Chamberlink Feb 2022

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The official publication of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce

CHAMBER February 2022

Free to Members £5.00 where sold

LINK

United we will thrive…

New patron Dr Nik dreams of Midlands togetherness - see page 7 • ...and Business Park backs Solihull • Awards shortlist revealed • Biggest event is back in calendar

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Contents Chamberlink February 2022 Business News 4

Editor’s View Bridging the divide between East and West Midlands

5

Business News Awards night shortlist revealed

12 President’s Focus Phil Arkinstall, president, Sutton Coldfield Chamber 20 The Griffin Report Dr Nik Kotecha OBE, founder of Morningside Pharmaceuticals 24 Where do you fancy?

Chapter

Chamber Patrons 38 Drinks deal for NEC Group

56

1813 Club and Premier Members 40 Call for parish councils to be granted more power

Features

Chamber Group

59 Apprenticeships, Skills & Training: What is a degree apprenticeship?

42 International Trade: Key appointment for Commonwealth Chamber

63 Institutes of Technology – Firm foundations for apprenticeship advancement

46 ABCC: Recognising the need for carbon neutrality

67 Green Business: Why your business needs to go green 68 Reducing your business’ carbon footprint

Sector Focus 71 Business Travel: Swift extended to drivers 72 Finance: Borrowing set to fall

48 Cannock Chase: Work begins on business hub

75 Technology: Risk of smart doorbells

49 Burton & District: New bridge to bring a boost

76 Legal: Legal sector remains strong 78 Property: Landmark building planned

50 Lichfield & Tamworth: Investment for accountancy firm

81 Manufacturing: British made goods strengthen economy

51 Sutton Coldfield: Promotion for greenkeeper

82 Sport: Games appoints charity partner

52 Solihull: Chamber welcomes new patron

Member Section

54 Future Faces: New members join committee

84 New Members Chamber welcomes new members

Events 56 The latest comprehensive list of Chamber training courses and events

38

86 …any other business News from Chamber businesses

The Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC) is here to connect, support and grow local businesses. Accredited by the British Chambers, we have acted as the voice of local businesses since 1813.

CHAMBER LINK

The official publication of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce Cannock Chase

Editor John Lamb 0121 274 3237, 0797 1144064 j.lamb@birmingham-chamber.com Deputy Editor Dan Harrison 0121 274 3239, 0797 1144052 d.harrison@birmingham-chamber.com Assistant Editor Philip Parkin p.parkin@birmingham-chamber.com

Chamber of Commerce

Sutton Coldfield

Greater Birmingham

Chamber

Commonwealth

of Commerce

Chamber of Commerce

Greater Birmingham

Transatlantic Chamber of Commerce

Reporter Claudia Congrave 0775 7798567 c.congrave@birmingham-chamber.com Reporter Sophia Corness-Parr 0750 8317356 s.corness-parr@birmingham-chamber.com

You can now read the latest issue of CHAMBERLINK and view back issues online at: www.greaterbirminghamchambers.com

February 2022 CHAMBERLINK 3

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Opinion

Editor’s View

By John Lamb

Bridging divide between East and West Midlands few years ago, I remember checking the proof of the front page of a daily regional newspaper.

The staff by-line of the lead story said: “From Ace Reporter, Leicester, Monday.”

(I’ve made up the name, BTW).

We had sent a reporter to Leicester on a story and all would have been fine if we had been in Chicago, Sydney or Beijing. But we were actually sitting in Coventry, 26.1 miles away from Leicester.

I pointed out that the dateline was entirely unnecessary since the last time I checked we were actually in the same time zone as Leicester.

But it does illustrate the divide between the east and west Midlands, admittedly a few years ago. Not, as far as I know, that there is or was any great conflict between the regions (apart, perhaps, from on the sporting front) but there is an opinion afoot that there needs to be unity between the two sides.

This is a view very much at the heart of the reasons for Morningside Pharma, under the chairmanship of Dr. Nik Kotecha, becoming patrons of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce.

The pre-Covid devolution policies and levelling up programme (remember them?) of the government went some way to uniting the country’s regions.

We now have the Midlands Engine and Midlands Connect. So there is a desire from top to bottom for a more united front in the Midlands, eloquently advocated by Dr Nik (see pages 7, 20 and 21).

A

FRONT COVER: Dr. Nik Kotecha from new Chamber patrons Morningside Pharmaceuticals See pages 7 and 20 Published by

Kemps Publishing Ltd Unit 8, The Courtyard, 707 Warwick Road, Solihull, B91 3DA 0121 765 4144 www.kempspublishing.co.uk Managing Editor Laura Blake Designer Lloyd Hollingworth Advertising 0121 765 4144 jon.jones@kempspublishing.co.uk Printers Stephens & George Print Group

4 CHAMBERLINK February 2022

And when you read a report from a research group at Warwick Business School called The Productivity Institute, you can see there could be much work to do.

They have produced a paper called The Midlands Productivity Challenge and in it they claim the Midlands has one of the lowest levels of productivity in the UK, leading to a potential loss to the region of up to £20bn income each year.

It goes on to say that productivity in the Midlands was 20 per cent below the South East and 7.5 per cent below the East of England. Only the North East, Yorkshire and Humber, Wales and Northern Ireland were less productive.

And parts of the region – including Birmingham, Stoke on Trent, and Derby - are at risk of falling even further behind as productivity is growing more slowly than the UK average, the report claims.

Nigel Driffield, professor of international business and deputy pro vice chancellor at Warwick Business School and author of the report, said: “All the indicators point to the fact that the region’s productivity should be better than it is.

“Too many opportunities to increase productivity have been missed in past decades.”

Since the Midlands forms a significant part of the UK economy with 10.7 million people (similar to Sweden), 5.1 million jobs across 435,000 active businesses and an economic output of £258 billion in 2019, you can see Professor Driffield’s point.

Perhaps it is time to start bringing the east and west Midlands closer together…

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Whenever we process data for these purposes, we always ensure we treat your Personal Data rights in high regard. If you wish to, you can visit www.kempspublishing.co.uk to view our full Privacy Notice and to learn more about our legitimate interests and your rights in this regard.

CHAMBERLINK is produced on behalf of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce by Kemps Publishing Ltd and is distributed to members without charge. The Chambers 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 Chambers 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 Chambers. This publication (or any part thereof) may not be reproduced, transmitted or stored in print or electronic format without prior written permission of Kemps Publishing Ltd.

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Chamber Awards and Dinner 2022

Business News

Business News Latest news from Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce

92 firms chase awards night glory record 92 businesses will be chasing excellence at the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce’s annual dinner and awards on Friday, 4 March.

The local business community will gather at the ICC in Birmingham next month to recognise those who have gone above and beyond in the last year.

DJ, broadcaster and host of the popular Drive Time radio show for Heart West Midlands, Ed James, is set to return as compere.

This will be the first time the event, one of the largest business occasions in the UK, will have been held live for two years. Full details of a night that will include anl programme of entertainment as well as the drama of the award can be seen at: www.greaterbirminghamchambers.co.uk, where tables can also be reserved.

The shortlisted businesses will go head-tohead to claim one of 12 sector awards, before finding out who will be crowned as the overall Business of the Year.

Excellence in Sustainability

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The shortlisted are: Excellence in Contribution to the Community (sponsored by Shakespeare Martineau)

• • • • • • • •

Creative Active Lives CIC Crown Highways Digital Innovators Edgbaston Park Hotel and Conference Centre Feedo Needo Make Good Grow NEC Group Phoebus Software

Excellence in Customer Service

• • • • • • • •

Clayton Hotel Birmingham Indigo Laight Designs Nant Pennycuick Collins Shakespeare Martineau St Philips Chambers Unique Venues Birmingham

Excellence in Hospitality & Retail

• • • • • • • •

Adam’s Restaurant and The Oyster Club Branston Golf and Country Club Clayton Hotel Birmingham Malmaison Birmingham Selfridges Birmingham The Eastside Rooms Touchwood Solihull Unique Venues Birmingham

Excellence in International Business

• • • • • • • •

Burton and South Derbyshire College Excitation and Engineering Services Flexeserve Ginho Group International Synergies KMB Shipping Group Lakeside Products Moflash Signalling

• • • • • • • • Back as compere: Ed James

Excellence in Manufacturing (sponsored by Schumacher Packaging)

• • • • •

Armac Manufacturing (Brassfounders) Evac+Chair International Hardy Signs Industrial Washing Machines RotoSpa

Excellence in People Development

• • • • • • • •

EiB Group Entec Si Fleet Evolution Grant McKnight Jacobs UK Shakespeare Martineau The Book Shelf We Clean

Excellence in Responsible Business

• • • • • • • •

B&M Waste Services Crown Highways Gateley NEC Group Sustainability West Midlands The Book Shelf The Leadership Coaches Unity Trust Bank

Excellence in Sales & Marketing

• • • • • • • •

Arup B&M Waste Services Birmingham County Football Association Jacobs UK National Express Power Minerals Solihull College & University Centre University of Birmingham

Excellence in Technology & Innovation (sponsored by Aston University)

• • • • • • • • •

Birmingham City University G&P Group Holdings Laight Designs National Express Phoebus Software Round Midnight runyourfleet.com Spica Technologies Unique IQ

Excellence in Third Sector (sponsored by Unity Trust Bank)

• Acorns Children's Hospice • Burton upon Trent & District YMCA • Cancer Research UK • FareShare Midlands • Living Well UK • Midlands Air Ambulance Charity • Millennium Point • Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS - Your Trust Charity Excellence in Training & Education (sponsored by SGS UK)

• • • • • • • •

Birmingham City University BMet College Burton and South Derbyshire College In-Comm Training and Business Services Open College Network West Midlands PTP Training School of Code University of Birmingham

Ark Media Productions Armac Manufacturing (Brassfounders) BECG Digital Ethos EiB Group Flexeserve Liquid Public Relations Millennium Point

For more information on sponsorship opportunities contact r.ashman@birminghamchamber.com

The standard and volume of the entries for the awards presented the judges with a long and but fascinating task in coming up with the shortlist of 92 businesses.

Chamber chief commercial officer Katrina Cooke, who chaired the judges, said: “They did face a mammoth task and we’re so grateful for the time they took to assess all entries in detail.

“The standard of entries was again high with a number of previous winners and entrants joining the competition to be honoured on 4 March. We also thank the huge number of the companies who took the time to complete entries.”

• Colin Barker, senior trade commissioner, Canadian High Commission • Aftab Chughtai MBE, senior managing partner, Aftabs • Gurmit Kler, director of business engagement, University of Birmingham • Beverly Lindsay OBE, founder and general manager, Diamond Travel • Michal Nowinski, highways engineer, Arup • Eileen Schofield, founder and principal solicitor, Schofield & Associates • Ruth Todd CBE, chief commercial officer, HS2 • Howard Trotter, business manager, Shelforce • Stuart Watson, managing director, Leap IT

Greater Birmingham Business of the Year (sponsored by Crowe)

February 2022 CHAMBERLINK 5

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Business News Clarity needed on Covid support The Chancellor has been urged to provide clarity on his latest measures and take additional action to help businesses survive the coronavirus crisis.

In a letter co-authored by the Chamber and signed by chief executive Henrietta Brealey and several presidents from the Chamber group, as well as Birmingham City Council and representatives from Business Improvement Districts across the region, concerns have been raised about the scale and duration of the latest support measures.

The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, has said that there will be a further £1bn package of support for businesses impacted by Covid. The letter has raised key concerns, such as the scale, speed, duration and breadth of support available.

Ms Brealey said: “The Chancellor’s financial support package for those hit hardest by the Omicron variant is a positive first step.

“However, businesses in a number of sectors are facing potentially insurmountable economic losses. As such, alongside Birmingham city centre BIDs and supported by a number of institutions and business leaders, I have written to the Chancellor urging him to take swift action to support those hit hardest.”

A more stable year ahead - but caution needed

By Dan Harrison Businesses can expect a more stable year in terms of Covid disruption – but must respect that “the virus is still with us”.

That’s according to Birmingham’s director of public health Dr Justin Varney, who addressed Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce’s (GBCC) Quarterly Business Report briefing.

While Dr Varney believes a less disruptive year is in store, he urged businesses to continue taking precautionary steps when bringing staff back into work.

Dr Varney, dialling in from New York to provide an update on the Covid situation, said: “My hope is we’ll have a more stable year – less of an in, out year than last year but it is important that we all continue to respect the fact that the virus is still with us and is still putting people in hospital.

“Those things are really important to keep in mind when you think about how you bring people back into the office or into work.

“I would encourage all businesses to continue to keep that up and also reflect on some of the gains that we’ve had in terms of people working from home and thinking about how we create a mentally

It’s all change as exec moves from road to rail West Midlands Trains (WMT) has appointed Charlotte Ritchie as head of external communications and engagement.

She has replaced Francis Thomas, who has retired from his role as head of corporate affairs, after nine years with WMT and its predecessor, London Midland.

Ms Ritchie, former head of policy at Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, joined WMT from National Express, where she was head of public affairs since 2015.

She said: “It is an exciting time to join the rail industry and I am delighted to join the team at West Midlands Trains where so much hard work is going on to build a strong, reliable railway.

“While our primary focus continues to be on managing the impact of the pandemic, we are 6 CHAMBERLINK February 2022

On track: Charlotte Ritchie

also looking forward to the introduction of two new train fleets which will make a real difference for passengers across our network.”

healthy workforce and a mentally healthy approach to work.”

Dr Varney also called on businesses to do everything they can to encourage staff to take up their Covid vaccinations.

Delegates were given overview of the QBR – the most comprehensive report of its kind in the region – from the Chamber’s head of policy Raj Kandola.

‘It is important that we all continue to respect the fact that the virus is still with us’ The report revealed that businesses in Greater Birmingham made a remarkable partial recovery towards the end of 2021 and the Chamber pledged to keep the momentum moving in the face of pressures in key areas.

The number of businesses reporting an increase in UK sales was the highest since records began in 1997. Fifty-four per cent of firms reported an increase and 35 per cent remaining constant.

Henrietta Brealey, chief executive of the GBCC, said that while the increases in sales was encouraging,

Raj Kandola: Road to recovery

this was offset by the highest increase in price pressures on record, as well as a stark rise in recruitment difficulties experienced by local businesses.

She added: “A sense of uncertainty will continue to pervade business thinking in the coming months. That’s why, as a Chamber, we will continue to play our part in keeping business moving.”

Professor Julian Beer, deputy vice-chancellor of BCU, said: “The ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and current government strategy such as Build Back Better, underline the vital importance of innovation.

“In this context, I am confident that the opening of new facilities such as the GBS Institute of Technology and the BCU STEAMhouse innovation centre, coupled with the expertise of our regional business base, will support innovation-led recovery.”

Go to www.greaterbirminghamchambers .com to see the full report

Dip in regional output growth, says NatWest NatWest’s latest Regional Purchasing Manager’s Index has revealed output growth across the West Midlands slipping slightly at the end of the year.

The survey’s business activity index – which measures the combined output of the region’s manufacturing and service sectors – fell from 54.3 in November to 50.7 a month later. The fall in growth has been put down to rising Covid-19 cases and its knock-on effect on consumer confidence.

Material and staff shortages were also cited as factors curbing output.

The local trend was in stark contrast to the national performance, where new business rose solidly, despite a notable slowdown in growth.

John Maude, from NatWest Midlands and East Regional Board, said: "Growth in the West Midlands took a step back at the end of 2021, as the fast spread of the Omicron variant caused heightened uncertainty among customers who postponed purchases. Companies were also negatively impacted by shortages of staff and materials.

"While local output rose in December, overall sales were stagnant.

However, firms expect the slowdown to be short-lived as seen by an improvement in business confidence towards the year-ahead outlook for output and sustained hiring.

“Of concern, however, a further substantial increase in expenses underpinned an unprecedented upturn in prices charged for local goods and services.”

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Business News

New patron aims to unite region

By John Lamb A leading Midlands generic medicines manufacturer and supplier has become a patron of the Greater Birmingham Chamber.

Morningside Pharmaceuticals has a mission to ‘make quality healthcare an affordable and accessible reality throughout the world’, and has become a Chamber patron to encourage East and West Midlands’ businesses collaborations.

The company, based in Loughborough, is an award winning manufacturer, wholesaler and exporter of branded and generic medicines and healthcare products to the UK and international markets. Since inception in the early 1990s, Morningside has exported to more than 120 countries globally and has over 240 generic and branded licensed medicines in the UK and EU. In the UK, the company’s licensed medicines are distributed twice daily to NHS hospitals and pharmacies. Globally, Morningside is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of a wide-range of medicines to global aid agencies, charities and NGOs, including Unicef, The World Health Organisation (WHO), Red Cross and MSF. Morningside is also expanding into new international markets, where product registrations in individual countries offer an opportunity to grow into the public and private sectors.

The business was founded over 30 years ago

by Dr Nik Kotecha OBE, who is now the company’s chairman. He is also a Department for International Trade Export Champion, Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) Board Member, Midlands

Building collaborations: Dr. Nik Kotecha

Engine Health & Council Board Member, a CBI Regional Councillor and a Board Member for the British Generics Manufacturers Association (BGMA).

Dr Kotecha said: “I am immensely proud to be based in the Midlands, which is the manufacturing heart of the country, as well as having many thriving sectors, including health, life sciences and med tech.

“It’s very important that the Midlands is able to develop a single, unified and powerful voice nationally, to ensure central government

provides investment in infrastructure and levelling up support for the diverse range of businesses and communities based here.

“I’m very keen to build collaborations between the public and private sectors, as well as academia, which is why joining the Greater Birmingham Chamber was a great choice for Morningside Pharmaceuticals. I am very much looking forward to meeting with other members who share a vision for a strong, more unified and a bright sustainable future for the Midlands.”

Henrietta Brealey, the GBCC’s chief executive, said: “We are delighted to welcome Morningside to our GBCC Patrons network. Our Patrons share our Chamber values and mission to Connect, Support and Grow local businesses. Our relationship with each Patron is bespoke and reflects their unique priorities.

“I am looking forward to helping tell both Morningside and Dr Nik’s stories and raise awareness of this phenomenal success and their leading work in innovation, international trade and beyond. I also look forward to working with Dr Nik on driving collaboration on Midlands wide voice and representation for businesses, something that is more critical than ever in these fast-changing times.”

For more information on Morningside Pharmaceuticals visit here: www.morningsidepharm.com • For Jon Griffin’s full interview with Dr Nik, see pages 20 and 21.

February 2022 CHAMBERLINK 7

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Business News

Podcast spotlight on CEOs

By Dan Harrison A new podcast series that delves into the stories of some of the region’s leading and up-andcoming CEOs has been launched

by Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce.

CEO Stories is hosted by Henrietta Brealey, who last year became the youngest chief executive in the Chamber’s history.

Throughout the series, Henrietta is joined by well-known and emerging business leaders, who reveal what makes them tick, who inspired them and the advice they would give to aspiring CEOs. The first four episodes are available now on all the major

Chamber chief quizzes leading business figures podcast listening apps, such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Joining Henrietta for the first episodes are Chamber president and Forensic Pathways CEO Deb Leary, Ones leisure trainers founder Simon Caulton, Newlife charity chief executive Sheila Brown and Diamond Travel general manager Beverly Lindsay. A new episode of the podcast will be published on the first Monday of every month.

Henrietta said: “Whether they’ve founded their own business or risen to the top of their profession, each

of our guests has a fascinating journey to share and candid insights into the lessons they’ve learned along the way.

“When I started in this role, I was lucky enough to have a network of

people around me that I could ask ‘has this ever happened to you?’ or ‘how did you manage in that situation?’. There’s so much to learn from and be inspired and motivated by hearing other people’s stories, the opportunities they’ve grasped and very real challenges they’ve overcome. I am looking forward to bringing just some of our members’ incredible perspectives to a bigger audience with CEO Stories.

“If you’re in or aspiring to be in a leadership position, starting a business or just plain curious about other people – have a listen, and let us know what you think.”

• CEO Stories is available on all major podcast listening apps such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Simon’s one-step journey Simon Caulton’s life changed forever when his seven-month old daughter Mia was diagnosed with infantile Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in 2017.

The story behind his leisure trainers brand Ones is one of strength, courage and learning how to take things “one step at a time”.

In the Chamber’s new CEO Stories podcast, Simon opened up to chief executive Henrietta Brealey about how the trauma of Mia’s lifethreatening illness and his personal mental health battles inspired him to launch Ones.

“Ones takes inspiration from my daughter’s illness and my mental health battles,” said Simon.

“We’ve had to learn as a family to take one step at a time. That is really the motto and the message behind the brand – every journey starts with one step.”

After four rounds of intense chemotherapy and many months spent in Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Mia was able to return home in 2018. But scaling back his high-flying management role in manufacturing to become a stay-at-home carer took Storytellers: Simon Caulton, founder of leisure trainers brand Ones, joined Henrietta for episode two its toll on Simon. of the podcast “I became isolated in my own home, which was really tough. It all just started to creep up on me – I lost my sense of purpose, selfworth and I didn’t like who I was “I got the hotel When Deb Leary (pictured) was dragged along to a seeing in the mirror.” note paper and policing conference, she had a lightbulb moment Simon sought professional help scribbled down the that led to her setting up pioneering forensics firm to deal with his trauma and his words ‘stepping Forensic Pathways. since gone on to become a mental plate, find open But there is far more to Deb than the serious health advocate. market, set up business of forensics – as she reveals on CEO Stories.

The darkest time in his life also company’.”

Away from her day job, the self-deprecating inspired his brightest idea – This fascination led to Chamber president is involved in numerous initiatives creating his own footwear brand. her inventing the world’s including Funny Women, a group that encourages Ones launched at the end of last first transparent stepping plate women to take part in stand-up comedy and “find year, with 10 per cent of the profits for the forensic market. their authentic voice”. going to Blood Cancer UK. Away from the world of forensics, Deb is involved Deb says being “naturally nosey and curious” has Not only are the trainers in a host of external activities, including taking part been integral to her entrepreneurial journey. aesthetically pleasing, they are also in stand-up comedy with Funny Women.

“My husband Richard, who was in the police force, made with sustainable materials.

“I think when are at school, we leave our was going off to speak at a conference in Toronto,” “I needed a challenge,” said personality outside the classroom door,” she said. she said.

Simon. “I wanted to do something “I think that’s sad because when you are “I like photography so it was an opportunity to go that represents the journey of presenting, people are coming to see you. They are and do some of that. where we’ve been.” coming to hear your personality and experiences.

“I went into the conference to be nosey. Henry Lee, “I have great fun with Funny Women – it is a who was a lead on the OJ Simpson case, started For more information visit fantastic organisation.” talking about the mismanagement of the crime scene. www.ones.co.uk

From stepping plates to stand-up

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Business News

February 2022 CHAMBERLINK 9

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Business News

New chief executive joins Birmingham Hippodrome Matt Grimes: Music must be protected

Call to protect music industry A UK music industries expert has called on the Government to protect the ‘national assets’ of music and entertainment from further damage as a result of Covid restrictions by avoiding repeating the mistakes of the last 18 months.

Dr Matt Grimes, senior lecturer and course leader in music industries at Birmingham City University, also suggested financial support must be made available sooner should venues and clubs face mandatory limited operating hours or closures.

Dr Grimes said: “Over the last few months there has been a sense that things were starting to move forward in a positive direction for music and entertainment with nightclubs reopening, the live sector returning and the public beginning to reconnect with cultural experiences.

“This time last year a survey carried out by UK-based charity Help Musicians found that 55 per cent were not earning anything at all from music due to the pandemic.

“While growth has been slower than expected, it is imperative that the Government does not repeat the mistakes of 2020, namely forcing the venue and club landscape to shutter, as well as being too slow to act in providing financial support.

“We know that last year the Government were slow to react, having a huge impact on the talent pipeline that is integral to the development and continuation of the UK’s dynamic music scenes.

“UK music and entertainment, by any definition – artistic, economic, social, cultural or otherwise – are national assets, and must be protected as such.”

10 CHAMBERLINK February 2022

Jon Gilchrist will be joining Birmingham Hippodrome as its new artistic director and chief executive in the spring following the departure of Fiona Allan to Opera Australia.

Jon has been executive director of HOME in Manchester since 2018. The multi-arts venue is the most visited attraction in Manchester, welcoming over 900,000 people annually and presents a year-round programme of produced and visiting theatre, cinema and visual arts.

Glenn Howells, Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre Trust chair, said: “We are delighted that Jon will be

‘Birmingham has one of the richest cultural landscapes in the country’ joining us in spring and leading Birmingham Hippodrome as it embarks on the next chapter of its evolution.

“Covid has had a profound effect on the organisation, but our future plans remain as exciting and ambitious as ever – particularly as we look forward to welcoming the Commonwealth Games to the region.

“Jon brings the experience, creativity, vision and enthusiasm we need to progress the Hippodrome’s future plans and deepen our levels of engagement with the people of our region. On behalf of everyone here at Birmingham Hippodrome, we look forward to welcoming Jon to the team.”

Jon was recently elected joint president of UK Theatre, a role which he will take up in this year. He is also on the boards of the Edge Theatre in Manchester and HighTide Theatre in Suffolk.

Rich culture in Birmingham: Jon Gilchrist

Previously, Jon worked as executive director of the Bush Theatre between 2014 and 2018. Before this he worked in marketing roles at theatres across the NorthWest for 10 years, including The Lowry in Salford, the Octagon Theatre Bolton, and the Dukes in Lancaster.

He said: “I have always admired the Hippodrome as one of the UK’s best theatres. Now, as the team continue the path to recovery from the pandemic, it is even more important to provide people with some much needed joy in these challenging times.

“Birmingham has one of the richest cultural landscapes in the country, and 2022 is a chance to amplify the city’s extraordinary art and artists on an international stage.”

Promising talent: Dance Track students in full flow.

Bank sponsors ballet milestone HSBC UK is to be the principal sponsor of Birmingham Royal Ballet and will focus on Dance Track, which supports young people to reach or surpass their potential, regardless of their background or circumstances.

Dance Track celebrates its 25th anniversary this year and offers free ballet workshops, tuition and

associated activities to 3,244 children aged from six-to-eight.

The celebration will include a performance in central Birmingham, bringing together past and current students, teachers, staff, parents and schools, to celebrate the achievements of the programme and all who have been involved in it.

Carlos Acosta, artistic director at Birmingham Royal Ballet, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be working closely with HSBC UK as our principal sponsor and extremely grateful for its support.

“We believe that ballet can change lives and is for everyone, everywhere.

We are thankful to HSBC UK for supporting all our work.”

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Business News ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Leadership development company celebrates 10 years Jude Jennison, founder of Leaders by Nature, celebrates 10 years of running a leadership and team development business this month. She specialises in non-verbal communication and helping leaders develop the skills to lead disruptive change. She celebrates a decade of developing leaders and teams, with the aid of her herd of horses.

Jennison brings leaders and teams out to her equine stables in Warwickshire to explore how they lead and communicate out of their comfort zone, in an environment of uncertainty. The horses respond based on your non-verbal

Clients engage with Jude’s horses

behaviour, including what you think, feel, your energy and emotions.

Sound crazy? Maybe, but as Jude explained: “All innovation is crazy in the beginning but after 10 years of working with clients with my horses, I’ve observed over 4,000 leaders and teams experience the same challenges in uncertainty and understand what they need to do to overcome them.

“The horses engage with you if you provide clarity of direction and a strong relationship based on trust and respect. They plant their feet and refuse to move when you don’t. It’s the

clearest feedback you’ll ever get on your leadership and team skills.”

Peter Marsden, executive chairman of Entec Si, explained: “Working with Jude and her amazing team of horses has been truly transformational at all levels of our company.

The incredible step change in understanding across our leadership team acted as a catalyst for our Covid-19 recovery and future growth.

“We will always be thankful to Jude for her insight, guidance and sharing the tools for extraordinary self-development.”

Jude’s latest bestselling book, ‘Opus: the hidden dynamics of team performance’, was written during lockdown in 2021 and is her third book. Jude identified 12 hidden dynamics that impact every team’s performance and documented them in her book so more leaders and teams could understand why some relationships work and others not so well.

Jude said: “Almost two years of remote working, uncertainty and disruptive change have taken their toll on leaders and teams. The need to respond to continuous change and disruption requires enormous adaptability, creativity and resilience.”

As organisations revise their strategy, culture and working practices, the quality of leadership and aligned teamwork has never been more critical to the success of our region.

