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Editor: John Lamb
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Reporter: Darby Newman
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the spring season at B:Music
94 Sport: Basketball club signs Armed Forces Covenant
Member Section
95 Chamber Insight David Horsfall, Tyseley Energy Park
96 New Members Chamber welcomes new members
98 …any other business News from Chamber businesses
Given what has been happening over the past few months if not years, there was one really bright spark that speaks volumes for the appeal of Birmingham.
Over the period embracing Brexit, Covid-19, recession and much more, we have become used to downbeat prospects, especially for the business community and in particular retail and hospitality.
Our policy department has fought tooth and nail to improve their prospects by lobbying the government to give businesses in that sector the chance to ride the headwinds battering them, Don’t run away with the idea that the future is entirely bright. There is still much work to be done.
Every one of them appreciates the value of having a Marks and Sparks in place. It massively increases the footfall so that every other outlet in any shopping mall will feel the benefit.
Chamber members across Greater Birmingham have felt the advantage of having an M&S alongside them in the same way that the presence of a Waitrose does. The presence of either the retail giants is thought to even increase the value of nearby residential properties.
However, it’s even more heartening to hear that M&S has announced that five new stores will be created in vacant Debenhams buildings across the UK in a £480m investment.
And M&S has announced that all of the new stores will be designed with families in mind, with shoppers able to browse in a setting with wider aisles and a clear line of sight, giving baby buggy pushers a clear run.
Much of this will probably be lost on most M&S habitues but it’s encouraging to know that they think deeply about the comfort and safety of their customers.
Better food sites are an ambition of M&S chief executive Stuart Machin along with full-on stores that sell clothing, homeware and food.
But the news that Marks & Spencer are to occupy the vacant Debenhams building in the Bullring (see page 8) should be cause for much celebration.
Yes, the arrival of the iconic brand in Birmingham’s showpiece shopping centre will delight not only shoppers but most other retailers.
Everyone will agree, I’m sure, that it is fitting that when the new Birmingham store opens in autumn this year, the Bullring will be celebrating its 20th anniversary.
Renewing stores like the old Debenhams store will boost the whole of the Bullring and the attraction of shopping in Birmingham not to mention job creation.
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‘Chamber members across Greater Birmingham have felt the advantage of having an M&S alongside them in the same way that the presence of a Waitrose does’
Businesses in Greater Birmingham are demonstrating resilience against a host of economic challenges – with many predicting an upturn in profits during 2023, according to a Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce report.
The GBCC’s Quarterly Business report for Q4 reveals “cautious optimism” across the region –despite the impact of the war in Ukraine, unprecedented cost pressures and ongoing recruitment challenges.
In total, 54 per cent of firms expect their turnover to improve over the next year (an increase of two per cent from Q3), while fewer are forecasting a fall in profitability (25 per cent down
However, both sectors are facing further cost pressures. Fifty-eight per cent of businesses predict their prices will go up (55 per cent in the previous quarter) – citing labour costs (26 per cent) and fuel prices (17 per cent) as the main reasons.
Henrietta Brealey, chief executive of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, said: “It’s heartening to see that the majority of businesses expect their profits and turnover to go up over the next 12 months.
“Domestic sales remain anchored in positive territory, export activity picked up this quarter for service firms and we saw a greater number of businesses investing in training their staff this quarter which underlines the durability and resilience of the business community.”
Sponsored by Birmingham City University (BCU), the GBCC’s Quarterly Business Report is an up-to-date snapshot of the performance of the region’s business community.
from 31 per cent in the previous quarter).
More than half (54 per cent) also expect their profits to rise in the same period (up from 52 per cent in Q3).
While both services and manufacturing firms are still struggling to recruit staff, 30 per cent of businesses across the two sectors added to their head count during Q4 – up from 24 per cent in the previous quarter.
Looking ahead to the next three months, 33 per cent of businesses expect to add to their head count (up from 31 per cent in Q3).
Professor Julian Beer, deputy vicechancellor at BCU, said: “It is clear that businesses in the Greater Birmingham economy, in common with the national picture, have been tested by rising inflation, and the cost of living crisis against the backdrop of continued post-pandemic recovery.
“Looking forward, whilst the survey reflected some buoyancy in terms of a quarterly uplift in efforts to recruit and improved cashflow, there is little doubt that 2023 will retain some of the challenging economic headwinds for the regional business base that typified the preceding year.”
The Quarterly Business Report launch event will take place on 7 February at Birmingham City University and will focus on Growth Trends in Greater Birmingham.
The region’s biggest business expo – hosted by Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce –is set to attract around 80 exhibitors and hundreds of delegates when it returns next month.
The Greater Birmingham Business Expo is taking place at Villa Park, the home of Aston Villa Football Club, on Thursday 30 March.
Businesses from all sectors will be taking part in the expo, which is also set to feature a series of seminars and a speed networking session.
Henrietta Brealey, chief executive of the GBCC, said: “Our business expo made a triumphant return last year after a two-year absence – and we look forward to returning to Villa Park for the
Spring event. The Expo is a fantastic way for businesses to build their networks and promote their products and services.
“I would urge businesses which are keen to exhibit to take advantage of the early bird offer to ensure their spot at the Expo.”
The event is sponsored by runyourfleet. Further sponsorship opportunities are also available.
Visit www.greaterbirminghamchambers.com for more information.
• See page 63 for a round-up of the GBCC’s forthcoming events
It’s heartening to see that the majority of businesses expect their profits and turnover to go up over the next 12 monthsCautious optimism: Henrietta Brealey
A judging panel featuring some of the region’s most respected leaders and entrepreneurs will select the winners of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce’s 2023 awards.
Ahead of the Chamber’s annual dinner and awards, which take place at the ICC on 16 March, a panel of experts from business and the public sector has been announced to select the shortlist and winners in 12 categories. One of the sector category winners will go on to be crowned the Greater Birmingham Business of the Year.
The judging panel – chaired by the GBCC’s chief commercial officer Katrina Cooke – includes:
• Alex Claridge – chef-patron of The Wilderness restaurant
• Yetunde Dania – partner at law firm Trowers & Hamlin and chair of WMCA Race Equality Taskforce
• David Jackson - centre manager of McArthurGlenDesigner Outlet West Midlands
• Yiannis Maos - CEO and founder of Birmingham Tech CIC
• Dr Nik Kotecha – entrepreneur and philanthropist
• Steve Allen – partner at law firm Mills & Reeve and past president of the GBCC
• Carmen Watson – chair of recruitment agency Pertemps Network Group
• Rosie Ginday - founder and managing director of Miss Macaroon CIC
• Professor Geoff Thompson – vice-chairman of Birmingham 2022
• Tani Dulay – CEO of real estate developer Woodbourne Group
• Cllr Brigid Jones – deputy leader of Birmingham City Council
Katrina Cooke said: “As chair of the judges for this year’s awards, I am delighted to be joined by a stellar panel who are all experts in their respective fields and command huge respect
across the Greater Birmingham business community. Every year, the bar seems to be raised even higher in terms of the quality and volume of entries.
“We are very much looking forward to the shortlisting process and would encourage businesses to get their applications in as the deadline edges closer.”
The GBCC annual dinner and awards is supported by headline sponsors Birmingham City University and Schumacher Packaging, as well as headline partners Birmingham City Council.
Key figures behind the successful Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games dominated the New Year Honours list.
And there was also recognition for Ben Francis, founder and CEO of fitness brand Gymshark, and Shah Begum, a Birmingham-based paralegal at international law firm Gowling WLG.
The 2023 list honoured those who led the organising committee of last summer’s Games – with Birmingham 2022 chair and past Chamber president John Crabtree becoming a knight and chief executive Ian Reid receiving a CBE.
Former Birchfield Harriers athlete Denise Lewis – the president of Commonwealth Games England –
has been made a Dame.
Commonwealth Games England chair Ian Metcalfe received an OBE, while Chris Jones, the project director of the Sandwell Aquatics
Centre, landed an MBE.
Reid, who has led the team for more than four and a half years, said: “An event on this scale can only be successfully delivered by a huge team of people and although the work of some individuals has been highlighted through these honours, I would like to once again thank everyone involved in helping to stage Birmingham 2022.
“So many people made a huge contribution through their hard work and dedication, and we could not have done it without them.”
Crabtree added: “For my part, I am both honoured and humbled to be awarded a knighthood and to be in the company of wonderful people from across the West Midlands that
make a real difference.”
Shah Begum’s British Empire Medal recognises her services to diversity inclusion and inclusion, having been an integral part of the Games legacy integration team while on secondment at Birmingham 2022.
British Empire medals also went to Sarah Coffey, executive assistant to the chief executive officer at Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and Beth Stimpson, head of legacy at Birmingham 2022.
Meanwhile, Gymshark founder Francis received an MBE for services to the business sector in recognition of his success with the Solihull-headquartered global fitness brand.
Birmingham’s leading retail and leisure destination has announced the appointment of a new general manager.
Dan Murphy has taken up the role at Bullring and Grand Central.
Dan (pictured) has more than 15 years’ experience in senior retail management, having held high-profile general manager roles across the region at centres such as Merry Hill.
He said: “I’m excited to be joining the team at Bullring and Grand Central.
“Over the years I’ve watched as the destination has become not only a landmark for Birmingham and the centre for local communities but centre stage for world events such as the Commonwealth Games. Next year, we’ll celebrate our 20th anniversary, so I’m
looking forward to working with the team to create new experiences that will engage and excite our customers in ways they’ve never seen before. 2022 was just a flavour of what’s to come.”
His appointment comes as Bullring and Grand Central prepare for some new openings in 2023, including TOCA Social, a new grocery-led M&S, Tessuti and the Midlands’ largest JD Sports.
Just under three-million people visited Bullring and Grand Central in November and the centres were at their busiest since the pandemic in the run-up to Christmas.
‘Next year, we’ll celebrate our 20th anniversary’
Titan Partnership, an education charity and member network in Birmingham, has announced the appointment of Sheila Sturgeon as chief executive officer.
Sheila will succeed Carolyn Chapman-Lees, who, after seven years as Titan’s CEO, will step down but remain in an advisory role until 31 March 2023 to support a smooth transition.
Sheila joins Titan with a wealth of experience within the charity, education, and skills sectors. Sheila is currently CEO at YES Manchester, an award-winning charity which supports access to employment, volunteering, and skills. Sheila, who will start her new role on 1 March, has also previously worked for the Department for Education as a senior policy advisor for apprenticeships.
Chair of Titan Partnership Paul Doddridge said: “We are very pleased with this appointment and believe Sheila will be the ideal person to take Titan to the next stage in its journey.”
Sheila said: “I am so excited to be joining Titan and the charity’s amazing team and trustees and to bring a fresh set of eyes to the ambitious plans for growth and development over the coming years.”
Shopping giant Marks and Spencer is set to open a new store in the vacant Debenhams building at the Bullring in a major retail boost for Birmingham.
The move is part of a £480m investment across its UK stores, generating over 3,400 jobs and opening five new stores.
M&S also announced that all five new stores will be relocated in former Debenhams sites, each designed
Other major stores will open along with Birmingham, including a 96k sq ft store in Manchester’s Trafford Centre and a 98k sq ft store in Lakeside Thurrock. Both will launch in winter 2023.
Stuart Machin, chief executive of M&S, said: “Stores are a core part of M&S’s omni-channel future and serve as a competitive advantage for how customers want to shop today.
“Our store rotation programme is about making sure we have the right stores, in the right place, with the right space and we’re aiming to rotate from the 247 stores we have today to 180 higher quality, higher productivity full line stores that sell our full clothing, home and food offer whilst also opening over 100 bigger, better food sites.
with local families in mind, with shoppers able to browse in settings with wider aisles.
The Birmingham store, which takes up 65,000 sq ft, is set to be refurbished and opened in Autumn 2023.
The Bullring, which opened in 2003, will be celebrating its 20th anniversary in September this year.
“The out performance of our recently relocated and renewed stores, give us the confidence to go faster in our plan. Our investment in stores not only delivers a better experience for customers and colleagues, it boosts local communities with new job creation and will help us deliver a more sustainable estate in every sense.”
Regional airline Flybe has ceased trading, with administrators confirming 276 employees have been made redundant.
More than 2,500 passengers were impacted after joint administrators Interpath Advisory were called in and all scheduled flights cancelled.
Flybe’s head office in Birmingham employed around 170 people, while 140 workers were based in Belfast.
A statement from the airline read: “We are sad to announce that Flybe has been placed into administration.
“David Pike and Mike Pink of Interpath have been appointed Administrators. Regretfully, Flybe has now ceased trading. All Flybe flights from and to the UK are cancelled and will not be rescheduled.”
Birmingham Airport said via its Twitter feed: “Our thoughts are with Flybe colleagues following news the airline has gone into administration.
“Impacted customers can be assured all Flybe's routes are well served by other airlines.”
Flybe operated passenger flights via 21 routes to 17 destinations across the UK and EU, including Belfast City, Birmingham, East Midlands, Glasgow,
‘Our store rotation programme is about making sure we have the right stores, in the right place, with the right space’
The North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission (NCSPC) has appointed internationally renowned full-service consultancy, Liquid, to support its global expansion into the French market and increase activity in Germany, the UK and across Europe.
The NCSPC represents over 400 sweetpotato growers, packers, processors, and business associates from North Carolina.
Since 2020, Liquid has been supporting the NCSPC with its social media activity in the UK. Now, Liquid will expand its remit to encompass social, digital marketing and PR activity for the UK, Germany, France, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Italy.
Liquid will provide international expertise and experience to engage consumers and increase consumption of sweetpotatoes from North Carolina, the No.1 sweetpotato producing state in the United States.
Liquid’s chief executive officer, Elisabeth Lewis-Jones said: “North Carolina is known around the world for the quality of sweetpotatoes that they produce and export.
“We are proud to develop our relationship with the outstanding North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission and support them as they expand across the pond. After all, a little Liquid goes a long way in helping sweetpotatoes grow.”
As the only PR agency in the UK to home its own chef director, fulltime development chef and two custom designed development kitchens, Liquid will support the NCSPC with recipe development and testing.
The North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission’s executive director, Michelle L. Grainger, said: “We are thrilled that Liquid will be supporting our activity as we expand our efforts in the UK and EU.
“Liquid is an accomplished and proven agency, and we are confident that they will help the Commission achieve our goals of broadening our international consumer reach.”
Live events specialists the NEC Group have further enhanced the customer experience for venue visitors by announcing a partnership with Holiday Inn Birmingham Airport.
The deal, which is the business’s first hotel partnership post-pandemic, promotes more flexible accommodation options to those visiting or exhibiting at the NEC Campus.
The new partnership will showcase the beneficial links and locality between popular NEC Group venues such as the NEC, Vox Conference Venue and Resorts World Arena, with the ease of access to Birmingham International train station and Birmingham Airport.
Lisa Jobins, regional partnerships sales executive for the NEC Group, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Holiday Inn Birmingham Airport on board as a partner.
‘Our partnership with Holiday Inn Birmingham Airport promotes the benefits of being able to stay close to the NEC Campus’
“At the NEC Group we pride ourselves on providing an all-encompassing visitor experience and this starts before you even step through the doors. Our partnership with Holiday Inn Birmingham Airport promotes the benefits of being able to stay close to the NEC Campus and using local accommodation, making it easier to visit one of our world-class venues.”
Ewelina Tomiszczak, commercial director for Holiday Inn Birmingham Airport, said: “Our four-star hotel is ideally located next to the NEC Campus, so it is great news that we can announce this new partnership.
“We offer complimentary transport to the NEC and Birmingham International train station, offering our guests a convenient Park, Stay and Go package, so guests can leave their car with us while they are away or at the NEC.
“This new partnership will highlight that convenience for guests when visiting the NEC Campus, allowing easy access to event venues and transport links.”
Moseley has become the latest area to be added to the growing West Midlands Cycle Hire network following the introduction of new docking locations around the suburb. The region-wide bike share scheme has seen more than 100,000 users sign up and almost half-a-million rides taken since launching in spring 2021.
West Midlands mayor Andy Street said: “Cycle hire has proved tremendously popular right across our region since we launched it two years ago. Now with these new docking stations in Moseley, I cannot wait to see even more people give these bikes a go.
“Cycling is a fantastic way to stay active – boosting both our mental and physical health – at the same time as helping us to tackle the climate emergency.
“Local people will now be able to hire one of our bikes for a ride around Moseley – or indeed for trips further afield to and from Birmingham city centre. I look forward to seeing the service enjoyed in the months ahead.”
Users can locate the virtual docking stations and hire the bikes and ebikes via the Beryl smartphone app. To end their ride, once within the virtual docking area they simply press down the yellow lever on the front tyre, as they would in a physical docking station. For full details visit the www.wmcyclehire.co.uk website.
Cllr Izzy Knowles, who represents Moseley ward on Birmingham City Council, said: “I am thrilled to see the Beryl bikes come to Moseley. I look forward to working with the team to extend the network across the area and enable more people to enjoy the experience and convenience of cycling in our city.”
In this month’s President’s Focus, James Tait, president of the Transatlantic Chamber and partner at law firm Browne Jacobson, looks at how job-hopping and decreasing employer loyalty may affect a company’s ability to protect its business interestsparticularly with the potential for reforms for non-competition restrictions in both the US and UK.
Ajob for life seems to be a concept consigned to the past with many workers now much more willing to job-hop frequently throughout their careers to secure more rewards and benefits – particularly those based around flexibility.
Previous reports have indicated that the average millennial has already had as many job changes as those aged 55 have had in their entire career. As well as resulting in increased recruitment costs and a potential talent-drain, businesses are at risk of seeing skills and training that they have funded - as well as critical business knowledge - walking out of the door and straight to a competitor.
Non-compete clauses have traditionally been relied upon to try to limit the damage that can be done through employees moving to competitors. However, given how onerous and restrictive these types of clauses can be, the courts have frequently intervened to try to ensure the balance between employee and employer rights is maintained.
However, there is some appetite for further reforms. In the US, the Federal Trade Commission has this year proposed a rule that
would ban non-compete clauses completely. Other types of employment restrictions may also fall within the scope of the ban if they are so broad in nature so as to effectively operate as a non-compete clause.
The FTC has described the use of noncompete clauses as “a widespread and often exploitative practice that suppresses wages, hampers innovation, and blocks entrepreneurs from starting new businesses” and stated that they “harm competition in US labour markets by blocking workers from pursuing better opportunities and by preventing employers from hiring the best available talent”.
Further, the FTC estimates that the new proposed rule could increase wages by nearly $300bn per year and expand career opportunities for about 30 million Americans. The FTC is now seeking public comment on its proposal – and the public comment period will run until 10 March, 2023.
The FTC’s proposals – and its comments on the fairness of non-compete clauses – will be watched with interest in the UK. There has
already been a government consultation within the UK on the appropriateness of non-compete clauses.
This consultation closed in February 2021 although the Government’s response is still awaited.
This consultation sought views on whether non-compete clauses should be made unenforceable in their entirety or whether they should be allowed to continue but only where an employer pays mandatory compensation during the term of the clause, similar to the approach taken in France, Germany and Italy.
With the latter approach, the consultation also covered complementary measures such as transparency obligations and a statutory
maximum length for restrictions.
With reform potentially on the horizon in both the US and the UK, employers may need to both revise their retention strategies and consider alternative ways of protecting their business interests.
For example, within the UK, this could include making greater use of garden leave clauses; ensuring that alternative less-onerous covenants (such as non-solicitation, non-dealing and nondisclosure) are in place; including provision for the repayment of certain training expenses in the event of an individual leaving within a certain period of time; and reviewing how confidential information and intellectual property is dealt with within the organisation.
‘The FTC estimates that the new proposed rule could increase wages by nearly $300bn per year’Employment conundrum: James Tait
Halesowen College is currently offering a range of courses for adult learners. As part of our New Year offer we have several options to develop literacy and numeracy skills.
Every job demands language and number ability and we are committed to ensuring that adults in our area have the opportunity to develop these critical skills.
We know that included in the top five skills many employers look for are critical thinking and problem solving and, oral and written communication skills.
We also know that only 51.9 per cent of school leavers have a grade 5 or above in English and Maths. This can create a problem for individuals seeking employment or promotion and for employers looking for these core skills in order to drive their business forward.
Many people have Maths anxiety and have feelings of apprehension and discomfort when confronted by a Maths problem and as such avoid situations that involve Maths. Many adults with this phobia cannot help children with their homework and they are often prevented from applying for jobs and promotions.
Halesowen College is seriously supportive and has adopted an inclusive approach which can help learners improve their literacy and numeracy skills, which will in turn enable them to apply for jobs or promotions and flourish in the workplace.
If you have employees who could benefit from our course or know individuals who would like to enrol, please contact the Skills Shop on skillsshop@halesowen.ac.uk or telephone 0121 602 6000.
A Midlands entrepreneur whose business went from strength-to-strength with the support of a NatWest business building programme is now encouraging others to apply for a place on the free scheme.
Ben Slater, who grew his Oldbury-based fulfillment firm from one to eight employees, has benefited from the advice and business mentoring on offer from the NatWest Accelerator programme.
The scheme gives business owners six months of free support, with guidance on how to scale and grow their business. Support is tailored to the needs of the business and includes one-to-one coaching.
The scheme also introduces the budding entrepreneurs to a network of local business support organisations, plus provides free use of NatWest’s modern office spaces in the Accelerator Hubs.
Ben founded Rapid Pack Fulfillment in July 2021 after feeling frustrated at not being able to find a fulfillment centre that met his needs as a small business owner of a fast-growing brand trying to scale.
He said: “The NatWest Accelerator programme has helped me to think critically about what I hope to achieve and to build my growth strategy and solidify my ambitions. I’ve gained customers and suppliers from the fellow entrepreneurs I’ve met and I’ve even grown in confidence as there’s coaching on things like public speaking and pitching.”
Harinder Kunor, local enterprise manager for NatWest in the West Midlands, said: “The NatWest Accelerator programme supports and empowers entrepreneurs and business owners to scale their business to the next level.
“We can help entrepreneurs to take their business much further and faster, so we’d encourage any
businesses who might benefit to apply.”
The NatWest Accelerator hub in Birmingham is part of a national network of hubs run by the bank to support businesses looking to grow.
Applications for the programme, which begins in March, close at midnight on 17 February.
Hit musical ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ marks its 50th anniversary this year with a tour which includes a run at The Alexandra theatre in Birmingham.
Since it first opened in London in June 1973 at the Royal Court Theatre The Rocky Horror Show has become the longest continuous run of a contemporary musical anywhere in the world.
The show has been seen by more than 30 million people worldwide in more than 30 countries and translated into 20 languages. A celebratory tour is already wowing audiences across the UK and the world, with recent sell-out trips to Tel Aviv, Milan, Rome and Trieste. The tour will continue throughout 2023, visiting The Alexandra Birmingham from 27
March to 1 April - with further dates to be announced.
Producer Howard Panter said: “Rocky Horror has always been a show I loved, since its earliest days in the Kings Road. Richard O’Brien and I are delighted this non-stop party continues to thrill audiences across the world, and we look forward to the next 50 years!”
Composer Richard O’Brien said: “To be celebrating 50 years is beyond my wildest expectationsfrom the humble beginnings back in 1973 at the Royal Court Theatre.
“The fact that The Rocky Horror Show continues to delight audiences as it tours the UK 50 years on is simply thrilling.”
The Rocky Horror Show is the story of two squeaky clean college kids – Brad and his fiancée Janet.
When by a twist of fate, their car breaks down outside a creepy mansion while on their way to visit their former college professor, they meet the charismatic Dr Frank’n’Furter.
• See page 92 for more Arts stories
Chamber patron and board member Doug Wright has grown his restaurant business further –with the opening of a 23rd McDonald’s.
The new ‘drive thru’ restaurant at the site of a former police station in Brownhills signals a £2.5m investment and has created 92 jobs.
It comes just a few months after Mr Wright launched his 22nd restaurant in Perry Barr in time for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Mr Wright, awarded an MBE in last year’s Queen’s birthday honours for services to the economy and charity, employs around 2,500 people across the West Midlands.
He said: “The opening of this new drive thru restaurant is particularly exciting given how tough it is within our sector at the moment.
“We have been looking to open a drive thru restaurant in Brownhills for many years now. The restaurant is the very latest concept in the McDonald’s brand and also includes a separate McDelivery entrance and room.
“The reaction from our customers has been fabulous and already it’s proving very popular.
“For myself personally it has been a wonderful year opening two new drive thru restaurants and also receiving an honorary doctorate from Aston University and an MBE.
“I’ve been in business for 20 years this year and have been with McDonald’s for 42 years.
“Starting as a cleaner back in 1988, it has been an amazing journey for which much of the credit must go to my great team.”
Henrietta Brealey, chief executive of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, said: “Despite the unusual set of economic circumstances, there are brilliant businesses across the region embracing opportunities for growth.
“On behalf of the Chamber, congratulations to Doug Wright on this incredible milestone.
“Growing a business to 23 restaurants is a massive achievement at the best of times, even more so during a challenging period for the hospitality sector.
