Platinum Business Magazine - issue 55

PLATINUM BUSINESS MAGAZINE THE LARGEST CIRCULATION REGIONAL BUSINESS PUBLICATION IN THE UK.

ISSUE 55 2018

Rome Shake hands in the ETERNAL CITY

The Winners!

The Sussex Business Awards

THE HEALTH WELLBEING ISSUE

HOW

2018

How to sell your business in 2019

Arianna Huffington LEARNT TO SLOW DOWN

Celebrating Business Excellence The Gatwick Diamond Business Awards - 21st March 2019

Join us in the Millennium Suite of the Copthorne Effingham Park for a pre-dinner reception hosted by BGF, before taking your seat for a sumptuous three course dinner with wine.

Our presenter for the evening will be comedian and actor, Marcus Brigstocke. Marcus has become a regular voice on BBC Radio 4 with an impressive list of TV & film credits including ‘Have I got News for You’, ‘Live at the Apollo’, Monty Python’s ‘Spamalot’ and ‘Love Actually’ among many others.

This Black Tie event will see the very best of the Gatwick Diamond Business community come together to celebrate the achievements of World-Class businesses in this World-Class region.

6.30pm Evening starts with Pre-Dinner Reception Sponsored by BGF 7.15pm Take your seats for Dinner 9.30pm Marcus Brigstocke 10.00pm Presentation of the Gatwick Diamond Business Awards 11.00pm After-Show Party 01.00am Carriages For more information and to download the booking form, visit:

WWW.GATWICKDIAMONDBUSINESSAWARDS.COM

@gdbizawards

S P ORT

H E A LT H & WE L L B E I NG

CONTENTS 7 14 16 22 24 26 28 31 32 35 36 37 38 42 44 46 48 51 53 54 56 58 60 61 62 63 64 66 68 69 71 72 74 82 83 86 87 88 90 91 92 94 98 100 103 105 106 109 110 113 115 116 118 120 122

Local and national News South East jobs rise NatWest Sussex Business Awards Growth in Guildford DMH Stallard That was 2018 Rix & Kay And this is 2019 Kreston Reeves Retirement Goals Carpenter Box Reporting pay gaps Sherrards Sell your business in 2019? Dynamix Fire safety at work West Sussex Council Recruitment tips RSE Group Gatwick Diamond Business Awards

THE BIG STORY: Arianna Huffington Corporate Health & Wellbeing Welcome Ergonomic office furniture Posturite Time for a change Float Spa The 5 myths of personal training Revolution

36

ARIANNA HUFFINGTON

How she learnt to slow down

Sleep and stress champions Grand Brighton CEO Fight Club: Open your eyes Scarlet Monday

16

Case study Wave Leisure Trust Wellbeing = increased profitability RSE Working towards wellness Loch Associates Group Take on a Drink Coach Drink Coach Positive work space Materialise Interiors, Active Physio Clinics Employee wellbeing, productivity and presenteeism PsyTech: the business of mental health SINC Business Women Excellence Awards Charity news Chestnut Tree House Brexit opportunities Coffin Mew Celebrating Sussex Business Allied Irish Bank A year in Design Whitespace

TRAVEL: MICE & Leisure Travel Meet the Buyers

WINNERS Sussex Business Awards

Future of work University of Sussex Plumpton Races Adur & Worthing Business Awards

MOTORING: Kia Stinger Breakfast Club Love Local Jobs Business Expo Net XP

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HOW TO sell your business

Business Expo Let’s Do Business Start-up surgery Merranti Consulting Anger management What’s Next? IoD Sport news Golf Golf-Escapes Profile of Lizzy Yarnold Active Sussex Interview with Martin Bodenham Football Rugby Platinum Sport challenge Motorsport When business meets sport The view from the sofa

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SHAKE HANDS in Rome

All rights reserved. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. The publisher cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions relating to advertising or editorial. The publisher reserves the right to change or amend any competitions or prizes offered.

No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written consent from the publisher.

No responsibility is taken for unsolicited materials or the return of these materials whilst in transit.

Platinum Business Magazine is owned and published by The Platinum Publishing Group.

3

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WELCOME

Welcome to 2019

– a new year of opportunity, increased growth and exciting new ventures.

We kick off the year

For our travel section,

with a major feature on Health & Wellbeing in the Workplace - a major theme for the new year and one that business leaders need to start taking very seriously. Not only will it benefit your team, but we will demonstrate how this can have a huge benefit to your bottom line - or a negative, if ignored. H&W issues cost this country £100 billion a year - that is the entire annual budget for the NHS or the GDP of Portugal! We all need to act now before this turns into a full blown crisis.

Rose has been in Rome, searching for the very best venues and attractions for your next sales conference or exhibition (and, of course, she then just had to pop to Bali) and Maarten has been storming around in a Korean Stinger.

Ian got busy with Arianna Huffington, chatting about her new Wellness company and Laurence had a chat with the new CEO of Gatwick Diamond Business, Jeff Alexander about his love of Rugby.

We also celebrate the finest businesses in Sussex

So, a belated Happy New Year to you all and let’s deny the

naysayers when they talk about the state of the UK economy after the dreaded B word and drive forward, continuing to ensure that the South East is the economic powerhouse of the UK economy.

with a report on the 30th anniversary of the Sussex Business Awards. The event saw 500 of the the region’s finest gather for a huge celebration that also marked the end of the 2018 award season.

&

Maarten Ian

Platinum Business Magazine December 2018

The Team

Maarten Hoffmann – Director

Lesley Alcock

Sarah Edwards

Fiona Graves

Laurence Elphick

Kate Morton

maarten@platinumpublishing.co.uk 07966 244046

Business Development Director

Business Development – Surrey

Events Director

Head of Sport

Copy Editor

Ewa Rogalska

Poppie Sharman

Amanda Menahem

Steve Elford

Head of Design

Events Manager

Food & Drink Editor

Head of Web Development

Ian Trevett – Director ian@platinumpublishing.co.uk 07989 970804

Rose Dykins Travel Editor

5

Invest in your future Independent Financial Advisers and Wealth Managers You may be seeking reassurance during these uncertain times, looking for specialist advice on a new investment opportunity, or concerned about your plans for retirement.

MHA Carpenter Box Wealth Management will offer a fresh approach to all of your financial planning requirements, providing guidance and advice that is suitable for your personal circumstances.

Our services include: Investment advice and planning • Portfolio management Estate planning • Retirement planning • Corporate tax planning

Get in touch Gatwick: 01293 227670 • Worthing: 01903 534587 Email: wealth@carpenterbox.com

www.carpenterbox.com/wealth

Sussex

news McLaren is £120 million Amex choice

F

irst Base and Patron Capital have selected McLaren Construction as the delivery partner for the £120 million redevelopment of the former Amex House site on Edward Street.

The mixed-use development will deliver 170,000 sqft of Grade A offices, alongside space for independent coffee shops and restaurants. The project will also include 168 new homes, comprising a mix of private and affordable units to meet local demand.

Everywoman excels

T

he UK’s most successful female entrepreneurs were announced as winners of the 2018 NatWest everywoman Awards, recognising that female-owned companies contribute £105 billion to the UK economy.

The judges included Chrissie Rucker OBE (The White Company), Rosaleen Blair CBE (Alexander Mann Solutions), Poonam Gupta OBE (PG Paper Company) and Fashion Designer Melissa Odabash.

The overall 2018 NatWest everywoman Award was presented to Karen Emanuel, the CEO of Key Production, a creative agency that produces personalised products for the music industry.

The ‘Spirit of everywoman’ Award was presented to Sandi Toksvig OBE and

“A celebrity is a person who works hard all his life to become well known, then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognised.“ BUSINESS WISDOM

Construction set to commence in May 2019. The project will employ over 1,000 people on site over the duration of the development and support up to 2,000 jobs when complete.

The scheme, designed by BuckleyGrayYeoman, is inspired by Brighton’s eclectic street scene and will introduce three new public spaces created by renowned landscape designers Spacehub.

BIG DEAL

A

Catherine Mayer, Founders of The Women’s Equality Party. Carol Kane, Founder of online retailer Boohoo received the everywoman Ambassador Award.

sb law has won Deal of the Year at the Kent Corporate Finance Alliance (KCFA) Awards 2018. The firm was recognised for its role in acting for the shareholders in the sale of Jollyes Retail Group Ltd, which completed in May 2018. Jollyes is the UK’s second largest pet retailer with a portfolio of over 75 superstores and concessions across the UK.

Yvonne Greeves, Head of Women in Business at NatWest said, “We need more female role models to inspire our next generation of entrepreneurs and the NatWest everywoman Awards are a great platform for this”

LANGNEY ANNOUNCES ANCHOR STORE

L

angney Shopping Centre in Eastbourne has revealed the name of a major retailer who has signed up to go into its new extension.

Home Bargains, which sells top brands at low prices, will open next summer when phase one of the shopping centre’s extension is complete. The retailer was ranked sixth in the Which? list of top 100 stores and is the highest ranking discount retailer in the UK. Langney Shopping Centre is currently undergoing a £6.5 million transformation which will bring 13 new stores, a gym, improved car park and extra living accommodation over the centre.

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Is your business Going for Growth?

We explore the growth aspirations and strategies of 500+ privately owned UK companies in our Going for Growth survey.

Download a copy of the report at www.krestonreeves.com/goingforgrowth For all your business, tax and wealth needs Call: +44 (0)330 124 1399 Email: enquiries@krestonreeves.com

Sussex Good Riddance to pests in the west

C

news

leankill completed the purchase of Good Riddance Pest Control in November 2018.

Founded in 2002 by Howard Taffs, Good Riddance provides pest control services around Bristol, Bath and Weston-Super-Mare.

Mr Taffs, who approached Cleankill when he decided to retire, said: “Within the industry, Cleankill is well-known as a company that looks after its staff and its customers. They are the only English pest control company to have achieved the Investors in People Gold Standard. When I wanted to find a company that would look after my customers and staff, Cleankill was the obvious choice.”

Cleankill’s MD Paul Bates said: “We were delighted when Howard contacted us. The last few years have seen exceptional growth for Cleankill. The call from Howard came at just the right time. We were highly impressed by the professionalism of Howard and his team and knew instantly this was a company we could work with.”

Good Riddance Pest Control will operate as a subsidiary of Cleankill (Environmental Services) Ltd.

Brighton’s Happy People

T

he Brighton and Hove Happy List highlights the ordinary people who make a point of using their time and energy to make local people’s lives a little bit happier. Co-organisers Joshua French and Jane Lancashire, said: “The Happy List project is a great way to shine a light on the action people are taking in our community to make it a better, happier and more caring place. We believe the Happy List delivers optimism and positivity which is always good for our collective wellbeing.”

The list includes includes: y Nine year old Lilah Bachram, a member of Liliput Housing Co-op y Dave Perrins who runs “Share your Story” which tackles challenging themes such as mental health, and bereavements y Colin Lievens, the Youth President of Allsorts Youth Project, where he supports and connects young people who are LGBT or unsure of their sexual orientation y Emily Kenward, who founded “Time to Talk Befriending”, a charity that tackles loneliness amongst older people. www.facebook.com/happylistbrighton

WHEEL OF WORTHING

W

orthing seafront may host a giant observation wheel for a three-year period.

Following the success of the temporary attraction in Steyne Gardens earlier this year, the Worthing Observation Wheel may be situated on the seafront at the bottom of Montague Place.

At a height of 46 metres, it would have a total of 36 pods with a capacity of six people each.

“When your children are teenagers, it’s important to have a dog so that someone in the house is happy to see you.”

BUSINESS WISDOM

MIDNIGHT GOLD

B

righton-based PR agency Midnight Communications won a gold award for best Travel, Leisure and Tourism Campaign at the recent CIPR PRide awards.

The consultancy has been recognised for its outstanding work on behalf of its client, the original and best hen and stag experts, Red7.

Over the course of a year, the campaign delivered nearly 300 items of coverage, reaching a potential audience of over 1.2 billion. Almost half of the coverage items included backlinks to the Red7 website and one creative campaign idea went viral across several sites including LadBible, The Sun, Metro and the Daily Star.

KIDS WIN AT AWARDS

G

uests who attended the prestigious Adur & Worthing Business Awards in November raised £2,535 to support a dedicated, local day nursery and charity, Kamelia Kids.

The nursery, based in Goring by Sea, Worthing provides a nurturing, caring and stimulating environment for all children, including those who have experienced a difficult start in life. Kay Haffenden, Chairman of the Board of Trustees commented: “We were completely blown away by the generosity of all those who donated.”

James Stoner (MD at JSPC) and Peter Webb MBE (MD at ETI Ltd) visited the nursery to present a cheque. Peter said: “It was great to help a charity that provides outstanding care for local children and their families.”

9

national How

low

news

can you go?

A

sking prices for homes coming on to the market in the UK are nearly £10,000 lower than they were in October, as the property market headed for its worst annual performance in almost a decade.

The average asking price of a UK home dipped by 3.2%, or £9,719, between October and December, according to the property website Rightmove, with prices dipping 1.7% and 1.5% in November and December respectively.

A softening of prices at the end of 2018 meant that asking prices rose by just 0.7% over the year as a whole, the weakest rate of growth since 2010. The traditional hotspots of London and south-east England became the weakest spots this

year, recording the biggest annual falls in asking prices. Rightmove is predicting zero growth in UK prices in 2019, against a backdrop of stretched affordability and Brexit uncertainty.

Are you bean crazy?

C

adbury’s has issued a stark warning to chocolate lovers, claiming Dairy Milk bars could soon become a thing of the past. The confectionery giant, now part of US-based company Mondelez, has insisted its chocolate supply is at risk of “drying up”. Sourcing their cocoa from Ghana for more than a century, Cadbury believes farming of the bean in the West African country is now more scantily practised than ever before. As a result of unprofitable substance farming and the effects of climate change, young workers have moved away from farms and into the capital city of Accra in search of more money. This means the production of Cadbury’s prized ingredient is in fewer, and older, hands than ever before, putting British favourites like Dairy Milk bars at risk of extinction. The cacao tree, on which cocoa beans are grown, can survive only in humid rain forest conditions, and the plant is under threat as rising temperatures suck moisture from soils.

“My keyboard must be broken, l keep hitting the escape key but l am still at work” BUSINESS WISDOM

SHOP-A-BOLIC

M

ore than 200 shopping centres are in danger of going bust, which would be “catastrophic” for their towns, experts have warned. Malls worth £7billion are at risk of going into administration amid a wave of store closures, a report estimates. Some have been sent into a “downward spiral” by the loss of anchor tenants such as BHS and Toys R Us. With Deben-

hams to close 50 stores and fears of more House of Fraser branches being shut, other shopping centres face a worrying future. Stores have been hammered by a toxic combination of soaring costs, including business rates, and competition from online rivals such as Amazon. Asset management firm APAM’s report said the 200-plus centres at greatest risk were those needing funds for “much-needed redevelopment”.

WHERE THERE’S A WILL, THERE’S AN AI

M

ore than seven out of ten people would not want their Will to be drafted using artificial intelligence, a survey has found, even as an increasing number of law firms adopt the technology. In the study, conducted by law firm VWV, 73% of those asked said they would not trust a robot to draft their Will, and almost a third said they wanted no AI involvement at all.