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Business News

President’s Focus This month’s President’s Focus comes from Phil Arkinstall, president of the Sutton Coldfield Chamber and CEO of video production firm Ark Media. While Phil’s business is among those to have experienced growth during the pandemic, he is all too aware of the strain the past two years have had on the mental health of workforces around the region.

t’s true to say that the last two years have been a period of human history that will be remembered for generations to come.

As I write this it’s hard to know where we are with the Covid story. Hopefully near the end!

The disruption to our way of life since March 2020 has varied from person to person.

However, everyone has been touched by the pandemic in one way or other.

Within my sector, video and animation production, we’ve been very lucky.

Ark Media has grown through the pandemic.

However, we are acutely aware this hasn’t been the case for many other businesses in our community.

Even though the business has fared well, one area in which it has been affected is the mental health of our staff.

We work in a collaborative industry and the impact of being isolated so much, whether through Covid self-isolation or lockdowns, has taken its toll on our team.

This was particularly apparent with the younger members of our team who worked from the bedrooms of their family homes.

We reopened our office as soon as it was safe to do so to make sure our staff felt supported.

I believe that as we potentially move into a new phase of the pandemic (hopefully a calmer one) the trail of destruction to mental health will become a by-product that continues to affect us for many years to come.

For this reason as a business community, I believe we need to look out for each other and try to support individuals.

As a team at Ark Media, we have increased our one-to-ones with all members of staff and have encouraged team members to be open about how they are feeling.

I have also tried to do this as a leader in my business. I’ve spoken to a number of other business owners about how they have been feeling during the pandemic.

Sometimes running an organisation can be a lonely place and I have taken a lot of solace talking to my contemporaries - whether they work in the same field as me or not.

Given what we have all gone through in recent years I believe it is ok to tell people you are not ok.

We are all living through this shared experience so it’s important for people to know they are not alone.

As we (hopefully) begin to emerge from the worst of the pandemic, I would encourage fellow business owners to consider its lasting effect on their workforce.

As business leaders, we cannot allow poor mental health– particularly among our future generation – to be a lasting legacy.

Sutton Coldfield

Chamber of Commerce

I

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‘As a business community, I believe we need to look out for each other and try to support individuals’

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Business News

Search launched for baton bearers The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games has launched a search to find 2,022 baton bearers for the Queen’s baton relay.

The relay is a Games tradition and the baton is currently touring the countries that make up the Commonwealth.

Games organisers are now looking for bearers to take over when the baton returns to England in the summer, and nominations are being sought for ‘inspiring’ people to take on the role.

Nominations can be made by visiting the Birmingham 2022 website and submitting 100 words or less on how the nominee is making a difference in their community and why they deserve this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Nominations are open for all nine regions of England and baton bearers must be aged 12 or over.

To mark the launch of the nominations, a commemorative mural has been officially unveiled by four-time paralympic champion Kadeena Cox. The mural – in Navigation Street – has been created by graffiti artist ‘Gent 48’, whose real name is Josh Billingham.

The mural celebrates the journey of the Queen’s baton relay and features illustrations and symbols of inspiring community figures, meant to represent the 2,022 baton bearers currently being sought.

Among those depicted are Haseebah Abdullah and Salma Bi, showcased in recognition of their contribution to their local community.

Haseebah was the first hijab-wearing boxing coach in England and an ambassador for

Picking up the baton (from left): Haseebah Abdullah, Kadeena Cox, and Salma Bi

women’s sport, and Salma, who founded the first all Asian women’s cricket team, has encouraged more than 1,000 local girls to get involved in grassroots sports. Both were involved in the launch of the baton relay.

After the baton has taken on its journey across the Commonwealth, where it will have visited Europe, Africa, Oceania, the Caribbean, and the Americas, it will return to England for the final countdown to the Commonwealth Games.

The baton will travel the length and breadth of the country for 25 days, before the relay officially ends at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games on 28 July.

Lisa Hampton, head of the relay event, said: “I am delighted that we are now underway with finding the amazing people who will have the honour of carrying the baton and representing England this summer. I’m eager to see the inspiring people we find and to hear their remarkable stories.”

By Ian Bond (pictured), Head of the Wills & Estates team at Thursfields, specialising in wealth succession and estate planning.

Here at Thursfields, we understand how successful business owners have often devoted years of hard work to building their thriving and profitable enterprises.

understand why it is worth the time and effort now to develop and implement a succession plan before life circumstances take these decisions out of their hands.

These are often family affairs, with generations of the same family working together. However, planning for the succession of that business through the generations is something that is often delayed or overlooked, without an overall cohesive strategy in place.

Executing a business succession plan is hard work. But we are experts in business succession planning from both the company and individuals’ perspectives. We know that it is not just about getting the legal position correct (that’s a given) but also proactively helping business owning clients to navigate multiple decisions and strategic considerations.

For business owners, their company is likely to be the most valuable asset in their estate, and probably the most complex to manage. But lack of time – and, too often, a failure to fully appreciate the issues that can arise – frequently means they are slow to take appropriate advice for their own personal position and that of their family.

Doing this correctly can result in maximising the chances of a successful transition as well as enjoying the greatest possible tax benefits. The business owner can then enjoy a long and happy retirement by taking out value from the business as a reward for their hard work, but still leaving it financially secure for the next generation.

Too many businesses are ruined by the failure of owners to contemplate what should happen to their concern in the event of their untimely death. This not only potentially misses valuable tax reliefs but can also potentially cause dispute and disharmony in the family.

Thursfields follows two simple guiding principles when working with business owners and their families when it comes to succession planning for a family enterprise:

At Thursfields, we help business owners to

1. Family harmony: putting the family first is key

to the survival of a business. Decisions that keep the family together should be given priority over future profits. Dynasties crumble due to family feuds and individual egos overpowering the natural affection and mutual respect that comes with families.

2. Communication: there needs to be clarity amongst all the family members, especially the next generation about their future roles.

Business owners must have open and honest discussions with relatives, both about their exit and the owners who follow them.

The next generation needs to be onboard with future decisions so that a succession plan is tailored in line with mutual needs.

We understand that it can often be difficult to find the time to deal with personal matters, and so we have built our reputation by providing timely and practical advice to our clients.

Thursfields has an excellent team of specialist personal, family and corporate solicitors to look after you, your family and your business.

We will tailor our approach to suit the client and can take instructions by phone, video conference or in person at our Birmingham, Solihull, Worcester, Kidderminster or Halesowen offices.

Any business owner who would like more information can contact us:

T: 0345 2073728 E: info@thursfields.co.uk W: www.thursfields.co.uk

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Business News

Uni graduates hit the small screen Helen George: ‘Call the Midwife’. Helen is best known for playing Nurse Trixie Franklin in BBC drama ‘Call The Midwife’ and has appeared in the series for more than 10 years since graduating from the university in 2003.

Several Birmingham City University (BCU) graduates are due to pop up on television this year, with many working behind the scenes.

Here’s what some BCU alumni are up to: Nicola Coughlan: ‘Bridgerton’ and ‘Derry Girls’.

Nicola graduated from Birmingham City University’s School of Acting – now part of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire - in 2011 and in March she will be back on our screens playing the lovelorn Penelope Featherington in the second series of Netflix’s popular period drama ‘Bridgerton’.

Elvinah Xhignesse: ‘24 Hours in A&E’ and ‘All That Glitters’. School of Media graduate Elvinah Xhignesse has been working as a production assistant and series researcher on the Channel 4 programme, supporting the editing of episodes and ensuring they’re ready for broadcasting.

Robyn Cara: ‘The Rising’ Crime drama was filmed in the Lake District and is to air on Sky this year. The supernatural thriller series stars Robyn in the role of Katie .

Claire Burgess: ‘EastEnders’. Claire is senior script editor on BBC TV soap ‘EastEnders’. She develops story ideas and works with writers. She studied Media and Communication and graduated from the University in 2008.

In Brief BDO LLP has advised on the acquisition of HPCi Media, a leading B2B publisher, specialising in cosmetics, beauty and health media.

The Midlands Corporate Finance team acted as M&A adviser to Wolverhamptonbased Claverley Group Limited (CGL), which has acquired London based HPCi Media for an undisclosed sum. BDO also provided tax advice on the transaction.

Browne Jacobson has announced its new charity partners which it will support to raise vital funds for over the next two years.

Each of the national law firms firm’s five offices have nominated a local community charity that underpin its commitment to diversity and inclusion as well as corporate social responsibility.

In Birmingham, the First Class Foundation, a West Midlandsbased charity that specialises in engaging young people, parents and carers from black and minority ethnic communities, will be backed.

Lordswood Girls’ School will be joining forces with King Edward VI Foundation Birmingham in September.

The successful comprehensive academy, located in Harborne, was judged outstanding by Ofsted.

Lordswood will officially join the 10 existing King Edward VI Academies in the Trust, as well as the wider foundation’s two independent schools.

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Claire Burgess, a script editor on ‘EastEnders’

Sir Lenny Henry: ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘My Name is Leon’. Airing on Amazon Prime Video in September, ‘Lord of the Rings’ is set during the Second Age and precedes J.R.R. Tolkien's book trilogy. BCU Chancellor, Sir Lenny, stars in the series and plays the role of a Harfoot – a black hobbit.

Sir Lenny will also appear in BBC drama ‘My Name is Leon’ this year, which follows the story of a young boy who has been taken into care and is on a mission to bring his family back together.

New furniture range designed for home offices is launched AJ Products has launched a new range of home office furniture designed to provide high quality, professional workspaces in both smaller offices and while working from home.

The new NOVUS range features compact dimensions, careful designs and neutral colour shades which are easy to match. NOVUS includes a rectangular desk and a corner model.

The electric standing desks are simple to program with sitting and standing heights so that the desk can be returned to the ideal working height at the push of

a button, helping to alleviate aches and strains.

NOVUS also offers fixed height desks and compact storage shelving with ergonomic chairs from the AJ Products range.

The exclusive furniture range is designed and produced in-house at AJ Products with the aim that even small and home offices be decorated with functional and stylish furniture.

For further information and examples of the furniture go to: www.ajproducts.co.uk

Tributes to ‘true champion’ Jack Business leaders paid tribute to Jack Dromey, the MP for Erdington, who died suddenly at his constituency flat on 7 January.

His family announced that the 73-year-old had died hours after he had spoken in the House. Mr Dromey had been married to Harriet Harman, MP for Camberwell and Peckham, since 1982.

Henrietta Brealey, chief executive of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, said: “We are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Jack Dromey. Jack was a good man, a true champion for his constituents and workers’ rights.

“Since becoming MP for Erdington in 2010 he had been involved in and supported a number of Chamber local business roundtables and campaigns, most recently on support for businesses and employees during the pandemic.

“As the cross-party outpouring of grief has shown, he will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

"Our thoughts and sincere condolences go out his wife Harriet, his children, family and friends."

Andy Street, mayor for the West Midlands, paid tribute to Mr Dromey on Twitter.

He said: “Jack was a principled politician who fervently believed that the democratic process could improve the lives of his residents.

“His natural respect for political leaders, officers and even his political adversaries revealed his own guiding principles.

“Birmingham has lost a dedicated servant. Parliament has lost a true believer. And we have all lost a generous, inclusive friend who set a fine example.”

Business support: Jack Dromey

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Business News

T: 0121 745 8444 E: sales@midland-fire.co.uk W: midland-fire.co.uk

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Business News

Save the sector with technology After the recent blow to the hospitality industry due to Omicron, Zapaygo has launched a support package for venues that will allow them to future-proof their business by using technology.

With little investment required from businesses, Zapaygo hopes to get the industry back up and running as soon as safely possible. A recent survey conducted by Zapaygo found that 64 per cent of operators acknowledged that technology was important for their growth and 60 per cent will be keeping technology long-term.

The brand-new money saving initiative has been introduced to provide a convenient yet efficient service for businesses and their customers. With venues suffering from staff shortages due to illness, Zapaygo offers an alternative way for orders to be processed which makes it easier to manage staff absences.

Ellis Potter, managing director at The Riverside Hub, said: “It’s like having an additional till that you don’t have to man.”

Elliot Hall, CEO of Zapaygo, said: “Winter 2021 was a difficult time for the hospitality industry with restaurants being forced to close due to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, but we asked ourselves what can we do to prevent this from causing mass destruction again? We knew what we had to do.

“We want to ensure the facilities are in place to operate safely for all of our venues. Our latest offer gives new businesses the opportunity to sign up without a setup fee and contract. This is a great introduction to the fantastic benefits technology and contactless transactions have to offer.”

Email: enquiries@zapaygo.com Phone: 0333 301 9746 Website: www.zapaygo.com

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Sponsored by: Zapaygo

Midlands reporting lowest productivity The Midlands has one of the lowest levels of productivity in the UK, leading to a potential loss to region up to £20bn in lost income each year, according to a new report.

Productivity in the Midlands was 20 per cent below the South East and 7.5 per cent below the East of England.

Only the North East, Yorkshire and Humber, Wales and Northern Ireland were less productive.

And parts of the region – including Birmingham, Stoke on Trent, and Derby - are at risk of falling even further behind as productivity is growing more slowly than the UK average.

The findings are published in a new paper, The Midlands Productivity Challenge, by research group The Productivity Institute.

Nigel Driffield, professor of international business and deputy

pro vice chancellor at Warwick Business School and author of the report, said: “The Midlands lies at the heart of the UK. Historically it has been known for manufacturing and it still boasts a number of global brands. All the indicators point to the fact that the region’s productivity should be better than it is. Too many opportunities to increase productivity have been missed in past decades.”

The Midlands forms a significant part of the UK economy with 10.7 million people, 5.1 million jobs across 435,000 active businesses and an economic output of £258bn in 2019.

However, the hourly output of £31.27 in the West Midlands and £30.44 in the East Midlands was well below the UK average of £35.41. Bridging that cap would generate an extra £20bn for the

Missed opportunities: Professor Nigel Driffield

Midlands economy each year.

The Productivity Institute is a UKwide research project to pinpoint the causes of stagnation in the economy and focus on laying the foundations for a new era of growth.

Professor Driffield said: There have been some encouraging signs of progress. For example, the Midlands has performed relatively well on export growth over the past decade. However, this success is driven by a few sectors, such as advanced manufacturing.”

Tourism board names new chair

Caption needed Caption needed Caption needed Caption needed

University students land internships at exhibition Students from University College Birmingham had the chance to work at a major tourism exhibition as part of a flourishing relationship with one of its Birmingham-based industry partners.

A group of 15 tourism students attended the World Travel Market (WTM) at ExCel London recently, where they spent a day working as interns for Attraction World Group.

The exhibition - one of the first live face-to-face events for the sector following the disruption of the coronavirus pandemic - welcomed industry leaders and representatives of the travel trade from around the globe to showcase destinations and products.

Students on the university’s international tourism management and international tourism business management courses were on hand at the event to support representatives from Attraction World, distributing leaflets, networking and observing meetings with potential vendors.

Second year international tourism management student Filip Zezelj said the event provided the group with valuable experience and connections.

He said: “It was exciting to talk to people from the industry from so many different countries and learn something new from each of them.

"The event was certainly a beneficial experience to finishing my degree and hopefully, in a few years, presenting there as part of a tourism board of a certain country or region.”

Andrew Lovett has been appointed the new chairman of the West Midlands Regional Board for Tourism.

Lovett succeeds Fiona Allan, who stepped down in November to become chief executive of Opera Australia.

Mr Lovett is the chief executive of Black Country Living Museum, a role he has held since 2009. He has 30 years of experience working for the museums, leisure, tourism, arts, heritage and protected landscape sectors.

He said: “The West Midlands has such a varied tourism sector, which deserves its place in the spotlight.

“It remains a turbulent time for tourism and hospitality, especially in view of the recent rise of coronavirus variants affecting our everyday life. As part of my role as the new chair, I will work tirelessly with board members and my professional networks to ensure our sector receives the support it needs during this unpredictable and challenging period.”

The West Midlands Regional Board for Tourism is backed by the West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC), which promotes the region to tourists, investors and others.

It has £1bn to spend on its tourism strategy.

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Business News

WMCA chief makes New Year’s Honours list Laura Shoaf, now chief executive of the West Midlands Combined Authority, has been recognised in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours for services to the economic generation of the region.

The former managing director of Transport for the West Midlands, receives the CBE, recognising her contribution for over 20 years to transport services and economic generation.

Growing up in New Jersey in the United States of America, Laura first moved to the UK in 2002 and began her career as a principal consultant at GVA Grimley, a real estate consultancy.

From there she joined the Black Country Consortium as head of strategic planning, and then as director of transport.

In 2016 she joined Transport for West Midlands as managing director and last year was appointed chief executive for the West Midlands Combined Authority.

Laura is a recognised expert in transport and regeneration policy, chairing the Urban Transport Group and securing unprecedented investment in transport in the West Midlands. She is also on the board of trustees for Cure Leukaemia and the Severn Valley Railway charitable trust.

Laura said: “I was absolutely delighted when I received the letter Such an honour: Laura Shoaf

‘I have been fortunate to work with amazing people in my career’ from the Palace. It is such an honour to be recognised for the work that I and so many others have done in the West Midlands, which has been my home for over 20 years. I have been fortunate to work with amazing people in my career, and it is only because of them that I am being recognised.

“The passion of my colleagues is what has helped drive the

investment in transport systems and regeneration in the West Midlands, connecting people to jobs, to schools, and universities, to their families and connecting communities to each other. I am so proud of the work we have all done, and continue to do, to make the West Midlands a betterconnected region.”

Andy Street, mayor of the West Midlands said: “Laura is so deserving of this very prestigious honour.

“Through her leadership the West Midlands has seen huge levels of development and investment in transport, which has supported the economic regeneration of the region.

“Only last month we secured over £1bn of Government investment in our transport networks which will be spent on projects across the region, ensuring as many people as possible can access reliable public transport for a greener future.”

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Business News In Brief Birmingham Whisky Club has celebrated its 10th anniversary.

Founded in 2011, the club has grown over the years to incorporate a year-round schedule of brand-led tastings.

The company, owned by Amy Seton, helped to change the hospitality face of the city and the former events and marketing professional brought in brands for creative tasting events.

She said: “Ten years ago the city was a very different place and whisky brands would actively bypass us in favour of other cities. I have always been a passionate advocate of Birmingham and wanted to be part of the change that was starting to happen.

“I’m really proud that what was started all those years ago has contributed to Birmingham’s changing face, and how active and popular the club remains after all these years.”

For information on membership visit: grainandglass.co/tbwcmembership/ Pertemps has been awarded a slice of government funding to support nearly 700 drivers through HGV training and help ease the national driver shortage.

PDT Fleet Training, a specialist driving division of Warwickshire-based Pertemps, successfully bid for the contract from the Skills Bootcamp, directly funded by the Department for Education, to upskill HGV drivers in the coming months.

Pertemps received more than 10,000 driver applications in just six weeks after offering to cover the cost of licence acquisition earlier this year to help the national shortfall in qualified good vehicle drivers.

New research from Barclays reveals that children in the UK are set to receive a pocket money pay rise this year, as average weekly ‘salaries’ are to increase from £6.97 to £7.58 – almost twice the rate of inflation.

The research shows how much parents value having their children lend a hand around the home, with over two thirds (68 per cent) rewarding them with pocket money.

But the way in which parents dish out the pennies in changing - while six in 10 opt for the traditional cash-in-hand, almost a quarter (22 per cent) now give pocket money via a bank transfer.

Gillean Dooney, head of families at Barclays, said: “If your kids are happy to do their bit around the house, pocket money is a really good way of teaching them the value of money at an early age.”

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Mr McDonald’s to leave role as charity chair McDonald’s franchisee and Chamber board member Doug Wright is to step down from his role as chair of Ronald McDonald House Charities in Birmingham.

During six years at the helm, Mr Wright has led the charity through some extraordinary fundraising initiatives – including the annual gala dinner which raises in excess of £250,000.

Mr Wright, the owner of Wright Restaurants and a Deputy Lieutenant for the West Midlands, paid tribute to the Birmingham business community for supporting the charity’s fundraising efforts.

He said that, in particular, Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC) had helped amplify the charity’s profile.

Mr Wright said: “When I became chairman of this wonderful charity in 2015 it was probably Birmingham’s best kept secret.

‘A heartfelt thanks to everyone who has supported me in the last six years’ “In the last six years it has been wonderful how the city and region have really got behind us at RMHC. I must say a huge thank you to GBCC who were undoubtedly the first organisation that got strongly behind us as we sought to raise funds and improve awareness to drive advocacy.

Great people: Doug Wright

“Our remarkable success is certainly attributable to all the great people who have used their business success as a force for good. I have enjoyed my time as chairman and will always be a great supporter of this special charity both personally and within my business.

“A heartfelt thanks to everyone who has supported me in the last six years.

“The absolute highlight of my tenure was raising a third of a million pounds in a single night at our charity dinner in November 2021.

“The work and initiatives of the RMHC board here in Birmingham have been replicated throughout the UK - particularly with the way we pioneered virtual and hybrid events.

We are very proud that Birmingham has led the way in how funds were raised throughout the pandemic.

“Please continue to support this wonderful charity as the facility is greatly needed by the families of children being treated at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

“We will shortly be announcing the new leadership structure of the board and I’m certain that they will elevate the charity to a new level.”

BMet student packs perfect punches This rising BMet Sport Science student is punching and kicking his way to global Thai boxing championship success after gaining victory locally, nationally and internationally.

Muhammed Shazaib, who studies BTEC Level 3 Sport and Exercise Science at Sutton Coldfield College, is currently champion in the coveted Muay Thai Junior 60kg World, European, British and English titles.

The talented level 3 ringster can enjoy the huge accolades, while achieving exemplary results in his studies - thanks to support from a new Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) Dual Career Programme.

Muhammed is currently UK number 1 Muay Thai boxer, Two-time British Muay Thai Boxing champion, two-time Muay Thai Boxing English champion, 1-time Muay Thai Boxing European champion and S3 Muay Thai Boxing World Champion.

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The Griffin Report Dr Nik Kotecha built a global pharmaceuticals force from his own garage.

Now he has an ambition to create a powerful new business model for the Midlands, uniting east and west. That is why his company Morningside Pharmaceuticals have become patrons of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce. Chamberlink’s Jon Griffin went to meet the remarkable entrepreneur who came to Britain as a child refugee.

r Nik Kotecha 0BE – child refugee turned international business leader, entrepreneur, influencer, philanthropist and Government adviser – has a compelling New Year wish.

“My ambition is to try and bring the West Midlands and East Midlands’ businesses together, with one voice.

“We need to develop a combined voice for the Midlands with joint messaging that breaks down silos, shows off our strengths, offers new opportunities to engage and secures much needed funding from Government.

“I am not talking about devolution of powers.

Individuals and families in Walsall, Derby and Darlington must have the same opportunities as people living in the South East. Together we can establish the Midlands as a national hub for business, innovation, skills and ideas, which will help turn the tide and really ‘level up’ the region.”

Dr Nik – as he is well known – warms to his theme as he reflects on an extraordinary personal story which saw his family become refugees after fleeing their homeland in East Africa when he was a young child in the early 1970s, and seeking a new life in Leicester.

“I know what it feels like to have been hungry and poor, and to have very little. I have experienced being a refugee and living in a camp for six months outside of London.

“I didn’t speak English until I was seven or eight and I was behind others at school. But despite these setbacks my family instilled in me some very important values, on the basis of my

D

‘Everything I do today is all because of what I have experienced’ parents’ work ethic, dedication and steadfast efforts to ensuring our family was kept safe under very difficult circumstances. Everything I do today is all because of what I have experienced.”

It would be something of an understatement to suggest that Dr Nik has made a success of his life. He has built a UK and global generic medicines manufacturing and distribution company, which started from his home-garage in the 1990s, into Morningside Pharmaceuticals, a global enterprise, which has supplied 120 countries over a 30-year period.

In the UK, the company has 242 Generic and Branded licensed medicines in the UK and EU and distributes twice daily to NHS hospitals and pharmacies in the UK. Globally, Morningside is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of a wide-range of medicines to global aid agencies, charities and NGOs, 20 CHAMBERLINK February 2022

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Business News including Unicef, The World Health Organisation (WHO), Red Cross and MSF. Morningside is also expanding into new international markets, where product registrations in individual countries offer an opportunity to grow into the public and private sectors.

Dr Nik is a member of a string of business organisations, from chairing Loughboroughbased Morningside, to being the chair of trustees for his family’s foundation, the Randal Charitable Foundation.

He also sits on a number of regional and national board and advisory positions. These include the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), a Department for International Trade (DIT) Export Champion, the East Midlands CBI, the Midlands Engine Health & Business Council, The British Generic Manufacturers Association (BGMA), the Leicester LEP, Co-Chair of the Loughborough Town Deal Board and others.

Now the man whose childhood struggles inspired a real-life entrepreneurial success story has his eyes firmly focused on the West Midlands, with Morningside signing up as a Patron member of the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce.

“It is all about forging greater collaborations for the two regions, between academia, the public and private sectors. I really believe in one Midlands, with one clear coherent, powerful national voice. If the two regions work more closely together and channel our voice through the Midlands’ Chambers and the Midlands Engine, Government will listen and funding will come.

“We have the businesses, skills and knowledge, and I am hoping that Government

can provide new funding streams and extra support as part of its levelling-up strategy.

“This is our reason behind joining the Greater Birmingham Chambers, and alongside the Midlands Engine we can talk about opportunities and challenges and develop joint messaging that breaks down silos and offers new opportunities to engage.

“We want Westminster and Whitehall to hear us and they will do if we’re able to communicate with one clear coherent joint voice, underpinned by a united approach.”

Dr Nik cited an urgent need for improving skills as a key factor in levelling up and bridging a national economic divide.

“There is a big divide between the South and the North – there has not been enough investment

‘The Midlands is the UK’s manufacturing heartland, employing 4.7 million people’ in developing STEM skills at school level, preparing young people for the world of work, as well as addressing the so-called skills gap.

“Building a thriving economy, enhancing global trade, focussing on the health of our people and investing in carbon zero, are also vital ingredients for our future success.”

Dr Nik is also a passionate champion of manufacturing and late last year brought together the CSJ, Make UK, Midlands Engine and the East Midlands Chamber to the Morningside Arena Leicester to host a gathering of over 50 of the East and West Midlands' leading

manufacturers to showcase the sector in the Midlands.

He told the audience: “The Midlands is the UK’s manufacturing heartland, employing 4.7 million people and accounting for 22 per cent of UK exports; yet it’s clear that the region’s voice on the national stage is fragmented and disjointed.

“Collaborations between the public and private sectors, as well as academia, are key to addressing this, which is vital to bringing leaders together to share ideas, at a time when levelling up the regions has never been more important.

“We are looking for more Government funding and I can see that the Prime Minister wants that, through levelling up, but the definition is going to be in the detail in the Government’s longawaited White Paper.”

Dr Nik has stepped back from his former dayto-day role as Morningside CEO - having been appointed chairman - and now devotes much of his time to the Randal Charitable Foundation. Dr Nik and his wife established the foundation in 2017 to provide grant funding to directly save lives and significantly improve the quality of life of people living in the UK and globally, with an aspiration to directly save one million lives.

“The Foundation is about directly saving lives – it is my passion, and where I am going to dedicate much of my time to over the next 20 to 30 year. I’m a firm believer that businesses and charities can benefit from each other, and I’ve always been an advocate of investing in CSR.” The man who aims to develop collaborations between the East and West Midlands said he was often asked how to build a business career.

“First, find your passion. Through your passion, you will find a purpose and through your purpose, you will build a career.”

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UoB Elevate at The Exchange At the University of Birmingham’s collaborative space The Exchange, UoB Elevate is a start-up business incubator programme to help UoB students and graduates grow and develop their own thriving ventures. Launched last September, the incubator is already home to around 30 businesses, ranging from start-ups specialising in bespoke pet grooming products, to a new app designed to help people with eczema that’s already gaining significant interest.

By nurturing the individual needs of each business, this programme allows students to create different possibilities outside of traditional graduate routes, whilst at the same time retaining talent and wealth creation in the region. The incubator creates many ways for the business community to engage with the talent of the future, such as:

Investment prospects Businesses joining the programme are pre-selected based on their potential as well as the credibility of the student. As the businesses are supported to their next stage of development, genuine investment opportunities will be available, whether that be directly in the business or working with the individual to support their aspirations.

Sponsorship UoB Elevate is a multifaceted programme, consisting of workshops, events, mentoring and business planning. All of these are opportunities for your organisation to be part of new venture creation in the region.

