take Teams meetings but, on the other hand, also has a system that ensures energy consumption remains at an affordable level.

“The technology we use integrates all these elements and we use it within our own building because if we can't use it ourselves, we're not going to sell it to somebody else.”

INCORPORATING INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY is a natural extension of the vision outlined by George’s father Rob Pritchard when he founded Scenariio 10 years ago.

Its roots are in data cabling infrastructure used to connect a variety of devices, such as IT and Wi-Fi networks, AV and CCTV systems, as well as communications and server room installations.

Users can view office stats on a smart phone INSET: Scenariio’s managing director Rob Pritchard

Family affair: George (left) and Rob Pritchard (right) of Scenariio with Olivia Pritchard, managing director of Bustler Market

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Managing director Rob’s 30-year insight into the technology industry, leveraging the relationships created in that time while following trends and developments, led to the company’s portfolio expanding into the intelligent systems found in Scenariio’s office and now many of its clients'.

“It’s his vision to be a smart technology company, so that is where the service evolution and growth area of the business lies,” says George.

When scoping out a smart building project, Scenariio works with a client to understand what the key challenges are and then considers how technology and infrastructure can best be used to solve these.

“Clients will come to us wanting a smart building, but if we explained all the solutions we offer and the technology that goes with it, it can be quite overwhelming and not necessarily of interest to what they want,” says George, who joined the company seven years ago.

“In fact, the questions really should be based around ‘what is it you want to do? What is it that

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THE BIG INTERVIEW

‘If a company is refurbishing a building or doing a new build, and they’re replacing lighting, they can look at intelligent lighting because they’re doing it anyway’

IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATING BUSINESSES ON THE BENEFITS OF SMART BUILDING TECHNOLOGY Each day, George works on anything relating to Scenariio’s products, including proposals, technical design and evaluation of new software – but an important aspect of his role involves educating people on the technology he encounters every day.

He does this by targeting specific markets where businesses will reap the most opportunities by adopting smart technology, including fit-out companies, consultants and contractors, to give them new products to offer their clients.

George explains: “If they can offer their own clients sensor technology to monitor who is in the building or which areas are being used, when combined with booking systems and data reporting opportunities, it gives them an edge over competitors.

“It is new technology, so it’s all about educating businesses on what is possible, how they can talk to their clients about it and how they can promote it.”

Packaging technical offerings into an easy-to-understand format is also something the company has had to work on, investing in business development roles to “get the message across” in layman’s terms and guide customers on the best use of smart technology.

“We’ve had to strip back the way we talk about technology and instead we ask, ‘what is the endpoint that people want?’ and go from there,” adds George.

“Previously, businesses may have been hesitant to spend money on new technologies because they were unsure if it would work,” says George.

“But that’s not much of a problem anymore, as I’d like to think we can evidence what we can do over a sustained period of time – so that reluctance to adopt isn’t the same as it once was.”

you care about? What is it for?’

“We'll pick products that match those requirements. We don't manufacture anything

ourselves – we sell a product from somebody else and then install it – so it gives us an unbiased, trusted expertise within the industry,

George Pritchard is always keen to educate people on the benefits of technology

where we can pick and choose products that best fit a project’s requirements.”

Projects can vary from retrofitting an old building to make it more sustainable, to installing new audio-visual (AV) facilities to make it easier for employees to hold conference calls. But many smart solutions start with lighting.

“If a company is refurbishing a building or doing a new build, and they’re replacing lighting, they can look at intelligent lighting because they’re doing it anyway,” George adds.

“The reason for that is we can attach one of these little sensors to every single light fitting, and use it to do everything else around buildings – such as detecting occupancy, temperature and light levels, which can all be used to determine energy levels.

“In those buildings that don’t need their lighting replaced, we can look at wireless sensors – it can achieve the same goal, it’s just a different technology.”

One of Scenariio’s latest projects has involved implementing smart technology in the former Grade II-listed former Derby Midlands Carriage Works at the Derby College Roundhouse campus in Pride Park. It has transformed the function of the building, known as the Engine Room, from a restaurant to a meeting and training space.

Scenariio installed AV equipment; movementtracking sensors; temperature, CO2 and humidity sensors; an intelligent power-overethernet lighting system; and resourceApril 2023 business network

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Derby College Engine Room

booking software for desks and rooms that lets users book space on site or remotely.

The system will provide the college with an instant snapshot of which areas of the building are being used, the occupancy levels, how comfortable their experience is and what the energy usage is.

“Just because the building is more than 100 years old, this doesn’t mean it has to be uncomfortable for people to work in or can’t be energy-saving, and it’s a great example of what we can do,” adds George.

Meanwhile, at Gymshark’s headquarters in Solihull, Scenariio installed more than 400 smart lighting fixtures featuring sensors to monitor motion, temperature, brightness and power usage. It produced space utilisation reports for the sportwear company to showcase which areas of the 42,000 sq ft office are being underused.

George believes his company’s technology has helped to make it an “amazing and unique space” for one of Britain’s fastest-growing start-ups.

FROM PLAYGROUND SLIDES to beanbag seating arrangements, multinationals like Google and Innocent Smoothies have been challenging the idea of the “traditional office environment” to place the employee’s experience at the centre of workplace design.

‘It turns the office environment into a collaboration hub, rather than just a row of desks’ George says the benefits reaped from smart buildings is intrinsically linked to employee welfare, and attributes it to the rise in demand for the technology he’s witnessed over the past few years.

“As much as businesses want people to practise hybrid working, we’ve also seen them wanting to entice people back into the offices as they are a key space to foster collaboration,” he adds.

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MAKING DATA MORE ACCESSIBLE The latest addition to Scenariio’s smart technology offering is its own dashboard, called Insiight, to present data in a more accessible format for its customers – after collaborating with academics.

Just under three years ago, the company began a knowledge transfer partnership (KTP) with Nottingham Trent University to create a software package that can display a building’s data in a dashboard format.

The software uses open-source technology that pulls data from a variety of sources, including sensors, and presents it in a digestible format via a variety of graphs, diagrams and tables.

The data can be accessed and displayed using a range of devices, including smartphones, computers and TV screens, and each dashboard is customisable to a company’s requirements.

George explains: “Three years ago, there wasn't really a way in which our customers were able to view the data easily. They could sign up to third-party apps, but not everyone has the budget for those. What we wanted to achieve with the dashboard was for our customers to actually be able to get use out of the data.”

down, so you can get answers and solve problems a lot faster.

“By saying to people, ‘look what we can offer you’, and making the office a more positive space with easy-to-use systems, it turns the office environment into a collaboration hub, rather than just a row of desks, and can help with enticing them back.”

The demand for “the modern office” can also be attributed to the accessibility of this type of technology, with an increasing number of

George with one of Scenariio’s Insiight dashboards

households owning a piece of smart equipment.

As people can now use an app to remotely turn their heating on, dim lights or speak to delivery personnel, many of us are experiencing a more integrated and streamlined way of living.

“If people are using this technology at home, it’s likely they will expect to see it in their workplace,” says George.

“It’s probably one of the first times I’ve seen the household side of the market growing at a more rapid rate compared to the commercial side, which has taken a while to catch up.

“People are asking for those abilities in the offices now. We’ve been exploring this space for nine years, but now businesses are paying attention because it’s what their employees are looking for.”

OPERATIONAL COST SAVINGS have arguably never been more relevant for companies at a time when the cost of doing business has escalated amid a 40-year high in inflation.

Some firms have combatted this by focusing on energy savings – for example, replacing

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THE BIG INTERVIEW

fluorescent lighting with LED lights that command a fraction of the power or running costs.

“Although this has saved businesses on keeping the lights on, it didn't allow them to save energy on aircon units or their heating bills because they put in a system that just saved a nominal value of energy on the lighting,” says George. “It didn't take into account any of the data feeding into other systems that could identify money-saving opportunities elsewhere.”

When speaking to businesses about operational savings, Scenariio’s team of eight will identify any available data across a building, as well as how people use facilities in order to identify potential issues and areas of over or underuse, before making a recommendation for smart technology.

He explains: “It starts by reviewing some of the systems they may have put in place, then looking at the environments they are trying to create, whether that’s improving air quality or intelligent lighting. From there, we look at the user experience, and use the sensor technology to integrate all the data together.

“The last stage is when we can implement processes such as setting timers for monitors and for lights to turn off after people leave a meeting room, once you have a holistic view of how people use the building.”

REFLECTING ON THE BUSINESS AWARDS Last year at the Chamber’s Derbyshire Business Awards, Scenariio picked up the Business Improvement through Technology Award, where it had previously been a finalist on several occasions.

George says the recognition was significant as it demonstrates “an unbiased view” on its achievements.

“It just cements what you’re doing – business improvement through technology is exactly what we've been helping people achieve for the past decade,” he says.

When reflecting on the application process for the awards, George adds: “We’ve been growing for a number of years now – when I joined the company eight years ago, there were just four of us.

“We were always flat out working on making sure our customers were happy, but not truly reflecting on what we did as a business. We’ve been able to discuss projects we couldn’t talk about previously, and actually been able to put the time into the application process, which I think made a massive difference.”

The Chamber’s Business Awards programme launches on 17 April. Find out more at www.emc-dnl.co.uk/business-awards.

The Scenariio team celebrate at the Derbyshire Business Awards

TECHNOLOGY HAS A tendency to regularly hop from one fad to another, but George recognises the importance of sticking within an area of expertise.

This has led to a number of recent award wins for the company, including Business Improvement through Technology at the Chamber’s Derbyshire Business Awards last year to go with the Severn Trent recognition, and it plans to build on this success by growing its seven-figure turnover by 15% this year.

George says: “We know what we've got works, we know it's already ahead of what 99% of buildings probably have, so we want to put an offering we’ve proven out there further."

That doesn’t stop the team staying ahead of the curve, reading trade journals and looking out for new products that can benefit its client base.

A client request on what could be done to streamline cleaning processes within its office recently led to Scenariio exploring whether odour sensors could be deployed on toilets.

“What we install in our own office is changing every time you come in,” says George. “We’ll get a new sensor in, we’ll test it and put new data into the dashboard to see how it functions.

We're always evaluating and working on new technology so that if anything amazing becomes available, we can be ready.”

A new smart technology product for warehouses is demonstrated next door at street food venue Bustler Market, where a sensor network has been installed to help the owner and its traders access real-time security alerts.

It’s an example of how learnings from the office environment are being adopted in other areas, with initial findings suggesting the technology can detect whether equipment is running properly and the temperature is at an optimum level for the building’s contents.

“We want to be at the leading edge of what we’re doing, so we keep an eye on what's going on within our industry by following sector reports and attending trade shows,” adds George.

“Ultimately, we want to make sure that the products we’re promoting to businesses are what they are asking for.”

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Office design and technology aid productivity Rob Day (pictured), chairman and founder of workplace fit-out consultancy Blueprint Interiors, highlights the importance of using technology in the workplace and the impact that analogue consultancy can have on productivity.

Office design has a bigger impact on productivity than many people might initially think, especially when the right technology solutions are also factored into the design.

Smart businesses are now attracting staff by providing welldesigned, comfortable offices that offer a variety of spaces and technology based on how their people work at their best.

‘Happy and motivated teams enjoy lots of job satisfaction’ They realise that happy and motivated teams enjoy lots of job satisfaction, which significantly increases productivity.

However, what works for one team or individual doesn’t always work for another. Before making changes to an office space, it is vital a workplace consultancy exercise is carried out to fully understand what is needed.

Management may have a totally different idea of what people want, and if teams are not asked what they need, detrimental decisions

New Leicester office for Freeths National law firm Freeths has moved into a new office at Colton Square in Leicester.

The city centre site offers close transport links, as well as networking and event space to enhance the experience for both staff and clients.

It features a café, breakout areas, quiet pods and meeting room technology to suit the firm’s hybrid working policy.

The relocation follows yearon-year growth, with ongoing increased employee retention, new lateral hires and heightened client portfolios.

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can be made that will not attract people back to work, help them collaborate more effectively or ensure they enjoy being at work rather than at home.

FLEXIBLE WORKSPACES Offering flexible workspaces means people choose where to work based on the tools and environment they need to get a particular job done. This level of flexibility facilitates what is known as an agile workplace.

RELEVANT TECHNOLOGY Bringing in technology helps people to do their jobs more effectively and ease of accessibility is crucial.

Following the rise of hybrid working, having the right tech is non-negotiable for an agile workplace and is often the catalyst for working efficiently at both an organisation and individual level.

This could be through: • Work cafes with Wi-Fi and power points for charging • Meeting rooms with interactive whiteboards and remote sharing capabilities • Huddle spaces and booths with power, light and ventilation for individual or group work

• Easy-access, cloud-based video conferencing • Online meeting room booking systems (no more awkwardly kicking people out of your booked room!)

• LED and video walls to deliver totally immersive experiences.

Whatever technology or software you choose, by consulting with your team you will ensure it’s useful and relevant.

There is also no room for tech not to work. This means adequate training is essential so that people feel confident using the tech and benefits such as improved communication, enhanced collaboration, reduced travel costs and increased productivity are realised.

CONSIDER WELLNESS The WELL Building Institute, an international organisation that has created an evidence-based set of

standards to support employee wellness, says workplace design can significantly impact staff health, satisfaction, wellbeing and productivity.

When people feel better, they perform better. Tech can help improve noise, air quality, lighting and natural views.

BUSINESS BENEFITS Office design, effective use of technology solutions and productivity go hand in hand.

Increasingly, tech and furniture manufacturers are far more joined up in their approach to designing office furniture that already incorporates technology solutions.

So, it is vital to understand what new solutions the market has to offer. If you create a workplace that not only inspires but provides for the needs of your team, you will see many benefits for individuals and the wider business.

Institute aims to boost tech skills A new £5.5m national institute has been launched to ensure the UK has the technical capability and capacity across academia, research, education and innovation that will help it meet the Government’s goal of being a global superpower in science, engineering and the creative industries.

The UK Institute of Technical Skills and Strategy (ITSS) is funded by Research England, which is part of UK Research and Innovation. It will be hosted by the University of Nottingham in partnership with a network of organisations and institutions

across UK higher education and research.

It will form four hubs across research, policy, practice and engagement, making it the UK’s source of sector expertise on technical skills, roles and careers in UK higher education and research.

Dr Kelly Vere (pictured), director of technical strategy at the University of Nottingham, is spearheading the new initiative.

She said: “We frequently discuss the emerging technologies needed to drive innovation, but rarely do we consider the expert technical skills, roles and careers required to use these technologies.”

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STRATEGIC PARTNERS AND PATRONS

Rolls-Royce set to power AUKUS submarine fleet Rolls-Royce Submarines will provide reactors for Australia’s nuclear-powered submarines – creating thousands of jobs for the firm and its UK supply chain.

The engineering firm’s submarines arm, which is based in Derby and employs more than 4,000 people, already designs, manufactures and provides in-service support to the pressurised water reactors that power every boat in the Royal Navy’s submarine fleet.

As part of the AUKUS trilateral agreement between Australia, the UK and US, a new fleet of submarines will be built by Britain and Australia by the late 2030s based on the UK’s design.

The Government said the major project will create thousands of jobs in the UK in the decades ahead, which will be spread between Derby and Barrow-in-Furness.

Rolls-Royce Submarines president Steve Carlier said: “We are delighted to be asked to play our part in delivering this element

of the AUKUS agreement and are well prepared to support through our nuclear expertise and engineering excellence.

“For over 60 years, we have provided the power to the Royal Navy’s nuclear submarines and we are proud to be playing a critical role in helping Australia acquire its own nuclear propulsion submarine capability.

“This is great news for Rolls-

Royce and for the country as a whole with the creation of more UK jobs and an opportunity to showcase British innovation and expertise on the world stage.”

To ensure a steady pipeline of future talent into the industry, Rolls-Royce last year opened a new Nuclear Skills Academy in Derby, which will provide 200 apprenticeships each year for at least the next decade.

Business school moves a step closer

How the university’s new business school will look

Plans for a new business school in Derby city centre have been secured after the University of Derby raised £70m funding to help develop the state-of-the-art building – which represents a core part of its longterm strategy.

Following a competitive funding process, the £70m private placement was secured, featuring highly attractive fixed-rate, 35-year terms. It is the university’s first debt capital markets issuance and was arranged by Centrus, which acted as corporate finance advisor.

The funding is structured, so half of the funding has already been received, with the remainder due in December this year, to better match the project’s funding needs, while reducing the university’s interest costs.

Further, the funding incentivises the university’s commitment to social inclusion and equality. It does so by providing a discount if the target set by the university for reducing the attainment gap is achieved.

Giving Access to top qualification Access Training (East Midlands) will be at the forefront of a new professional housing qualification that will soon become mandatory for all senior managers and executives in the social housing sector.

It is one of only 16 study centres across the UK accredited to offer the Level 4 certificate, and one of eight to provide Level 5, of an upcoming Ofqual-regulated housing management qualification.

The qualifications, which provide the skills and knowledge needed to perform in a senior management role, will be delivered via a blended approach of remote workshops and one-to-one tutorials that cover all relevant areas of housing policy and practice over a duration of 12 to 15 months.

The proposed Government legislation is part of the amended Social Housing (Regulation) Bill and estimated to affect 25,000 social housing managers across the UK. Access Training managing director Corrina Hembury (pictured) said: “Over the past four years, we’ve helped over 450 individuals gain the qualifications needed to deliver the best of housing services.

“It’s so important that all within the sector who are responsible for the safety and welfare of residents hold the relevant qualifications and, at the same time, are held to account. It really is a keyway in which standards will be raised.”

THE CHAMBER IS HONOURED BY THE SUPPORT OF ITS STRATEGIC PARTNERS AND PATRONS

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CHAMBER NEWS

King’s Honours nominations call East Midlands organisations are being urged to nominate individuals for national honours.

Lord-Lieutenant of Derbyshire Elizabeth Fothergill CBE (pictured) said those who “witness true excellence and a passion to improve the lives of others” should consider making a nomination.