However, although the VWV study signalled the public’s lack of trust for the technology, almost all of the London law firms are thought to be planning to use AI in their practices. Research by real estate adviser CBRE earlier this year found that around half of all UK law firms were already using artificial intelligence software in their businesses, and another 41% were planning to do the same. Of those using the technology, around two-thirds were doing so to generate and review legal documents.

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Clients are our business Dedicated to your success DMH Stallard is a full service, award-winning law firm that is passionate about winning and passionate about client care. It’s not by chance that we have one of the highest levels of repeat business in the industry.

For Business

For You

We make it our business to know your business, delivering results and adding value whether you’re an established market leader or an ambitious start-up.

Working for you and with you, our exceptional personal law service will help you plan, protect and achieve the very best outcomes for you and your family.

Award winning service from a firm who is there for you every step of the way

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news

national

High Five T

echnology giant Samsung and chipmaker Qualcomm have unveiled a prototype smartphone that will lay the foundations for a new cellular network set to arrive this year. In a big reveal at its Snapdragon Technology Summit in Hawaii, Qualcomm demonstrated the 5G network compatibility of its new 855 processor using Samsung prototype 5G handsets.

The new network is up to 100 times faster than current cellular connections, says CNet. Samsung plans to begin rolling out 5G network-compatible smartphones in the US during the first half of 2019, and the speedy connection is also expected to arrive in the UK this year.

5G promises to bring “broadband-equivalent download speeds” to smartphone users, says Wired. The connection will run alongside the 4G and 3G networks currently available across the UK.

“The only thing that ever sat its way to success was a hen” BUSINESS WISDOM

Space Raiders T

he latest test flight by Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic successfully rocketed to the edge of space and back. The firm’s SpaceShipTwo passenger rocket ship reached a height of 82.7km, beyond the altitude at which US agencies have awarded astronaut wings. It marked the plane’s fourth test flight and followed earlier setbacks in the firm’s space programme.

LOBSTER À LA SCOTS

A

Salvador Dalí telephone regarded as one of the most recognisable of all surrealist artworks is to remain in the UK after it was acquired for £853,000 by the National Galleries of Scotland (NGS).

Sir Richard is in a race with Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos to send the first fee-paying passengers into space. He founded the commercial spaceflight company in 2004, shortly after Mr Musk started SpaceX and Jeff Bezos established Blue Origin. The company said the space ship’s motor burned for 60 seconds, travelling at 2.9 times the speed of sound as it gained height. The rocket carried two pilots and a mannequin named Annie as a stand-in passenger, as well as four research experiments for NASA. Virgin Galactic, which is charging $250,000 for a 90-minute flight, has said more than 600 people have bought tickets or put down deposits for an eventual voyage.

The lobster telephone had been sold at a Christie’s auction to a foreign buyer but was regarded as too important to be allowed to leave the country. Ministers placed an export bar on the item to allow a UK gallery time to raise the necessary funds.

It was announced on Monday that NGS had done just that and the phone will go on display this week at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh.

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BUSINESS SURVEY

JOB CREATIONS

RISE, but confidence is low The South East registered further subdued growth in November, according to the NatWest PMI® data. Business activity increased at a moderate rate that was broadly in line with the trend shown over the second half of the year so far.

Key findings yy Headline Business Activity Index unchanged at 52.7 yy Fastest rate of job creation in six months yy Business confidence lowest since July 2016

N

ew business growth edged up to a four-month high, but remained among the weakest seen over the past six years. A number of firms linked slow business to Brexit-related uncertainty. Consequently, output expectations were the weakest since July 2016, the first full month following the EU referendum.

“New business rose in November, continuing the trend shown since the start of 2013 with the sole exception of July 2016.”

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The headline NatWest South East Business Activity Index – a seasonally adjusted index that measures the combined output of the region’s manufacturing and service sectors – was unchanged at 52.7 in November, the joint-second lowest since September 2016. This signalled a moderate rise in private sector output and was below the long-run average of 55.0 (since 1997). Manufacturing output rose more sharply than services activity.

The South East continued to perform well compared with the UK as a whole, as was the case in October. Only three regions posted comparatively stronger

growth in November, namely the East Midlands, Yorkshire & Humber and Northern Ireland.

New business rose in November, continuing the trend shown since the start of 2013 with the sole exception of July 2016. The rate of expansion picked up to the highest since July, but remained below the strong average of the past six years.

A below-par increase in new business resulted in another drop in the volume of incomplete work in November. Backlogs have declined three times in the past four months, and the rate of contraction in the latest period was the sharpest since July 2016.

Undeterred by falling backlogs, private sector firms continued to expand headcounts. Employment rose at the fastest rate since May, and one that was in line with the long-run series average.

Survey data on prices showed some respite on company margins, as average input costs increased at the slowest rate in six months while inflation of prices charged for goods and services hit a five-month high. Both indices remained above their long-run averages, signalling inflationary pressure in the regional economy.

Methodology

“The South East defied the wider UK slowdown in November, with output growth steady if unspectacular. The region fared better than its southern neighbours as output fell in London and the South West, and rose only fractionally in the East of England.

The NatWest South East PMI® is compiled by IHS Markit from responses to questionnaires sent to South East companies that participate in IHS Markit’s UK manufacturing and services PMI surveys.

“Overall though, growth remains slower than in 2017 and the first half of 2018 as Brexit uncertainty mounts. Although new business increased at a slightly sharper rate in November, confidence regarding the 12-month outlook is the lowest since the aftermath of the EU referendum, and the secondweakest since the series began in 2012.”

Stuart Johnstone, Managing Director, London & South East, Corporate & Commercial Banking

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30

th

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A N N IVE R S A RY

W

ER N IN

S

he big winner on the night was Rayner which took home awards for Large Business of the Year and Business Innovation of the Year.

World of Books was named the overall Company of the Year winner – an award not directly entered but chosen by the judges from businesses entering SME of the Year and Large Business of the Year. The winner is crowned thus because they have excelled in every part of the awards criteria.

Other winners included Carl Fillery of Boundless (Businessperson of the Year), Paxton Access (International Business of the Year), Morgan Sindall (Corporate Fundraiser of the Year), Jeremy’s Restaurant (Food & Drink Destination of the Year), B&CE (Employer of the Year), MacConvilles Surveying (Professional Services Award), Waffle (Start-up of the Year), Rhythmix (Creative Industries Award), Mabel’s Emporium (Business in the Community Award) and Nuffield Health Haywards Heath Hospital (Best Customer Service).

For further information or to get involved in 2019 email: sussex@platinumpublishing.co.uk

A

round 500 of the county’s leading businesspeople gathered for the annual Sussex Business Awards ceremony held at The Grand Brighton on November 29th.

Celebrating thirty years in 2018, the awards are the most sought-after accolade by organisations from every sector in Sussex.

This year saw a record-breaking number of nominations for each category, with representatives from sixteen towns across the county making the shortlist of fifty one finalists. Judges had an enormously difficult task, as the entries were of such a high standard.

The judging panel, chaired by Mike Herd, Executive Director of Sussex Innovation Centre, included representatives from Allied Irish Bank, HSBC, Mazars, Gatwick Airport, University of Sussex Business School, Red7, Coffin Mew, Clearline Recruitment, CountyClean Group, Vantage Professional Risks, LMS Group and Rockinghorse.

Mike commented:

“It goes without saying that it is a huge honour to be the Chair of the 30th Sussex Business Awards.”

“Each year the standard of entries gets better and better and this year was no exception. The 2018 finalists are a stimulating mix of established businesses and new entrepreneurial ventures with a common thread running through them all – resilience and determination to succeed.

“Congratulations to all the winners!”

Mike Herd

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THE

WINNERS

BUSINESS INNOVATION OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY SUSSEX INNOVATION CENTRE

WINNER:

Rayner BUSINESS IN THE COMMUNITYAWARD SPONSORED BY GATWICK AIRPORT

WINNER:

Mabel’s Emporium BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE

SPONSORED BY PLATINUM PUBLISHING GROUP

WINNER:

Nuffield Health Haywards Heath Hospital

EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR

SPONSORED BY CLEARLINE RECRUITMENT

WINNER:

B&CE Holdings HIGHLY COMMENDED: LEGAL & GENERAL

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THE

WINNERS

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AWARD SPONSORED BY VANTAGE PROFESSIONAL RISKS

WINNER:

MacConvilles Surveying HIGHLY COMMENDED: RIX & KAY

START-UP OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY COFFIN MEW

WINNER:

Waffle CREATIVE INDUSTRIES AWARD SPONSORED BY UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX BUSINESS SCHOOL

WINNER:

Rhythmix TOURIST DESTINATION OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY RED7

WINNER:

The Charleston Trust

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FOOD & DRINK DESTINATION OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY THE GEMINI PRINT GROUP

WINNER:

Jeremy’s Restaurant CORPORATE FUNDRAISER OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY ROCKINGHORSE

WINNER:

Morgan Sindall 19

THE

WINNERS

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY HSBC

WINNER:

PaxtonAccess SME BUSINESS OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY LMS GROUP

WINNER:

Allaero

ONE TO WATCH: MODUS BRANDS

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LARGE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY ALLIED IRISH BANK

WINNER:

Rayner BUSINESSPERSON OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY COUNTYCLEAN GROUP

WINNER:

Carl Fillery Boundless by CSMA

HIGHLY COMMENDED: KEVIN MARKWICK, THE PICTURE HOUSE CINEMA AND RESTAURANT

COMPANY OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY MAZARS

WINNER:

World of Books 21

LEGAL

The DMH Guildford office

DMH Stallard announce

MAJOR

partner hire

Top 100 law firm DMH Stallard has announced the head of corporate finance at asb law will join its expanding regional M&A team

H

elen Mead is one of the most highly regarded lawyers in the south east mergers and acquisitions sector and will be based at the DMH Stallard Guildford office when she concludes an agreed notice period with asb this new year.

Jonathan Grant, Partner at DMH Stallard and Head of Corporate, said: “I have worked with Helen in the past and know how good she is, not just as an excellent M&A lawyer, but also as a client and team manager. Having someone of Helen’s experience join our senior team in Guildford is a huge step forward for us and I am absolutely delighted.

“I know it has been a difficult decision for Helen who was reluctant to leave

22

“We are ambitious to grow our Surrey practice rapidly over the next few years” asb, where she had qualified and become a senior partner, but she wanted to balance the demands of an M&A partner with those of her young family.”

Helen was previously Corporate Lawyer of the Year at the Insider Dealmakers Awards and has received a number of nominations for this and other awards.

Jonathan added: “Our regional M&A partner team includes Abigail Owen,

Danos Athanasi and Kate Norgett who leads our M&A practice in Guildford, working alongside Bernd Ratzke. We are ambitious to grow our Surrey practice rapidly over the next few years to match the fast growth we have seen in Sussex over the last two years.”

At DMH Stallard we aim to provide practical advice based on legal expertise and a thorough understanding of our clients’ needs.

Being part of a larger firm that employs over 300 staff ensures that all offices benefit from investments in technology and on-going training. Clients still work with solicitors who have local knowledge and provide a personalised service. It is a winning formula.

Sarah Higgs and Lawrence Morley

T

he Guildford office has recently welcomed a number of new faces to Wonersh House, with more arrivals confirmed for 2019. This growth means that DMH in Guildford can provide a comprehensive legal offering to both businesses and individuals. The firm prides itself on providing clear and pragmatic legal advice.

Jonathan Compton, Bernd Raztke, Richard Pollins and Adam Williams

The appointments reflect the dynamic way DMH Stallard in Guildford is rapidly growing and giving the best people every opportunity to advance their careers within the firm. Two examples of solicitors making great strides are Sarah Higgs and Lawrence Morley. Sarah and Lawrence are progressing within the firm’s framework for aspiring associates.

After first completing a theology degree, Sarah set her sights on becoming a lawyer, attending the University of Law in Guildford. Shortly before qualifying in 2017 she joined DMH Stallard’s private client team.

Michael Derrick, a partner in the private client department, said: “Sarah is an approachable, respected and knowledgeable lawyer who is also very proactive to her clients’ needs. She specialises in estate planning, probate and court of protection matters. Her excellent analytical skills are appreciated by both her colleagues and her clients and she can always be trusted to ensure that her clients get the best possible advice for their situation.”

Lawrence also joined the firm in 2017 and works across a broad range of commercial disputes and contentious matters, with particular emphasis on the landlord and tenant relationship and all types of property disputes.

Jonathan Compton is a partner in the regional dispute resolution department in Guildford, he said: “In the two years Lawrence has been here he’s become highly regarded by colleagues and clients alike. He has demonstrated himself to be a very astute and commercially minded litigator with a practical and down to earth approach which repeatedly gets the best results for clients.

“More broadly across the Guildford office there has been a significant

Guildford GROWTH ‘set to continue’

for DMH Stallard

The growth of DMH Stallard in Surrey, Sussex and London is well-known, with new members of the team arriving at all levels of the firm and modern office space being opened to accommodate the on-going expansion. expansion in the numbers of fee earning staff during recent months and I’m very excited that this direction of travel is set to continue into 2019.”

The expansion included the October appointment of Cathryn Culverhouse to the Guildford office. Cathryn previously practiced at Blake Morgan where she qualified in 2016 and joins the dispute resolution team.

Cathryn said: “I am thrilled to have joined DMH Stallard’s Dispute Resolution team to develop and further my career. It is an exciting time for the office and it is great to be a part of DMH’s growth in the Guildford market.”

Broscombe, Michael Daniels and George Banks to the team. Michelle is an associate with extensive experience in the field of commercial property, Michael qualified in 2018 having gained several years’ real estate experience both before and during his training, and George joined DMH Stallard as a paralegal after completing his Masters at the University of Sussex.

Richard Pollins, Managing Partner at DMH Stallard, said: “It is an exciting time for both the firm and our Guildford office. We have successfully recruited some excellent additions to our experienced team based in Guildford.

The real estate department is growing too after recently welcoming Michelle-

23

LEGAL

Growth,

RECRUITMENT AND ACCOLADES

Rix & Kay’s Managing Partner, Richard Cripps looks back on the last twelve months at some of the firm’s achievements and challenges

2018

was an extremely busy and successful year for Rix & Kay and the firm’s hard work was rewarded in December with a string of well-deserved accolades.

Thought leadership helps raise profile Rix & Kay have always looked to bring innovative ways of raising the firm’s profile to the table, whilst adding value to their client and referrer base. The start of 2018 was no different, when the firm published its latest thought leadership report that examined the rise of online estate agents.

“Our report, ‘Can traditional estate agents continue to thrive in the brave new online world?’ was a huge success.”

24 30

issues facing traditional estate agents.

The report continues to be used as a strategic guide that addresses a range of challenges in the market.

Financial growth and recruitment It’s always illuminating to review best made plans to gauge the amount of progress one has made. Like most businesses, Rix & Kay set a number of strategic objectives during their planning phase. Financial growth delivered by a robust and targeted recruitment and retention campaign, coupled with delivering outstanding client service were set as priorities for the firm in March 2018.

Richard comments: “Our report, ‘Can traditional estate agents continue to thrive in the brave new online world?’ was a huge success and the coverage we gained across trade and industry press went far beyond what we expected. I think what proved so valuable was that our report really gave something back to those traditional estate agents that we work closely with. It has helped our own Residential Property Team to raise their profile and grow.”