Sponsored by: The University of Birmingham

Opportunity for innovators to grow at Venturefest Entrepreneurs and innovators from across the West Midlands will have a unique opportunity to develop and grow their businesses by meeting with potential investors and other cutting-edge companies at a free event this spring.

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) is sponsoring and co-hosting Venturefest WM 2022 to put growth businesses with investors who have specific expertise in innovation.

Venturefest offers the opportunity for entrepreneurs, innovators and investors to share ideas for co-operation and collaboration, particularly in the fields of science and emerging technologies.

The event is being led by the WMCA and Innovation Alliance WM, working with local enterprise

‘It’s vital we help our innovative companies operating in high growth sectors to develop’ partnerships, universities and Bruntwood, a leading property provider to the science and tech sector.

Andy Street, the mayor of the West Midlands and chair of the WMCA, said: “We all know the impact the pandemic has had on our region’s economy and on people’s jobs and livelihoods.

“That’s why it’s vital we help our innovative companies operating in high growth sectors to develop and expand their business, bringing additional knowledge,

Andy Street, mayor of the West Midlands, speaking at a previous Venturefest conference which brings entrepreneurs and investors together

investment, and of course jobs to the West Midlands.

Venturefest is a great example of how we are working with our partners to do exactly that and get people back into work as part of my 100,000 jobs plan.”

Cllr Ian Brookfield, leader of City of Wolverhampton Council and WMCA portfolio holder for the economy and innovation, added: “Science and emerging technologies are critical to the region’s economic recovery from the pandemic. I would encourage all local entrepreneurs and innovators who are seeking to grow their business to register now for the event.”

For more information visit: www.venturefestwm.co.uk

Bank extends entrepreneur scheme NatWest wants 2022 to be a record-breaking year for entrepreneurs in the Midlands.

And to help, the bank has diversified its Entrepreneur Accelerator Programme, so it has even more support and opportunities to help businesses scale and grow.

With four different tailored programmes now available, NatWest wants to hear from entrepreneurs in the Midlands who have a passion for being purpose-led or climatefocused as well as fintechs and high growth businesses.

Its Purpose-Led Accelerator is aimed at entrepreneurs who are redefining what it means to be a business and supporting a more

Next level: Debbie Lewis

inclusive and sustainable economy.

Similarly its Climate Accelerator is for businesses looking to take on the challenges faced by climate change and who are focused on sustainable success.

Its High Growth Accelerator is open to ambitious high growth businesses looking to grow and scale, while its Fintech Accelerator is designed to enable the future of financial tech businesses through access to expert sector professionals.

Debbie Lewis, regional ecosystem manager at NatWest in the Midlands, said: “The NatWest Accelerator supports and empowers entrepreneurs and business owners to scale their business to the next level.

“With the right level of support and challenge, we can help entrepreneurs to take their business much further and faster, which is what makes 2022 such an exciting year for the Midlands’ entrepreneurs.”

Shared ambitions Whether it be a shared agenda for innovation or shared ambitions to help future entrepreneurs, UoB Elevate is a platform that supports business growth and investment in future talent.

UOB Elevate at The Exchange is powering possibilities for graduates and the region, for info contact benterprising@contacts.bham.ac.uk

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Artists could ‘self-censor’ their music A music industries expert has suggested that other major artists could follow in the footsteps of English-Irish singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, and ‘self-censor’ historic songs that contains offensive or outdated lyrics.

Following the news that Costello has asked radio stations not to play 1979 hit ‘Oliver’s Army’ and pledged to remove the song from his live shows owing to a racial slur when depicting the Troubles in Northern Ireland, Dr Matt Grimes has suggested

history and art can be challenged and rewritten, but extremist lyrics and incitement to hatred must not be afforded radio airplay.

He said: “There is a conflict between music reflecting a particular time, place and space, and where politics and culture are now. However, history and art are also there to be challenged, “Musicians and songwriters have a responsibility to consider their back catalogue and whether any material can be readdressed and recontextualised.”

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Plastic Pact praise for Mondelez Mondelez International’s progress towards achieving net zero waste packing has been recognised in the UK Plastics Pact report.

A collaboration of leading retailers and manufacturers across the entire plastics chain committed to progressing the UK Plastics Pact’s four ambitious environmental targets.

The report highlights some of the progress Mondelez International, owners of Cadbury, has made on its UK packaging journey towards achieving its vision of net zero waste packaging globally.

Under Target one – eliminating problem plastics, cheese brands Dairylea and Philadelphia have moved to 100 per cent recyclable packaging in the UK and Ireland.

They have removed approximately 487 tons of Polystyrene in Philadelphia Mini Tubs and Handi Snacks and reducing virgin plastic needed by 276 tons per annum for Dairylea Lunchables.

The company also removed over 6.4 million plastic windows from their Cadbury chocolate shell eggs. This move is part of the

company’s ‘Pack Light and Pack Right’ strategy and its ongoing efforts to remove, reduce, replace and ensure recyclability across its portfolio.

Under Target two – 100 per cent of packaging to be reusable or recyclable, the report highlights the company’s involvement in the Flexible Plastic Fund alongside other retailers and FMCG (fastmoving consumer goods) leaders.

The fund is designed to drive progress towards household collection of flexible plastic for recycling and plays a vital role in incentivising the recycling of plastic bags and wrapping through a guaranteed minimum price for packaging recovery notes.

The report highlights the upcoming packaging innovation for Cadbury Dairy Milk sharing bars to contain 30 per cent

Plant product hits shelves Philadelphia Plant Based, a new plantbased alternative, has launched across Tesco supermarkets. The new variation (pictured), which will sit alongside the original, has been rigorously tested to ensure it delivers the same levels of taste and quality as the other products in the Philadelphia range. A combination of oats and almonds creates the creaminess of Philadelphia without the dairy.

recycled plastic – rolling out this year.

Previously the company also announced that, as of the end of 2022, its cheese brand Philadelphia, will become the first major cheese brand to pioneer the use of chemical recycling.

This is another important step in the company’s goal to reducing its impact on the environment and its commitment to using five per cent recycled content across all plastic packaging by 2025.

These UK sustainable packaging initiatives also contribute to Mondelez International’s global target of eliminating virgin plastic materials in the company’s overall plastic packaging portfolio by five per cent by 2025.

Significant progress has been made against the company’s global commitments and the UK Plastics Pact targets. To continue this momentum, Mondelez International are investing £21m across the globe in technology, resources and recycling infrastructure to help create a more sustainable future for its plastic.

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Where do you fancy?

Chapter is the new kid on the block after opening in mid-December in Edgbaston. The owners say their independence is key to who they are.

With all-day dining, weekend brunch and Sunday roast, Chapter embraces the community and has something for everyone.

Breakfast, lunch or dinner…

Food and drink Chapter is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and the bar is open from 10am through to closing.

Guided by the British seasons, they source from the dedicated farmers and fishermen around the British Isles. Committed to ethical farming and sustainable fishing, they buy only free-range meat, LEAF accredited fruit and veg and daily catches from British harbours. There are vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.

Chapter Address 5-6 Greenfield Crescent, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 3BE T: 0121 200 3020 E: comms@chapteredgbaston.co.uk W: chapteredgbaston.co.uk Owners: Irene Allan, Ben Ternent, Ann Tonks, Nathan Swift Chef director: Ben Ternent

Suppliers Aubrey Allen: Quality, Coventry-based butcher supplies strictly free range meats such as Cornish lamb, Suffolk pork, Yorkshire beef and Highland venison.

British cheeses are from artisanal producers such as the Welsh Caws Cenarth Farm and The Hampshire Cheese Company.

Channel Fisheries: A Brixham-based supplier provides fish direct from the Channel daily.

M&J Seafood: Fish is also brought in from the harbours around the North Sea and waters around Scotland Worcester Produce: This Pershore-based supplier’s fruit and veg is from the fields and orchards in Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Warwickshire Ten Four Bakehouse in Stirchley bakes the breads fresh each morning.

Birmingham Brewing Company in Stirchley brews a number of favourite beers.

Cosy Chocolate Company in Bishampton sources fairtrade cocoa which is vegan-friendly, gluten free and free from palm oil.

Quarter Horse Coffee Roasters on the Bristol Road in Ladywood roast their own beans sourced from around the world.

Wines: Ann extensive wine list starts from £26 per bottle.

Business facilities Business deals, including a set menu and speedy lunches. The restaurant can be booked for exclusive functions.

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Head chef: Nathan Swift Opening hours Tuesday-Saturday 10am – Late Sunday: 10am – 6pm

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Bike tsar to get people moving A new cycling and walking commissioner to accelerate plans to get more people moving around the West Midlands by foot or bike has been appointed.

Adam Tranter, who has previously volunteered as Bicycle Mayor for Coventry, has taken up the new role. The commissioner, appointed by West Midlands mayor Andy Street, will support the planning and delivery of the region’s Starley Network of safe cycling and walking routes.

As commissioner he will work with Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), local council partners and the Department for Transport to steer the

‘I want our region to achieve its active travel potential’ region’s cycling and walking policies and plans.

The Government has made active travel, the collective term for cycling and walking, a priority for transport investment. Since 2018 the West Midlands has secured £40m for active travel

In step: Andy Street and Adam Tranter

routes and projects, including the West Midlands Cycle Hire, and the commissioner will be looking to build on that success.

The West Midlands region needs more people cycling and walking in order to reach the WMCA’s aim of improving health and reducing carbon emissions as set out in the region’s #WMCA2041 plan to tackle climate change.

In Birmingham, 25 per cent of resident car journeys are under one mile, while threequarters of people say they would cycle more if there were more safe segregated cycle routes.

Adam, who is Coventry born and bred, said: “I want our region to achieve its active travel potential. We saw during lockdown that vast numbers of people will cycle given the right environment to do it in; our goal has to be giving these people a genuine alternative to using a car for short journeys. We can only do this by building high quality infrastructure.”

Investment in active travel is a key part of the WMCA’s aim of improving health and reducing carbon emissions as set out in the region’s #WMCA2041 plan to tackle climate change.

M6toll puts freeze on prices The M6toll is to freeze prices on its various local Savers products as part of its aim to help alleviate congestion on local routes by encouraging more drivers to use the toll road for short journeys.

As part of the new pricing structure, there will be a 10p rise for cars at mainline and local junction plazas, a 20p increase for vans and a 30p increase for HGVs using the road. The price changes will come into effect from 16 February. The price hold comes in the midst of a post-pandemic bounce back in traffic volumes across the UK. Data from the M6toll shows a 19.7 per cent increase in vans and HGVs using the road from

August to October compared to the same period in 2019.

Those Saver products eligible for the price hold include FlexiPass, a discounted ticket for short, local journeys. Launched in January 2021, FlexiPass offers ten pre-paid journeys for £2.90 each. Trips are linked to a pre-paid online account via ANPR in-lane technology.

The price hold also applies to Hopper, Shuttle and FlexiVan products, all designed for local car and van drivers regularly using Tjunctions 4, 5 or 6.

The Hopper is also currently available for £19.50, as part of a half price trial promotion on this product.

Study shows wider impact of gum disease A University of Birmingham-led study shows an increased risk of patients developing illnesses including mental ill-health and heart conditions if they have a GP-inputted medical history of periodontal (gum) disease.

Experts carried out a first-of-its kind study of the GP records of 64,379 patients who had a GP-inputted recorded history of periodontal disease, including gingivitis and periodontitis (the condition that occurs if gum disease is left untreated and can lead to tooth loss). Of these, 60,995 had gingivitis and 3,384 had periodontitis.

The results showed, in patients with a recorded history of periodontal disease at the start of the study, the increased risk of developing mental ill-health was 37 per cent, while the risk of developing cardiovascular disease was raised by 18 per cent.

Co-first author, Dr Joht Singh Chandan, also of the University of Birmingham’s Institute of Applied Health Research, said: “We found evidence that periodontal disease appears to be associated with an increased risk of developing these associated chronic diseases. As periodontal diseases are very common, an increased risk of other chronic diseases may represent a substantial public health burden.”

Local photographer wins calendar competition A travel-loving mum-of-two has been chosen as the overall winning photographer in a 2022 calendar competition celebrating Birmingham's ‘golden mile’.

Lili Lengkana, from Smethwick, sent in her favourite pictures including this colourful shot of the canal that passes between the ICC and Brindleyplace.

Lili has now received copies of the calendar and the top prize of a £175 voucher to spend at Craft restaurant.

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CYBER SECURITY FOR THE RECRUITMENT INDUSTRY Cyber attacks can have a devastating impact on the reputation of any business. It can not only damage relationships with clients, but can also have an impact on bringing in future clients.

At HancoxRead Recruitment we have freestanding independent servers with our bespoke Hancox Industries (HI) CRM encrypted with “bank-level” security, to not only protect our clients’ data but also our workers data.

HancoxRead Recruitment also has automated shut down procedures to lock out any suspect external hacking activity.

Engaging in the digital world is something we have all been dramatically accelerated into over the last two years. Businesses have seen huge benefits and opportunities that digital transformation can bring. We have also seen the darker side of the digital world from scams and phishing to hacking, and from financial crime and fraud to ransomware.

Alongside our business partners, Spotlite (CDD Services), we have the tools and the vision to help navigate these challenging times. CDD Services are an expert Compliance and Digital Identity product and services company.

Spotlite is our innovative platform and secure app, which was welcomed into the Information Commissioner’s Office Regulatory Sandbox Programme, for compliance and data privacy by design.

Our customer onboarding or workforce management solutions are designed specifically to handle the continued need for compliance, and the everimportant need for privacy.

Remote onboarding and recruitment exploded with the pandemic but compliance controls were relaxed to support this, which opened the door for fraud and modern slavery and labour abuses. Spotlite provides a business with audit-ready evidence of any regulatory compliance. On any device, anywhere.

No IT changes. No data or documents stored on a device - just safe, simple, secure personalised customer experiences.

Call Guy Hancox on 07851489513 or email guy@hancoxread.co.uk for more details

With the dark nights upon us, winter has truly started to bite and with it has come the return of wintery conditions on roads across the West Midlands.

With miles of icy roads, paths and car parks to keep safe, the team at gritting and snow clearance experts AA Salt have been working round the clock to keep people safe – helped by the company using the latest weather forecasting technology app to stay one step ahead.

Based on the netweather.tv system, through postcodes, the app pinpoints where snow and ice is most likely to hit hardest – this system also takes into consideration the type of road surface and elevations.

A key automated feature of the app alerts customers each morning through email on the expected forecast that evening, allowing them to cancel any gritting up until 12pm – making the process hugely efficient and ensuring no clients are missed between the key months of October to April.

Sales and Operations Director Ben Tanner believes it is a ‘game-changing’ technology for the company and its customers.

He said: “We have used this type of technology for over 10 years now but what is vital are the

constant improvements and upgrades it receives.

It is really powerful for our team and our customers as it is simple to digest the information they need.

“It is also an automated service so takes away the risk of any human error and keeps our team constantly alert to ‘live sites’ without the need for much interaction from the management side.

“A huge benefit we’ve also seen is the ability to add new customers quickly, and get them online so they can benefit from the system which forecasts where snow and ice is most likely to form, how deep we expect the snow will be, all formatted in a great summary of temperatures and conditions on the ground.

“The feedback we’ve had from customers has been exceptional, given we know exactly where to grit and where not to. It is also reducing salt usage and helping our carbon footprint too, a topic which is high on the agenda following COP26.

“Without this type of systemisation, I really don’t think we would have grown at the pace we have.

We have also been able to work very closely with the talented team at netweather.tv and played a role in developing the technology.

“We owe a big thanks to them. It has been a game-changer for us and our customers.

It keeps us all one step ahead.”

Readers can visit AA Salt’s website through: www.aasalt.co.uk or for a further discussion on winter planning, call Ben on: 07967 012586 28 CHAMBERLINK February 2022

Ben Tanner

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HS2 to be carbon zero from day one HS2 have revealed that their trains will be powered by zero carbon energy from day one of operation, offering a cleaner alternative to long-distance car journeys and domestic flights, while supporting the government’s 2050 target to tackle climate change.

This commitment will play a key part in HS2 Ltd’s aim to make the project net zero carbon from 2035, with targets of diesel-free construction sites and major reductions in carbon emissions from the steel and concrete used to build the railway.

This commitment will play a key part in HS2 Ltd’s aim to make the project net zero carbon from 2035, with targets of diesel-free construction sites and major reductions in carbon emissions from the steel and concrete used to build the railway.

HS2 Minister Andrew Stephenson said: “We know that the climate crisis demands urgent action and these commitments from HS2 are vital steps towards achieving cleaner UK travel.

“HS2 is a once-in-a-lifetime investment and we want to ensure the country’s biggest infrastructure project, supporting thousands of jobs and businesses, is underpinned by the Government’s ambitions for a greener transport and

Next stop, Net Zero: HS2’s sustainable commitment

Train contracts are awarded HS2 Ltd has confirmed that a Hitachi/Alstom JV have been awarded the contracts to build Britain’s next generation of high speed trains at their factories in Derby and County Durham in a major deal set to support 2,500 jobs across the UK. The landmark contracts – worth around £2bn – will see JV design build and maintain a fleet of 54 state-of-the-art high speed trains that will operate on HS2 - the new high-speed railway being built between London, the West Midlands and Crewe.

Capable of speeds of up to 225mph (360km/h), the fully electric trains will also run on the existing network to places such as Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester and the North West.

construction future.”

HS2’s Net Zero Carbon Plan sets out how HS2 will achieve new carbon reduction milestones, support the decarbonisation of the UK construction sector and reduce

the carbon footprint of the programme.

Major new targets include aiming for diesel-free construction sites by 2029, with the first one expected this year. Carbon emissions from

Partner promotion for former Dyke Yaxley LLC apprentice Dyke Yaxley LLC (DY USA) has named Ian Brander (pictured) as a partner in the firm.

Based in the UK, Ian was DY USA’s first employee, hired in 2012.

He is currently a member of the firm’s management committee, heads up DY USA’s UK/US Personal Tax Department while overseeing the majority of the firm’s 350-plus individual clients, and manages a client portfolio of US/UK individuals and businesses with a primary focus on individuals, computing complex multi-county residency calculations.

Rob Whittall, managing partner of Dyke Yaxley LLC, said: “When I think about the future of business, and Dyke Yaxley LLC in particular, I would like to envision being surrounded by the next generation of leaders who are brilliant at what they do, can effectively communicate, and are always looking for self-improvement and to help their team members succeed.”

“A professional who has a pragmatic approach and the ability to make tough decisions based on data while keeping the human side in mind.

“In my opinion, Ian Brander fits this

description. He is a talented colleague who is able to humanize the client/accountant relationship, has longterm knowledge of our clients’ businesses, and is a respected member of our team.

“I’m honoured to invite him to join the partnership and look forward to many more successful years ahead together.”

Ian said: “The past 10 years have been such an amazing journey, and I am thrilled to be working with such a great group of people on both sides of the Atlantic.

“I look forward to being a part of DY USA’s future and watching the firm and our team members grow.”

Ian joined Dyke Yaxley as an apprentice upon completing college.

He is a fellow member of the Association of Accounting Technicians and member of the Association of Tax Technicians.

In addition, he completed the EA qualification in the US and plans to complete the Advanced Diploma in International Tax (ADIT).

steel and concrete will be reduced by 50 per cent by 2030 compared with 2021 levels. To help achieve this, HS2 is collaborating with research organisations to accelerate innovation in low carbon technologies, such as alternative fuels and renewable energy.

Mark Thurston, HS2 CEO said: “HS2 Ltd is completely committed to reducing our carbon emissions as we design, build and operate the new railway. We’ve ensured that tackling climate change is an essential feature of all areas of our work - in design, in early works, and throughout major construction, allowing the project to build towards net zero from 2035.

“The new targets announced today demonstrate the significant role HS2 will play in addressing the climate challenge, by providing a low carbon, long-distance transport solution and leading the construction sector to drive down carbon emissions.”

Raj Kandola, head of policy at Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce said: “HS2’s commitment to sustainability and the vital role it will play in reducing carbon emissions is often overlooked so it’s great to see that the trains will be powered by the generation of zero carbon electricity from the outset.”

Don’t wait to claim EV grant Volt-Age EV Charging Limited are advising home owners who have an electric vehicle to book their charge point installation before the deadline for the government grant expires on 31 March.

Any installations booked after this date will not be eligible to take advantage of the £350 government EVHS grant.

Ian Rea, director of the Birmingham-based firm, said: “The Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme expires at the end of March for anyone who owns a single-unit property such as a bungalow or detached, semi-detached or terraced housing.

“The installation needs to have taken place by 31 March for the grant to be applied but demand in the charge point units will realistically mean homeowners will need to book by the end of January to make sure the installation has taken place in time.”

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Business News Improvements for youth clinic A multi-million-pound renovation to improve mental health care for young people in the West Midlands is underway.

Birmingham Women’s and Children's NHS Foundation Trust's specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) inpatient care service will invest £4.6m improving its Parkview Clinic in Moseley, Birmingham, following a grant from NHS England. The funding will reconfigure the Healthland and Ashfield units and allow them to offer a better experience by removing dormitory-style bedrooms and providing every young person with a single en-suite room.

Zaynab (ZeZe) Sohawon, chair of Think4Brum, a participation group within the Trust's mental health services, initially proposed the idea to Trust chief executive, SarahJane Marsh.

“When I was an inpatient at Parkview, I started doing work for Think4Brum,” said ZeZe. “During a meeting with our chief executive, I raised the issue of the dormitories at Parkview, which weren't an ideal space for young people on their journey to recovery. My concerns were heard, and I was delighted to learn we had won funding for the rebuild.”

Criminologist leads call for U-turn on controversial bill A Birmingham criminologist is leading calls for the government to urgently reconsider a controversial migration policy to avert the tragic loss of life to those seeking refuge in the UK. Dr Mohammed Rahman, senior lecturer in Criminology at Birmingham City University, has launched a petition calling upon Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Priti Patel to scrap the ‘discriminatory’ Borders and Nationality Bill which is currently in the House of Lords.

The petition challenges the government’s Bill which has come under recent scrutiny for

‘Recently the UK has had a spike in citizenship deprivations’ criminalising those arriving in the UK without permission, with sentences of up to four years.

The petition which has been coordinated by Dr Rahman and other descendants of migrants, lays out several demands, calling for the scrapping of the Bill, raising awareness of legal options available for migrants and a more proportionate approach to border controls and acknowledgement.

It also challenges the government to acknowledge that

Many issues: Dr Mohammed Rahman

the Bill disproportionately impacts the UK’s Black and Minority Ethnic communities through proposals to strip UK citizenship without notice from these British nationals.

Dr Rahman said: “There are so many issues surrounding the new Nationality and Borders Bill.

“Ministers have argued that the new measures will protect vulnerable people, but in fact, it does the very opposite and undermines the 1951 Refugee Convention.

“Recently the UK has had a spike in citizenship deprivations. These have mostly taken place when the British citizen is overseas, therefore they would be unlikely to know about cancellation orders and would find it difficult to appeal.”

Founders of the petition are calling for people to signal their support by signing the petition which can be found on Change.org, by searching “Scrap the new Borders and Nationality Bill and protect human life to avoid tragic deaths”.

Marketing firm adds jewellers to portfolio Content marketing agency HDY Agency has welcomed fine jewellery, luxury cufflinks, and accessories brand Deakin & Francis to its portfolio of clients after winning a competitive pitch process.

As Britain's oldest family jeweller - established in 1786 in the heart of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter - Deakin & Francis has forged a name for itself as a leading manufacturer of ladies’ fine jewellery, and gentlemen’s luxury accessories.

The brand launched its ladies’ collection while adding new gentlemen’s pieces to its existing collections, including gold and silver skull accessories, rocket and race car inspired pieces.

From classic to quirky, Deakin & Francis can truly make anything.

Alongside its Midlands base, the heritage brand also boasts a flagship store in Mayfair, London in the Piccadilly Arcade.

Its fine jewellery has even caught the attention of Hollywood, adorning the wrists of some of the biggest film stars from the recent James Bond and Kingsmen films.

With a selection of its handcrafted jewellery available in Harrods and over 600 points-ofpurchase globally, Deakin & Francis’ ambition is 30 CHAMBERLINK February 2022

Joined up: Naddy Onions (HDY Agency), Tim Howard (Deakin & Francis) and Matt Rees (HDY Agency)

to offer its full collection to a wider international audience.

As leaders of global marketing, HDY Agency will work closely with the jewellery brand to create a splash Stateside, while solidifying its brand presence domestically within the UK. HDY Agency spans a full spectrum of creative services and expertise which is split into three

core areas - Creative Content Studio, Performance Digital Marketing and Organic Content covering digital, social media and email marketing, design, brand development, PR, experiential, influencer marketing and search engine optimisation.

Henry Deakin, managing director at Deakin & Francis: “Appointing HDY Agency marks the next chapter for our business and our growth ambitions.

“The team at HDY Agency fully understands what we’re trying to achieve, and we look forward to seeing how the team expands our brand into new international markets.”

Angel Gaskell, co-founder of HDY Agency, said: “Working with a Birmingham-based client is always a great feeling. It’s our first thing in common; then comes the passion and drive to succeed.”

“We share a lot of the same values and visions of international growth with Deakin & Francis, so it was the perfect collaboration opportunity for the both of us, right from the start.”

HDY Agency was co-founded by Global broadcaster Ed James and accomplished marketer Angel Gaskell in 2018.

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Andrew Smith: Aiding important sector

Law firm assists key acquisition Shakespeare Martineau have supported German heating, industrial and refrigeration systems manufacturer Viessmann in their acquisition of a majority stake in Pacifica Home Services Ltd (PHS), specialists in the installation and maintenance of integrated HVAC solutions and heat pumps.

The deal included the acquisition of Oakes Energy Services Ltd, which will be integral as Viessmann strengthen their service and sales activity in the UK and help meet the growing need for decarbonisation.

Andrew Smith, partner at Shakespeare Martineau who led on the deal, said: “We’re really pleased to have acted for Viessmann on an important deal for the company’s on-going growth in such an important sector.”

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Polly Billington, chief executive of UK 100 and Mayor Andy Street at Green Square Accord in Darlaston

Energy-guzzling homes to undergo retrofitting Up to 2,000 old and cold homes across the West Midlands are to receive energy-saving insulation, low-carbon heating systems and other fuel reducing technology after the region secured more than £19m of government funding.

The money, which follows a successful bid co-ordinated by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) into the government’s Sustainable Warmth Competition, comes as the region seeks to ramp up action to tackle climate change, reduce fuel

poverty and support its #WM2041 ambition to be net zero within the next 20 years.

Nearly £3mi of the Sustainable Warmth funding will go direct to the WMCA in support of their Net Zero Neighbourhoods programme.

The rest of the funding will be distributed among the region’s seven metropolitan councils and used predominantly to retrofit homes owned by low-income families.

Such retrofit measures will be designed to cut energy consumption, fuel costs and

carbon emissions in homes chosen by their respective councils.

Mr Street said: “We know retrofitting old and poorly insulated homes is critical to tackling the climate emergency, which is why we have launched ambitious plans to retrofit nearly 300,000 homes by 2026.

“Not only will our plan help cut domestic energy use - which makes up more than a third of total carbon emissions across the West Midlands - but it will also help tackle fuel poverty, cutting bills for those who need it most.”

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Business News

BMAG to reopen doors with special exhibition Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery (BMAG) is set to partially reopen on Thursday, 28 April.

To mark the reopening, Birmingham’s best creatives will be exhibiting their work in the gallery’s Round Room and Industrial Gallery. Among them are Birmingham Music Archive, Fierce, Flatpack Projects, Kalaboration Arts and Don’t Settle in partnership with Beatfreeks.

Having been invited to respond to the theme ‘This Is Birmingham’, creatives combine their interpretations and experiences, offering stories that bridge popular culture and global struggles through exhibitions and live events.

Visitors are encouraged to explore what ‘This Is Birmingham’ means to them, reshaping the theme into the question ‘What’s your Birmingham?’ In doing so, they are able to contribute their own personal narrative to the collection of stories which make Birmingham the fantastic city that it is.

BMAG’s reopening will be launched with a radical transformation of the Round Room. The exhibition We Are Birmingham – co-curated by Birmingham Museums and six young people from Don’t Settle - offers a 21st Century perspective of Birmingham combining a vivid celebration of what the city is now, and the aspirations of what it could become.

Other exciting works on offer include a sensory exhibition celebrating one of Birmingham’s greatest music venues – the Que Club. Curated by Birmingham Music Archive, In The Que will feature previously unseen photographs by critically acclaimed photographer, Terence Donovan.