The King’s Honours recognise people for exceptional service and achievement; going “above and beyond the call of duty”; showing sustained delivery and moral courage against the odds; and having the respect of their peers. Examples could include individuals who: • Exemplify the best sustained and selfless voluntary service • Demonstrate innovation and entrepreneurship • Work to tackle discrimination • Help to improve the lives of vulnerable people • Are major philanthropists who show long-term commitment • Support children and young people to achieve their potential • Aid social mobility, enhancing life chances and tackling deprivation • Help to protect the environment • Work to improve the economic prosperity of local people.

Anyone can make a nomination but often people are overlooked because it is assumed someone else will do it.

Nominations should be relatively short and clear; highlight the person’s special qualities; show what they have personally done, rather than a team’s achievements; explain how the individual has “gone the extra mile” and perhaps sacrificed to succeed in the role; and demonstrate the impact they have made.

Including supporting facts and figures about the impact they have made, and letters of support from people who have benefitted, helps considerably.

For more information, visit www.gov.uk/honours

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Positive signs but expect some growing pains The Chamber’s Quarterly Economic Survey for the first quarter of 2023 closed on 9 March, receiving 347 responses. Chris Hobson (pictured), director of policy and insight, summarises the key findings – with indicators finally beginning to point in the right direction.

QUARTERLY ECONOMIC SURVEY - Q1 2023

Following an uncertain end to the year, the results from Q1 demonstrates how businesses are beginning 2023 by displaying signs of growth and an increasing confidence for the year ahead.

There was a small growth in quarter-on-quarter domestic sales.

In advanced orders, there was a jump from 23% of businesses witnessing an increase at the end of 2022 to 31% in this quarter, a pattern that was mirrored for overseas markets.

With regards to labour, 26% increased their workforce in the quarter, with 35% anticipating an increase over the coming three months. Some 59% attempted to recruit over the past quarter – up from 55% at the end of 2022 but still below the level of 12 months ago.

Encouragingly, of those trying to recruit there was a drop in people reporting difficulties in finding the right staff – down to 73% from the eight in 10 businesses reporting struggles in the last survey.

In other indicators, cashflow performance also improved from the previous quarter, although there are still significantly more businesses reporting a decline in cashflow (35%) as opposed to an increase (22%).

The sentiment-type indicators were all positive quarter-onquarter, although some remain marginal. While 18% were planning to increase their investment in machinery and equipment, 17% anticipated a decrease; 23% were intending to up their investment in training, compared to 8% decreasing this.

Price pressures continue their gradual drop-off, with 54% anticipating an increase in their prices, down from 58% the previous quarter and 60% the quarter before that. Of those factors driving this pressure, labour costs were the outright largest factor, followed by utilities, with raw materials dropping back and fuel further behind.

For overall confidence, there was a sharp growth in expectations for turnover – 56% expect this to increase, up from 48% last quarter – and profitability, with 38% expecting an increase, up from 34%.

For both areas, there was a corresponding drop in those expecting to see a decline.

To read the full QES report, visit www.emc-dnl.co.uk/services/ have-your-say/qes-reports

QES INDICATORS Indicators: net value Q4 2022; net value Q1 2023; net change over quarter (highlighted in green or red to indicate positive or negative direction) UK sales: 5%; 6%; +1% UK orders: -6%; 9% +15% Overseas sales: -5%; 1% +6% Overseas orders: 0%; 6%; +6% Labour force (past three months): 5%; 12%; +7% Labour force (next three months): 16%; 30% +14% Cashflow: -17%; -13%; +4% Future prices: 57%; 52%; -5% Investment in machinery: -5%; 1%; +6% Investment in training: 3%; 15%; +12% Confidence in turnover: 24%; 39%; +15% Confidence in profitability: -3%; 8%; +11% *Net value = increase/decrease

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CHAMBER NEWS

Derby to be heart of UK rail industry ‘Cements the city’s position as a national centre of the rail industry’ Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “It’s full steam ahead for the reform of our railways and today’s announcement is not only a huge win for the brilliant city of Derby, but a key milestone for the entire rail industry across the country.

“Great British Railways will put the passenger first, promoting collaboration and innovation across a joined-up, efficient and modern network.”

The Chamber’s chief executive Scott Knowles said the announcement “cements the city’s position as a national centre of the rail industry while delivering a huge boost to the local economy”.

He added: “Derby and the rail industry go hand-in-hand, with a 200-year legacy as the centre of UK rail remaining highly relevant today as the home of the country’s largest train factory, alongside the

Harry Mitchell via Wikimedia Commons

Derby has been named as the headquarters of Great British Railways (GBR) after winning a national competition, marking a key milestone in the Government’s plan to reform the nation’s railways.

As Europe’s largest rail hub, Derby will soon become the heart of the UK’s rail industry too, bringing track and train together and delivering high-skilled jobs to a city the Government said is “already brimming with the best talent in the industry”.

Derby fought off competition from other shortlisted locations – Birmingham, Crewe, Doncaster, Newcastle and York – after coming top in both an assessment process and public vote that was backed by the Chamber.

The Department for Transport, announcing the result of the contest, said Derby’s application “demonstrated strong links to the wider network, well-established connections with the industry, supply chain and customers, as well as an extensive local cluster of private sector rail businesses”.

Derby Railway Station

many small businesses in the supply chain that have established one of Europe’s largest rail clusters.

“Bringing the Great British Railways headquarters to Derby builds on this expertise, further developing the skillsets from its industrial heritage and shines a spotlight on the city’s economic strengths.

“When combined with other exciting regional projects such as the East Midlands Freeport, this will help to attract new investment

from companies that may wish to be located near a national centre of excellence and create jobs for these skills to thrive – benefits that will be felt across the wider region and all relevant to the Government’s levelling up agenda.”

GBR is a new state-owned body that will set timetables and prices, procure passenger services and manage rail infrastructure. Its transition team will now work with Derby City Council to identify a site for the headquarters.

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CHAMBER NEWS

Businesses are engaging with CSR but much more to come Six in 10 East Midlands businesses continue to engage in corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities despite the ongoing cost-of-doing-business crisis, new research shows.

A study by the Chamber, in partnership with the University of Derby and Loughborough University, found that while there was a slight drop-off in engagement from 66% to 60% of firms in the year to 2022, 42% plan to increase charitable and community activities over the next 12 months – with fewer than 4% expecting a decrease.

When asked to rank the importance of CSR to organisational strategy, it was given an average rating of 5.7 out of 10.

Last month, the Chamber hosted a roundtable session involving business leaders to learn why many organisations place importance on CSR and how to support those that don’t currently engage in any activities.

The Chamber’s director of policy and insight Chris Hobson said: “This research demonstrates the continued importance of being a responsible business, something that many firms are prioritising even in a tough economic environment of cost pressures from all cylinders.

“Responsible businesses are more successful in attracting and retaining employees, winning contracts and tenders, and being recognised as an important part of their community. This ultimately results in more successful businesses.

“We now want to help more businesses to do more CSR engagement, and in a more

Above: Chamber president Stuart Dawkins (centre) chairs a business roundtable discussing CSR engagement Below: Dr Elaine Conway from Loughborough University presenting findings from the CSR research

‘Responsible businesses are more successful in attracting and retaining employees, winning contracts and tenders’ impactful way, using the insights of this research and discussions with our members.”

The analysis is published in a report titled Corporate social responsibility engagement in the East Midlands, authored by Dr Barbara Tomasella at the University of Derby and Dr Elaine Conway at Loughborough University. The study has been conducted since 2017 as part of the Chamber’s Quarterly Economic Survey.

Dr Tomasella said: “This study highlights how organisations in the East Midlands are good advocates for engaging in CSR activities and is a very positive bellwether of the strength of community spirit in the East Midlands.

“Despite barriers to resource availability, many organisations do find the opportunity to invest in CSR, and have a strong sense of wanting to give back and develop their local communities – a commitment that still looks strong in the forthcoming year.”

Dr Conway added: “It’s important we now look to support more firms to join their peers in CSR engagement – not only because of the community benefits but because it makes good business sense – and we will be looking at how we can support this via positive storytelling, toolkits and training.”

KEY FINDINGS IN CSR RESEARCH The latest study took place in November within the Q4 2022 survey, featuring 389 respondents from across Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire. Key findings included: • CSR engagement among service-based firms (64%) tends to be higher than among manufacturers (50%) • There is a correlation between CSR engagement and the size of an organisation – while 83% of large firms are engaged, this decreases for medium (73%), small (66%) and microbusinesses (47%) • A lack of resources remains the main barrier to greater adoption, cited by 32% of all companies but higher among microbusinesses (35%) • Other key barriers include not being something an organisation has considered (20%), not part of a strategic business plan (17%), too busy (13%), not the right time (11%) and unsure how to begin (7%) • The desire to give something back (15%), being the right thing to do (14%), develop links with the community (13%) and staff development (11%) were cited as the main motivations for CSR engagement • Charitable activities (40%) like corporate fundraising and donations are the most popular types of CSR engagement, followed by environmental activities (27%), community initiatives (23%) and staff volunteering (10%) • Smaller organisations are more community-focused than their larger peers, which regard CSR as more critical to their strategy • Despite the slight fall in CSR engagement between 2021 and 2022, virtually all (97%) organisations are looking to maintain, if not increase, their CSR activities in the coming year.

Read the full report at bit.ly/EastMidlandsCSR2023

Summit set to focus on recruitment and retention Ideas that could improve employee recruitment and retention, while tackling productivity challenges, will be shared at the Chamber’s People and Skills Summit.

The annual event, which takes place at Loughborough University’s West Park Teaching Hub on 8 June, will feature a series of keynote 36

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speaker presentations, panel discussions and workshops.

The summit, held in partnership with Loughborough University, will focus on three key themes: • The Future of Work: How do we attract and retain the workforce that employers in the East Midlands demand?

• Local accountability: How do we create a skills and employment framework that delivers on behalf of both providers and employers?

• Developing truly inclusive workplaces: How do we ensure our work environments enable organisations are attractive to potential and current employees?

There are opportunities for sponsorship and to take an exhibition stand at the event. For more information, contact policy@emc-dnl.co.uk To register for the free event, which runs from 9am to 1pm, visit bit.ly/EMCPeopleSkills23

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CHAMBER NEWS

Chesterfield growth strategy unveiled An ambitious plan that sets out a long-term vision for economic growth – including a focus on quality jobs for local people, access to higher-level skills and environmental sustainability – has been approved by Chesterfield Borough Council.

The new four-year growth strategy for 20232027 aims to create a thriving borough by strengthening local skills provision, supporting local businesses and further cementing Chesterfield’s role as a visitor destination. It also wants to become carbon-neutral by 2050.

‘This strategy is vital to ensuring our borough remains a thriving place to live’ The council said its previous economic strategies had led to the creation of more than 2,000 jobs and more than 500 new businesses.

Councillor Tricia Gilby, leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “This strategy is vital to ensuring our borough remains a thriving place to live and work, where everyone has the opportunity to boost their skills, and has access to quality jobs.”

The strategy, which was approved at a meeting of the full council on 22 February, includes five key objectives: 1. Help businesses to grow and secure new business investment in the borough 2. Build a competitive place infrastructure that accelerates employment and housing growth 3. Strengthen the distinctive character and vibrancy of its town centres

4. Develop Chesterfield’s role as a visitor destination and as a base for exploring the surrounding area 5. Ensure local people have the right skills to support progression in the labour market and benefit from future employment opportunities.

Within each of the strategy’s objectives, several key activities have been developed. For example, to help encourage growth, the Innovation Support Programme will continue to run for the benefit of local businesses.

Projects like the Derbyshire Rail Investment Vehicle (DRIIVe) and Constructions Skills Hub – both of which are being funded through the Staveley Town Deal – will help deliver new training facilities to develop local skills.

Regeneration within Chesterfield town centre, including the Stephenson Memorial Hall renovation and Revitalising the Heart of Chesterfield project, will strengthen the town’s position as a visitor destination and to meet the needs of residents, the council said.

How the Stephenson Memorial Hall renovation project could look Above left: Chesterfield town centre Photo courtesy of Destination Chesterfield-Matthew Jones Photography.

Free expo will offer wide range of advice to business

HS2 needs to stay on track The Chamber has told Government it is taking a short-term attitude to the role of infrastructure in economic growth after it delayed construction of some HS2 sections.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said parts of the HS2 line between Birmingham, Crewe and Manchester will be “rephased” by two years.

While the Government repeated its commitment to the Eastern Leg, which connects Birmingham with the East Midlands, there has been no mention of when it will be put forward for parliamentary approval.

The Chamber’s director of policy and external affairs Chris Hobson said: “This Government is once again minimising the huge opportunities that HS2 brings to progressing many of our country’s overarching economic objectives, including levelling up and net zero, by providing the infrastructure that will spur clean growth and regeneration in UK regions.

“Investing in big infrastructure is a vital ingredient in any successful economy, as we have outlined in our Business Manifesto for Growth, yet as a country we continue to adopt a very short-term attitude by slowing down or scaling back this investment any time we need to make some cost savings.

“In the East Midlands, where we receive the lowest transport infrastructure spending per head at 64.7% of the UK average, we need to see a firm commitment to progressing the Eastern Leg through Parliament via a dedicated bill as soon as possible.”

Businesses have been invited to a free business expo to learn more about reducing costs, saving on energy use and recruiting more effectively.

Delegates will be able to build networks and gain business support advice at the event being staged by the Business Gateway Growth Hub at the Morningside Arena in Leicester on 18 April.

Its purpose is to signpost business owners to available support, while also providing practical tools and tips to help manage the cost-ofdoing-business crisis.

Glynis Wright MBE and Sonia Baigent, both members of the Leicester and Leicestershire

Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) board, will host the event, which covers subjects including: • What small businesses need to know about saving on energy costs • Effective recruitment, onboarding and engagement of employees • Navigating debt and maintaining financial resilience • Leadership in challenging times • An anonymised Q&A session offering free practical advice.

Free refreshments and a buffet lunch will be provided at the event, which runs from 8am to 3.30pm. To register, visit bit.ly/BGGHexpo

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CHAMBER NEWS

How better use of data can improve your bottom line Martin Rigley MBE is CEO of Lindhurst Engineering, a Chamber Board member and vice-chair of the North Nottinghamshire Manufacturing Network. He explains why it makes business sense to integrate smart technology and data into a manufacturing operation.

Lucy Brazier

The joy of six for PA Forum event The PA Forum Annual Learning and Development Conference is returning for its sixth year.

Bringing together representatives working within executive and business support across the Midlands, the conference takes place at voco, in Solihull, on Thursday 15 May from 9am to 5pm.

The programme features inspirational, educational and motivational content for PAs, EAs, secretaries, administrative assistants, office managers and business support managers to take away ideas and tangible action points that could benefit their business.

Lucy Brazier, CEO of Marcham Publishing, which publishes Executive Support Magazine, will host the day.

Sessions include: • “Harness the power of social media and LinkedIn” with Oli Hills, founder of Birmingham Updates and CEO of TikTok marketing agency Nonsensical • “Overcoming imposter phenomenon, self-doubt and self-awareness” with Rebecca Mander, founder of GuruYou • “Digital wellbeing and the workplace of the future” with Alex La Via, founder of Live More Offline • “Organisations don’t change, people do!” with Sid Madge, founder of Meee • “Advocating for inclusion” with Simone White, executive assistant at BlackRock and chair of Global Administrative Initiative Network • “The way of the productivity ninja” with Stephen Dargan, Think Productive Early bird tickets are available for the full day from £80 per person. Contact daniel@paforum.co.uk

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Capturing and analysing data has long been championed by our Nottinghamshire business. Ours is a well-established 20,000 sq ft plant with a mixture of steel fabrication manufacturing equipment, overhead cranes and welding bays.

Despite its complexities, we knew that a better understanding of our energy profile would not only reduce running costs, but generally make our factory run more sustainably.

Martin Rigley

‘Having this information at our fingertips really has been transformative’ Our journey to efficiency through data really started in 2020 when we uncovered some abnormalities in our energy usage. We spoke to our friends at Devtank, a Derby-based bespoke electronics developer, which, together with the University of Derby, came up with a profiling tool to monitor and record the use of our electricity and water – but also noise levels, air temperature, humidity and light levels.

Our coffee machine was turning itself on during the night so we remedied that by setting a timer.

The water we use for handwashing was heated to an unnecessarily high level so we reduced the thermoset. A dripping tap was fixed by introducing push taps. All very simple fixes, but having this information at our fingertips really has been transformative.

From a health and safety perspective, it is helping us to maintain a cleaner air environment and reduce exposure to particulates from fumes. The opportunity to monitor, on an ongoing basis, which areas of the factory emit the most particulates means we can gain an understanding of where best to deploy our mobile fume extraction.

From a quality assurance perspective, it gives us recorded data on air temperature and humidity readings that are critical wherever a manufacturer uses paint.

Using data in this way means we can retain our competitive edge and add continual improvements to our bottom line. We estimate that

HOT TOPICS ON THE AGENDA FOR NETWORK Cyber security and international trade are two key topics under discussion at the next meeting of the Leicestershire Manufacturing Network.

Ethan Lang, cyber protect officer for Leicestershire Police, will provide an overview of current and growing threats of cyber crime to the manufacturing industry, as well as practical steps that can be taken to mitigate this risk. The Chamber’s director of partnerships David Pearson will also explain the international trade support and resources his organisation offers to exporters and importers, while Chris Corkan from Make UK will offer an industry update.

Upcoming dates include: • Dales and Peak Manufacturing Network: 14 April (7.30-10am) – Devonshire Dome, Buxton • Leicestershire Manufacturing Network: 18 April (7.30-10am) – De Montfort University, Leicester • Nottinghamshire Manufacturing Network: 17 May (7.30-10am) – University of Nottingham • North Nottinghamshire Manufacturing Network: 24 May (7.3010am) - Vision West Nottinghamshire College, Mansfield For more information, visit www.emc-dnl.co.uk/emmn this particular monitoring system has already saved us in the region of £12,000.

Saving money by reducing energy costs and improving resource efficiency has application beyond the manufacturing industry. I’m delighted our project formed the basis for the University of Derby’s DE-Carbonise Smart Factory project, delivered in collaboration with Derby City Council and Derbyshire County Council with European Regional Development Fund support.