Richard comments: “We launched our ‘Making law easy for you’ campaign in April 2018. As our mission, it provides all our people with a solid and measurable foundation for action – to deliver the very best client experience. It’s the culmination of almost 18 months of planning and research. We think it has made a big difference to our approach to client service and it will remain a priority for Rix & Kay going forward.

Rix & Kay’s report was shortlisted for the ‘Best Marketing’ initiative at the recent LawNet Awards for providing detailed insight into the most pressing

“It is also integral to our recruitment and retention plans which is one of the biggest challenges in professional services right now”.

Rix & Kay has focussed on attracting the best talent to help ensure a greater volume and complexity of work is won and that projects are well managed, using appropriate resources and its talented people to provide clients with value for money, a combination of quality legal advice and a compelling alternative to the City and other regional consolidators.

Accolades

The firm is also committed to developing talent from within supported by a positive approach to encouraging agile working amongst its workforce to retain its

In October 2018, the firm were once again recognised by leading independent research directories, Chambers & Partners and Legal500 for outstanding

Rix & Kay’s success has been rewarded, most notably with sustained and measurable growth during the first three quarters of its financial year. But a wide range of accolades and endorsements from the firm’s peers has proved equally satisfying.

“The hard work everyone has put in at Rix & Kay over the last 12 months deserves to be recognised, so it’s hugely rewarding to receive positive comments from our clients, peers and other professionals that we work with.” biggest asset, its people, and to enhance recruitment. In fact, during the summer of 2018, Rix & Kay brought together a project team to examine the benefits of agile working within the business, a project which has since been implemented.

Rix & Kay’s approach was recognised when it achieved a ‘Highly Commended” award for professional services at the 2018 Sussex Business Awards.

legal services across a wide range of law. Chambers & Partners and Legal500 are regarded as the most respected industry voices commenting on law firm’s capabilities in the UK.

praised for the services it provides to individuals and their families including, personal tax, trusts and probate; private wealth law; contentious trusts and probate; and family.

Richard Cripps comments: “The hard work everyone has put in at Rix & Kay over the last 12 months deserves to be recognised, so it’s hugely rewarding to receive positive comments from our clients, peers and other professionals that we work with. We’ve also been ‘Highly Commended’ as a professional services business at the Sussex Business Awards and finalists for both ‘Best Marketing’, and ‘Excellence in Client Care’ at the 2018 LawNet Awards. Overall, 2018 is a year Rix & Kay can be extremely proud of.”

You can read more about Rix & Kay’s awards and legal directory reviews at www.rixandkay.co.uk or email richardcripps@rixandkay.co.uk

Rix & Kay has excelled in a number of prominent areas including corporate and commercial; commercial property and employment. The firm was also

25 31

FINANCE Following the uncertainties of 2018, Clive Stevens, Chairman of accountants, business and financial advisers Kreston Reeves, gives his view on what to expect in the financial world this year.

Reflections and a look to 2019

2018

was one of the most unpredictable years that I can recall in my 40 years as a Chartered Accountant. I am sure it will continue into 2019 as global economies feel the ‘winds of change’ with over one-third of the world’s population involved in leadership elections. It remains to be seen whether the populism of Trump and Brexit takes a greater or lesser hold elsewhere.

Political and economic outlook In the USA, politics will be overshadowed by the start of campaigning for the 2020 Presidential election. This will no doubt start a fierce and aggressive fight against a backdrop of a faltering economy after a very long period of expansion.

The effects of the trade war with China, increasing interest rates, soaring debt and a volatile stock market will all play their part in creating uncertainty not only in the USA but around the globe.

26

I feel that the years of very low interest rates are starting to come to an end, and with the world more indebted today than at the start of the 2008 financial crisis we must prepare to shoulder the burden of higher interest rates. This will put particular pressure in emerging markets, suffering from higher interest rates and debt repayments denominated in a strengthening US dollar. In the UK, everyone has faced a high degree of uncertainty, largely due to the Brexit debate. I can’t help but think that the country has been let down by its national politicians of all parties, who seem to be positioning themselves for their own careers rather than the good of the country.

There is now no hiding from technology, it will continue to be everywhere in 2019

However, many of our clients, particularly those who trade with Europe, have already started to action contingency plans to protect their businesses - they can no longer wait as we approach the March 29th 2019 deadline. Business has delayed decision making and investment long enough and this only adds to a general lack of confidence in the economy going forward.

Issues with Audit The accounting profession has also been at the forefront of considerable criticism following public company audit scandals - notably the collapse of Carillion last year. This resulted in urgent government led reviews of the audit market.

The market for major FTSE and other public interest companies is completely dominated by the Big Four international firms. This sector of the market clearly needs to be looked at to see what lessons can be learned to improve competition as well as the robustness of public company audit.

However, this is only one part of the wider issues of corporate governance. I also believe the accountability and behaviour of board directors of public quoted companies needs to come under the spotlight to a far greater extent than currently appears to be the case.

It needs to be remembered that there are over 5,600 registered audit firms in the UK serving the SME and owner-managed business market very well indeed. They provide that sector not only with audit and assurance but a wide range of advisory services that helps the sector survive and thrive.

We are working to make sure that the inevitably increased regulation that will be recommended for FTSE companies does not impact on the very good work, relationships and need for quality advice that exist in other sectors of the economy.

Technology There is now no hiding from technology - it will continue to be everywhere

The effects of the trade war with China, increasing interest rates, soaring debt and a volatile stock market will all play their part in creating uncertainty not only in the USA but around the globe hear is that 60% of jobs to be created in the next 15 years have not been invented yet! There is a real need for all businesses to be creative. I believe creativity will be one of the unique selling points we, in the UK, have to offer the rest of the world in a post Brexit environment.

in 2019. Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Cyber Security and Big Data - for many, it will be critical to know your ABCDs. Of course help is at hand.

2019 will be the year when millennials will outnumber baby-boomers to become the largest generation in the workforce. With more than half the world online, their contribution will be increasingly vital.

A VUCA world

Faced with the exponential rise in digitalisation, many will feel threatened as work changes and adapts. Many roles will be lost, but the good news I

All of us will remain in a VUCA world in 2019 - Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous. This will continue to challenge leaders of businesses but,

while difficult, these challenges are not insurmountable. At times of uncertainty there are always opportunities.

Good leaders will identify these and seize the opportunities that will inevitably present themselves.

Our role as advisers will be to continue to assist our clients to redefine VUCA as a world of Vision, Understanding, Clarity and Ambition.

Clive Stevens is the Chairman of accountants, business and financial advisers Kreston Reeves.

He can be reached by email: clive.stevens@krestonreeves.com www.krestonreeves.com

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FINANCE

Retirement GOALS It’s never too early to plan how you will achieve your retirement goals. Roy Thompson, Partner and Head of Wealth Management at MHA Carpenter Box, offers his top tips to help you plan for your perfect retirement

Living longer than ever means needing more money to spend during your retirement.

Here are five top key tips to help you on your way.

significant impact on your financial fortunes in retirement.

Ensure you have an idea of what income you require in retirement

Know when you want to retire

Many people have no idea of what income they will require when they stop work, so run through your monthly bills and gain an understanding of what you typically pay for food and luxury items.

Determine what are likely to continue into retirement, as well as how your spending might change.

Find out what state pension you could be entitled to and when you’re likely to receive it. Also see whether there is anything you can do to boost this, such as making extra contributions.

Once you’ve established your state pension, you can calculate the shortfall in your expected income, and work towards a goal.

Check existing provision

F

irst, the good news: we’re living longer! According to the Office for National Statistics, life expectancy in 2010 was 86 for men and nearly 89 for women. In 2051, it’s projected to be nearly 90 for men and 93 for women.

Living longer than ever means needing more money to spend during your retirement. Therefore, it remains more important than ever to decide what you want in your retirement, and to have a clear plan of how you are going to achieve your retirement goals.

34 28

It is beneficial to understand the existing pension provision that you have accrued, either through workplace pensions from previous employment or personal pensions. Having an understanding of existing provision is vital in building a picture of how much more you need to save to ensure your retirement goals are on track. Sadly, people lose track of existing arrangements simply because they are inundated with paperwork from scheme providers that they don’t wish to read, or, through things like house moves or divorce.

In some instances, these ‘old’ policies are worth thousands and can make a

Many people are unsure as to when they wish to retire. Whilst plans change, it is useful to have a target in mind, so you can plan for it, ensuring that: y Any company pension date ties in with your objective y You know when your state pension will begin (forecasts can be obtained from the Future Pension Centre) y You have access to other savings at the point you wish to make retirement decisions

Make sure you use all available tax breaks Ensure you have taken advantage of your annual ISA allowance (increased in the recent Autumn Budget) and do not discount National Savings which for some individuals can provide an acceptable tax-free return.

In addition, whilst drawing money from a pension sounds attractive, it must be remembered that returns remain tax free whilst they continue to be held inside the pension. Drawing cash from your pension and then simply leaving it in a savings account is unlikely to be a sensible course of action.

Ensure your investments are suitable for your ‘level of risk’ If you do not purchase an annuity as a means of providing your retirement income, it is vitally important to understand

that you are carrying all the ‘investment risk’ with your retirement funds. Too little risk and you may find that the effect of inflation forces you to have a lower income in real terms as you get older. Too high a risk and you may find the value of your investments fluctuates wildly, or worst still, you may be forced to take monies from your investments / pensions when the capital has fallen.

It is important that you review your pensions, ISAs and other assets you’ll be relying upon in retirement on a regular basis. Make sure you understand how they’re performing and what they’re likely to provide for you when you retire.

You don’t want to find out that you’re not on target to achieve the standard of living you want in retirement when it’s already too late.

Seek independent professional advice Retirement planning can be complex and getting it wrong could have a huge impact on your standard of living in the future, so it’s important to make the right decisions to achieve your retirement goals.

plans, it is always best to seek professional independent advice from an individual who takes time to understand your requirements.

A good independent adviser will be able to assess your current arrangements, advise how much they may provide in terms of income at retirement and show how much, if any, additional savings you might need to make to ensure you have sufficient income when you retire.

How we can help Our dedicated Independent Financial Advisers have significant experience in retirement planning advice. We work closely with our clients to understand and define their retirement goals and help them to meet their needs.

Once you’ve established your state pension, you can calculate the shortfall in your expected income, and work towards a goal.

If you have any questions about planning for your retirement, please contact Roy Thompson on 01903 534587 or visit www.carpenterbox.com/wealthmanagement

If you are in any doubt about your options, or if you are unsure if you are obtaining best value from your current retirement

35 29

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LEGAL

COMPULSORY REPORTING ON

Ethnicity Pay Gap? Employers could be required to report their ethnicity pay gap statistics under new government plans. This requirement will enable businesses to start improving equality and diversity within their own organisations, says Victoria Bevis, Solicitor and Director at Sherrards Employment Law disparities in how white and black, Asian and ethnic minority employees are paid should be required to publish an action plan, setting out the measures they will take to tackle this.

Equality and Diversity In Practice The Business Case for Pay Gap Reporting Employers are increasingly recognising that recruiting from the widest pool of talent possible is good for business, in particular it promotes: y Innovation and Creativity: A diverse group of people will bring a broader range of perspectives to brainstorming and decision making processes, and better represent the market and customer base you sell to. y Inclusive Culture People Want to Work in: Better retention rates, reduced absenteeism, increased productivity, loyalty and motivation.

However, some groups remain underrepresented in the employment market; this is not only a social justice issue, it means a loss of skills and talent to the UK economy and employers. With this in mind, the government is currently consulting over proposals to require employers to publish their ethnicity pay gap i.e. how people from different ethnic backgrounds are paid within their organisation. The consultation, which is open until 11th January 2019, asks employers what type of ethnicity pay information employers should report and whether employers that identify

What steps can employers take now to avoid the possibility of negative publicity that could surround having to publish an embarrassing ethnicity pay gap? Well, achieving equality and diversity is a huge ‘nut to crack’ and a successful strategy will need to cover many different angles, so good quality training, particularly for managers, is key. Understanding the

The government is currently consulting over proposals to require employers to publish their ethnicity pay gap. legal framework around equality and discrimination law is one piece of the jigsaw, but the right training has to really show managers the practical applications to the workplace – what they can do, what they should do and where the legal pitfalls lie. Managers also need to understand the importance of creating the right culture at work and take a zero tolerance approach to bullying and harassment (without feeling that nobody can enjoy a joke with colleagues anymore!). Commitment to cultural change needs to come from the top.

Rounded and practical equality and diversity training will also seek to tackle issues such as unconscious bias. In brief, unconscious bias occurs when our brain uses short-cuts to make decisions about people without us even realising it (our brains process huge amounts of information in this way - think about when you do something routine and it feels like you are on ‘auto-pilot’). Research shows us that people tend to unconsciously favour others who share their own characteristics e.g. ethnicity, social or educational background. Once understood, organisations and individuals alike can take steps to mitigate the role of unconscious bias in their decision making processes. For example, evidence shows that a person’s name can affect their success within the recruitment process. The solution? “Name-blind recruitment” – where employers remove information such as name, gender, and age from application forms before they are shared with the decision maker, thus helping to overcome possible discrimination or unconscious bias. The wording used in job advertisements has also been shown to have an effect on the pool of candidates likely to apply for a role and should be considered.

In summary, whilst some may see mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting as yet another burden on businesses, others will understand the business case for improving equality and diversity within their own organisation and hopefully take the opportunity to start making positive changes before any public reporting regime comes in to force.

Sherrards offer in-house Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training. With engaging and practical content the course highlights an area of increasing importance for all organisations.

For more information on an excellent New Year offer on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training from Sherrards contact the team via their website: www.sherrardslaw.com

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SELLING A BUSINESS

Is 2019 the year to sell

my business? asks Jo Thornley, Head of Brand and Partnerships at Dynamis That also means time is short to get your house in order and identify any further opportunities to grow and add value to your business. In terms of an exit strategy, boosting the worth of your business and finding ways to make it even more attractive to potential buyers is the best way to increase your likelihood of selling fast once your business goes on the market.

L

et no one say 2018 was boring. Brexit talks have stumbled along from drama to crisis with certainty in short supply, and Trump has seemed hell bent on turning the political and business worlds upside down.

Closer to home, high-street retail appears to be on the back foot, and yet big players – the likes of Google, Facebook and Amazon – have suffered something of a ‘techlash’ with governments and consumers starting to take a tougher line over the perceived liberties these companies have been taking with our trust.

And yet, a surprisingly strong global economy and a competitive pound have seen UK exports continue to do well, and our cities are still crammed with tourists.

While it’s true that businesses are resisting to invest heavily until the little matter of breaking up with Brussels is done and dusted, there is still a general feeling that 2018 turned out better than many had expected.

So, with UK business relatively stable, some small business owners who have perhaps been thinking about a business exit may judge that 2019 would be a good time to make their move.

For anyone reaching that conclusion, there really isn’t a moment to lose.

A good exit strategy makes all the difference when it comes to selling your business, and the earlier you get the

32

process under way the better the outcome when sale-time comes around.

So, here’s a review of the important steps in the process.

Why start preparing now?

Because, quite simply, this could be your best chance of securing a reasonable offer for your business. Although trading has been mostly steady up until now, there are no guarantees 2019 will continue in the same vein.

If the UK is soon to enter a period of reassessment and reinvention, 2019 may be the best opportunity to sell a business which is on a sound footing.

Besides getting your core business records into good order so they clearly reflect your company’s great track record and growth potential, you should also look at updating your technology (including your website) and ensuring your working practices align with current trends in your industry.