“This investment is directly creating opportunities for local people and is a testament to Doug’s ongoing leadership of this forward-looking business.”
Simpex Express has celebrated four years in partnership with Transaid.
The 1813 Chamber member has supported several charities over the past 12 years, donating at least £1 from every transport movement made. Transaid have been the longest-standing beneficiary of this scheme, celebrating four years in partnership with Simpex Express.
The charity is transforming and saving lives through transport by focusing on professional driver training, transport management systems, and rural access to transport, to solve two of the biggest transport challenges in economically developing countries.
It seems MotorServ just can’t stop winning awards. The vehicle servicing and sales company has flourished since its owner Kamran Saleem introduced discounted MOT testing. Chamberlink columnist Jon Griffin visited their Solihull headquarters to find out what makes the business so special.
Kamran Saleem may have built a £7.5m turnover business from scratch in less than 10 years - but it might never have happened if he had followed his original career path.
The son of a long-established Birmingham accountant, Kamran looked destined for a life of analysing figures and book-keeping when he joined the family firm after studying business management with finance at Aston University.
Today, sitting at his desk in the offices of his multi-award-winning MotorServ UK MOT and vehicle-servicing and sales company in Solihull, Kamran can afford to smile when he looks back on his days as a fledgling accountant.
"I hated it. I lasted six months in total at the family firm, it wasn't my cup of tea. If I had done this (MotorServ UK) with accountancy, the accountancy firm would be quite big by now. You have to be a good accountant to run an accountancy firm and I wasn't that good. I was
never very academic, I always did the bare minimum.”
Fortunately for Kamran, his father also soon realised that his car-obsessed son would be
The seeds for what would grow into MotorServ UK - currently both the Asian Business Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year and the Solihull Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year - were sown when Kamran amassed a string of contacts through online motoring forums.
better off following his passion for cutting deals in the motor trade rather than following in his own accountant's footsteps.
“I was obsessed with cars. I have always been a car enthusiast buying and selling cars for myself just for my own use. Every man and his dog was coming to me saying I am buying this van, buying this new Range Rover Sport.”
“There were a lot of online forums, membership groups and I had a lot of friends and colleagues across the UK through the motoring forums. I am getting phone-calls, emails, website inquiries, saying ‘I am buying this car, that car, can you help me out, what would you suggest’, and I became a go-to person for car finance.
“My dad said 'you seem to be doing quite well at this, you can't be on the payroll and earn money from that as well. You need to set up a limited company properly if you are going to do it’.”
The business that would in due course grow into MotorServ UK was set up in one room at the
‘I was obsessed with cars. I have always been a car enthusiast buying and selling cars for myself just for my own use’Driving force: Owner and founder Kamran Saleem
family accountancy firm in Birmingham in 2006, with Kamran soon joined by his current sales manager Simon Bowen.
"It was great from the start, we made a real name for ourselves on the online portals. If you were buying a car from any dealerships, or anywhere really, any private source or trade source, we were advertising our services as a finance brokerage for cars.
“I ran out of man hours myself within six or seven months so I took Simon on - there were too many quotes coming in.”
By 2009 the enterprising duo were pulling in £200,000 to £300,000 in commission, brokering car purchases worth between £4m and £7m per annum. “It was brilliant, we didn't have any stock, we didn't have to meet anybody face to face. It was all distance, fax machines, a computer for emails and the phones to chase people up. That was how the business started in 2007 - just the two of us.”
Within just 18 months the firm was transacting 30 deals a month and Kamran was enjoying a lavish lifestyle behind the wheel of a Range Rover Sport or an Audi RS4 with regular holidays - and then the 2008 banking crisis hit.
“All our funders started closing up shop one by one. They were saying we don't want to do broker-led business any more. It was just doom and gloom. The safety net scenario would be to work for my dad again...”
Realistically, a return to accountancy was never on the cards for Kamran and the motor industry entrepreneur kept the cash flow alive by snapping up a Birmingham-based chauffeuring company, WA Chauffeurs, which specialised in VIP transport for High Court Judges, High Sheriffs, blue-chip corporates, medical
companies, the police and celebrities such as Lenny Henry, Duncan Bannatyne, Gordon Ramsay, Jasper Carrott and others.
“It kept us above water and gave us time to breathe and look for other opportunities. It generated cash flow, kept the payroll paid and gave my dad a little bit of rent. I did that for eight years in total.”
Ever the entrepreneur, a subsequent foray into the property world providing administrative services for private cemetery developments generated sufficient momentum to enable Kamran to pursue his dream of a long-term motor industry project.
“In 2013 I acquired this place on lease, built the ramps and we opened for trade on 4 January 2014. I started with five or six people. I
The turning point for MotorServ UK was a trial offer of £10 MOTs for the duration of the 2016 European Football Championships. "It just went berserk. We didn't have enough employees to handle it. We used to be lucky to get two or three in a day on a normal £30 price and then when we did the Euro offer, we started doing 10 a day.
“It started bringing a lot more footfall to our doors. Basically, we were starting to show Rome to the Romans and they liked it. They are coming for an MOT but when they need their tyres or brakes done, they are going to remember us.”
The MOT deal at MotorServ - which today stands at just £15 with an above industry pass rate of 80 per cent - proved the catalyst for the growth of a business which currently boasts a turnover of £7.5m, 32 employees, around 600 customers a month, a media suite offering car sales and increased recognition following the recent Chamber awards.
“Sales have taken the business to another level. We acquired next door in May 2022 for £220,000 and we call it our sales and media suite. Eighty per cent of the turnover is now sales and the other 20 per cent is MOTs and servicing. Servicing is the recurring income, people come back every year. Sales can sway with market conditions.”
spent about £300,000. It was a gamble, I was jumping in at the deep end.”
At first the business struggled, as Kamran freely admits today. “They were very worrying times. When you are taking losses of between £10,000 and £30,000 a month you have got to worry. You need a compelling reason why people are going to beat a path to your door. We are not on a main road, we are on a corner of an industrial estate in Solihull.”
It appears the wheel has finally turned full circle for the son of an accountant who pursued his own motoring industry dream. Or as he puts it today: “The ironic thing now is I have to manage my own accountancy, my own figures and my own statements. As my father says to me ‘well at least you know how to do all that’.”
It would seem that training in the family accountancy firm has come in handy for Kamran at long last…
‘Sales have taken the business to another level. We acquired next door in May 2022 for £220,000 and we call it our sales and media suite’
The Birmingham 2022 Festival, a six-month celebration of creativity that accompanied the Commonwealth Games, brought not only pride and joy to the city – it gave a dramatic boost to the regional economy, new reports have revealed.
A series of independent evaluation reports, published at the Birmingham 2022 Festival Insight Event at the Birmingham Hippodrome, show the overall impact of the festival as well as delving into key aspects of the programme and its effect on those who participated and attended as well as the wider region.
The nine independently-produced reports evaluate the successes, learnings and impact of the vibrant and dynamic six-month cultural
programme. They reveal powerful impacts on communities across the region and how it had diversity at its heart by engaging with a wide range of communities that represent ethnic diversity, gender, LGBTQIA+ and disability identities.
The reports also show a direct economic impact of £100m and a further £87m in GVA –additional value to the economy – including £47m directly from tourists.
The evaluation shows a total attendance for the Festival Programme of 2,467,588, with 96 per cent of attendees rating their experience as good or excellent.
The overarching report was led by the IndigoLtd Consortium Evaluation Team with further reports on Critical Mass (The Audience Agency), Skills Development (Punch Records & IndigoLtd), International Collaboration (The Audience Agency), LGBTQ+ Space (Dr Roz Stewart-Hall)
Creative City Grants Programme (M-E-L Research), Route 34: North Birmingham Alliance (Earthen Lamp), Untold Stories (Punch Records & Indigo-Ltd) and Co-Creation (Punch Records & Indigo-Ltd).
Raidene Carter, executive producer of the Festival, said: “In delivering the Festival as part of a Commonwealth Games, we commissioned a body of work which reflected this wonderful region and shone a light on our creativity and heritage.”
Spottydog communications — an award-winning PR agency in Birmingham — has released its free social media planning calendar for comms and marketing professionals.
The calendar, aptly named ‘Opportunity Spots’, features all the key dates, events and national days in 2023 in one place to make content planning easier than ever.
Commenting on the calendar’s return, Emily Wardle, associate director at spottydog communications, said: “We’re thrilled to be bringing back Opportunity Spots in 2023; it’s the ultimate content planning tool and it’s what our own social media-savvy pups are constantly referring to.”
Key outcomes from the annual manufacturing survey conducted by audit, tax, risk and advisory firm Crowe and the Confederation of British Metal Forming (CBM) will be unveiled on Thursday, 9 February.
The breakfast seminar takes places at the NMC Venue, 47 Birmingham Road, West Bromwich, B70 6PY.
Johnathan Dudley, national head of manufacturing at Crowe, will be joined by Stephen Morley, president of the CBM, to discuss what the future holds for the manufacturing industry and where the area’s businesses should focus their efforts in 2023.
Mr Dudley said: “C rowe and CBM have worked closely to gauge the views of those working and driving businesses in the sector on what’s shaping the manufacturing industry and the opportunities and challenges that the sector faces.
“We will reveal the full results at this seminar focusing on key issues such as funding, growth, technology, supplier relationships and other concerns facing manufacturing businesses.
“The survey results have provided a very good barometer of the mood and plans of the manufacturing sector and I would urge all those involved in the industry to attend this seminar to understand the position now and the issues we face moving forward.”
Mr Morley added: “We are delighted to have collaborated with Crowe on the annual manufacturing survey once again – it really helps
to give us an in-depth understanding of the critical issues and opportunities facing manufacturers in the UK.
“Rising energy prices, labour shortages and supply chain disruption have been in the headlines and we’re hearing plenty of positive things around growth in reshoring.
“The information we take from this report provides us with a fantastic overview of where we are now, the challenges companies are dealing with and the potential solutions available. All of this will help industry leaders formulate their plans for 2023.”
The event will be of value to those in the manufacturing sector who have an interest in, or responsibility for, business growth and planning.
Registration and breakfast are from 8am, with discussions starting at 8:30am and the event closing by 9:30am.
To register, visit call Nathan Sanghera on 0121 543 1900 or email nathan.sanghera@crowe.co.uk
‘We commissioned a body of work which reflected this wonderful region and shone a light on our creativity and heritage’Colourful celebration: The Festival in full swing
Two more keynote speakers have been added to the line-up for the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce of Commerce (GBCC) rearranged Global Trade Conference.
The event was rescheduled following postponement in September after the death of the Queen and will now take place at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire on 15 February between 12 noon and 6pm.
New speakers confirmed are Jamila Davis, of the West Midlands Growth Company, and Professor Geoff Thompson, deputy chair of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and founder and chair of UK-based international charity the Youth Charter.
Jamila is special projects and business development manager at the Growth Company, the economic development agency for the
region. Her role includes project management surrounding key aspects of the Commonwealth Games 2022 Business and Tourism Programme, designed to create lasting and inclusive economic legacy. Formerly Jamila was the senior business development manager for Greater Birmingham Commonwealth and Transatlantic Chambers of Commerce.
Mandy Haque, international director at Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, said: “We are delighted that Jamila and Geoff have been added to an already impressive line-up of speakers.”
Other speakers already confirmed include Amanda Brooks, director-general of trade negotiations at the Department for International Trade, Taran Singh, founder and CEO of Taran 3D, Elisabeth Lewis Jones, CEO of L iquid PR, Shaun Adams, managing director of Birmingham
A light sculpture named after the Aston Villa footballer Tyrone Mings has been unveiled at Aston University as part of a campaign to help raise awareness of colour blindness.
In the UK there are approximately three million colour blind people, most of whom are male. Worldwide, there are estimated to be about 300 million people with colour blindness.
The competition, Shining a Light on Colour Blindness, was launched by non-profit organisation Colour Blind Awareness and supported by various football club charitiesincluding the Aston Villa Foundation. Young supporters were asked to take part by drawing a colourful picture of their favourite footballer. The winning entry was then made
into a light feature. The winning artwork, which came from the Aston Villa Foundation, was transformed into a light feature and was selected to go on display inside the Aston University Vision Sciences building in the paediatrics bay.
Competition winner 10-year-old Leo Evans from Erdington helped unveil the light sculpture alongside Professor Anthony Hilton, pro-vicechancellor and executive dean of the College of Health and Life Sciences.
Professor Hilton said: “We are delighted for Leo, his winning drawing of Tyrone Mings looks fantastic as a light sculpture and we are proud to host it in our Vision Sciences building.”
Leo said: “I am very proud that my picture won the competition and that Tyrone Mings liked it.”
Case Makers and Andy Dawson, director and cofounder of Curium Solutions. Delegates will be welcomed by GBCC president Deb Leary, while Mandy Haque will chair the opening International Trade Index Launch.
• More international news – pages 50-51
A Birmingham company which produces high-quality computergenerated images (CGI) for the property industry has helped a developer successfully showcase the potential of a barn conversion project.
AIIB-3D works with property developers, architects and interior designers to create 3D images which accurately depict how projects such as new developments, refurbishments and redesigns will look when completed.
The firm, based at Brindleyplace, helped the New Home Company bring to life a major project at Yew Tree Farm Barns in Tanworth in Arden.
The team of designers at AIIB-3D created a series of realistic interior and exterior images to showcase the development’s luxurious features. This has already led to one of the high-end barn conversions being sold.
Steve Hammond, director of New Home Company, said: “The CGIs for the Yew Tree Farm Barns development were exceptional and helped potential purchasers visualise the final product, as well as assist the build team in understanding the vision for the project.
“In fact, the CGIs played a key role in the successful sale of one of the plots which also beat the ceiling price for the area.”
Ashley Waitt, co-director of AIIB-3D, said: “We are delighted that our CGI renders were able to contribute to the successful sale of one of the plots off-plan and early on in the build phase.
“It’s always a pleasure to see our product make a real difference in the success of a project, and we were thrilled to be able to work with Steve and New Home Company on this exciting barn conversion.
“The use of CGI imagery in the property industry is an increasingly important tool, and we are proud to be able to offer a high-quality product that helps developers bring their visions to life and achieve their sales goals.”
This month’s Meet the Team series features the new business team, responsible for attracting new companies to the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce family. MARCH: In the next issue of Chamberlink we shall be meeting the relationship management team who are the key points of contact for the Chamber’s 2,500 members.
Russ Ashman is the man at the helm of the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce’s seven-strong New Business team – helping boost membership numbers for the region’s premier business organisation.
It’s a role which suits the golfing fanatic down to a tee after a long career in advertising and sponsorship, including more than 12 years at major Midland football clubs, Aston Villa, Birmingham City and Derby County.
As he explains: “My background in the worlds of football and golf brought me into contact with a variety of businesses in all different sectors, broadening my knowledge of many sectors and businesses of all sizes.”
Russ initially joined the Chambers in 2018 as advertising and sponsorship manager from golfing events company Rhodium Events, and for the last two years has been head of new business, a key element of the organisation’s day to day activities.
“Our role is to engage with businesses of all shapes and sizes which have never had any
previous connections with the Chamber. Our seven-strong team is able to promote our full range of products and services.
“We do that in a variety of ways, through canvassing, attending external networking events, and offering key support via promotional campaigns which are run by the Chamber’s marketing department.”
Other members of the team under Russ’s leadership are Hamish Kelly, Dan Retter, Jaye Rattu, Sanjeet Sanghera, Becky Black and Mark Emery.
Russ, who lives in Worcestershire with his wife and daughter, close to his beloved golf club at Churchill and Blakedown, added: “Part of the strategic plan is to grow the Chamber’s membership across all six geographical divisions, including Birmingham, Solihull, Sutton Coldfield, Lichfield and Tamworth, Cannock Chase and Burton and District, and also our themed divisions, International Trade, the Commonwealth Chamber, the Asian Business Chamber of Commerce and Future Faces.
“There are many opportunities for us for businesses of all sizes from start-ups to large
corporates. We really have got something for everybody, helping companies to raise their profile, make new contacts, provide networking opportunities and build their brand via advertising and sponsorship opportunities.
“We educate them about what the Chamber does and how we can help with their business requirements and the challenges they face. These are challenging times for many businesses and we have recently seen more engagement from companies and contact from people willing to speak to the Chamber to help guide them through these times.
“In fact, in times such as these, raising your profile has never been more important. I really relish my role as head of new business – because of the broad range of sector, the job brings me and the Chamber into contact with a wide variety of companies, big and small.”
Becky Black added: “The role offers a great opportunity to meet a diverse range of businesses and new innovations that are being created in the Greater Birmingham region. The team are a positive source of information formed from the different dynamics of our experience.”
Next season promises to be one of the most thrilling in Warwickshire’s history as The Ashes returns to Edgbaston and the Vitality Blast launches in spectacular style with the Blast Off.
The cub has created exciting new roles and is recruiting across various departments which means there is a range of opportunities to join the team at Edgbaston.
Operations director Claire Daniel said: “There’s never been a better time to join the Bears family. We’ve got ambitious expansion plans at the stadium which will cement our position as a world-leading cricket and conference venue and a focal point of the community.
“Two of the jobs – the bar manager and sous chef – are newly-created to support our successful, expanding hospitality and events business.
“It’s a great place to work – our latest internal survey showed a 98 per cent job satisfaction rate among our employees – and we’re committed to investing in, developing and supporting our staff.”
The club has created a new head of people and culture role to help enhance the positive working environment at Edgbaston and
drive culture and values. Candidates don’t need to have worked in a sports setting and the club is looking for an experienced HR professional who is passionate about people.
The club is also looking for someone to provide a minimum of nine months’ maternity cover for the head of governance position.
The role delivers governance processes and administration support to the board, subcommittees and senior
management team. The successful candidate will also drive the club's award-winning Edgbaston for Everyone pledge and equity, diversity and inclusion action plan.
Elsewhere, Edgbaston is looking to recruit a new cellar manager and hospitality bar supervisor.
The club actively encourage applications from people of diverse backgrounds and is committed to reflecting the communities they serve at every level of the organisation. Edgbaston was also the first
cricket club in the country to achieve the Real Living Wage Employer accreditation.
Fo r more information and full job descriptions visit the job vacancies section on the club's website.
• The Hundred is heading back to Birmingham for 2023. After two hugely successful years, the competition is set to kick off on 1 August and Edgbaston will host its first fixture on 5 August.
Ambitious plans have been unveiled to support the development of Birmingham’s Southside district as a diverse cultural centre and drive economic growth.
Southside Business Improvement District’s Access Strategy sets out proposals to transform Hurst Street at the heart of the district into a space which is more welcoming for pedestrians, cyclists and disabled people.
Through a series of three connected plans covering access and transport, festivals and events and Southside’s potential to become a Cultural Action Zone, the BID has worked with local businesses and city stakeholders to propose a series of recommendations.
Plans include a wholesale redesign of the current streetscape, removing kerbs, parking spaces and the separation between road space and pedestrian space to
A new Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) centre at Cadbury Sixth Form College in Kings Norton, Birmingham is making great progress for local students.
Built to support the growth of T-Levels, the new £6.6m centre will be focused on delivering a new technical curriculum responding to a growing demand to provide specialist teaching facilities and learning for students.
From inception, sustainability has been at the heart of the building’s design. A focus has been implemented to exceed regulatory energy performance standards, whilst modern technologies have also been used to provide heat and lighting that reduce carbon emissions, underpinning the College’s journey to Net Carbon Zero.
flooring has been laid. The roofwork and façade of the building has begun and building contractor, Speller Metcalfe, is working alongside Sandwell College to ensure that the new building meets the needs of students, staff and the local community.
after college — whether that be for university or straight into a job. This will also be a huge benefit to the wider community.”
The new STEM centre will reach across two stories and will include dedicated suites for Digital Media, Health, Computer Aided Design [CAD] and Employee Engagement while sectors such as Design, Planning and Surveying, Science and Construction will also benefit from cutting-edge facilities. Alongside dedicated areas, a flexible study and social space will be available for all students and will also be available to hire as an external event space.
promote café culture and pedestrianising Hurst Street at night.
The BID said that with city centre footfall still below pre-pandemic levels, Southside’s Festival & Events Strategy proposes a series of recommendations to support the return of major events to the district.
As the home to a number of significant festivals including Birmingham Pride, Chinese New Year and Summer in Southside, the recommendations include the protection of a large open space within the district and the creation of a festivals committee that can work together on funding applications and share learnings and insights.
Also proposed are the appointment of a part-time coordinator who can support Birmingham’s creative network and encourage more festivals activity and the creation of an evaluation team who can monitor the social and economic impact.
Julia Robinson, Southside BID manager, said: “After the hugely challenging climate of the past three years, our strategic vision puts forward practical changes and recommendations to ensure we can live up to our ambition to become a world-class cultural centre, driving economic growth for Southside and Birmingham.”
The project marks ‘Phase 2’ of the college’s ambition to position itself as a centre for ‘aspirational advanced learning for young people’, following the opening of its £3.5m Science City in 2021.
To date, the steel frame has been erected and concrete
Julia Stevens, principal of Cadbury Sixth Form College, commented: “We’re excited by the progress of the new STEM centre, which will provide students with even more opportunities by being able to study in state-of-the-art facilities. When the doors open, the new building will allow students to get hands on and see what industry looks like, preparing them for life
Rob Lashford, divisional director at the company, said: “We are delighted to be working with Cadbury Sixth Form College to give students access to the best training and facilities and providing them with ‘real life’ learning environments and opportunities to best prepare them for the start of their careers.”
Working alongside Broadway Malyan architects, the project is set to complete in summer 2023.
UB40 has been honoured with a gigantic hoarding on the “golden mile” of Broad Street, in the world famous reggae band’s hometown of Birmingham.
The stylish façade, measuring around 15 metres by three metres, has been placed in front of the former Players nightclub at 240 Broad Street while that building is temporarily empty.
The hoarding, which incorporates top highlights from the band’s history, has been created by Westside Business Improvement District (BID), in close liaison with UB40’s management, and produced by giant sign experts at Hollywood Monster.
The design highlights:
• UB40's 50-plus UK hit singles
• 17 records reaching the top ten
• Three becoming number one hits
• More than 100 million record sales
• UB40’s special place on the Broad Street Walk of Stars
Robin Campbell, of UB40, said: "This looks fabulous! What a wonderful surprise! We knew nothing about it until it was about to go up, but we've been along to have a look and it's lovely, a really nice tribute."
Mike Olley, general manager of Westside BID, said: “We’re so lucky here in Birmingham to be able to celebrate such a world-famous music band.When Players nightclub closed, we agreed with the building’s
owners that we could dress up the outside to make it look great while the company re-energised to create its new brand.
“The result is our special tribute to UB40, a band that deserves to be shouted about in the city.”
Mr Olley explained that the design of the façade was also intended to publicise the new design of how the Walk of Stars might look once it had been re-laid on Broad Street.
He added: “The Metro tram works involved removing most of the Stars, and we are now working closely with the Midland Metro Alliance on exactly how and when they will be put back in place.
“As well as honouring UB40 and creating a dazzling temporary frontage for the old Players, the design allows everyone to see the sort of design we intend for Westside once the Walk of Stars is put back in place.”
‘We can live up to our ambition to become a worldclass cultural centre’Excited: Julia Stevens
Senior family law solicitors at Thursfields, Laura Williams and Hannah Nicholls, are also trained mediators witnessing firsthand the benefits to clients that resolving their family disputes outside of the Court arena can bring.
The use of mediation and other dispute resolution processes has been widely encouraged by senior family judges and other professionals who work with children and families for some time, however it has only more recently started to gather popularity with lawyers and their clients.
Why is this? The overwhelming pressure on the Courts is certainly a factor, which is resulting in court proceedings taking sign ificantly longer to conclude. Not only does this place an enormous emotional strain on children involved, and the family, but it also means legal costs are increasing significantly.
But it is not only the delays and attributable costs of the court system that are resulting in the increasing participation in mediation and other processes. The Court process, for dealing with all types of family dispute, is u npredictable and complex. There is no guarantee that a Judge or bench of Magistrates will make a decision that you feel is right for you or your family. They do not know you or your children and only have a snapshot of insight into the family dynamic. Although your lawyers can advise you on the considerations that the Court must have when
making informed decisions, they cannot tell you with any degree of c ertainty exactly what order a Court will make. This is because the Court has a wide discretion when making Orders in family cases, and what one Judge may feel is fair and appropriate in the circumstances, may be notably different to that of another.
The Court process is also combative in nature. It heightens tensions and conflict rather than appeasing it. This can lead to long term, irreparable damage bei ng caused to family relationships, individual family members mental health, and the ability of that family to be able to parent their children in a way that will be of most benefit to their children.
Mediation offers an alternative where couples and family members can attempt to address and resolve their issues in a safe and impartial environment. A trained mediator will assist by facilitating discussions in an attempt to resolve issues that are in dispute. The aim is for families to find an informed way forward, having control over decisions that can work practically, financially, and emotionally for them. The process allows for parties to continue to take legal advice in the
background should they wish to so that they can be assured they are making informed decisions.