Building on best practice is also a theme of the new Smart Manufacturing Data Hub, a UK-wide initiative supported by D2N2

Growth Hub, which offers digital solutions and expert guidance to help companies explore and evaluate their processes, make operational savings, de-risk investments and become more digital savvy.

It’s the insight I glean through my involvement with the hub, as well as the best practice I learn in my own business, that adds value to my role as vice chair of the Chamber’s North Nottinghamshire Manufacturing Network. I’d urge any manufacturer seeking to make improvements to their bottom line to come along and hear how their peers are making better use of their data.

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CHAMBER NEWS

Speakers offer real inspiration at conference International Women’s Day was marked by the Chamber’s Enterprising Women network with a special conference in March, where a series of keynote speakers told their stories and helped delegates to self-reflect on their own personal and professional journeys. Dan Robinson was in the audience at the Nottingham Belfry to take notes of the discussions.

LEARNING FROM THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES Emily Smith, who was crowned Business Woman of the Year at last year’s Enterprising Women Awards, gave an insight into her career and the many hurdles she has had to overcome.

Starting work aged 13 and becoming an accountant at 16, she opted to take the apprenticeship route ahead of academia – along the way proving her teacher wrong after being told she couldn’t become a chartered accountant without going to university – before joining Leicester-based switchgear and control panel manufacturer Michael Smith Switchgear, and rising to finance and operations director.

Emily, who is also managing director of sister company AVW Fabrications, learned about manufacturing processes on the shop floor to earn the respect of staff and made it her task to modernise a business with a “1980s mentality”.

She has had to contend with “negative comments” and overcome imposter syndrome, which included doubts about her own leadership style, to move the company forward.

Lessons she has learned include not being afraid to show emotion – she believes breaking down in tears in front of staff when the pandemic first hit displayed her “human side”, while demonstrating passion in the right way can “show you are just trying to make things better”.

Others include “being prepared to say no”, after turning away a major customer who disrespected her staff led to the team having more time to generate work and grow the business; the importance of relationships and open communication; and the benefits of pushing herself out of her comfort zone.

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Emily Smith

Sandra Whiles

Amanda Daly

STEPPING INTO THE UNKNOWN “Just have a go” was the message from coaching expert Sandra Whiles, who set up own company in 2016 without any knowledge of running a business after spending 12 years as chief executive of Blaby District Council. Her time as a leader had taught her the value of taking risks but her experience of the private sector was minimal.

“All I really knew was I had to see an accountant and it would help to network and meet people,” she said.

“Nearly seven years on, it’s doing well and I love what I do in offering business and leadership coaching.

“So for me, it’s important to push yourself – recognise what it is that might hold you back and what you need to do to overcome it.”

ENJOY WHAT YOU DO Amanda Daly also left behind what appeared to outside observers as a comfortable life to find her true calling.

She spent more than two decades as sales director and then managing director of a successful telecoms and IT company, recalling: “When people looked at me they thought I had a lovely life with a nice house and car, but they didn’t realise I was absolutely breaking because I had fallen out of love with the business.

“It gave me a wonderful life but

it has to be about the human side, not just about the material side, so seven years ago I took a leap of faith and set up a coaching business on my own.”

The Turnaround CEO helps business owners to see their company from a different perspective to draw out areas where it can become more successful.

Amanda spoke about the four objective variables to measure trustworthiness – credibility, reliability, intimacy and selforientation – as part of the “trust equation”.

She added: “Be authentic and accepting about who you are, and don’t allow any barriers to get in the way of what you want to do.”

A NETWORKING EVENT with a twist is the next date in the Enterprising Women diary.

The event on 18 May features a “peer share puzzle” activity that challenges attendees to consider how they can use existing skills to solve problems and “escape” career obstacles.

It takes place at Dryden Enterprise Centre, in Nottingham, from 13.30pm. Afternoon tea and refreshments are included in the ticket, which costs £15 for Chamber members and £20 for non-members.

Visit www.emc-dnl.co.uk/ enterprising-women

Eileen receives the award from Narinder Johal, of Nachural

Influential woman award for Eileen Eileen Perry MBE DL was recognised as a Woman of Influence at the Nachural Entrepreneurship Awards 2023.

The Enterprising Women co-chair and Chamber board member was honoured for her role in championing the causes of women in business at the ceremony, held in Leicester on 10 March.

Eileen, who runs Leicesterbased recruitment agency ER Recruitment, said: “I was delighted to have been presented with this special award, which is a new category for Nachural.

“As co-chair of Enterprising Women alongside Jean Mountain, we are passionate about encouraging women to enter and progress through the world of enterprise. This is hugely supported by both men and women.”

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CHAMBER NEWS

Programme will recognise female success stories Enterprising Women is set to recognise another cohort of female leaders, employees and teams as the network launches its 2023 awards programme.

Women in business across the Chamber’s membership base in Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire can apply for the 10 categories – which cater for a range of careers, from apprentices and employees, to entrepreneurs and longstanding achievement.

The Enterprising Women Awards, held in association with headline partner Michael Smith Switchgear, were launched at the International Women’s Day conference.

Enterprising Women is led by cochairs Jean Mountain and Eileen Perry MBE DL. Through its networking opportunities and inspirational events, it creates an environment for women in business to connect and grow their knowledge, and equips them with the tools to succeed.

Jean, who co-founded the

Eileen Perry MBE DL and Jean Mountain

network in 1997, said: “The Enterprising Women Awards are a fantastic showcase of the strength of female talent we have here in the East Midlands, and we’re delighted to bring the celebration back this year.”

Eileen added: “We’ve been running our awards programme since 2013, and every year the calibre of talent never fails to impress us. We are looking forward to reading seeing another cohort of what undoubtedly will be fantastic applications this year.”

ENTERPRISING WOMEN AWARDS 2023 CATEGORIES Business Woman of the Year (sponsored by headline partner Michael Smith Switchgear) Female Entrepreneur of the Year (sponsored by Fraser Stretton Property Group) Social Commitment (sponsored by She Inspires) Small Business of the Year (sponsored by Unique Window Systems) Female Employee of the Year (sponsored by Nelsons) Team of the Year (sponsored by Breedon Consulting) She Who Innovates (sponsored by Pick Everard) Apprentice of the Year (sponsored by Futures Housing Group) Rising Star (sponsored by The Turnaround CEO) Lifetime Achievement (sponsored by Paradigm Wills) Other supporters of the awards include music sponsors PPL PRS, and video sponsors AVIT Media.

Entries are now open and the deadline is 27 April. Finalists will be announced during a special event on 8 June held at Stapleford Park Hotel, near Melton Mowbray.

The awards will be celebrated with a gala dinner on 6 October at Winstanley House, in Leicester.

To enter, visit www.emc-dnl.co.uk/services/enterprisingwomen/enterprising-women-awards

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CHAMBER NEWS

David Pearson speaking at the Houses of Parliament Restoration and Renewal Programme roundtable

Scott Knowles

Inflation remains a major concern The Chamber has issued a warning to the Government over the impact of continued inflation after the latest Office for National Statistics data showed an unexpected rise.

In the year to February, Consumer Price Index inflation was 10.4%, up from 10.1% in January after steadily falling for three months.

The Chamber’s chief executive Scott Knowles said this “indicates we are still in the midst of a stubborn inflationary peak”.

“With Producer Price Index inflation at a near-historic high of 12.7%, this illustrates how businesses are still absorbing many of the cost pressures they have experienced across labour, energy, raw materials and fuel for 18 months now,” he added.

“We have always said this is unsustainable, however, and the latest research via our Quarterly Economic Survey shows that more than half of East Midlands businesses expect they will be forced to raise their own prices over the next three months.

“The longer this goes on, the greater the impact on businesses and consumers as much higher prices become the norm.”

Meanwhile, the East Midlands unemployment rate rose from 3.3% to 3.5% in the three months to January. The economic inactivity rate was down four-tenths of a percentage point to 22.3%.

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East Midlands businesses learn about Palace project A group of 30 Chamber members learned about how they could play a key role in restoring the Palace of Westminster at a roundtable session.

They attended a supplier event at Nottingham Trent University in February to meet the team delivering Parliament’s Restoration and Renewal Programme.

They discussed how the complex work can support jobs and opportunities across the East Midlands, as well as potential challenges related to skills.

Andy Haynes, commercial director at the Houses of Parliament Restoration and Renewal Delivery Authority, said: “Nottingham and the East Midlands has a wealth of experience in new technology and construction in historic spaces, so it was brilliant to discuss with local business leaders how they could support the restoration of the Palace of Westminster in the future.

“Parliament represents all peoples and regions of the country, so it’s really important that we

‘There was a palpable passion for delivering great service and developing skills’ make the most of skills here in Nottingham and the wider East Midlands, as they have a huge range of skills and enthusiasm that we will need to draw on as we restore the palace.

“There was a palpable passion for delivering great service and developing skills, which the delivery authority would be proud to support in the coming years.”

The roundtable discussion involved businesses with expertise in everything from cast iron to hydraulics, working in sectors such as architecture and further education. They shared their skills and experience, and heard from the team at the Restoration and Renewal Programme about the approach to getting SMEs from UK regions involved in the project, which will take several decades to complete.

The Chamber’s director of partnerships David Pearson said: “The Palace of Westminster Restoration and Renewal programme is another important supply chain opportunity for our region and one we should seek to pursue with rigour, as it can help to inspire the next generation of talent in STEM industries, create apprenticeships and upskill our existing labour market.

“However, it is clear from the discussion with our members that there are some concerns to address, including the impact a major scheme like this could have in exacerbating existing skills gaps by absorbing the limited pool of workers with the relevant skills.

“By working together closely, the business community, education sector and Government can explore how to overcome these issues and ensure the legacy of this programme is not just felt in the preservation of a historic building, but in building our future workforce.”

Online and social media skills courses High-street businesses in Rushcliffe have been invited to take part in a free “bootcamp” that will boost their online and social media knowledge.

The Rushcliffe Digital High Street Bootcamp programme is a 12-week series of webinars offered by the Chamber in partnership with Rushcliffe Borough Council, running until June. Each is free to attend and takes place on Monday from 6pm to 7pm, consisting of a 45-

minute presentation and 15-minute Q&A session.

These will cover topics such as developing an online and social media presence, attracting footfall and growing sales. Businesses can choose as many webinars as they wish.

Upcoming webinars include: • 10 April: How to use social media as your online shopfront • 17 April: Improve your customer journey with social content

• 24 April: Drive sales and customer loyalty with a CRM • 15 May: Increase visitors with online advertising • 22 May: Build repeat customers with social advertising • 5 June: Choose the right CMS for your business • 12 June: An introduction to ecommerce To sign up, visit bit.ly/RushcliffeDHSwebinars

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generationnextemc.co.uk

CHAMBER NEWS

This network is all about making real connections Generation Next member Ella Sheppard (pictured), a senior associate and solicitor at Nelsons, speaks to Jasmine Thompson about how the events programme has helped build her confidence and connections across the East Midlands.

Tell us about the organisation you work for and your role within it?

Nelsons Solicitors is a law firm based across the East Midlands, which offers advice and support to businesses and individuals regarding their legal and investment needs. We aim to empower our clients, give them a voice and steer them through the complex legal issues they may face.

I am a senior associate and solicitor at Nelsons, specialising in employment law. I offer contentious and non-contentious advice on all employment-related matters to employees and employers across the East Midlands and beyond.

I specialise in services such as settlement agreements, employment

tribunal claims, advising on a range of day-to-day issues such as discrimination, disciplinaries, grievances and performance management, and supporting with the employment law aspects of corporate transactions. I relish in navigating my way through involved issues and finding creative solutions for clients, and particularly enjoy representing clients in negotiations and litigation, as well as assisting with corporate matters.

Why did you sign up to Generation Next membership?

I am fortunate to work alongside one of Generation Next’s champions, Beth Bearder. As a result, I quickly became aware of the fantastic purpose behind setting up the

‘As a young professional, I found that networking could be daunting at times and the Generation Next network offered something different’

network and the work it does.

I was obviously keen to get involved and do my bit to support that. As a young professional, I found that networking could be daunting at times and the Generation Next network offered something different, including the opportunity to build on and develop great connections while also having a focus on developing personal and professional skills.

Which Generation Next events have you attended and what was your experience like?

I have attended a variety of events from skills workshops on public speaking and combatting imposter syndrome, to “netwalks”, awards evenings and even “chair yoga”.

The events are always wellorganised, attracting a good variety of people from different walks of life and I always come away feeling I have gained something – even if that includes a pair of very soggy socks after the netwalk! I have always felt welcomed into the network, and have made some valuable connections and friendships.

The next event I plan on attending is a workshop on being an effective leader in April, which I am really looking forward to.

How has the support you’ve received from the events programme been useful to your career development and current job role?

I have taken a lot of skills away from the Generation Next events I have attended, which have helped further me in my career – maybe even playing a part in my promotion last year.

Being part of the Generation Next network has really helped me grow my network and self-confidence, all in a fun and friendly setting.

A 12-month Generation Next membership costs £150, with a 20% discount available to Chamber members and organisations purchasing two or more memberships. For more information, visit generationnextemc.co.uk

Lucy Robinson

Two new partners join programme Nottingham Trent University (NTU) and Express Recruitment have joined Generation Next as partners.

The organisations will join the network’s cohort of partners – headline partner University of Derby, Nottingham University Business School, Fraser Stretton Property Group, Hardy Signs, Loughborough College and PPL PRS – in championing its vision to support and develop young professionals within the East Midlands.

Both organisations will have an active role in Generation Next’s awards programme, which will be celebrated on 13 July with a ceremony at Bustler Market in Derby.

NTU will sponsor the Rising Star category, while Express Recruitment will sponsor the Customer Service category.

Representatives from each organisation will help with the shortlisting finalists – due to be announced on 26 April – and in virtual judging days, which take place on 9 and 10 May. The organisations will now receive exposure via Generation Next’s channels over the next year and feature in events run for members of the network. Members of their teams will also be granted places on the membership service, which includes access to its webinars and networking events, mentoring service and document library.

Lucy Robinson, the Chamber’s director of resources and Generation Next lead, said: “We are delighted to welcome NTU and Express Recruitment to our network as partners.

“With the support of our fantastic partners, Generation Next can continue our vision to support and champion young talent working across the East Midlands.”

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CHAMBER NEWS

Rashmi to extend Chamber’s reach The Chamber has appointed a new sales and marketing director as part of its leadership succession planning strategy.

Rashmi Overthrow joined at the beginning of March with a remit to focus on membership and increase the Chamber’s reach across the East Midlands.

She will prioritise customer engagement to make sure new and existing members get the most from its products and services – which include business support and advice, training and development, networking, international trade consultancy and connecting businesses with local and national decision-makers.

Customer experience has been at the core of Rashmi’s career, which has included roles at Next and Dunelm.

Her most recent post was at Dryad Education, an international education resources business based in Leicester.

Over a decade working for the company, she progressed through various positions in which she

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Rashmi Overthrow with Scott Knowles

oversaw trade, export and events, before becoming head of sales and marketing for the group.

Rashmi said: “I joined the Chamber because of the positive impact it has with businesses across the East Midlands – I love the way that this is celebrated.

‘I am keen to enhance the Chamber’s new look and its accessibility’ “As someone who is creative and passionate about design, I am keen to enhance the Chamber’s new look and its accessibility by improving visibility of what we offer, and making it the go-to place for business support.

“I hope to see many Chamber members at events during the year and I’m keen to hear about their experience.

“There’s no doubt that some of these conversations will shape the future of our services and how we engage with businesses, so do get in

touch with us. Equally, if you’re not member and are thinking of joining us, we’d love to hear from you.”

Rashmi, who is based in Leicestershire, spends much of her free time hiking in the Peak District or training for her next running challenge.

Scott Knowles, chief executive of the Chamber, added: “Succession planning is a key component to the future prosperity of any business and as an organisation that

recognises the importance of continual evolution in how we service our members, the role of sales and marketing director is a vital addition to our senior leadership team.

“We’re delighted to welcome Rashmi to the Chamber and know that with her strong commercial background, she will bring a fantastic set of skills to help us further increase our reach across the East Midlands.”

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CHAMBER NEWS

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PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Training put my career on course Last year, the Chamber’s Enterprising Women network teamed up with Nottingham Trent University to offer a Level 7 Women in Leadership course. Ahead of the course returning on 17 April, Jasmine Thompson speaks to past delegate Jo Jepson (pictured), CEO of Base 51, about her experience of taking part and the key takeaways she is applying to her organisation.

Which organisation do you work for?

Base 51 is a youth charity, based in Nottingham city centre. We work with young people aged 11 to 25 who are typically facing various levels of deprivation and disadvantage. Our services include a counselling service, youth provision and specialist programmes such as Outburst for LGBT+ young people; Evolution Plus for victims of serious violence and knife crime; and Safe Space, working with those at risk of or affected by exploitation.

As CEO, I take on strategic leadership, supported by a team of operational managers.

Much of my role is focused on service sustainability and development, and my day-today responsibilities also include finance, bid writing and working with our board of trustees in areas involving governance.

Why did you enrol onto the Women in Leadership course?

I felt this would be a great opportunity to grow my professional network of other female leaders in the East Midlands. I have completed various leadership courses and always find there is something else to learn, and continuous learning and development is vital to “keep up” with a changing environment.

ELIGIBLE D2N2 SMES URGED TO SIGN UP The Women in Leadership Level 7 course is fully funded through the European Regional Development Fund, and is free to those working in eligible SMEs based in the D2N2 area.

Beginning with an induction on 17 April, sessions then run from 19 April to 21 June.

Most are from 1pm to 3pm on Teams, with one full day spent on-site at Nottingham Trent University on 15 June.

Modules include: • Goal setting, development planning and career management • How management and leadership deliver value to SMEs • Women as leaders • The importance of organisational culture • Power and politics in organisations • Leading high-performance teams • Communicating with impact.

To enrol on the next cohort, visit bit.ly/EMCWomenLeadership

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‘Building a peer network can be invaluable to women who work in small businesses’ What did the course involve?