It’s not just ‘dinosaur’ enterprises that turn off prospective buyers, they are equally unwilling to spend money acquiring a ‘one man band’ operation.

So, if you’re aware that you are totally immersed in day-to-day business management at present, one of the first things to do is delegate the running of your company to a trustworthy and dedicated management team.

Getting the help you need With so much still to be decided about the UK’s future trading arrangements,

If you have decided 2019 is your year to exit the business, the clock is already ticking.

a team of knowledgeable professionals (accountant, valuer or business transfer agent) will surely be worth their weight in gold.

You will need to listen to the advice offered by seasoned operators – who must have experience and a proven track record which is relevant to your own particular industry. The preparation, marketing and sales process which will underpin your exit strategy needs to be well-planned and carefully coordinated to achieve the best outcome.

And in a market where short-term turbulence and volatility cannot be entirely ruled out, the last thing your impending business sale needs is any nasty surprises which could have been avoided.

Obtaining a valuation Your valuer will advise on the method(s) of valuation usually employed within your sector.

This is an important consideration because the information your valuation provides must not only present an appealing snapshot of the business but should also inform the expectations of your potential purchasers.

At this stage, any deviation from accepted practice will put you at a great disadvantage and may even result in no sales enquiries at all.

An honest and independent valuation of your business will provide you with useful negotiating tools, as well as a handy reference when you need to answer those inevitable questions from prospective buyers.

Finding a buyer There can be many reasons why people would want to buy your business, so it pays to be aware of who may decide to make you an offer. Your interested party may be a ‘strategic buyer’ from within your own industry.

Perhaps even a regional rival, this type of buyer will want to acquire your business because it will fit well within their existing business.

The specifics will depend on the context: for example, they may want a larger market share, need your expertise and/or your technology, or just want a new geographical area. And while your employees could do well out of the deal, future economies of scale may pose a risk of redundancies further down the line.

Corporate buyers who see your business purely as an investment could take a back seat and just let your business trade profitably. But they could also make wholesale changes purely as an investment strategy which could drastically alter the profile of your company.

Selling to an employee consortium will keep a lot of stakeholders happy (staff, customers, suppliers) – as well as yourself. So, in many ways, this is a win-win situation.

However, the deal may be a little slower to accomplish than a straight sale to a newcomer.

If you have decided 2019 is your year to exit the business, the clock is already ticking.

Adopt a positive, upbeat attitude towards the sale, and both you and your team will certainly need to keep a weather eye on market trends and political and economic developments, as well as the all-important mood within your own business sector.

Jo Thornley joined Dynamis in 2005 to co-ordinate PR and communications and produce editorial across all business brands. She earned her spurs managing the communications strategy and now creates and develops partnerships between BusinessesForSale.com, FranchiseSales.com and PropertySales.com and likeminded companies.

www.BusinessesForSale.com/sell

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Over 2,000 businesses for sale in Sussex, Surrey, Kent, Hampshire and London

Powerboat Experience Business For Sale

Golf Buggy & Passenger Shuttle Vehicle Business For Sale

Location: Southampton, Hampshire Value: £150,000 Revenue: On request

Location: Horndean, Hampshire Value: £145,000 Revenue: £200K - £500K

Listing ID: 2504308

Listing ID: 2547123

Business sale includes 1996 Sunseeker Portofino 375 in excellent condition and new secure website.

This business can be relocated and can be run from anywhere. Fantastic reputation with great trip advisor reviews. Also established relationships with resellers and local restaurant. Full training can be provided.

An Internet business Dealing in Golf Buggies, Hospitality and Turf Utility Vehicles, new & used, service and parts, selling all over the UK and Europe. We manufacture an ambulance kit and a rear pickup cover and frame (made by a local company) which we sell to other dealers.

Plastic Fabricators And Laser Cutting Business For Sale

Wine Bar For Sale Location: Rye, East Sussex Value: On request Revenue: £96,917

Location: Hove, East Sussex Value: £130,000 Revenue: £100K - £200K

Listing ID: 2611838

Listing ID: 2621615

A highly reputable wine merchant and bar based in a quaint, historic town. The business sells an exclusive range of wines which cannot be found anywhere in the area. Benefits from lots of repeat trade with huge scope for growth.

Fabricator and supplier of cast acrylic (perspex) sheets and laser cutting. A shop with a workshop on premises located on a busy shopping high street. The business is still growing and has huge scope for expansion. Selling due to relocation. To include all stock, tools and 3 laser machines.

Contact these businesses by typing the listing ID into the search box on our homepage at BusinessesForSale.com.

Sell your business online and commission free Be seen by 1.2 million prospective buyers Easy to list your business and manage enquiries

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Practical advice from the UK’s #1 business for sale site © 2018 Dynamis Ltd and all subsidiaries. Information correct as of 05/12/18

Or try us for FREE with a limited free trial.

FIRE SAFETY

AVOID A REAL BURN OUT! Be trained by the professionals and give your staff fire safety confidence

Fires in the workplace are more common than you might think. Last year West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service (WSFRS) attended 62 fires in commercial premises. The majority of these were caused by faulty equipment, appliances and leads.

F

ire Safety in the workplace is a legal requirement for employers, owners, landlords, occupiers, building managers, managing agents, or anyone else with control of business or non-domestic premises! Remember you are equally accountable and liable for site safety including visitors, customers, staff and anyone who is lawfully allowed to be on your premises.

How confident are you in knowing which type of extinguisher to use on which type of fire? WSFRS offer their invaluable advice…

As a fire service we’re running courses to help businesses meet their fire safety legislation requirements, giving their staff hands-on experience of using fire extinguishers and fire blankets.

Leisure Centre Manager, Simon Burton, based in Bognor Regis, recently completed the training. He said: “It was a great course. It more than met our fire safety training objectives and I would highly recommend it to other employers in the county.”

There’s a whole range of courses available at various West Sussex Fire Stations including:

y Fire extinguisher training – suitable for all members of staff and introduces them to different types of fire and the most appropriate types of fire extinguisher to use. Participants will be able to try using fire extinguishers and fire blankets in a safe, controlled environment. £60 per person – 2 hours. y Fire warden / marshal training – an introduction to basic fire safety training in the workplace. This

course includes hands–on use of fire extinguishers on ‘live’ fire. £115 per person – half day. y Management of fire risk – this course is for managers. It enables them to manage fire safety in the workplace and helps them to understand the requirements of their fire risk assessment. £135 per person – half day Other courses include: market specific such as landlords including hotels/B&Bs, care homes and schools. Manual handling (including warehouses & logistics), site specific evacuation, water safety, business continuity, team building and fire safety within car parks (including multi-storey), safe hoist training. And, we offer bespoke training courses tailored to your needs.

The prices above are exempt from VAT therefore the price you see is the price you pay! For more information and to book a place, see www.westsussex.gov.uk/frsct, email frsct@westsussex.gov.uk, or call 01243 772870.

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RECRUITMENT

Stay ahead of the Why you only ever need to use one recruiter (even if it’s not us!), says RSE Group’s Managing Director, Mandy Brook

W

GAME

e are in a talent short market, the UK is at 75% capacity of full employment, the highest it’s been since records began. You are struggling by your normal avenues to find the right person you need for your role, so you decide to talk to a recruiter.

Who do you call, how many do you go to, do you talk to every recruiter, get the job out there, spread it around, get the recruiters all vying against each other, and get a better service that way and more candidates, right?

SO, SO WRONG! Let me tell you why.

You want to be seen to be an employer of choice and get talent to come to work for you. In order to do that you have to become “desirable” to the candidate.

It’s like dating, you put your best foot forward, you look good, you show who you are, you know what you want, the timescale you want it in, how you are paying for it and throw your hat into the ring… come and find me/us!

If you go to a plethora of agencies several things will happen, you’ll have them all going after the same talent pool - I’ve already told you the market is small, this does more than frustrate your recruiter, it pisses the candidates off! They think you are desperate. Believe me, you want to be seen as cool, experienced, level headed, ahead of your competition, not desperate.

The agencies, when they realise they are all working against each other, will put your vacancy to the bottom of their roles they are searching for. Truly!

What’s the point wasting time, talking to candidates that have been spoken to three times already, running a race to nowhere with no finish line in sight?

So do yourself a favour, build a relationship with a recruiter you like, you trust, gives good advice even if it’s not what you want to hear. Stop wasting your time having five recruiters sending you five CVs then all trying to call you about those CVs. Most likely as they are in a race, the candidates won’t have been qualified as they want to get that candidate in front of you be-

36

fore the other four do. They don’t do their job properly as you are backing them into a corner and it’s a PR nightmare for you.

A relationship with a great recruiter is a good thing to have, they can phone you when they have just interviewed someone you don’t even know you want yet but is so perfect for you and your company and fits your ethos that they let you know about them first.

In this day and age when talent is so hard to come by that’s what you need, to be ahead of the game.

Mandy Brook is the MD of www.rsegroup.agency she can be contacted on mandy@rsegroup.agency She’s good at what she does, no truly, ask around!

GATWICK DIAMOND BUSINESS AWARDS

GET READY FOR

THE 2019 GATWICK DIAMOND BUSINESS AWARDS

The Gatwick Diamond Business Awards are in their eleventh year and take place this March.

Celebrating Business Excellence Here we announce the categories and sponsors of this prestigious event

Join us as we recognise the passion and talent of our business community The Gatwick Diamond Business Awards celebrate people and businesses who have shown innovation and inspiration in their work, and have demonstrated a real commitment to the region. The Awards have become one of the most prestigious business occasions – celebrating the best of the best across the Gatwick Diamond.

For more information and to download an entry form, visit:

T

WWW.GATWICKDIAMONDBUSINESSAWARDS.COM

he Eleventh Annual Gatwick Diamond Business Awards Ceremony will be held on March 21st 2019 at the Copthorne Effingham Park Hotel. The Business Awards have become established as the must-attend business networking event in the region, bringing high level of networking alongside the celebration of business excellence and outstanding entertainment.

The evening will be presented by comedian and actor, Marcus Brigstocke. Marcus has become a regular voice on BBC Radio 4 with an impressive list of TV and film credits including ‘Have I got News for You’, ‘Live at the Apollo’, Monty Python’s ‘Spamalot’ and ‘Love Actually’ among many others.

The evening attracts the most influential business people to recognise the winners of the 15 categories. The Awards’ headline sponsors are Gatwick Airport, NatWest, Extech Cloud and Thakeham Group.

The categories and sponsors are as follows:

yy Business of the Year over £1m turnover sponsored by NatWest yy Business of the Year up to £1m turnover sponsored by SHW yy Business Person of the Year sponsored by KPMG LLP

yy New Business of the Year sponsored

by Basepoint Business Centres yy International Business of the Year sponsored by the Gatwick Diamond Initiative yy Manufacturing Business of the Year sponsored by Kreston Reeves yy The Award for Innovation & Technology sponsored by asb Law LLP yy The Award for Customer Delight sponsored by DMH Stallard yy The Award for the Place to Meet sponsored by CEC Direct Ltd yy The Award for Supply Chain Excellence sponsored by University of Brighton yy The Award for Developing People for Business sponsored by Crawley College yy Apprentice of the Year sponsored

by Reigate and Banstead Borough Council yy Employer of the Year sponsored by Search Consultancy yy Responsible Business of the Year sponsored by University of Sussex Business School yy Professional Services Firm of the Year sponsored by Crawley Borough Council Supporters include Avensys Hire & Events as Staging Design & AV Technology sponsor; Storm12 as the Creative Partner; Platinum Publishing Group, Media Partner; and JR Print as Menu Print Sponsors.

The finalists in each category will be announced on February 14th so follow @gdbizawards on Twitter for the latest news on the 2019 Gatwick Diamond Business Awards.

BOOK YOUR TABLE NOW AT THE 2019 AWARDS (WITH THE PRE-DINNER RECEPTION SPONSORED

BY BGF) BY CALLING 01293 813888 OR VISIT WWW.GATWICKDIAMONDBUSINESS.COM

@gdbizawards

THE BIG STORY

my head had hit the

“

On my way down, cutting my eye and breaking my cheekbone.

I had collapsed from

corner of my desk, exhaustion and lack of sleep.”

38

HOW

Arianna Huffington learnt to

SLOW DOWN

and appreciate what

ACTUALLY MATTERS IN LIFE…

By Ian Trevett

It’s safe to say that, as successful as the disruptive ride-hailing service Uber has been, it has never been held up as an example of positive company culture. Stories of bullying abounded, reaching a crescendo when a female Uber engineer published a blog post describing how she had been constantly discriminated against and had been sexually harassed by her managers; complaints which were shrugged off by Uber’s human resources department. The result in 2016 was the forced resignation of controversial CEO Travis Kalanick and the appointment of a new CEO from Expedia, charged with the task of repairing the company’s battered image.

Another key appointment to the board was Arianna Huffington, who was bought in to revolutionise the company’s corporate culture, prioritising a better work-life balance for the firm’s employees.

In the same year, the founder of The Huffington Post, the high profile online news service, stepped away from the business

which made her a household name, and moved into the health and wellness sector, launching Thrive Global, a web portal dedicated to addressing the skewed balance between work and life.

The switch was dramatic and a reflection of how health and wellbeing has become paramount in the policies and mission statements of the world’s leading businesses. In this issue of Platinum Business Magazine, we are launching our new regular Health and Wellbeing section. Arianna’s story neatly represents the distinct sea change in how businesses now operate.

The wake-up call “On the morning of April 6, 2007, I was lying on the floor of my home office in a pool of blood. On my way down, my head had hit the corner of my desk, cutting my eye and breaking my cheekbone. I had collapsed from exhaustion and lack of sleep. In the wake of my collapse, I found myself going from doctor to doctor, from brain MRI to CAT scan to echocardiogram, to find out if there was any underlying medical problem beyond exhaustion. There wasn’t, but doctors’ waiting rooms, it turns out, were good places for me to ask myself a lot of questions about the kind of life I was living.”

Arianna Huffington pinpoints the day her life changed in her book ‘Thrive: The

Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder’. Quite simply she had burned out. Her high-powered charge to success and international fame had caught up with her.

Her name is familiar across the globe, notably for the The Huffington Post (often shortened to The Huff Post), but in America she is a truly household name. It is difficult to find a UK equivalent of Arianna - a dynamic businesswoman who is actively involved in politics, a highly successful author and an instantly recognisable media celebrity. In short the consummate communicator.

In fact, the UK had a huge influence on Arianna’s journey. Born in Athens in 1950, Arianna Stassinopoulos’ father was a journalist, but she has credited her mother for installing the determination to succeed that has marked her career.

In an interview with the BBC World Service, she declared that her mother “made me believe that I could try whatever I wanted and that if I failed she wouldn’t love me any less.”

Her mother brought her to London when she was 16, where, despite speaking very little English, Arianna passed an entrance exam to study economics at Cambridge University. She had seen a picture of the University and simply decided she wanted to go there. She succeeded by

39

visualising her dream and thus achieving her ambition.

According to Lauren Collins in The New Yorker, it was on a tour of the university that she discovered what her passion was: “During a student-group fair, Huffington toured the chambers of the university’s debating society. Since girlhood, she had possessed a spiritual impulse, studying Hinduism and fasting on the name day of the Virgin Mary.

The Cambridge Union became another cathedral. ‘I just threw myself into it,’ she recalled. ‘I went to every debate. I must literally have sat there with my mouth open. I was so spellbound by the spectacle of great speakers and people being moved or angered by their words.’”