Other processes such as Arbitration, early neutral evaluation, collaborative law, and solicitor round table meetings should also be explored early on in the family breakdown, as they are also processes designed to limit conflict and assist in reaching resolution at an early stage.
Court proceedings will of course still be necessary in certain circumstances, but it is important that full consideration is given, both at the outset and during t he process, as to whether an alternative can and should be implemented in order to provide the best possible outcome in the long term.
A new hearing clinic which offers free tests for the public has opened in the School of Optometry at Aston University - providing clinical care to students and staff and supporting the training of audiology students.
The clinic, situated on the ground floor in the Optometry building on the University campus in Birmingham city centre, is run in partnership with Specsavers and offers hearing tests for free.
The Digbeth Estate is set to relaunch The Bond on Fazeley Street as a home for the best creative talent in the West Midlands – encompassing TV, film and digital content.
Oval, working with Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP) and Create Central, has partnered with some of Birmingham’s best designers and architects to reshape The Bond for the next generation.
The rebuilding of The Bond will see it become a focal point for television, film and all digital content production.
Digbeth, the city’s Creative Quarter, is a cradle for businesses of all sizes, from thriving independents to internationals.
At its core, The Bond’s purpose is to re-establish itself, Digbeth and Birmingham as the epicentre of screen and digital talent in the Midlands; acting as a home for native creatives and a magnet for incomers.
The Bond comprises five main structures which provide 55,000 sq ft for businesses of all sizes, including event spaces, screening rooms, pod rooms, canalside studios and its own wharf.
Oval has been investing and developing buildings in Birmingham for over 20 years and has partnered with influential industry body Create Central and GBSLEP to bring The Bond back to life.
James Craig, founder of Oval Real Estate, said: “Specialising in spaces sometimes overlooked, we aim to leave buildings and neighbourhoods better than we found them, and as custodians of the Digbeth Estate, we are working with West Midlands Combined Authority and Birmingham City Council to deliver meaningful change in Digbeth by continuing the careful transformation of the area. As the Midlands’ newest production hub, The Bond will be an epicentre for film, media and tech within the growing Digbeth community.”
Create Central chair, Ed Shedd, said: “The Creative Content Hub will be a catalyst to kick-start the sector post-pandemic. It is just one of the many ways the West Midlands is at the forefront of developing new ways of working that will re-invent and future-proof traditional television, film and wider digital content production.”
A leading West Midland financial expert has urged the region’s businesses to consider how they can mitigate the impact of forthcoming Corporation Tax changes.
Mike Jordan, founder of Jordan Financial management in Sutton Coldfield, said: “With the increase in Corporation Tax going ahead on April 1, 2023 for companies with taxable profits over £50,000, there are things that businesses can do now to take advantage of the current lower rates.
“For example, if a company has a large profit now, but their year end isn’t until after the rates change next April, then they might find it beneficial to bring their tax year end forward, so that it all gets taxed at the 19 per cent rate rather than some at the 25 per cent.
“This also applies if there is a transaction such as a sale of an asset, that leads to a larger than normal one-off profit.”
Having been initially dropped in Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-Budget in
September, the Corporation Tax (CT) rate increase first announced in Spring is now to go ahead as planned on 1 April next year.
Mr Jordan, whose business is Sutton Coldfield’s longestestablished independent financial advisers, said: “While the changes to Corporation Tax do not apply until 1 April 2023, if your company’s accounting period straddles that date, the accounting period will have to be split. So, that would create two accounting periods, one prior to 1 April and one after, with profits time apportioned. Because of the changes to Corporation Tax, how you approach your end-ofyear accounting in 2023 can have a material effect on the amount of tax you will pay – so I would advise businesses with concerns to get professional guidance.”
Aston University's audiology team is working with Specsavers to provide hearing tests, dispense hearing aids and also offer counselling and advice alongside a full aftercare package. The clinic can also advise people on personalised noise protection and ear plugs for swimming. It
is open to members of the public and accepts NHS referrals.
Claire Wilkes, audiology programme director at Aston University said: “So far the clinic has had a lot of interest and uptake of hearing appointments. We are delighted to be working alongside Specsavers. Many of our students undertake work placements with the company, so we are very happy we’ve been able to grow our partnership further by opening this clinic on campus.”
Specsavers is a key partner of Aston University, with graduates from both audiology and optometry going on to work for them.
Humah Zaheer, Specsavers audiology director, who runs the clinic added: “I’m delighted to be involved in this initiative. As an Aston University audiology graduate from 2014 it feels like I’ve come full circle. Being able to offer students an insight into the ‘real’ world of audiology, as well as Specsavers, is a fantastic experience for their career development.”
For more information or to book an appointment call 0121 270 7072.
‘The clinic has had a lot of interest and uptake of hearing appointments
‘The Bond will be an epicentre for film, media and tech within the growing Digbeth community’
Address 134 High Street, Solihull, B91 3SX
T: 0121 387 2400
E: solihull@kibou.co.uk
W: www.kibou.co.uk
General manager: Arta Troksa
Head Chef: Kin Ho Fung
Opening hours: Mon to Sat: 12pm to 11pm Sun: 12pm to 10pm
Food
The menu at KIBOU continues the theme of lavish attention to detail, with work of art Jo Moriawase mixed sushi sharing platters, delicately hand sliced to order sashimi, traditional hand-pressed nigiri and signature sharing sushi rolls, such as KIBOU’s famous volcano roll.
Alongside these there is a range of other classic and contemporary Japanese dishes, including steaming bowls of ramen, made with pork, chicken or vegan broth, crisp tempura, a selection of pillowy steamed bao buns and handmade spiced pork gyoza.
Catering for all Japanese food lovers and those eager to try Japanese cuisine for the first time, KIBOU’s diverse and contemporary menu also includes an extended vegan selection and an elegantly rich menu of Japanese-inspired desserts.
Lunch and dinner
The same menu is available for lunch and dinner and includes vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options
Drinks
To complement the restaurant offering, KIBOU also features a standalone cocktail bar serving
signature Japanese-inspired cocktails, no-and-low options, an ambitious selection of Japanese whisky, sake and umeshu, Japanese brewed beers and authentic highballs. There’s an extensive list of fine wines on offer too.
Kibou is business friendly and offer a set menu for speedy lunches. Their Bento Boxes offer a staple Japanese “go-to” lunch option and
the chance to try a range of dishes, with six compartments each containing a portion of one of the restaurant’s most popular. Available Monday to Friday lunchtimes, they’re priced at £13.50 and are described as being perfect for those looking for an affordable KIBOU-fix during their lunch break. Also on offer is a Japaneseinspired afternoon tea that arrives on an eye-catching three-tiered stand, and includes tasters of many
of the group’s most popular dishes. These include dishes such as tempura prawn California roll, salmon tataki with mango salsa and sea bream nigiri, followed by signature yuzu cheesecake and Japanese garden tartlets, mochi ice cream and traditional custard dorayaki with strawberry compôte. Priced at £19 per person for the vegetarian version and £21 per person for the classic, this elegant afternoon tea is served as standard with a choice of Japanese teas and infusions. Or guests can opt for a range of accompanying drinks packages, including a glass of Taittinger Brut Réserve Champagne, signature KIBOU cocktail or Junmai Tokubetsu sake, known for its creamy character with notes of pear and banana.
15 per cent off food – lunchtimes
Monday to Friday, 12pm to 4pm, at KIBOU Solihull. Discount applies to food only (does not include drinks).
Offer is not valid in conjunction with any other offer. Diners must show Chamber membership details to be accepted. Management reserve the right to withdraw this offer at any time.
Solihull High Street, KIBOU aims to take guests on a culinary and sensory journey to Japan, offering a feast for all the senses. A melting pot of Japanese cuisine, KIBOU’s contemporary menu fuses all that this delicious country has to offer.
More than 3,000 jobhunters across the region have been helped back into work thanks to public sector service provider Serco – under the Government’s Restart Scheme.
New figures show that a total of 33,300 people in West Central England have received help under the initiative – with 3,200 people now back on the jobs ladder.
The Restart Scheme, providing 12 months of support, is part of the Government’s wider ‘Plan for Jobs’ programmes to help long-term unemployed people develop their skills so they can find sustainable and meaningful employment.
Overall, 340,000 people have started on the Restart Scheme in England and Wales since July 2021, of which 39,000 have received a job outcome.
The scheme aims to break down employment barriers that could be holding people back from finding long-term, meaningful employment.
This includes job searching, CV building, interview skills and other training to make them stronger candidates for employment. This provides an opportunity for businesses to access the Restart Scheme’s pool of participants who are motivated and ready to work.
Working with 17 delivery partners across West Central, Serco’s Restart Scheme has delivered many incentives to support sustainability in the last year.
In the Restart Scheme Birmingham office, the team have created a ‘Care Cabinet’, with all contributions provided by staff
members. The cabinet is available to staff or participants for anything they may need. It contains deodorants, hand creams, sanitary products, snacks and much more.
Suki Gill, social value lead for the Restart Scheme said: “Sustainability is a key theme of the Social Value model and from day one I have tried to ensure that the Restart Scheme focus on this subject area.
“Although sustainability may not be everyone’s cup of tea, it is a
subject matter that affects us all and we must take an interest and make a difference in our own little way.
“Throughout the last year we have educated and supported staff through our monthly sustainability newsletter and it’s great to see the new ideas that have been implemented from bringing your own plant to work, growing your own fruit and veg to using recycled furniture and paint to redecorate Restart Scheme offices.”
Two Birmingham hotels have bounced back strongly from Covid-19 to exceed their sales back in 2019, new figures reveal.
Birmingham-based asset management company Switch Hospitality has signalled a strong return for its West Midlands hotel portfolio, with both the Park Regis in Birmingham and the Holiday Inn Express Birmingham South beating 2019 sales figures.
At Park Regis, occupancy levels have fully recovered since the Covid-19 pandemic, with a five per cent increase in visitors from January to November 2022, compared to the same period in 2019, and against a backdrop of a 7.3 per cent decline in occupancy across 2022 for Birmingham as a whole.
Christmas covers at Park Regis increased by 48 per cent compared to 2019. The increased demand for corporate bookings and conferences has enabled Switch Hospitality to generate greater value for its hotels, with the ADR (average day rate) for Park Regis growing by 16 per cent in the period January to November 2022, compared to 2019, and Holiday Inn Express Birmingham South increasing by 22 per cent.
John Angus, CEO at Switch Hospitality said: “It’s been an exceptional year for our West Midlands hotels, and hugely encouraging to see the strength of demand from corporate bookings as well as our leisure visitors.
“Alongside our strong sales results at Park Regis, we were also proud to play our part in the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games by hosting an Athletes Village, and to be recognised by the industry and voted by customers as the Best UK Hotel for the second year running.”
Midlands-based accountancy and business advisory firm
PKF Smith Cooper has unveiled a series of promotions across the region to usher in the New Year.
Angela Bradley (accounts) and Daniel Stewart-Lacey (private client) have both been promoted to senior manager, Jessica Richardson (audit) to manager, Freddie Cutts and Eve Jephson (accounts) move to assistant managers, with Josh Monk and Beth Lymberry (both audit) promoted to assistant managers.
As PKF Smith Cooper’s audit department continues to expand, the team has been strengthened by three promotions, with Jessica
Richardson promoted to audit manager, and Josh Monk and Beth Lymberry upgraded to assistant audit manager.
In non-audit services, Daniel Stewart-Lacey has now been promoted to senior tax manager, after joining the firm at assistant level in 2012.
Angela Bradley, who started at PKF Smith Cooper in 2017, has been promoted to senior accounts manager, while both Freddie Cutts and Eve Jephson have earned promotion to assistant accounts manager.
David Nelson, Senior Partner at PKF Smith Cooper, said: “The firm’s continued growth means that we have an active and ongoing need for talent in audit and non-audit services, including private client and corporate finance.
“It’s great to see so many of our team relishing the journey the business continues to go on and, with it, the opportunities for both personal and professional development it affords. I’m really proud that so many of our new managerial positions are being filled internally by team members who started their careers with us.
“I wish every one of the team members every success.”
‘It’s great to see so many of our team relishing the journey the business continues to go on’
The Leadership Coaches is celebrating a string of firsts.
Hand-picked by director of coaching Zoé Lewis, the organisation grew to a team of 20 credible and experienced coaches.
This expansion enabled the Evesham-based coaching provider to extend its services and support for clients - including one-to-one leadership coaching, team coaching, talent and graduate coaching, and mentoring programmes.
2022 also marked the rollout of additional services, including coaching courses designed to support leaders and managers in enhancing their skills and leadership styles.
These courses were introduced at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) annual conference and exhibition in Manchester, where The Leadership Coaches exhibited for the first time.
The firm also continued to facilitate exclusive invite-only coaching collaboration workshops that enabled leaders at various stages of developing a coaching culture to collaborate with others.
In addition, The Leadership Coaches began working with their charity of the year, the Women’s Environmental Network (Wen).
Zoé said: “We are thrilled to be celebrating our third birthday. It’s a huge testament to the power of the whole team. Everyone has their own uniqueness, and they bring that magic to The Leadership Coaches family.
“We are excited to see how we can help even more organisations grow their leaders and managers through training and coaching.”
Summit Learning Trust has named its new deputy CEO, Kully Uppa.
In his role as deputy CEO, Kully will also oversee Summit’s secondary schools and Sixth Form college, bringing a wealth of educational knowledge and expertise to the Trust with over 15 years of experience across the sector.
He has held a number of senior and executive leadership roles across the West Midlands, and has played a significant role in transforming the lives of learners and the local communities he has served.
In his position as trust principal for a national multi-academy trust, he successfully oversaw the rapid improvement of academies regionally. In 2015,
he joined Bristnall Hall Academy in Sandwell as a senior leader and then subsequently, principal.
This period saw the academy forge its reputation as the highest performing secondary school in the local authority, achieving the top two per cent of national Progress 8 scores for secondary schools and academies.
Vince Green, CEO of Summit Learning Trust, said: “We look forward to welcoming and working with Kully as deputy CEO, who brings invaluable expertise and experience to our Trust family.
“Kully joins Summit at an exciting time and will help us to further enhance our strong educational offer for children and young people in Birmingham and Solihull.”
Kully said: “I am honoured to have been appointed as deputy CEO of Summit Learning Trust. I look forward with great excitement to the work I will be part of as our trust team continues its journey to achieving exceptional outcomes for all our learners.
Golf legend Sir Nick Faldo has been announced as the new long-term host of the Betfred British Masters, which returns to The Belfry Hotel & Resort near Sutton Coldfield this year.
The six-time Major winner will host the event which takes place on The Belfry’s award-winning Brabazon course from 29 June to 2 July.
Faldo not only played and won at The Belfry in the Ryder Cup on three occasions but also made history with his famous hole-in-one on the 14th hole in 1993.
The achievement is commemorated with a plaque on the famous course.
Faldo said: “It’s a real honour to be given the opportunity to host the Betfred British Masters, particularly at a venue as iconic as The Belfry.
“It’s a place that is synonymous with British and European golf, and we’ve been treated to some incredible moments there over the years.”
Having returned to The Belfry in 2021 and 2022, the Betfred British Masters is to remain at the Wishaw course for the next four years.
Resort director Chris Eigelaar said: “It’s also an absolute privilege to have Sir Nick Faldo hosting the tournament, a true icon to all golf players.
“We can’t wait to welcome all players and spectators back to the Brabazon course this year.”
“We will ensure that all individuals in our care experience the most exceptional standards of educational provision and support in achieving and most importantly, maximising their potential.
“I can already see the amazing work being undertaken by all colleagues at Summit Learning Trust and we will continue with our commitment to further developing all our colleagues and supporting them to deliver the very best educational expertise, for all stakeholders in our sphere of care.”
‘I can already see the amazing work being undertaken by all colleagues at Summit Learning Trust’Honoured: Kully Uppa
National Grid has awarded engineering-led construction firm Burns & McDonnell an engineerprocure-construct (EPC) contract for the extension of a substation at Necton in Norfolk.
The extension will allow offshore wind farm projects on the East Coast of England to be connected into the UK’s energy network.
The project will be delivered by Burns & McDonnell under National Grid’s RIIO T2 EPC construction framework for substations, which is helping the UK adopt new forms of energy as it transitions to a net zero system by 2050.
The upgraded substation will mean that three 1,320-megawatt wind farms are connected into National Grid’s network and powering UK homes and businesses.
Burns & McDonnell was selected to be part of National Grid’s EPC construction framework for substations in February 2021. This i s the company’s third major contract award from National Grid under the framework.
In 2022, Burns & McDonnell was awarded an EPC contract for the
extension of a 275-kV substation in Oldbury, and in October 2021 the firm secured a contract for the installation of a 400-kV substation located in Yaxley, Suffolk.
Jonathan Chapman, UK managing director, Burns & McDonnell, said: “I’m delighted that Burns & McDonnell has been awarded this contract with National Grid.
“This is evidence of the confidence that National Grid has in our work and our long-term
commitment to the UK’s vision for a net zero energy system by 2050. The Necton project is a key component in National Grid’s strategy to develop the UK’s electrical infrastructure, so it is ready for the energy transition. We are extremely proud to be playing our part in that mission.”
Burns & McDonnell has been operating in the US for over 120 years, and since launching in the UK has more than tripled the size of its team.
HS2 Ltd is celebrating a world-first as around 450 people from its Midlands construction contractor Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV) slid a 12,600 tonne bridge a record 165 metres to position it across a motorway in Warwickshire.
The site team worked around the clock to move HS2’s Marston Box bridge into place over the M42 during the Christmas period.
The dramatic operation took 40 hours, at a speed of four metres per hour, during a 10-day closure of the motorway between Junctions J9 and J10 (northbound and southbound).
Over the last six months, the giant 86 metre-long structure was built on land next to the motorway.
The structure, developed by a design joint venture of Mott MacDonald and Systra, working on behalf of BBV, has a base, three walls and top slab.
The sliding mechanism, designed by specialist civil and structural engineering company Freyssinet, allowed the box to be pushed into place over the motorway on a guiding raft over a distance of 163 metres – which is believed to be the world’s longest box slide.
Rail minister Huw Merriman said: “This is yet another astonishing achievement by HS2 - a project which is already changing lives through employment and regeneration, and will completely transform the way we live and work once trains hit the tracks. Thank you to the 450 people working over the Christmas period on this incredible operation, who are playing their part in bringing this pioneering project to life.”
On completion, the whole structure will be around 190 metres in length, and will carry HS2 over the motorway as it heads north to Crewe, or on its southward journey as it loops into Birmingham Curzon Street or continues straight on to Interchange Station in Solihull, Old Oak Common Station and London Euston.
Once built, the railway bridge will connect Dunton Wood Embankment to the south and the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal Viaduct, which crosses the heritage canal, to the north.
This construction method, which allowed it to be moved into place in one movement meant only two one-week closures of the motorway over a 12-month period, dramatically reducing disruption for road users.
Sasan Ghavami, Balfour Beatty VINCI’s construction director for the project said: “We’ve used innovative construction techniques and worked tirelessly throughout the Christmas period to move this 12,600 tonne bridge over the M42 motorway – all done with the aim of keeping disruption to an absolute minimum.”
Construction for the Metro extension, that will see the line further expanded to the Eastside of Birmingham city centre, has reached another milestone after the first section of track was installed on Lower Bull Street.
The Midland Metro Alliance, which is delivering the scheme on behalf of Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), fixed a total of 130 metres of double track into place along Lower Bull Street as part of the eagerly-anticipated scheme.
This swift progress in the project follows a successful concrete pour in December which formed the base for the track and sleepers to be installed.
The team spent more than 330 hours successfully installing the first pieces of rail for the delta junction, which will allow trams to travel in six different directions between Digbeth, Edgbaston and the Black Country, with these works expected to continue over the coming months.
It is not the first track milestone to be achieved for the project, as it comes just four months after 45 metres of rail was installed at the junction of Meriden Street and Digbeth High Street in the autumn.
Michael Anderson, Metro programme director at TfWM, said: “This latest milestone highlights the progress the team at the MMA are making on the Birmingham Eastside Metro extension – one of the major projects we are delivering to enhance public transport and ensure more people across the West Midlands have an easy connection to the forthcoming HS2 Curzon Street station.”
The Arthur Terry Learning Partnership (ATLP) has appointed a highly regarded and experienced education leader to its board.
David Watson (pictured), CEO of the Venturers Trust, joins the ATLP trust board as a trustee.
The ATLP runs 20 schools and one teaching school hub in Birmingham, North Warwickshire, Staffordshire and West Coventry.
Richard Gill, CEO of the ATLP, said: “It is a pleasure and a privilege to welcome David to the ATLP.
“David shares our ‘One Trust’ ethos of working collectively to help all schools succeed. The challenges he is tackling as CEO in his current role clearly demonstrates his commitment to children.”
David has held leader and director level positions for national and regional educational bodies, as well as being an Ofsted inspector.
He was awarded an OBE in the 2019 New Year’s Honours List for services to education.
David said: “I am both delighted and honoured to be stepping into the role of trustee to support the ATLP at this exciting, yet challenging time.
“This partnership is committed to improving the outcomes and experiences of all children and young people, and these are guiding principles that I share.
“I look forward to working with a team of dedicated professionals who are passionate about shaping lives and transforming communities. I want to contribute the experience I have gained to help the Trust further their goals and vision.”
The ATLP is currently seeking people to join its family of schools as ATLP advocates to deliver the very best for children.
The British Independent Retailers Association (BIRA) has said the sharp rise in shop closures over the past 12 months is ‘frightening’.
The association, which works with over 6,000 independent businesses of all sizes across the UK, has remarked on the latest figures released by the Centre for Retail Research (CRR) which has highlighted that 2022 saw 17,000 sites across the UK shut up shop as ‘frightening’ and ‘toxic’.
The figures are the highest number seen in five years for UK high streets, shopping parades and out of town shopping parks - and are 50 per cent higher than 2021. The number of jobs lost have also
January blues: The ‘raging bull’ surrounded by dark clouds
jumped significantly - with 150,000 posts closed, which has risen by 43 per cent in the previous year.
Andrew Goodacre (pictured), CEO of BIRA, said: “The number of shops closing is frightening and has accelerated throughout the year. It is due to a toxic combination of reduced consumer spending and rising costs.
“I feel that after three years of dealing with Covid from lockdowns to trading restrictions, and now coupled with the cost of living crisis, that indie retailers are worn out and tired.
“We can look forward to lower business rates in England and Wales (but not in Scotland where rates are being increased) as from
April this year, but that coincides with the end of the energy support scheme.
“This report shows the urgent need to retain the energy support or 2023 will see many more shops closing.”
Birmingham’s mechanical bull was chosen to kick off the 2023 calendar for the city’s business district where millions of people visited it.
The ‘raging bull’, as it became known, formed the centrepiece of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games opening ceremony in July, before being relocated in Centenary Square.
The 2.5 tonnes, 10-metre-tall moving sculpture has now achieved another landmark, by kicking off the Westside Business Improvement District's 2023 calendar.
The striking photo with a background of moody clouds, representing the month of January, was taken by Chris Fletcher, aged 50, from Coleshill, Warwickshire, who is no stranger to BID calendar success.
Chris, who receives a £75 voucher to spend on Westside, said: “The bull was something new in
Birmingham to go and see. It had been moved to outside the Library of Birmingham straight after the Games ended, so I went along on 21 August when conditions on the day were perfect. It looked big on TV, but you don’t realise the size until you are close up to it.”
His atmospheric image of a misty canal-side setting off Broad Street was also chosen to represent January in the 2022 calendar.
After being selected for the 2022 calendar, he received an email reminder of this year’s competition so entered again.
He added: “It’s the only calendar I can think of that promotes Birmingham in this way and gives local photographers something to enter and have their work seen in. I’m really pleased to be in for the second year, and both for January.”
Transformation: Exciting plans for the Smithfield site
Birmingham’s Smithfield site have been submitted to the City Council, following an extensive consultation on the proposals.
The site played a central role in the hugely successful Commonwealth Games last summer, hosting several games venues as well as the Smithfield Festival.
Now this 17-hectare city centre development has been earmarked to create major economic opportunities, including an estimated 8,000 new jobs.
A market has operated on the site for more than 200 years and, continuing this long history, the new scheme will provide a home for the city’s historic Bull Ring markets.
square.
The Smithfield masterplan also creates a workspace campus of over one million square feet and a new events space, Festival Square, which will play host to cultural events for thousands of people.
If approved, 600 sustainable and modern homes will be delivered in a green setting as part of the first phase of work –with a total of 3,000 homes planned for the whole site over the coming years.
Meanwhile expanded cycling routes and improved eco-friendly transport options will be complemented by new and improved green walking routes.
The scheme is a joint venture between Birmingham City Council
Colin Murphy, project lead at Lendlease, said: “Throughout 2022 we’ve been part of a city-wide conversation with people who live and work in Birmingham, inviting comment on our plans from all corners of the city including those who are at the heart of today’s Bull Ring Markets.
“Smithfield will provide the opportunity to create a destination market experience to rival Europe's best, as well as an international office hub with access to outstanding transport links.”