The course was mostly held virtually, which worked really well for me as I can’t always commit the time away from the charity to just focus on my own development.

All sessions had some form of breakout space involving group work. I found this element hugely valuable as it also gives an opportunity to learn from others.

The content ranged from understanding yourself, through to understanding the environment, workplace culture, collaboration, coaching and leadership and strategic theories that underpinned the assignments.

How will the course support you in your job role?

The course helped me to contextualise the challenges of our charity – having the theoretical knowledge is a super useful tool, particularly when working on strategic plans.

When were you introduced to Enterprising Women and how have the other activities organised by the network supported you since?

Since becoming a member of the Chamber, I have received newsletters about various events. I have attended an Enterprising Women networking event, and it was great to meet new people as well as catch up with those I already knew. I heard about the training course via one of those emails.

I am now encouraging one of my managers to take up the opportunity to join a future cohort, as well as get involved in the events.

Why is it important to support aspiring female leaders in organisations and what role can dedicated learning and development programmes have?

I am a huge advocate of females coming together to learn, develop and support each other. Building a peer network can be invaluable to women who work in small businesses as it can be very lonely at times.

Dedicated programmes feel inclusive and relevant to your role. Taking the time out for your own development is a hugely underrated resource, and one that is often limited by financial barriers. Female leaders are usually supporting and developing others so it’s a refreshing change to have an opportunity to top up our own skills.

Chance to learn the skills to be a director There is still time to book onto the Director Development Programme, which begins on Tuesday 18 April and runs until 6 June.

The course is designed for individuals who want to support and grow their business, or the department they lead.

The objective is to equip them with the skills and confidence needed to achieve objectives that will ultimately drive the business forward.

Delivered as a five-day modular programme, it covers the following topic headings: • Developing vision, values and strategy (18 April) • Planning and direction (26 April) • Finance for non-finance directors (9 May) • People management approaches (17 May) • Driving performance and leading change (6 June) The Director Development Programme is delivered by course trainer Charles Barnascone at the Chamber’s office at NG2 Business Park, in Nottingham. It costs £1,450 + VAT for Chamber members and £1,850 + VAT for non-members. For more information, visit bit.ly/DDPApr23

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EVENTS

The University of Leicester Asian Dance Society put on quite a show

An outstanding event to celebrate achievements of an outstanding man he businessman behind a successful pharmaceuticals company and charity was presented with a special award by the Chamber during the Celebration of Culture and Communities event.

Dr Nik Kotecha OBE DL, former chair of Loughborough-based Morningside Pharmaceuticals and current chair of the Randal Charitable Foundation, was honoured for his Outstanding Contribution to East Midlands Communities at the event on 17 March.

Presenting the award, Chamber president Stuart Dawkins spoke about Dr Kotecha’s journey from arriving with his family in Leicester from Uganda, aged six years old, to become a scientist specialising in drug discovery and then an entrepreneur whose business with a moral purpose has exported around the world.

“He has advised a number of national Government departments, being recognised for his work by the awarding of an OBE,” said Stuart.

“Closer to home, he has brought this expertise to many working groups here in the Midlands.

Among many other things, he is a pro-chancellor at De Montfort University and is a Deputy Lieutenant of Leicestershire.

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Dr Nik Kotecha OBE DL receives his award from Chamber president Stuart Dawkins

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EVENTS

“After securing the legacy of his business via a disposal last year, he is now devoting his time to the charity he founded with his wife Moni in 2017, the Randal Charitable Foundation, aiming to save lives and significantly improve the quality of life for those in need –in the UK and around the word.

That is a wonderful track record.”

The annual Celebration of Culture and Communities event, held in partnership with emh group and De Montfort University, featured music, dance and food from across the world, delivered

by East Midlands-based performers and caterers.

About 250 guests turned out at Athena in Leicester, with many wearing traditional dress associated with various cultures. They enjoyed a three-course Indian banquet by Sanjay Foods, while entertainment was provided by the University of Leicester’s Bollywood Dance Society and Asian Dance Society, Leicesterbased rapper Strizzy Strauss, Derby-based ceilidh performer Schuggie Schuggie, and Soft Touch Arts – which comprised a dance troupe, poet and acoustic guitarist.

Chan Kataria OBE, chief executive at emh group, also delivered a speech about the importance of embracing the equality, diversity and inclusion agenda within businesses.

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4 1. Dr Nik Kotecha addresses guests; 2. Chamber board member Jaffer Kapasi OBE (centre) and guests; 3. Generation Next chair Daniel Nikolla with Generation Next ambassadors Shivani Daudia (left), and Isabella Sellers; 4. Schuggie performs a ceilidh with a twist; 5. Ian Morgan OBE; 6. The Chamber’s head of events Linsey Hardy with Ash Stanley of AVIT Media; 7. University of Leicester Asian Dance Society; 8. Pritti Allen of emh group; 9. Atul Lakhani of Sanjay Foods; 10. Chan Kataria OBE, emh group chief executive; 11. Sanjay Foods provided the three-course banquet; 12. Guests from Barclays and Nelsons

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EVENTS

Katy Balls

Journalist Katy will be keynote speaker 2

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Political journalist Katy Ball will be a keynote speaker at the Chamber’s Annual Dinner.

Currently political editor at The Spectator, Katy is a regular on current affairs TV programmes and hosts the podcast Women with Balls, where she speaks to women at the top of their respective games.

The Annual Dinner will take place at East Midlands Conference Centre, at the University of Nottingham, on Thursday 29 June from 7pm.

The black-tie gala dinner provides an opportunity for Chamber members to network and listen to a range of speakers, also including the Chamber president, while raising funds for their three nominated charities. This year’s beneficiaries will be Foundation Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Community Foundation, and Nottinghamshire Community Foundation.

Ticket details will be released soon at www.emc-dnl.co.uk/events

Business Awards to launch this month

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The 2023 East Midlands Chamber Business Awards will be launched on Monday 17 April.

Entries will open across the Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire Business Awards via online and social media.

Audit, accounting and consulting group Mazars is returning once again as headline partner for the awards, which recognise and reward companies and charities of all shapes and sizes.

Alongside a range of categories, which will be announced on the launch day, there will be an overall Business of the Year for each county chosen by Mazars.

Selected winners on the night also go through to the national British Chambers of Commerce Awards.

For more information, visit www.emcdnl.co.uk/business-awards and follow the launch via @EMChamberNews on Twitter.

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SUSTAINABLE EAST MIDLANDS

www.emc-dnl.co.uk/sustainability

Helping businesses to meet the carbon footprint challenge AUDITEL Location: Lutterworth, Leicestershire Spokesperson: Julia Adams, managing partner; and cost, procurement and carbon specialist

University joins charge to recycle EV batteries Nottingham Trent University (NTU) is part of a £4.5m research project to establish a process for recycling or reusing electric vehicle (EV) batteries – which would help prevent up to nine million tonnes of battery waste per year going to landfill.

A £582,000 grant has been awarded to the university’s Advanced Design and Manufacturing Engineering Centre (ADMEC) as part of the European-wide REBELION project, which looks to give used electric vehicle Lithium-ion batteries a “second life” or recycle them in a more efficient way.

Research shows that with reconditioning, the majority of electric vehicle batteries would be able to last another 10 years after their capacity has fallen below 75%. But the majority are sent to landfill and many of the first-generation EVs will soon reach their end of life.

The project – which is supported by the European Horizon programme and incorporates 11 organisations from across Europe – will also establish how recycling EV batteries could create a major source of lithium-ion on the continent.

Professor Daizhong Su (pictured), head of ADMEC, which sits in NTU’s School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment, said: “With the increased volume of electric vehicle batteries coming towards their end of life, it’s imperative there’s a quick and accurate way to predict a battery’s future life in order to maximise second-life applications.

“Recycling is the most environmentallyfriendly way to deal with batteries after their second life and has the potential to turn them into a major economic resource in Europe, with a value of up to £23bn per year, as the raw materials they contain can be used for further manufacturing.”

The NTU team will develop the ICT platform and infrastructure. The team will also develop methods in relation to traceability of batteries, digital battery passports, ecolabelling and the calculation of eco-cost and eco-savings. It will also contribute to repurposing second life batteries in lighting products.

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What does your company do and how does your business model embrace the sustainability agenda?

I am an independent consultant based in Leicestershire working as part of the larger Auditel affiliate group of consultants based throughout the UK. We work with customers to understand their requirements and produce a high-quality carbon footprint reduction plan, and work to get the customer to a BSI and NQA-verified standard.

This level of work allays fears of any accusation of greenwashing and gives solid grounding on which to build towards net zero.

How does this work?

In the current challenging economic climate, organisations are battling with the desire to drive growth and profitability, while investing in low carbon-emitting technologies to reduce their carbon footprint and speed up their journey to achieving net zero.

We can help demystify and provide clarity to this complex subject of achieving net zero. We deliver expert guidance and resources to calculate an organisation’s carbon inventory, create a carbon footprint report and develop their carbon reduction strategy.

All our solutions are designed to allow future verification for PAS2060, accreditation for ISO14064-1 and meet the requirements of PPN06/21.

We help our clients on their journey towards net zero by simplifying the process. We begin with a couple of easy steps, which could lead them to be verified as carbon-neutral to an internationally-recognised standard within 12 months.

What prompted the decision to embrace the sustainability agenda and how has it impacted your business?

Auditel has been advising on procurements and cost savings for more than 28 years. Over a decade ago, the emphasis of scope three emissions in the carbon footprint, and the evolving climate emergency, led us to develop our carbon practice in order to combine supply chain and operation carbon management.

This combination gives us the unique opportunity to not only reduce customers’ carbon footprint, but to also find cost savings so the whole project becomes self-funding.

‘We can help demystify and provide clarity to this complex subject of achieving net zero’ How important do you believe embracing the sustainability agenda is for businesses today?

Apart from the fact that many people and businesses want to do the right thing, the pressure on carbon awareness and reduction is growing – from attracting staff and customers, through to meeting supplier and tender requirements.

However, there is still time for companies to gain an advantage by being ahead of the crowd in addressing these issues.

What are your future plans for making your business more sustainable?

We are continuing to work with customers towards achieving a verified carbon-neutral status. We are also growing innovative partnerships to help customers reduce organisational carbon and, looking to the future, at the evolving demands of whole-life carbon and environmental product declarations.

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SUSTAINABLE EAST MIDLANDS

Representatives from the Campaign for Better Transport, Nottingham City Council and the Chamber

Driving the green transport agenda A delegation from the Campaign for Better Transport charity visited Nottingham in February to learn about how the city has led the way in sustainable transport initiatives. Campaigns manager Michael Solomon Williams gives some background to the organisation and what it learned during a presentation and tour also attended by the Chamber.

The Campaign for Better Transport is the leading transport charity in England and Wales.

Occupying a unique space between Government, industry, NGOs and the public, and maintaining the trust and respect of all, we have a significant track record of influencing transport policy development over half a century.

This year marks our 50th anniversary, and it was a pleasure for me and Norman Baker, our director of external affairs and former transport minister, to visit Nottingham recently.

We were treated to a fantastic insight into work being done by the council, transport operators and businesses to transform Nottingham into a city that is fast becoming an example for others.

Norman signed off the extension of Nottingham’s superb tram network when he was a minister, so he was delighted to see the expanded network, including a trip to the Queen’s Medical Centre – incredibly the only hospital in the country with a tram stop.

NOTTINGHAM: TRANSPORT TRAILBLAZER Local transport networks have always been integral to our work. We actually proposed the idea nearly 50 years ago of an integrated network for London with ringfenced spending powers, and Transport for London now enjoys high public confidence.

It is just fantastic to see Nottingham now blazing its own trail with the highly successful integration of tram, train, bus and bike – and seamless interchange between modes.

One of the most exciting success stories for Nottingham is the outstanding impact of the Workplace Parking Levy (WPL). This scheme, the first of its kind in Europe, has just celebrated its 10-year anniversary and has had extraordinary results, directly raising more than £90m and enabling inward investment of over £1bn in sustainable transport for Nottingham.

‘Businesses now say they chose to locate themselves in Nottingham because of the quality of the transport network’ Moreover, a majority of businesses now say they chose to locate themselves in Nottingham because of the quality of the transport network.

Truly superb.

Walking around the city centre, hopping on and off trams, trains and buses, the quality of life is clearly much improved, with thoughtful road space allocation, vehicles of all kinds flowing smoothly and pedestrians able to walk safely.

And that’s even before the exciting Broad Marsh

development, which will turn the city centre into a life-enhancing wonderland, bound to attract millions to the city centre.

ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT The positive impact of public transport on the environment is relatively well known, but its benefits to businesses receive less attention.

This works both ways, as while public transport brings billions of pounds into local economies and to the tax purse, congestion costs us £7bn per year, so improving one and reducing the other makes complete sense. In Nottingham, the WPL has reduced congestion growth by 47% and saved the city £15m per year, so congratulations are very much in order.

Major business groups know that better transport means better business, and we work closely with all, including the CBI, IoD, FSB and regional Chambers of Commerce. The FSB has told us how important it is for the best talent to be retained, and this is much easier for businesses where the transport networks are strong, and where quality of life is good as a direct result.

Business has boomed in London for decades, thanks in large part to its transport network.

Nottingham now means business too.

Researchers given funding to help reduce emissions Loughborough University is among 14 research institutions to receive funding from the Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC) to support innovative work to reduce carbon emissions.

The IDRIC has awarded nearly £6m to 20 projects across those institutions to support the reduction of carbon emissions in the UK’s largest industrial clusters.

Loughborough’s Department of Chemical Engineering is leading a project that will

revolutionise industrial algae technologies, titled “Algae-based carbon capture and utilisation for UK cluster decarbonisation”.

Project lead Dr Jonathan Wagner (pictured) said: “We will develop a new process for algaebased carbon capture from industrial processes that eliminates the temporal and spatial limitations of current algae technologies.

“We are excited to work with IDRIC and stakeholders across the seven clusters to develop a demonstration study for this new process.”

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INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Return of ITOPS export qualification The Chamber’s flagship qualification on international trade operations and procedures (ITOPS), which has supported more than 1,300 international trade professionals, returns in May. Working in partnership with Fidelitas Training’s Steve Townsley over the past 10 years, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC)-accredited programme teaches delegates how to avoid costly mistakes and improve their international trade procedures.

It covers critical aspects of exporting – including administration, documentation, moving goods, customs procedures and getting paid – and has saved companies thousands of pounds through improved processes and charges.

Julie Whiting (pictured), international trade training and services manager at the Chamber, said: “We have been delighted to have worked with Steve for over 10 years on the continuous improvement and development of the ITOPS course.

“It is one of the most practical qualifications, which gives candidates the skills and understanding to operate professionally and efficiently in an international trade environment.”

The next four-day online ITOPS course starts on 9 May at 9am, and includes an opportunity to visit the DHL East Midlands Hub. To book a place, visit bit.ly/EMCITOPS

Policy reset could boost links with EU The Government has refreshed its Integrated Review (IR2023) on the UK’s security, defence, development and foreign policy priorities.

The review sets out four ways in which the UK will protect its core national interests – the sovereignty, security and prosperity of British people – as well as its higher interest in an open and stable international order of enhanced cooperation and well-managed competition.

The IR2023 outlines how the UK will shape the international environment, deter, defend and compete across all domains, address vulnerabilities through resilience, and generate strategic advantage.

William Bain, head of trade policy at the BCC, said: “The renewed commitments to tackling climate change, sustainable development and economic empowerment of women are all welcome in the review.

“It is also heartening to see improvements in the UK’s Brexit deal with the EU being identified as a priority. The prospect of improved relations with the EU could help to maximise potential of the Trade and Co-operation Agreement for the UK.”

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Technology offers a building Bloc for smarter global trade Derby-based Bloc Digital specialises in digital creative technologies to produce visualisations and immersive environments that will generate a greater market impact for businesses in both the UK and overseas. Co-founder Keith Cox speaks to Jasmine Thompson about how the company’s technology is enabling businesses across the globe to work smarter.

What does your company do?

Bloc Digital designs, creates and deploys digital visualisations, immersive environments and web app technology for businesses across the globe.

We combine digital creative technologies across design, media, software and internet of things (IoT) to develop products and services that enable our clients to work smarter, be more connected, and have greater marketing impact with their customers and markets.

We have a growing portfolio of world-leading manufacturing and industrial organisations, including Rolls-Royce, JCB and Kongsberg Maritime. We’re experiencing growth within power generation, learning and advanced science sectors, as well as developing new markets in multi-media, broadcast and digital marketing fields.

What does your international trade operation involve?

Our global reach is continually increasing – with the past five years involving significant growth in opportunities within international industrial markets. As a partner with numerous blue-chip companies, we have a strong reputation and experience of working in international markets, providing marketing content and collateral alongside digital solutions and platforms that meet the specific needs of international audiences.

As well as developing our own business opportunities, we are also supporting our clients to increase their sales and marketing impact internationally in Asia, North and South America, and emerging markets in Africa.

Our animations and digital brand marketing solutions are increasingly attracting the attention of US-based businesses. As a result, we’re delighted to have just established Bloc Digital Inc to unlock further opportunities for growth within North America.

Which are your biggest markets and how would you compare your relationships between each of these?

Geographically, the US is a key and growing market for us. In terms of sectors, it is across the global engineering, manufacturing and industrial markets where we are seeing our sustained growth. A key factor in this is the development of our complete in-house capability – from design, 3D modelling and creative production, through to digital solutions and platform build.

We don’t just provide high-quality creative services, but we also understand their operational processes, products and technologies. This ensures our own products and services are highly relevant to their needs.