She later became president of the Cambridge Union.

Her first brush with fame came at the age of 23 when she wrote ‘The Female Woman’, a strident riposte to Germaine Greer’s seminal work ‘The Female Eunuch’.

Arianna argued that the “frenetic extremism” of the women’s liberation movement was seeking “not to emancipate women, but to destroy society.” It was no surprise that right wing commentators embraced her controversial debut.

Arianna moved to New York in 1980 and used her love of words and conversation to create a big splash in New York.

Lauren Collins writes: “…she became a conservative commentator and consort, who became an Upper East Side socialite (“The most upwardly mobile Greek since Icarus”), who became a Republican political wife, a divorcée cable comedienne, a self-help writer, a progressive, an early environmentalist, a failed gubernatorial (governor) candidate, a blogger, an Internet mogul, and, through it all, one of the Anglophone world’s most nimble and ubiquitous communicators.”

In 1986 she married oil millionaire Michael Huffington, who then successfully stood for Congress as a Republican in Santa Barbara, California. The couple had two daughters, but divorced in 1997. A year later Michael disclosed that he was bisexual. Arianna, by now a naturalised US citizen, retained her married surname,

40

which she would make far more famous than any of her ex-husband’s political achievements.

At the time of her divorce, Arianna was still an outspoken Republican supporter.

New Yorker columnist Margaret Talbot described her in the following terms: “She has cast herself as a kind of Republican Spice Girl – an endearingly ditzy right wing gal-about-town who is a guilty pleasure for people who know better.”

Controversially, she opposed NATO intervention against Serbia amidst the bloodshed after the break-up of Yugoslavia.

Somewhere after the late 1990s, her politics shifted leftwards, and she endorsed the Democrat Presidential candidate John Kerry in 2004. In 2005 she co-launched The Huffington Post, largely as an alternative to popular news aggregators such as the Drudge Report, which had a heavy right wing bias. The impact was dramatic. In 2011, AOL acquired The Huffington Post for $315 million, making Arianna Huffington editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post Media Group. In July 2012, The Huffington Post was ranked No. 1 on the 15 Most Popular Political Sites list in the US. The site enthusiastically backed Democratic contenders including Barack Obama and was consistently vocal in its opposition to the Iraq War.

The Western workplace culture – exported to many other parts of the world – is practically fuelled by stress, sleep deprivation, and burnout.”

Just as her politics had switched so had her views on gender. In 2006, she wrote ‘On Becoming Fearless … In Love, Work, and Life’, which could hardly have been further from her 1973 anti-feminist manifesto. Megan O’Rourke (slate.com), wrote that Arianna’s motivation was to: “Start a ‘fearlessness epidemic’ that would transform the lives of women. Tellingly, what moved Huffington to action wasn’t merely perceived inequality but also the immediate lack of female readership at her own site. She had been surprised to find that the readership of the Huffington Post was predominantly male. Huffington conceived of a section of the site that would deal with what seemed to her to be the primary thing holding women back: their own fears.”

Her support of women’s issues produced a typical response from Donald Trump in 2012: “@ariannahuff is unattractive both inside and out. I fully understand why her former husband left her for a man - he made a good decision.” Trump was clearly just as charming before he became President.

Thriving in the modern world It may well be that Arianna Huffington’s departure was inevitable, regardless of her desire to create the wellbeing project which she is clearly passionate about. Her tenure at The Huff Post was not without its frictions and there were reports of conflicts between her and the powers at AOL. In an extended feature in Vanity Fair, William D. Cohan painted a picture of an unhappy ship at the company, with reports of “serious tensions” as a result of Arianna’s “aggressive spending and missed financial targets”.

Even if the numbers were not as healthy as might have been expected, Arianna’s reputation was intact, and she has since become a respected icon in the field of health and wellbeing.

Thrive Global states that its mission is “to end the stress and burnout epidemic by offering companies and individuals sustainable, science-based solutions to

THE BIG STORY “Money and power by themselves are like a two-legged stool – you can balance on them for a while, but eventually you’re going to

topple over.

enhance well-being, performance, and purpose, and create a healthier relationship with technology.”

In other words, Thrive Global is Arianna’s thorough and insightful response to her fatigue-induced injury back in 2007.

The basis of her argument is that the whole notion of ‘success’ needs to be re-examined. In her book, ‘Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder,’ she writes, “Over time our society’s notion of success has been reduced to money and power. In fact, at this point, success, money, and power have practically become synonymous in the minds of many.

“This idea of success can work—or at least appear to work— in the short term. But over the long term, money and power by themselves are like a two-legged stool— you can balance on them for a while, but eventually you’re going to topple over.

And more and more people—very successful people—are toppling over.”

Her ‘Third Metric’ (alongside money and power) to measure success consists of four pillars: well- being, wisdom, wonder, and giving: WELLBEING: “The Western workplace culture—exported to many other parts of the world—is practically fuelled by stress, sleep deprivation, and burnout. I had come face-to-face—or, I should say, face-to-floor—with the problem when I collapsed. Even as stress undermines

our health, the sleep deprivation so many of us experience in striving to get ahead at work is profoundly—and negatively— affecting our creativity, our productivity, and our decision making.”

WONDER: “When we’re living a life of perpetual time famine, we rob ourselves of our ability to experience another key element of the Third Metric: wonder, our sense of delight in the mysteries of the universe, as well as the everyday occurrences and small miracles that fill our lives.”

WISDOM: „Wherever we look around the world, we see smart leaders—in politics, in business, in media—making terrible decisions. What they’re lacking is not IQ, but wisdom. Which is no surprise; it has never been harder to tap into our inner wisdom, because in order to do so, we have to disconnect from all our omnipresent devices—our gadgets, our screens, our social media—and reconnect with ourselves.”

GIVING: “The last element to the Third Metric of success is the willingness to give of ourselves, prompted by our empathy and compassion. America’s Founding Fathers thought enough of the idea of the pursuit of happiness to enshrine it in the Declaration of Independence. But their notion of this „unalienable right” did not mean the pursuit of more ways for us to be entertained.

Rather, it was the happiness that comes from feeling good by doing good. It was the happiness that comes from being a productive part of a community and contributing to its greater good.

“There is plenty of scientific data that shows unequivocally that empathy and service increase our own well-being.”

An example that Arianna uses to illustrate the argument is the writing of an eulogy, something that strikes a chord with me personally as I have, along with my sisters, penned eulogies for both of my parents over the last few years. She points out that at a funeral you never hear phrases such as: “He increased market share for his company multiple times during his tenure.”

Or: “She never stopped working. She ate lunch at her desk. Every day.”

Or “He never made it to his kid’s Little League games because he always had to go over those figures one more time.”

She surmises: “Our eulogies are always about the other stuff: what we gave, how we connected, how much we meant to our family and friends, small kindnesses, lifelong passions, and the things that made us laugh.

“So why do we spend so much of our limited time on this earth focusing on all the things our eulogy will never cover?”

For Arianna Huffington it took a painful physical collapse for her to rebalance her life.

Don’t wait until you collapse.

This issue, we launch our new, monthly section on health and wellbeing.

Read on - and look after yourself!

41

CORPORATE

Health Wellbeing &

It has long been recognised that a healthy workforce has a dramatic effect on productivity, leads to less absent days, increased motivation, company loyalty and overall economic prosperity.

Throughout the New Year, this magazine will partner with a selection of major companies in the sector to offer advice on how to deal with the growing crisis of avoidable employee absent days. We intend to lead the way on this subject to aid in the economic prosperity of our region.

HOW CAN A HEALTHY WORKFORCE HELP

prevent absence?

UK PLC

The obvious benefit of having a healthy workforce is that healthier employees are absent less often.

Cost of sickness absence and worklessness

Annual budget for NHS

Healthy workers are more motivated to stay in work, recover from sickness quicker and are at less risk of long term illness.

The combined costs

In addition, organisations stand to make substantial cost savings by promoting health in the workplace and reducing sickness absence.

of sickness, absence, lost productivity through worklessness, and health-related productivity losses, are estimated to be over

£100BN ANNUALY

GDP of Portugal

This is greater than the current annual budget for the NHS and equivalent to the entire GDP of Portugal.

“We are embedding health and well-being at the heart of our business strategy because our people are our greatest asset, and we recognise that a healthy, happy and committed workforce is vital to our business success.”

Alex Gourlay, CEO, Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc.

12.5

MILLION workdays are lost to work-related stress, anxiety or depression in 2017

Employees who work for an organisation that has a Wellbeing Strategy are

ONLY

2 IN 5 employees are working at peak performance.

JUST 28% of employees surveyed say their employer has a Wellbeing Strategy, and this drops to just 13% of employers of up to 250 staff.

TWICE AS LIKELY

TO BELIEVE THEIR EMPLOYER GENUINELY CARES ABOUT THEIR WELLBEING.

Mental ill-health costs each employer

£1,035

PER EMPLOYEE,

per year

The London School of Economics analysed data from the Royal Mail, where an investment of

£45 MILLION

in the wellbeing of their staff generated a £225 million return on investment from 2004 to 2007.

43

Health & Wellbeing

WELCOME

WELCOME TO THE FIRST HEALTH AND WELL-BEING SECTION OF PLATINUM MAGAZINE. THE TEAM HERE AT VIISANA ARE VERY PROUD TO BE INVOLVED WITH WHAT THE PUBLICATION IS TRYING TO ACHIEVE – RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING A HEALTHY HAPPY WORKFORCE.

The PREDICAMENT we all face Paul Ollerton

Who we ARE and what we do

I

f you’ve not come across us yet, ViiSana is a life and health insurance broker – but with a BIG difference. Life insurance is normally a pretty dry subject – focussing on what happens if someone dies or becomes ill.

Whilst we are deep subject matter experts in this area, we chose to do it differently. We focus on helping thousands of customers to live life to the full – by encouraging them to live a happy, healthy life.

In simple terms - we sell a product and then try as hard as we can to make sure it is never used…

That said, there is a very serious side to what we do. We pride ourselves on advising our customers on the most suitable financial protection packages to put in place if the worst really does happen.

By the way – the name ViiSana is derived from the Spanish term vida-sana, which means ‘healthy lifestyle’.

44

M

odern day employers face a challenge – ill heath at work (in whatever form it presents itself) is an unwanted expense. The UK population is showing clear signs that the pressure of every-day life (at both work and at home) is taking its toll.

Poor diet, and low levels of physical activity, coupled with growing levels of associated mental health issues is resulting in an illness epidemic amongst our workforce.

Research now clearly shows that poor mental and physical health contributes to sickness, lower productivity, lower staff engagement, and higher than necessary staff attrition – all of which lead to an increase in costs. It is now well documented that the general health and wellbeing of a company’s workforce has a direct link to its business performance.

Meet the TEAM

T

he business is run by Paul Ollerton, his wife Lisa, and his brother James, with a team of 25 who advise, manage and administer the relationships with customers.

The team has a wealth of experience in the wellness sector, as well as an extensive knowledge base in the general business and financial services space.

CONTACT US In the meantime, if you would like

to discuss your company’s individual health concerns/challenges, or if you would just like to discuss ideas for implementing a programme at your business, please get in touch: Email gethealthy@viisana.com Phone 0333 772 0761 Twitter/Instagram/Facebook/LinkedIn

Why we established THE BUSINESS

V

iiSana is a multi-award-winning Sussex based family run business that is achieving breakthrough growth in a very crowded market. We formed the business in 2015 because we noticed a significant gap in the marketplace, particularly in the business-to-business space, where there are relatively few providers who offer health and wellbeing programmes that give results-based outputs – that equally benefit the employer and employee alike. Our company aim was simple - to address this gap.

Why? Because the commercial benefits enjoyed by those businesses who invest in the wellbeing of their employees can include:

1 2 3 4

Attract and retain talent – employees want to be fit & healthy, and want to work for a business that helps them and recognises the value of same Staff resilience (and general wellbeing) is improved - companies who engage report 8% improvement Sick days are reduced - those who focus on wellness at work report a 29% reduction in working days lost* Improved productivity saves money - Britain’s Healthiest Companies report a minimum of 16% improvement

*Source: Corporate Investment in Employee Wellbeing – the emerging strategic imperative, Ashridge business school and Nuffield health – Dec 2011

Why VITALITY

W

hat makes ViiSana unique is that they are one of a select group of brokers who exclusively sell Vitality, by forming an Exclusive Association between the two brands. Vitality need no introduction. It’s become a household name, synonymous with providing defaqto 5 star rated life and health insurance that is coupled with a range of healthy discounts and rewards incentivising their members to keep fit and healthy. These include: • Up to 50% off monthly membership fees at gyms including • David Lloyd, Virgin Active and Nuffield Health * • 75% off Champney’s spa breaks * • Up to 12 cinema tickets per year at Cineworld and Vue cinemas per adult member * • Weekly drinks at Starbucks for getting active * • Up to 40% off European return economy flights with BA * • Annual membership to Amazon Prime worth £79 * • And many more

ViiSana is one of Vitality’s largest Exclusive Associate brokers in volume terms and has recently been recognised as their fastest growing partner in 2018. This growth has been driven by using the Vitality product as the base for our proposition – and adding extra layers of products, services and most importantly, engagement support. Experience has taught us that sustainable, long term habit change (particularly in relation to health and wellbeing programmes at work) is far stronger when ongoing engagement and relationship support is provided. We provide a full support service including wellness days, open clinics, ongoing advice and support – as well as lots of additional benefits and rewards.

Our AIMS for the programme

O

ur partnership with the Platinum Group in 2019 is extremely exciting. We will be using the platform to help the business community in Sussex benefit from our expertise in implementing wellness programmes – by giving practical tips and ideas throughout the year that will reveal how to realise the many benefits of operating a health focussed business. This will include focus on the key areas of nutrition, exercise, mental health, and smoking cessation.

Our aim is to make the vibrant Sussex Business Community a healthier happier place to work. We hope you join us on the journey. *All the rewards are subject to terms and conditions and may be subject to minimum premiums, the type of plan selected and tracking physical activity

Health & Wellbeing

ERGONOMIC Office Furniture OPLØFT IS THE NEW FRONTIER OF THE HOT DESK MOVEMENT

day at a traditional static workstation – having access to the Opløft platform, which provides total flexibility of movement within the workplace.

Lead researcher, Professor of Human Brain Research, Vincent Walsh said: “Our research revealed that workers using Opløft were twice as competent in their decision-making skills, and their language based problem skills also improved by 64%. They also completed tasks measuring concentration and vigilance 10% faster and made 45% fewer mistakes. Their creativity also improved by 28%.”

Professor Walsh selected a group of tests that capture the psychological elements of a working day. By comparing base line results on day one to those at the end of the five-day trial, Opløft users improved their performance levels for each of the following:

IMPROVED CONCENTRATION LEVELS AND ATTENTION SPAN

– trialists completed tasks 10% faster after trialling Opløft and made 45% fewer mistakes.

BETTER DECISION MAKING

– people’s judgement was twice as reliable after using Øploft, making them half as likely to make a critical mistake.

Participants were able to assess information more rationally and behaved less impulsively.

O

ffice workers perform better in tasks related to attention-span, decision-making, language skills, positivity and creativity after their static workstations are enhanced with portable sit-stand platforms.