A decision on the planning submission is expected in early 2023. If approved, construction on site would begin later in the year.
BT Group is dialling up its recruitment drive in Birmingham – with plans to welcome 37 apprentices and graduates as part of its September 2023 intake.
The communications giant will recruit talent in the West Midlands across areas such as Network Engineering, Data Analysis and Sales to support the UK’s fast-growing digital sectors.
The 21 graduate and 16 apprenticeship roles will be based at BT’s Three Snow Hill offices and are being introduced.
They are being introduced to support the company’s plans to build and extend its 5G network around the UK.
BT opened the state-of-the-art Three Snow Hill building in 2021 as one of the key new locations announced under its Better Workplace Programme.
The latest recruitment of apprentices and graduates builds on the more than 6,000 BT employees based in the West Midlands region.
Athalie Williams, chief human resources officer at BT Group said: “As one of the largest private sector employers of apprentices and graduates in the UK, we continue to recruit and attract brilliant people into our business and we offer unparalleled development opportunities to those who join us.
“Despite the current economic backdrop, we’re building a future pipeline of talent to help drive growth across our business, deliver great outcomes for all of our customers and to underpin economic growth in the UK.”
In 2022, BT Group was ranked third in the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers in the UK and as part of its Manifesto for responsible, inclusive, and sustainable growth the company has pledged to build a more diverse talent pool.
Alongside its apprenticeship and graduate scheme opportunities, BT Group is investing in several initiatives to support young people and jobseekers. These include Work Ready and FastFutures which have already helped thousands of young people kickstart their careers, providing opportunities for young people looking to launch their careers and preparing them for the world of work.
A national centre of excellence will be established by Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) as part of a £30million programme to help make the UK’s road network cleaner and greener.
TfWM, which is part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), will use its £4 million share of the funding from the Department for Transport (DfT) to bring together technical expertise from around the world to develop and trial new innovations that will accelerate the use of low carbon materials, and repair and maintenance techniques. These could include road surfaces made from recycled components or materials such as permeable concrete to improve their durability in different climates, to studying the carbon impact of pothole repair techniques based on costs and long-term lifespan.
The UK CO2llaboration Centre of Excellence for Materials Decarbonisation will be a single centre based across two campuses - a physical centre based in Birmingham and a virtual centre hosted by North Lanarkshire Council.
The centre should open in April and will work closely with TfWM’s established Transport Skills Academy to share the knowledge and skills developed.
Cllr Ian Ward, WMCA portfolio holder for transport and leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “Just as the West Midlands was at the heart of the Industrial Revolution, we have the talent and invention needed to now lead the way on the route to net zero.
“Through the national centre of excellence, we will help develop the skills and innovations needed for a cleaner, greener and more prosperous future for people across our region."
The centre will work to create an online database of shared knowledge and make it accessible to highways maintenance teams across the UK, as well as developing a recycled materials programme and runningfurther trials.
It will also help support the West Midlands’ ambitious target to be a net zero region within the next two decades.
Chambers of Commerce patrons to learn about the impact major transport and infrastructure projects are having on the area.
The transport-themed visit began at Curzon Street, where Ms Haviland met representatives from HS2 and contractor Balfour Beaty VINCI at the site on which the new HS2 station will be built.
She then addressed business leaders at a GBCC patrons lunch, hosted at the Colmore Row offices of law firm Mills & Reeve.
Ms Haviland’s final stop was at National Express’ Digbeth headquarters where CEO Tom Stables and managing director David Bradford discussed the transport operator’s investments in electric and hydrogen buses.
She said: “Thank you to Henrietta [Brealey, CEO], Raj [Kandola, (head of policy] and the whole team at Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce for a brilliant visit this week.
“It was great to have the opportunity to see the HS2 build in person at Curzon Street where the first piers are going up.
“Thank you also to all at Mills & Reeve for their Patrons Lunch where I got to hear from members on topics ranging from skills to R&D.
“A trip to National Express to see their new Electric and Hydrogen bus fleets topped off the day. The buses are transforming road transport in the West Midlands – and I even got a quick driving lesson!”
Henrietta Brealey, chief executive of the GBCC, said: “Just as Chambers of Commerce represent and connect their local business communities, the British Chambers of Commerce represents the Chamber network. They are our voice into Westminster and national government decision making.
“It was a pleasure to show Shevaun key developments and innovations that are transforming the city-region and provide an opportunity for our patrons to share insights on the opportunities and challenges of the day.”
In the past two academic years Halesowen College’s apprenticeship team has been working hard to restructure and refocus on two main skill areas, Business & Professional and Healthcare.
With fantastic links with local NHS Trusts, not only have the team recruited, assessed, and placed the first four Healthcare Science Associate Level 4 apprentices, with a focus on Genetics, in the country, but they have also increased recognition as being the premier college in the Black Country, and wider Birmingham area, for Healthcare Science apprenticeship training. In the same vein, the team are in the final stages of implementing the Pharmacy Technician Level 3 apprenticeship, allowing current learners to stay with the college to continue their training and allow employers in the local area to recruit trained staff.
During the Pandemic many businesses restructured, and this has allowed some employees to progress into management roles. In a bid to support these new managers, the apprenticeship team are looking to refine and re-launch the Operations Manager Level 5 apprenticeship. As well as this support to management, the team are supporting human resource specialists by launching the HR Support Level 3 Qualification. This focus will not only provide the skills that the area needs, but it will also provide opportunities for local business to recruit the necessary staff as well as develop and grow tomorrow’s workforce.
For more details on recruiting apprentices or training through apprenticeships contact Christian Vivash at the Halesowen College Skills Shop on 0121 602 7784 or 0121 602 6000
Contact: Raj Kandola T: 07815 952462
Audit tax and consulting firm RSM UK has appointed new employment taxes partner James Hemphill in its employer solutions team.
James will be based in RSM’s Birmingham office after spending more than six years at EY as a people advisory services director and then partner.
He has also previously worked at Grant Thornton.
James has extensive experience advising on all aspects of UK employment taxes, including PAYE and National Insurance (NIC) in the UK, as well as off-payroll workers, employer benefits and expenses.
He also has specialist expertise in the design and delivery of cost-efficient employment tax strategies that generate tax and NIC savings.
James said: “The opportunity to build upon the employment taxes practice across the Midlands was an offer I simply could not refuse.
“The firm has a national employer solutions practice with a clear strategy to increase its footprint in the Midlands market which I am hugely excited to be a part of, as well as being part of a team of very talented people.”
Mark Taylor, regional managing partner in the West Midlands at RSM UK, added: “James’ expertise in the employment taxes practice makes him an ideal candidate to realise our ambitions to continue to grow this service offering in the Midlands region.”
Curium Solutions is behind the launch of the world’s first centre of excellence in work time reduction in Canada – which will support the global move to shorter working weeks.
The new initiative is co-designed by work time reduction evangelist and former 4 Day Week Global CEO Joe O’Connor in partnership with the Birminghamheadquartered transformation consultancy.
Bringing together Joe’s experience in partnering with organisations to design, coordinate and implement shorter work week trials, alongside Curium’s expertise in change management, the new Work Time Reduction Center of Excellence seeks to support the widespread adoption of reduced hour schedules.
While the business is based in Toronto and has global ambitions, Curium Solutions will focus on developing the concept across the UK from their Birmingham city centre base.
Hundreds of companies worldwide have adopted four-day weeks - or equivalent shorter work weeks.
The Work Time Reduction Center of Excellence will be supported by world-class researchers, change management experts, operational excellence specialists, thought leaders and four-day week pioneers. The Centre will also support ongoing research on the
impact and feasibility of reduced work time models.
Andy Dawson, director of Curium Solutions, said: “We are excited to be helping customers deliver a shorter working week solution that appeals to employers, employees, and customers alike.”
The Millennium Point Charitable Trust gave more than £3.25m in STEM (Science, Technology, English and Maths) support to West Midlands organisations during 2022.
Commercial activity that takes place in the Millennium Point building feeds back into the Charitable Trust, enabling the charity to donate, invest and facilitate STEM-related projects, events and initiatives across the region.
This included more than £360,000 in STEM grants to schools, not-for-profits and charities. In addition, the trust funds £16,650 in STEM degree scholarships annually, in partnership with Birmingham City University.
Abbie Vlahakis, CEO of Millennium Point, said:
Joe O’Connor said: “I believe that together we can take the shorter working week movement to the next level, and deliver smarter working, greater work-life balance and improved performance.”
“Promoting STEM education across the region is what we doincreasing the opportunities for the next generation via some of the most exciting career paths available.
“As a meeting and events space, it’s fantastic to have had such a busy year of activity,
including hosting Luke Jerram’s Gaia in February, Kenya House for The Commonwealth Games in August, St Basils Big Sleepout, and an amazing SciSport Show.”
Opened in 2001, Millennium Point is a landmark public building in the Eastside of Birmingham city centre.
A business traveller has thanked Birmingham Airport (BHX) staff who saved his life when he suffered a seizure.
Company director Rob Wilcox, 56, from Evesham, Worcestershire, collapsed moments after getting off a flight back home from Düsseldorf in Germany in October.
The father-of-three was flagging down a taxi when the seizure took place.
Rob’s colleague Matt Cross yelled for help and within seconds Tom Barrett and Nick Price, both BHX customer experience ambassadors, were on the scene.
They found Rob unresponsive, lying on his back struggling to breathe. The first aid-trained duo found Rob had swallowed his tongue. They cleared his airway and applied a defibrillator to Rob’s chest, but the machine advised them not to administer a charge as it detected he still had a faint pulse.
Nick and Tom put him in the recovery position, staying with him until paramedics arrived.
Rob spent two days in hospital where he recovered.
Rob said: “The last thing I remember was waiting for a taxithen everything went pitch black.
“I’m so grateful to Nick and Tom. Had it not been for their swift action, I would not be here today.”
Rob and his wife Sharon returned to BHX last month to thank Tom and Nick in person.
Sharon said: “Rob and I were sitting with all the family on Christmas Day, feeling so lucky that Tom and Nick were there at that critical moment. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Tom said: “This is part of our job - making sure our customers have what they need, whether that’s directions to ‘departures’, or in this case, life-saving support. We’re just glad we could help.”
Contact: Gary Birch T: 0845 6036650
The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) and Hyatt Regency Birmingham have joined forces with a new partnership in a big boost for the city’s cultural sector.
Both the CBSO and the Hyatt have unveiled a shared vision which will see them continue to develop their ongoing work together, creating firstclass visitor experiences in Birmingham and beyond.
New collaborations included the CBSO’s Viennese New Year concert, delivered in association with Hyatt Regency Birmingham.
The hotel will also support two key CBSO events during the 22-23 Season: the Annual Leaders’ Breakfast for the West Midlands Business Community and the Annual Circles’ Dinner, a special evening of thanks for individuals who donate £1,000 or more annually to the Orchestra.
Stephen Maddock, chief executive of the CBSO said: “We have worked closely with Hyatt Regency Birmingham for several years and, whether it be a Board meeting, a large-scale function, or first-class accommodation for our conductors and soloists, the hospitality and service is always second to none. As two likeminded organisations that pride themselves on providing unbeatable experiences both in Birmingham and far beyond, I am delighted we have created a true partnership with that at its heart.”
Mohammad Labban, general manager of Hyatt Regency Birmingham, said: “Music is powerful in its wordlessness and a great community needs a great orchestra. We believe the orchestra brings a community to explore, and to go beyond itself and we are glad to be partnering with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Having worked closely with the CBSO for several years now, we both pride ourselves in delivering memorable experiences to our guests.”
Birmingham-based global content marketing agency, HDY Agency, has bolstered its creative team with the appointment of award winning creative director Jon Sharp.
Sharp brings 17 years of experience to HDY, specialising in branding and advertising. Sitting on the leadership team at HDY, Jon will be responsible for a
studio team of 15 combining art directors, copywriters, designers, motion graphics and an in-house video production team.
Jon said: “I believe creativity plays a huge part in a brand's shortterm success and long-term growth.
I look forward to developing a creative culture across the agency, founded in collaboration and diversity of thought.”
Alongside the new addition, HDY has restructured its creative team with its newly appointed head of creative, Katie Collins as well as head of motion, Morgan Tedd.
HDY Agency was voted ‘Large Content Marketing Agency of the Year’ at European Content Awards 2022 and was recognised by the Midlands Royal Television Society for the production of ‘Dear Brum’
starring Birmingham’s poet laureate Casey Bailey, on behalf of Birmingham City Council for the Commonwealth Games.
Beatrice Vears, managing director, said: “Appointing a creative director of Jon’s stature is a huge milestone for us. We’re looking forward to working with Jon on our existing projects as well as welcoming new clients.”
Midlands-based accountancy and business advisory firm PKF Smith Cooper has unveiled a new partnership with cloud-based accounting software giants Xero in a multi-year international agreement.
As a Xero Global Partner, PKF Smith Cooper, which has several offices across the Midlands including Birmingham, Nottingham and Derby, will aim to elevate its service provision through the digitisation of practices and services.
The global partnership will see Xero become the preferred cloud accounting solution for PKF network member firms around the world, including Midlandsbased PKF Smith Cooper
Xero’s cloud-based accounting software is specifically designed with the needs of small and medium business owners in mind. The software giant says it delivers real-time data and financial insights to support accounting firms with informed decisionmaking and improved outcomes for clients
Martin Gadsby, accounts partner at PKF Smith Cooper, said: “We are pleased to announce that PKF Smith Cooper is now a Xero Global Partner, extending our long-term working relationship with one of the world’s leading providers of cloud accounting software. We have already seen great results following the use of Xero within our accounts, audit and VAT services, and have received a lot of positive feedback from clients.
“As a future-focused firm with ambitious plans, Xero has been instrumental in digitising our accountancy services. The future of accountancy will require accounting firms to increasingly embrace digitisation – commercial success will depend on the ability to seamlessly integrate industry-leading software like Xero into accounting practices to elevate service provision, while still maintaining those close relationships and the personal touch we know our clients value.”
David Bell, executive general manager Partner Sales at Xero said, “This partnership builds upon many years working locally with PKF firms and we’re delighted to take this next step together to enable more impactful outcomes for small businesses. There is real momentum in the accounting industry with global firms like PKF looking to enhance their services and connect more with their clients and each other. Xero’s cloud-based platform opens up opportunities for PKF advisors to drive proactive conversations with clients and help them make insight-led decisions.”
West Bromwich-based Weatherite Group is to reduce its carbon footprint with a major investment in solar panels following a steep rise in energy costs.
The Black Country firm has applied to the National Grid for permissions covering all its four commercial premises.
Installation of Phase 1 at Weatherite’s 150,000 sq ft main factory will commence in May 2023 with 1,080, 450-watt, solar panels.
John Whitehouse, chairman at Weatherite Group, said: ‘“As a manufacturer, reducing our carbon footprint is at the forefront of our business, and this is a great way we can reduce our impact on the environment and economise at the same time.”
T: 0845 603 6650
E: ibh@birmingham-chamber.com
By Feron Jayawardene
Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC) hosted the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce of Industry (RCCI) at the Pakistan-UK business opportunity conference.
The conference, taking place for the fourth time, was held at Birmingham Council House with the participation of Chamber patrons and more than 75 delegates from Pakistan.
RCCI president Saqib Rafiq welcomed the delegation to the event and speeches were given by Lord Mayor of Birmingham Maureen Cornish, leader of Birmingham city council Ian Ward, Commonwealth Chamber president Mark Smith, vice president of GBCC Dr Nasir Awan, minister on trade and investment of Pakistan Shafiq Shahzad, Shehzad Chaudhary from the Department for International Trade, Chris Lau from West Midlands Growth Company and Mandy Haque from the GBCC. President Saqib Rafiq said: “I acknowledge the good efforts of my
predecessors for the betterment of the Chamber and their contribution to highlight the problems of the business community at all forums.
“I look forward to working with distinguished members, esteemed stakeholders, policy makers and well-wishers for the continuous development of the private sector of the country which will facilitate the pathway of prosperity, strengthen regional and global collaboration leveraging a new perspective for the development of the private sector.”
GBCC vice president Nasir Awan said: “The synergy between Pakistan and the UK has been great and there is a great opportunity for both these countries to further strengthen their trade ties.”
Mandy Haque, international director of the GBCC said: “I am delighted to represent the GBCC at this conference to a historic Chamber. The relationship we have with the Rawalpindi Chamber further cements our international links and we need to make sure to take action and have a positive outcome from these events.
“We want to see trade figures increase between our countries for both import and export and we look forward to welcoming you in the future.”
Key figures at Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce learned more about the diversification of Kazakhstan’s “diversifying economy” when a delegation from the republic visited Birmingham.
The Chamber welcomed His Excellency Mukhtar Tileuberdi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, along with other representatives from the Kazakhstan Embassy based in London.
Representing the Chamber during talks were international director Mandy Haque, president Deb Leary and vice-president Nasir Awan.
Discussions revolved around opportunities for trade and investment and ‘soft landing’ support packages for businesses wanting to trade with Kazakhstan, which has interests in a
variety of sectors such as agriculture, infrastructure, tourism, the green economy and banking.
The delegation said Kazakhstan’s position at the crossroads of Asian and Europe made it a geo-strategic location for businesses trading across the two continents.
The republic is also playing a key role in the implementation of China’s ‘Belt and Road’ infrastructure development strategy.
Mandy Haque said: “We were delighted to receive the delegation at the Chamber and look forward to hearing more about the opportunities of trading with Kazakhstan in the future.”
‘We were delighted to receive the delegation at the Chamber’Visit: The delegation was welcomed by Mandy Haque (second from left), Nasir Awan (third from left) and Deb Leary (fourth from right) Trade links: From left to right: Commonwealth Chamber president Mark Smith, GBCC vice president Dr Nasir Awan, RCCI president Saqib Rafiq and international director of the GBCC Mandy Haque
Contact: Chris McFarlane-Baxter
T: 0121 725 8994
Greater Birmingham Transatlantic Chamber of Commerce is playing a leading role in talks over a city partnership between Birmingham and Dallas.
As part of a drive to create more trade opportunities with the United States, Birmingham is looking to broker a deal which will lead to greater collaboration with the Texan city.
Transatlantic Chamber president James Tait and vice-president Eileen Schofield have been playing a key role in negotiations alongside Birmingham City Council’s Lloyd Broad, who also sits on the Commonwealth Chamber committee. With a deal moving a step closer, the Transatlantic Chamber welcomed Jonathan Marrs, regional director for South Central USA at the Department for International Trade, to Birmingham.
Chris McFarlane-Baxter, head of international divisions at Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, said: “This deal comes at an apt time, as 2023 marks the 30th anniversary of the sistercity deal between Birmingham and Chicago.
“We are looking to replicate this kind of deal and broaden the reach of Greater Birmingham
Chambers members across the Americas and further afield.”
Jonathan Marrs said: “I’m excited to be a part of the Birmingham and Dallas City Partnership working group as we explore opportunities to increase bilateral trade between these two great cities and beyond.”
Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce International Director Mandy Haque undertook a day-long whistlestop tour of London – visiting five key organisations to help encourage new global trading opportunities.
Mandy’s tour included a visit to the Canadian High Commission in Trafalgar Square where she met key officials and discussed the body’s recent liaison with Chamber patron Curium Solutions and its work on the world’s first Center of Excellence in work time reduction.
The new initiative was co-designed by work time reduction evangelist and former 4 Day Week Global CEO Joe O’Connor in partnership with the Birmingham-headquartered people-first transformation consultancy.
Mandy said: “The High Commission has been helping Curium with their investment into Canada and it was very helpful to learn how they can further support other Chamber members with their trade and investment requirements.”
Mandy also visited the offices of Queensland Trade and Investment, where she met Trade Commissioner Warren Bartlett before going on to Business France, part of the French Embassy, meeting Investment Advisor Alex Cheesman. She then went on to the German-British Chamber of Commerce, where she met Director-General Ulrich Hoppe and later visited the Sri Lanka High Commission, discussing trade and investment opportunities with the country.
Mandy said: “It was great to kick off the New Year and get to understand the key objectives of such a variety of highly influential organisations, and the support they can provide to our members. The day was possible because of the strong relationships we have formed with all these organisations.”
‘We are looking to replicate this kind of deal and broaden the reach of Greater Birmingham Chambers members across the Americas and further afield’Oh Canada: Mandy Haque at the High Commission Talking Texas: From left - James Tait, mayor Andy Street, Lloyd Broad, Jonathan Marrs, Eileen Schofield, Chris McFarlane-Baxter and Richard Woodland (Birmingham City Council)
Contact: Anjum Khan
T: 0845 6036650
The Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC) is set to celebrate the International Women’s Day (IWD) with a stellar line-up of speakers.
Eman Al-Hillawi, Sara Wajid, and Rebecca Mander have been confirmed to speak at the event happening at Hotel Du Vin on 8 March from 6pm to 9pm.
The theme of this year’s IWD is ‘Embrace Equity’. The celebrations are led by the Asian Business Chamber of Commerce (ABCC), and is happening for the 12th time.
The event will also showcase a three-course meal, speeches, and a panel discussion led by GBCC CEO Henrietta Brealey.
Eman Al-Hillawi is the CEO of Entec Si and a biochemist. She spent the past three decades developing her business change consultancy drawing on experience that has been born out of the delivery of multi-million pound projects and programmes across public and private sectors.
In her CEO role, she is keen to ensure that Entec Si’s values and ethos are truly reflected in everything they do as an organisation. Eman is also a private pilot.
Sara Wajid is a Co-CEO of the Birmingham Museums Trust. She was formerly head of engagement at Museum of London and head of interpretation at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery in 2017. Before working in museums, she was a cultural commentator, journalist and editor.
She is also a trustee of the Pitt Rivers Museum, a judge of the Museum Activism award, a member of the Museum Detox network for people of colour in museums and an active advocate for diversity and equality issues in the arts.
Rebecca Mander is the founder of GuruYou. She lost one of her children while being managing director of a large organisation. Motivated by her experiences, she trained as an executive coach and is now a fellow of the Institute of Leadership and Management, specialising in helping senior leaders through setback.
Rebecca’s clients include some of the top 50 Law firms in the UK and she is highly valued for her straightforward and honest approach with compassion and understanding in a sector that brings great stress and challenge to its employees.
Speaking about the IWD event, Henrietta Brealey said: “This International Women’s Day, the GBCC and ABCC will be joining forces to celebrate the progress made towards women’s equality and reflect on areas where change is still needed. Each of our guest speakers has a
phenomenal story in their own right and together they represent views and experiences from across a range of sectors.
“This event is always really enjoyable and welcoming. We hope that you can join us for an evening of inspiration, insight, reflection and networking.”
Tickets, exhibition space and sponsorships for the event can be booked through the GBCC website.
‘This International Women’s Day, the GBCC and ABCC will be joining forces to celebrate the progress made towards women’s equality and reflect on areas where change is still needed’Henrietta Brealey Eman Al-Hillawi Sara Wajid Rebecca Mander
National law firm Freeths has announced several promotions to bolster its presence in the Midlands region.
Partner James Hart has been promoted to lead the real estate team across the Midlands region. James is now responsible for coordinating the firm’s real estate teams across its four Midlands offices in Birmingham, Derby, Leicester and Nottingham.
Patrick Adie, an award-winning solicitor ranked ‘Up and Coming’ in Chambers and Partners 2023, has also been promoted to national head of housebuilding and strategic land.
Darren Williamson, partner and national head of real estate at Freeths said: “It is our mission statement to be the best national real estate practice in the UK and to be the destination firm for real estate clients.
“Both James and Patrick are ‘home grown’ talent, having trained at Freeths and built outstanding practices over their careers, which serves to highlight why Freeths is such a great place to work.”
James added: “Freeths is a national, full service law firm but our heart is the historic Midlands based property practice. I’m looking forward to supporting the team’s growth over the next five years of our business plan.”
Patrick continued: “It’s exciting to be able to lead the team on the next stage of our growth plans.”
National blood cancer charity Cure Leukaemia have announced a new cycling event that will see a team of 30 amateur cyclists riding their way across Great Britain to help raise vital funds during September, the blood cancer awareness month.
The 2023 Tour of the TAP has been designed to see the team cover over 1,000 miles across 10 days, as they work their way across ten of the UK's biggest cities.
Cure Leukaemia patron and former England, Wolves and Crystal Palace player Geoff Thomas (pictured) will captain the team as they work their way across Britain.
Geoff said: “I am proud to be back on the bike in September 2023 to take on the Tour of the TAP event - and I can guarantee that the 29 riders who join me on this challenge, will have a life-changing experience.”
Contact: Richard Brooks
T: 07796 242029
The Cannock Chase Chamber of Commerce, part of the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC), is urging members to put themselves forward to be a part of the Chamber’s Executive Committee.
Those who wish to stand for election must belong to a business which is a member of the Cannock Chase Chamber of Commerce.
The Chamber will announce the successful candidates at the organisation's next Annual General Meeting, taking place on 28 February from 12pm to 2pm.
The Chamber is looking for individuals who are passionate about the Cannock Chase area, its wider business community and welcome those who want to make a positive impact and have the drive to make their contribution to bring together a stronger business community in the region.