Central to this is our expertise in the engineering field and the strong client

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INTERNATIONAL TRADE UPCOMING INTERNATIONAL TRADE TRAINING COURSES Inward and outward processing DATE: 19 April TIME: 9-12.30 COST: £160 + VAT Introduction to methods of obtaining inward and outward processing relief from customs duty and VAT on international transactions

CDS customs overview DATE: 20 April TIME: 9-2 COST: £349 + VAT Learn the roles and responsibilities around the customs declaration service (CDS), which will be the long-term replacement for the current customs handling imports and export freight (CHIEF) platform

Rules of origin DATE: 20 April TIME: 9-12.30 COST: £160 + VAT Learn about the certifications required by customs officials around the world to demonstrate the origin of a product, which determines how tariffs are decided

Bloc Digital co-founders Keith Cox (left) and Chris Hotham

A beginners guide to import procedures DATE: 25 April TIME: 9-12.30 COST: £160 + VAT Get a high-level overview of the import process from a practical perspective. It also includes a practical session on creating clearance instructions from a pre-defined set of trade documents relationships we have built. Our communication, collaboration and delivery of projects, sometimes working with global teams across continents and locations, has proved that geography is not a barrier to businesses accessing cutting-edge technologies or highquality animations and visualisations.

How have the events of the past couple of years affected your importing and exporting activity?

Due to the digital technology nature of our business and operations, we were in the lucky position to have not been directly impacted by physical restrictions in the global movement of materials during the past couple of years.

In the unprecedented circumstances of the pandemic, one or two of our global clients did temporarily reappraise their focus, which had a very short-term knock-on in terms of the scheduling of some of the new projects we may have been expecting in early 2020/21.

We’ve built our business on adapting and innovation, and we worked with our clients to support them to actively shift their operations and marketing activity into the “virtual” sphere.

As our clients and the wider marketing industry have emerged from the pandemic, we are witnessing an increasing desire to re-position

these digital-first capabilities into hybrid operations featuring both digital and in-person events and experiences.

Our combination of interactive technology and commercially-available hardware, alongside our established animation, digital environments and modelling capabilities, is now opening new commercial opportunities within the industrial and manufacturing sectors.

What made you turn to the Chamber for support and how has this helped?

The Chamber’s international connections and insights were highly valuable to Bloc Digital as we began to really penetrate US and Asian markets. The support enabled us to get right into the heart of these markets, in specific locations and industrial hubs.

The Chamber’s credibility and experience in global trade also enabled us to have the visibility and impact to make a difference and establish strong working relationships.

On a wider note, the Chamber’s active championing of East Midlands skills, innovation and entrepreneurship on the international stage is sustaining opportunities for growth not just for now, but also for the next generation of employees and business leaders.

Understanding commodity coding DATE: 4 May TIME: 9-12 COST: £160 + VAT Navigate the complex and difficult international system for coding products for customs purposes

Export foundations DATE: 10 May TIME: 9-4 COST: £285 + VAT Get an overall picture of how the many elements of international trade fit together, including hands-on experience of the administration involved with getting an export consignment ready Prices listed are exclusively for East Midlands Chamber members

Book on to courses at bit.ly/EMCinternationaltraining

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POLITICS

Businesses react to Spring Budget The Spring Budget promised to cut through barriers to doing business and stimulate growth, but is that how Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s economic plan was received by firms? The Chamber held a roundtable on Budget day, hosted by law firm Geldards in Nottingham, to gather the views of members. Dan Robinson summarises the discussion.

Business leaders watching the Spring Budget live

CHILDCARE PLAN WELCOMED BUT BENEFITS A LONG WAY OFF The Chancellor’s headline-grabbing policy was to extend free childcare to one and two-year-olds, but this will be phased in between April 2024 and September 2025, delaying the benefits of bringing parents back into the workplace.

Sarah Loates, founding director of Loates HR Consultancy in Derby, called the childcare announcement “jam tomorrow”, adding: “It should happen a lot sooner. Two-thirds of my staff are single parents and they can’t afford childcare. This needs to be happening now, not next year or the year after that.”

One of the reasons for the phased rollout is a shortage of childcare workers. Corrina Hembury, managing director of Nottingham-based training provider Access Training (East Midlands), said retention has been a particular challenge because of low wages.

“We have to value the sector more because it’s an economy-enabler, but it needs sufficient funding and support to back up the provision for increased free childcare,” she added.

TAX RELIEF FOR INNOVATORS With the super-deduction regime – which, since April 2021, had enabled companies to claim 130% capital allowances on qualifying plant and machinery investments – ending in March, the Chamber had called for a permanent replacement to incentivise businesses to invest in research and development.

The Chancellor announced a new 100% capital allowances scheme from 1 April, which will last for at least three years. SMEs whose qualifying R&D expenditure constitutes at least 40% of their total outgoings are also able to obtain an effective credit of 27p for every £1 spent on R&D. But Kevin Harris, Leicester office managing partner at audit, tax and consulting services firm RSM UK and chair of the Chamber’s board of directors, doubted the impact this would have on reversing the decline in business investment.

“Even the super-deduction didn’t get investment levels up because at the end of the day, investment is about confidence for the medium and long terms,” he said. “The only way we will get this is by building confidence, which is going to take time.”

LOOSENING REGULATION FOR MEDTECH David Watson, a partner at Geldards who leads the property team, welcomed reform to regulation of medicines and medical technologies as a “sensible” idea.

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Kevin Harris, managing partner of RSM, at the roundtable in Nottingham

innovative medtech, the Medical and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) will get additional funding to put in place “the quickest, simplest regulatory approval in the world for companies seeking rapid market access”.

A new model will also allow near-automatic sign-off for medicines and technologies that have already been approved by regulators in jurisdictions such as the US, Europe and Japan.

Robin Penny, managing director of Chesterfield-based hydraulic lifting equipment manufacturer Penny Hydraulics, added: “Reciprocal arrangements with other regulatory authorities could also speed up approval for our own products in those countries.”

RETURN-TO-WORK INITIATIVES LEAVE QUESTION MARKS While the Government announced a number of initiatives to entice people back into work amid historic labour market shortages, concerns were raised about the lack of incentives for businesses to invest in people.

Over-50s were targeted via a range of schemes including “returnships” to support retraining.

Welfare changes also aim to bring disabled people into employment by enabling them to work without losing their benefits, but Universal Credit sanctions will be tightened for jobseekers who don’t take up “reasonable” job offers.

Sarah Loates said labour shortages are the biggest issue impeding her company’s growth but identified quick access to healthcare as one of the main barriers to work. She also believes mental health issues are the number one reason

Speakers at the roundtable included Mark Robinson (second left), of Creative62, and Sarah Loates, of Loates HR Consultancy

why people who have left the workforce are yet to return. The Government has pledged £400m to improve mental health and musculoskeletal (MSK) resources for workers, but she said this was a “drop in the ocean” given the scale of the problem.

A FLAT FEELING While there was plenty of macroeconomic rhetoric about removing barriers and stimulating growth, for SMEs on the ground there was little to get excited about.

Mark Robinson, founder of Leicester-based creative agency Creative62, said: “Small businesses are the engines of the economy but there’s a feeling the Government could have gone further to support us.”

Rob Day, founder and chairman of Blueprint Interiors, called the Budget a “non-event for business”, while Kevin Harris said he is “not convinced” the Chancellor achieved his goal of removing obstacles to growth – although “small steps have been taken in the right direction”.

However, Jim Willis, director at design agency Bulb Studios in Leicester, was pleased to see the often-overlooked creative industries receive support via extended and enhanced tax relief.

He added: “There’s a huge amount of creative talent across clusters in our region, and there’s some research that’s starting to come through showing the contribution this sector makes to the economy, so it was encouraging for its importance to be highlighted.”

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POLITICS

Widespread support for devolution plans

Robin Penny, of Penny Hydraulics (left), and David Watson, partner of Geldarts

THE CHAMBER’S VIEW ON THE SPRING BUDGET

By Chris Hobson (pictured), director of policy and insight.

This Budget, delivered against a backdrop that wasn’t as gloomy as some feared six months ago, provided small nudges in the right direction but was found lacking when it came to setting us on course towards an ambitious vision for the UK economy.

It was introduced by the Chancellor as a Budget for growth and removing obstacles for businesses. This was promising, as we have stressed the importance of “getting the basics right” in our Business Manifesto for Growth, but the actual meat of the content was light in this respect.

While businesses will welcome a medium-term and potentially long-term replacement for the super-deduction, there are question marks over whether this will spur the levels of investment we need, which is fundamental to sparking the economy into a period of sustained growth. Ignoring the importance of investing in people also feels like a missed opportunity.

The objective of tackling rising economic inactivity is rightly identified as a national priority due to the fact we are dealing with one of the tightest labour markets in recent times.

Supporting the over-50s back into employment is a key ingredient of this but, again, the measures to do this felt a little lacklustre and could have gone further. The highly-publicised free childcare expansion is another step in the right direction but the benefits of this won’t be realised for some time yet, which doesn’t help businesses in the here and now as they grapple with labour shortages.

Meanwhile, it was pleasing to see the East Midlands namechecked as one of 12 locations for an investment zone. We need to hear more detail about what this will involve but it’s essential there is an explicit emphasis on innovation in order to fully realise the benefits of bringing businesses and universities closer together to spur economic growth.

Ultimately, this was a Budget with lots of rhetoric and carried the right sentiment, but how it plays out in reality still leaves a lot to be desired and may not be the difference-maker trailed by the Chancellor when it comes to growing the economy.

To read the Chamber’s Business Manifesto for Growth, visit www.emc-dnl.co.uk/manifesto

The results of a consultation on devolution proposals for the East Midlands have been published, showing substantial support for the plans.

There were 4,869 responses to the consultation on the creation of an East Midlands Combined County Authority from members of the public and individuals answering on behalf of organisations.

It was open to residents, businesses, community and voluntary groups, and other employers acriss Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire between November 2022 and January 2023, with the number of responses said to be higher than similar consultations on devolution in other areas.

Political and business leaders, including the Chamber, have backed devolution as it would mean more power in local hands on areas such as economic development, transport, skills training and housing.

The results of the consultation showed: • 53% agreed with the proposals for transport, compared to 35% disagreeing • 52% agreed with the proposals for skills, compared to 32% disagreeing • 51% agreed with the proposals for reducing carbon and improving the environment, compared to 33% disagreeing • 51% agreed with the proposals for public health, compared to 33% disagreeing • 46% agreed with the proposals for homes, compared to 39% disagreeing • 42% agreed with the proposals for governance, compared to 45% disagreeing.

Comments on the governance proposals, which were the only area where more people disagreed than agreed, tended to centre around the need for a regional mayor.

Having a regional mayor is a condition set by the Government for a level three deal, which offers the most powers and highest funding. The mayor, elected by residents, would be held to account by elected representatives from county and city councils in the two counties, as well as a scrutiny committee.

The Government has offered new powers to the upper-tier local authorities in Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, along with at least £1.14bn of funding over 30 years. The consultation gathered views on how devolution would work. If all four councils vote to accept the results and move forward with the process, a final proposal will be sent to Government.

Legislation to form the new East Midlands Combined County Authority could then go through Parliament later this year with a view to being established in spring 2024, with the election for a regional mayor covering the two counties taking place in May 2024.

The Chamber’s chief executive Scott Knowles (pictured) said businesses need the “political apparatus that removes any obstacles to national and local decisionmaking, enhances our ability to attract investment and ultimately creates a more business-friendly environment”.

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Why property developers need not fear ransom strips

By James Coppinger (pictured), head of construction and engineering and partner at Buckles Solicitors iscovering someone owns a small piece of land, which could hinder a property development or add additional costs, will undoubtedly cause property developers to break into a cold sweat.

However, so-called “ransom strips” do not have to be the major headache many perceive them to be.

Typically, a ransom strip is a small piece of land retained by the owner when a larger piece of land is sold. This small parcel of land often sits on the boundary of the sold land, usually between the public highway and the plot of land recently sold.

To develop the site – either to commence development, construct temporary access roads or for those wishing to use the property – a right of way across the ransom strip must be granted and that is where problems can arise, either by accident or design.

The most obvious complication is a potential trespassing charge every time the strip is crossed without the necessary permission from the strip’s owner.

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WHAT DEFINES A RANSOM STRIP? When considering whether a plot of land is affected by a ransom strip, the first consideration is whether a ransom strip really exists. This requires a closer examination of the boundary lines to understand if they have been accurately established.

Many plans are described as being for identification purposes only and when this is the case, the description of the land will prevail. But if the description is inadequate, courts may assess the plan to determine the parties’ intentions.

If the plot is described as “more particularly delineated or described on the plan”, the plan will prevail to the extent of any discrepancy.

This is important for developers, as generally courts will recognise when a potential ransom strip has been created by boundary errors and is negligible, understanding there was no intention on the part of the seller to create a ransom strip.

Ransom strips do not need to be large and can be less than a metre wide, yet still cause a significant

problem for a developer and offer a potentially large “windfall” for the owner of the strip.

The Court of Appeal has ruled the dimensions entered onto a plan were not as accurate as a line drawn on a plan, so it is important to consider whether actual dimensions are sufficiently accurate. If a plan was based on an Ordnance Survey map, then the map rules will usually take precedence.

IS PAYMENT THE ONLY OPTION? Before paying for rights of way, there are other potential solutions available to developers, including an ad medium filum rule, which assumes the boundary of land abutting a roadway extends up to the halfway point of the road width. When this rule is successfully applied, it prevents developers from having to pay for the necessary rights.

The “hedge to hedge” presumption must also be considered when it comes to the roadways, which presumes a highway extends to the whole width of the space between fences on either side.

Council actions must also be considered, as the gap between the highway and land it borders could also include a grass verge, which the council may determine is part of the highway. If the council is actively maintaining the grass verge, the suspected ransom strip could be part of the public highway.

It is easy to understand why ransom strips are viewed as potentially serious legal headaches, but in reality, they are not always the deal-breaking issue they may appear to be on first viewing.

When a landowner sells land, some will retain a small piece, hoping it later becomes a ransom strip that may prevent a developer unfettered access to their newly acquired site – some landowners will happily wait years for their windfall to be realised.

Instead of letting the issue escalate into something problematical and expensive, developers should consult an experienced commercial property lawyer for advice on how best to resolve the issue, without being held to ransom.

‘Ransom strips do not need to be large and can be less than a metre wide, yet still cause a significant problem for a developer’

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The Worker Protection Bill: Is your business ready?

By Lauren Pickard (pictured), solicitor and executive director CMP Legal he Government has confirmed it supports the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Bill. The Bill is likely to come into force next year, so what does this mean for employers?

Lauren Pickard, solicitor and executive director at CMP Legal, explains.

The liability of employers will be extended by the legislation and new financial penalties will be introduced, so it is important employers are prepared – and now is the perfect time to get ahead of the game as it goes through Parliament.

There are two key changes that will directly affect employers’ policies and procedures, and the training they provide to their employees.

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policies and procedures regarding diversity, equality and harassment.

However, they will no doubt need to go further than this by evidencing in what ways they ensured the third parties they work with were required to adhere to their policies and procedures.

Still, this is likely not to be enough, training will also be paramount for employees but also in respect of third parties.

Excellent complaints-handling by both employers and third parties will also be essential so that employee complaints, and procedures to keep complainants and alleged harassers separate during investigations, are implemented.

NEW LIABILITY OVER EMPLOYEE HARASSMENT

DUTY OF CARE

The first is that employers will be liable for the harassment of their employees, by their customers, clients and third parties such as consultants or agents.

It is important to note this is not limited only to sexual harassment. Employers may be liable if they fail to take all reasonable steps to prevent the third party from committing the harassment.

The second change the Bill introduces is a new duty on employers to prevent their employees from suffering sexual harassment in the workplace.

This new law will be specific to sexual harassment.

Again, employers will need to implement robust policies and training with its workforce, including having carefully planned procedures for dealing with any complaint of sexual harassment.

Under the new legislation though, where an employment tribunal finds that an employer has failed in its duty to prevent sexual harassment, it can impose a 25% uplift to compensation.

This will have a direct financial impact on employers.

Under the new legislation, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) will be able to take enforcement action against employers for a breach (or suspected breach) of the duty to prevent sexual harassment. These changes are significant.

The key takeaway from this is that employers need to ensure they have up-to-date equality, discrimination, anti-harassment and bullying policies in place now, with a plan in place for managing third party compliance going forwards.

‘Employers will be liable for the harassment of their employees, by their customers, clients and third parties’ At present, it is unlikely that employers are taking any such reasonable steps, leaving them wide open to potential claims as soon as the legislation comes into force.

What steps would be reasonable then for an employer to take to prevent third parties from harassing their employees?

As is often the case in employment tribunal matters, what is reasonable will largely depend on the size and resources, including HR resources, of the employer – with large employers that have in-house HR teams being held to the highest standards.

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To assist employers to keep up to date on equality legislation we are running a training course on Thursday 4 May 2023. For more information, call 01246 956 440 or email lauren.pickard@cmp.legal

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Smart technology is an even smarter move for business Smart technology is all around us, making a very real impact in our personal and work lives while supporting smart business decision-making. Dan Robinson finds out how some Chamber members are deploying various emerging technologies within the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution to take a lead in their sectors.

agar Haval has vivid, painful memories of watching patients in hospital intensive care units die from severe heart and lung failure. That he believes insufficient clinician preparation for last-resort therapies was partly to blame made those moments even more heartbreaking.

He identified how surgeons and doctors needed greater realism when training on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), a machine that provides extended cardiac and respiratory support to a person whose heart and lungs can’t adequately function.

Having worked as a clinical perfusionist – a member of the open-heart surgery team – and in the field of ECMO therapy for more than two decades, he set up The Simulator Company in 2019 with a vision to create new technology-driven tools for clinicians that would help them to get better therapy outcomes and save more patient lives.

“These products are the solutions to my own problems,” says Sagar, who runs the Leicestershire-based business.

“I used a lot of different training tools and found nothing perfect for bringing realism to a clinical situation, so we are using technology to improve training.

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‘We’ve made something unique that can have a big impact in therapy training but is also very simple to use’ “I’ve seen patients being supported by these therapies where they have a 1% to 20% survival chance, but many times they suffer from major complications or even death due to the lack of team experience in this emerging therapy. I still remember those cases where patients died before my eyes, and I wondered what could have made the outcome different.

“Small decisions that can have significant consequences need to be made in a matter of seconds so the most important thing, I believe, is having experience in this therapy to make better decisions in the moment.”