It’s long been recognised that a free-range hen is a happy hen. Now a new study conducted by The Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University College of London reveals that the right to roam at work also creates a happier, more productive workforce.

46

The new research conducted for Opløft, a new transportable sit-stand platform, reveals having access to a portable sit-stand desk at work increases the accuracy and speed of accomplishing tasks.

It also significantly improves your overall decision making and happiness.

The study was carried out last month by the Human Brain Research department at UCL, on behalf of Posturite, the UK’s largest ergonomics company.

It involved a group of office based workers in London - who typically spend all

IMPROVED VERBAL FLUENCY

– trial participants showcased better problem-solving and judgement skills and their language based problem solving skills improved by 64%.

POSITIVE FRAME OF MIND

– Opløft users benefited from a more positive emotional frame of mind, making them happier in the workplace.

OPEN TO CREATIVITY

– Opløft users scored 28% higher in a creative thinking test.

Professor Walsh said: “The research was fairly conclusive in proving that having access to Opløft made people more productive. However, the greatest excitement was the results of the test for attention and concentration levels.

Not only did our trialiists perform much faster after using Opløft, but there was also a strong increase in their accuracy.

People usually trade off accuracy when speed is increased, but Opløft users were able to improve both, which is impressive, and something I have never witnessed before”.

“Equally impressive was the results of the decision-making test. Not only did Opløft users perform better than average but they continued to improve throughout the week, which is very uncommon in this specific test.”

One of the trial participants commented, “Opløft provided an extremely positive contrast to my usual working

environment, where I spend most of the day seated in a very confined space. I loved having the option to stand up to work whenever and wherever I choose and to stretch my arms and legs and create a much more dynamic workspace. It certainly made me feel more alert and energised.”

Posturite’s CEO Ian Fletcher-Price views Opløft as a revelation in sit-stand desk design. Not only does it give users the ability to stand to work, but it is also slim and light enough to be easily transported between environments.

With Opløft we no longer need to be slaves to our desks because it goes where we go.

He said: “For centuries we have gone to work. Now, thanks to portable technology, work goes with us. The days of sitting at one desk all day are long gone. With Opløft we no longer need to be slaves to our desks because it goes where we go. Agile working gives us the freedom to choose how and where we do our work, Opløft gives us the practical means to achieve that.”

Adding clinical expertise to Opløft’s development is Chartered Physiotherapist, Ergonomist and Lead Consultant, Katharine Metters, who said: “This new research shows that enabling your workforce to decide what work to do, where, and when, with maximum flexibility, promoting movement and good postures, produces a significantly happier, healthier and ultimately a more productive workforce.”

Opløft is available to purchase from www.posturite.co.uk/oploft

47

Health & Wellbeing

Time for a CHANGE? WRITTEN BY CAMILLE PIERSON, MANAGING DIRECTOR AT THE FLOAT SPA

H

ave you told yourself that this is your year? Is this the year you’re going to make changes to drive your business forward? Are you planning to finally get fit this year?

Would you like to break bad habits that are affecting your health? If so, what’s stopping you? So many of us start each new year with good intentions, but so few come to fruition. A major reason for this is our willpower fails us. It’s cold and dark and it’s just so easy to not bother doing those extra things or to just say yes to unhealthy habits. Research has shown that stress is a huge enemy of willpower and the more stressed you are, the less likely you are to be able to exert the willpower to achieve your goals.

willpower to do extra work or exercise, or to say no to bad things is going to be a problem. However, the same stress effect can also make it hard to concentrate and creates that ‘brain fog’ feeling that makes it so hard to focus on your goals and find a simple route to achieving them.

toms of stress by giving yourself little but regular breaks from it. If you can stop your mind from constantly chattering and worrying for just a short space of time every day, you can reduce the stress hormones in your body and give yourself some thinking space as well as increasing your will power.

MANAGING STRESS TO TAKE CONTROL

Obviously, we at The Float Spa are going to recommend our floatation, massage, infrared sauna and yoga services to give your brain a rest, but anything that you can focus on without worrying will give your mind a break from stress.

People find exercise, gardening, puzzles, meditating, walking, chatting and all kinds of activities relaxing enough to give them a short break from stress.

Whatever you choose to do, start it now, do it everyday and give your brain the space it needs to focus on your goals and the will power to make them happen. If you would like to try anything at The Float Spa, call 01273 933 680 or visit our website to book.

The clear solution to these problems is to manage stress but that’s easier said than done. The trick is to try to prevent it building up and to tackle the symp-

HOW STRESS AFFECTS WILLPOWER

Because stress activates the parts of your brain normally required for a fast ‘fight or flight’ reaction, it means that your brain is keyed towards impulses.

To help you react quickly to the perceived threat, your brain overrides the ‘command and control’ parts of the brain used in planning and decision-making which hold the key to maintaining willpower.

HOW THIS COULD BE HOLDING YOU BACK

It’s obvious that if you are running a business, trying to achieve results in a sporting activity or just striving to be healthier in general, struggling to exert the

48

The key for us is to support employees to adopt and maintain healthy behaviours and reduce unhealthy behaviours.

8 Third Avenue, Hove, East Sussex BN3 2PX www.thefloatspa.co.uk

Health & Wellbeing

Brighton HarSPA IS LOCATED WITHIN BRIGHTON HARBOUR HOTEL ON BRIGHTON’S POPULAR SEAFRONT, PROVIDING A RELAXING RETREAT IN THE HEART OF THIS LIVELY CITY. THE SPA BOASTS A HYDROTHERAPY POOL, AN INDOOR 11 METER HEATED SWIMMING POOL, SCANDINAVIAN HOT TUBS, SAUNA, STEAM ROOM AND URBAN GYM We offer an extensive range of luxurious spa treatments along with everyday beauty needs, including facials, manicures, pedicures and massages.

Start 2019 in style with our ‘Make more time offer’. We might not be able to freeze time, but we can help you make more time to relax and revive.

FOR FURTHER DETAILS PLEASE VISIT: www.harbourhotels.co.uk/hotels/brighton 64 Kings Rd, Brighton 01273 323221

BOOK A TREATMENT, MONDAY TO THURSDAY, AND WE’LL ADD AN EXTRA 15 MINUTES FOR FREE. THAT’S 15 MINUTES MORE OF ‘ME TIME’ Book a 25 minute treatment and get 40 minutes Book a 40 minute treatment and get 55 minutes Book a 55 minute treatment and get 70 minutes

Exclusive for Platinum Business Magazine readers – quote ‘Platinum Business’ and enjoy a complimentary glass of bubbles on us

Kingston Smith has wellbeing at work on the agenda At Kingston Smith, we take wellbeing at work seriously. Underpinned by our charity partnership with Mind – the UK’s leading mental health charity – we’re dedicated to improving mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.

We have now trained more than 16 Mental Health First Aiders across all our offices, with more being trained as we speak. To raise awareness of mental health issues, we’ve been running staff activities based on the five tips for wellbeing: being mindful, learning, being active, giving and connecting. Our staff have been taking part in yoga classes, study-aid swaps, lunchtime walks, posting messages of thanks and social gatherings.

2018 Charity Partner: Mind

We’re supporting

for better mental health

Team Kingston Smith: Redhill partner Paul Samrah (3rd left), managing partner Maureen Penfold (far right) and senior partner Martin Muirhead (3rd right) doing their fundraising bit.

To celebrate World Mental Health Day, all our offices organised a guided walk in the local area. We also got fellow member firms of international association Morison KSi involved. So on World Mental Health Day itself on 10 October, there were hundreds of our people across the globe getting away from their desks and out into the great outdoors, be it park, forest, seaside or piazza.

Statistically, one in four people will experience a mental health problem in any given year, so Mind offers a vital service. We’ve been busy fundraising to help fund their work and campaigning efforts. Staff across all offices have been doing all manner of sponsored runs, walks, mountain treks, bike rides, skydives and abseils. There have also been bake sales, dress-down days, spring clean stock drives, sweep stakes, volunteering opportunities and quizzes.

Redhill partners help raise awareness of mental health Our four Redhill partners have been doing their bit for wellbeing in the community through pro bono work and running our first mental health awareness seminar for clients. It was heavily oversubscribed, so we know there is a hunger for more. Keep an eye open!

Kingston Smith partners at Redhill [L to R]: Ian Matthews, Paul Samrah, David Montgomery, Parveen Chadda.

@kingstonsmith

Kingston Smith

Kingston Smith is a leading firm of chartered accountants and business advisers. Our clients range from private individuals and sole entrepreneurs to SMEs and not for profit organisations. From our Redhill base, we work with clients throughout Surrey and Sussex. Our experienced team of partners and professionals is 30-strong and growing.

Please visit www.ks.co.uk

T: 01737 779000 E: Redhill@ks.co.uk

1

2

‘PERSONAL TRAINING IS TOO EXPENSIVE’

‘I’M NOT FIT ENOUGH’

When people say to me that personal training is too expensive, my first reply is usually ‘compared to what?’ Compared

This is a belief that I totally understand and have sympathy for,

to a gym membership that you buy in January and then only go half a dozen times in the year, costing between £600 and £900 per year? Or compared to paying £20 for an exercise class, with 40 people crammed into a room where there’s no coaching on whether your technique is correct, and you have a high chance of picking up long term injuries? Not always, but often it comes down to value and priorities.

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although that doesn’t make it true. A good personal trainer will always take the time to talk through your exercise history and then assess what your current fitness level is. The reality is that there is no better way for someone who is deconditioned, or unfit, to get in shape than working out with a personal trainer.

The

MYTHS

of Personal Training

WRITTEN BY ROB GRIM, WHO IS THE FOUNDER AND OWNER OF REVOLUTION PERSONAL TRAINING STUDIOS. REVOLUTION HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED SINCE 2005 AND NOW HAS THREE LOCATIONS IN SUSSEX. www.Revolution-PTS.com (Brighton& Central Hove)

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‘I DON’T HAVE THE TIME’ For the very busiest people, personal training is a great option as it’s a

regular appointment that is scheduled in the diary and you don’t have to think. You just have to turn up and train and then get on with your day. I bet we’ve all seen research showing that people who exercise regularly have more energy. The reason we’ve all seen it is because it’s true, and after you’ve trained, you’ll have more energy to attack your busy day.

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‘I DON’T WANT TO LOOK STUPID OR FEEL JUDGED’ This fear can hold people back from using a personal trainer and gaining

control of their health. For many people, no matter how successful they are in their careers or personal life, when they are in their gym kit they feel vulnerable. A good personal trainer will be encouraging and supportive. Don’t let this fear hold you back from hitting the training goals you’ve always wanted to!

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‘I DON’T WANT TO BE TOLD I CAN’T DRINK WINE/BEER OR EAT MY FAVOURITE FOODS’ If you feel like you’re depriving yourself with a new nutritional plan, then it simply won’t last. A good personal

trainer will recognise this and help you make gradual improvements to your current diet in a sustainable way. This can be achieved through tracking what you eat and how much you eat. This allows your personal trainer to view your daily food intake, creating the all-important accountability that is needed to achieve results.

INVEST IN YOUR WELLBEING

THE SPA AT THE GRAND Memberships starting from £70 per month – includes £100 worth of treatments, unlimited use of the spa facilities and hotel gym, guests passes and more…

The Grand Brighton, 97-99 King’s Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 2FW | 01273 224300 | www.grandbrighton.co.uk

Health & Wellbeing

Sleep and Stress CHAMPIONS THE GRAND BRIGHTON ARE CHAMPIONING HEALTH AND WELLBEING FOR THEIR GUESTS, COLLEAGUES AND CLIENTS WITH THE APPROACH KNOWN AS SHED

to key clients, and we offered exclusive spa ‘booster’ treatments for conference delegates for a period of time, including relaxation massages to the head, neck, hands and lower legs.

The second area of focus we place highly on the wellbeing agenda is hydration. Water makes up about 70% of our brains and up to 75% of our bodies, so it’s understandably important to keep hydrated throughout the day! We recognised that for many of us with busy jobs and lives, it can be difficult to factor in simply having a regular drink of water amongst hectic schedules, so we created our very own Grand Brighton water bottles for easy and effortless hydration.

We also shared our top tips on staying hydrated during a busy work day - from eating water-rich foods to alternating alcoholic drinks with a glass of water - it was important for us to show how simple habits can have such an impact, as drinking plenty of water can boost the mood, increase energy and even have a positive effect on brainpower.

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he Grand Brighton have been pretty busy over the last six months; not only with the big reveal of our freshly refurbished façade, but also championing wellbeing far and wide. We identified four key areas of focus for an all-round approach to boosting wellness: Sleep, Hydration, Exercise and Diet.

We began by focusing on championing the power of a good night’s sleep for improving wellbeing and reducing stress, encouraging our clients and peers in the industry to assess their own

sleeping habits. We shared a 30-second meditation video, encouraging the viewer to take 30 seconds out of their day to do nothing but listen to the calming sounds of the hotel’s serene beach surroundings.

We also shared a ‘sleep tips’ video giving guidance on the optimum preparation for a good night’s sleep, building on the experience of guests enjoying a stay in our bedrooms and giving insights into the importance of rest. ’Sleep well’ essentials including a sleep oil, eye mask and calming night time tea were gifted

The final two wellbeing components we are championing are exercise and a healthy diet. Something as simple as regularly stretching throughout the day can have such a positive impact on our ability to cope with stress and maintain focus, so we are creating our own resistance bands alongside simple ways to utilise them throughout the day. Eating healthily can be tough when on the go, but switching up a snack to a healthy energy bar still feels like a bit of a treat while delivering that energy-boosting goodness that our bodies crave. We also offer healthy choices on our banqueting menus to make sure delegates have all the tools they need to make the right choices for them.

With the importance of wellbeing becoming ever more vital in our ‘always-on’ culture, The Grand Brighton are leading the charge on advocating healthy choices and helping delegates make achievable goals for a happier, healthier lifestyle.

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Health & Wellbeing

CEO FIGHT CLUB:

Open your eyes

BY SI CONROY, OWNER OF SCARLET MONDAY

fast, I think we’re probably in the same ballpark. Stuff that stops sickness is good. Help to be healthier is good.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines health as ‚a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’ (WHO, 1948), and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention add to that a range of Wellbeing concepts, including: 1 2 3 4 5

managers are bought into the importance of well-being.

Read those stats again with a pair of inversion glasses on, and a sprinkling of CEO Fight Club reinterpretation of the language: yy 60% of employers don’t care enough to have a standalone wellbeing strategy. yy 45% say the well-being of all their staff is being ignored by senior leaders. yy Over half report that line managers are choosing to ignore the importance of well-being.

H

ealth & Wellbeing at work has been growing significantly over recent years. It has expanded past the traditional ‘managing sick days’ to span all areas that can be considered to impact on the individual in the workplace. The CIPD 2018 Health & Well-being at Work survey highlights: yy 40% of employers have a standalone well-being strategy. yy 55% say well-being is on the agenda of senior leaders. yy Almost half report that line

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Really? FFS, the primary drivers of the success of most businesses are being shown less respect than the cars those leaders are driving, and the servicing and MOTs they are given.

So, let me take my last lairy missive from the frontline of leadership to prepare the ground for this important new Health & Wellbeing section.

To define terms first, I think most readers are probably clearer on the Health bit than the Wellbeing. Whether we’re talking healthcare benefits, gym memberships or in-house nutritionists cajoling you to sprinkle granola on your hangover-relieving McDonalds break-

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Economic well-being.