Additional exhibitions include a collaboration between artist Rosanna Raymond and LGBTQIA+ communities in Birmingham and Wonderland – an exhibition showcasing how cinema has shaped the streets, social lives and dreams of Brummies over the past 125 years.

The poignant work Unprecedented Times invites visitors to reflect on all that has passed in Birmingham over the past two years.

Speaking on BMAG’s partial reopening, Sara Wajid and Zak Mensah, co-CEOs of Birmingham Museums Trust, said: “We’ve invited some of the city’s leading creatives and arts organisations to animate the Round Room and Industrial Gallery with vibrant new displays that feel much more immediate. We’ll be touching on themes like popular culture, identity and community and there will be a very warm welcome inviting everyone to join in. We can’t wait!”

Working to reduce carbon emissions

Will Hargreaves

Around two thirds of West Midlands firms are taking measures to reduce their environmental impact, according to new data from Birmingham Chambers of Commerce.

The Business Insights Report on Net Zero and Environmental Sustainability found that, out of 358 businesses surveyed, 65 per cent had taken measures to reduce their environmental impact, while 68 per cent planned to introduce further measures.

The report also uncovered that knowledge, skills and cost provided barriers.

Will Hargreaves, environmental policy advisor at GBCC, said: “Given the stark issues businesses are facing, it is encouraging to see that many businesses have already taken measures to reduce their environmental impact and even more plan to do so.

“The cost of decarbonising continues to be a key barrier for businesses wanting to do more to reduce their carbon emissions.

“As such, we are continuing to work with the British Chambers to shape the national policy for the network this year.”

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Business News

Air IT’s premises at Birmingham Business Park

AIR IT move into new home Birmingham-based property agents KWB have found a new home for Air IT, the IT & comms company which has supported them for more than 30 years.

Air IT – a patron of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce - has taken almost 2,800 square ft at 6270 Bishops Court on the Birmingham Business Park.

The new space is nearly twice the size of its previous office and will enable the business to take on at least a dozen new staff. Its open-plan design is ideal for the company whose sector relies on collaboration The move came at an apt time as Air IT had outgrown their previous location in Yardley which they occupied since 1987.

Andrew Penlington, regional director at Air IT, said: “We've known KWB's John Bryce for so long that he'd became a family friend, and so we asked if his head of office agency, Malcolm Jones, could find us suitable space.

“Bishops Court is just right for us and our clients, we've got room to expand, and Malcolm's is now in advanced negotiations for a local company to take our old space, so everything has really worked out well.”

John Bryce, founder & director of KWB Holdings, said: “I couldn’t be more pleased that this move has gone through smoothly.

Andrew and his tea, have been there when we needed them the most, through recessions and booms, and now they're the regional division of Air IT, they really needed somewhere new.”

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Ark Media at the GBCC Chamber Expo 2020

Spring Expo to return after two-year absence Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce’s biggest networking event – the Spring Expo – returns on 31 March at Villa Park.

Exhibition stands have now sold out for the event.

The Spring Expo offers the best platform in the West Midlands to expand networks, promote businesses, find new suppliers and increase knowledge.

Next month, The Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce will look to welcome over 800 businesspeople from across the Greater Birmingham region to this event.

Better still, general admission is free for the event for both members and non-members.

The huge exhibition space on offer at Villa Park provides an ideal environment for businesses to get noticed.

Past Chamber Expos have attracted around 90 exhibitors. Headline sponsors for the event include Allica Bank, Finpoint, Inspired Energy and runyourfleet.

Runyourfleet said: “We’re delighted to be able to sponsor the Spring Expo – especially as this is the first Expo to be held since the Pandemic began. We are looking forward to meeting delegates and exhibitors at what promises to be one of the headline events of the year.”

Henrietta Brealey, chief executive of GBCC, said: “After a two-year absence, we’re excited for the return of the Chamber Expo - a core event in the region’s business calendar.

“The Expo is a fantastic way for businesses to build their networks and promote their products and services.”

To find out more information on the Spring Expo visit: www.greaterbirminghamchambers.com/networkingevents To be added to the general stand waiting list, email: events@birmingham-chamber.com #GBCCExpo22

Free specialist training on offer Hundreds of workers across the West Midlands have been given the opportunity to upskill thanks to a new initiative by The Black Country & Marches Institute of Technology (IoT).

The initiative has allowed companies to access specialist training for members of staff aged 19+ on one of three Level 4 technical courses in Automated Machining, Robotics and Quality Assurance.

The £500,000 In-Work Skills pilot, delivered at the Marches spoke of the IOT at In-Comm Training in Telford, is free and can be completed part-time and in modules, giving both staff and employers complete flexibility.

Topics were chosen to reflect the changing needs of industry as they look to take advantage of new opportunities in advanced manufacturing and greener technologies, including the march towards electrification.

In-Comm Training’s new Technical Academy in Telford

Bekki Phillips, chief operating officer at In-Comm Training, said: “The In-Work Skills pilot has been designed to bridge this gap and will give manufacturers access to high quality Level 4 technical courses at no cost to them.

“Courses will be delivered by our industry trainers, with content

developed in conjunction with technical partners. Employers will also have a big say in shaping the focus, so it gives them exactly the skills they need to become more competitive and to win new business.”

The courses are being delivered one day per week over a threemonth period.

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Business News

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Chamber Patrons

Chamber Patrons Greater Birmingham Chambers’ leading supporters New facilities for university Students at Aston University’s College of Health and Life Sciences are to benefit from £1.5m of new healthcare simulation facilities.

New clinical simulation facilities for medical, pharmacy and optometry students are to open later this year - including an ocular simulation unit facility which will be the only one in Europe.

The facilities are part funded by the Office for Students which awarded the University £806,226 to set up a ‘high fidelity’ simulation A&E room with further expenditure

by Aston University on an ocular simulation unit.

Aston Medical and Pharmacy School students will be able to practise in emergency settings using high quality manikins where they will simulate treating patients for acute conditions such as a heart attack or learning how to intubate a patient onto a ventilator.

The high-fidelity acute care simulation room is to be equipped with recording facilities, a debrief room and control room.

The funding will allow for the purchase of other training equipment such as a hospital grade bed and single task trainer simulation equipment.

Professor Liz Moores, deputy dean of the College of Health and Life Sciences, said: “We are really excited to have the support from both the Office for Students and Aston University in building these state-of-the-art facilities for our students and can’t wait to start using them.”

It is hoped the new facilities will help plug some of the gaps in clinical placements that have been affecting students since the pandemic.

Alternative ways are being explored to gain high quality authentic ‘clinical’ experiences, while not exposing patients, staff, or students, to risk.

The simulation facilities are due to be open in time for the September 2022 intake of students.

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Contact: Henrietta Brealey T: 0121 274 3266

Drinks deal at NEC The NEC Group has agreed a multi-year deal with Molson Coors Beverage Company – the brewery behind a range of beverages including Pravha, Staropramen, Rekorderlig and Coors.

The deal means Pravha Molson’s premium continentalstyle pilsner – will become the official beer of Utilita Arena Birmingham and Resorts World Arena with bars across both venues carrying the Czech beer’s branding.

Guy Dunstan, managing director arenas at NEC Group, said: “We are delighted to partner with Molson Coors, and they join us at an exciting time with a return to live events.

“Their portfolio of products is far reaching, and we are excited to be able to serve their products to our customers. Molson Coors has invested in the redesign and branding of our arena bars which will further enhance the customer experience.

A deal is brewing: Dave MacKenzie and Guy Dunstan

“Working with like-minded brands is essential to the success of any business – but this is particularly true the more ambitious the goals. With Molson Coors we've found a partner who shares our aspirations to be recognised as a global leader in our industry, while remembering our foundations here in the Midlands.”

Dave MacKenzie, regional ontrade sales director at Molson Coors Beverage Company, said:

“We are delighted to be partnering with the NEC Group and see the new partnership as a natural fit for both of our businesses.

“Our brand portfolio has never been stronger, so we’re ideally placed to support the wide variety of events they host.

“It’s great to see live events back on the cards after the challenges that the hospitality industry has faced.”

Baroque-style organ unveiled A new German baroque-style organ, built to specifications which will allow for authentic study of the composer-musician J.S. Bach, has been unveiled at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, part of Birmingham City University.

Construction and installation of the £550,000 instrument, funded by the Wolfson Foundation and the George Cadbury Fund, was overseen by Dutch firm Flentrop Orgelbouw.

The new addition to the Conservatoire’s acclaimed organ teaching resources will be joined by three further instruments, used primarily for the intensive training of students through one-to-one lessons, workshops and masterclasses, as well as playing host to public concerts and professional recordings.

The Conservatoire’s Organ Department is internationally admired and renowned for the highest standards in playing and teaching, an enviable employment record of graduates, and a strong artistic vision of the organ art.

Graduates have gone on to secure key posts in the profession, including many prominent UK cathedral roles, such as Westminster, St Paul’s and Salisbury Cathedrals.

The Wolfson Organ, as the new organ is known, has 18 stops across two manuals and pedals.

It is the only organ in England to be built with strict observance of the traditions of the eighteenth-century organ builders, Schnitger and Hinsz.

Daniel Moult, head of Organ at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, said, “The music of both J.S. Bach and the North German school is at the heart of organ culture. It is exciting that the Conservatoire now possesses the first Schnitger pastiche in the UK, on which we can authentically study and perform this music.”

Sweet sounds: The Wolfson Organ at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

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Chamber Patrons

JLR champions pilot employer vaccination clinic Jaguar Land Rover has been piloting an employer vaccination scheme after joining forces with Birmingham and Solihull NHS to open a clinic at its Logistics Operations Centre in Solihull.

The pilot – assessing the feasibility of vaccination in large workplace settings – involves an NHS-run vaccination clinic within the Jaguar Land Rover complex to offer employees, their friends and family and the community the opportunity to be vaccinated.

Jaguar Land Rover has previously offered first and second doses of the vaccine to around 9,000 employees at its manufacturing plant in Solihull and is now giving boosters - not just to employees but also expanding the offer to friends, family and the local community.

In the run-up to Christmas, the site offered first, second and booster doses without the need for an appointment.

The pilot will be analysed by the NHS to understand if this model can be expanded to other large employers.

Dr Steve Iley, chief medical officer at Jaguar Land Rover, said: “Getting vaccinated and boosted remains the best thing you can do to protect

Iain sinks teeth into role Wesleyan Financial Services has appointed Iain Stevenson as head of its dental section.

Already boasting a team of financial advisers who exclusively support dentists, Wesleyan says it has taken a decision to invest further in this area.

Mr Stevenson has been working in financial services for more than 25 years, including roles as a senior financial consultant and a senior area manager. He has been a senior area manager for Scotland and the Northeast of England for Wesleyan Financial Services, managing a team of specialist financial advisers to the dental profession.

Linda Wallace, director at Wesleyan Financial Services, said: “Iain brings with him a vast knowledge and experience in providing specialist financial advice for dentists across the UK. “His skill will be invaluable as we continue to progress our financial advice for dentists in need of support during what has been a very turbulent period within the profession.

“The dental segment will continue to be a key area of focus for Wesleyan Financial Services moving forward and we will continue to develop our team of specialist financial advisers and increase brand awareness within the profession, so that dentists can have access to tailored financial advice, overcome financial barriers and secure better financial futures.”

Iain said: “Having been working with Wesleyan for almost 19 years, the majority of which has been working with, coaching and developing specialist dental financial advisers, I am acutely aware of the significant value and contribution they make to their dental clients, families and practices every single day.

“The world of dentistry is changing, and I am excited to be part of the team helping to guide our clients through those changes.”

Iain Stevenson: At the cutting edge

Pilot scheme: The NHS will assess whether this model can be extended to other large employers

against getting seriously ill from Covid-19, so we’re encouraging all of our employees, as well as the local community, to come along.”

Vaccinations at the Solihull Logistics Operations Centre are carried out by the Birmingham and Solihull NHS Vaccination Programme, led by University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, to the same safety standards as an NHS venue.

Vaccinations are entirely voluntary. Jaguar Land Rover employees will be able to choose whether or not to have the vaccine.

Record figures for RSM regional team RSM in the central region capital gains tax increases advised on more than 30 deals accelerated deals activity, deal in 2021 - with a combined value volumes and values have of over £900m. remained at unprecedented levels The accountancy and business throughout 2021 due to the advisory firm advised on a range continued ambition of private of high-profile deals in 2021, equity investors, low cost of including the shareholders of The capital for corporates and rising Roald Dahl Story Company on appetite by owners to consider the sale of the business to Netflix, their exit options, especially in multiple transactions for Busy the light of coronavirus.

Bees in support “The central of their UK and region has Global expansion ‘The central region benefitted from strategy and Due has benefitted from newer Private Diligence on the Equity players in newer Private Acquisition of the market Irvine Electronics Equity players in growing their Inc by Volex PLC. the market growing presence, RSM has also attracted by the their presence’ invested heavily technology and in its team, manufacturing appointing Phil Parkes as a credentials for which the region is partner in the Due Diligence renowned. team, Helen Brocklebank as M&A “Pent-up deal demand, partner in the central region, and coupled with high levels of eight further recruits spanning liquidity in the market and graduates to experienced hires, continued low interest rates, will with the overall regional continue to drive strong levels of Corporate Finance team now 20 M&A activity into the New Year. strong.

“However, resource constraints Nationally, the RSM UK across the advisory sector are corporate finance practice acted holding back the industry. Expert on more than 240 deals last year, services such as data analytics, with a combined value of £4.1bn. financial modelling and due James Carnegie, corporate diligence remain in high demand, finance regional managing and buyers will need to factor partner at RSM UK, said: “After a capacity issues into deal planning bumper Q1, when the threat of throughout 2022.”

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1813 Club and Premier Members

1813 Club and Premier Members Greater Birmingham’s leading companies

More power for parish councils A built-environment specialist says giving more power to parish councils may prove more helpful to the government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda than introducing more metropolitan mayors.

Parish councils are the lowest rung of the ladder when it comes to the administration of the country, and generally only get to look after things which most people might deem pretty unimportant.

However, Kevin Whitmore, head of North and Midlands at property and built-environment marketing specialists BECG, thinks handing more responsibilities to the parish councils might help the government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda and could also prove beneficial for local businesses.

He was speaking after the release of a report by the Onward think tank, which said that making changes to the local government system at a higher level than parish councils – by introducing more unitary councils and metro mayors, for instance – would not achieve much ‘levelling up’.

However, the report found that areas with town and parish councils appeared to be well-placed to give local neighbourhoods the ability to take back control of where they lived and how it was run.

Mr Whitmore said: “Onward’s Social Fabric Index found that local authorities which scored strongly in areas such as community assets, volunteering and group membership, the number of local businesses and open and public space, tended to have higher levels of parish coverage than those councils which scored poorly.”

He added that the report discovered that only 37 per cent of England was covered by a parish council, but such authorities could play a role in helping local residents take back control of their neighbourhoods, one example being through ‘placemaking’. Placemaking is a property sector term for the act of turning unused space into a vibrant place for the whole community.

Onward’s proposals for local government reform including asking people in areas without town or parish councils if wanted them, and requiring that every such council was two-thirds elected and that 25 per cent of revenue

Premier Membership Contact: Gary Birch T: 0845 6036650

Kevin Whitmore: Levelling-up better served by boosting the parish councils

from the planned Infrastructure Levy would go directly to them.

The Infrastructure Levy is a financial levy that councils can choose to impose on new developments and it is estimated that it would produce an estimated £175,000 income for every existing town and parish council.

Onward also suggested expanding the role of town and parish councils, and create new powers to devolve functions down from district or unitary councils. The Onward report added that: “The ability to pull down responsibility and to benefit from the Infrastructure Levy would encourage places to adopt proper community governance, and thus give high-calibre people a more direct incentive to represent their community as town and parish councillors.”

Mr Whitmore said: “The recommendations from Onward make interesting reading and will be considered by levelling-up minister (and Harborough MP) Neil O’Brien. With the Levelling-up White Paper expected to be finally published later this month, we don’t have to wait long to finally see how the government intends to push forward this agenda.

“Local government reorganisation is likely to be part of the mix, although further powers to parish councils may be a bridge too far. Instead, more powers and funding to elected mayors and the expansion of single, unitary authorities are more likely.”

Birmingham orchestra extends partnership The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra has extended its partnership with Tilney Smith & Williamson.

The new deal will see the wealth management and professional services firm continue to collaborate with the orchestra until May 2023.

Tilney Smith & Williamson was formed in September 2020 from the merger of Smith & Williamson and Tilney.

Prior to the merger, Smith & Williamson was a CBSO ‘platinum partner’ and in 2018-19 the firm sponsored the UK premiere of Roxanna Panfunik’s major new work ‘Faithful Journey – A Mass for Poland’.

The orchestra also worked with the firm on a social media campaign titled ‘Ask a Musician’, which was viewed by some 82,000 people.

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In its expanded form as Tilney Smith & Williamson, the group will be exclusive corporate sponsor of the CBSO’s 2022 season finale concerts on 22 and 25 June at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall.

These will feature performances of Mahler’s ‘Resurrection Symphony’ with soprano Janai Brugger, mezzo soprano Karen Cargill and the CBSO Chorus, conducted by CBSO music director Mirga Grazinyte-Tyla.

The concert on 25 June will also feature the CBSO Youth Chorus and Children's Chorus joining forces with the orchestra to give the world premiere of Roxanna Panufnik’s CBSO Centenary Commission ‘Five Polish Folk Songs’.

CBSO chief Stephen Maddock said: “It’s fantastic when, as an arts organisation, you are fortunate enough to have business partners

like Tilney Smith & Williamson with whom you have a genuine connection because of your shared values and goals.

“We are of course delighted that, following their successful merger, they’ve chosen to continue their partnership with the CBSO at a time when support from the business community has never been so vital.”

Stephen Drew, Tilney’s regional managing partner, said: “It was extremely important to us to continue to work with the CBSO as a platinum sponsor.

“Our rapidly growing team here in Birmingham have enjoyed a wide range of concerts and events with clients and we all feel a great sense of pride in the CBSO and its rich heritage.”

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1813 Club and Premier Members

Sculptor to forge new memorial at arboretum Staffordshire’s National Memorial Arboretum has forged a new artistic partnership with sculptor Jill Berelowitz to create a new Remembrance project next to the Royal British Legion Poppy Field.

Ms Berelowitz has a track record of constructing ambitious, large scale works that articulate her personal experiences and are infused with a positive and often spiritual feel.

Taking inspiration from the stories behind the more than 400 memorials at the Arboretum, and the surrounding natural environment, she will create a new sculptural piece cast in bronze.

This sculpture will feature personal dedications, and people will be able to commission the beautiful leaves and figurative elements of the sculpture ahead of its unveiling in summer.

Chris Ansell, head of participation and learning, said: “Jill has created some incredibly moving and evocative sculptures.

“We’re confident that this partnership will result in a striking

Wild Arboretum: On show until early next month

and thought-provoking piece of art to sit at the heart of our new Remembrance space, complementing the hundreds of existing beautifully sculpted memorials.

“From the outset, we wanted to find a partner who could produce not just an imposing sculpture, but provide a new avenue for people to remember their loved ones with individual tributes. We look forward

to sharing further details about this exciting initiative in Spring 2022.”

The Arboretum is currently hosting ‘Wild Arboretum’, a series of prints by lino-cut artist Gerard Hobson that capture the many animals, trees and fungi that can be found at the location. The works encapsulate how the Arboretum is a living, breathing memorial and one of the pieces was directly inspired by the 150 acre site.

Law firm assists with hotel sale Law firm Clarke Willmott, which has an office in Birmingham, has played a key role in the sale of the Dower House Hotel and Spa in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire.

The hotel has been sold by Ashdale UK to growing pub company the Inn Collection Group for an undisclosed sum.

The hotel, owned by Ashdale since 2008, has 38bedrooms as well as a spa and swimming pool.

Ashdale director Martin Wicks said: “We are pleased to have completed the sale of Dower House to the Inn Collection Group, and hope the new owners will enjoy her as much as we have over the last 15 years.

“Ashdale UK Ltd retains the Hazlewood Castle Hotel and Spa near Leeds/York and will be increasing investment.”

Clarke Willmott corporate parent Kim Klahn led on the deal and said: “It was a pleasure to work with Ashdale to finally complete this long running transaction.”

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International Trade

International Trade Malta trade mission forges new links Leading film, gaming and immersive tech businesses from the West Midlands were able to build links with organisations in Malta during a trade mission to the Mediterranean island.

Seventeen delegates representing companies delivering products and services from within the creative sector and based across Birmingham, the Black Country, Coventry and Warwickshire, had the chance to visit prominent organisations to discuss potential collaboration.

The five-day trip, organised by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), gave 11 businesses from the authority’s Creative Scale Up (CSUP) support course and Creative Business Response & Recovery Programme (CBRRP) an overview of the opportunities of engaging with Malta and its businesses.

The visitors had the chance to meet representatives of economic development agency Malta Enterprise, the Malta Film Commission and Gaming Malta, the country’s independent non-profit foundation set up to promote the island as a centre of excellence in the remote gaming sector.

The West Midlands party were able to visit Base Camp, an incubator space for interactive businesses looking to grow in Malta, as well as receiving a briefing from the Malta Council for Science and Technology and its funding activity.

The Malta Film Commission gave the group the chance to visit a filming location for hit TV series ‘Game of Thrones’. The visitors were also shown heritage sites and the nearby island of Gozo.

WMCA’s Fiona Latter said: “The purpose of this trade mission was to introduce companies on the CSUP and CBRRP programmes to the benefits of working in collaboration with organisations such as Malta Enterprise and Gaming Malta to enable these businesses to grow and scale with help and support from a country that is both a Commonwealth and EU member.

“We see the creative sector’s work in screen and gaming as a strength of the West Midlands so bridging new partnerships with colleagues in Malta will unlock opportunities to be developed in the future.”

Next year the West Midlands delegation will welcome a Maltese delegation for a return visit. Among those invited are representatives from the Malta Film Commission and Heritage Malta.

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T: 0121 725 8994 E: ibh@birmingham-chamber.com

Stefanie to lead Chamber in key year A key appointment has been made to lead the Commonwealth Chamber of Commerce through a crucial period as Birmingham prepares to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Stefanie Bowes, Chamber international business manager, has become the Commonwealth Chamber’s divisional lead.

Stefanie joined the GBCC in May 2020, moving from Birmingham Airport, where she was travel trade and corporate relationship manager.

Her early career was spent at BMI and BMI Baby as a member of the cabin crew, and she also worked for Lloyds Pharmacy, as assistant to the contracts manager, supporting new business tenders and Virgin Care, where her role was to establish new GP practices, in the Midlands and the South.

At Birmingham Airport, her role was to build relationships with airlines, travel management companies, and tour operators in order to build up passenger numbers.

She also became involved in various tourism initiatives to increase the number of visitors to the Midlands.

She has a strong track record of working with tourism partners, such as the West Midlands Growth Company and also sat on the board of Shakespeare’s England.

As divisional lead, Stefanie will spearhead the Commonwealth Chamber’s activities as it looks

Stefanie Bowes: 2022 is a ‘big year’ for Birmingham

to capitalise on bilateral trade opportunities arising from the Games.

She said: “2022 is a big year for Birmingham and the Commonwealth Chamber and I am extremely excited to be supporting and driving bilateral trade activity with Commonwealth nations in line with the business legacy of the Birmingham 2022 Games.

“I look forward to continuing engagement through our global collaborations and partnerships, working to help maximise the opportunities for our region and to ensure that the GBCCC moves into the next phase with its committee and members.”

Import controls are delayed The government is to delay new controls for moving goods from the island of Ireland to Great Britain.

New checks primarily related to customs, sanitary and phytosanitary controls and safety and security declarations, were due to be implemented on 1 January 2022. However, negotiations on the Northern Ireland Protocol are still ongoing.

The government is legally committed to ensuring ‘unfettered access’ for goods from Northern Ireland.

Goods moving from the island of Ireland directly to Great Britain will continue to do so under arrangements that currently apply and will not be affected by changes introduced on 1 January 2022 for all other inbound goods.

The Chamber said a delay to the changes was welcome, with many businesses focusing

their resources on surviving the pandemic.

Policy advisor Erin Henwood said: “As many businesses continue to focus their resources on surviving the pandemic, the government’s announcement to temporarily extend existing customs arrangements for goods moving from the island of Ireland to Great Britain will be welcomed by many.

“Whilst the delay is a necessary step to ensure continued unfettered access for goods between the two islands, it is not a panacea for the extensive problems that local businesses have been reporting as they attempt to navigate post-Brexit trade.

“It is crucial that more is done to alleviate firms of these concerns, particularly given the burden that Covid-19 has been on the national economy over the last two years.

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International Trade Greater Birmingham

Commonwealth

Commonwealth Chamber Patrons

Chamber of Commerce

Greater Birmingham

Transatlantic Chamber Patrons

Transatlantic Chamber of Commerce

Contact: Mandy Haque T: 0121 725 8994

Trade talks welcomed

By Dan Harrison The Chamber has welcomed the launch of trade negotiations between the UK and India.

A free trade agreement is expected to create huge benefits for both countries, and could boost the UK’s total trade by up to £28bn a year by 2035.

In the West Midlands, trade with India is already worth close to £1bn, with more than £237m worth of goods exported and £670m imported in the first three quarters of 2021 alone.

During the same period, the West Midlands was the second largest regional importer of goods from India.

Between January and October last year, more than £110m of machinery and transport equipment was exported from the region to India, and the government predicts that the region could see a boost of up to £300m with a future trade deal set to create additional opportunities for manufacturers of motor vehicles, parts and other equipment.

Analysis from the Department for International Trade revealed that almost 30,000 people in the West Midlands were

Support for firms looking to expand into new markets An innovation programme led by Innovate UK Edge is helping businesses grow and expand into new markets.

Up to 15 high-growth, innovative businesses are being supported by Global Business Innovation Programmes (GBIP).

Each programme explores and exploit the collaboration, growth and innovation opportunities that exist in a specific business market around a specific theme, from agritech to artificial intelligence (AI).

The GBIP provides detailed market knowledge, introductions and cultural insight that SMEs would find difficult to obtain themselves.

More than 40 GBIPs have taken place to date in areas such as agritech (Canada), offshore wind (China), future cities (India), cybersecurity (Israel), advanced materials (South Korea), and AI (USA).

employed via Indian investment in 2019.

With India set to become the world’s third biggest economy by 2050, the West Midlands can expect this figure to substantially increase following a future trade deal.

Joel Blake, president of the Commonwealth Chamber, said: “The Commonwealth Chamber of Commerce welcomes the launch of negotiations relating to a free trade agreement between the UK and India this week.

“In the West Midlands, trade with India was close to £1bn, with over £237m worth of goods exported and over £670m worth of goods imported in the first three quarters of 2021 alone.

“As a West Midlands-based organisation here to help businesses to connect and grow, we understand the power of diversity within our region and how that is amplified on a global scale through the impact of bilateral trade between collaborative local SME communities.

“A positive free trade agreement will help to increase trade between the UK and India on a national scale, leveraging the power of inclusive growth for businesses and the communities that we are all here to serve.”

Chamber forges new links with South Africa An agreement has been struck to promote bilateral trade between Birmingham and South Africa.

As the Midlands city prepares to host the Commonwealth Games next year, the Commonwealth Chamber of Commerce has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the British Chamber of Business in Southern Africa.

These new links between Birmingham and South Africa were established as the Queen’s Baton Relay arrived in the latter, the 18th stop on its tour of the Commonwealth territories.

Commonwealth Chamber head Stefanie Bowes said: “As the Queen’s Baton arrives into South Africa, we are delighted to announce that we have signed an MoU with the British Chamber of Business in Southern Africa. We look forward to working with them to promote our regions and reinforce that there is a support network and opportunities beyond these shores post-Brexit and long after Birmingham 2022.”

South Africa is Africa’s manufacturing hub and the location of choice for many multi-nationals who see the country as a growing and supportive place for innovation, tech and fintech.

It also has favourable access to global markets through the African Continental Free Trade Area which creates a bigger market of more than a billion people with a GDP of $2.6tr.

Matt returns to international Matt Young (pictured) has joined the Chamber’s international team as an international trade advisor.

Matt will be delivering support on behalf of the Department for International Trade (DIT), and it is his second stint working with the organisation.

He said: “This is actually my second bite at the DIT cherry after a brief stint with the department 12 months ago helping to establish the up-and-coming Export Academy.