The Simulator Company, which calls on the expertise of a network of consultants, has developed E-SIM and E-SIM Pro, which have been sold to hospitals and universities worldwide, with “amazing” feedback from clinicians.

These patented products, created after four years of extensive research and development, provide a simulation for practising ECMO, also known as extracorporeal life support (ECLS).

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Sagar Haval, of The Simulator Company, demonstrates one of its surgical applications at a trade fair

The therapy, which has also treated patients during pandemics including Covid-19 and swine flu, involves cannulation, in which specialised tubes are placed into a patient’s body.

This allows blood to circulate into an artificial heart and lung device – adding oxygen, removing carbon dioxide and pumping blood back to the patient.

Using the E-SIM or E-SIM Pro simulator, a trainee clinician can perform realistic cannulation and ECMO therapy procedures on a mannequin. To mimic a real patient’s body, it is equipped with electronics and operated using a remote control to set different complex cannulation scenarios by changing cardiac output, cardiac arrhythmia and heart rate.

E-SIM Pro, the advanced version of the simulator, provides additional features including troubleshooting functions and can be used to perform more than 30 clinical scenarios.

The company estimates it to be 11-times more powerful than other ECMO simulators on the market, and scenarios can be set up within several minutes, rather than hours.

Sagar, who initially ran the business alongside his job before dedicating his time fully to The Simulator Company in September 2021, says: “Previously, there hadn’t been a product made in this category by a clinician.

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Devtank’s OpenSmartMonitor helped it to win the Excellence in Innovation Award at the Derbyshire Business Awards

(VR) and augmented reality (AR) to be potentially integrated.

“AR or VR could help with making a simulation more realistic and shows the power that technology can have in real-life situations,” says Sagar, whose company won the Excellence in Innovation award at the Chamber’s Leicestershire Business Awards and the Best New Business of the Year at the Lloyds Bank British Business Excellence Awards, both last year.

“There are multiple personalities involved in a clinical scenario so bringing more realism and complexity to a virtual environment will only benefit someone when practising using these therapies – which ultimately will help save more patient lives.”

Devtank managing director Garry Millington

“A lot of small details can get missed out but because of my experience and my partner Babita’s different way of thinking, we’ve made something unique that can have a big impact in therapy training but is also very simple to use.

“Every time a customer gives us feedback, we address problems raised or add some features. We’re constantly learning and innovating – and because we have such a lean team, we can innovate very quickly.”

New products are also on the way this year, with technologies like the internet of things (IoT), virtual reality

SAVING LIVES IS clearly one of the best examples of how technology can be a force for good, but businesses are also beginning to identify tangible benefits when it comes to reducing both costs and their environmental impact.

Devtank, a hardware and software company founded in 2014, develops test and measurement equipment, automation systems and design solutions for a host of business sectors including aerospace, telecoms, defence and green energy.

Its prime product is the HILTOP platform, which integrates hardware and software to enable automated testing and measuring.

But it is in the recently-released OpenSmartMonitor platform where it has received the greatest recognition for breaking new ground, winning the Excellence in Innovation award at the Derbyshire Business Awards.

Managing director Garry Millington calls it a “Swiss army knife” for environmental monitoring as April 2023 business network

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it provides a suite of tools for businesses to understand how much energy they use and other environmental impacts.

ENV01, the first product to come out of this open-source platform, is an environmental sensor and energy monitoring device.

Connected via a wireless network within the IoT, the smart sensors can be placed on machinery and other hardware to record live data by feeding information back to a local server that takes the form of a small black box.

An online dashboard provides business users with a view of the data covering everything from electricity, gas and water through to room temperature, air quality and humidity to get a sense of their operational footprint.

“It helps companies to drive down their energy costs, increase efficiency and improve the environment their employees work in, not to mention assist their aspirations of reaching net zero,” says Garry.

“The OpenSmartMonitor saves the recorded data so businesses can compare their energy usage between timeframes, which in turn helps them to see where they waste the most energy and make sure they are on the right track to saving both energy and costs.

“It’s particularly well suited for large industrial premises, with many of our customers making savings on some level.”

One of the big winners has been Lindhurst Engineering, a family engineering business that has used IoT technology to create a “smart factory” at its 20,000 sq ft Sutton-inAshfield plant, which is home to a combination of steel fabrication manufacturing equipment, overhead cranes and welding bays.

By working with Devtank, along with the University of Derby as part of its DE-Carbonise programme, the company estimates it now saves £25,000 per year in energy costs by optimising energy usage.

BATFAST SIMULATOR HITS SPORTS FANS FOR SIX “Re-engineering how sports are played and experienced” is the goal for a Nottinghambased business that has developed an AIdriven simulator.

Sports technology business BatFast has created an automated ball-throwing machine initially created for cricket but which now also serves tennis, baseball and lacrosse.

Located in training facilities and entertainment venues, the simulator provides an AR experience for users that is customised to suit their playing style.

Marketing director Chris Perkins says: “The idea is to bring exhilarating sports experiences for both beginners and elite sportspeople into new urban spaces, whether they want to compete, socialise or just play for fun.

“We’re trying to re-engineer sports by removing barriers to participation, such as poor weather or a lack of time and money.”

‘We’ve recently introduced cameras to provide replays of shots and we’re now trying to implement balltracking technology’ BatFast, which has delivered 16 million balls to 410,000 players since it was founded in 2016, is the brainchild of childhood friends from Kenya, ex-professional cricketer Runish Gudkha, who is CEO, and CTO Jignesh Patel. Its 25-strong workforce comprises data analysts, engineers and product designers, including experts from the world of machine vision and artificial intelligence, who are developing the next generation of immersive AR experiences.

Four patents have been granted and, on top of landing the Excellence in Innovation award at the Chamber’s Nottinghamshire Business Awards last year, it won the Best Technology for Fitness and Participation at the global Sports Technology Awards. It is once again shortlisted this year alongside Apple Fitness+.

The business is headquartered at Colwick Quays Business Park, where it has one of its training facilities. There is another in Doncaster but it is also moving into the entertainment and hospitality sectors – where it can offer value to the emerging “competitive socialising”

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Batfast’s automated ball-throwing machine has been a big hit with cricketers but also has applications for tennis, baseball and lacrosse

market via arcades, bars, holiday parks and bowling alleys – and even into people’s homes.

BatFast took a simulator to fan parks at the 2021/22 Ashes test in Australia. Its AI system was able to replicate a Shane Warne bowl for players.

Going forward, it is forging links with national cricket associations and the ICC world governing body, as well as Major League Baseball in the US, where it has opened a San Francisco office.

In the simulator, a player stands in a cage facing a screen that projects a bowler coming towards them, and then the ball is physically

delivered for them to hit.

Chris adds: “We use an AI-driven programme to make the simulator smart in how it pitches the delivery to the player’s needs. We’ve recently introduced cameras to provide replays of shots and we’re now trying to implement ball-tracking technology so they can see the direction, angle and pace of the shot, and where it would land in the field.

“The longer-term picture for the business is around how we can use the tens of millions of data points we collect, so we can learn from this and use it to further develop our products.”

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Devtank technology is helping businesses to optimise energy usage, save money and help the environment

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VIRTUAL TECHNOLOGY HAS REAL TRAINING BENEFITS

The data highlighted a coffee machine being switched on and heating water overnight without needing to, while it also helped to detect a water leak that would otherwise not have been identified.

Another client, Chesterfield-based hot tub manufacturer Superior Wellness, was receiving higher-than-expected electricity bills when it moved into a new site in 2021, posing potential financial risks for a company with significant growth plans.

An award-winning immersive technology system is bringing game engine technology and VR simulations to manufacturing and engineering workplaces, enabling fast and safe training to be delivered to new recruits.

AutoLive was developed by North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College (NWSLC) in partnership with Coventry University Enterprises – Interactive (CUEi) and supported by the Ufi VocTech Trust.

It was conceived to meet a need identified by the automotive sector using a blend of immersive technologies to provide realistic, interactive and engaging experiences of the production line, and its surrounding environment.

‘It’s a very useful tool for businesses to understand what’s happening in their building’

‘The AutoLive training solution is set to improve the process of getting manufacturing operatives up and running’

Installing the OpenSmartMonitor system enabled it to monitor energy usage live and compare it to other days, weeks and months. This helped the firm discover areas of the building that were wasting energy so it could change to low-energy LED lighting and cut costs. Meanwhile, the showroom is also equipped with a monitoring solution and dashboard to demonstrate the energy credentials to end customers who visit the site.

Garry says: “It’s a very useful tool for businesses to understand what’s happening in their building, providing a detailed breakdown of where costs are coming from so they can make decisions accordingly.”

Devtank was recently named as a partner in INSPIRE, a £2.4m semiconductor plant project in Durham to drive resource efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of manufacturing operations in semiconductor fabrication.

Dozens of sensors will be installed at the plant, run by Pragmatic Semiconductor, and alongside the usual indicators will monitor water flow – rainwater is collected on the building’s roof to help with recycling and ensuring an “absolute minimum cost” facility – carbon dioxide, chemicals and energy to improve operational performance.

It all points to the importance of data and the IoT in the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution, or Industry 4.0, which describes a fusion between smart technology and the physical world.

“The availability of data at rapid rates of connectivity, and interlinking machines with AI and machine learning, means smart technology is becoming increasingly integrated within everything we do,” adds Garry.

“What’s held back the IoT has been 4G because of its limited bandwidth and speed, but with 5G evolving, it’s now on the verge of bursting into life for SMEs.”

The project enables trainees to gain “on-the-job” training in a risk-free environment, where they can learn by doing. Benefits include reduced training costs, minimised safety risks, more consistent delivery and increased efficiency.

Marion Plant OBE FCGI, principal and chief executive of NWSLC, believes technology can help plug “accelerating skills gaps” in UK automotive manufacturing, which employs 180,000 people but is forecast to create another 20,000 jobs by 2030.

“We know that manufacturing businesses need highly skilled and competent staff that can hit the ground running quickly to maintain consistency, safety and productivity,” she says.

“When new recruits join these businesses, or existing employees take on new roles, they need to be able to engage quickly and safely with the complex tasks involved in producing high-quality products to tight deadlines.

“The AutoLive training solution is set to improve the process of getting manufacturing operatives up and running quickly across multiple sites.”

In 2022, AutoLive was named as the winner in the Skills Innovation category of the national Enginuity Skills Awards, which recognise champions of skills development and innovators.

NWSLC is now seeking collaborative partners interested in incorporating AutoLive system Marion Plant OBE training into their portfolio.

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This interactive display developed by Affari helps users to navigate hospital corridors

JAPANESE MULTINATIONAL FUJITSU is one of the unseen forces in the UK’s IT infrastructure, underpinning everyday services like banks, energy and even the Government with behind-the-scenes technology that keeps critical systems going.

Its cyber security operations centre (SOC) in Warrington is one of its key services to British businesses but when it came to recruiting new customers, logistics has traditionally been a headache in terms of bringing prospective clients on site to meet busy senior leaders.

So the company turned to Nottingham-based creative agency Affari Media to create an immersive technological solution that cut through these challenges.

Jake Parkin, associate director at Affari Media, explains: “Fujitsu was having issues when making deals because customers would need to bring certain members of their management team to Warrington and sign off the contract, while Fujitsu would also have to make sure its own security experts were available to meet them and give a tour.

‘It lifts the user experience above a static website with a video, and the emotive response will resonate with the user’ “But it was taking up the time of these experts who were needed as part of the 24/7 monitoring operation and there were delays in getting deals over the line.

“So we’ve created the SOC’s entire offering in a VR environment, where customers can take a virtual tour of all the features and meet the people in charge of each team to understand how they resolve security threats.”

The immersive experience provides users with a “game show vibe”, with its lifelike features enhanced by photorealistic versions of its characters – the SOC employees – via Unreal Engine, the 3D graphics video game tool.

Benefits resulting from the virtual SOC haven’t been limited to reducing diary demands for important human resources and fast-tracked deals with customers.

Jake adds: “It’s also meant Fujitsu can market the SOC far and wide because the technology breaks down physical constraints. We can send the VR headset to anyone at any time, which suddenly increases its sales potential.”

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More technologies are emerging in the digital marketing space. Affari has carried out some B2B projects using AR, including to demonstrate how a “store of the future” could look using digital visuals on a smartphone overlaying a real-world supermarket environment, but Jake believes this technology is best suited to consumer uses currently.

Holography, which can generate 3D images of an object, could become a compelling market asset in the future. It has already been used by the WWF charity to create an elephant hologram that “wandered” the streets of London to promote a conference, while a place marketing campaign for Brussels projected 500 of its residents on to pedestals to create five-metre-high virtual statues.

But unique, immersive experiences can also be created via relatively established technology like 3D animation, and it’s once more in healthcare where transformation is evident.

Fujitsu’s “Reimaging Healthcare” campaign is underpinned by an interactive web experience, also developed by the Affari team, which displays a map of a fictional city and hospital campus.

Users can take their own journey through different areas, including hospital wards, A&E and suburbs, and watch videos exploring how the future of healthcare could look, positioning the company as an industry thought leader.

Topics range from using patient data for faster check-in and AR apps to navigate hospital corridors, to the role of radio-frequency identification tags in quickly locating medical equipment and sensor technology in monitoring patient vital signs at home.

Jake says: “It’s a very personalised and easy-to-navigate journey for the user, so whether they are head of a radiology department or oversee customer experience, they can choose the areas most relevant to them and discover the new systems that can support their needs in minute detail.

“For the company, it demonstrates how it is at the forefront of modern healthcare and helps with selling into providers by differentiating itself.

“It lifts the user experience above a static website with a video, and the emotive response will resonate with the user.”

Stasis is long gone, it would seem. With plenty of R&D happening within the metaverse of emerging technologies that underpin Industry 4.0, the ways in which they are used in businesses large and small will only expand.

Affari provides an online experience that enable users to monitor a variety of products and systems

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LOCAL UNIVERSITIES WILL HAVE A GLOBAL IMPACT East Midlands universities are at the heart of the smart tech revolution as they work with businesses to tackle key challenges that could have a global impact.

Last month, the University of Nottingham opened the Omnifactory, a national demonstrator and testbed for smart manufacturing systems that will be used by industrial partners to use digital technologies for improving traditional manufacturing practices.

Situated at the Jubilee Campus built on the site of the former Raleigh bicycle plant, it features a bespoke factory floor that provides a unique reconfigurable environment.

The floor autonomously adapts itself to the next product’s environment and specifications, leveraging technologies including robotics, AI, data analytics and industrial IoT. Svetan Ratchev, director of the university’s Institute for Advanced Manufacturing, says the £3.8m facility, which is funded by Innovate UK, will help to solve a number of industry challenges by “developing the next generation of smart, highly agile and efficient factories”.

“Across different sectors like automotive, aerospace and consumer goods, manufacturing is becoming more configurable and customised to meet changing customer requirements and choice,” he says.

‘We must think about how to rewrite the rules around manufacturing. This is what we are doing with the Omnifactory’ “At the same time, we’re moving from large volume to much more variable and unpredictable demand – for example, defence products can go from nothing to very high volumes in a short space of time because of geopolitical changes. It means businesses need to be able to rapidly ramp up production so they can be quick to market, as well as be able to mix different types of manufacturing in the same environment.

“During the pandemic, we also experienced the disruption of global supply chains, which highlighted a need for greater resilience, and since then we’ve had to deal with labour costs and a lack of skills.

“With all these challenges, we must think about how to rewrite the rules around manufacturing. This is what we are doing with the Omnifactory, which is highly agile in order to be efficient and cost-effective when we want to make complex products at high volumes or meet fluctuating demand.”

Digitisation can unlock a new business model known as manufacturing-as-a-service, in which a company can focus on product innovation while outsourcing the manufacturing process to a modern factory that is equipped with the latest technologies.

Its productivity and environmental benefits have already caught the attention of multinational manufacturers including Airbus and GKN, which will carry out projects at the Omnifactory, while Siemens has provided the technology.

The Omnifactory, a testbed for smart manufacturing, opened at the University of Nottingham last month

Svetan adds: “The environment is in place to establish new collaborative research programmes with industry, as well as develop local supply chains and skills, which ultimately creates jobs and prosperity in the region.”

CUTTING FOOD WASTE and speeding up financial document analysis are two examples of how Loughborough University researchers are deploying smart tech for real-life impact.

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Centre for Innovative Food Manufacturing, run in collaboration with major industry partners and the University of Nottingham, carries out research to identify new sources of material and reduce the demand on existing resources by simultaneously improving food products, manufacturing methods and supply networks.

It aims to redefine manufacturing activities from “post-farm gate to supermarket shelf” by exploring how smart technology can, for example, optimise how materials are used and

Professor Sergey Saveliev

reused, as well as reduce energy demand via monitoring. Recently, a team of academics led

by Dr Elliot Woolley submitted an application for funding to use AI for further optimising food waste as part of the UK’s net zero commitments.

Other projects are exploring how data analytics can give insights into individual consumption and health.

Professor Sergey Saveliev, who is the academic lead for Loughborough University’s AI and cognitive technologies global challenge work, says: “We can collect information about an individual’s health and what food they usually buy to understand how people’s eating habits are influenced, and how they could change.

“We could use a smartphone app, for example, to create a personal dashboard and offer suggestions on what they should buy for healthier eating.

“The data can also be used to understand the global picture by forming different clusters of society, which helps with supply chains and where to deliver changes at business and policy level.

“This can have huge potential for businesses, even in solving very simple problems. If you’re a local milkman who might be guessing on wastage, the data can help them make better decisions that increase profit margins.”

Loughborough’s AI and cognitive global challenge team, working with the computer science department, has also developed an AIbased solution for automatically analysing and extracting large amounts of information from computer documents.

Working with business process automation specialist Xceptor, it has created a deep learning model for natural language processing that can analyse the content and structure of invoices, tax forms and other digital documents in order to sort the information into categories.

The improved system will streamline processes such as setting up bank accounts, approving mortgages, responding to customer queries and processing insurance claims.