Development and activity.

Domain specific satisfaction.

Emotional well-being.

Psychological well-being.

Life satisfaction.

Spiritual well-being

So, we can use this to focus on the primary areas of wellbeing we can impact as leaders in the workplace. We can make sure we pay fairly at the market rate for the role in the geographic area.

We can provide training and development, and we can ensure roles are clearly defined with meaningful and stretching accountabilities. First 3 of the above ticked. The last 4, including the mental and social wellbeing from the WHO definition above, tend to strike fear into the hearts of most Boards (think Daleks trying to go upstairs….it does not compute) The mental health charity, Mind, promote a set of guidelines researched and developed by the New Economics Foundation called ‘five ways to wellbeing’ that we can usefully adopt in the work place to start to give us traction as leaders in what feels like such a difficult area when it shouldn’t be:

CONNECT

Feeling close to, and valued by, other people is a fundamental human need.

Promoting social interactions rather than seeing them as a wasteful blocker to productive work is a first step. Lead by example and always say hello and ask how people are when you see them

in the office. Promote a ‘1 in 10’ policy to kickstart interactions by suggesting every tenth internal be a conversation instead. Even incentivising carpooling/ lift-sharing can promote these new connections.

BE ACTIVE

Covered earlier, it’s the practicality that can challenge if we take gyms and compulsory morning aerobics out of the equ-

Feeling close to, and valued by, other people is a fundamental human need. ation. Start small: rather than sitting in an office or café, have your next line report 121s as walking meetings. If you’re moving or replanning offices, get radical with layouts requiring people to walk distances to toilets or catering facilities.

It may seem a little draconian, but it can also promote the social interactions as well: both Apple and Pixar designed their latest headquarters on this basis. Alternate Friday beers with a team sport and speak to a local builder about the possibilities for installing showers.

TAKE NOTICE

Studies have shown that practicing awareness and savouring ‘the moment’ helps wellbeing as we reaffirm life priorities and take a moment to destress.

We are wired for routine, so a new action is often all that is required to come back to the present. Promote this by suggesting the team tries some of the following: take a new route to work or try a new place for lunch. Swap desks with a colleague for a day or wrap-up at 3 on a Friday, hire some hippo bags and have a de clutter session. Just do different.

LEARN

We know how good this feels, but often it feels like putting it into a training & development box/budget sucks the meaning out of it. Start small: give some of the readers in the office a small budget to kick-off a book club. Team members with alternative hobbies? Buy lunches for a ‘lunch and learn’ session and watch how their passion becomes infectious. One business I know randomly sets questions about colleagues or their industry to enable log in to the firm’s systems.

GIVE

donate their time to a charity. It takes a couple of hours to arrange with a range of local charities, and a bit of internal promotion.

Not so scary after all. And that pretty much sums up my underlying message over the two years worth of this column.

Stop being all business-like, apply some common sense and most importantly bring the true you into business.

It’s been emotional.

Si Conroy specialises in helping business owners remove their blockers to profitable business growth; be they strategy, marketing & sales, people, finance or systems/process. Trained at PwC and owner of Scarlet Monday (www.ScarletMonday.com) and www.

ConstantMentor.com, Si practices what he preaches across a number of businesses in which he has invested.

Challenges from the CEO Fight Club will continue at www.ConstantMentor.com si@scarletmonday.com @siconroy

Again, don’t allow this to be co-opted as a tick-list Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) exercise. We know that individuals who report a greater interest in helping others are more likely to rate themselves as happy. Start simple and offer people an afternoon a quarter to

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Health & Wellbeing

Case STUDY WAVE LEISURE TRUST LIMITED IS A CHARITY AND SOCIAL ENTERPRISE IN EAST SUSSEX WHOSE PURPOSE IS ‘INSPIRING ACTIVE LIFESTYLES’.

THEIR VISION IS ‘TO BE AT THE HEART OF THE IMPROVEMENT OF HEALTH AND WELLBEING WITHIN THE COMMUNITY’.

F

ormed in 2006, the award-winning Trust manages nine leisure facilities, and Newhaven Fort, providing a vast range of activity programmes and outreach initiatives. Receiving over one million customer visits on an annual basis, Wave reinvests all surplus revenue back into the community. This takes the form of facility developments or refurbishments, new activity programmes and outreach initiatives.

As a provider of a range of health and wellbeing initiatives, Wave’s driving ambition is to be recognised as an active partner to Public Health England and Primary Care Services; creating susta-

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The key for us is to support employees to adopt and maintain healthy behaviours and reduce unhealthy behaviours.

inable outcomes for a healthier society including their own employees.

In 2015 we created our own “Passionate about People” Human Resource Strategy which was built upon six key areas, including; Recruitment and Selection, Learning and Development, Reward and Recognition, Involvement and Empowerment. Whilst this approach has undoubtedly helped us improve in a number of ways, more recently we have, once again, recognised the need to review our Strategy. Why; well in simple terms we have accepted that our outward Health and Wellbeing message and delivery to customers and the

WE AIM TO:

Duncan Keir, CEO, Wave Leisure Trust

Our ‘outward’ Health and Wellbeing approach focuses in on three core areas; “physical”, “mental” and “emotional” which recognises that good health is more than just being physically active. wider community is stronger than our internal approach to our Staff. There is no doubt that we have implemented some great initiatives and we have a long list of Employee Benefits which have had a really positive impact and led to us winning a number of Awards, but we now want to take our approach to a new level.

The key for us is to support employees to adopt and maintain healthy behaviours and reduce unhealthy behaviours.

Beyond this, the approach needs to provide a platform that ensures staff feel and know that they can talk about mental and emotional matters without ‘fear’ of stigma, labelling or even repercussions.

Our ‘outward’ Health and Wellbeing approach focuses in on three core areas; “physical”, “mental” and “emotional” which recognises that good health is more than just being physically active.

In fact, it’s an attempt to recognise the need for a more holistic approach when supporting people to lead more active lifestyles. The issue for us came when comparing our outward approach to our Passionate about People Strategy and on asking ourselves some honest questions, not only in relation to, ‘what’ we offer but also, ‘how’ we offer it. For example, we have always offered access to counselling for those who need support due to anxiety, depression or life circumstances, but we offer it when the staff member has spoken with HR, which is usually at the point of crisis and often when the employee has been, or is at the point of being signed off work. On reflection, this raises the question, why does the employee wait to the point of crisis and how can we ensure the support is provided in such a way that the employee feels it is accessible long before that? How can we ensure the employee knows that they don’t have to wait to ‘formally’ bring it to the attention of a colleague in HR? Which, in itself, may be a barrier to seeking/accessing support.

We’re also keen to embrace and implement some of the learning from the activities we offer customers. For example, our induction process for new ‘Health’ Members, a membership category only accessible to those referred by their GP, other Health Professional or via a Commissioned Service. As you can imagine, due to the nature of the referral, we have no choice but to embrace each person as an individual, dealing with their needs some of which can be very complex. I wonder how many employees don’t register on our radar because we simply don’t create an appropriate platform and framework to support the individual, rather wrap them up within an employee wide offer, e.g. subsidised gym membership?

If we’re really going to place the Health and Wellbeing of our employees at the heart of our business, then we need to ‘design in’ the opportunity for individuals to raise their own specific needs within an appropriate environment.

yy Support employee participation in wellness activities yy Support employees to adopt and maintain healthy behaviours and reduce unhealthy behaviours yy Support employees in understanding how they can strike a healthy work/life balance

WE WILL BE DOING THIS IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS:

yy A new programme of workplace wellbeing activities throughout the year, including mindfulness talks, free exercise classes for staff to try, and other offers at key times in the calendar, e.g. Easter, Halloween, etc. yy Ensuring that the Wave Team is clear on the benefits available to them, from discounted gym membership to the cycle to work scheme, and the new benefits we will introduce from April 2019. yy Introducing educational resources relating to a wide range of health-related matters designed to help our Team to be happier and healthier at work, e.g. email etiquette guidance, health and wellbeing tips etc yy Providing access to counselling services including the option for face to face consultation, accessible by the employee when they want, where they want and how they want, without necessarily the requirement to inform HR. yy Providing low cost personal training services including nutrition, to ensure a tailored approach to physical activity.

Finally, towards the end of 2019, we will be welcoming a workplace wellbeing consultant to assess how we’re doing and help us plan for the future.

WAY FORWARD

On an annual basis we conduct a staff survey and on the back of recent feedback, in January 2019 we will be launching a new programme for Workplace Wellbeing.

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Health & Wellbeing

Wellbeing = increased PROFITABILITY THERE IS GROWING RECOGNITION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF INDIVIDUAL WELLBEING INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE WORKPLACE. IN WORKING TO GET THE VERY BEST OUT OF THEIR ORGANISATION, MANY MANAGERS ARE CHOOSING TO ADOPT PRACTICES TO INCREASE THE WELLBEING OF THEIR STAFF.

A

recent and comprehensive study* suggests improvement in wellbeing will result in improved workplace performance: in profitability (financial performance), labour productivity and the quality of outputs or services.

WHAT IS WELLBEING?

The term “wellbeing” covers several aspects of the way people feel about their lives, including their jobs, and their relationships with the people around them. Of course, a person’s wellbeing is

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to do with their own character and home or social life along with the workplace, but research shows that employers can have an influence on an individual’s sense of wellbeing in the way they run a workplace.

HOW CAN INDIVIDUAL WELLBEING AT WORK BE IMPROVED?

Employers have the potential to influence the wellbeing of their staff. There is no ‘one size fits all’ but where employers are able to raise wellbeing in their

workforce, they are also likely to see improvements in the performance of their workplace and their bottom line.

There will be different factors that influence wellbeing at an individual level, but detailed analysis of a wide range of research studies has suggested that there are 11 key factors for increasing wellbeing to boost performance in general. yy Where employees have a degree of autonomy over how they do their job – this does not mean

that people should ignore set processes, but could mean that staff have a level of discretion about how they undertake their work. yy Variety in the work employees undertake, which could be addressed through job design. yy Staff respond positively to a sense that their job has significance within the workplace, as well as the perceived value of the job to society. yy Being clear about what is expected of staff, including feedback on performance. yy Supportive supervision. yy Staff also benefit from positive interpersonal contact with other people. This includes contact with managers and co-workers, as well as with customers or the general public (where the job requires it). yy Opportunities for employees to use and develop their skills yy A sense of physical security is important for employees, including the safety of work practices, the adequacy of equipment and the pleasantness of the work environment. yy A sense of job security and clear career prospects both help

increase wellbeing. yy Staff respond well to the perception of fairness in the workplace. yy Higher pay was also registered as a strong positive motivator. However, this relationship depends not only on the absolute level of pay but how this compares with the pay of other workers.

Alongside these factors which can boost wellbeing, the research also showed that when the demands of a job are

Research shows that employers can have an influence on an individual’s sense of wellbeing in the way they run a workplace.

particularly high this can reduce wellbeing. A key thread that runs through many of these factors is ensuring good, open communication with employees.

Involving employees in decision making, especially in combination with good leadership and line management is extremely helpful.

I will discuss this in more depth next month including ways to improve your employees mental resilience and therefore increase productivity & ROI– we’d all like that right?

Mandy Brook is the MD or The Wellbeing & Performance Company.

You can contact her at Mandy@TWPC.co.uk or check out our website at www.twpc.co.uk or call the team on 01424 236900 *(GOV.UK – Review of evidence on employee wellbeing and its potential impact on workplace performance)

Health & Wellbeing

A

bsence and presenteeism costs the UK £77bn in lost productivity, according to the ‘Britain’s Healthiest Workplace’ survey.

This is a staggering amount, but for smaller businesses absences usually have a bigger impact in the context of their own day to day operations.

Putting this into everyday terms, there is the direct cost of absence – paying for temporary cover as well as the sick pay and other contractual entitlements for the absent employee, and the cost of potentially exiting the employee.

There is also the less tangible ‘cost’ of the impact on other staff who may have to cover workload. The flip side is presenteeism – staff members turning up to work when they’re ill, not performing their best, completing tasks poorly, and possibly even spreading germs to colleagues.

There is good news though - there are simple steps you can take to reduce absences and to implement health and wellbeing programmes in your business that doesn’t cost a fortune or take up much time. For example, Wellness Checks are a simple 15 minute health check that can identify heart disease, diabetes, cholesterol and kidney disease, and can be carried out onsite.

In one instance, when the team carried out Wellness Checks for a Police Force the team met one seemingly healthy 36 year old officer. The Wellness Check

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WORKING towards Wellness DO YOU KNOW HOW HEALTHY YOUR EMPLOYEES ARE? LOCH ASSOCIATES GROUP’S WELLNESS CHECKS ALLOW EMPLOYERS TO TAKE PROACTIVE STEPS TO MINIMISE THE RISK OF ABSENCES FROM WORK THROUGH ILL-HEALTH

identified him as being severely at risk of a heart attack or stroke which could have potentially been fatal unless preventative measures were put in place immediately. We were able to direct the officer to his GP and as a result he was put on medication to manage his health risks.

According to the British Heart Foundation, the average recovery time from a heart attack is three months, with a further three months to get back to working full time. If you consider that the salary of a police officer with five years’ experience is £30,000, with a sick pay policy of six months’ full pay, this could cost the Police Force at least £15,000, before incurring the costs of covering the officer’s duties. Not only was this cost saved, but potentially so was the officer’s life.

These checks, when combined with our physical and mental health first aid courses and stress management training help you prevent absences from occurring. Alongside this we have our Proactive Absence Management (PAM)™ process and HR Medical Specialists who can help you manage absences effectively. This means we are able to provide a holistic health and wellbeing strategy to support your employees, and minimise the impact of absence, without placing a significant financial burden on your business.

To find out more please visit www.lochassociates.co.uk

Health & Wellbeing

Take on a DRINK COACH ONLINE SUPPORT TO RESET DRINKING HABITS

E

ncouraging our employees to think about their drinking habits is not always an easy subject to raise; doing so supports workplace health, and means you will be looking out for your workforce. In return it may help you to combat common staffing issues.

As well as affecting health, mood and sleep, alcohol also has an impact on productivity and absenteeism from work, costing the UK economy between £8 and £11 billion per year in lost productivity and sickness absence.

Research has shown that 43% of people find it difficult to switch off from work and 67% are still thinking through work

issues when they come home. While some people counteract workplace stress with positive efforts, like exercise, others take a less positive route, like drinking alcohol. For many, drinking too much can be a psychological battle, not a physical dependency, and it’s one that can prove challenging to break. Here are just some of the benefits people, who may well be working in your organisation, will notice if they can reduce their alcohol intake:

yy healthier appearance yy being more productive at work yy saving money

It’s great that many people will now take part in the national Dry January campaign, as part of a new year’s health kick.

Research shows that participants lose weight, sleep better, feel better overall and save money. Breaking habits is not always easy, though, and here in West Sussex, the Public Health team in the county council offer a free online coaching service to help people, called DrinkCoach.

Many people feel uncomfortable seeking help via traditional routes, and this online approach can be done in the privacy of the person’s own home at a time that suits them. The coaching service provides alcohol support and advice where and when it is needed.

Using Skype technology, the coaching service connects individuals to their own DrinkCoach - an alcohol support expert at a time that suits them. The service is professional, convenient and confidential and appeals to people who may otherwise find it difficult to access support, because of daytime commitments, mobility issues, distance or stigma. Coaches help people to focus on their own goals and give them the support that they need reset their drinking habits, whether they choose to drink less, have more drink free days, or to stop altogether.