The vision for the Cannock Chase Chamber in 2023 is to build and grow local network and enhance the value for members.
A strategy setting out the development of Staffordshire’s future electric vehicle charging network is set to be supported by the county council. Working closely with district and borough councils across the county, private providers and the energy sector, it will aim to meet the needs of communities and businesses as electric vehicle use continues to increase. With sales of new petrol and diesel engine cars restricted from 2030 and new hybrid vehicles by 2035, councils across the country are being asked by central government to support the transition through strategies to boost availability of charging points.
This will include rapid speed charging hubs, fuelling forecourts, public and private car parks on-street charging and residential properties.
The strategy details commuting routes, places of interest where power is available and suggests suitable charging point locations. It also supports the county council’s commitment to carbon reduction and improving air quality.
Important role to play: David Williams
Head of Cannock Chase Chamber of Commerce, Richard Brooks (pictured) said: “I cannot wait to welcome new committee members to the Cannock Chase Chamber. We are looking to develop a strong and diverse new executive committee, ready for the challenge of re-energising our chamber division, strengthen our local identity, and to engage with every business in our region.”
If you have the drive, time and determination to be part of a board that will continue to make a positive impact and open new doors and opportunities for its members and the Cannock Chase community, then we encourage you to apply.
Nominees can download and fill out the application forms from the GBCC website.
Nomination forms must be emailed to r.brooks@birmingham-chamber by 12pm on 15 February 2023.
Currently, most homes without off-street parking (97 per cent) are not within a convenient walk of a public charging point, which is around 92,000 properties.
In October last year, there were 300 public charge points in Staffordshire, and the strategy sets out to grow this to 3,000 over the next seven years.
In March 2022, the Government published its national electric vehicle infrastructure strategy, which commits an additional £620m to support the transition from petrol/diesel vehicles.
Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for highways and transport David Williams (pictured) said: “The UK is already embarking on the transition towards electric vehicle use which is good news in terms of our combined efforts to reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality.
“As national legislation draws nearer it’s important that we take steps to enable the right infrastructure is in place across the county. We have an important role to play, working with our district and borough colleagues, to determine what this will look like based on the evidence gathered.
“Our strategy helps us to identify where the most appropriate places for charging points could be and how we will work with the private sector to facilitate successful delivery.
"We can work with businesses to encourage workplace charging and residents to support off-street charging, in addition to people and organisations making planning applications.”
‘The UK is already embarking on the transition towards electric vehicle use which is good news in terms of our combined efforts to reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality’Ready to build a strong committee: Richard Brooks
Burton-based Creative Foods, part of global food provider OSI Group, has appointed Willshee’s Waste & Recycling as part of a drive to reduce its carbon emissions.
The planned reduction of 20 per cent by 2025 maintains the company’s zero waste to landfill promise and to help implement internal practices to remove, reduce and recycle, which also include creating fuel from food waste.
Creative Foods currently produces 32,000 tonnes per year, manufacturing ambient mayonnaise, sauces and dressings, restaurant-quality sous vide meal solutions using the traditional water bath method, as well as chilled sandwich fillings, deli salads and dips in its high care area.
It also houses a plant-based only area dealing with patties and ‘meatballs’.
These numerous production processes create several different waste streams, including food waste.
Willshee’s is contracted to support the business to reduce its impact on the
environment through recycling. The service includes providing a metal drum crusher, a DAF skip, liquid food waste tanks, general waste compactors and solid food waste disposal.
Emma Devitt, Creative Foods continuous improvement manager, said: “Willshee’s is well known in the area for being reliable, convenient, and delivering a quality service and, although we have only recently started to work with them, this is already proving to be correct.
“They are helping us with a variety of progressive waste programmes, to ensure that we are dealing with our refuse in the most responsible way possible.”
Willshee’s managing director Dean Willshee added: “It was great to see Creative Foods come to Burton, and we are incredibly proud to be working with this global business. More and more of our customers are adapting best practice around zero waste to landfill and reducing their carbon footprint.”
Josh Cooke and Brandon Shirley, two networking and cyber security students from Burton and South Derbyshire College (BSDC), have scooped gold medals at the national final of the Cyber Security WorldSkills competition.
The WorldSkills Cyber Security competition focuses on all the essential requirements for a successful career as a cyber security analyst within any industry. It is designed to test competitors’ abilities in reconnaissance, scanning, vulnerability testing and exploitation of systems.
Brandon said: “WorldSkills has been a phenomenal experience that has really helped excel and test my abilities within cyber security. The competitions have pushed my abilities and allowed me to learn a huge amount. This has also helped with my personal skills, allowing me to become more confident and start believing in the ability that I have, as well as giving me the chance to get my name out to people in the industry along the way.”
WorldSkills supports young people across the world via competitionbased training, assessment and benchmarking, with members’ national teams ultimately testing their ability to achieve world-class standards in the biennial ‘Skills Olympics’.
Fellow gold medallist Josh Cooke said: “Competitions like this really test your skills. I have been interested in cyber security for the last few years. I find it really interesting and I would particularly like a career in red teaming, a cyber security exercise that simulates a real-life attack to help measure how well organisations are prepared.”
Cyber Security skills are in demand in a variety of industries, and BSDC offers networking and cyber security courses, as well as being a member of the EC-Council (International Council of E-Commerce Consultants), a Cisco Networking Academy and a Huawei ICT Academy.
Contact: Richard Brooks T: 07796 242029Contact: Chris Brewerton
T: 0845 6036650
An independent record shop selling new and used vinyl, CDs and cassette tapes has got music fans in a spin after opening in Lichfield.
The arrival of Stylus Records has been received positively by shoppers who have been flocking to the new shop, according to commercial property consultants Burley Browne.
The new business has signed a five-year lease on a retail unit at Minster Pool Walk. The 647 sq ft former yoga studio is located just off pedestrianised Bird Street, overlooking Minster Pool and the Cathedral beyond.
Burley Browne director David Hemming acted on behalf of a private landlord in securing the letting. He said: “I had known Stylus Records was looking for a suitable retail unit for some time, and when this became available I thought the location would be perfect for the business. I
A new chief operating officer has been appointed at Lichfield District Council as part of its drive to transform and improve its services.
Kerry Dove (pictured) is currently assistant director for Strategy and Transformation at Staffordshire County Council. She has a wealth of experience in local government having worked at a senior level within the County Council for 10 years, and previously in roles for the Audit Commission and Telford and Wrekin Council.
Kerry said: “It is a huge privilege to take on the role of chief operating officer at Lichfield District Council. I have seen first-hand how Lichfield District Council is making a real difference for its communities. This is an ambitious council with a huge agenda to deliver. I'm excited to work with a great team of elected members and staff, working together with our partners to create a brighter future for Lichfield District.”
Simon Fletcher, chief executive of Lichfield District Council, said: “I am delighted to welcome Kerry to the Leadership Team at LDC. She brings a real understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing local councils, as well as a passion for the role and considerable experience and understanding of our district.”
showed the owner Tim Balderstone around the property on the day I received the keys and before formally placing it on the market. Tim made an immediate offer and terms were agreed and solicitors instructed within just a few days.
“Stylus Records is an excellent addition to the Lichfield retail scene and demonstrates the vibrancy and quality of the retail offer within the city.”
Tim Balderstone said: “I have been looking for the right space for my business for some time, and when David contacted me to advise me of this opportunity, I knew almost immediately that with a little bespoke TLC it was perfect for my dreams of opening a record shop in Lichfield.
"Since opening in December the feedback has been amazing and business has been well above my hopes and expectations. I feel very positive and excited for what 2023 holds.”
Lichfield-based TV chef Liam Dillon has joined forces with his old school to serve up a hospitality training programme for local sixth formers and help bridge a growing skills gap.
Five chosen students from King Edward VI School in Lichfield will spend a year at Liam’s restaurant The Boat Inn, across different departments and roles, graduating with a certificate of merit.
The paid placement will help the students either gain entry into the hospitality industry or support them in applications for jobs and higher education.
Liam said: “The hospitality industry, like many others, has been negatively affected by the pandemic and Brexit. Hundreds of thousands of people have left the sector and unfortunately, we haven’t seen enough people join to fill the gap.
“Many see working in a pub or restaurant as a ‘basic’ job or rite of passage while studying. I want to change this attitude. It’s hard work in hospitality.”
The scheme will invite five sixth form students to apply for a scheme place working front of house, in the kitchens and
outside in the kitchen garden for an academic year.
Liam said: “Like many teenagers I didn’t know what I wanted to do. At one point I was going to join the Marines but caught the cookery bug at school and progressed up through the ranks because my teachers helped tune my desire for learning.
“I have a great deal of support from my teachers and they contributed to where I am now as a chef, business owner and person.”
Jane Rutherford, head teacher at King Edward VI School Lichfield, said: “One of our ongoing challenges is to find high-quality work experience placements for students.
“We want to support students taking up part-time paid jobs to have a positive experience and get the balance right with their studies and so a programme like this benefits everyone. This scheme will benefit the school, The Boat Inn and most importantly our students.
Contact: Chris Brewerton
T: 0845 6036650
Charity and healthy lifestyle champions the Community Games are working with fellow Chamber members
PLOTT Creative and marketing expert Katie Hale as official brand and marketing partners.
The partnership aims to elevate the Community Games communications and engagement with the wider public. Community Games was founded by Dennis Kennedy, the 2022 winner of the Sutton Coldfield Chamber President’s Award. The Games is a passion project for Dennis, born from his love of sport and its power to bring people together while leading happier, healthier lives.
His role involves setting up and running events across the region, with the goal of inspiring people to come along and have a try at something new.
Community Games has joined forces with Katie and PLOTT to launch a sponsorship pack to attract businesses.
The Bronze, Silver and Gold packages provide an opportunity for local businesses to support the
community initiative, while benefitting from brand recognition, social media and web traffic, and networking opportunities with other likeminded businesses.
Dennis said: “It’s impossible to overstate the importance that physical activity has for the community at large, and
Sutton Coldfield-based customer service specialists insight6 have produced a free guide to help law firms win and retain more business.
The launch of the digital guide comes after a report into how legal sector enquires are handled showed 43 per cent of phone calls were not returned, even when the potential new client had left a voicemail.
especially for young people.
“Enrichment through sport and local clubs plays a vital role in the health and education of our children. Our wish is to create a legacy of fitness and belonging for them.
“Thank you to PLOTT and Katie for being loyal supporters of the Community Games.”
The Royal Sutton Fun Run – an annual running and walking event in Sutton Coldfield - has welcomed two new directors.
Cookes Furniture managing director James Pike and marketing director Vanessa Hoe have become directors of the annual event.
The family-run business have been longstanding supporters of the event, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.
Online registration for the 40th Royal Sutton Fun Run opens in February with the event due to be staged on Sunday 4 June.
James Pike said: “The Fun Run has been an integral event within the annual calendar of the royal town for 40 years. I am delighted to contribute further as a director of the Fun Run.
Vanessa Hoe said: “Ted Cooke, my grandfather and founder of Cookes Furniture, began the company involvement with the Fun Run in the late 1990s, and I’m thrilled to be a director of the event.”
Event director Tracey Spare said: “The commercial backing from Cookes Furniture and support from the Cookes family and staff has been crucial to the ongoing success of the Fun Run. James and Vanessa not only add a wealth of commercial experience, but also their personal enthusiasm and knowledge of the event to the small management team.”
The Professional Services Client Journey Report also revealed only eight per cent of firms bothered to follow up a new customer phone enquiry within the next working week, and where further information had been promised, it did not arrive in 38 per cent of cases.
Shaun Cremins, insight6’s CX director, says that with inflation rates, fuel costs and the cost-of-living crisis forcing customers to tighten their belts, firms are going to have to work harder to secure every pound from new and existing customers.
He said: “Today, clients expect more than a job well done. They are prepared to shop around for a business that delivers added value and a superior customer experience.
“When a business becomes complacent, they run the risk of losing clients to competitors – direct feedback from your clients on an ongoing basis is crucial.
“First impressions are so important when it comes to securing new business and our report showed that many legal firms are doing themselves a disservice and potentially losing out on thousands of pounds worth of business.”
Insight6’s guide to winning and retaining more business gives law firms quick and easy tips to immediately improve their handling of new enquiries to boost their conversion rate, as well as more in-depth guides to improving CX across the business and driving profitability.
To request a copy of the guide, contact Shaun at shaun.cremins@insight6.com
Solihull agency Jask Creative is on a mission to stop businesses being held back by inadequate websites.
Jask’s team of creatives and developers say they have long been frustrated with the way WordPress websites are built, with security issues, slow loading times and poor user experience a common theme. So, they decided to create a solution.
Jask have launched WP Plus+, a new and enhanced website solution for organisations that need a professional website that really performs for them, all the time.
Over the past few years, Jask have created and refined an approach to designing and building WordPress sites that offers a host of benefits over how this type of site would normally be produced.
The service includes enhanced creative, a specific user experience stage, hand coded development, bespoke hosting, and ongoing expert support.
Jask state that WP Plus+ is the ideal choice for market leaders and ambitious businesses looking for a premium website solution that retains much of the backend familiarity and ease of use that makes WordPress such a popular option.
WP Plus+ websites are custom designed and then hand coded by Jask Creative’s inhouse team of skilled developers, meaning they are fully secure, quick to load, and come with a guaranteed 99.9 per cent uptime.
Stuart Jordan, managing director of Jask Creative, said: “This is a service that delivers ambitious businesses a bespoke website to showcase their brand in the best light, with no security or safety issues, on a platform that runs fast, fluidly and reliably.”
Once launched, WP Plus+ websites are fully managed and supported by Jask Creative’s in-house technical team and hosted on a bespoke environment tailored to each site.
Contact: Samantha Frampton
T: 0121 678 7488
Solihull-based BNP Paribas Personal Finance UK has been recognised as one of the top employers in the country and Europe for the third year running.
This announcement makes them the fifth European division of BNP Paribas Personal Finance to achieve Top Employer status for the third year in a row, meaning the wider BNP Paribas Personal Finance group was also named a Top Employer in Europe for 2023. Only companies certified in a minimum of five European countries are awarded this special recognition.
Being named as a Top Employer by the Top
Employers Institute (the global authority on recognising excellence in People Practices) showcases BNP Paribas Personal Finance UK’s dedication to a better world of work and reinforces the company’s commitment to be a role model employer.
The Top Employers Institute programme certifies organisations based on the participation and results of its HR Best Practices Survey. This year, 195 more organisations applied for the accreditation compared to 2022.
Stephen Hunt, CEO at BNP Paribas Personal Finance UK, said: “As a business, we are focused on always doing the right thing which is why we are
so proud to be recognised as a role model employer by the Top Employers Institute for the third year running.
“Our commitment to making BNP Paribas Personal Finance UK a great place to work is at the heart of everything we do, and throughout the past year, we’ve been accelerating our mission to create supportive working environments for all our colleagues and provide opportunities to learn and grow.”
Birmingham Business Park has backed the Solihull Council-led Greener Solihull Schools Awards, that recognise schools across the borough who take action on climate change, and has sponsored Damson Wood Nursery & Infant School.
Greener Solihull Schools Awards, challenge children and staff to learn about the environment locally and globally, and make their school more eco-friendly. It is open to all schools
in the borough and there is an incredible breadth of climate action taking place in Solihull schools.
Lori Henebury, marketing community and business development manager, Birmingham Business Park, said: “It was great to read in the application pack how enthusiastic Damson Wood Nursery & Infant school’s Eco-Warriors are working to encourage the rest of the school to become eco-friendly. I loved finding out that they have had toys and plants sale at events and profit made, was invested into ECO resources.”
Ruth Garbett and Natalie Chidler, Damson Wood eco Leads said: “There are lots of opportunities for our ECO-warriors to meet. Using our Eco-board that is creative and interactive, we reach out to everyone.”
Another proud sponsor of the awards was the Solihull Chamber of Commerce, who sponsored Balsall Wood Primary School.
Sam Frampton, head of the Solihull Chamber, said: “The Greener Solihull Schools awards align themselves perfectly with what we in Solihull and the wider Chamber are trying to achieve within the business community.
The Chamber is heavily involved in supporting businesses across the West Midlands in their own journey towards more sustainable business practices and recently hosted a Sustainability speaker event in Solihull which followed on from the Sustainable Business conference.”
its Solihull showroom to a new larger location in the Touchwood shopping centre. The new showroom features a new interior design to showcase luxury timepieces from the most prestigious brands in Swiss watchmaking alongside world-renowned fine jewellery brands.
the introduction of brands such as Doxa and Hamilton.
There is also a large new hospitality area plus a repairs and service lounge.
Craig Bolton, president of the Watches of Switzerland Group, UK and Europe, said:
selection of luxury watch brands, in a new highend showroom with the premium hospitality area for clients to relax and explore the additional new watch and jewellery collections.
“We look forward to welcoming people through the door.”
Contact: Sophie Poduval-Morrell
T:
For many young professionals, they can sometimes feel as though they aren’t making enough progress within their career paths as they would like to be, whether it be a lack of motivation or a gap in skills and opportunities.
In line with the Future Faces theme of Lifelong Learning and Apprenticeship, Harriet Saunders speaks about how young professionals can ensure they are always learning throughout their careers.
Harriet, portfolio manager at The FSE Group, believes that life-long learning is an essential step in ensuring young professionals are always improving and setting themselves new goals and aspirations. Life-long learning within Harriet’s own career path has provided her with new opportunities and skills that have helped her towards bettering herself as a person as well as her career
Harriet also works as part of the Midlands Engine Investment Fund, helping to invest money into small and medium sized businesses around the Midlands area to help them scale up and grow, so she has plenty of knowledge about helping people make the desired progress towards their goals.
Harriet said there are a few things that young professionals should do to make sure they are
always learning throughout their careers. The first is making sure they are attending networking events, such as those held by the Chamber or industry bodies.
She said: “Making sure young professionals get out there and meet new people and learn from them is so important.”
Harriet’s second tip is having a mentor, adding: “Having someone that has a bit more industry experience that you can learn from and channel your ideas through them helps develop your career, and helps push you forward positively towards your goals.”
Harriet also recommends engaging with leaders within companies, to find out how they got to their positions. This can lead towards an individual learning about any potential problems the business might be facing and encouraging them to perform some problem solving outside of their exact roles and responsibilities.
Finally, Harriet says that taking an online course, for example, through Open University, or doing a professional qualification, such as an apprenticeship, that is suited to your career goals or industry needs, can help boost your skills and capabilities to gain more opportunities within your career sector.
Knowing where to start to make steps towards a dream career can be daunting, with the wide variety of options that are available sometimes making it difficult to choose a path.
The Future Faces theme for this month is Lifelong Learning and Apprenticeship, an option available for those who are seeking to learn while also being employed.
For James Paddock, a documentation officer at the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, becoming an apprentice helped him get to where he is today.
James started at the Chamber in October 2020 as an apprentice in the documentation team.
He says that he chose to pursue an apprenticeship as it provides the opportunity to learn and develop on the job.
James was also encouraged by the fact that employability skills are gained throughout, which can help to achieve a full-time role in a chosen career.
He said: “It was good to see myself as a person grow in confidence and gain independence and respect within my role as the apprenticeship went on.
“However, it can be difficult sometimes to manage time between your work and studies, but assessors are there to support you throughout, as well as some days being dedicated to complete any coursework.”
James says there are advantages of pursuing an apprenticeship compared to other paths such as university - including being surrounded by knowledgeable and supportive colleagues throughout your course, receiving a recognised qualification towards the end and, in most cases, the opportunity to start a full-time role at the business you studied with.
Apprenticeships have become an increasingly popular choice for young people, as well as working professionals, in the last decade.
James said: “It’s another opportunity as opposed to A-Levels/university, where you can earn money as you learn and avoid the costs and debts of university.”
Steven West (Armac Martin)
Bo McGrail (Armac Martin)
Melissa McGrail (Armac Martin)
Jason Jones (Armac Martin)
Will Thomas (Armac Martin)
Ruramayi Msekiwa (Jones Lang Lasalle)
Edward Gostick (ED Tours Ltd)
ByDarby Newman
Fitting in with the Future Faces theme of Lifelong Learning and Apprenticeships for this month, mSix&Partners and The&Partnership have launched a new apprenticeship scheme for those looking to pursue a career in the media sector.
The&Academy is an apprenticeship scheme based in Digbeth, aimed at addressing the growing talent crunch within the creative, digital and media fields.
With a mission to be the most important place in people’s careers, The&Academy aims to taps into the potential and talent across the region and provides young people with a place to earn and learn at the same time.
Apprentices gain a level-three qualification in digital marketing as well as being equipped with critical skills spanning tech, data and digital.
Leveraging partnerships with some of the best in the industry, including Meta, TikTok and Google, The&Academy states that it is able to shape the next generation of marketeers by providing them
with expertise crucial for their first step on the career ladder.
In September 2022, The&Academy took on 22 apprentices between the ages of 17 and 24 from Birmingham and the surrounding area.
Over the first few months of the programme, the cohort have taken part in over 70 training sessions delivered by the agency’s subject matter experts and media partners.
Sharing this experience with other apprentices is crucial to its success and is central to what The&Academy offers.
Tom Green, operations manager at The&Academy, said: “With almost half of young people unaware that there are apprenticeship schemes out there that can train and arm them for digital jobs relevant today, this programme is vital in equipping the future generation with the skills needed by every industry.
“Digital skills are more important than ever, and we are focusing on building the media leaders of tomorrow by providing a supportive environment that draws the best out of those on the programme.
The&Academy has opened its first centre of excellence in Digbeth, Birmingham. This purpose-built environment provides the apprentices with the opportunity to learn together and support each other over the 15-month programme.
“Having worked with young people in Birmingham for over 15 years, it is fantastic that we are able to establish this world-class programme in the region.”
Applications for The&Academy 2023 intake will be going live soon with more information available at theand.academy
The Chamber’s ever growing network for young professionals and the leaders of tomorrow.
‘Digital skills are more important than ever, and we are focusing on building the media leaders of tomorrowby providing a supportive environment’Tom Green
Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce’s events programme is one of the largest in the British Chamber of Commerce’s network.
February brings with it a range of events. From member socials to professional development days, the events span across all the Chamber’s divisions and membership levels. A stand-out event for this month is the Global Trade Conference.
For further information and to book a place, visit: www.greaterbirminghamchambers.com/networking-events
ABCC Member Social
Date: 1 February 2023
Time: 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Venue: The Blue Piano
Division: ABCC
Cost: Members: Free
Meet the Neighbours
Date: 2 February 2023
Time: 3:45pm
Venue: Online
Division: GBCC
Cost: Members: Free
Non-members: Free
Professional Development: Learn, Progress and Inspire
Date: 2 February 2023
Time: 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Venue: BT
Division: Future Faces
Cost: Future Faces Members: Free
Sutton Coldfield, Lichfield & Tamworth and Cannock Chase
Date: 3 February 2023
Time: 6pm – 12am
Venue: Drayton Manor Hotel
Division: GBCC
Cost: Members: TBC
Future Faces Members: TBC
Non-members: TBC
Speed Networking Cannock Chase
Date: 7 February 2023
Time: 8:30am – 10:30am
Venue: TBC
Division: Cannock Chase
Cost: Members: Free
Future Faces Members: £15 +VAT
Non-members: £20 +VAT
Q4 Quarterly Business Report –Growth in Greater Birmingham
Date: 7 February 2023
Time: 9am – 11am
Venue: TBC
Division: GBCC
Cost: Members: Free
Future Faces Members: Free
Non-members: Free
Solihull Networking & Afternoon
Tea
Date: 14 February 2023
Time: 2pm – 4pm
Venue: Crowne Plaza
Division: Solihull
Cost: Members: Free
Future Faces Members: £15 +VAT
Non-members: £50 +VAT
Global Trade Conference
Date: 15 February 2023
Time: 12pm – 6pm
Venue: Royal Birmingham
Conservatoire
Division: International
Cost: Members: Free
Future Faces Members: Free
Non-members: Free
Business at Breakfast Lichfield & Tamworth
Date: 16 February 2023
Time: 7:30am – 9:30am
Venue: The George Hotel
Division: Lichfield & Tamworth
Cost: Members: Free
Future Faces Members: £15 +VAT
Non-members: £50 +VAT
Social Networking Birmingham
Date: 16 February 2023
Time: 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Venue: TBC
Division: Birmingham
Cost: Members: Free
Future Faces Members: £15 +VAT
Non-members: £50 +VAT
Future Faces Social Networking
Burton
Date: 16 February 2023
Time: 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Venue: The Winery
Division: Future Faces
Cost: Future Faces Members: Free
1813 & Premier Members Exemplar
Visit with The Rep
Date: 17 February 2023
Time: 5pm – 7:30pm
Venue: The Rep
Division: GBCC
Cost: Members: Free
Networking Lunch Burton & District
Date: 21 February 2023
Time: 12pm – 2pm
Venue: Branston Gold Club
Division: Burton & District
Cost: Members: Free Future Faces Members: £15 +VAT
Non-members: £50 +VAT
Deep Dive into Bilateral Trade –Science and Technology
Date: 21 February 2023
Time: 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Venue: Conference Aston
Division: International
Cost: Members: Free
Future Faces Members: £15 +VAT
Non-members: £50 +VAT
Chapter Chat – Carolinas
Date: 21 February 2023
Time: 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Venue: Online
Division: Transatlantic
Cost: Members: Free
Future Faces Members: £15 +VAT
Non-members: £50 +VAT
Premier Members Networking Breakfast
Date: 22 February 2023
Time: 8:30am – 10:30am
Venue: The Assay Office
Division: Burton & District
Cost: Members: Free
Speed Networking Sutton Coldfield
Date: 23 February 2023
Time: 8:30am – 10:30am
Venue: TBC
Division: Sutton Coldfield
Cost: Members: Free
Future Faces Members: £15 +VAT
Non-members: £20 +VAT
Future Faces Social Networking
Date: 23 February 2023
Time: 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Venue: Fazenda
Division: Future Faces
Cost: Future Faces Members: Free
Cannock Chase Annual General Meeting
Date: 28 February 2023
Time: 12pm – 2pm
Venue: TBC
Division: Cannock Chase
Cost: Members: Free
Future Faces Members: £15 +VAT
Non-members: £50 +VAT
CryoLogyx is developing cell models frozen in-plate and ready to use directly from the freezer. Their proprietary 'CryoShield' technology provides the best of both worlds – frozen cells that are bankable and easy to store, in the end-use format you needed for rapid, high quality research. In this interview, we speak with Tom Congdon, CEO of University of Warwick spin-out CryoLogyx about their innovative new technology that hopes to revolutionise cell-based assays for researchers across life sciences and drug discovery.