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FEATURE

GREEN BUSINESS

A greener way to work Going green has many obvious advantages, such as reducing waste and cutting costs, but it can also positively affect employee health and productivity. Business Network explores some of the ways businesses can create a work culture of sustainability.

WASTE NOT

WAYS TO RECYCLE

Reducing the amount of paper your business gets through can be an easy first step to creating a sustainable culture.

As well as encouraging people to think twice before printing emails and setting up a waste paper recycling point, you can also set up default double-sided printing, aiming to save half the use of paper by eliminating singlepage print-outs.

You can also set up a printer-friendly email signature for each employee. This isn’t just sustainable; it is a clever way to let other businesses know you are doing your bit for the environment and encourages them to do the same.

Finally, go one step further and install timers on printers so they automatically shut down outside of office hours.

This is more reliable than assigning an employee the role of turning off the printer (they might forget or be off work), while it has the additional advantage of reducing your electricity bill – and your environmental footprint.

New equipment and furniture can be costly, so consider recycled or second-hand furniture. It won’t necessarily be in poor condition – in fact there are many furniture firms that specialise in selling high-quality, second-hand items at a reduced cost. And why stop there? Provide your staff with recycled, sustainable stationery, such as notepads, paper, pens and pencils, and recyclable or reusable drinks bottles.

A GREEN MAKEOVER A few small changes around the office can really make a difference. To start, remove all individual bins at desks and replace them with a communal recycling system. Encourage employees to decorate their desks with houseplants to help improve air quality and create a happier environment.

Maximising natural light sources will help save on energy bills and also boost the mood of your staff. If you don’t get a lot of natural light, consider installing LED lighting (ideally with sensors and timers).

FIND A GREEN HOST Businesses aiming to create a work culture of sustainability could benefit from switching web hosting to green hosting.

Green web hosting uses renewable energy to power their data servers, and reduces indirect emissions from your carbon footprint.

When looking for green web hosting companies, the most reliable will have proof of renewable energy certificates (RECs). This is so they can use energy off the grid to power their data servers, and then purchase 100% renewable energy to put back onto the grid.

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TEAMWORK In order to implement a green policy, there needs to be teamwork, so get employees onboard and enthusiastic about a sustainable workplace. Encourage your employees to share their ideas on how they, as a team, can make the office more environmentally friendly.

You could offer an incentive for the best ideas or set a monthly challenge, such as challenging staff to go 30 days without single-use plastic, and offer a reward to all those who stick to it.

‘Maximising natural light sources will help save on energy bills and also boost the mood of your staff’

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GREEN BUSINESS

FEATURE

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FEATURE

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GREEN BUSINESS

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BUSINESS NETWORK

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DIGITAL & TECHNOLOGY

AI has transformed business forever Artificial intelligence (AI) was a topic of hot debate at the Chamber’s Digital Marketing Conference and Expo, held at Derby County Football Club last month as part of the Derbyshire Festival of Business.

Rebecca Erskine reflects on some of the key points discussed.

AI is represented in many forms, as keynote speaker Katie King explained in her highly-engaging keynote speech.

Interactive AI like chatbots, functional AI such as robots, analytic AI to measure sentiment and risk, text Al for converting speech to text, and visual AI including augmented reality, are all playing their part in helping businesses better engage with and understand their audiences.

A well-known example is ChatGPT, a conversational AI tool that generates results based on text prompts. Katie’s examples of such tools came with a note of caution – AI results are hugely driven by the quality of questions asked by the user.

APPROPRIATE USE OF AI The global AI market size is expected to increase from $120bn in 2022 to $1.59tn by 2030, according to Precedence Research. It is a statistic of little surprise when AI can be deployed in so many instances. As Martin Broadhurst, of Broadhurst Digital, outlined, AI can immediately improve working practices, citing interesting uses for AI as an assistant, strategist and data analyst – all of which come hand-in-hand with the need for ethical practice.

Technology industry magazine Wired has already outlined in its publishing policy that it “does not publish stories with text generated by AI”.

As Ian Lockwood pointed out in his presentation, using AI for SEO is useful for suggesting ideas you may have missed, and for creating “raw” content and structure for editing. But AI-generated content must be used with caution, and always carefully reviewed and edited.

Katie King (left) with Chamber president Stuart Dawkins and deputy chief executive Diane Beresford at Derby County’s Pride Park

Paul Ince

Rob Gregory

CONTENT IS KING Since it draws off a dataset, AI does not always know what is accurate. A commitment to creating original, high-quality content was the plea to the audience from Paul Ince, of LikeMind Media.

Performance in rankings aside, content that offers substantial value, and is different enough to what others are producing, can only enhance the customer experience.

USING ROBOTS TO BUILD WEBSITES Robot website builder, BYLDR.IO, was put to a live test when presenter Rob Gregory, of Magnifica Technologies, asked it to build and launch an on-thespot mountain bike website – a task that was achieved in under three minutes.

The process is a straightforward one: a human user provides some simple text prompts (build and launch a website on mountain bikes), AI returns the answers (in this case, creating a business name, domain name, products and blog post, and generating images), a robot builds the website pages, and a website is launched in a web browser.

The ability to shortcut digital processes at lighting speed is, of course, deeply compelling for businesses forever seeking to improve their bottom line.

The problem with AI, however, is it does not solve the challenge that every business has at its heart – how to differentiate itself from the competition, and for the long term.

What makes a business unique – a deep understanding of the products and services needed by its customers, its knowledgeable team, its quirkiness and the fact that it cares about its customers – are not qualities that can be replicated by AI anytime soon.

Presentations from the event can be downloaded from www.emc-dnl.co.uk/digital-marketing-conference-and-expo-2023

This event was part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and delivered by the Chamber. It is part of the Derbyshire Festival of Business – a schedule of events co-ordinated by the Chamber and the University of Derby.

SIGN UP FOR A WORKSHOP Anyone wishing to explore SEO, inbound marketing or GA4 in more detail can do so at the Chamber’s two-day digital academies. Select the “workshops” and “digital & technology” filter at www.emc-dnl.co.uk/events to book a place.

DIGITAL EVENTS PROGRAMME • Social media bootcamp: 11 and 12 April, Derby • What’s new in e-mail marketing: 13 April, online • Marketing essentials masterclass: 18 April, online • Successful search engine optimisation: 18 and 25 April, Leicester • Inbound marketing: 19 and 26 April, Leicester • More visitors into sales and leads (two days): 20 and 27 April, Leicester • Get to grips with GA4 and convert more visitors into sales and leads (two days): 20 and 27 April, Leicester • Using technology to scale your business: 4 and 11 May, Nottingham • Making the switch to GA4: 16 May, Nottingham To sign up to these workshops, visit www.emc-dnl.co.uk/events

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DIGITAL & TECHNOLOGY

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DIGITAL & TECHNOLOGY

SMEs to get free software resources Thousands of businesses will gain access to free resources that will help them get the most of Microsoft technologies as a new pilot scheme is rolled out across Leicestershire.

The Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP), via the Business Gateway Growth Hub delivered in partnership with the Chamber and other organisations, is working with Microsoft’s business support division to pilot an initiative to help SMEs get more from digital products that can help to grow their businesses.

The pilot will ensure SMEs from all sectors have access to a variety of productivity tools, as well as technical skills support.

Dozens of local businesses have already logged on to business support platforms since the programme went live in January.

Many small businesses will already have the required tools available, but will not be aware of ways to utilise them to their full potential.

Advice will range from ways to maximise the tools offered in everyday platforms, such as Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM systems, through to more specialist complex transformation projects.

Stewart Smith, head of skills and employment at the LLEP, said: “With this suite of business support resources, local businesses have the opportunity to upskill in digital technologies, increase productivity and make better use of the tools at their fingertips.”

SMEs can learn more about the free resources available through the Small Business Resource Centre at aka.ms/LEPSMB and via business consultations at aka.ms/LEPConsultation

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Ian Lockwood delivers a presentation at the Chamber’s Digital Marketing Conference and Expo (see p76)

Time is running out for Google Analytics switch

By Ian Lockwood, digital marketing consultant and founder of Ian Lockwood Digital Consultancy.

Google Analytics as we know it will stop working on 30 June this year, forcing anyone who wants to keep using it onto the new(ish) GA4. If you’ve logged in to Analytics at any point in the last year, you can’t really have missed this thanks to the nag bar at the top of the screen!

GA4 is a very different beast to Universal Analytics (the one we have all come to know and love) and having set up an account, it is easy to look at it and run back to the old Analytics screaming that all the reports you want are missing and nothing works like it should.

Google announced it would begin auto-migration of accounts to GA4 starting in March and it is worth noting that, even if you had already set up a GA4 account before then, if you have not linked the old and new accounts or completed the migration checklist in GA4, Google may still have copied over or set up things automatically without your approval. Thankfully, there is a simple opt-out switch in the admin area, but do check if any GA4 settings such as “conversions” have mysteriously appeared.

Crucial to getting the most from GA4 is an understanding of how it

‘Conversions are, of course, critical to reporting on website performance – without them, you don’t really know how well your website or digital marketing is working’ uses events to gather data and the parameters these include, such as the file name of a download or the URL of an outbound click.

You can use these to create your own events to report as conversions (the GA4 equivalent of Goals), although it is common to need additional events sent from your website to record specific actions such as form submissions.

This is where Google Tag Manager comes into its own and, for many, using this to install GA4 on their website is a winning combination to make life a lot easier.

Conversions are, of course, critical to reporting on website performance – without them, you don’t really know how well your website or digital marketing is working. All business websites exist

to generate customers from calls, contact forms or e-commerce sales, and not being able to see how these customers are generated from your website makes it impossible to evaluate digital marketing activities.

Beyond that, understanding how visitors get to your site, which pages they land on, the routes they then take through your site, where they’re from, what devices they are using and how they interact with your pages are all crucial to identifying ways to improve your website and, ultimately, the business it generates.

The good news is your Growth Hub has a number of “Make the switch to GA4” workshops arranged that are free to attend for eligible businesses, explaining how it all works and how to recreate the most useful reports from the old Analytics.

These sessions come with a free setup and audit service for your own GA4 account, to ensure that everything you want is measured and reported on correctly, including a video call to walk through how it all works.

Visit www.emc-dnl.co.uk/events to book a place.

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LEGAL

Swipe up on revised guidelines for e-marketing

By Tamsin Mason-Rowe (pictured, inset), solicitor in Geldards’ commercial team The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR) regulate how and when an organisation can undertake direct marketing using electronic mail.

Generally, you can only send direct marketing by electronic mail if you have consent from the receiver to do so. However, there is an exception to this rule, deemed “soft opt-in”, which I will explore in more detail here.

WHAT ARE THE PECR RULES ON MARKETING BY ELECTRONIC MAIL? PECR states that you can only send direct marketing messages by electronic mail if you have consent or you can meet the requirements for “soft opt-in”. This rule only applies to communications being sent to individuals – including sole traders and certain partnerships – not to corporate entities.

Electronic mail includes email, text messages, video and picture messages, voicemails, in-app

messages and direct messages over social media – the definition is deliberately broad to cover any new forms of electronic mail.

However, you should remember the rules only apply to marketing communications, so electronic mail sent for administrative or customer service purposes, for example, will not be bound by these restrictions.

You should also be aware that an organisation’s obligations under PECR are not in lieu of its obligations under the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018. Instead, PECR is designed to work in tandem with them.

WHAT IS THE ‘SOFT OPT-IN’ EXEMPTION? The “soft opt-in” exemption allows organisations to send direct marketing communications via electronic mail to individuals without having their explicit consent to do so.

In order for the “soft opt-in” to apply, you must be able to meet all the following requirements:

• You collected the subscriber’s contact details directly from them • You collected their details during a sale, or negotiations for a sale, of your products or services • You want to use their details to send them marketing about your similar products or services • You gave them a clear, simple, free of charge way to opt out of your marketing when you collected their details – and do so in each message you send to them.

The soft opt-in exemption can only be used to send marketing communications about your products and services – it can’t be used to send information about third-party products or for other reasons, such as fundraising or campaigning. This would require consent.

WHAT ABOUT BOUGHT-IN CLIENT CONTACT LISTS? It is common for marketing organisations to sale, rent or

licence marketing lists – but can these be used to send direct marketing by electronic mail?

It is possible for you to use a list compiled by a third party to send direct marketing by electronic mail.

However, the people on it must have given their consent to receive such marketing from you.

You should check that any consent is valid and actually covers you specifically – consider asking the following questions: • What were people told?

• What did they consent to?

• Were you named on the consent request?

• When and how did they consent?

• Did they have a choice to consent?

• Is there a record of the consent?

The “soft opt-in” does not apply to bought-in marketing lists as part of the criteria for the “soft opt-in” exemption. For this to apply, you must collect the contact details directly from the person you want to send marketing to during the course or negotiation of a sale of your products or services.

Law firm supported deals worth over £3bn

Duncan James

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The corporate and banking teams at law firm Shakespeare Martineau supported deals valued at almost £3.4bn during 2022 – including £516m in the East Midlands.

Completing an average of seven deals a week, Shakespeare Martineau’s national team supported more than £400m worth of deals across technology and healthcare alone, and more than £300m in the energy and renewables space.

The average deal size was £10m for the firm, which has expertise in mergers and acquisitions, fast-growth businesses, start-ups, healthcare and medtech, energy, real estate finance and Islamic finance.

Outside of nearly £1bn worth of real estate financing, the firm’s single largest deal came in at £250m for an undisclosed manufacturer, with deals spanning a variety of sectors and regions across the UK.

Duncan James, head of corporate at Shakespeare Martineau and based in Nottingham, said 2022 wa a “really strong” year for his team.

“Despite various headwinds – increases in interest rates, the value of assets being tested more and concern around some forecasts – M&A activity did not tail off in the second half of the year as we had thought, and the pipeline has continued to be strong into the start of 2023,” he added.

“There is no doubt that debt funding has tightened up as some property prices have become uncertain, but there appears to still be a lot of cash in the system, with private equity and corporates still looking at opportunities.

“We are cautiously optimistic that any impact on the general M&A market will not be severe this year. We still see a lot of opportunities for ambitious businesses to grow their portfolios.”

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FINANCE

Rachel Barret

Schools are facing financial difficulty Schools across the UK are facing rapidly shrinking cash reserves, with energy costs up as much as 45% from 2021, a report co-authored by Duncan & Toplis reveals.

The Kreston Academies Benchmark Report 2023 analyses the financial situations of 320 academy trusts that represent 2,400 schools across the UK. The report also reveals that: • Energy costs per pupil are up 15% to 45%, an additional £11 to £84 per pupil • Food costs for primary schools in single academy trusts (SATs) are up by £41, or 20%, per pupil • Staff shortages and sickness have driven supply costs up 76% for primary SATs • 88% of schools expect cash reserves to worsen over the next three years Co-authored by accountants from Duncan & Toplis, Bishop Fleming, Clive Owen LLP, BHP, Mitchell Charlesworth, James Cowper and Kreston Reeves for Kreston Global in the UK, the report offers a unique insight into the financial health of academy schools.

Key findings from the report reveal that surpluses are consistently down from the previous year and nearly all trust leaders expressed serious concern over the future financial position of their trust.

In contrast, last year’s report stated that many trusts were, for the first time, forecasting a budget surplus within the next three years.

Co-author, Rachel Barret, who leads the academies team at Duncan & Toplis said: “With trust leaders expressing serious concern over their future financial positions, this report should act as an early warning sign of an education sector at financial breaking point.”

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Investing in technology can boost your finances Rachel Rudkin (pictured), data analytics lead at Duncan & Toplis, explains why businesses that embrace technology are more resilient and make more informed decisions.

With businesses enduring constant challenges on multiple fronts right now, they might not necessarily be thinking about upending their internal processes – but now is actually the perfect time to look for opportunities to improve.

Aside from the benefits of taking stock and enacting an audit of what is and isn’t working, there are tangible benefits that businesses can’t afford to ignore.

According to research by Accenture, 62% of high-growth companies are actively planning to invest more in innovative technologies in the coming year.

This isn’t necessarily because they’re on the cutting edge of discovery, but more because they have a firm handle on their changing situation, and are willing to adapt and learn.

Companies that are more open to organisational improvements are also likely to be supportive of their employees, and foster greater creativity and collaboration between teams. Although structure can help us to measure our deliverables and timescales, it can also act to box us in.

It’s easy to become entrenched in an outdated system that no longer serves your business needs or the needs of your customers – and having an open and honest conversation with your team is the first step in discovering what helps your bottom line and what hinders performance.

HOW TECHNOLOGY HAS IMPROVED OUR PROCESSES Our work at Duncan & Toplis is a great example of how leaning into technology can improve efficiencies but also radically benefit workflow.

The audit team has recently improved the ways it uses technology to enhance client service and it now plays a leading role in helping to shape internal processes and best practice policies for software throughout the business.

‘It’s easy to become entrenched in an outdated system that no longer serves your business needs’ This includes the implementation of data analytics and digital auditing using a data analytics software, Inflo, in the audit process to increase audit quality and add value to our clients.

It allows the team to focus on the highest-risk transactions where errors or inconsistencies are most likely found.

Duncan & Toplis was an early adopter of Inflo and, as a result, we have been able to work closely with the developer to ensure it fully meets our needs. This means we have a firm understanding of how to use it to optimise our work, as well as ensure that data analytics is

embedded within our audit methodology.

We’ve also introduced using a revenue analyser on the majority of audits to reduce our substantive sales testing and increase quality by allowing the team to focus on unusual and outlier transactions.

We listened to our team, took time to balance their concerns and questions, and ultimately decided that changing how we worked could improve our performance in the long run – and we’re very glad that we did.

FIND OUT WHAT’S NEEDED FROM WITHIN THE BUSINESS I would advise all business owners to take the time to speak openly and directly to their teams – without judgement or expectation – and most will be surprised at what they learn about their operational efficiency and, critically, what needs to be done to improve it.

Technology is constantly developing and now, with the surge in scope for AI applications, businesses that are flexible, able and, critically, willing, to adapt are less likely to be closing their doors – much like the 17,145 businesses that sadly closed in 2022.