“The Export Academy is a great tool for new to export companies develop their skills and confidence to be able to trade effectively overseas.

“It’s fantastic to come back in 12 months on and see some of the businesses I worked with under the Export Academy, really pushing on and winning orders overseas.”

Matt is originally from Wiltshire, but moved to the Midlands to attend university where he met his partner, and moved to Halesowen in 2014.

He spent three years working in recruitment in central Birmingham and added: “My professional

background is developing innovative export programmes within the construction and waste management industries, where I have led export sales teams to deliver high level growth and brand awareness.

“Developing an international presence can be hard, and I have had success with both established manufactured products, and first of its kind technology.

“Taking a structured and planned approach has always worked for me - doing research, speaking with my networks and utilising the support available from DIT has always been valuable in growing an international business.

“While the UK remains the focus for a lot of Birmingham based businesses, there are countless other markets on the global stage that now want to benefit from the goods and services developed within the West Midlands and I’m really excited about the value offered by DIT in helping businesses to grow a global customer base.”

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International Trade

Former chief backs newest free trade bloc A former Chamber chief executive has urged the UK to prioritise developing links with the world’s largest – and newest – free trade bloc.

The bloc is the made up of 15 countries who have signed up to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a free trade agreement among Asia-Pacific nations.

The 15 member countries are: Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Some of these countries are already part of a similar bloc, which is the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

The UK – in its efforts to find post-Brexit trade partners around the world – has already applied to join the latter.

But former Chamber boss Paul Faulkner, now chief of staff at RCL Partners, adviser to the Midland-based Richardson family business, which has property interests around the globe, believes it is important for the UK to align itself with RCEP as soon as possible.

He said: “From a UK perspective our eggs are very much in the CPTPP basket, with accession into this partnership as the first new member expected to be confirmed later this year.

“On an initial glance it might seem strange that having left the EU we would then seek to join a new trading bloc with countries based around the Pacific Rim. “However, leaving a discussion on the merits of Brexit and the EU to one side for the purposes of this short piece, when one thinks about the rapid economic developments taking place in the Asia-Pacific, then finding ways to align ourselves more closely with this region makes far more sense, and provides a helpful platform for entrepreneurial businesses to use when searching out new opportunities.”

The CPTPP is a free-trade agreement between 11 countries: Canada, Mexico, Peru, Chile, New Zealand, Australia, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Japan. Seven of these have joined RCEP, which came into being on 1 January this year.

RCEP is an agreement is intended to reduce tariffs and red tape. It is not as comprehensive as CPTPP, and does not focus on labour issues, environmental protection, or government subsidies.

Paul Faulkner: Asian Century is coming

But it is another sign of the growing influence of Asia in the world’s economy, as it shifts away from the west to the east.

Mr Faulkner said: “RCEP’s existence is a clear sign of how countries across that part of the world are taking pro-active steps to ensure that the economic establishment of what is increasingly being described as the ‘Asian Century’ - with significant shifts in terms of an increasing Asian global share of trade, capital, people, knowledge and resources – is based on solid foundations.

“The Richardson family business has long held a number of interests around the Pacific Rim, from the west coast of Canada through to Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.

“Given that presence, and our ongoing thirst to seek out new business, we have been paying close attention to developments in the region for some time, and believe that these very clear economic shifts mark the area out as one that deserves ever closer engagement for those seeking future opportunities.”

Businesses beware of new security screening powers

Mandy Haque: Changes are welcome

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A British American Business Council executive director has warned businesses to be wary of the introduction of major national security investment screening powers.

The powers are contained in the UK’s National Security and Investment (NSI) Act 2021 and allow the government to investigate and intervene in investments and other acquisitions that might pose national security risks to the UK. Jane Rosenberg, executive director of the British American Business Council (BABC) of Greater Philadelphia said the act was ‘the most significant development of the UK’s national security investment screening powers in the past two decades’.

She said that the NSI Act was an ‘important part of ensuring investment in the UK can continue with predictability and transparency, while protecting national security’.

She said: “It provides businesses and investors with predictable, legally-defined timelines and processes for decisions on acquisitions.

“The Act will also align the UK’s investment screening regime with allies – including the US, as it includes many similarities to CFIUS (Committee on Foreign Investment in the US).”

Investors should not only be aware of the new Act, but be prepared to notify the UK government of anything that it covers.

The Act covers 17 ‘sensitive’ areas, including advanced robotics, artificial intelligence, defence, energy, quantum technologies, data infrastructure and satellite and space technology.

Chamber international director Mandy Haque said: “We welcome the changes that have been introduced from 4 January as it provides further protection for investing into our region and brings us in line with many other countries’ protocols including the USA. “Please contact us at the Chamber if you have any questions or concerns relating to the NSI Act, and we will direct you to the appropriate person for more information.”

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International Trade Course offers insight to export controls The Chamber is a launching a new international trade training course this month.

The half-day course - ‘An introduction to export controls and licencing’ – will give delegates an insight into export licences, issued to companies who are shipping goods that are classed as restricted, and other forms of control used by the authorities.

Coffee machine maker brews trade link with Russia Successful visit: Nikita Tseplyaev, business development director for Black and White Coffee, Richard Dewell, Her Majesty’s consul-general in Ekaterinburg and Peter Atmore, head of global sales and marketing at Fracino.

By Sophia Corness-Parr Fracino, the UK’s only manufacturer of cappuccino and espresso coffee machines, have established a trading relationship with the Russian city of Ekaterinburg.

The deal comes after Peter Atmore, head of global sales and marketing at Fracino, was invited by Richard Dewell, Her Majesty’s consulgeneral in Ekaterinburg, to the city to meet with local businesses, coffee companies and the Ural Chamber of Commerce.

A pop-up café, complete with a Fracino espresso machine, at the British Consulate catalysed the interest in the Birmingham-based manufacturer who sell their Made in Britain coffee machines to over 70 countries.

Fracino has previously sold to Moscow and St Petersburg and were enthusiastic to branch out to Ekaterinburg which, like Birmingham, has a strong industrial heritage and prides itself on quality manufacturing.

Richard, a Brummie himself, was keen to build upon the strong Birmingham-Ekaterinburg links which he coins ‘Ekbrum’ - after recognising the solid connections between the cities three years ago when he took up his position.

Flexeserve appoints US parts distributor A patron of the Chamber’s international division, which makes display units for supermarkets and food outlets, has named a part distributions partner in the USA. Flexeserve has appointed Parts Town, the largest parts distributor for the foodservice industry, as its US partner.

Parts Town is based in Chicago and was founded in 1987. Flexeserve chief executive Jamie Joyce said: “We’re committed to developing a strong presence in North America. We’ve selected Parts Town for its excellent reputation built on expertise, reliability and resources.”

He said: “The cities have so much in common and there is lots of opportunity to increase trade between them. When I first arrived, I noticed very quickly that there were three strong links between the regions in terms of business.

“Firstly, JCB is a very recognised brand here, Ekaterinburg hosting its largest showroom outside of the UK. Second, is Jaguar Land Rover - in terms of UK exports, cars are the biggest seller in Russia; in Ekaterinburg alone, we have two JLR dealerships.

Lastly, in the opposite direction, we have the world’s largest titanium manufacturer, VSMPO-AVISMA. “In the last 10 years, the coffee market in Russia has grown 70 times. I could see a real opportunity for Fracino in Ekaterinburg. One of the most appealing aspects of Fracino is that they manufacture in the UK. Quality British goods and services are highly recognised here.”

Speaking on his visit, Peter said: “Richard and his team organised a real cross-section of businesses at the pop-up including other coffee companies, business colleagues and media.

“To be able to come away from one single visit and have multiple potential partners is very successful. We’ve made an agreement with a distributor and expect to be able to start trading within the next few weeks.”

Delegates attending this half day course will gain an insight into: Types of licences • • USA controls • The UK Strategic Export Control list • Application • Compliance • Exporting with a licence • Brexit As well as the above topics, the course will also cover legislation, what controlled goods are, embargos and sanctions, trade controls, tech controls, and how to check goods using the goods checker/OGEL checker (which is used in conjunction with the UK Strategic Export Control list).

The UK Strategic Export Control list determines whether any products, software or technology that firms intend to export are 'controlled' and therefore require an export licence.

Chamber international trade training manager Leah Quarmby said: “This would suit those who are new to export controls and licencing as it investigates why we have licences in place and how to apply for them.

“For those companies who do currently use Export licences, it will be beneficial to make sure you are using the licences correctly as well as find out about the different types for certain goods.

“The first date for this new and exciting session will take place on Wednesday 23 February and run from 9.30am to 12.30pm, with another date scheduled for June.”

To find out more about the course, email training@birmingham-chamber.com

Mammoth car inspection completed by expert team A complex cross-border quality inspection by leading quality management provider G&P has involved visiting five countries and inspecting 44 cars with potential mechanical issues.

The project was completed in just three-and-ahalf days by two of G&P’s highly-skilled vehicle technicians using an electrical measuring device to inspect the potentially faulty component.

All the components passed the test. However, had the tests on the potentially faulty components not taken place, a risk of vehicle noise and drive failure would have surfaced.

The manufacturer could not take the risk of any damage to their reputation by allowing the

deliveries to go ahead without the additional quality checks.

G&P chairman Geoff Cousins said: “This particular project required a very tight schedule for a round trip to Belgium, Germany, Poland, Sweden and Switzerland to plan the appointments in each country so that deadlines could be met.

“Added to the mix was that the cars had already been built and were distributed in these countries ready to go to market. It needed, and had, military style precision planning.”

Even before the project started, G&P only had 24 hours to plan for the challenge which involved specialist training for the two vehicle technicians.

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ABCC Updates and useful information from the largest ethnic support organisation in the UK Contact: Anjum Khan T: 0845 6036650

Recognising the need for carbon neutrality

By Jason Wouhra, president of the Asian Business Chamber of Commerce, chair of the West Midlands India Partnership and chief executive of Lioncroft Wholesale Ltd T/A East End Wholesale.

Securing new business: Sue Roberts

Social enterprise wins growth grant Express Signs, a social enterprise managed

by Birmingham-based mental health charity Better Pathways, has won a grant that will help with its growth plans for 2022.

A local charity Love Brum has awarded the grant, to fund ‘under the radar’ organisations and allow Express Signs to put in some new technology that will help with its sales and marketing initiatives.

Although the printing and signage business has been around for 30 years, it has been a somewhat ‘under the radar’ business, producing high quality signs and badges for the construction industry, NHS and local retail businesses to Birmingham and Solihull.

As a social enterprise, its products are designed and produced by volunteers and people living with a range of mental health issues and some learning disabilities.

Express Signs’ aims this year are to grow and help more people into either employment, training or volunteering, as well as continuing to make an impact within some of the most vulnerable communities by helping to build resilience and confidence.

Express Signs CEO Sue Roberts said: “We are delighted to have won this award and we will be putting it to good use over the coming year. We are hopeful that it will help us to get new business into the enterprise in 2022.”

Express Signs is looking to build on its customer base over the coming year by working with local businesses that need signage and badges.

ABCC Patrons

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Carbon neutrality is one of the biggest problems facing mankind today and that is why my business has started making our small but important contribution to saving the planet by being greener.

We were one of the first in the warehousing industry to install solar panels on the roof. We have also been harvesting rainwater, are using about 35 per cent extra natural lighting at our depots and are looking at removing chemicals from our cleaning products.

Businesses from all sectors are now working their way to carbon neutrality and recognise the importance of net-zero emissions.

Of all the issues facing businesses today, we now have to cope with an increase in interest rates, which will have a significant impact on business and no more so than for those of us in the supply chain. The emphasis is squarely on the shoulders of the Treasury to loosen fiscal policy and provide businesses with the financial support they need to get through the next few months.

The £1bn support for the hospitality sector announced by the Chancellor had a mixed response but was a step in the right direction.

Government must not ‘sleep’ on the job: Jason Wouhra

Other measures the Chamber is lobbying hard for is the speeding up of the Business Rates Relief Fund and a longer-term reduction in VAT – critical measures if many businesses are to be saved from collapse.

My business, like many others, has been facing recruitment troubles. The difficulty of recruiting for warehouse roles is adding to the problems in businesses like mine. The logistics industry is also being severely disrupted by the shortage of lorry drivers. The issue is finding the right people with the right skill set and with the attitude to do a really good job for our business.

We are working hard to differentiate ourselves from other employers by offering those training and career opportunities which lead to job security and satisfaction.

BCRS hits lending milestone A West Midlands-based alternative business lender has surpassed a £2.5m lending milestone for the Recovery Loan Scheme (RLS), after helping 37 businesses across the region.

The scheme, administered on behalf of the government by the British Business Bank and delivered through accredited delivery partners, is designed to support the growth and recovery of businesses that have been impacted by Covid-19.

The funding delivered by BCRS Business Loans has also helped to protect more than 400 jobs and create an additional 145.

BCRS chief Stephen Deakin said: “We are delighted to have achieved this milestone for the RLS and are very proud to be an accredited delivery partner.

“We understand that small businesses are the backbone of our economy and we are therefore committed to delivering the funding required to support their growth and recovery following the pandemic.

“As a non-profit lender, we are able to take a human approach to lending, where we base our decisions on the strength of the business itself rather than computerised credit scores.

“We are proud to have been supporting businesses that are unable to access finance from traditional lenders for over 19 years. This milestone comes on the back of record-breaking lending last year, in which £13.3m was delivered during the pandemic via the now-closed Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS).”

Premier+ Partners

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Chamberlink

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Cannock Chase Chase Chamber Patrons

Cannock Chase

Chamber of Commerce

Contact: Chris Plant T: 0845 6036650

Shire Hall: New lease of life

Nicola Kent: Supporting struggling businesses

Campaign to help firms gear up for growth Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Growth Hub is launching a new campaign aimed at helping local businesses make the most of 2022.

The campaign is ‘#GearingForGrowth2022’ which will give businesses access to business advisors and growth specialists, and will host a number of workshops, webinars and seminars developed to help accelerate business growth.

These will include a range of specialist subjects of wide appeal to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), including emerging technologies and starting out in export.

The Growth Hub will also continue to raise awareness of all the programmes businesses can access to boost growth, from the Small Business Grant Scheme to the ‘Peer Networks Programme’, which helps businesses to find practical solutions to strategic and operational challenges.

Nicola Kent, business and enterprise support manager at Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Growth Hub, said: “#GearingforGrowth2022 celebrates the resilience of SMEs across Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire throughout the pandemic, and will encourage their growth aspirations for the next 12 months by providing access to a range of service and support programmes.

“As the economy moves forwards, we are here to help local SMEs to get the extra vision, insight and even emotional support to prepare for the opportunities ahead.

“We recognise the struggle businesses have endured throughout the pandemic and we now want to help support their growth aspirations moving forward into the new year.

“By bringing together our referral partners, organisations and programmes to showcase the support they can offer, #GearingforGrowth will provide the means to give SMEs the chance to learn more about all the opportunities available.”

The campaign will conclude in March with an event at Aston Marina where a number of Growth Hub referral partners and organisations will be exhibiting.

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Work begins on Shire Hall small business hub Work to fit out a new small business enterprise hub Stafford’s Shire Hall has begun.

The £2m project - in the town’s former library - will provide space for around 20 small businesses. The new facility will offer office space, reception facilities, meeting areas, as well as networking opportunities and business advice and support.

The hub hopes to attract businesses from a range of professional services, including solicitors, ICT firms and digital/tech businesses. It offers an ideal town centre location, close to amenities like the railway station. Initial phases will see the historic features restored and remodelling works carried out to bring the building up to modern day office standards, while maintaining its character and history.

A sum of £1.6m has been secured from the national ‘Getting Building Fund’ through the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership. The remaining cost will be met by the county council or other available funding sources.

The council says that bringing Shire Hall back into productive use will help revitalise Stafford town centre by attracting new businesses.

This project will form part of the wider long-term regeneration of the Shire Hall. It will also complement plans to repurpose and redevelop land currently occupied by disused buildings such as the former magistrates court and the county council’s Wedgwood Building.

Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for economy and skills Philip White said: “The Shire Hall is an iconic building in the heart of Stafford town centre and it is important that we brought it back into productive use for the community and the local economy.

“Much consideration has gone into the planning of the hall’s future use and our evidence and research has shown there is a need for provision in the town for small businesses.

“A thriving enterprise hub in the Shire Hall will benefit the wider town centre economy and recent investment and planned regeneration undoubtedly make Stafford an attractive place to work and live.”

Views sought on housing Cannock Chase Council is seeking views on its proposed private sector housing strategy, which covers privately rented, owneroccupied and registered provider housing.

The council says that a new housing strategy is needed because the private rented sector has grown hugely during the past decade as more people rent the homes they live in.

The new strategy sets out how the council plans to support and engage with private landlords, tenants and letting agents and what work it intends to do to help ensure rented housing meets residents’ needs.

Chase councillor Adrienne Fitzgerald said:

“Given changes in the past decade and particularly during this pandemic, it is more important than ever that our residents can live in safe homes.

“This is all about setting out the council’s approach to this major part of the housing sector where we are committed to improving the condition of properties within the private rented sector and providing support to our various stakeholders.

“The finalised strategy will also play a key role in helping deliver the council’s main priorities of supporting economic recovery, supporting health and wellbeing, and becoming a financially resilient council.”

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Burton & District Burton & District Chamber Patrons

Contact: Chris Plant T: 0845 6036650

New bridge to bring a boost Plans to build a pedestrian and cycle bridge over the River Trent in Burton to boost leisure, transport and tourism in the town have been unveiled.

It is hoped that the bridge will be funded by the government’s £23.8m Burton Towns Fund programme, and it would be a major boost for business in the town.

News of the new £6.8m bridge comes three years after a controversial programme of works on Burton’s two road bridges, St Peter’s and Burton Bridge, caused uproar.

Both of these were found to be in need of major repairs and the closure of the former was catastrophic for local traders, with the town centre becoming a ‘no-go’ for shoppers.

At the time, traders reported a drop in footfall during the closure of up to 80 per cent.

When the bridge reopened, it was planned to

close Burton Bridge straight away for repairs, but Staffordshire County Council was forced to postpone this after an outcry by the traders, and a campaign led by Burton Chamber.

The new bridge would be allocated up to £6.8m from the Towns Fund programme, and funding has been applied for from the government’s ‘Levelling Up Fund’ and other sources.

‘The new bridge would provide a pleasant trafficfree route for people’ Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for highways and transport David Williams said: “The new bridge over the River Trent would support the future regeneration of

Burton and improve connectivity into the town for walkers and cyclists on the east of the river.

It would also attract visitors and boost tourism on the riverside area and businesses located there.

“The new bridge would provide a pleasant traffic-free route for people, providing benefits for communities in the long-term.”

“We recently completed a public consultation on the project with most respondents supporting the scheme. Their feedback on elements such as lighting will help us to shape the design.

“The funding allocation unfortunately falls short of the bridge we would need to build – one which is accessible all year and that will not be affected by high water levels. We will work with the Towns Fund Board to bid for the additional funding needed.”

Free support for start-ups on offer

From pupil to patron: John Beaty, deputy principal at Burton and South Derbyshire College (BSDC), Shaun Gray, European MD of Ginho Group and Ann Walton, international operations manager at BSDC

MD joins as college patron Ginho Group’s European managing director Shaun Gray has been appointed as patron of International Operations at Burton and South Derbyshire College.

The college’s network of patrons mean that students benefit from an industry-led curriculum, access to key industry contacts and the opportunity to work on live briefs for real companies.

This supports the college in delivering its Skills Promise and ensuring that when students complete their course, they will be job ready with the transferable skills and qualities they need to make an impact in their chosen industry or profession.

Shaun, who studied Engineering at Burton and South Derbyshire College said: “International trading is a key focus for Ginho – working globally while delivering locally – and so I can’t wait to get involved with the next generation of global workers.

“I am sure this patronage will be hugely beneficial to my own personal development as well as, hopefully, the students!”

Burton and South Derbyshire College has a reputation for being a ‘global college’ and was recently shortlisted in the British Council International Award category of the AoC Beacon Awards.

John Beaty, deputy principal of Burton and South Derbyshire College, added: “Shaun brings with him a wealth of experience in international business and will be an extremely inspirational figure for our learners who are just starting out in their careers.

“Our international work is incredibly important to us as it not only provides learners from throughout the world with excellent learning experiences but it also allows our domestic learners to gain valuable insights into other world cultures, broadening their global outlook and adding value to their future career prospects.”

People looking to start a business are being urged to find out more about a free county council support programme.

The Get Started scheme complements existing start-up mentoring and loans initiatives which are making a big difference to new businesses in Staffordshire as it recovers from the pandemic.

It aims to bridge the gap between the two existing schemes and give participants extra confidence to launch or continue with their enterprise with the backing of free expert professional support.

This involves accessing the services of appointed marketing and accountancy professionals – allowing entrepreneurs to test their business model through branding packages, market testing, website guidance and financial packages to predict profitability or to create a brand or website presence for their business.

Get Started was launched thanks to a £60,000 investment from the Government’s UK Community Renewal Fund. Applicants can either be a brand-new business or one that has been trading for less than two years and be in Staffordshire (not Stoke-on-Trent).

Staffordshire County Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for economy and skills Philip White said: “Anyone signing up will benefit from this free expert advice and guidance, enabling them to focus on getting through the critical early stages of managing a new business.

“We’d urge people to get in contact and find out more about Get Started and our other startup support schemes.”

For more information, email getstarted@staffordshire.gov.uk or call 01785 277355.

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Lichfield & Tamworth Lichfield & Tamworth Chamber Patrons Contact: Chris Brewerton T: 0845 6036650

Lichfield Cathedral hosts volunteers fair Lichfield Cathedral teamed up with Support Staffordshire to host a volunteers fair in the Cathedral last month.

Support Staffordshire is an independent voice for voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations in Staffordshire, and the fair was an attempt to find more volunteers to help various organisations in the county.

More than 25 local charities and organisations attended the event, and among those looking for volunteers were the National Memorial Arboretum, Staffordshire Network for Mental Health, Prison Fellowship and Erasmus Darwin House, as well as the Cathedral itself.

Canon Gregory Platten, from Lichfield Cathedral, who helped to organise the fair, said: “The New Year is the time when people traditionally review their lives and set off in new, and sometimes unexpected, directions.

Volunteering is one way in which people can find fulfilment and purpose. At Lichfield Cathedral, we aim to be a resource for our local community and we are pleased to be able to host this volunteer fair for those who wish to offer something back to society and to grow in their own lives as a result.”

Rick Hill, a volunteer officer with Support Staffordshire, said: “Volunteering can be literally life-changing. One volunteer told us: ‘I wanted a change of direction and to give a bit back to society. Volunteering seemed like a good way to make that change’.”

Dains Accountants secure investment Lichfield-based Dains Accountants has secured vital investment from a private equity investor which specialises in technology and business services.

The investor is London firm Horizon Capital, which invests between £10m and £75m in fastgrowing, UK-headquartered companies, focusing on business-to-business services and technology.

Dains has five offices in the Midlands, and around 200 staff. It provides audit, tax and business advisory and support services to some 4,000 clients, ranging from international companies to high-net worth individuals.

Dains was Horizon Capital’s fourth new investment to be concluded in 2021, following those in BP3, Modern Netaworks and The Marketing Practice (TMP) earlier in the year.

Horizon partner Luke Kingston said: “The market that Dains operates in is highly fragmented and driven by strong tailwinds due to increasing levels of compliance and sophistication, as a result of which a growing proportion of clients are outsourcing businessenhancing tasks to expert providers.

“Dains has delivered market leading growth which has continued through the covid pandemic, underpinned by its reputation for quality service and the breadth of the firm’s proposition. The partnership with Horizon will enable Dains to continue to build on the

Embello welcomes new staff Tamworth print and merchandising business Embello has added two new faces to its growing team.

Kirsty Sibley, 33, has been recruited as an account executive. Kirsty, who lives in Tamworth with her French bulldog Reggie, has previously worked within telesales/sales and was with a national catering equipment company for six years.

New team: Kyle Raffo (left) with Kirsty and Louis

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During the Covid-19 pandemic, and like many others, Kirsty was made redundant and was unemployed for five months.

She said: “The atmosphere in the building is great and being back at work has made me the happiest I have ever been. I love the challenges I get when converting clients and I can’t thank Kyle enough for believing in me.”

Kyle is Embello founder and MD Kyle Raffo, who set up the company when he was just 16 years old.

The second new member of the team is Louis Hale, 22, who lives with his parents in Sutton Coldfield. After leaving school, Louis undertook a graphic design apprenticeship and worked at a marketing agency.

He said: “I love working at Embello. “Kyle, Kirsty and I love to have a monthly sales competition, which pushes me to my limits and keeps us all on our toes making us more motivated.”

“The team is motivational and we are all equally dedicated to being the UK’s number one printing, promotional merchandise and branded wear specialist.”

Richard McNeilly: Investment support

momentum already created following recent acquisitions.”

Dains is Horizon Capital’s fourth new platform investment in 2021 following those in BP3, Modern Netaworks and The Marketing Practice (TMP) earlier in the year, which have already completed four acquisitions collectively on their buy and build journeys.

Richard McNeilly, managing partner of Dains, said: “This is an exciting time for Dains, our clients and colleagues.

We are delighted to be partnering with Horizon Capital who have a strong track record in supporting companies such as ours to accelerate both organic and acquisitive growth.”

Events firm switches to travel support A former events company has changed track to provide travel guidance and testing to the public as covid restrictions and international travel regulations continue to fluctuate wildly.

Formerly known as Flamingo Events, 15 Minute Covid Test is based in Reindeer Road, Tamworth, but also has a site in Warstone Lane, Birmingham.

The company says the provision, affordability and accessibility of private testing is easing the burden currently being placed on the NHS. Founder Sean Poultney said: “We have found that the desire for the correct information on testing and what is required has filled our inboxes and phone calls, which is something we are very proud to be able to offer our clients.

“We aim to be helping over 800 people travel abroad safely over the next few weeks.”

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Sutton Coldfield Sutton Coldfield Chamber Patrons

Sutton Coldfield

Charity of the Year

Chamber of Commerce

Contact: Chris Brewerton T: 0845 6036650

Prestigious promotion for Anna Queen of the course: Anna with Angus Macleod

The Belfry Hotel & Resort is continuing to lead the way in promoting women in golf – with the appointment of Anna Nilsson as deputy head greenkeeper of the legendry Brabazon course.

The Brabazon is recognised as world-class, having previously hosted The Ryder Cup four times – more than any other venue in the world – and a number of DP World Tour events.

The course has witnessed some of the most dramatic moments in the history of golf.

Anna has been promoted from the position of senior greenkeeper.

Responsibilities in her new role include turf management, people management, and maintaining the course to ensure the Brabazon offers a tournament standard for all players on a daily basis.

Anna’s main responsibility will be preparing the course ahead of the Betfred British Masters 2022 which will take place on the Brabazon on from 5 to 8 May 2022, hosted by former Masters champion, Danny Willett.

She said: “I am proud to have been given this opportunity and to be able to work alongside such a fantastic, knowledgeable, and inspiring team every day.

Middleton venue signs up after membership link Coppice – a venue near Sutton Coldfield boasting a top restaurant, a food hall and a home and garden centre – has joined Sutton Coldfield Chamber of Commerce after working closely with a fellow member.

Based in Middleton, Coppice is home to The Fig & Olive restaurant, Forage food hall and the Lifestyle home and garden centre.

The business was introduced to the Chamber after working with long-standing member PLOTT Moving in: PLOTT Creative became tenants at Coppice last year

Creative who have helped Coppice with a rebrand and website launch.

Last year, the creative agency also became tenants at Coppice.

‘The venue has also developed its offering to create a host of new roles’ As well as having a restaurant that offers luxury dining, with food served all day from breakfast to dinner, Coppice is keen to promote itself as an ideal venue for informal business meetings.

The venue has also developed its offering to create a host of new roles, including chefs, bakers, butchers and front-of-house staff.

Forage food hall manager Danny Beardmoore said: “We are now offering local businesses the opportunity to have fresh bread delivered daily along with a range of hampers, grazing boards and sweet treats for any occasion.

“If you're congratulating your team, welcoming a new colleague, or thanking valued clients we can help.”

In the future, Coppice hopes to expand further by offering local businesses a more entertaining space for hosting meetings and other private dining options.

“I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for them. I’ve worked on a number of courses and nowhere compares to The Belfry, we ensure that our guests can experience a Ryder Cup quality course daily as the Brabazon is always up to tournament standard.