Please could you introduce yourself and your role at CryoLogyx?
I’m Dr Tom Congdon, the CEO and cofounder of CryoLogyx. Before I started CryoLogyx with Prof. Matt Gibson, I was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Warwick. My background is in polymer chemistry and synthesis, with a focus on developing polymer based cryoprotectants that enable new cryopreservation outcomes in cell biology.
Who is CryoLogyx, and how did it come to form?
CryoLogyx is a biotech tools company. We develop, and provide assay-ready cell models in plated, adherent formats, for use in drug discovery and other cell-based assay applications. We are a spinout company from the University of Warwick. The company came from two specific ideas. The technology we developed was based on years of research into how synthetic polymers could mimic the form and the function of antifreeze proteins. Antifreeze proteins are a fascinating class of biomolecules and evolutionary biology, made more interesting by the fact that they evolved independently in the north and south polar regions. We developed polymers that attempted to mimic the structure and function of these antifreeze proteins. We developed a polymer that dramatically improved cell recovery for adherent cells in monolayer format. The other idea that CryoLogyx is founded on was the question of where we could add genuine, transformational value to the life science sector and beyond. Cell-based assays enable a whole new dimension of R+D, and we believe that our technology could be developed to make those cell-based assays as easy, simple and fast as possible, to accelerate biotech research, and also to let anyone – engineers, physicists, material scientists access biological models.
How important are cell assays to the drug discovery and life sciences community, and what are the challenges that limit the efficiency of this process?
All early-stage biotech research and drug discovery utilises cell-based assays. In the drug discovery pipeline, cell-based assays are used right at the start for screening potential drug candidates for function and toxicity.
After this initial stage, where millions of candidates are screened, a number are selected and taken on for more functional, tailored cellbased assays, before being tested in vivo. There is a push to replace in vivo testing as much as possible with advanced cell-based models, to reduce the number of animals needed to develop new treatments and therapies. Cell-based assays are vital for modern drug discovery, and will only become more important in the future.
The difficulties come from maintaining cell culture. Cells are generally quite simple to culture, but the process takes time. During this time, cells will multiply and subtly change (genetic drift), which needs to be monitored. Cells can easily cross-contaminate, mutate beyond their original make up, and can get infected, even in the most rigorous of set ups. It’s estimated that 15–20 per cent of cell lines currently in use may not be what they are documented and reported to be.
CryoLogyx develops pre-plated thaw-anduse cells that accelerate biotech research, enabling scientists and researchers to carry out months of lab work in only a few days. Our pre-plated cells are adherent cell lines that have been cultured and plated into microplates with the specific format you need to conduct cell-based assays. No cell culture, counting or validation is required before use, simply store the plates frozen until needed, then thaw and use.
• No need for cell culture, a 90 per cent reduction in time to experiment, and on average of five hours of lab time saved per experiment.
• Plates can be made ready in less than one minute of the user’s time. Researchers can prepare experiments with complete flexibility and freedom.
• On average, an 86 per cent reduction in single use plastic waste compared to conventional cell culture.
As recently as 2008, 40 human thyroid cancer cell lines were analysed by genetic profiling. Only 23 unique profiles were obtained, and many of the cross-contaminating cell lines were not even thyroid in origin. These cell lines had been previously used for two decades in the field of thyroid cancer research. (Source: Cell Line CrossContamination and Misidentification; Common Cell Culture Problems - www.sigmaaldrich.com)
So, maintaining cultures becomes difficult time-consuming, and expensive. Trying to grow up enough cells to meet a large screening target is as much an art as a science. A large screen will usually involve lots of moving parts, and if equipment or the candidates are delayed, cells are usually discarded and the whole process started again.
For smaller operations, skills and contamination are the major issues. Researchers with experience in specific cell models are in short supply, and lab set ups can only culture so many different cell lines at one time. These limit capability and capacity, and ultimately slow down scientific progress.
As we are developing a frozen pre-plated ‘platform’ that can be applied to many different cell lines and formats, we wanted to focus on where we could develop products that would have the broadest need and provide the most value to researchers.
We looked at routine cell culture operations that would benefit from being fast and simple to carry out, and earlier this year carried out an alpha test, delivering plates to cell users all over the UK. From that we found that users working with viruses really engaged with the plates, as they wanted to focus their efforts on studying the virus, not the cells.
“We have really enjoyed using CryoLogyx pre-plated cells in our assays. They were very reliable and easy to use, fitted perfectly into our existing protocols, and have saved us significant time and effort as we didn’t have to culture and plate cells before each experiment. We are looking forward to using them in multiple assays going forward”
Dr Nicole Robb, founder director at Pictura Bio and assistant professor, Warwick Medical School
From users in drug discovery, we found that they wanted hepatocytes in high density formats for screening applications, and assay-ready trans-well plates, as these assays generally require a month of preparatory cell culture before they can be used!
What are some of the case studies where these plates have been utilised?
Our plates have been used by virologists in plaque assays and viral neutralisation assays. We have also carried out drug toxicity screening using our assay ready plates measuring dose responses comparable to conventionally cultured cells. We are working on a range of plates for drug discovery experiments, due for release in this year, and are signing up researchers for prerelease evaluations right now.
A key component of CryoLogyx's pre-plated solutions is that cell culture processes are eliminated. What benefit would this bring to a researcher's workflow and, ultimately, the drug discovery process?
For the researcher, the primary benefit is time saving, and time-to-experiment. With no preparatory cell culture required, experiments can be carried out on demand, and workflows shortened. By cutting out cell culture, around fivesix hours of hands-on work are saved per experiment. In addition, a cell-based assay can be carried out in around a day from inception, compared to one-two weeks from inception currently. Because plates can be stored frozen and made ready to use in 24 hours, workflows are far more flexible than once requiring cell culture.
There are also significant advantages to reproducibility, as a large bank of cells can be prepared, with the same passage number, meaning that there would be no batch to batch variation over months of testing. This ultimately means that drug discovery becomes faster, more flexible, and more reliable.
CryoLogyx’s pre-plated cells use a significantly less amount of plastic waste compared to existing products. Why is it so important for the life sciences community to try and incorporate more sustainable approaches to research, especially in routine experiments?
A study in ‘Nature’ estimated that for institutes and SMEs, each bench scientist generates around a tonne of plastic waste per year. It was estimated in 2014 that around 5.5 million tonnes of lab plastic waste were generated world-wide. That is equivalent to the combined tonnage of 67 cruise liners, and equal to 83 per cent of the plastic recycled worldwide in 2012.
That amount of single use plastic generated is unsustainable, not only from an environment and sustainability aspect, but a financial angle too. Single use plastic is cheap, but with costs rising for plastic and energy, it won’t be forever. Businesses and universities are looking to reduce their plastic waste and life science laboratories will soon be under the microscope! There is already some fantastic equipment and initiatives to recycle and reduce plastic waste in the lab, such as My Green Lab, and Grenova’s TipNovus machine.
At scale, we can make large batches of plates that require far less plastic to be used. We are also looking at recyclable plate ideas. For smaller labs, we estimate that using our pre-plated cells would enable around an 86 per cent reduction in single use plastic waste generated to run five plates of experiments, compared to conventional cell culture work.
What are the next steps for CryoLogyx?
Over the summer we tested our products with early adopters and based on that feedback launched a range of cryopreserved pre-plated assay ready products for use in viral detection and analysis.
Now we are working on a product range for early stage drug discovery and toxicity testing. We are expanding our capability and next year will build an automated cell culture manufacturing facility to produce large volumes of assay ready plates, and work with our partners in pharma and CROs to expand, accelerate and simplify their cell assay operations.
Where can people go to stay up to date with the company's activities?
We regularly post news and information to our website, www.cryologyx.com, and our linkedin page.
Tomas, R.F.M., Bissoyi, A., Congdon, T.R., Gibson, M.I., Biomacromolecules, 2022 23, 3948-3959. Assay-ready Cryopreserved Cell Monolayers Enabled by Macromolecular Cryoprotectants.
Tom, the CEO of CryoLogyx, has been at the forefront of macromolecular cryoprotectant research for the last eight years and developed several cryoprotectant technologies.
Tom has a Phd in the Chemistry and Synthesis of Cryoprotectant Materials, and his postdoc research focussed on polymer and bioconjugate synthesis, and the evaluation of new cryoprotectant technologies.
In the summer of 2020, Tom successfully completed the ICURe (Innovation to Commercialisation of University Research) programme and subsequently founded CryoLogyx, which was awarded £300k from Innovate UK to begin commercial development of never seen before frozen cell products.
After completing the prestigious ICURe customer discovery programme and securing an Innovate grant and SEIS funding from Angel investors and Oxford Technology, Tom founded CryoLogyx with Professor Matthew Gibson.
After the completion of a successful Black Country pilot project, Halesowen College are leading the West Midlands Colleges in round two of the Skills Development project. This DfE initiative is a response to the government skills white paper and aims to address some of the skills shortfalls that exist across the UK.
For the second tranche of funding the geographical spread of the project has increased to take in the Black Country, Birmingham and North Warwickshire.
The partnership involves 12 colleges and the Greater Birmingham Institute of Technology and comprises Halesowen, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton in the Black Country, SCCB, BMET, UCB, Fircroft and Solihull in the Birmingham Area and Coventry, Warwickshire College Group and North Warwickshire & South Leicestershire College from Warwickshire.
The new funding will enable colleges to upskill their staff, update their capital resources with industry relevant equipment and build crucial links with industry to help shape the provision of skills development over five key sectors: Digital Skills, Financial Technologies, Automation, Hybrid vehicles and Healthcare.
For more details contact Christian Vivash at the Halesowen College Skills Shop on 0121 602 7784 or 0121 602 6000 or your local participating college.
Cyber Security Consultancy and Digital Marketing Training for Businesses
Burton and South Derbyshire College apprentices share their experiences of the apprenticeship scheme and the benefits of hands-on learning.
Caitlin Neill and Josh Jones (pictured), two business administration apprentices at Mors Smitt, have shown they have the skills and commitment to succeed in business after being offered permanent positions at the company.
During their apprenticeships at the railway systems and component manufacturer, delivered in partnership with Burton and South Derbyshire College, the two apprentices have been given the opportunity to work in all areas of the business before stepping into permanent roles at the end of their qualifications.
Caitlin Neill undertook both Level 2 and Level 3 business administration apprenticeships before being offered a job as a sales administrator. She said: “I have enjoyed the apprenticeship at Mors Smitt; I had the chance to gain a variety of skills in procurement, sales and operations. I’m now settled into a role in sales where I enjoy dealing with customers. I would like to
continue to work my way up and progress my career in the future.”
Meanwhile, Josh Jones began his Level 3 business administration apprenticeship with the company after finishing sixth form and has now been taken on as a trainee buyer. Josh said: “During my apprenticeship at Mors Smitt, I’ve been given a good insight of all areas of the business and I’ve really enjoyed it. I’ve now been given the role of trainee buyer; it’s good to be gaining skills in the real world. I would like to be a manager or supervisor in the future.”
An apprenticeship is a real job with training, combining hands-on work with the chance to train and get qualified in a particular industry. Apprentices have the opportunity to gain skills and work experience, while employers gain enthusiastic members of staff who they can train to suit the skill requirements of the company.
‘I have enjoyed the apprenticeship at Mors Smitt; I had the chance to gain a variety of skills in procurement, sales and operations’
Amie Walker, finance and general manager at Mors Smitt commented: “Caitlin and Josh fitted in to their respective teams very well from the start, and were a breath of fresh air. They both worked hard and quickly became integral members of the team. Apprenticeships are rewarding for everyone involved, both apprentices and mentors. Apprentices have the opportunity to gain skills for their future careers, while for businesses, it’s a chance to create home-grown talent, resulting in loyal and dedicated additions to the team who understand the company and its processes. We would definitely encourage other businesses to support the next generation by getting on board with apprenticeships.”
Speaking about her decision to undertake an apprenticeship, Caitlin said: “I chose an apprenticeship as I knew that uni was a definite ‘no’ for me. I didn’t want to move away and I already knew that I wanted to work in an office environment as I had previously gained experience in a family business.
“I would encourage people who don’t want to sit in a classroom and would prefer to gain skills on the job to do an apprenticeship. An apprenticeship is more than just a job; you get a qualification at the same time!”
Josh added: “I started an apprenticeship after sixth form as I wanted to get experience and money in my pocket at the same time. I would much rather be in a hands-on learning environment, and I feel that the apprenticeship
route gives you the experience to get further in your career. Apprenticeships provide you with a good insight and experience into the working world. I think it’s important to earn money when you’re young to set you up for your life ahead.
‘I would encourage people who don’t want to sit in a classroom and would prefer to gain skills on the job to do an apprenticeship’
To mark National Apprenticeship Week, course leader Ian Davies and graduate Katie Preston (pictured) reflect upon the first five years of the Healthcare Science Degree Apprenticeship programme at Staffordshire University.
Biomedical Scientists work at the heart of healthcare. Whether preparing blood transfusions for critically ill patients, contributing to cancer diagnoses, or providing a reassuring “all clear”, Biomedical Scientists are at work 24/7 across the NHS to support the diagnosis and management of over 80 per cent of patients seen across the NHS and playing a crucial role in the recovery of clinical services following the ravages of Covid-19.
In 2017, Staffordshire University developed a sector-leading Degree Apprenticeship running alongside our traditional undergraduate Biomedical Science degree programme to enable an additional route into this scientific workforce. The combination of prescribed knowledge, skills, and behaviours fitted well with the blend of academic study, vocational learning and competency assessment commonplace in biomedical scientist education and allowed us to respond to the employer need for a programme with both the
academic content and rigour of a traditional biomedical science degree, but also with an applied focus upon agility and the development of workplace skills. Using our experiences of delivering postgraduate distance learning programmes combined with lived experience of employer needs we developed a blended approach combining asynchronous online education, study days and workbased learning which allowed learners and employers to flex their studies around the operational demands of fluctuating workload and shift working.
Additionally, the ability to access funding through the Apprenticeship Levy meant the programme did not dig into departmental budgets or employee finances. This allowed an affordable route to higher education for staff unable to self-finance or reduce their working hours.
Being one of the first adopters of degree apprenticeship education for biomedical scientists was not without challenge. The compliance requirements to access government
apprenticeship funding are robust and enforceable, as would be expected when accessing money from the public purse. These grew further in 2021 when degree apprenticeships came within the scope of the education regulator Ofsted, a level of continual external scrutiny seen rarely within higher education. Despite the steep learning curves and regulatory burden involved our institutional experience grew and our practices evolved, with His Majesty’s Inspector of Education’s inspection report commenting upon the “culture of excellence” within the healthcare science practitioner apprenticeship.
Katie Preston, one of the first graduates from the course and now a biomedical scientist at University Hospitals of North Midlands, takes up the story.
I never looked back
“I was working at University Hospitals of North Midlands when I heard about the new healthcare science apprenticeship that was about to start. I got an interview and
as there was a vacant post for a medical laboratory assistant in virology that was made available for the apprenticeship. I was successful in being appointed into the post and onto the course and whilst I first wondered whether I would miss the traditional university experience, once I was settled both in the lab and on the course, I never looked back.
“As the first cohort, we felt like we were a part of something special. We were able to really connect with the lecturers and each time we visited the university we had time for discussions, getting to know one another and helping to shape the course for future years.
“Alongside the excitement of the new course, we gained invaluable
work experience and the essential professional registration that has led us all to be successful in obtaining biomedical scientist posts.”
From our original intent to support local workforce development, the course has now grown to over 130 current apprentices and 38 graduates from NHS Trusts across England, 29 of
them based across Birmingham and the West Midlands region. Dr Debra Balderson, head of scientific education at University Hospitals Birmingham, commented how “the apprenticeship has provided the opportunity to grow talent and offer development opportunities for our current staff and to train new staff, which in turn supports our workforce sustainability plans. In
addition, our degree apprenticeships are attracting people from our local community, positively contributing to staff retention”.
At a time where laboratories continue to face unprecedented operational and workforce demands, degree apprenticeships provide a valuable and sustainable pipeline of Biomedical Scientists delivering science at the heart of healthcare.
‘Being one of the first adopters of degree apprenticeship education for biomedical scientists was not without challenge’
By Akmal Shahzad (pictured),
Birmingham:
follow.
This renewed focus on ‘being green’ is good for business, too, and the increasingly eco-conscious clients we work with across all sectors.
Now more than ever (and perhaps accelerated by the pande mic and time spent enjoying nature) customers are thinking eco-first when planning events. We’ve even seen some ask to calculate the carbon footprint of their specific event – a heightened level of eco-consciousness which didn’t exist as recently as five-10 years ago.
I’ve seen first-hand the importance of sustainability on every aspect of event management and delivery – from reinforcing your brand values, to sustainable practises and implementation –and want to share just a few of my thoughts as we kickstart 2023.
It’s important to understand the impact events have on the environment.
There are the usual culprits - the production of (and waste from) catering, attendee and organiser transportation, and energy consumption.
But think beyond that and you’ll uncover lots that you might not have considered…
From the choice to go paperless to ensuring your exhibitors choose sustainable merchandise (product materials through supply chain) –we have a responsibility to challenge the status quo and embrace green business practises.
One of the easiest ways to make your event more sustainable is to incorporate recycling and waste
We moved to a net zero waste collection supplier last year, and get monthly reports showing breakdowns on waste types and how they’ve been disposed of –vital insight we can use to educate ourselves and our clients, and continually improve going forwards.
When it comes to catering, we all know to aim to source locally and use organic and seasonal ingredients where possible.
This reduces the carbon footprint of transportation, but also supports local businesses.
Vegetarian and vegan options are becoming fast-preferred by delegates too – so are another quick win for the environment!
By using digital platforms for event planning and communication, we can reduce our paper use and make information easier to access. Hybrid events are here to stay, and importance is placed equally now on the in-person and online delegate experience. If anything, we’ve seen a continued growth in virtual attendees!
You could also think about how to integrate digital into every aspect of your event, such as online registration, digital signage, or virtual planning meetings t o reduce the need for travel (and maximise productivity in the process). We introduced virtual tours years ago with this in mind.
Travel can’t be completely avoided though – there’s something about in-person experience that can’t be replaced (and nothing has proven that more than the events industry post-
One of the most crucial elements of sustainability is energy efficiency. This can be achieved by using energy-efficient lighting and appliances, and renewable energy sources. We work with Bryt, a zero
carbon en ergy supplier, who provide 100 per cent renewable electricity from solar, wind and hydro power sources.
Smart building management systems are also critical to optimising energy consumption (we use one for our heating), and other measures such as deploying motion sensors can help reduce your output.
Finally, bring your teams on the journey with you. It’s a mindshift as much as a financial imperative!
Recent coverage of UK and global environmental and sustainability concerns mean that many business leaders are starting to consider how they can position their business to thrive in the light of upcoming ESG targets. Alison Phillips (pictured), founder of ESG consultancy Kindred CSR, explains the first steps companies should be looking at.
secure contracts, but also make your business attractive to employees and investors, bringing multiple benefits for sustainable growth.
procedures, as well as any reduction or improvement targets associated to them. The amount of evidence required may vary on the level of risk and dependency of the supplier or contract value.
and effort, but it is essential for securing contracts and tenders. Putting the time in “upfront” will save you time in the future, so here are some tips to help you along the way.
Suppliers can play a huge role in helping their customers to achieve both Net Zero targets as well as economic and social resilience. Understanding and demonstrating your sustainability can help you to
How do businesses assess their suppliers?
Sustainability supply chain assessments are carried out when a new supplier is added to the procurement system. Clients will ask about certain environmental, societal or governance policies and
Suppliers can be assessed in several ways:
1. External software platformslarger organisations with complex supply chains may use a software platform that sends a request to each individual supplier. Questionnaires are tailored to the size of the supplier and, depending on the answers you provide, you are scored and ranked e.g. bronze, silver and gold. Reports can be generated so you can share them publicly and see areas for improvement.
2. Supplier charters or internal surveys – smaller organisations may issue their own Charter to sign or have a more basic excel or Word Document questionnaire to complete and return with relevant evidence. They may assign a score to each answer, or just approve you based on a yes/no percentage.
3. Tender stage – for large scale contracts suppliers may go through a tender process. Usually there is a dedicated section in the application form detailing the environmental, social and economic benefit (or social value) that your business will bring to the project.
Once approved suppliers are usually re-assessed annually to ensure that maintained or continuous improvement has been achieved.
Top tips to completing a sustainable supply chain assessment Completing a Supply chain assessment can take a lot of time
1. Do some research – look at the GHG Protocol Scopes 1,2 and 3 as well as the Social Value Model. Find out about your client’s sustainable vision and goals and request a copy of the assessment ahead of time so you can prepare.
2. Map your impact – engage with your stakeholders to understand your own sustainable impact across all business operations. What do you already do, and where are the gaps?
3. Set targets and actions that you can achieve and are authentic to your business – be honest about where you are on your sustainability journey and have an action plan to show how you will achieve improvement.
4. Have the right documents and data ready – create a Management System where you capture up to date information required for an assessment. This includes a suite of CSR related policies.
5. Tell people about your sustainability commitment and impact data to make it easier for clients to find out about what you are doing. Use it to help build your reputat ion and brand as a business that cares about society and the environment.
If you provide goods and services to another business or organisation, then you are one of their suppliers.
Suppliers are now seeing increased pressure being asked to complete a Sustainable Supply Chain Assessment to evidence the impact they are having on the environment and society.
Birmingham Airport (BHX) says it is 37 per cent of its way to becoming a net-zero-carbon operation.
In April, the company published its carbon roadmap setting out its plan to become a net-zero-carbon airport by 2033.
According to data revealed today, the Midlands transport hub was more than a third of the way to this goal in December 2022.
Decarbonisation wins in the 2022/23 financial year include BHX reducing its on-site gas and electricity consumption by 18 per cent compared to 2019/20.
Coupled with efforts by the national power grid to move to greener operations, this cut in energy use led to a 34 per cent drop in greenhouse emissions at BHX against its 2019/20 benchmark.
Other contributions to this year’s progress include closer monitoring of energy use, energy-saving behaviour by BHX staff, replacing traditional lights with low-energy LEDs and optimising temperaturecontrol systems.
Tom Denton, head of sustainability for BHX, said: “We are pleased with our progress so far but by no means complacent. Back in April when we first publicly committed to our aim of hitting net zero by 2033, we said the first two thirds of this journey would be relatively straightforward.
“The final third is where the real challenge lies. We want to do this the right way. We want to achieve net zero by implementing low-carbon alternatives with minimal use of offsetting.
“It’s likely we’ll need to use technology not yet invented to make it to our goal. Failure is not an option when it comes to protecting the future of our planet.”
A first of its kind virtual reality bus driving simulator has landed at National Express West Midlands.
Using the DriVR machine’s fully immersive 360degree imagery, bus drivers can dive into a variety of driving scenarios including severe weather, driving in the dark and emergency braking - simulating a real life trip out on the road, without the risks brought by reality.
Not only does the simulator allow drivers to experience scenarios which are classed as high-risk on the road, they can also choose to reset and repeat the scenario or manoeuvre until they feel confident and well equipped to deal with any situation their role entails.
“But it’s a really efficient way of working on any driving behaviour and all 300 drivers who have used it so far have given 100 per cent recommendation to others.
National Express West Midlands is currently the only business in the UK to have this premium Simfor kit, which arrived in June from Spain. There will be four state-of-the-art simulators within the business by early 2023.