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FINANCE

Managing the threat of emerging risk RSM UK, in conjunction with the Chamber, is helping East Midlands businesses to address emerging risks via its Insight 4GRC (governance, risk management and compliance) software, which helps assess and manage an organisation’s risk and controls. Matthew Humphrey (pictured), partner in enterprise risk advisory at RSM UK, explains why it’s important to identify and manage potential organisational threats.

Directors and business owners alike face many types of risk – it comes with the territory.

But investing the time to assess the unknown, or emerging risks, can be one of those things that is constantly put on the backburner.

The scale of the job in hand may appear overwhelming, but left unaddressed, it can impact on the very survival of a business.

The challenges faced over the last couple of years – from Covid, the war in Ukraine, high prices, commodity shortages and the escalating cost of living – have shown the volatility and uncertainty of emerging risks to businesses of all shapes and sizes. What’s vital is being ready to respond to the impact and knowing how to mitigate against them.

It’s those resilient businesses

that have prepared, assessed, addressed and managed threats to their operations that will be best able to cope with risk.

With the greater weight of corporate governance coming to the fore in boardroom strategies, it’s important that managing these emerging risks is achievable in a practical and meaningful way.

At boardroom level, it’s vital to establish, and keep under review, a system or framework that manages risk at a strategic level and also on a day-to-day basis without it becoming counterproductive and burdensome.

By being able to determine the nature and extent of the main risks,

directors can then make decisions on what risks they are willing to take or manage in order to achieve strategic objectives.

So, employing the right tools to achieve this will help businesses succeed in keeping on top of the risks.

By identifying the immediate, short-term, and medium to longerterm risks, businesses will be able

to pinpoint potential weaknesses or threats, and structure the necessary processes and controls to ringfence or avoid potential damage.

These risks can come from a wide range of factors, including economic pressures; environmental, sustainability and governance (ESG) issues; regulatory and legislative requirements; and financial, technical and people resources.

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SKILLS

Business school to offer digital qualifications

Students from Whittington Green School at the Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Employability and Skills Conference

Teaming up to tackle skills crisis Students were joined by members of the SAP Special Interest Group for the launch of the Digital Centre of Excellence

The University of Nottingham has launched a Digital Centre of Excellence to equip students with the skills needed to boost their employability and meet the digital skills shortage in the UK labour market.

Nottingham University Business School is working with two of the world’s leading business software providers, SAP and Microsoft, to provide students with the qualifications they need for an increasingly digital world.

It is offering internationallyrecognised Microsoft and SAP professional certifications either free or at significant discount to University of Nottingham students, which they can study alongside their degree.

Three-quarters of employers surveyed for the World University Rankings 2020 reported a shortage in digital skills, and 66% want to see graduates achieve professional qualifications as well as their main degree, according to the Chartered Management Institute.

Dr Andrew Callaghan, professor of strategy and digital transformation, said: “We are increasingly seeing the expectation from employers that graduates should be able to arrive on their first day with the digital capabilities necessary to work in a modern, often hybrid or remote working environment. To really get ahead, graduates will also need at least a working knowledge of technologies such as data, AI and cloud.

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enhance their career prospects. We pair functional business skills from our degree programmes with digital skills that are in high demand to make sure our students stand out in the job market.”

Increasingly, Nottingham University Business School degrees integrate market-leading digital systems across the course so that students become familiar with the types of systems they are likely to use in the workplace.

‘Designed to help digitally futureproof our students’ The Digital Centre of Excellence now means students from across the university can gain globallyrecognised professional qualifications relevant to their intended careers, building competencies in high-demand technologies such as AI, machine learning and data analytics.

A SAP Next-Gen Lab will be the first partner presence in the centre.

Students will be able to use SAP software, and SAP customers will be able to tap into a digitallyliterate talent pool to support their transformations into best-run, intelligent enterprises.

Julian Bond, head of ICT at Nottingham-based blinds manufacturer Hillarys, said it was an “exciting initiative for business as it equips graduates with highlyprized SAP and Microsoft skills”, which he believes have been neglected by the higher education sector over the past decade.

A collaboration between Chesterfield’s public, private and education sectors is set to roll out two initiatives that seek to address skills shortages within the construction industry.

The Careers Made in Chesterfield and Construction Skills Hub initiatives were showcased at the annual Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Employability and Skills Conference, organised by Chesterfield Borough Council and Destination Chesterfield, and held at The Winding Wheel Theatre in February.

Careers Made in Chesterfield, currently being piloted with Parkside Community School, aims to deliver careers support and guidance in schools, and also forge links with local construction and property businesses.

Already, the initiative is reporting increased interest in construction careers from the pupils involved with the pilot, and there are plans to roll it out to more schools and sectors from September, subject to funding.

The new Construction Skills Hub, in Mastin Moor, is funded via the Staveley Town Deal and will welcome learners from this autumn.

It will provide training in site and bench joinery, brickwork, groundworks and electrical installation, but in time Chesterfield College principal the offer will expand to include training in retrofit and green technologies. and CEO Julie Richards The hub will be open to school speaking at the conference leavers and other residents seeking to train or retrain. Chesterfield College, with support from the University of Derby, has been appointed to deliver the training, which will take place on a live housing development overseen by Devonshire Group.

Councillor Amanda Serjeant, deputy leader of the council and Destination Chesterfield vice-chair, said: “We’re proud to support and strengthen partnerships between businesses, education, and the public sector, by bringing together these sectors we can help ensure that young people receive the training and support they need to develop great careers in Chesterfield. This is all about ensuring that our borough continues to thrive and that the quality of life for local people is improving.”

In the East Midlands, an extra 17,500 construction workers will be needed from 2023-2027, an annual requirement of 3,500 new workers every year.

Businesses and schools that wish to register their interest in the Careers Made in Chesterfield initiative should contact Emily Williams, skills delivery officer at Chesterfield Borough Council, on 01246 959717.

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SKILLS

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PROPERTY

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PROPERTY

Markham Vale extension earns council approval A major extension to Markham Vale North, granted

by Chesterfield Borough Council in December last year, has now been approved by Bolsover Council.

The decision marks a significant milestone for the project and follows three years of extensive discussions with both councils and the community.

It will enable the creation of a high-quality addition to the commercial offer at Markham Vale, further strengthening the local economy.

HBD, the developer behind Markham Vale, will work with Devonshire Property Group – part of Chatsworth House owner The Devonshire Group – to bring the scheme forward, with the potential to create up to 800 new jobs.

Andrew Byrne, property development director at Devonshire Property Group, said: “This is a highquality extension to an already successful employment location, and will make a real contribution to the strength of the local economy and the environment.

“It is a further demonstration of how the Devonshire Property Group business is actively investing into both Chesterfield and Bolsover, delivering on our stated ambitions of creating jobs and opportunities for local communities.”

The development will boast strong sustainability credentials, with an extensive landscaping plan that protects and improves the existing river corridor.

Significant planting will include around 5,700 trees, 3.7 hectares of new grassland habitat, and 2km of new native hedgerow to screen the development and create areas of new habitat.

‘This is a high-quality extension to an already successful employment location’ Markham Vale, a joint venture partnership between HBD and Derbyshire County Council that began in 2006, has created more than 2,700 jobs across a wide range of sectors, including advanced manufacturing and logistics.

It is home to a range of businesses, including Bilstein Group, which manufactures and distributes automotive parts; Granger International, which manufactures waterproof outdoor products and shoe care products; and Sterigenics, a maker of sterile healthcare products.

Revamped warehouse now a green house!

A warehouse near Junction 28 of the M1 has been refurbished along low-carbon guidelines as it becomes available for tenants.

FHP Property Consultants, acting on behalf of Legal & General, has brought to market the 40,000 sq ft industrial unit next to the A38.

Featuring two bays, a two-storey office and extensive parking, the

refurbishment involved installing solar panels, air-source heat pumps and electric vehicle charging.

Tim Gilbertson, director at FHP, said the environmental, social and governance (ESG) agenda was an increasing driver for locations in the commercial property industry.

“Not only is net zero carbon being targeted for the

refurbishment, but also as a result of the PV installation, this will provide substantial anticipated electricity savings equating to more than £1 per sq ft for the next occupier, which in these testing times is a huge boost,” he said.

Tim added the warehouse was best suited to manufacturing or distribution purposes.

Animal sanctuary to be built in Trowell Licensed zookeeper Reece Oliver is forging ahead with plans to build a world-class sanctuary for endangered animals after securing a 23-acre plot of land in Nottinghamshire, in a deal agreed by commercial property consultancy Omeeto.

Plans have been submitted to Broxtowe Borough Council for the £10m development on land near Station House in Trowell and, if approved, he is hoping to start construction this spring.

Reece is best known for keeping rescued lions, a Canadian puma and 24 squirrel monkeys in specially-built enclosures in his back garden in Strelley.

His plans for the sanctuary, named the Broxtowe Retreat, include reserves for rescued endangered animals, a tropicalthemed spa complete with rainforest inhabitants, and an African waterhole themed restaurant and function venue. Visitors will be able to stay in 27 guest lodges, each with views into the expansive animal habitats.

An on-site education centre with qualified teachers would provide “out of the classroom” practical experiences for schoolchildren, college and university students, and apprentices.

The planned facilities, which have been described as state-ofthe-art, would make use of solar panels, heat pumps, and rainwater capture and recycling, making it one of the first sustainable and carbon-neutral visitor facilities in the UK, according to its developer.

New ponds, water features, and a tree and hedgerow planting programme are also planned. The development would be expected to create more than 60 jobs in hospitality, education, catering, customer service, site maintenance and animal care, with local skills and suppliers prioritised.

Chris Wright, director of OMEETO, completed the deal on behalf of the landowner, William May Holdings. He said: “Mr Oliver is an extremely driven and motivated individual with a very admirable cause. We wish him every success with his plans. This is a very exciting project, which could be a major asset for the region.”

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MOTORING

Rekindling the old

MG magic Motoring journalist Nick Jones takes the latest electric offering from MG for a drive to see if it captured the “old magic” the badge offered back in the day. y dad hated the brand and never owned one, but to many – even now – the iconic MG badge symbolises everything that is British and has now resurfaced in this MG4 EV. Long gone are the uncomfortable ride and “boxy” exteriors, replaced here by a stylish, modern shape that is a far cry from the past. But does it still exude character?

Well, it bristles with up-to-the-minute electric technology for sure and is now Chinese-owned, but to their credit, they still righty promote the heritage dating back nearly 100 years.

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‘Climb in and you’ll be amazed by how far the concept has elevated itself’ The MG4 looks great as the pictures suggest, stunning in many respects. Climb in and you’ll be amazed by how far the concept has elevated itself – it’s ready to go as soon as you settle into the seat as the square, seven-inch screen tells you.

Turn the central knob to “D” and you’re on your way.

Surprisingly there is no start button either.

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FACTFILE MODEL MG4 EV SE

PRICE OTR Instant forward motion is applied and wherever your journey takes you, select “park” to engage the electronic handbrake and get out, whereupon the car shuts itself down.

Power is gleaned from a single electric motor to the rear wheels, and you have a choice of five driving modes, depending on the conditions.

Internally, it’s not at the high-end of the scale – one could call it “hard-wearing” as opposed to “plush”, but that is no bad thing given the target market.

Equipment levels are decent, to be fair, for a starting price of under £27,000.

I had the long-range version with a larger battery that gave it nearly 300 miles on a single charge from a wall box at home on a cheap tariff.

It’s the low price that really impresses overall. For the same spend of, say, a Fiat 500 or a Mini, what we have here is a real gem of a car that not only is functional and practical, but displays the MG badge on the front and that, to many, will be a strong selling point. Even my dad would be impressed, and even in this colour.

From £26,940

PERFORMANCE Top speed: 105mph 0-60 mph: 8 seconds

POWER 200 horsepower

ECONOMY Up to 300 miles

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INFORMATION

How to invest in your employees during the cost-of-living crisis With the UK facing rising living costs and the evolving new workplace trend of “quiet quitting”, Nicki Robson (pictured), founder of Ashby-dela-Zouch-based HR firm Breedon Consulting, provides some steps businesses can take to invest in their employees in order to retain them.

UPSKILLING AND RESKILLING Nearly a fifth of managers said the most prominent hiring challenge they face is a lack of technical skills and knowledge, according to research from ECI Partners, emphasising the growing concern over the UK’s skills gap.

Investing in upskilling and reskilling is an excellent way for businesses to develop and progress employees. During the pandemic, the level of preparation and training for managers was not always feasible – therefore, many had to adjust their leadership style when managing their teams remotely without any training or guidance.

Data from Virgin Media O2 Business and Censuswide found that 47% of employees would be happier in their roles if digital training was provided and 42% would be less likely to change jobs – highlighting that investing in upskilling and development is a valuable retention tool and imperative for businesses.

Outsourcing an external assessor to conduct a skills gap analysis can also help businesses

analyse team-wide and company-wide skills gaps, assisting with interventions to bridge those gaps.

INCENTIVES While businesses face internal rising costs, it’s vital to support your staff wherever possible with incentives, bonuses and re-evaluating salaries through performance reviews, to help with the cost of living. It’s also time to be a bit more creative on how your budget is spent, considering taxefficient ways of “giving more for less”, such as vouchers or discount schemes.

Around 5% of businesses with 250 or more employees offered a one-off cost-ofliving payment to their workers in the three months to August 2022, according to the Office for National Statistics' Business Insights report.

Incentives like this can help employees with some breathing space between their rising bills.

WORK-LIFE BALANCE AND WELLBEING Finding the balance between a healthy, positive workplace and lifestyle for employees has never

been more critical for business owners. Open communication in the workplace is an excellent way to ensure employees feel supported and heard.

According to Glassdoor, nearly three-quarters of workers thought that annual leave was an effective way to reduce burnout, but only three in five employees used their full holiday entitlement.

Identifying employees’ needs and supporting them wherever possible by offering flexible or hybrid working, and providing training and development opportunities, can help to retain your workforce but also attract new candidates.

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COMMENT

THE LAST WORD Chamber president Stuart Dawkins reflects on how ‘unusual’ times are gradually becoming ‘usual’, and the importance of businesses supporting their communities. ast month in ‘The Last Word’, I talked about the diversity of events to which the Chamber president is invited. That makes for an interesting year for the president, but more importantly it provides a great insight into the thoughts of our members – the changing narrative of what business and the community wants for the East Midlands.

By pretty much any yardstick, these have been tumultuous times. The Covid-19 pandemic, war in Ukraine, Brexit – these are not ‘usual’ events.

Indeed, my personal view is that, economically, we have been in ‘unusual’ times since the 2007/08 financial crisis, which forced most countries into applying unusual fiscal policies and most central banks into adopting novel policies, such as quantitative easing, which have still yet to unwind substantively.

But maybe that’s just the view of an ageing former banker? And there is the very valid challenge: if the ‘unusual’ lasts for long enough, does it simply become the new ‘usual’?

The Chamber is here to help our members and businesses navigate their way through change – whether that change is usual or unusual.

We are not soothsayers who can predict the future, but we seem to be pretty good at providing advice and guidance to help people steer their own course – be that though the pandemic, when the Chamber’s themed-events were a colossal success, through the impact of sustainability on business, through digital strategy, exporting and much else.

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years and, as might be expected, there are some themes that recur year-in, year-out, and there are others that come to the fore and then recede.

The theme of the UK’s place in Europe has always been an interesting one. In the run-up to the Brexit vote and for a number of years afterwards, one felt that in media and political discourse it was almost impossible to state an opinion without it being analysed for political intent. The discussion at Chamber meetings tended to reflect that Europe was rarely a leading topic of conversation.

To me, making it harder to trade with one’s closest neighbours – which make up one of the world’s largest trading blocs – was always bound to create problems for businesses (and many others) in the UK. Thankfully, I sense both in general media and political discourse, and in conversations with Chamber members, there is now more willingness to acknowledge the reality of the current situation and to focus on ways to improve matters.

This is important stuff. The latest Chamber Quarterly Economic Survey asked those businesses in our region that export to Europe about the impact on that trade for them since the UK left the EU. Almost half had seen this trade either decrease or cease, with around a third saying it had remained the same. The principal limiting factors varied, with customs processes, taxation and tariff effects top of the list.

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT I also commented in my last piece on the role the Chamber plays as a voice for the East Midlands – a region lacking many such voices.

This is particularly the case for the Chamber’s policy work, which culminated in the Business Manifesto for Growth in the East Midlands.

The message of that manifesto, launched towards the end of last year, chimed with what our members were quite loudly saying to politicians at the time: “get the basics right”.

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Stuart chairs a roundtable on CSR engagement

The narrative does now seem to have changed to focus more on what is needed to get the basics right for the country’s new relationship with Europe. Long may that continue.

SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITIES AS RESPONSIBLE BUSINESSES Another topic that increasingly underpins the debate at Chamber events, and elsewhere too, is the impact of demographic change.

An ageing population clearly increases the costs of health and social care and, all other things being equal, leads to an increase in vulnerable aged people.

The impact of the pandemic on different generations seems to vary quite profoundly – be that the direct health impact of Covid-19, or the psychological impact of lockdown and the closure of (that word again) ‘normal’ social activity for a couple of years or more.

This backdrop, in my view, adds to the need for focus on the two priorities I have chosen for my year as president – a focus on using whatever wealth, power and influence we have to support better our local communities, and a focus on doing the best we can to support the next generation and generation next-but-one.

I was pleased recently to be at a roundtable discussing the findings of the sixth year of the Chamber’s survey of its members about corporate social responsibility (CSR) matters.

The results painted a mixed picture, with 40% of the businesses responding they simply do not engage with CSR issues. But I will choose to dwell on the positive, which is that virtually all responders to the survey were looking to maintain or increase their activity.

So, I will close this time with an optimistic slant. “Getting the basics” right – together with the ingenuity, hard work and dedication of our local businesses – can indeed lead to the East Midlands being a place of growth.

And if some of the proceeds of that growth can be used to improve my two priority areas – our local communities and our young people – then that would surely be a good thing. Is that too much to hope for a new ‘normal’?

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T: 01709 529709 E: rotherhamsales@daviesturner.co.uk W: daviesturner.com/specialist/rotherham-specialists