“I am very excited to continue share my passion and knowledge and I hope that my story will continue to inspire more women to join this incredible industry.”

Anna joined The Belfry team in 2019 after moving from Sweden to take on the role.

She studied at the Swedish University of Agricultural Studies and has worked across several golf courses in Sweden, which included maintaining the courses in snowy conditions as well as fixing moose and wild boar damage on the course.

Angus Macleod, director of golf courses and estates at The Belfry Hotel & Resort, said: “Anna is extremely dedicated and continues to show great passion in everything she does.

“I hope that Anna’s success will continue to unite the industry and raise interest in golf among women, which I hope leads to more women choosing to pursue a career in greenkeeping.”

Green focus: RotoSpa donated their project budget to the Woodland Trust

Award-winning spa adopts green agenda The team at Sutton Coldfield-based RotoSpa have been doing their bit for the environment with a number of green initiatives.

The award-winning spa suppliers made the decision not to send Christmas cards in a bid to reduce their carbon footprint.

Instead, they focused efforts on supporting the Woodland Trust, by donating their project budget.

RotoSpa have also already embraced sustainability by making a number of improvements to operations. Initiatives have included increasing the amount of recycled material that used in spa shells, reducing CO2 emissions in the logistics department and embracing low polluting vehicles.

A spokesperson said: “The recent climate change COP26 meetings in the UK have continued to shine a deserved focus on, all of our energy use and sustainability.

“This year RotoSpa will continue to support the Woodland Trust and encourage those around us to help similar projects keep our planet strong and healthy.”

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Solihull All the latest news, advice and events for the Solihull business community Contact: Samantha Frampton T: 0121 678 7488

Aligning values: Lori Henebury (left) and Samantha Frampton at Birmingham Business Park

Partnership to tackle hygiene poverty in UK

Business park sign up as Chamber patron

Solihull-based period-care business LilLets has partnered with Beauty Banks, a charity that seeks to address ‘hygiene poverty’ in the UK. Lil-Lets donated more than 10,000 packs of period products to Beauty Banks to help those in need.

Lil-Lets’ Abby Smith said: “Lil-Lets’ purpose is to make a real difference to the lives of people with periods through education, innovation and care. We believe now more than ever brands have a social and environmental responsibility and, in order to live our values, we want to do better now and in the future.

“The brilliant work that Beauty Banks do to remove barriers to good hygiene is something that resonates with our vision, and we were proud to volunteer with them.”

Sali Hughes, co-founder of Beauty Banks, said: “As a charity that is committed to bringing change in the landscape of hygiene poverty, we are grateful for Lil-Lets’ local community distribution support and generous donation.

Birmingham Business Park (BBP) has become Solihull Chamber of Commerce’s newest patron.

BBP is home to 115 businesses, including Computacentre, Fujitsu, IMI, Sulzer and Rolls Royce.Businesses at the park employ more than 10,000 people and there is a wide range of amenities, lifestyle and environmental initiatives to support this community.

In becoming a Solihull Chamber patron, BBP joins some of the region’s most highprofile companies, including Jaguar Land Rover, Arup, Touchwood, Birmingham Airport, Prime Accountants Group, Solihull College & University Centre, Arden Multi-Academy Trust and Solihull Moors FC. Lori Henebury, marketing, community and business development manager at BBP, said: “We are delighted to become a patron of Solihull Chamber of Commerce, with whom our values and goals align.

“Through our patronage, we look forward to developing relationships with members of the Chamber as part of our ongoing commitment to supporting the Solihull Community.

HS2 establish youth club HS2’s enabling works contractor in the West Midlands, LMJV (Laing O’Rourke and J. Murphy & Sons), has helped set up a new Young Archaeologists’ Club (YAC) in Solihull.

It will join a network of over 70 YAC branches across the UK, managed by the Council for British Archaeology (CBA).

The new club is holding with monthly sessions at The Core, Solihull, where members aged between eight and 16-years-old will meet to learn about local history through archaeology and interactive activities.

Prior to the launch of the club, Wessex held various taster sessions to gauge interest, which looked at some of the sites which are being cleared for the HS2 railway line and the items of archaeological interest which are being unearthed.

Natasha Bramall, community engagement coordinator for Wessex Archaeology, said: “The taster sessions provided a fantastic opportunity 52 CHAMBERLINK February 2022

to share HS2’s archaeological finds with young people. In our initial trial events, we looked at three major HS2 archaeological sites on Park Street, Coleshill Park and Curzon Street. We also visited Castle Bromwich Gardens and discovered some of the archaeological processes that are being used along the route of HS2.

“The fantastic response meant that we could show there was demand for an archaeology club in the area and work with The Core to set up a YAC branch. This has created a permanent place for young people to explore their interest in archaeology for years to come.”

HS2 is one of the biggest investors in the UK’s archaeological sector, employing more than 1,000 archaeologists, period specialists, scientists, and conservators from across the UK. Upcoming sessions will include a focus on the research and historical skills that archaeologists need to employ before undertaking excavations.

“We intend to be a highly active patron, collaborating with members to deliver events, share best practise and add genuine value to help strengthen the borough.

“Our engagement with the Chamber can only further our aims to be a fully connected and active part of the local business economy here in Solihull to promote the area as a wonderful place to do business.

“It is a fantastic opportunity for our 115 businesses to strengthen their network and share best practice with other leading businesses and stakeholders in the region. We look forward to collaborating with Sam and the Chamber team over the coming months. “ Samantha Frampton, head of Solihull Chamber, said: “It is a wonderful start to 2022 for us to welcome BBP on board as a patron of Solihull Chamber.

“I am so happy to have such an established business joining our network and am looking forward to working with Lori and the rest of the team on helping their clients to grow their local network and engage with the existing businesses within the Chamber.”

Grenade launch new protein bar Solihull-based nutrition brand Grenade has just added a new peanut butter and jelly flavour protein bar to its range.

The product is a healthier alternative to high sugar confectionery.

Grenade’s Chloe Madeley said: “Grenade protein bars have been a personal favourite of mine for a long time now, and once you’ve had one, you’ll understand why.

“It’s a protein bar that tastes as a good as a chocolate bar, but instead of being void of nutritional benefits, are packed with 20g whey protein (one of the best sources of dietary protein out there).

“Protein is not only an essential macronutrient (it’s really not just for body builders), it’s also a great food choice when dieting, as it’s extremely satiating.”

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Solihull Solihull Chamber Patrons

Green efforts rewarded Schools across Solihull have been recognised for their commitment to sustainable practices through the ‘Greener Solihull Awards’.

The Chamber-sponsored awards formed part of the recent ‘Sustainable Schools Conference’, which was focused on the journey to ‘net zero’.

The awards was open to all schools in the borough, challenging pupils and teachers to learn more about the environment both locally

Going green: Solihull Chamber president Tony Elvin with pupils from Monkspath Junior & Infant School.

and globally and strive to make their school more eco-friendly. The overall winner was Balsall Common Primary School, which was given £100, which they used on school council badges and recyclable seeds and boxes.

Samantha Frampton, head of Solihull Chamber, said: "Balsall Common Primary school are very worthy winners of the Solihull Chamber prize and it has been wonderful and heartwarming to read about all the hard work and commitment that Balsall Common Primary school have put into achieving all three levels of the awards.

“It is inspiring to see the way the school have come together to tackle food waste and playground litter, and the actions they have taken through their save the water campaign and ‘Global Goals’ week to spread awareness.

“I especially loved reading about the schools eco-ambassadors and how they were recruited to represent their class and be part of the greener school journey. It is an important role to take on, and the efforts of the school and their ambassadors are an encouraging sign of how small changes can have a positive impact.”

Brand design goes to source for inspiration Attack Creative has designed the brand identity for a new organic superfood brand Acai Life.

The design takes inspiration from the sights and sounds of the Amazon, including the street art of Brazil, the country where the acai berry is grown.

For centuries, the acai berry has been a staple food for communities living near and around the Amazon River delta.

Mark Atkinson, Attack creative director, said: “It was only right that the Acai Life brand identity reflected the vibrancy and energy of both Brazil and the acai berry – this was achieved by utilising a vibrant colour palette, enticing product photography and a series of bespoke handdrawn illustrations that depict the fruit, flora and fauna of the Amazon river delta.”

Attack Creative designed a range of packaging for the brands various products, as well as various marketing elements such as the brand website and social media graphics.

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Future Faces Future Faces Chamber Patrons Contact: Anna Assinder T: 0845 6036650

New Members Kiera Larkin (Evac + Chair) James Bartter (SC Bartter

GardeningandRemoval) Rob Langley-Swain (Make Good Grow) Aadil Farooq (Midlands Air Ambulance

Charity)

New faces (top, left to right): Will Crawford, Sabah Hussain, Graham Allsopp, Jaccy Datta, Davies Okeowo, Neelam Heera, Ashley Kerr, Yung Lau; (bottom, left to right): Michal Nowinski, Kasim Choudhary, Hayley-jo Lockley, Kaur Shergill and Harriet Saunders

Hayley-Jo Lockley (Irwin Mitchell) Grace Mullis (Irwin Mitchell) Caitlin Hindson (Irwin Mitchell LLP) Claire Godsil (Irwin Mitchell) Karandeep Singh Badwal (Vito Solutions Ltd

(T/A QRA Medical)) Ronan Hynes (Voilo Ltd)

Incoming committee members welcomed The Future Faces Chamber of Commerce (FF) has unveiled its plans for 2022 at its annual general meeting at the Park Regis Hotel in Birmingham.

The organisation also welcomed a host of newly appointed figures to its executive team.

Taking over from outgoing committee members Emma Noble of Pinsent Masons and Ineta Svedaite of Fazenda Bar & Grill are incomers Davies Okeowo of Aston University, Hayley-jo Lockley of Irwin Mitchell, Harriet Saunders of The FSE Group and Will Crawford of Quietnote.

Future Faces manager Jodie-Lee Perks said: “The appointments of Hayley-jo, Will, Davies, and Harriet point to an exciting combination of skills added to our committee's bow.

“They have all shown strong engagement and passion for their posts already. I am sure they will assist Future Faces in growing exponentially this year.

“Our focus this year will be on supporting the mental health of our members through the

growing uncertainty, providing a platform for sociability, continuous professional development, and networking while most young professionals are working from home, and to grow our value for membership with some very exciting opportunities on the horizon.”

New committee member Will Crawford said: “I feel very privileged to be part of such a vibrant and diverse committee. From just the brief time I’ve been part of this committee I have seen that Future Faces is leading the way with relevant matters such as climate change and positive action for mental health.

“It is wonderful to be joining a committee which takes the support of these issues so seriously. I am really excited to bring a new perspective to Future Faces as we continue to lead the way into a more sustainable future.”

The AGM also revealed the results of its annual member survey, with 80 per cent of respondents saying that they were ‘very likely’ or ‘likely’ to recommend the network to others.

Upcoming Events Future Faces Social Networking (Birmingham) Date: 15/02/2022 Time: 17:30-19:30 Venue: Loki Wines Future Faces Social Networking (Burton) Date: 24/02/2022 Time: 17:30-19:30 Venue: TBC Future Faces Mini Golf Social Networking (Birmingham) Date: 24/03/2022 Time: 17:30-19:30 Venue: Mr Mulligans, Broadway Plaza Future Faces Social Networking (Tamworth) Date: 12/04/2022 Time: 17:30-19:30 Venue: TBC For more information and to book a place contact events@birmingham-chamber.com

Get fit and save lives with Airbase Challenge People of all ages are being asked to get active in the New Year by signing up for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity’s popular Airbase Challenge event.

The challenge will see competitors completing one of four distances, ranging from 27 to 121 miles. This represents the distance between the charity's three airbase, at Tatenhill Airfield in Staffordshire, RAF Cosford in Shropshire and Strensham Services on the M5 in Worcestershire.

Those taking part can complete the challenge as an individual or as part of a team of four, and can opt to run, jog, walk, swim or cycle. People have 30 days to complete their challenge once they have started.

Last year’s event raised more than £65,000, 54 CHAMBERLINK February 2022

which funded 41 missions – 20 via air ambulance and 21 in the service’s two critical care cars.

Emma Wood, head of fundraising and marketing for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, said: “We had a phenomenal turnout for our Air30 Airbase Challenge during our inaugural year.

“More than 400 supporters took part and collectively they raised more than £65,000 via registration fees, online fundraising pages, Gift Aid and donations sent directly to us – enough to fund an incredible 41 lifesaving missions.

"We've set last year’s success as our target to beat this year, so anyone out there who’s thinking about their ‘new year, new me’ regime should register to take part. Not only will they

improve their fitness, but they'll raise much needed funds for our lifesaving service at the same time."

Anyone who enters will be assigned a team captain - a member of Midlands Air Ambulance Charity's aircrew - whose job it is to keep them motivated and provide support while they're on their fundraising journey.

It costs just £5 for individuals to enter or £10 for a group of up to four people. Individuals who raise £75 in donations, or £100 as a team, will receive a commemorative medal.

The Airbase Challenge will run until 31 May, with participants able to complete the challenge in any 30-day period between the starting and finishing dates.

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Chamber Events

Live events are back in action Now that in-person events have returned, watch this space for a full 2022 programme of what the Chamber has to offer in the New Year

Over the next two months, Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce has a whole host of events to look forward to. Notably, flagship events include the GBCC Annual Dinner & Awards at the ICC, as well as the return of the Spring Expo (see more on page 34).

For further information about events and to book a place, visit: www.greaterbirminghamchambers.com/networking-events

1813 Club Private Dining

Commonwealth Opportunities

Networking Lunch

Chapter Chat

Date: 07/02/2022 Time: TBC Venue: TBC Division: GBCC Cost: Members: TBC Non-members: TBC

Date: 16/02/2022 Time: 08:30 – 10:30 Venue: Zoom Division: Commonwealth Cost: Members: Free Future Faces Members: £15 +VAT Non-members: £15 +VAT

Date: 23/02/2022 Time: 12:00 – 14:00 Venue: TBC Division: Solihull Cost: Members: Free Future Faces Members: £15 +VAT Non-members: £15 +VAT

Date: 28/02/2022 Time: 16:00 – 17:00 Venue: Zoom Division: Commonwealth Cost: Members: Free Future Faces Members: Free Non-members: Free

Speed Networking

Future Faces Social Networking (Burton)

Start-up Networking Date: 15/02/2022 Time: TBC Venue: TBC Division: GBCC Cost: Members: TBC Future Faces Members: TBC Non-members: TBC

Date: 17/02/2022 Time: 08:30 – 10:30 Venue: TBC Division: Lichfield & Tamworth Cost: Members: Free Future Faces Members: £15 +VAT Non-members: £15 +VAT

Date: 24/02/2022 Time: 17:30 – 19:30 Venue: TBC Division: Future Faces Cost: Members: £15 +VAT Future Faces Members: Free Non-members: £15 +VAT

Future Faces Social Networking (Birmingham)

Networking Lunch

Social Networking

Date: 15/02/2022 Time: 17:30 – 19:30 Venue: Loki Wines Division: Future Faces Cost: Members: £15 +VAT Future Faces Members: Free Non-members: £15 +VAT

Date: 22/02/2022 Time: 12:00 – 14:00 Venue: TBC Division: Burton & District Cost: Members: Free Future Faces Members: £15 +VAT Non-members: £15 +VAT

Date: 24/02/2022 Time: 17:30 – 19:30 Venue: TBC Division: Birmingham Cost: Members: Free Future Faces Members: £15 +VAT Non-members: £15 +VAT

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Chamber Events Speaker Breakfast Date: 01/03/2022 Time: 07:30 – 09:30 Venue: TBC Division: Sutton Coldfield Cost: Members: Free Future Faces Members: £15 +VAT Non-members: £15 +VAT

Speaker Breakfast Date: 01/03/2022 Time: 07:30 – 09:30 Venue: TBC Division: Cannock Chase Cost: Members: Free Future Faces Members: £15 +VAT Non-members: £15 +VAT

Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce Annual Dinner & Awards 2022 Date: 04/03/2022 Time: 18:00 – 23:10 Venue: The ICC Division: GBCC Cost: Members: £150 +VAT Future Faces Members: £150 +VAT Non-members: £150 +VAT

West Midlands conference and events sector worth £2.3bn - report A new report into the economic impact of MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) has revealed that event delegates spent £2.3bn in the West Midlands in 2019.

Research carried out by RJS Associates for the West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC) shows that the region welcomed 10.1 million local, national and international delegates in 2019, the final year when business

events were not disrupted or affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

An estimated 105,000 MICE events took place, contributing to 14.5 million delegate days spent in the West Midlands. The region’s business tourism sector supports 65,000 full-time equivalent posts.

Findings from the report were unveiled at WMGC’s Future in the Making II partner event at the University of Birmingham’s new

event space, The Exchange. The research will provide a baseline for the Business and Tourism Programme (BATP), which has been developed to capitalise on the significant economic opportunities that the profile of the 2022 Commonwealth Games will bring.

Steve Knight, senior business tourism manager, WMGC, said: “Birmingham and the West Midlands is a modern, exciting

and diverse destination, which remains a firm favourite among domestic and global organisers and delegates, thanks in no small part to its range of world-class event venues and fantastic connectivity.

“This new research highlights that the meetings and events industry remains a crucial sector, both pre- and post-pandemic, for the West Midlands and the people who live and work here.”

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Apprenticeships, Skills & Training

Feature

What is a

degree apprenticeship? degree apprenticeship combines work with higher-level learning. The apprentice works for an employer, but must spend at least 20 per cent of their time in study or training with an apprenticeship training provider. Upon completion of their degree apprenticeship, the apprentice earns an undergraduate (or postgraduate) degree.

While the employer and training provider will work together to decide how the study/training will be delivered, the apprenticeship must follow apprenticeship standards, a set of frameworks developed and set out by employer groups known as ‘trail blazers’.

Degree apprentices must be 16 or over. They can be new or current employees – as well as bringing new talent into the company, degree apprenticeships are also a great way of upskilling current staff.

A

How to employ an apprentice To recruit a degree apprentice, an employer must first choose an apprenticeship standard. This will set out the skills, knowledge and behaviours required of the apprentices, as well as showing what an apprentice will be doing in their day-today job role.

Visit www.gov.uk/guidance/search-forapprenticeship-standards to search for an apprenticeship standard. Employers must then find a higher education provider to deliver the

apprenticeship. The provider must be on the Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers (RoATP), which lists the organisations approved to deliver apprenticeship training.

Committing to your apprentice The employer must sign both an apprenticeship agreement and a commitment statement.

The agreement explains what the employer will do for the apprentice, chiefly setting out: • The length of the degree apprenticeship • The terms and conditions of the apprenticeship • The set programme of learning and qualifications to be delivered.

The commitment statement must include: • Exactly what the employer, the education provider and the apprentice will do • The content, schedule and delivery of the degree programme • How the employer will deal with any queries or complaints from the apprentice.

Funding your degree apprentice As well as offering the apprentice a job that lasts long enough to cover the length of their degree apprenticeship, an employer must also pay at least the minimum wage for apprentices.

The government will cover the cost of the tuition through the apprenticeship levy; employers pay the levy at 0.5 per cent of their annual pay bill if the bill is over £3m.

Employers who pay into the levy are able to use their available levy funds to cover the tuition costs of their degree apprenticeships. The government also adds 10 per cent. Additionally, levy-paying employers can transfer some of their available levy funds to other employers, for example, to other businesses within their supply chain.

Those employers who don’t pay into the levy only pay 10 per cent of the tuition costs, directly to the higher education provider. The government pays the other 90 per cent of the costs.

The benefits of hiring a degree apprentice There are a number of benefits for both employers and employees. Many employers have expressed difficulties in finding the right recruits at graduate level; with a degree apprentice, they are able to train and develop a graduate to have exactly the right skills they need. An apprentice can help boost productivity and morale in the workplace, as well as providing fresh ideas and a new way of thinking.

Apprentices benefit from tailored training, onthe-job learning and an alternative route into higher education which may have been previously inaccessible to them.

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Institutes of Technology (IoTs) – Firm foundations for apprenticeship advancement

By Oliver Matthews, head of employer services at Solihull College nstitutes of Technology (IoTs) are collaborations between Further Education (FE) colleges, universities and employers. They specialise in delivering higher technical education and apprenticeships at levels 4 and 5 (equivalent to the first and second year of a degree), with a focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects, such as advanced manufacturing, construction and digital development(s).

IoTs are designed to help employers secure the skilled workforce that they need and meet the demand for personnel in much sought-after higher technical disciplines. They offer young people a clear path towards a rewarding career, and support those looking to reskill or upskill via a range of apprenticeship programmes, technical courses, and flexible learning options. By bridging these skills gaps, these new institutions will drive socio-economic growth and widen opportunity.

Gillian Keegan, minister for apprenticeships & skills (now minister for care & mental health) said: “Institutes of Technology are the pinnacle of technical education, helping to develop the highly-skilled talent pipeline

I

that employers will need for the future. By bringing together Further Education colleges, universities and businesses, Institutes of Technology are unique partnerships which will help to tackle skills shortages within vital sectors, from marine engineering to healthcare, cyber security to agri-tech. Institutes of Technology are also playing a vital role in our multibillion pound ‘Plan for Jobs’, which is helping to level up opportunities and support people to get the skills they need, to get good jobs as we recover from the pandemic.”

There are currently 12 IoTs across the country and we are delighted to confirm that the second ‘wave’ of IoTs have now been announced, taking the national total up to 21. The building work for the Greater Birmingham & Solihull (GBS) IoT Hub at Aston University is now nearing its completion, and its premises will serve as a fabulous resource for students and learners from across the region.

Andy Street, mayor of the West Midlands said: “The Greater Birmingham & Solihull Institute of Technology is all about two things: economic growth and prosperity. The Greater Birmingham & Solihull

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Institute of Technology is going to give us wonderful new skills in the sectors of the economy that are really growing fast here.”

The next stage of the hub’s development will include the installation of an Advanced Manufacturing Learning Factory, funded by the Department for Education and the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership, in collaboration with Festo Didactic and Siemens.

The GBS IoT consortium is led by Solihull College & University Centre, Aston University, Birmingham City University and South & City College Birmingham as members, and supported by BMet College, University College Birmingham and the University of Birmingham as partners.

National statistics show that nearly 100,000 (98,800) apprentices started a higher-level apprenticeship during the 20/21 academic year and with the cooperation of IoTs nationally, this figure will only increase.

Therefore, we would like to encourage employers to share their expertise of the sector and help to forge the curricula, or extend the offer of entirely voluntary ‘Supported Internships’ and T-Level placements, or life changing apprenticeship opportunities.

Anne-Marie Nolan, BEng Hons mechanical engineering design apprentice at Parker Hannifin, said: “After five successful years working within the oil and gas industry, I was headhunted by a representative from Parker Hannifin’s Engineered Materials Group. Upon receiving the offer to progress through a full degree via the apprenticeship route, I was nervous about returning to maths, but felt determined about a career in a STEM subject.

“Thanks to the support from Parker Hannifin and my tutors at Solihull College & University Centre, I have continued to build my confidence and now specialise as an account manager for the Fluid Power and Life Science markets.”

Whatever your industry or profession, businesses can experience multiple benefits from engaging in apprenticeships, as they enable you to grow your own workforce, reward progression and create an effective succession plan. Employees respond well to their employer investing in their future and return that investment with loyalty, professionalism and the desired knowledge, skills, and behaviours.

Referring apprenticeship vacancies to Solihull College & University Centre is free, thereby reducing your recruitment fees, and ongoing government incentives makes the sponsorship of apprenticeship training especially costeffective.

64 CHAMBERLINK February 2022

Let Shaw Care Look after you.

My name is Lorna, I am the founder of Shaw Care Services Ltd. With over 20 years' experience in the care industry, my goal is to provide quality care, at affordable prices.

Private care, without a private cost. I want all of my clients to feel valued, safe and happy with the care they receive from myself and my team.

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Apprenticeships, Skills & Training

Feature

Working in partnership with employers and providers to develop the skills businesses need 4 4 4 4

Open College Network West Midlands can work with you to: Quality endorse your organisations existing training delivery programmes Develop bespoke qualifications to meet your particular skill needs Develop and accredit customised training units to meet bespoke skill needs Accredit any existing internal training delivery programmes

Get in touch with us today!

February 2022 CHAMBERLINK 65

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Feature

Green Business

Water safety specialists Nant Limited are ready to build on their growing reputation for service excellence as they engage with new clients in 2022.

Operating since 1994, Nant Ltd are an award-winning Legionella Control and Water Safety business located in the heart of the West Midlands.

Sustained success over the past decade has led to growth and development making Nant the very best in its field for clients.

No matter whether the client’s business is large or small, Nant show expertise and an attention to detail which delivers time after time.

Providing top quality service, Nant Ltd offers a range of water safety services and products. With clients across the UK, Nant provide innovative systems to ensure water supplies are as safe and secure as possible.

Clients include leading care home groups, as well as commercial premises for wellknown brands including The Gym Group, the Café Rouge restaurant group and luxury hotel chain Harbour Hotels.

A new generation of management are leading the business to greater success, expanding already into new services such as gas services as they look to benefit

customers through continual improvement.

Nant have five core aims: delivering customer excellence; building collaborative relationships; taking a proactive approach in the customer’s best interests; innovating through technology; and managing and developing our talented people.

Managing Director Carl Baker said: “We have ambitious plans to shape and execute an exciting journey. Nant has a reputation across the West Midlands and within our industry for consistently providing a high standard of service and customer care.

management, planning, risk assessment and usage of resource assisted blue-chip clients through to smaller business owners with the reopening of properties, and compliance with the required guidance.

With a bright future being shaped, Nant will be delivering new success for clients as they continue to deliver excellence across their growing business.

“We expect 2022 to be a crucial year in our journey, building on 28 years of success to continue to exceed our client expectations through our talented people.”

During the Covid pandemic, Nant has ensured client compliance, whilst working around the constraints of successive lockdowns and restrictions. Effective

T: 01902 636355 W: nantltd.co.uk 66 CHAMBERLINK February 2022

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Green Business

Feature

Why your

business needs to

go green By the Volt-Age EV Charging Team

nvironmentalism has its roots in Europe, when visionaries like Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson proposed that nature has a spiritual element, transcending human utility.

This belief earned these men the title, transcendentalists.

In the early 1800s, transcendentalism suffered under the ravages of the industrial revolution, as unrestrained use of coal and reckless deforestation by timber barons became the order of the day.

Fortunately, focus on the environment would later revive when voices from environmentalists such as John Muir and Gifford Pinchot, and the idea of responsible companies would grow.

This was before the American economist, Howard Bowen coined the term corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Regardless, sustainability was a tool by some large establishments to further their PR agenda.

But that is no longer the case. What changed?

Legislation and fast-changing public opinion have transformed environmental consciousness.

They are now a defining factor in achieving a competitive edge and continuity as a business.

Perhaps the growing effects of global warming are playing a huge role, but whatever the case, it is no longer only about caring for the environment to look better, but also survival as a business.

Ernst & Young lists future legislation and associated costs as among the top ten risks to businesses in the coming years.

Establishments will legally be required to reduce their emissions significantly, and this will impact the availability and cost of power.

Nonetheless, consumers have become more attracted to a business that cares about the environment and works to reduce harm to the planet.

E

The various benefits of going green include the following.

Enhances your brand image Going green can manifest in various ways, such as recycling or reducing utility costs.

But whatever route your company takes, sustainability has become a status symbol and beneficial to your brand. Only the truly established and responsible businesses earn a seat at the table of the truly green, and this comes with its fringe benefits.

For example, Honda has become synonymous with a truly green auto manufacturer, and Dell, with its recycling program, is ahead of the pack in the electronics industry.

According to consumer research, customers are up to 58 per cent more likely to purchase from an organization mindful of its impact on society and the environment.

The Natural Marketing Institute study further shows consumers don’t mind paying 20 per cent more for environmentally-friendly goods and services. People love companies that care about their surroundings and associate them with ethical behaviour.

Boosts the morale of your employees The benefit of going green extends to the workforce.

Employees appreciate working for a business that cares about the environment and making real changes to society. Research shows that 52 per cent of employees believe their company should be environmentally conscious.

A company “doing the right thing” has better opportunities to land the top cream from the job market. People are increasingly associating sustainability with an ethical corporate culture and the best place to work.

Towards that goal, find ways to innovate and establish sustainability within the workplace and enrich the lives of the local community. The overall effect is improved morale and productivity as employees feel they’re making a difference and achieving a real purpose.