Alexia Alvarez, Simfor’s head of business development said: “Simulation has been long used for professional training in high-risk sectors and it was just a matter of time for the passenger transport sector to apply it.”
The first simulator was installed at the National Express bus depot in Coventry, with a second set up on a dedicated National Express bus that can travel around the company’s other depots.
A further two simulators will be installed at National Express West Midlands’ training academy in Walsall and their new state-of-the-art depot in Perry Barr, which opened earlier this month.
Jenny Tocknell, head of operations for National Express West Midlands said: “These machines are a significant investment for the business, costing £30,000 a machine.
Performances can be monitored and evaluated via personal IDs created through fingerprints which instructors can then use to adapt training programs to various scenarios and needs.
‘Simulation has been long used for professional training in highrisk sectors and it was just a matter of time for the passenger transport sector to apply it’
Research conducted by two local students for Midlands Connect shows that bringing in a London Oyster style ‘tap and cap’ system would provide savings for young people in the Black Country as well as a massive boost for bus and tram operators.
The two students, Charlie Goddard of Stourbridge and Samuel Islam of Great Barr have worked out that young people in the Black Country travelling to Birmingham could make big savings from a ‘tap and cap’ system.
The research has been dubbed as a ‘win-win’, highlighting that the scheme could ‘save young people throughout the Midlands millions of pounds every year’.
The research conducted by them for sub-national transport body Midlands Connect has shown that:
• Students studying at Birmingham City University or Aston University commuting from areas surrounding Stourbridge would save £56.13 a year due to smart ticketing
• Travel from Dudley bus station to Colmore Row would save someone £39.69
• Travelling from West Bromwich to Birmingham would save £31.35
The research, conducted by two students shows that if the system proposed by Midlands Connect, Transport for the West Midlands and Nottingham City Council is introduced, the annual revenue of bus and tram operators would increase by £39.65m, a 7.5 per cent increase.
This is due to an increase of usage of 5 per cent for tram journeys and an increase of 10 per cent for bus journeys.
Figures also show that the average weekly household expenditure in the West Midlands spent on transport is 14 per cent - the second highest category after housing, fuel and power.
Midlands Connect researcher Charlie Goddard said: “This research shows that bringing in a tap and cap system in the Midlands will benefit passengers and bus and tram operators. It is the definition of a win-win idea.
“Our research shows that it will move people from their car to public transport which will benefit our environment and our health.
“I hope our research will now be fed into the proposal for a national solution created in the Midlands.”
Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) has secured almost £3.5m funding to support the better design, planning and development of cycling, wheeling and walking schemes in region.
The grant from Active Travel England’s Capability Fund will be used by TfWM, which is part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and local council partners to increase the resource and expertise required to deliver the region’s ambitious active travel plans.
The funding will deliver green jobs and enable the West Midlands to ensure its new cycle routes, lanes and projects are of
the highest quality, meeting latest Government design standards.
TfWM has invested more than £50m in a wide range of active travel schemes from the £8m Binley Road Cycleway in Coventry to smaller neighbourhood-based schemes through the Better Streets Community Fund.
Future funding awarded via the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) will see further investment on schemes that support active travel.
Local authorities have been assessed by Active Travel England, an agency of the Department for Transport, on their capability and political will to deliver active travel schemes.
TfWM was assessed as being in Level 3, the highest level awarded to local authorities in England.
West Midlands mayor Andy Street said: “This is a huge vote of confidence from Active Travel England on our ability as a region to deliver transformative cycling and walking projects.”
Adam Tranter, West Midlands cycling and walking commissioner, said: “We fully welcome the Government’s commitment to active travel and are pleased to be working closely with Active Travel England on ensuring we use active travel to deliver green growth for the West Midlands.”
E-Van Guru’s mission is to accelerate the take-up of zero-emission cars and vans by business operators. We understand that the switch to an electric fleet goes well beyond just the vehicle.
We are brand-independent, working in collaboration with a comprehensive range of partners including vehicle manufacturers, charging infrastructure and connectivity software suppliers, vehicle converters and finance companies, ensuring operators get the complete ‘electric’ solution.
Our team will review your fleet operational requirements, recommending the best vehicle solution and most cost effective charging infrastructure.
Through driver training and onboard telematics we will engage with your drivers, demonstrating the best techniques to maximise range and minimalize charging on their new electric vehicles.
We offer all finance solutions for vehicles and infrastructures through our funding partners.
We are always happy to discuss our services and give advice when asked, so please drop us an email on info@evan-guru.co.uk or call on 07534 369281.
Visit our website for more information about our team www.e-van-guru.co.uk
At EFG Harris Allday we offer a truly bespoke investment management service. Our head office is based in the old Stock Exchange building in Birmingham city centre; we have been supporting clients across the West Midlands for almost 200 years.
2022 proved to be a challenging year for investors, and we have kept our clients fully abreast of the evolving nature of investment markets. All major asset classes came under pressure at some point throughout the year.
We frequently find that stock markets usually turn in advance of better economic news, rather than as the news starts to improve. This means that market lows are often reached even when the news suggests that worse is yet to come. Investing is always easy with hindsight but remaining invested while the outlook remains opaque will often lead to improved longer-term returns, as markets will already be higher once the horizon clears. Working with an experienced professional can help to provide the right guidance and reassurance throughout turbulent times.
Our team of chartered investment managers hold an average of 20 years of service, with experience in investing on behalf of individuals, families, charities and trusts throughout a variety of market conditions.
Find out more information about our local team at www.efgha.com/birmingham
Or email us on enquiries@efgha.com
Investments can go up as well as down. You may get back less than you invested.
EFG Harris Allday
33 Great Charles Street, Birmingham B3 3JN 0121 233 1222
2023 to be more successful than 2022, despite challenging economic forecasts, according to the latest data from Lloyds Bank.
Almost two thirds of West Midlands businesses (62 per cent) said they are confident they would have greater success in the coming 12 months, compared to the past year.
More than a quarter (28 per cent) were not confident about being more successful in 2023, and six per cent expected their business to perform at the same level. The research was carried out in December as part of additional polling for the monthly Lloyds Bank Business Barometer.
Firms in the West Midlands projected a more upbeat outlook for 2023, with 51 per cent expecting a higher turnover than in 2022.
Nineteen per cent of businesses expect turnover to increase by between five per cent and 19 per cent,
and a fifth (20 per cent) anticipate turnover to increase by more than 20 per cent.
When businesses were asked what they would do to fuel growth, 92 per cent said they were planning an investment drive.
Businesses reported that funding would be used to develop their company (35 per cent), increase wages (35 per cent), and improve energy efficiency (33 per cent).
Dave Atkinson, regional director for the West Midlands at Lloyds Bank, said: “By investing in their workforce and energy efficiency, businesses are tackling the dual challenges of staff shortages and energy costs head on, focusing on strategies for growth rather than just survival.
“By making the most of the funding support available to them, firms can equip themselves with the tools they need to ensure they achieve their new year ambitions.”
The corporate finance team of PKF Smith Cooper has advised Midlandsbased Hyperama plc on the sale of its cash and carry division to Dhamecha Group.
Hyperama’s Nottingham and West Bromwich depots will bolster London-based Dhamecha’s presence in the Midlands, boosting the number of its cash and carry branches to 12 post completion. This sale comes in short order of Hyperama plc’s divestment of its Peterborough cash and carry to Holland Bazaar Ltd.
This sale required a carve out and ‘hive down’ of Hyperama’s remaining cash and carry divisions into a special purpose vehicle containing the trade, assets and business operations to be acquired by Dhamecha Group.
This raised a number of commercial and transactional challenges that were navigated with specialist assistance from the PKF SC corporate finance team. For example, Hyperama’s Nottingham cash and carry operates from the company HQ, which also houses sister company JK Foods and the buildings needed to be segregated.
PKF SC’s multi-disciplinary team advised on the commercial and tax structuring of the transaction, as well as seeking solutions to the various transaction complexities.
Hyperama’s managing director Marcus Singh said: “I could not have wished for a better business to acquire the sites and take the business forward. Dhamecha is a fantastic operator and has successfully expanded already into the Midlands and I know I am leaving my employees, customers and suppliers in good hands.”
The partner-led team advising Hyperama was led by Darren Hodson, Tom Joy and Josh Gurton, and included support from PKF SC Tax Advisory Partner Gary Devonshire.
Birmingham law firm Stone King has signed up to the age friendly employer pledge - a new nationwide programme, to show its commitment to older workers.
The firm is among the first businesses and organisations in the country to sign the pledge, run by the Centre for Ageing Better, which supports organisations to improve the recruitment, retention and development of workers aged 50 and over to make workplaces age friendly.
Businesses must also appoint a senior sponsor for age inclusion, a role which Stone King Chair Alison Allen has taken on.
Alison (pictured), Stone King’s head of private client sector, said: “I am delighted to support the age friendly employer pledge. As a woman in her fifties, I am very aware of how age is both an advantage in terms of life and work experience, and also sometimes a challenge a s we adjust to getting older.
West Midlands full-service law firm Shakespeare Martineau has been reappointed to Orbit Group’s panel of legal advisers following a competitive tender process.
Running for five years with the possibility of a one-year extension, Shakespeare Martineau has secured one of eight available spots on the panel, slimmed down from 10 in 2019.
The appointment will see the firm – which has worked with Orbit Group for more than a decade – continuing to advise on a full range of legal matters spanning multiple teams and legal disciplines.
Founded in 1967, Orbit Group is a provider of affordable housing to buy and rent, managing a portfolio of 46,500 properties and serving more than 100,000 people across the Midlands, East and South East.
Part of Orbit Group is development specialist Orbit Homes, which has a significant programme delivering 6,500 new homes. Out of them, 70 per cent will be much needed affordable properties by 2025, providing a solution to the UK’s housing shortage.
Rachel Gwynne (pictured), head of social housing at Shakespeare Martineau, said: “While our relationship has developed over many years, a formal re-appointment to Orbit Group’s panel will allow us to continue to work closely together on a broad range of legal issues over the coming years.
“As a result of this appointment, numerous teams across the business will continue working alongside Orbit Group to provide forwardthinking and pragmatic legal advice that supports Orbit in achieving its goals and ambitions.
“The Orbit Group ethos is one that runs in parallel with our own, focusing on providing practical and accessible advice, support and solutions. We are looking forward to seeing what the future holds and continuing to work closely with the Orbit Group.”
“I know that our business benefits from diversity amongst our people including a wide range of ages and experience and I am very keen to support a multigenerational workforce.”
The Centre for Ageing Better supports the network of signed up organisations by providing a framework of suggested actions and offering opportunities to learn effective agefriendly practices.
Dr Carole Easton, chief executive at the Centre for Ageing Better, said: “The current labour shortage has been called the most urgent problem facing the UK economy with its impact driving up prices, wages and inflation. Workers in their 50s and 60s are a key, but currently overlooked, solution to resolving the UK’s employment crisis.
“The pledge has been designed to support businesses to go on a journey at a pace tha t works best for each organisation. By taking manageable and measurable steps, each employer will learn over time what steps are needed to make the biggest difference in their own organisation.”
‘The current labour shortage has been called the most urgent problem facing the UK economy with its impact driving up prices, wages and inflation’Age friendly employer: Alison Allen appointed as senior sponsor for age inclusion
A leading West Midlands manufacturer of forklift truck attachments and skips has safeguarded 15 jobs after it was awarded £175,000 to fund a management buy-out.
Ridgeway Manufacturing Limited, based on Cookley Wharf, Brierley Hill, secured funding from the Community Investment Enterprise Facility (CIEF) managed by BCRS Business Loans, and backed by the Recovery Loan Scheme (RLS).
Funding will enable the Black Country firm to safeguard 15 jobs and recruit a sales manager and apprentice welder.
Long-serving company directors Melvyn Heath and Douglas Jones decided to take over the business when they were given the option to complete a management buy-out.
Established in 2001, the business manufactures forklift truck attachments and skips together with bespoke steelwork fabrications.
Melvyn Heath said: “BCRS were very helpful. The funding will not only safeguard the future of 15 existing jobs but will enable us to
Global robotics and data firm Quicktron has earmarked Birmingham for its UK headquarters with a move to Bruntwood SciTech’s hub for technology businesses at Innovation Birmingham.
The multinational corporation, which is headquartered in Shanghai and also has offices in the USA, Germany, Spain, Japan, Korea and Singapore, has acquired 1,000 sq ft of space, adding to the network of digital businesses at the campus.
Quicktron selected Birmingham as its first base of operations in the UK, and the company is primed to take advantage of the city region's growing tech cluster.
Founded in 2014, Quicktron specialises in developing future-proof robotic products using advanced algorithms to perform a variety of tasks in warehouses and factories. The firm helps customers to optimise their warehouse management and production efficiency through the use of smart robotic solutions.
Quicktron is the latest in a wave of innovative tech and digital companies to set up home at the Innovation Birmingham campus, following sustainable gifting business XD Connects. The campus accounted for a quarter of all new commercial leases in the city during the last quarter.
Joseph Venables, head of Business Development at Bruntwood SciTech, said: “Quicktron’s expansion comes at a time of immense importance for UK R&D, with the West Midlands continuing to lead the charge both nationally and internationally.
“We’re excited to welcome another international brand to one of the most innovative and diverse technology clusters the UK has to offer and look forward to supporting their growth through our key strategic partners.
“Birmingham is fast-becoming a magnet for inward investment and we look forward to seeing Quicktron grow its global market share here while benefiting from co-locating with the city’s other high growth businesses at Innovation Birmingham.”
Liang Kien Yew, vice president, International Business at Quicktron, said: “Our move to Innovation Birmingham is a vital step in the business’s strategic ambitions to establish firm roots in the UK and enhance our on the ground support for our clients.
“Accessing top talent and lowering our carbon operating base are two of our biggest priorities as we look to grow our market share with our UK audience, so we’re pleased to have a partner in Bruntwood SciTech that has helped us to facilitate both.”
move forward and implement our plans for growth.”
Douglas Jones added: “Both Melvyn and I have been part of the Ridgeway team for eight and ten years respectively and the majority of the workforce has an average service length of between five and six years, so it was important that we were able to complete the buyout to secure the future of our loyal workforce.”
Louise Armstrong, a senior business development manager at BCRS Business Loans, said: “As a lender that delivers funding for intentional social and economic impact, it is great news that jobs will be created by Ridgeway Manufacturing.”
Alastair Davis, CEO of Social Investment Scotland, providers of the CIEF loan fund to BCRS, said: “The CIEF fund is all about supporting SMEs to enhance and increase social and economic impact and we are confident that this investment will satisfy these objectives, particularly by safeguarding a number of local jobs.”
A deal to relocate a specialist in parts for material handling, industrial vehicles, construction and agricultural equipment into new offices in Birmingham has been completed by award-winning commercial property agency Bromwich Hardy.
Surveyor Sam Cooper oversaw the negotiations, which led to TVH UK Ltd selling two industrial buildings in Coventry and relocate its offices to Bishops Court at Birmingham Business Park.
Sam, named the West Midlands property sector’s rising star earlier this year, said: “We were
involved in all stages of this project and I’m delighted that we have been able to both sell TVH UK’s existing buildings and find them a great new base in Birmingham.
“TVH tasked Bromwich Hardy with finding them offices as close to Birmingham airport as possible to accommodate staff moving out of the industrial building in Coventry.
"Birmingham Business Park fitted the bill perfectly. It’s close to the airport, Birmingham International station and the M42 motorway, so it has great access to the whole of the national
Commercial property agents
Siddall Jones have let one of the landmark buildings in an area described as Birmingham’s ‘Mayfair’.
Leading global security solutions provider Suprema Systems UK Ltd has taken 12 St Pauls Square, in the Jewellery Quarter, in a five-year lease.
The company is moving from smaller premises at Branston Court in the Jewellery Quarter.
Ed Siddall-Jones, managing director of Siddall Jones, said: “We are still seeing significant activity in self-contained office buildings and offices under 5,000 sq ft across Birmingham, and St Pauls Square is recognised as one of the most popular and prestigious locations –the ‘Mayfair’ of the city’.”
The fully refurbished, 2,700 sq ft office building is a substantial and imposing Georgian building with parking to the rear.
Mr Siddall-Jones added: “The property has been refurbished to an exceptionally high standard and retains many character features
including a basement bar and events space.
“St Pauls Square is a particular favourite among those seeking attractive office space just outside the central city business core, as it provides the character and charm of the square with all the city amenities, shops, bars and restaurants a short walk away.
motorway network as well as the upcoming HS2 rail link.”
TVH’s new base extends to 3,909 sq ft of ground floor office space at 6240 Bishops Court. The five-year lease also includes the use of 23 parking spaces.
Sam added: “The Bromwich Hardy team has expertise in every aspect of commercial property sale, rent and management.
“Between us, we have about 200 years’ experience – whatever your business property needs are, we can find the right solution for you.”
“Siddall Jones has a particularly strong foothold and representation in the Jewellery Quarter and we are delighted to have secured such a prestigious international tenant for our client in this latest deal.”
Suprema Systems UK Ltd is part of the global Suprema Inc, which is headquartered in South Korea.
It supplies access control systems to businesses, including biometric readers.
The UK office in Birmingham currently employs ten staff, with ambitious plans to recruit further employees.
Jamie McMillen, managing director of Suprema Systems UK Ltd, said: “Our new offices give us high end, up-to-the-minute,
refurbished office space in a period building in the delightful setting of St Pauls Square.
“Ed Siddall-Jones understood our requirements immediately and was instrumental in enabling us to move in smoothly.”
Law firm Wallace Robinson & Morgan acted for the landlord, and Suprema Inc was advised by its inhouse legal team.
‘St Pauls Square is recognised as one of the most popular and prestigious locations – the ‘Mayfair’ of the city’New spaces at Bishops Court Moving forward: Jamie McMillen and Ed Siddall-Jones
Of the 90 businesses I’ve worked with, there’s one common theme with those in need of a restructure or at risk of failure – they always have a full time finance director (FD) who’s chosen to avoid difficult conversations whenever possible or who can’t provide the commercial insight expected from a senior finance professional.
If your FD has little or no experience of risk management, acquisitions and disposals, postacquisition integrations, restructuring and turnarounds, exit planning and corporate governance, or who doesn’t challenge your thinking and doesn’t prepare multi-year integrated forecast models to underpin Board strategy, the reality is you’re probably just employing a finance manager with a material gap in their skillset compared to the value-add that a widely experienced FD should provide.
When considering a Portfolio FD, think of a full-time role delivered in only a day or two per week and at a fraction of the cost; it’s an entirely different service to an interim FD
who’s usually a temporary option while a fulltime equivalent is being recruited.
A good FD knows their primary responsibility to their Board is risk management, especially relevant on the cusp of recession. This involves analysis of numbers, picking out the important pieces of information, identifying trends, offering financial insight and providing strategic guidance and tangible options for consideration; success relies on positive engagement with the Board, banks, investors and anyone within the business who has a direct influence on financial performance.
If your FD is focused only on producing the management accounts once a month and isn’t available outside of office hours to talk through your concerns, perhaps it’s time to consider if what you need is a finance manager whose work is enhanced by a Portfolio FD to provide that additional challenge and skillset, and who can add tangible value to the growth, development and long-term security of your business.
An aspiring engineer from Nigeria has become a valued member of the ‘orange army’ helping build HS2 – after grabbing a key career opportunity.
In just one year, 29-year-old Osaro Okuonghae, who lives in Birmingham during the week and in Peckham at weekends, was fasttracked from cleaning the welfare accommodation units at HS2’s Old Oak Common Station in London to working as a site engineer helping to build the new transport superhub.
Two years ago, Osaro made the bold decision to leave Nigeria and progress his studies in the UK.
But the cost of living in the capital, combined with studying for a master’s in Civil Engineering at the University of East London, soon took its toll and Osaro took a parttime job as a cleaner.
By chance, he was placed at Old Oak Common in the capital, where he soon made friends with the on site engineers.
His passion for civil engineering shone through as he quizzed the engineering team about the construction works underway.
Noting that he was keen to progress, qualified, and in need of a lucky break, the site’s project manager asked for his CV.
Weeks later, Osaro was invited to interview for a vacancy in the engineering team. One year on, and Osaro is now helping to build HS2.
Having successfully completed his master’s degree, he spent nine months working with the team at Old Oak Common and has since transferred to join the team building HS2 in the West Midlands.
Osaro said: “The support I have received from the entire team is just amazing, and I’m incredibly
grateful that they saw potential in me and gave me this opportunity.
“I’ve been able to put my studies into practice, and the training I’ve received means I’ve been able to get hand-on in so many different aspects of HS2’s construction, from quality assurance, piling and constructing diaphragm walls.
“Everyone at contractors Bachy Soletanche and Balfour Beatty VINCI SYSTRA has helped me on this journey, and I’m so proud to be playing a part in building HS2 in
London and the West Midlands.”
Vincent Leblois, project director for Balfour Beatty Ground Engineering SB3, said: “We’re very fortunate to have had Osaro on our team and it’s been great to see how much he has progressed throughout his time working at Old Oak Common.
“With his positive attitude, and willingness to learn and take on new challenges, Osaro has been an asset to our team and he has shown great potential.”
A scheme set up by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to fund apprenticeship training for small and mediumsized enterprises has smashed the £40m milestone.
The figure has helped more than 3,000 people across the region get their first introduction into work and gives local businesses the ability to pay a better apprenticeship wage to attract future talent.
Originally set up in March 2019, the apprenticeship levy transfer fund allows some of the UK's biggest businesses to cover 100 per cent of the training cost of apprentices for SMEs by donating their unspent levy to the WMCA rather than see it returned to government. To date, a total of 1,043 SMEs from across a wide range of sectors have benefited from the fund. In turn, the region ultimately benefits from more job opportunities and a boost in skills and productivity.
Andy Street, mayor of the West Midlands and WMCA chair, said: “These donations from businesses
help to support the growth of talent working at small and medium sized enterprises right across the West Midlands.
“We’ve made real progress in tackling youth employment which has meant that over 3,000 people who may not otherwise have been given the chance have been guided onto the first step of their career.
“As we embark on a New Year, I would very much encourage large
employers to take the opportunity to get involved by donating their unspent levy funds – putting this money towards the service of transforming the prospects of talented people right across our region.”
Willinbrook Care Home, a specialist centre located in Perry Barr, Birmingham for people with advanced dementia or mental health problems, is just one of the SMEs to
benefit from the scheme. In 2022, the care home took on ten level 2 and level 3 apprentices to work as nurse associates, care assistants and team leads, with delivery support from Sandwell College.
Liliane Ntirandekura, head of training and development at Willowbrook Care Home, which forms part of Willinbrook Healthcare, said: “The apprenticeship levy funds donated have been a massive incentive for us as it means we were able to take on more apprentices in 2022 than we have before and certainly encourages us to think about recruiting even more in 2023.
“This is now the fourth year that we’ve been able to benefit from the scheme and I’m very glad we're able to give the opportunity for youngsters to get real working experience at a fair pay.”
Businesses wishing to register their interest in the West Midlands Apprentice Levy Fund can sign up for more information at: tinyurl.com/yn8zkweu
‘The support I have received from the entire team is just amazing’Fast-tracked: Osaro Okuonghae Real progress: Andy Street
Forward Education Trust (FET) is an established multi-academy trust of seven special schools, based around Birmingham, Sandwell and Solihull. Simon Dilkes, chief executive officer, leads a talented and committed staff group, striving to provide a safe and supportive environment for schools to care for and educate children.
In FET schools, we cater for age ranges from four to 19, boys and girls with a wide range of needs including those with a diagnosis of autism, social, emotional and mental health needs and sometimes profound and multiple learning difficulties. We see a child’s potential and ambitiously strive for them to be the very best version of themselves they possibly can be.
FET’s aim is to create a cohesive team of staff, working together, fiercely loyal to each other. FET are committed to developing local school identity and ethos, adopting strategies for school improvement that build on and enhance local reputation, raise standards and respond to the needs and aspirations of those we serve –our children and their families. We care about our staff, their learning, development and wellbeing.
Our values can be seen in the decisions we make and the things that we do. Mutual respect pervades all our relationships and together our staff will learn, practice and collaborate – a sense of team will identify how we nurture our talent,
for the benefit of our young people. At all times, FET will be a safe place for our children, because our staff will know that this is their top priority. Our Trust values remain unchanged, but we want to articulate them better and give unequivocal evidence that people can see those values in the decisions we make and the things that we do every single day.
We want to empower people to make decisions and to be creative. We are recruiting talented, experienced, ambitious and forwardthinking people who want to work as part of a team that is committed to our ethos of moving forward together, striving for and achieving opportunities to improve outcomes and provide stability and success for all. These are not just words – this is what we do.
FET is investing in resources in its schools. Over the last few years they have invested in playgrounds, internal and external refurbishments, curriculum resources, specialist equipment and specific technology to help children access the curriculum as well as enjoy their day in school. All these initiatives improve the experience for children in one of FET’s
schools and support staff in teaching and caring for our children.
As well, we are enhancing our capacity in governance, whether that’s on our Trust Board or our Local Academy Councils, who champion individual schools. We’re looking for parents or carers, local business professionals or people from our communities to come and work with us to help make the lives of our children better.
Web development agency Develo has created a business-to-business auction portal for electrical retailer Currys.
The Develo team has worked alongside the team at Currys to create a customised system which has been tested and developed to reduce the possibility of manual error and security threats.
Currys approached the agency with a need to migrate their outdated auction platform for improved security and functional enhancements.
The Develo team designed wireframes and prototypes to finetune the user journey, improve the onboarding and registration
Virgin Money has teamed up with Youtility - a subscription management platform built for banks and FinTechs - to help customers save money on their bills as they continue to face the cost-of-living crisis.
Youtility helps consumers control, manage and save on their broadband, TV and mobile contracts.
Virgin Money customers are now able to access the platform from the comfort of their own phone, via the ‘Discover’ tab on the homepage of Virgin Money’s mobile banking app.
The Youtility platform provides personalised and impartial options depending on what a customer wants from their providers.
Across the UK, millions of households who haven’t switched contracts or changed providers for essential services are being penalised for their loyalty.
In fact, Youtility believes the average loyalty penalty for a UK home is £987 a year.
Virgin Money says customers could save hundreds of pounds simply by using the platform to switch to new suppliers.
Chief commercial officer Hugh Chater said: “Our purpose is making you happier about money, and we’re passionate about making our customers’ money work harder for them.
“That’s why we’ve teamed up with Youtility to help our customers make informed decisions that could mean significant savings at a time when they need it most.
“By linking Youtility seamlessly to the Virgin Money mobile banking app, we’re also taking away the hassle people often feel when it comes to managing their utility bills – it really couldn’t be easier to see if you can make big savings.”
Further information is available on the Virgin Money's mobile banking app.
process of new customers along with modernising the look, feel and accessibility of the portal based on Currys’ new brand guidelines.
Develo have now delivered a fully customised system, with the precise features needed by Currys to meet their requirements.
In turn, it has reduced all manual tasks and decreased the possibility of errors.
The site is now supported by the agency’s 24/7 365 enterprise-level support package.
Dominika Miler-Zydek, IT project manager of Currys, said: “It was a great experience working with the team and I am continually impressed by the results.
“Having Develo on the team made a huge difference. The unique perspective, expertise and dedication played a crucial role in making this project a success.“
Birmingham’s number one venue for ‘things to do’ according to Tripadvisor has invested £30,000 to create a new virtual reality (VR) offering for visitors.
Escape Live, an events company that began in the Midlands and specialises in escape rooms, launched in the city in 2014 and now boasts a range of experiences including the city’s only licensed Peaky Blinders escape rooms.
It rose to be ranked number one for things to do in Birmingham on Tripadvisor and is now partnering with games company Ubisoft to launch a new VR Arena at its Jewellery Quarter venue.
The arena includes eight games – including spin-offs based on the global hit Assassin’s Creed – and will offer players the chance to walk around a virtual location but also interact with real-life objects, finding clues and solving puzzles.
Jas Sodhi, managing director at Escape Live, who also has venues in Chelmsford, Coventry, Liverpool, Southend-on-Sea and Stratfordupon-Avon, said: “From day one, we’ve looked to be the best in class when it comes to escape experiences and partnering with the likes of Endemol Shine Group and Caryn Mandabach Productions to bring authentic Peaky Blinders themed rooms to the region is an example of that.
“When the opportunity came up to work with Ubisoft, we jumped at the chance. We wanted to offer VR experiences to our visitors and we wanted them to be of the highest quality and entertainment.”
Escape Live also received the 2022 Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice award, which recognises businesses that are among the top 10 per cent of listings on the website and earn great reviews.
B:Music, the Birmingham music charity responsible for Symphony Hall and Town Hall, has launched its 2023 Spring programme, which includes comedy, live music, dance and spoken word on its two worldfamous stages.
The new season showcases an array of performances at Town Hall and Symphony Hall. From KT Tunstall’s soulful vocals to Lloyd Griffith’s distinct humour, February marks a varied and exciting programme. The Birmingham Classical Season is in full swing with Paul Lewis gracing the Town Hall stage in March, and April sees the return of Giovanni Pernice and Billy Ocean.
Birmingham Royal Ballet returns to Symphony Hall with their hit ‘An Evening of Music and Dance’ (11 February).
Alongside the Royal Ballet Sinfonia conducted by Paul Murphy, Birmingham Royal Ballet’s dancers will perform a gala selection of works hand-picked by Director Carlos Acosta. The compère for the evening will be Marverine Cole.
For ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ fans there are three pairs of celebrated “Strictly”, stars bringing their shows to Symphony Hall:
Among other dance attractions, ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ 2021 champion Giovanni Pernice will take
Birmingham audiences on a journey to his homeland with his new 2023 production of ‘Made in Italy’ (8 April).
B:Music provides a plethora of comedy A-listers to choose from. Stand-up stars including David O’Doherty: Woah is Me (4 February), Daniel Sloss (17 February), Lloyd Griffith: One Tonne of Fun (25 February), Urzila Carlson: It’s Personal (5 March) and Josh Pugh (17 March) will be taking to the Symphony Hall and Town Hall stages.
The age of Brit Pop can be relived with Suede (21 March) as well as hits from Bros and a personal tribute to Cole Porter with The Matt Goss Experience with MG Big Band and the Royal Philharmonic (5 April)
There is also Dexy’s Midnight Runners’ founding member Pete Williams and his band plus special guests (16 February).
There’s a day out for the family at Town Hall in March with ‘Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers –with Live Brass Band’ (25 Mar), in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Academy Award Winning short film. And there is Duggee, Betty, Happy in the allsinging, all-dancing ‘Hey Duggee Live!’ (10-12 April).
For the full list of attractions visit www.bmusic.co.uk
Birmingham Hippodrome have announced a line-up of new productions for 2023 and 2024.
This spring families can experience the dangers and delights of ‘Dinosaur World Live’ (24-26 March) in an interactive show.
Birmingham Royal Ballet’s new season will include their Summer Triple Bill (8-10 June), which will mark the return of David Bintley’s ‘Still Life’ at the Penguin Café, alongside Balanchine’s Apollo and Juliano Nunes’s Interlinked which was premiered as part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival earlier this year.
The world’s ground-breaking celebration of hip-hop dance theatre Breakin’ Convention (13-14 June) will return to Birmingham as part of the Hippodrome’s BSIDE Hip-Hop Festival. Also in June, Disney’s iconic ‘Winnie the Pooh’ (16-18 June), will come to life in a beautifully-crafted musical stage adaptation.
After a sold out run at the Hippodrome in 2021, the international smash hit musical
‘SIX’ will be back on the Hippodrome stage for a third week in June (20-25 June).
Joining the line-up of onenight special events is BBC Radio’s multi award-winning antidote to panel games ‘I’m Sorry I haven’t a Clue’ (25 March) for an unmissable evening of inspired nonsense.
In October, Dawn French (5-7 October) brings her new comedy show to the Hippodrome stage, giving the audience a peek behind the scenes of her work life and sharing an embarrassing tale or two.
Birmingham Hippodrome have also announced that next year’s pantomime will be ‘Jack and The Beanstalk’ (16 December 202328 January 2024).
Completing the line-up of newly announced productions is the critically acclaimed ‘Life of Pi’ (12-17 February 2024).
Tickets for all shows can be booked at www.birmingham hippodrome.com or by calling 0844 338 5000.
Birmingham Rep and James Seabright have released the full cast of Ian Hallard’s new play, ‘The Way Old Friends Do’ in its world premiere at The Rep from 17 February to 4 March.
This heartfelt story, written by and starring Ian Hallard (‘The Boys In The Band’), is directed by Mark Gatiss (‘Sherlock’, ‘Dracula’, ‘Doctor Who’, ‘The League of Gentlemen’).
The cast includes Donna Berlin, James Bradshaw, Sara Crowe, Andrew Horton and Rose Shalloo.
The play also features the voices of two of the UK’s best-loved performers, Miriam Margolyes and Paul O’Grady.
The Rep has also announced the cast for their new production of the stage adaptation of John Steinbeck’s classic novel, Of Mice and Men, which runs from Saturday, 18 March, to Saturday 8 April.
The cast is completed by James Clyde as The Boss, Simon Darwen as Slim, Maddy Hill as Curley’s Wife, Edward Judge as Carlson, Reece Pantry as Crooks, Stuart Quigley as Whit, Lee Ravitz as Candy and Riad Ritchie as Curley.
To book tickets visit Birminghamrep.co.uk, call 0121
236 4455 or visit the box office during opening hours.
A Birmingham basketball club has become the 1,000th organisation in the West Midlands to pledge support to the armed forces community through the Armed Forces Covenant.
City of Birmingham Rockets Basketball Club were welcomed by the West Midland Reserve Forces & Cadets Association (WM RFCA) for the milestone signing.
Introduced by the Ministry of Defence in 2014, the Covenant is a pledge by businesses that those who serve or who have served in the armed forces, and their families, are treated fairly.
Founded in 2003 by the chief executive Robert Palmer, the Rockets engage more than 1,500
One of the most prestigious tournaments in professional squash is returning to Birmingham for the first time in two decades.
The British Open will be held at Birmingham Rep and the Edgbaston Priory Club between 9 and 16 April.
It is the first time the PSA World Tour Platinum tournament has taken place in Birmingham since 2001 when the Utilita Arena Birmingham hosted it. The opening two days of the event is being held at the Edgbaston Priory Club, before play moves over to The Rep in Birmingham city centre, where the action will take place on an all-glass show court from round three onwards.
PSA chief executive Alex Gough said: “We’re excited to move the British Open to Birmingham, a city which has a rich history within the sport.”
Birmingham Rep executive director Rachael Thomas said: “We look forward to welcoming thousands of spectators to The Rep and sharing our iconic theatre with them.”
young people each week through basketball.
As well as 16 men’s, women’s and youth teams competing nationally, the Nechells-based club run a number of community initiatives and an educational academy programme which provides elite level basketball in partnership with academic delivery.
The covenant signing took place at the WM RFCA’s Harborne headquarters, with the Rockets represented by first team players and serving military personnel Jordan Dawes and Samuel Toluwase.
Robert Palmer and chairman Kirk Dawes signed the covenant alongside SMR Commander Steve Henaghen of the Royal Navy.
Mr Palmer said: “This is an extremely special moment for our organisation.
“We utilise our consistent core values of integrity, respect and commitment, which we believe align closely with those of the Armed Forces, to create a positive, equitable and disciplined environment.”
Colonel Richard Maybery, chief executive of West Midland RFCA, who are patrons of Greater Birmingham Chambers of
Commerce, said: “The Rockets and the Armed Forces have much in common, not least their values and standards, the developmental opportunities they open up to young (and not so young) people, and their desire to engage with and reflect the community.
“They are a great example of what an Armed Forces friendly and supportive organisation should be and we look forward to continuing to build on our relationship with them.”
Aston Villa have been given the green light for phase one of the redevelopment and expansion of Villa Park. Birmingham City Council has granted planning permission for the project to increase the stadium’s capacity to more than 50,000.
The first phase of redevelopment will include a new North Stand, enhancements to the existing Trinity Stand and the creation of Villa Live, a 6,500 sqm multipurpose commercial destination to replace the existing shop, academy building and security lodge.
More than 7,000 sqm of new public realm surrounding the stadium’s Witton Lane entrance will also be created, improving accessibility, biodiversity and safety for visitors.
Discussions are also taking place between the club, the West Midlands Combined Authority and West Midlands Rail Executive to improve public transport access to the area.
Aston Villa CEO Christian Purslow said: “This is great news firstly for our fans – many of whom are on a waiting list for season tickets.
“Secondly for the club itself – as our long-term competitive strategy depends on continued growth.
“And finally for our city and region – with the prospect of a redeveloped Villa Park driving economic regeneration in our local community and bringing back international football to Birmingham.”
Name: David Horsfall
Company: Tyseley Energy Park
Job Title: Director of property
What does your company do?
Tyseley Energy Park (TEP) is the convergence of and collaboration between academia, industry and the public sector focused on creating solutions to drive carbon reduction across heat, transport, recycling and energy systems.
How did it all start?
Born out of Webster and Horsfall’s 300-year-old manufacturing business TEP continues the theme of industrial innovation and seeks to create new systems and collaborative working opportunities that ensures Birmingham is the epicenter of the new green industrial revolution.
What’s your greatest achievement so far?
TEPs greatest achievement is its co-creation group which is made up of passionate technology innovators, academics, scientists, project developers and proactive public sector bodies.
What keeps you awake at night?
We need to transition to low and zero carbon power, transport, heat, waste and recycling solutions as quickly as possible to secure the greener, cleaner, healthier future.
If you could turn the clock back, what would you do differently?
Over the last 50 years we have experienced industrial decline and have lost a lot of the deeprooted connections with the surrounding businesses and residents. There are 230 local businesses in the Tyseley and Hay Mills area and we are now trying to re-establish joint working opportunities.
What has surprised you most in your job?
We have a collaboration agreement with the University of Birmingham and I feel privileged to work with students and graduates who surprise and amaze me every day with their ideas and passion.
What advice would you give to someone starting out? Find something you love doing and do it every day.
Which business do you most admire?
I admire businesses that push boundaries and challenge the norm, particularly those with disruptive business models that drive change.
What exciting projects is your business working on?
We have lots of exciting projects but the three that I would like to highlight are:
1. Our low and zero carbon refuelling station that supplies public and commercial vehicles with a range of zero/low carbon, and cleaner fuels.
2. The Birmingham Energy Innovation Centre (BEIC)
3. The Birmingham Energy Incubation Hub.
What made you join Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and how are you making use of your membership?
We have been members of the Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce for many years and it continues to connect us to lots of great companies.
Visit us at www.tyseleyenergy.co.uk
November
100 Nutrition LTD
Rav Bains
07957206035
Physical well-being activities
Asian Business Chamber of Commerce
2Connect Digital Solutions LTD
Ali Mohsin 03300770070
www.2connect.co.uk
Other information technology service activities
Birmingham Chamber of Commerce
Akbar’s
Shabir Hussain 0121 452 1862
www.akbars.co.uk
Licenced restaurants
Asian Business Chamber of Commerce
Apex Ecommerce Limited
Christopher Thomas 0121 439 0750
www.cake.agency
Advertising agencies
Birmingham Chamber of Commerce
Blythe Valley Park
Deborah Fennell 0121 701 5580
www.blythevalleypark.co.uk
Residents property management
Solihull Chamber of Commerce
Cape Coaching & Development Ltd
Lynsey Kitching
07834 161632
www.wearyourcape.co.uk
Other education n.e.c.
Solihull Chamber of Commerce
Core Connections HR Ltd
Nav Matharu
07855 370466
www.coreconnectionhr.co.uk
Human resources provision and management of human resources functions
Birmingham Chamber of Commerce
Cryologyx
Thomas Congdon 07935171151
www.cryologyx.com
Research and experimental development on biotechnology
Birmingham Chamber of Commerce
EE & BT
Pam (Parminder) Moman 01217 032690
www.ee.co.uk/business
Other telecommunications activities
Solihull Chamber of Commerce
Eurolatin Strategy Consulting Ltd
Lina Pabon 07723 497483
www.eurolatinstrategyconsulting
.com
business support service activities
n.e.c. GBCCC
Foresee Fixed Line LTD
Matthew Henry 01212894444
www.foreseegroup.co.uk
Wired telecommunications activities
Birmingham Chamber of Commerce
Housman Consulting Ltd
Sartaj Gill 0121 638 0315
Tax consultancy
Asian Business Chamber of Commerce
IT Made Simple
Chris Hodgkiss 0121 822 8686
www.it-madesimple.uk
No description
Birmingham Chamber of Commerce
Lasertect Ltd (Brand - Walls of Eden)
Amandeep Matharu 07878004116
www.walls-of-eden.com
No description
Asian Business Chamber of Commerce
Malone Group
Phil Clulow 01283 688 083
www.malonegroup.com
Other engineering activities
Burton and District Chamber of Commerce
Nudge Forward
Sally Dhillon 07736066262
www.nudgeforward.co.uk
Management consultancy activities other than financial management
Solihull Chamber of Commerce
OSC Recruitment
Claire Hancox 0121 329 4654
www.oscrecruitment.com
Other activities of employment
placement agencies
Solihull Chamber of Commerce
Phoenix Development Services Ltd
Steve Compton 07857 713136
Management consultancy activities other than financial management
Birmingham Chamber of Commerce
Whatever your business size and requirements, the Chamber has a membership scale to suit your needs.
For more information visit:
www.greaterbirminghamchambers.com/membership
Plum Executive
Susie Ankrett 07989 599690
Management consultancy activities other than financial management
Solihull Chamber of Commerce
RAF Museum
Abi Betteridge 01092 376 200
www.rafmuseum.org
Other social work activities without accommodation n.e.c.
Asian Business Chamber of Commerce
Saratoga Software (UK) Ltd
Mark Gebhardt 020 363 78024
www.saratoga.co.za
Other information technology
service activities
Birmingham Chamber of Commerce
Satrex
Keith Brown 08452872914
www.satrex.co.uk
Other retail sale not in stores, stalls or markets
Birmingham Chamber of Commerce
Seated Furniture Ltd
Kayleigh Ennis
03333443370
www.seatedfurniture.com
Wholesale of office furniture
Lichfield and Tamworth Chamber of Commerce
SHC Digital
Sally Hawkesford 07739 403961
www.shcdigital.com
Advertising agencies
Birmingham Chamber of Commerce
Space Building Surveyors
Stephen Seeney 0121 3928002
www.spacebuildingsurveyors.com
Other professional, scientific and technical activities n.e.c.
Birmingham Chamber of Commerce
Squire Patton Boggs (UK)
Loren Cross 08708 390000
www.ssd.com
Solicitors
Transatlantic Chamber
Swof Media
Steve Swoffer 01213216057
www.swof.media
Advertising agencies
Birmingham Chamber of Commerce
Synergy in Trade Ltd
John Connatty 01455 207770
www.synergyintrade.com
Financial intermediation not elsewhere classified GBCCC
Tech Talent Academy
Mandeep Nahar 02030519986
www.techtalent.co.uk
Information technology
consultancy activities
Birmingham Chamber of Commerce
The Clean Network (Ben Leary Ltd)
Ben Leary 07947291790
www.cleannetwork.co.uk
General cleaning of buildings
Birmingham Chamber of Commerce
The Jam Lab
Shaquille Hinds 07307 354 752
www.thejamlab.co.uk
Retail sale via mail order houses or via Internet
Birmingham Chamber of Commerce
Travel Club Elite Ltd
Colin Matthews 0121 213 0012
www.travelclubelite.com
Travel agency activities
Birmingham Chamber of Commerce
Turtle Bay
Guy Clark 0117 990 2359
www.turtlebay.co.uk
Licenced restaurants
Birmingham Chamber of Commerce
Umoja 3 Ltd
Joanne Maxwell 07713 849365
Mixed farming
Birmingham Chamber of Commerce
Universal Green Distribution UK LTD
Syed Muhabbat Hossain 07391755255
www.angel
Wholesale of fruit and vegetables
Transatlantic Chamber
Ventus Energy
Vicky Ritson 02890730185
www.ventusenergy.com
Other specialised construction activities n.e.c.
Birmingham Chamber of Commerce
December
ALYF LTD
Afia Begum
07468900053
www.alyfaccounts.co.uk
Tax consultancy
Asian Business Chamber of Commerce
Baily Garner
Dan Bridgewater 0121 236 2236
www.bailygarner.co.uk
Other specialised construction activities n.e.c.
Birmingham Chamber of Commerce
Be the Business
Mildred Talabi
www.bethebusiness.com
Other service activities n.e.c.
Asian Business Chamber of Commerce
Blackbird Coaching
Jackie Williams 07967731195
www.blackbirdcoaching.co.uk
Management consultancy activities
other than financial management
Birmingham Chamber of Commerce
ChangeKitchen CIC
Birgit Kehrer
07828 825850
www.changekitchen.co.uk
Event catering activities
Birmingham Chamber of Commerce
Eazi-Apps
Alison Pate 07939997852
www.eaziapps.co/marketinginmotion
Advertising agencies
Burton and District Chamber of Commerce
Eccleston & Hart Ltd
Josh Ahmed 0121 683 0300
www.eccleston.com
Manufacture of other plastic products
Asian Business Chamber of Commerce
Ecolux England
Ferhaan Mirza 07495686667
www.iveogroup.com
Non-specialised wholesale trade
Asian Business Chamber of Commerce
FAZ Chartered Accountants
Falak Munshi 07574 416836
www.fazaccountants.com
Accounting and auditing activities
Asian Business Chamber of Commerce
Forward Carers
Chantell Marler 077934140032
www.forwardcarers.org.uk
Other residential care activities
n.e.c.
Asian Business Chamber of Commerce
Great Midlands Fun Run Ltd
Tracey Spare
Other sports activities
Sutton Coldfield Chamber of Commerce
Lumien
Christopher Golby 0330 120 0835
www.lumien.io
Business and domestic software development
Birmingham Chamber of Commerce
Mercuri International Group Ltd
Vanessa Healey-Gwilliam 0330 9000 800
www.mercuri.co.uk
Management consultancy activities
other than financial management
Asian Business Chamber of Commerce
Peter Fleming Graphic Design
Peter Fleming 0777333705
Specialised design activities
Sutton Coldfield Chamber of Commerce
Smartfits Installation Ltd
Charlie Inger 01283 533330
www.smartfits.co.uk
Wired telecommunications activities
Birmingham Chamber of Commerce
Smoke and Ash Restaurants Ltd
Clare Collins 0121 454 9544
www.smokleandashpizza.co.uk
Licenced restaurants
Birmingham Chamber of Commerce
The Gym Group
Richard Smith
02033194870
www.thegymgroup.com
Activities of other holding companies n.e.c.
Birmingham Chamber of Commerce
Zephyr Training Services
Jeffrey Lewis 07964 030725
www.zephyrtrainingservices.co.uk
Other business support service activities n.e.c.
Solihull Chamber of Commerce
ZF Automotive UK Limited
Keith Bickley 0121 506 5001
www.zf.com
Manufacture of electrical and electronic equipment for motor vehicles and their engines
Solihull Chamber of Commerce
A National Express West Midlands bus driver has become a singing sensation after creating a feelgood music video about his job.
A gamer from Ireland used his network of 430,000 followers to raise vital funds for charity Molly Ollys.
Brendan Mansfield – known online as DeeBeeGeekdevised the ‘12 Gifts of Geekmas’ contest where subscribers to Twitch and YouTube channels paid a minimum of €5 to take part and be in with the chance of winning one of 12 prizes.
The live event attracted donations from 554 people –raising £20,000 for the Warwickshire charity, which is a member of the Solihull Chamber of Commerce.
The 33-year-old from Kilkenny said: “I have been an online influencer for six years and have developed an incredible community of supportive and generous people. I asked my community who I should do the giveaway for and Molly Ollys was put forward by a gamer called Linkinhood. As soon as I heard about the amazing work the charity does, I was sold.”
Molly Ollys co-founder Rachel Ollerenshaw set up the charity in 2012 after her daughter, Molly, died from a rare kidney cancer at the age of eight. The charity emotionally supports children who have a life-threatening illness by donating wishes to make them happy.
Rachel said: “Gaming is not a world I am very familiar with, but I just want to say a massive thank you to each and every gamer who donated to take part in the competition.
“Times are financially tough for people and we are just unbelievably grateful for the £20,000 raised.”
Ranjit Singh, 59, who is based at the bus operator’s depot in West Bromwich, combined his love for driving and singing to create the new YouTube hit featuring many of his colleagues.
The video, filmed in Punjabi, was published so that Ranjit could share with his family and friends in India what he does for work.
The video has been viewed thousands of times and met with many comments of praise across social media.
Ranjit said: “I have worked at National Express West Midlands for 13 years and take great pride in what I do. There’s a real team spirit and I wanted to do something that celebrated the many different communities we have at our West Bromwich depot and how we all work together as one team.”
David Bradford, managing director for National Express West Midlands, said: “Our staff really are our greatest assets.
“Thank you to Ranjit and the team at West Bromwich for putting such a smile on everyone's faces.”
Ranjit’s video can be viewed on YouTube.
A Birmingham record label has released the long-awaited CD album from American blues legend Chick Willis.
‘Things I Used to Do’, which was recorded four decades ago, is finally available thanks to Big Bear Records, the UK’s longest established independent record company.
Born in Cabaniss, Georgia in 1934, Chick Willis is known throughout the blues world as The Stoop Down Man thanks to his 1950s hit single of that name.
‘Things I Used to Do’ was recorded at the end of his 1977 UK/European tour, after six weeks on the road with his British band that featured Tony Ashton who himself had a huge hit single with ‘Resurrection Shuffle’.
The album, which is available worldwide on CD and across digital platforms, was launched at Henry’s Blueshouse at the Velvet Music Rooms on Birmingham’s Broad Street.
The launch event featured two sets from The Nitecrawlers, who include Chick Willis material in their repertoire