Improve business efficiency Sustainability involves reducing energy consumption and costs and earning incentives from the efforts, which are ingredients for business efficiency.

Reduced energy usage will translate to reduced costs and better savings on resources. Business operations will improve as the organization focuses on more important matters.

On the other hand, different governments have introduced or are introducing various incentives to encourage sustainability. These rebates and incentives go a long way into reducing the cost of doing business and recouping some of the capital spent on going green.

Benefit customer relations When a company adopts sustainable ideals, it attracts an ever-growing group of eco-conscious buyers.

Various studies show that organizations that highly regard the environment are highly attractive to the consumers and earn a higher level of loyalty.

People are more likely to regard environmentally-friendly businesses as trustworthy than those without sustainability initiatives.

Consumers can therefore relate better with your company and become loyal.

In addition to government legislation changes and potential long-term cost-savings, these are just a few reasons why so many businesses have already embraced going green. Is 2022 the year for your business to go green?

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Feature

Green Business

Reducing your business’ carbon footprint ByJagjeet Kudhail, director of EV Total Solutions and Specialist Vehicle Rental here is much talk about carbon offset and net zero and how all responsible businesses and their proprietors should be decarbonising to help save our planet. Equally there is also much evidence and a very real and urgent need to slow down and over time stop the damage being caused by the greenhouse gas emissions that we are all producing.

The government has a Net Zero Strategy, that sets out how the UK will deliver on its commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050 and this includes a 10 Point Plan:

T

• • • • • • • • • •

Advancing offshore wind Driving the growth of low carbon hydrogen Delivering new and advanced nuclear power Accelerating the shift to zero emission vehicles Green public transport, cycling and walking ‘Jet zero’ and green ships Greener buildings Investing in carbon capture, usage, and storage Protecting our natural environment Green finance and innovation.

There are grants available to help support these initiatives and websites www.gov.uk/guidance/find-funding-to-helpyour-business-become-greener with information and advice on hand to help us understand what we can all do to help achieve the overall goal.

Clearly like all things in life, when looking at the 10 Point Plan, somethings are easier to do and achieve than others. But where to start?

Especially when businesses are still either reeling from, or learning to operate in a world that is still amid a somewhat unpredictable pandemic.

Point four of the plan is an obvious starting 68 CHAMBERLINK February 2022

point and one that within reason is doable and something that we can all contribute towards.

We are all aware that more and more electrically powered vehicles ‘cars and vans’ are coming onto the market, and we have all read that the potential range that can be achieved on one charge is increasing. However, the infrastructure for recharging is still in its relative infancy and planning a journey whether that be a one-off long-distance journey, or a daily round robin trip, that involves several stops, is something that needs to be considered and is essential to avoid range anxiety.

‘We are all aware that more and more electrically powered vehicles ‘cars and vans’ are coming onto the market’ However, the good news is that not only is this move from fossil fuel to electric power good for the environment, if managed professionally and intelligently, it can also help a business save money. Whilst the vehicles themselves when compared to their fossil fuelled equivalents are more expensive, the overall running costs which includes the finance packages are lower.

Dependant upon the size of a company’s fleet and the type and mix of vehicles on the fleet, it makes sense to work with a specialist provider who can help assess the business’s overall needs.

This will include looking at vehicle type, range requirements and access to charging.

EV Solutions Ltd evtotalsolutions.com together with its sister company Specialist Vehicle Rental can benefit your company by

providing a free of charge assessment and report on what your business needs to transition from a fossil fuelled fleet to an electric vehicle fleet.

The report will include a vehicle replacement plan that is based on your business’s data and your business’s needs. The solution will combine flexible long-term leases on Electric Vehicles combined with the necessary charging infrastructure required to support your office locations, drivers’ homes, trips and journeys. The report will detail vehicle costs as well as infrastructure deployment to become zero emission compliant.

EV Solutions conduct Site Network capacity studies to determine current capacity of inbound power supply and will assess the electricity grid to determine if the supply is currently constrained, in need of an upgrade or suitable for installation of EV charger network. EV solutions will also assess charge point availability and speed of charge accessible within your business’s geographical operating footprint.

Companies often find that after EV Solutions have carried out their analysis, the senior management team discover potential operating efficiencies that would otherwise have remained unknown.

One of the other challenges at the moment when making this change and switching a fleet’s vehicles from existing to new, is accommodating the often-long-term and unknown delivery date for the new vehicles to arrive. This is where Specialist Vehicle Rental can step in and support the transition by providing short to medium term lease and hire vehicles for the interim period.

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Green Business

Feature

T: 01327 366 900 E: info@fletchbiz.co.uk W: fletchbiz.co.uk

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Sector Focus

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Business Travel

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Business Travel

Sector Focus

Sector Focus The latest news from the sectors that matter to business

Swift extended to drivers A new parking app has been developed by Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) to offer better value for drivers and aid in beating traffic congestion.

The app is an add on to ‘Swift’, well known as the travel card used for paying for buses, trams and trains in the West Midlands – but it is now available to pay for parking too.

The Swift parking app can be used at 35 car parks across the region, including 29 in Dudley, four in Coventry, Bromsgrove railway station and Longbridge Park and Ride car park.

‘We had no hesitation in adopting Swift across our car parks’ Like other private operators’ parking apps, Swift allows motorists to use their smartphone as a convenient alternative to paying by card or cash. But unlike others, there is no surcharge for using the Swift option.

Features include checking opening times and charges before travelling, extending parking time remotely and electronic receipts and to date more than 2,000 people have signed up to the app.

The Swift smart travel payment range has been developed and is operated by Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), which is part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).

Dudley councillor Karen Shakespeare said: “We had no hesitation in adopting Swift across our car parks and it has proved popular for users.

“It could also enable us to show motorists better ways to visit Dudley – especially as we are witnessing a transport revolution with the new Metro tram line under construction, a new bus interchange station and more rapid bus services on the way.”

Councillor Kath Hartley, who chairs the WMCA’s transport delivery committee, said: “As the region’s one-stop travel card Swift is proving a success.

“Now it can even be used to pay for parking at a growing number of places, including Dudley and the new Longbridge multi-storey car park, offering motorists better value and convenience.”

UVA partners with NEC Group The NEC Group has signed a multiyear agreement with e-hailing based taxi service UVA. The deal sees UVA named as the business’ official ‘e-hailing’ partner, working within the Group’s various venues, including Utilita Arena Birmingham and Resorts World Arena. As part of the agreement, Utilita Arena Birmingham’s main hospitality area will be renamed as the UVA Lounge.

UVA CEO Darren Ward said: “We’re thrilled to partner with two of the most recognisable arenas in the UK to develop a collaborative customer focused experience.

“This partnership will provide not only a safe and comfortable experience for our customers, but also great value travel for all. The creation of the UVA Lounge will provide an unrivalled and unforgettable experience for our very own UVA Local Hero programme.”

Search is on for station builder

Richard Burnett (pictured) has stepped down as chief executive of the Road Haulage Association (RHA).

Mr Burnett has worked for the RHA for the past seven years and has been credited with transforming the organisation, as well as increasing its membership and growing its profile.

Mr Burnett said: “After seven unforgettable years as the RHA’s chief exec, I have decided it is time for me to step down.

“It’s been a challenging time for so many reasons and I have given all my energy to representing our members and the industry as a whole, but now feel ready for a new challenge.

“I’m incredibly proud to have led the transformation of the RHA during my time here, creating the strong and diverse association we see today.”

The search is under way to find a construction partner to build three new railway stations on the Camp Hill line in Birmingham.

The £61m project will see Moseley, Kings Heath and Hazelwell stations constructed and ready for the return of passenger services on the Camp Hill line in Birmingham.

Shortlisted construction firms have been officially invited to tender for the contract which is expected to be awarded in the Spring.

Funding for the stations was agreed earlier this year with the WMCA providing £36m towards the cost, £20m from the Department for Transport (DfT) and the remaining £5m from Birmingham City Council’s clean air zone fund.

Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), which is part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), is leading the project which will offer the residents of south Birmingham an alternative to the traffic jams on Alcester Road for their city centre commute.

West Midlands mayor Andy Street said: “With the funding in place, planning permissions granted, and some of the essential

On track: What the Moseley station will look like

clearance work completed, I am delighted that we can now press ahead to find a contractor to get these three new stations on the Camp Hill line built.

“Once we find our contractor it will be full steam ahead to get these stations built and ready to welcome passengers on the line for the first time in 80 years.”

City council leader Ian Ward added: “The communities along the Camp Hill line have waited a long time to see these stations being built and will be encouraged to see progress being made with the first spades in the ground next year.”

The Camp Hill line stations closed to passengers during the Second World War and the line is currently only used by freight or through services but early preparation and clearance work has already been carried out at Moseley and construction work on the new stations is expected to start this year.

With the new stations, commuters from Hazelwell station in Stirchley for example will have a 14-minute journey into the city centre by rail compared to a peak time journey by car of up to 45 minutes.

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Sector Focus

Finance

Sponsored by: BOOST&Co

Borrowing set to fall

Principal Matt Vincent

2022: The year to turbo-charge business growth With the New Year now well underway, businesses across the Midlands have been sharing exciting, aspirational plans for 2022 with us at BOOST&Co. The renewed sense of optimism despite ongoing political, Brexit and Covid-19 uncertainty is hugely encouraging.

The past two years have been volatile for businesses for a range of reasons, but we are seeing genuine determination from management teams to make the next 12 months a period of significant growth and tangible progress.

Although we have seen and funded an array of deals during the past 18 months, our appetite to support fastgrowth, innovative SMEs hasn’t abated and there remains a plethora of capital in the market to support strong management teams in achieving their goals.

BOOST&Co views the Midlands as an engine of growth for the UK economy, so if you think that growth capital could be the key to unlocking your 2022 potential, then we would be delighted to speak with you.

BOOST&Co offers term loans ranging from £1m to £10m for businesses turning over £2m or more and operates across a wide range of sectors. It has funded more than £500m across more than 130 deals to date and provided close to £200m under the government’s CBILS initiative to support SMEs during Covid-19.

To discuss the options for your Midlands business, reach out to Matt Vincent on 07761 744 755 or matt@boostandco.com

72 CHAMBERLINK February 2022

UK business borrowing is on course to fall sharply as firms pay off existing debt far faster than predicted, according to the latest EY Item Club financial services forecast.

The economic forecaster has estimated that bank lending to UK businesses will have fallen to minus £1.6bn during 2021, down from £35.5bn net being lent in the year before, before picking back up again this year with growth of 2.4 per cent (£11bn net).

This is a reversal of a forecast last May, when the economic outlook at the time suggested firms would borrow a further £19bn in net terms this year to help them through the pandemic.

‘The UK financial system remains resilient and well capitalised’ Covid did trigger a surge in corporate borrowing, but after an initial spike when firms took out loans largely for precautionary measures, many – especially larger corporates – have paid off their liabilities and strengthened their balance sheets.

Lending via credit cards and personal loans is also set to go into negative territory, falling another 0.7 per cent on top of 2020’s 9.8 per cent decline. This equates to a £1.4bn fall in the stock of consumer credit, as households have made more repayments

than in pre-pandemic times and have used savings over loans at a greater rate.

One area of spending was the housing market, with mortgage lending rising by four per cent in 2021 – the fastest increase since 2007 – boosted by the stamp duty holiday.

Continuing uncertainty surrounding Covid could affect the forecast going forward, though.

Martina Neary, head of financial services at EY in the Midlands, said: “The UK wide economic recovery over the spring and summer was thankfully faster and stronger than many anticipated.

“The housing market remained resilient, boosted by the stamp duty holiday, and consumers and businesses – especially larger corporates – were able to make bigger inroads than expected into paying off debt.

“The UK financial system remains resilient and well capitalised, making it well equipped to continue to support consumers and firms across the UK. “This, along with the continued focus from government on the levelling up agenda, should aid regions like the Midlands (which in many cases have been more adversely hit by the pandemic) with their ongoing recovery.

“The overarching outlook is one of increasing positivity, but we should maintain a level of caution.”

Insolvencies skyrocket as pandemic takes toll

Eddie Williams: Businesses giving up on surviving Covid

Corporate insolvencies are now at their highest level in almost three years, according to monthly figures from the government’s Insolvency Service.

The number of insolvent businesses in England and Wales rose by 18.7 per cent in December to 1,674 compared to October’s total of 1,410, and increased by 87.9 per cent compared to November 2020’s figure of 891.

According to the Midlands branch of insolvency and restructuring body R3, these statistics indicate that a growing number of company directors are

choosing to close their businesses because they feel that survival is impossible in the current climate.

R3 Midlands chair Eddie Williams, a partner at PwC in Birmingham, said: “The monthly increase in corporate insolvencies has been driven by a rise in creditor voluntary liquidations (CVLs) to the highest number in more than twoand-a-half years.

“This suggests that a growing number of directors have been unable to combat the economic and financial obstacles thrust upon them by the pandemic and have closed their companies down.

“Times continue to be tough for local businesses, not least over the last few weeks, as they have been hit by the triple whammy of increased costs, supply chain issues and rising Covid cases.

“We urge any director who is worried about their company to take professional advice as soon as possible. Seeking it at an early, rather than later, stage provides more solutions, more time and, potentially, better outcomes.

“Many R3 members offer a free consultation to those who are looking for help with their business’s finances and want to explore their options.”

Midlands firms secure investment Businesses in the Midlands attracted £241m in Venture Capital (VC) investment in Q3 of 2021 - raised across 27 deals.

According to KPMG’s latest Venture Pulse Survey, the type of financing seen in the deals were split between early-stage VC (37 per cent), later stage VC (22 per cent), angel (19 per cent) and seed round (22 per cent).

The most significant investments in the Midlands in Q3 included Birmingham-based Onto, developer of an electric car subscription platform (£180m raised), Easol, developer of business/productivity software based in Walsall (£17m raised) and regenerative medicine platform developer Locate Bio from Nottingham (£12m raised).

KPMG’s Stuart Pilgrim said: “Businesses across the Midlands have shown great resilience and innovation to not only survive the pandemic, but to also attract this much investment.

“It’s clear that tech and tech-enabled businesses are very appealing to investors, and I expect this to continue for the foreseeable, especially as our region is home to lots of high quality scaleups.”

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Finance

Sector Focus

Financial boost as crowds return Warwickshire County Cricket Club has released substantially improved financial results, for the year ending 30 September 2021, following the safe return of crowds.

Edgbaston’s successful bid for a men’s Test match between England and New Zealand, which was subsequently named as the first Stage 2 event of the Government’s Events Research Programme (ERP), helped contribute to a 54 per cent year-on-year increase in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) of £2.8m.

Turnover at, £17.6 million was £6mi (52 per cent) higher compared to 2020, in which all matches were played behind closed doors, whilst operating profit increased by 330 per cent to £1,207,994.

Craig Flindall, chief operating officer at Warwickshire CCC, said: “This latest financial year was transformed by our successful bid for England men’s Test match versus New Zealand and then both the Test Match and One Day International being part of the Government’s research programme investigating the safe return of fans to major events.

“Major match revenues represent the primary driver of income for the Club and 2021 was initially budgeted as a modest year in which no Test match was scheduled, as part of the 31-day allocation of fixtures that the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) awarded to Edgbaston in 2018 for the 2020 to 2024 programme.

“The Hundred also proved to incredibly popular in its first season, with two of the four games selling out and Birmingham Phoenix

Stuart Cain: Sporting blueprint

men’s and women’s team finishing second and third in their respective competitions.

“Looking forward, we have already sold out five of our seven men’s Major Match days in 2022. Hosting the eight-day women’s T20i tournament in the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games is also a unique opportunity that will keep Edgbaston at the centre of the sporting world.”

“We believe that our 2021 experience has

created a blueprint for how many sporting events will operate in the future,” said Warwickshire CCC chief executive Stuart Cain.

“The introduction of our app in 2021 allowed spectators to enter through tickets on their phone and order food and drink, with a delivery to seat option for disabled spectators. Further investment in the app will continue in in the coming years as we strive to create one of the best spectator experiences in the world.”

Firms urged to plan for R&D tax reform Midlands business leaders may need to rethink their tax and innovation strategy, after the government confirmed the introduction of new research and development tax relief rules.

The new rules were first announced in the last Budget, according to new research by accountancy firm BDO. The firm’s ‘Rethinking the Economy’ survey revealed that a significant proportion of Midlands businesses will be impacted by the announcement, which aims to target abuse of the system, improve compliance and drive UK innovation.

Experts warned that without forward planning and a holistic tax strategy, the new rules could have a substantial implication on business cashflow.

BDO partner Ross Northall said: “At a policy level, it makes sense that the government are seeking to onshore R&D, enhance UK innovation and better police genuine UK R&D but, practically, business leaders need a plan.

“The 90 per cent of Midlands businesses with overseas R&D will

Ross Northall: Business leaders need a plan for tax relief changes

need to consider modelling the impact of these tax changes on their R&D claim.

“This will allow them to truly understand the net cost of innovation for future R&D now the detail has been announced. Of course, the greatest cost to UK Plc could be that businesses invest less in R&D overall, as they’re not able to transfer the current level of investment into the UK.” BDO tax director Claire Hudson said: “Companies need to take a strategic approach and consider the detail of these changes and whether a restructure is required.”

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Chamberlink ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

The real cost of recruiting nurses overseas Detailed calculations and comparison An overseas nurse in the UK

Article by Liza Moroz The Covid19 pandemic combined with the effect of Brexit heavily impacted the care sector, causing severe staff shortages. Traditionally the UK healthcare sector relies on foreign workers to fill about 15% of the positions, and the care industry may use the same path to find quality talent from abroad. Still, for many recruitment and home managers, overseas recruitment remains a complex operation related to too much uncertainty, especially regarding its cost. In this article, we will try to answer how much it costs to hire an overseas nurse.

FINDING THE RIGHT PEOPLE Finding the right people could be complex and cost your organisation a lot of effort and time.

Unless the organisation has dedicated personnel who deal with the task, you may seek external help from agencies who will connect with the right candidates. The fee often is equal to one month salary, starting at about £2K to £3.5K. Issuing the Visa will cost, £232 plus a TB health check for £55. To transport then to UK the place ticket will cost around £500-£700 depending on the country of origin.

GETTING LICENSED The primary and more complex step is getting the Certificate of Sponsorship that covers four years of sponsorship but could be extended.

Under this license, the employer may recruit for all their roles, and the chosen recruits are getting their visa to come and work under a multiyear contract. The cost of the Certificate of Sponsorship is £536 for small businesses and charities and £1,476 for medium and large organisations.

Additionally, the government charges Sponsors an Immigration skills fee for each overseas employee. The sum depends again on the size of the organisation and the length of the contract.

• small or charitable organisations pay £364 for the first year and £182 for every additional six months after • medium and large organisations pay £1000 for the first year and £500 for every additional six months after.

MANDATORY TRAINING Upon arrival overseas nurses have a strict timeline to cover the mandatory UK training and take exams: three months for OSCE and CBT, six months for OET. In total, candidates have eight months to obtain their PIN and become Registered nurses. When an employer pays for these courses, OET and OSCE may cost between 74 CHAMBERLINK February 2022

£1000 to £2000 each depending on length, personalisation, and quality of the coaching.

The actual exam also costs you as CBT is £130, OET £315 and £794 for OSCE. It is important to know that during the period of training, candidate nurses can work limited hours under supervision. The employer has an obligation to provide time for study and the opportunity to attend the exams.

OTHER RELATED COSTS NMC Application Fee of £140 is paid to Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) when a new nurse applies to the register. Upon receiving the PIN another £153 are paid to the same organisation.

Health Surcharge Fees of £200 per year are paid for access to free NHS healthcare.

Recruiting foreign personnel also increases the time load on people dealing with HR, compliance, and welfare as it will require monitoring, reporting and regular counselling. The whole process is time-consuming and requires specific knowledge. The sum of all related indirect costs will affect your bottom line with an additional £300 to £500 as working hours.

to selection, transportation, training and registration are covered entirely by the candidates during the initial period of their training in the UK. When introduces to the employers they are already Registered nurses ready to work.

In this case, the main expenditure will remain the licence and paying the compulsory government charge. The cooperation with QAQF will also reduce the indirect cost offering Legal, Compliance and Welfare support to the trainees before they settle successfully in the country.

QAQF partners with UK care and nursery homes in recruiting talent from all over the world directly from our training courses avoiding complications and reducing the related costs more than half.

DRAWING THE LINE After adding up all the related costs, the total sum may reach an impressive number over £10K. It could be 'money well spent' to guarantee long-term employment and access to a broader talent pool for some organisations. The cost will also spread if the organisation recruits and trains more nurses at the same time.

With Agent

With QAQF Difference

Approx.

Summary of costs 10.6K 3.9K

62%

Still, the cost is significant, and can be reduced with the QAQF Discover – Train Deploy scheme, by an astonishing 62% as the expenses related

Liza Moroz (pictured) is part of QAQF BD Department. She likes connecting with people, solving problems and finding new opportunities.

You can connect with Liza for more information about Discover – Ttrain Deploy via elisaveta.moroz@qaqf.co.uk

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Technology Richard Hale: Beware of Chinese doorbells

IT firm supports local charity Birmingham-based IT support business Kalamazoo has pledged to support a local charity.

For every new customer that signs up to use Kalamazoo’s managed IT services, the firm will donate £100 to The Giles’ Trust.

The Giles’ Trust Brain Tumour Fund was set up in 2015 by former England cricketer Ashley Giles and his wife, Stine, to raise money for vital brain tumour research at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.

Since then, the Giles’ Trust has raised more than £750,000.

Internet doorbells create a security risk A digital forensics expert with significant experience of working with law enforcement and government agencies says that UK consumer reliance on Chinese-made internet devices, such as video doorbells, are creating ‘back doors’ into the country’s national security.

Richard Hale, senior lecturer and course director of Digital Forensics at Birmingham City University, spoke after the new head of MI6 Richard Moore warned recently of China’s ‘debt traps and data traps’.

Mr Hale said: “China is absolutely a country of concern when it comes to hacking, data harvesting and the use of their technology in our personal and professional infrastructures here in the UK. “Internet of Things (IoT) devices – eg hardware which uses Wi-Fi to communicate - bought by many of us are often produced in China with corresponding data centres also residing there.

“One example might be how many video doorbells now exist in the UK, how many are produced by Chinese companies, and therefore how many video transmissions and recordings are routed through Chinese servers.

“We assume that these video feeds, which link to

remote servers and app or web portals, are fully encrypted and that no one can view or download the feed.

“However, any third party such as the manufacturer, could theoretically access the video, and the audio functions including listening to conversations of people close by.

“Could external parties have eyes in hundreds or thousands of locations without having to tap into professional CCTV run by local authorities? Or alternatively, could a third party also disable feeds giving a no video surveillance’ corridor?

“We’ve already seen UK law enforcement using video doorbells and other private CCTV to aid in investigations. Flipping that process to suit more nefarious ambitions could open the country up very easily.

“Good practice when purchasing any of these devices starts with the brand. Do your research, look for confirmation of a privacy policy.

“Is your data encrypted, who has access to it, and is 2FA (two-factor authentication) on offer?

“Consumers must practice good password hygiene and when camera apps ask for location information, it is sensible to deny the request.”

Green energy business secures growth investment Birmingham-based energy efficiency business Grid Edge has secured £2m of funding from a number of investors.

The company – which advises the property sector on how to make buildings more energy efficient – has received the investment from Bp Ventures, Goldacre and Aston University.

The new funding will help the business grow during the next 18-24 months. It will enable the company to reach more customers, develop new products and further grow its skilled team.

Tom Anderson, co-founder at Grid Edge, said: “This funding round further strengthens our collaboration with Bp, Goldacre and Aston University,

Sector Focus

‘Optimising energy demand to reach net zero is now an essential requirement for businesses’ who have shown equal ambitions in accelerating the growth of Grid Edge.

“Optimising energy demand to reach net zero is now an essential requirement for businesses. We are proud to provide many leading companies with predictive AI technology to reduce energy consumption and save money.”

Backing to improve Wise’s offering A technology firm that produces software to help the self-employed has received new backing from a private investment business.

The tech firm is Wise, which has an office in Solihull. Wise has developed software which is used by more than 250 logistics firms and some 14,000 self-employed drivers to manage everything from ‘onboarding’ (the process of preliminary training for new hires) to document storage and compliance.

The firm has enjoyed rapid growth since it was founded two years ago, and this is set to continue following a move by private investment firm Inflexion to take a minority stake in the business.

Wise employs a team of 50 in Solihull and London, and its technology is used by by a network of ‘last-mile’ delivery providers who work with carriers such as Amazon, DPD, Hermes and others.

Wise chief executive Simon Hills said: "Since founding Wise, we've been on a truly incredible journey.

“We've brought together a team of 50 talented individuals and built a business we're all proud of. Now, with this investment from Inflexion, we're excited to move on to the next stage of the Wise journey.

“We'll continue to improve the technology for our existing clients while we roll out our intuitive platform to a variety of new sectors.”

Simon Turner, managing partner of Inflexion, said: “In a short space of time, Wise has established itself as an emerging champion catering to the growing demand from the intersection of self-employment and last-mile logistics.

“An explosive e-commerce market combined with Wise’s marketleading offering make the business extremely well placed to continue its impressive growth.”

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Sector Focus

Legal

Legal sector remains strong Law firms have shown increased resilience as demand for legal services remained strong throughout the pandemic, with 81 per cent of UK firms recording financial results which have beaten their expectations.

This is according to new research from audit, tax, advisory and risk firm Crowe.

The research showed that the sector’s resilience had been underpinned by strong average revenue growth of 5.9 per cent (7.2 per cent for the city; 3.8 per cent for regional firms), while average profit per equity partner (PEP) rose for most firms, by a massive 17 per cent for city firms and an even bigger 28 per cent for those in the regions.

Half of city firms saw an increase in PEP of more than 10

per cent, while three quarters of regional firms saw an increase of more than 10 per cent.

Ross Prince, professional practices partner at Crowe, said: “Cost control was a key theme over the past year, particularly for regional firms. Looking ahead, it will be interesting to monitor which costs are embedded efficiencies versus those windfall savings that are unsustainable and may not be carried forward.

“A stark contrast in headcount numbers reinforces the regional focus on cutting costs. The all-city firm headcount grew across all headline categories – partners, fee earners and support teams – while regional firms saw headcount fall, suggesting either previous excess capacity or potential caution over future workload.”

Crowe’s research showed that firms viewed issues such as ‘culture and values’ and ‘work-life balance’ as key factors for existing and potential employees, alongside salary.

‘Cost control was a key theme over the past year’ Other key issues deemed to be important included retention of key staff, which was cited by all respondents as a high priority, and health and wellbeing.

Mr Prince added: “While 2021 has seen strong performances from city and regional law firms, managing partners will be kept busy dealing with new and emerging risks throughout 2022.

“The current focus on people matters is just the tip of the iceberg – we see talent management and employee wellbeing and satisfaction as key trends to monitor for the year ahead.”

In terms of external risk factors, price competition in the legal market was the top concern, with 80 per cent expecting price competition to increase significantly and almost three quarters (73 per cent) saying that a law firm’s brand will be a significant factor in winning new clients amid this price squeeze.

Despite these risks, law firms remain bullish about 2022, with 82 per cent of regional firms, indicating a very positive or positive outlook for their firm, dropping slightly to 71 per cent for sentiment around the broader legal market.

Shoosmiths earn panel spots

Barker Brettell partner retires

Shoosmiths has been appointed to two of housebuilder Taylor Wimpey’s legal panels.

It is the only firm to secure a place on the builder’s legal roster in England and Wales, and Scotland.

The two panels commenced last month and will last for three years.

Shoosmiths’ appointment is on a full-service basis, with the firm able to provide legal support on matters including core real estate, planning, strategic land, construction and regulatory.

The England and Wales panel bid was led by Shoosmiths’ living sector team, headed up by partner Catherine Williams.

Catherine Williams, partner and head of Shoosmiths’ living sector, said: “Taylor Wimpey is one of the UK’s leading housebuilders.

A former managering partner of patent attorney Barker Brettell has retired after 44 years at the firm.

Priscilla Makovski joined the firm as a trainee in 1977, and was managing partner between 2009 and 2018, a period in which Barker Brettell saw its turnover double.

John Lawrence, senior partner at Barker Brettell, said: “Cilla has been the bedrock of Barker Brettell for more than 40 years and we are very much indebted to her enormous influence in making the firm what it is today.

“She introduced the firm to, and navigated it through, new technologies and working practices, and supported us all through our greatest challenges. Cilla did all this while maintaining the firm’s heart as a friendly and fair place.”

Catherine Williams: Residential expertise

“Securing a spot on both of its legal panels is a major vote of confidence in Shoosmiths’ residential development expertise and we are incredibly proud to join its roster.

“We’re looking forward to building our partnership with Taylor Wimpey and helping its team to create new homes and communities.

“Shoosmiths’ living sector team was founded on cross-firm collaboration and the ability to deliver our specialist residential development expertise across our UK footprint.

“Taylor Wimpey appointing the firm to both of its legal panels across its development regions is testament to that national strategy.”

Shoosmiths is the only new addition to Taylor Wimpey’s legal panels, with a total of four law firms appointed in Scotland and seven in England and Wales.

Lawyer lends expertise to uni

Annabel Kay: Dementia expert

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Academics researching human rights for those affected by dementia are working with one of the Midlands’ top legal experts on Court of Protection issues for vulnerable people.

Annabel Kay, who works in the Wills and Estates team at Thursfields Solicitors, is working with Professor Dawn Brooker and her team at the Association of Dementia Studies, at the University of Worcester.

Ms Kay specialises in deputyship

work for those who have lost mental capacity through trauma or clinical negligence and who have been awarded extensive damages.

Ms Kay, who is head of Court of Protection and vulnerable client services at Thursfields, said: “I have been collaborating with two academics at the University of Worcester in the last academic year.

“I have contributed to the module on citizenship and empowerment on their post graduate qualification in dementia

care. I have also contributed to the module on dementia and health care and end of life care.

“I love this collaboration, as I enjoy doing anything which sparks discussion, confronts difficult issues and raises awareness.”

Professor Brooker at the University of Worcester said: “We’ve been really impressed with Annabel’s contributions, as it benefits our research and teaching to have input from a lawyer who deals with real world issues about dementia.”

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Legal

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Sector Focus

Property

CDL to develop iconic Octagon landmark

Canalside investment: The recently sold Victorian building on Ludgate Hill

Historic former bar sold for £1.5m A Victorian building that used to contain a popular canalside bar and restaurant in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter has been sold for £1,534,000 in a major investment deal.

Siddall Jones, the top Birmingham commercial property consultants, handled the sale of 21 Ludgate Hill on behalf of its private company client to a UK-based investor.

The freehold property, with a vacant ground floor bar and restaurant that was formerly Stirlings Bar & Lounge, and five vacant flats on its upper floors.

Built in the 1850s, the red brick building has three storeys and a basement and is on the banks of the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal.

Ed Siddall-Jones, managing director of Siddall Jones, said: “This stunning Victorian building is a great example of an externally unaltered canalside works on a corner site.

“For many years and until recently it was a popular bar and restaurant, and with five spacious apartments above it offers a substantial investment opportunity to the new owner.

The sale of 21 Ludgate Hill follows the recent £1.5m sale of Carlton House in Kidderminster and more than £7.25m of properties exchanging or completing for the company during December.

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Singapore-based property firm City Developments Limited (CDL) has been announced as the investor and developer of Birmingham’s 49-storey Octagon residential tower, claimed to be the world’s tallest octagonal residential skyscraper.

The £110m building will be 509 feet, which will also make it Birmingham’s tallest building when it is completed in 2025.

The team leading the Paradise Birmingham project, MEPC, will remain as the development manager of the building.

Neil McGinty, UK development director at CDL, said: “We are delighted to collaborate with MEPC to develop the visionary Octagon residential tower, which will transform Birmingham’s skyline.

Rob Groves, regional development director, MEPC, said: “Attracting an investor of the reputation and quality of CDL is a major coup for Paradise and Birmingham.

“Octagon is a game-changer for the city’s skyline and to now have spades in the ground brings us closer to realising our vision for a unique, world-class building right in the heart of Birmingham.

“From day one, our ambition with Octagon has been simple – to build one of the finest apartment schemes ever seen in the UK.

“With further landmark buildings to follow at Paradise, along with the new public realm that will knit Paradise and the wider city centre together, we continue to create a new piece of the city for the people of Birmingham.”

Hertfordshire-based Midgard, the main contractor, has been awarded a 44-month contract to demolish the existing 77 Paradise Circus Queensway office building and build the Octagon.

Midgard has a lot of experience with tall buildings, including towers in and around Canary Wharf in London and in Greater Manchester.

The firm will install a monster 179-metre tower crane on site to help build the Octagon, which will be the tallest tower crane ever used in the city. It is the same height as the Gherkin in London, or twice the height of the Statue of Liberty.

Octagon will have 370 one, two and threebedroom flats, including a number of affordable homes, together with communal space, concierge and resident amenities.

At almost two million square feet, Paradise is delivering up to ten new flagship buildings including Octagon, offering offices, shops, bars, cafés, restaurants and a hotel across 17 acres in the heart of the city.

BTR development tops out Birmingham’s largest ‘build-to-rent’ (BTR) development outside the city core has topped out.

City council leader Ian Ward joined Patrizia - owner and developer of the scheme next to Edgbaston Stadium - to mark the construction milestone.

The 375-apartment scheme is on an 8.6 acre site fronting Edgbaston Road and Pershore Road.

It will deliver new homes to rent, from studios to three-bed flats, all set around a podium garden.

Amenities include a roof terrace, residents’ gym, 340 parking spaces and 200 secure cycle storage spaces.

In addition, around 15,000 sq ft of new retail and leisure space will be created on the ground floor to link in with Warwickshire Country Cricket Club’s new entrance plaza at its home of Edgbaston Stadium.

Cllr Ward said: “This exciting new development brings city centre standard accommodation to Edgbaston, creating a new rental hub and offering a real alternative for those looking for greener, leafier space.

“As well as delivering much needed homes in a sought-after postcode, a new entrance plaza to Edgbaston Stadium and landscaped public realm – delivered in time for

next summer’s Commonwealth Games - will enhance the environment for both visitors and the local community.”

Patrizia is one of Europe’s top 10 real estate investment managers. It has a portfolio of more than 2,000 BTR homes under management or in development in the UK and Ireland, with more than a third of them in Birmingham.

Richard Scutt, development director at Patrizia said: “Birmingham has one of the largest private rental sectors outside London and Patrizia is at the forefront of delivering homes for this growing community.”

It’s the tops (left to right): Hans Haug (Patrizia), Ian Ward Dan Williams (Patrizia) and Mark Jones (Winvic)

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Manufacturing

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Manufacturing

Sector Focus

British-built goods to bring boost to economy, says report Sales of British made goods will bring in around £26.5bn to the West Midlands economy, says Barclays.

A new report by the bank – ‘The Export Dividend’ – shows that, despite widespread supply chain disruption and challenges brought about by the Covid pandemic and Brexit, a massive 76 per cent of manufacturing firms with 10 or more employees in the West Midlands have carried on flying the flag with export sales.

Across the UK, British food and drink producers are reaping the highest financial rewards, with £34.3bn in sales on a global scale. They are followed by automotive manufacturers, with £20.9bn.

Nationally, the survey found that exporters are doing rather better this year than non-exporters.

More than a quarter (26 per cent) of those respondents who sell overseas said they had seen ‘significant growth’ in 2021, but only 18 per cent of non-exporters said the same.

Meanwhile, manufacturers who export are also more confident about their prospects in 2022 with 88 per cent of exporting businesses upbeat about their growth prospects, compared to 71 per cent of those who don’t currently export.

Among those who don’t yet export, there is significant demand to start doing so with more than half (58 per cent) in the West Midlands aiming to start selling overseas this year.

If they do, Barclays’ economic modelling predicts it could be worth an additional £182m to the local economy next year, and an additional £1.5bn per year by 2030.

Non-exporters are more likely to favour European markets, with 30 per cent saying they would target Germany initially, followed by The Netherlands (24 per cent) and the US (24 per cent).

The actual picture is pretty similar, with the US being the market that most current exporters (30 per cent) sell to, followed by Germany (26 per cent) and France (26 per cent).

The new findings coincide with the government’s latest export campaign, which operates under the ‘Made in the UK, Sold to the World’ slogan.

However, far from all manufacturers in the West Midlands are aware of current or emerging initiatives to encourage international trade, such as the UK’s bid to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (46 per cent) and the recently signed free trade agreements with Japan (42 per cent) and Australia (46 per cent).

‘Nationally, the survey found that exporters are doing rather better this year than nonexporters’ Meanwhile, only around four in 10 (42 per cent) were aware of the plans to create eight new freeports in England, which offer tax breaks for manufacturers on the import of materials.

However, those familiar with freeports were very positive about the scheme, with 62 per cent saying they plan to make use of them once they come online.

Richard Craven, manufacturing industry director, Barclays Corporate Banking, said: “The British manufacturing sector, like many others, has endured a tough year and around a third of our research respondents have been impacted by higher labour costs, higher material costs and other supply chain issues.

“However, exporters, more than most, have weathered the storms and are enjoying strong demand for their products in markets all around the world. Confidence is high and many firms are looking to exports to fulfil their growth ambitions.”

Engineering firm acquires specialist tool to aid growth A West Midlands engineering firm has bought up the precision grinding arm of a rival business, and has moved it lock, stock and barrel to its Bilston base.

Parker Precision Ltd took out a six-figure asset finance loan to carry out the purchase, which involved the precision grinding department of Kepston Ltd, based at Aldridge.

The eight-man Kepston grinding team has also moved to Bilston, where they will be housed in a new extension also funded by the bank loan, provided by Lloyds Bank.

Kepston continues to operate from another site, in Wednesbury.

Parker Precision operates from the Vulcan Works, Vulcan Road, Bilston, and manufactures precision parts for a number of industries, including those operating in such sectors as aerospace, electronics, military and oil and gas.

Parker Precision says the purchase of the precision grinding

arm from Kepston will complement its existing precision machined components manufacturing business and enable it to offer more services to its customers in the aviation, petrochemical and defence industries.

The deal will also enable Parker Precision to expand into new sectors, including motorsport and pharmaceutical engineering, as well as food packaging.

The firm is hoping that the new acquisition, combined with a return in demand following the coronavirus pandemic, will help to increase its turnover by as much as two-thirds next year compared to 2020. It is also hoping to grow its team of 33 employees, which includes one apprentice, with at least two new members of staff.

Parker owner Marc Corns said: “The precision grinding department at Kepston Ltd is well established and a major player in the industry.

Combining our expertise will

Precision engineering: Bilstonbased Parker is expanding its operations

strengthen both businesses and enhance the products and services we can offer our existing customers, as well as bringing in new clients.

“The Lloyds Bank team has been by our side as we’ve continued to grow in recent years and helped us to keep on track with our latest developments, even throughout the challenging conditions we’ve faced during the pandemic.”

Claire Carr, relationship manager at Lloyds Bank, said: “Parker Precision has a burgeoning reputation in the region and beyond, and their acquisition of Kepston’s precision grinding division will not only help them to grow further, but also protect a number of jobs in the region.

“I know their ambition is to create even more jobs in the future, which will provide a boost for the local economy, and we will support them as they look to do so.”

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Sector Focus

Sport

The Business of Sport British Masters returns to Belfry The Belfry Hotel & Resort, renowned for its world-class golf courses, has once again been chosen as the host venue for the Betfred British Masters 2022, in May. The Betfred British Masters will be hosted by former Masters champion Danny Willett, and will take place on The Belfry’s award-winning Brabazon course.

Chris Eigelaar, resort general manager at The Belfry, said: “We are very proud that the Betfred British Masters will be returning to The Belfry in May 2022.

“It will be fantastic to welcome the players back to our iconic Brabazon course and we are very excited that this time we can also welcome spectators to watch the tournament.”

‘We are very proud that the Betfred British Masters will be returning to The Belfry’ Earlier this year, ahead of the Betfred British Masters 2021, the Brabazon underwent several improvements to bring it up to date with new technologies and to make it more challenging.

The updates introduced new tees to improve the golfing experience, with the course remaining at par 72.

The course was also recently awarded ‘England’s Best Golf Course’ and ‘Europe’s Best Golf Course’ at the World Golf Awards 2021.

Sport Relief chosen as Games charity partner Sport Relief has been announced as an official charity partner of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Through the partnership, there will be a host of public and highprofile events and activities planned in the run-up to the international sporting event taking place in Birmingham, this summer.

The announcement comes as Sport Relief, which is a Comic Relief brand and campaign, transforms into a year-round fundraiser for the first time in its 20-year history.

The new partnership will launch a range of initiatives to entertain and engage the British public to fundraise, with plans currently in development for Sport Relief content to be broadcast on the BBC throughout the duration of the Games.

Money raised will help tackle important issues in the UK and around the world, including mental health problems, gender equality, and supporting young people to reach their full potential.

Sport Relief will be working alongside the two Birmingham 2022 official charity partners, United by 2022 Legacy Charity, and the Commonwealth Sport Foundation, to harness the power of sport to help change lives.

Samir Patel, chief executive of Comic Relief, said: “It’s a huge honour to be teaming up with the UK’s most exciting international sporting event this year, the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

“We have so many exciting things in store for all Sport Relief

Sport Relief: Helping change lives

supporters to get involved in and enjoy. 2022 marks 20 fantastic years of Sport Relief and the start of our exciting journey to develop and expand this brilliant campaign which taps into the power of sport and the role it plays in our popular culture.

“Over the years we have raised an incredible £419m which has helped change millions of lives, thanks to the generous British public and our amazing partners.”

John Crabtree, chairman of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games board and also United by 2022 Legacy chairman, said: “This partnership marks an extremely exciting and significant moment in the life of the Games. For the Legacy Charity working with Sport

Relief means that together, we can use the transformative power of sport to not only entertain, but also raise funds for important causes that will have a lasting positive impact.

“As Birmingham and the West Midlands gets ready for the Games and starts to come alive throughout 2022, this is a perfect announcement to get an unforgettable year off to an epic start.”

As Sport Relief, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary this year, begins its new journey, Red Nose Day will become annual, returning every March, marking the first change to Comic Relief’s campaign format since Sport Relief began in 2002.

Milestone for youth academy

Fundraising event: Anwar Khattak

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Birmingham Youth Sports Academy (BYSA) is preparing to celebrate 20 years of work in the community next year and will mark the occasion with a fundraising dinner next month.

Founded by Anwar Khattak in 2002, BYSA is a Birmingham-based voluntary organisation which offers football coaching and various educational programmes.

BYSA is funded by a number of organisations and was founded to

offer football coaching to young people aged 6-18.

They academy currently runs two coaching sessions, one for boys at Small Heath Leisure Centre every Saturday morning, and another for girls at Saltley Leisure Centre every Sunday. The academy has recently introduced an educational tutoring programme, which helps students with English and maths.

Previous fundraising dinners have welcomed many high-profile

guests, including ex-Liverpool stars Ian Rush, John Barnes, John Aldridge, and former Villa winger Mark Walters.

Anwar Khattak said: “To be a part of this and see the hard work the volunteers have put in for 20 years is amazing.

“It’s been a great journey, lots of memories made and we look forward to the support and the next few years as this organisation continues to do life changing work.”

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Member Section

New Members

New Members

Whatever your business size and requirements, the Chamber has a membership scale to suit your needs.

For more information visit: www.greaterbirminghamchambers.com/membership

Your guide to new sign-ups 1.2.1 Houses Limited Real estate agencies Sophie Cameron 07715 817450 www.121houses.com Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

Andrew Roberts Photography Other specialist photography Andrew Roberts 07882 692 786 www.andrew-roberts-photo.co.uk Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

A-Team Academy Educational support services Aminul Miah 0121 517 0110 ateamacademy.co.uk Asian Business Chamber of Commerce

ATSPACE LTD Other specialised construction activities n.e.c.

Jason Smith 0800 917 8922 atspaceltd.co.uk

Cambustion Ltd Jerry Hall Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

Charwill Consultancy Ltd Other business support service activities n.e.c Paul Champ 07949 180735 Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

Compex IT Ltd Other information technology service activities Mark Dodds 0121 296 2500 www.compexit.co.uk Sutton Coldfield Chamber of Commerce

Control Equipment (UK) Ltd Manufacture of electricity distribution and control apparatus Mark Syer 0121 407 0858 www.celuk.co.uk Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

Awan International Agents involved in the sale of a variety of goods Amer Awan 0121 554 0883 www.awaninternational.co.uk

Coppice Garden Centre Retail sale of flowers, plants, seeds, fertilizers, pet animals and pet food in specialised stores Anna Plotnek 0121 308 6102 www.coppicegc.com

Asian Business Chamber of Commerce

Sutton Coldfield Chamber of Commerce

Baker Joiner Construction of commercial buildings Mike Joiner 0845 833 5279 www.bakerjoiner.co.uk

Craske Financial Management Financial management Chris Craske 07916 327259

Cannock Chase Chamber of Commerce

CVS Financial Ltd Activities auxiliary to financial intermediation n.e.c.

Raf Sabir 0121 454 7500

Bristnall Hall Academy Technical and vocational secondary education Mandeep Kaur 0121 552 5425 ext 142 bristnallhallacademy.attrust.org.uk Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

BYSA - HQ Activities of sport clubs Anwar Khattak 07890695284 www.bysa.co.uk Asian Business Chamber of Commerce

Solihull Chamber of Commerce

Asian Business Chamber of Commerce

Dispatch Ltd Management consultancy activities other than financial management Matthew Armitage 07809 203555 www.parallelpurchasing co uk Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

Cambridge Solicitors LLP Solicitors Kamila Rahman 0121 690 2020 www.cambridgesolicitorsllp.com

Effective Business Management Ltd Combined office administrative service activities Steve Hancock 01543 220129 www.effectivebm.co.uk

Asian Business Chamber of Commerce

Lichfield and Tamworth Chamber of Commerce

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Empire Appliances Ltd Retail sale of electrical household appliances in specialised stores Phil Cox 01452 502536 empireappliances.co.uk Cannock Chase Chamber of Commerce

Experian Plc Financial management Wayne Harrison 07709 086 496 experian.co.uk Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

Gravity 9 Solutions Business and domestic software development Emma Benham 07495 069551 www.gravity9solutions.com Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

Inspire Cloud Limited Information technology consultancy activities Scott Brant 07737 306510 www.inspirecloud.tech Sutton Coldfield Chamber of Commerce

Invictus Communications Ltd Other telecommunications activities Jonny McPhee 01332 947 827 www.invictuscomms.com Burton and District Chamber of Commerce

Lead Property Group Ltd Buying and selling of own real estate Pavan Singh Suman 07530 381 735 www.leadpropertygroup.co.uk Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

Lion FPG Total Print Solutions Printing n.e.c.

Lisa Muckle 01902 798 700 www.lionfpg.co.uk Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

Lucent Financial Planning Financial intermediation not elsewhere classified Richard Chamberlin 0121 705 1000 www.lucentfinancialplanning.co.uk

Mercuri International Group Ltd Management consultancy activities other than financial management Holly Johnson 0330 9000 800 www.mercuri.co.uk Asian Business Chamber of Commerce

MOJITAX Management consultancy activities other than financial management Richard Scutt 0121 318 3544 mojitax.com Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

Moorland Contract Cleaning General cleaning of buildings Suzanne Lawson 01538 307003 moorlandcontractgroup.com/ cleaning Cannock Chase Chamber of Commerce

Moorland Contract Janitorial General cleaning of buildings Jackie Walker 01538 307 003 moorlandcontractgroup.com/ janitorial Cannock Chase Chamber of Commerce

Motorserv UK Maintenance and repair of motor vehicles Kamran Saleem 0121 733 3387 www.motorservuk.com Asian Business Chamber of Commerce

Solihull Chamber of Commerce

Marine Society Sea Cadets Other human health activities Mairead Ni Cheoinin (0)20 7654 7000 www.ms-sc.org

Nettitude LTD Information technology consultancy activities Mark Rennie 0345 520 0085 www.nettitude.com

Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

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New Members

Member Section

As the voice of local business since 1813, we strive to help firms across the region

connect, support and grow.

SC Bartter Gardening and Removal Landscape service activities James Bartter 07955 137 065 Lichfield and Tamworth Chamber of Commerce

Search Solihull Limited Information technology consultancy activities Simon Hollingworth 0121 248 4439 www.searchsolihull.co.uk Solihull Chamber of Commerce

The Boat Inn Lichfield Public houses and bars Liam Dillon 01543 361 692 theboatinnlichfield.com Lichfield and Tamworth Chamber of Commerce

The Floorbrite Group Limited Other building and industrial cleaning activities Miles Davies 0121 289 5120 floorbrite.co.uk Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

Shoosmiths LLP Solicitors Alex Bishop 03700 864000 www.shoosmiths.co.uk Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

Noah’s Star Other education n.e.c.

Jo-Anne Shellum 07535 696 854 noahsstar.org Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

Ontomantics Ltd Other software publishing Nathan Rowe 020 7092 6611 www.ontomantics.com Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

Openreach Wired telecommunications activities Wendy Sycamore www.openreach.com Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

Pack & Send Hall Green Packaging activities Alistair Meikle 0121 741 2737 www.packsend.co.uk/birmingham Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

PANS PANDAS Other social work activities without accommodation n.e.c.

Vicky Burford 07808 764 750 www.panspandasuk.org Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

Peter J Smith Management consultancy activities other than financial management Peter J Smith 0748 465 8000

R&D Tax Credit Consultants Management consultancy activities other than financial management Martyn Jupp 07393 676032 www.randdtaxcreditconsultants.com

Simpsons Restaurant (Edgbaston) Licenced restaurants Andreas Antona 0121 454 3434 www.simpsonsrestaurant.co.uk

Cannock Chase Chamber of Commerce

Smart Works Birmingham Other service activities n.e.c.

Ann Powell 0121 643 8109 birmingham.smartworks.org.uk

Red Pill Energy Ltd Manufacture of soft drinks; production of mineral waters and other bottled waters Sebastian Isaac Greyson 07881 521095 Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

Reficio Hannah Giles Other human health activities 0345 0660118 www.reficio.uk Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

RJE Music Limited Licenced clubs Roy Davis 0121 233 1109 www.theasylumvenue.co.uk Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

RocketGX Other professional, scientific and technical activities n.e.c.

Jonny Morrall 07767 131 717 rocketgx.com Transatlantic Chamber

Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

Pier Technology Ltd Other education n.e.c.

Mohammed Syed 0121 740 0429 www.piertraining.co.uk Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

RSM Accounting and auditing activities Kirsty Gallagher 0121 214 3100 www.rsmuk.com Asian Business Chamber of Commerce

Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

SME Acquisitions Activities of venture and development capital companies Kulwant Chahal 07962 202909 www.sme-acquisitions.co.uk Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

St Martins Centre for Health and Healing Other social work activities without accommodation n.e.c.

Robert Jones 0121 600 6025 www.smchh.co.uk Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

Steve Groves Sports Activities of sport clubs Steve Groves 07950 766 607 www.stevegrovessports.com

The Kaleidoscope Coach Management consultancy activities other than financial management Mel Evans 07740 650 221 thekaleidoscopecoach.co.uk Sutton Coldfield Chamber of Commerce

The Pain And Injury Clinic Specialists medical practice activities Benjamin James 0121 448 4390 www.paininjuryclinic.co.uk Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

Uffculme School Other education n.e.c Charlotte Stubbs 0121 464 9634 www.uffculme.org.uk Asian Business Chamber of Commerce

UK and Alpine Events Ltd Renting and leasing of media entertainment equipment Rowan Brandreth 01174270191 www.okoru.co.uk Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

VeenPool Other information technology service activities Jaskaran Singh Kohli 01922 616263 www.veenpool.co.uk Asian Business Chamber of Commerce

Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

Taft Safety Store Ltd Retail sale of clothing in specialised stores Ian Taft 0800 774 7809 www.taftsafetystore.co.uk

Vibrant Brands Ltd Non-specialised wholesale of food, beverages and tobacco Dimitri Landerloos 0121 553 1999 www.vibrantfoods.com Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

Talbots Law Solicitors Belinda Hill 0800 118 1500 www.talbotslaw.co.uk

Vididac Social Media Ltd Other information technology service activities Marco Yin 0121 728 0022 vididac.uk/home

Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

Birmingham Chamber of Commerce February 2022 CHAMBERLINK 85

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Member Section

Competition

...any other business A roundup of news from Chamber members Unversity assists in salmon study Retreating glaciers in the Pacific mountains of western North America could produce around 3,821 miles of new Pacific salmon habitat by the year 2100, according to a new study.

Scientists have ‘peeled back the ice’ from 46,000 glaciers between southern British Columbia and south-central Alaska to look at how much potential salmon habitat would be created when underlying bedrock is exposed and new streams flow over the landscape.

Modelling glacier retreat under different climate change scenarios, researchers discovered that, under a moderate temperature increase, the glaciers could reveal potential new Pacific salmon habitat nearly equal to the length of the Mississippi River (3,899 miles). Desirable for salmon, in this case, means low-gradient streams (less than 10 per cent incline) connected to the ocean with retreating glaciers at their headwaters. The team discovered that 315 of the glaciers examined met this criteria.

The international team, led by researchers at Simon Fraser University (Canada) with University of Birmingham (UK) and other organisations, published their findings in Nature Communications.

Co-author Professor Alexander Milner from the University of Birmingham has researched glacial retreat and salmon populations in southeast Alaska for over three decades.

He said: “Colonisation by salmon can occur relatively quickly after glacial retreat creates favourable spawning habitat in the new stream. For example, Stonefly Creek was colonised within 10 years by pink salmon that grew rapidly to more than 5,000 spawners.

Other species also colonised including Coho and Sockeye salmon, especially where a lake is associated with the stream.”

86 CHAMBERLINK February 2022

Conservation project supports ex-servicemen A new health and wellbeing project for ex-servicemen and women at Birmingham Museums has helped four local veterans get back on the road to recovery by conserving vintage motorbikes from the city’s collection.

Volunteering for Veterans was set up by Birmingham Museums in 2021 to support former members of the local Armed Forces community, by providing skills development opportunities alongside social and wellbeing activities.

The project was made possible with funding from the Armed Forces Covenant and support from the Royal British Legion and will run throughout 2022 so that more veterans can benefit.

Over the last six months, four local armed forces veterans – David Brooks, Tim Seeley, Wayne Thompson and Steve Lees – have all volunteered one day a week at the city’s Museum Collection Centre conserving, cleaning and researching the motorbike collection.

As part of the project, they have also restored one motorbike – a 1914 Cyclone – that has now gone on display at Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum.

Andrea Bonnell, senior engagement officer at Birmingham Museums, said: “Our Volunteering for Veterans programme was set up as a conservation and wellbeing

Bike aid: Wayne Thompson, Tim Seeley and David Brooks

opportunity for members of the local Armed Forces community.

“By using real objects from the city’s collections, the veterans have benefitted from training in conservation, research and creative therapies which have all helped build confidence and motivation. In turn they have supported Birmingham Museums and the work we do in looking after the city’s collection.”

Ex-serviceman and volunteer, Tim Seeley, said: “If it wasn’t for Birmingham Museums getting their Volunteering for Veterans programme up and running a lot of

veterans wouldn’t be able to socialise or get back into some sort of activity and out of a rut.

“A lot of veterans suffer from PTSD, anxiety and depression so getting them involved in a project like this is just amazing.”

Birmingham Museums has a busy volunteering programme in which around 1,000 volunteers give over 26,000 hours of their time each year to support its work. Working with various partners Birmingham Museums also deliver health and wellbeing programmes, enabling access to disadvantaged people or reaching out to new audiences.

Colin paints his extraordinary life Colin Fisher is one of the oldest practising artists in Britain today - and at 85 he has recently embarked on his first professional art exhibition at The Birmingham Contemporary Art Gallery (BCAG).

Through his body of work, Colin explores the social and economic environment after the Second World War, focusing on some of the industrialised areas of Birmingham and the Black Country that were affected by the Blitz.

His work tells the story of the conditions that families and young children lived through, and 30 pieces of Colin’s artwork were chosen to be displayed at the exhibition at BCAG. Colin has lived an extraordinary life, from serving in the armed forces and being called up for his first

duties after training on a freezing cold Christmas Eve, shortly after which he was drafted out to Cyprus.

He also served in the Suez Canal and the Royal Signal Corp as a radio mechanic as well as in the 455 Commandos.

Albert Wallace, co-director of the BCAG, said: “Colin’s exhibition is much more than wanting to just tell his story.

“It’s one that he feels the nation and especially the young generation is fast losing to the rise of social media, and while technology and progression is important, it’s also educational for us to be reminded every now and again of where we were over 80 years ago.”

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3. Chamberlink FEB 2022 59-88.qxp_Chamberlink 31/01/2022 12:20 Page 88