So if you have employees who live or work in West Sussex please let them know about this free service. They just need to enter a promotional code WSAD to access free coaching sessions at www.drinkcoach.org.uk

yy feeling more motivated and having more energy yy improved physical health yy improved quality of sleep yy improved mood

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Health & Wellbeing

SABREEN AND CHLOE ARE OFFERING READERS A FREE ONE-HOUR STRATEGY MEETING TO DISCUSS REQUIREMENTS.

POSITIVE Work Space SABREEN QURESHI-HITCHENS AND CHLOE BULLOCK EXPLAIN HOW WORKSPACE DESIGN CAN ENCOURAGE HAPPY, HEALTHY AND ENGAGED PEOPLE.

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n recent years, high tech companies such as Google and Facebook have been at the forefront of setting the trend in new workplace design.

This re-thinking is changing the way we design our offices from a ‘one-size fits all’ approach to re-focusing on the idea that offices need to be designed for the individuals that work in them. With sickness absence costing UK businesses £14 billion pounds - that’s an average of £524 per case, it pays to embrace these design trends to aid and improve workplace wellness, minimise ill health and increase productivity.

There are several approaches to tackling this issue including hiring an interior designer to improve office design - or by looking more in-depth and analysing the health risks posed to the workforce using a medical health professional (physiotherapist for example) to carry out company DSE (desk, screen equipment) Assessments to ensure workstations, furniture and environment meet health and safety regulations..

SO WHAT CHANGES CAN BE MADE?

y Keep humans at the centre of the design - in addition to the important DSE requirements ensure there are other kinds of comfort as well. Are the acoustics making it a difficult space to work in? Are there distracting smells from other areas of the building

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that can be designed out? Is the lighting too harsh? y The evolution of workplace design means that offices are looking more like cafes. This lateral thinking in the design of an office really helps productivity for people to work in the environment that suits the tasks for that day.

Research shows that younger age groups report being more productive in more relaxed postures, however the associated risks should also be taken into account. y Rethinking the office as a space can create company culture that accepts and encourages taking regular breaks from screens, active movement and stretches during the day. Break the fixation of one person per desk, each complete with a personal stationery store and obligatory desk clutter. Free up space, work from smaller spaces - reduce lease costs - save money! y We spend 90% of our time inside, so workplace design is so important to our wellbeing. Let’s make our workplaces happy and healthy places to be in by adding joy and inspiration - using colour to energise and biophilia (human’s connection to nature) with plants inside and out to soothe and aid good mental health and cleanse the air we breathe.

Sabreen Qureshi-Hitchens is a

Chartered Physiotherapist who proactively approaches her work by getting to the root cause of client’s ailments rather than just fixing them in her clinic. She is currently setting up Ergo Health Hub to optimise workstation equipment and environment to ensure employers meet employees health and wellbeing requirements. With over 26 years experience of diagnosing and treating musculoskeletal conditions, she runs her clinic Active Physio Clinics, at the King Alfred Leisure Centre, Hove.

www.activephysioclinics.com

Brighton-based interior designer Chloe Bullock is recent winner of ‘Women

in Property’ at Sussex’s Business Women Excellence Awards. She’s a follower of healthy building movement - the WELL Building standard - designing spaces with health, well being and performance in mind. She’s a British Institute of Interior Design Registered Interior Designer® – the pre-eminent professional organisation for interior designers in the UK. She is the first interior designer in the UK to be VEGANDESIGN.ORG CERTIFIED™ - so can assist clients with cruelty-free and eco-friendly specifications as well.

materialiseinteriors.com

Health & Wellbeing

EMPLOYEE

Wellbeing, Productivity and Presenteeism SAM REHAN WWW.WELLBEINGATWORK.GLOBAL

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roductivity is a complex field.

The UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) describes in simple terms, that labour productivity measures the amount of output produced per worker: higher productivity means that a business produces more output for each worker it employs. Increased productivity over time means businesses can produce more goods and services per unit of input (labour, capital and others). The UK’s relatively poor productivity performance since 2008 has reflected in the prominence of productivity discussions and comparisons. ONS describes the impact of size, foreign direct investment (FDI), management practices and trade as some of the markers to why some businesses are excelling more than others.

The ONS offers an interactive productivity benchmarking tool, to allow businesses to calculate their productivity over time and also compare their productivity

performance to other businesses in their industry. Only three pieces of information is required: turnover (or sales), purchases of inputs (excluding investment), and how many people are employed.

What of wellbeing markers?

In Improving Lives: the work, health and disability green paper, the Government describes wellbeing as ‘when a person feels comfortable, healthy or happy’.

Published figures (ONC) show that employees took an average of 4.1 sickness absence days in 2017 and that the average number of sickness absence days that UK workers take has almost halved since 1993. Good news? Alarm bells have rung. Experts warn that an increase in presenteeism, where people go to work even though they are ill, is a huge cause for concern and is reducing productivity in the UK. The 2018 Health and Well-being at Work survey, involved over

1,000 HR professionals and was conducted by the CIPD and Simplyhealth.

The survey revealed that almost nine in ten (86 per cent) HR professionals had observed presenteeism in their organisation in the past year, compared with 72% in 2016 and only 26% in 2010. Professor Sir Cary Cooper, president of the CIPD and professor of organisational psychology and health at the University of Manchester, warned: ‘“Although sickness absence is lower, presenteeism is on the increase,” and that “the concerns about job security from Brexit and the aftermath of the recession have led to people needing to show ‘face time’, worried that high absenteeism would lead to possible redundancy.”

Aside from other health related costs aside, presenteeism can be very expensive for a business. Employees are significantly less productive when they are unwell and passing their illness to other workers further reduces productivity. Sick staff are more likely to make mistakes and produce less quality wok and interaction than healthy employees.

What can be done? The CIPD found that Presenteeism stems from a lack of employee wellbeing initiatives and warns ‘‘If organisations are serious about improving people’s well-being, they need to dig deep and take action to combat the root problems causing poor mental health, such as unmanageable workloads – yet again by far the greatest cause of stress at work according to our survey.’’

In short, the CIPD’s UK Working Lives survey report (2018) identified health and wellbeing as the single most important aspect of job quality in terms of the key outcomes, concluding that ‘being well is working well’.

REFERENCES www.ons.gov.uk www.gov.uk/government/ consultations/work-health-and-disability-improving-lives 2018 Health and Well-being at Work survey by the CIPD and Simplyhealth. (2018) CIPD UK Working Lives [online] Survey report.

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Health & Wellbeing

Y

ou’ve heard of ‘FinTech’ for financial software products and ‘EdTech’ for the education sector, but what about ‘PsyTech’?

Mental health awareness is on the rise in Britain, and we are becoming more conscious of how strongly our emotional and physical wellbeing correlates with our working lives. We spend more than a third of our waking hours at work, so it’s not surprising that our experiences there have such a big impact on our stress levels, cognitive load, sense of fulfilment and self-actualisation.

As employers and staff alike develop more awareness of wellbeing, many organisations are waking up to the value of mental health initiatives in the workplace; to attract and retain the best talent, maximise performance and productivity and reduce absences.

“What we are currently seeing is a surge in interest in ‘PsyTech’ products,” says Sussex Innovation’s Executive Director, Mike Herd.

“Modern businesses are recognising the importance of acting to safeguard employee wellbeing, and are looking for scientifically validated tools that can help them to get a handle on what staff are thinking and feeling – or equip them with the tools to manage their mental health. We’re proud to have quite a significant cluster of innovators in this field working with us.”

CARI: The Commitment and Resilience Index is an organisational wellbeing analytics tool developed by the Maria Paviour Company, a neuroscience-based wellbeing consultancy. It not only provides a unique wellbeing profile and immediate support for each user but also collates anonymised data that enables leaders to understand the psychological wellbeing of their teams, as

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PsyTech:

THE BUSINESS of Mental Health A CLUSTER OF PSYCHOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE EXPERTS BASED AT SUSSEX INNOVATION CENTRE ARE USING TECHNOLOGY PLATFORMS TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES OF MENTAL HEALTH AND WORKPLACE WELLBEING, AND DEMAND FOR THEIR SERVICES IS GROWING well as tracking their efforts to change workplace culture for the better.

“There are many potential causes for organisational dysfunction, but they all tend to stem from a similar source,” says founder Maria Paviour. “CARI helps organisations to understand where personalities are clashing with their work environment, and measure how effective their response is.

“The important thing here is that individuals can feel empowered to explore what’s going wrong, and make their own decisions. When your people are given a space to address their own wellbeing in the workplace, it creates a more positive energy and can offer huge benefits in terms of efficiency and productivity.”

ThriveMap creates pre-hiring assessments that are customised to a com-

pany’s culture. Off-the-shelf assessments don’t take into consideration the context of the role or working culture – factors that are often crucial for the potential candidate’s level of engagement and job satisfaction.

The platform is used by multinationals including Belron International, Côte Restaurants and Dolby, to create assessment models of what great looks like in any specific role, company or team culture and ranks candidates against that benchmark. It acts as a quality control for companies, saving on total recruitment time, improving hire quality and reducing new hire failures.

Founders Chris Platts and Mark Hla believe in “assessments that communicate what the job’s really like, test real skills related to the role, and provide candidates with a quick, easy, and enjoyable experience” and that’s what makes ThriveMap unique. „We spend time understanding your culture and then tailor the tool to the company and roles it is designed to assess.”

HeartRater is a software programme developed by Prof Hugo Critchley and Prof Sarah Garfinkel, two academics based within the Brighton and Sussex Medical School. Their research focuses on interoception: the brain’s ability to recognise and interpret signals from the body.

“There are many potential causes for organisational dysfunction, but they all tend to stem from a similar source” training exercises that help people visualise changes in their heart rate and interpret what causes them. We hope that our HeartRater software could prove effective in helping people to manage a range of anxiety disorders, and much of our research so far seems to be validating that possibility.”

WeThrive offers a suite of employee engagement tools that help organisations to understand the causes of workplace stress and anxiety, and the negative effect they have on motivation, engagement and performance. They go beyond the traditional annual appraisal survey and provide a more dynamic, responsive way for businesses and line managers to listen and act upon employee feedback.

“We set out to create a practical tool for managers based on well-understood

“Our studies have revealed that there are a range of capabilities that correlate with a person’s ability to accurately sense their own heart rate,” says Sarah. “These range from what you might call ‘gut’ decision-making skills, to being able to self-regulate stress in high pressure situations. In cases like these, the mental state of the subject was shown to be directly impacted by physical awareness of their body signals.

“We started to think about whether interoception was something that could be trained, and if that training would have a similar impact,” adds Hugo. “It turns out that it can, and does. We developed a series of computer-aided tests and

“The important thing here is that individuals can feel empowered to explore what’s going wrong, and make their own decisions”

motivational theory,” says founder and business psychologist, Piers Bishop.

“Our employee surveys are designed to diagnose problems with the ‘4Cs’; cognitive, capability, connection and confidence. Does the team understand what the organisation is trying to achieve, do they have the necessary skills and resources to contribute, and how strong are their relationships with each other?”

“Under ‘confidence’ we look at things like job security, control and the ability to see your work as meaningful. These are all metrics that traditional surveys can find hard to measure, and even harder to respond to.”

Is your business a PsyTech business?

If you could benefit from joining a community of likeminded start-ups, with access to a world-class School of Psychology, and academics, researchers, students and graduates on your doorstep, visit www.sinc.co.uk.

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR Winner: Shake it up Creative

PURPLE BRICK AWARD Winner: Materialise Interiors

BUSINESS WOMEN Excellence

AWARDS

The 2018 Winners are Announced

T

he Business Woman Excellence Awards - Sussex edition, took place at Brighton Hilton Metropole Hotel on November 30th 2018. The glamorous gala evening was attended by over 250 guests with Nikki Gatenby, MD of Propellent as the evening’s keynote speaker. Her talk was inspiring, and covered women and their roles in modern society and business.

Nikki recently launched her new book “Superengaged” which has already become an international best seller in its first few weeks.

WOMAN IN UNIFORM Winner: Chief Inspector Anita Turner

The awards ceremony, hosted by BBC Sussex’s Danny Pike, saw many familiar faces as well as some brand new faces, with so many of Sussex’s talented business ladies taking the opportunity to network with each other.

There were many amazing winners with the BWEA 2018 Judges Gold Award going to Man Bites Dog. The entertainment was provided by The Brighton Academy of Performing Arts who showcased a segment of their latest presentation of “Sister Act”.

BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE YEAR Winner: Zoe Nicholson of HERE

www.businesswomenexcellenceawards.co.uk www.carrotevents.co.uk.

THE INSPIRE AWARD Winner: Champs Academy

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START - UP BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Winner: Bees Homes LLP

MOST ENTERPRISING BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Winner: Choc Chick

EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR Winner: Sussex Sign Company

DIGITAL WOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD Winner: Lisa Seymour of Made

by Spoken

MENTOR AND COACH OF THE YEAR Winner: Claire Evans, Time Management and Productivity Coach

LEGAL AND PROFESSIONAL WOMAN OF THE YEAR Winner: Penina Shepherd of Acumen Business Law

SUSSEX BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Winner: Man Bites Dog

CORPORATE WOMAN OF THE YEAR Winner: Linda Edwards of The Sussex Sign Company

WOMAN IN THE ARTS Winner: Debbie Adams of The Royal Hippodrome Theatre and Trap Door Theatre School

THE WELLNESS AWARD Winner: Active Sussex

BEST NETWORKER OF THE YEAR Winner: Ladies Lunch Clubs

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS WOMAN THE YEAR Joint Winners: Tamara Roberts Of Ridgeview Wine Estate and Kathy Caton of Brighton Gin

WORKING WITH CHILDREN & FAMILIES Winner: Embrace East Sussex

2018 BWEA JUDGES GOLD AWARDÂ Winner: Man Bites Dog COMMUNITY SPIRITS AWARD Winner: People Matter

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CHARITY NEWS

Snow Wonderful

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ne

Chestnut Tree House Dover Lane, Arundel, West Sussex, BN18 9PX

The Snowman Spectacular Fundraising Ball raises over £500,000 for Chestnut Tree House

Telephone 01903 871800 www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk

I

nspired by The Snowman™, the picture book created and illustrated by Chestnut Tree House Patron, Raymond Briggs CBE, The Snowman Spectacular Ball is the biggest event on the charity’s fundraising calendar. Supporters at the event, which took place on December 1st in a spectacular winter wonderland setting at the Hilton Brighton Metropole, included life-time Patron, Ambrose HarcoTM urt; Olympic Champion, Sally Gunnell OBE DL; model and racing driver, Jodie Kidd; Paralympic Equestrian Champion, Natasha Baker MBE, and MasterChef 2018 Champion, Kenny Tutt.

Chief Executive: Hugh Lowson

s Christmas, Snowman , re, joy and your local highlight of the evening was undoubank The you. tedly the heartfelt speech by Lorna Cob-

bett, who spoke about what Chestnut Tree House means to her and her family. Lorna’s triplet daughter, Essie, went to Chestnut Tree House from 13 weeks old, before sadly passing away in August 2017, aged 18 months. She talked about the ways the Chestnut Tree House care team were there through the worst days and helped the family make memories – little moments Registered charityforever.

No 256789 to treasure

org.uk/christmas1

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Auctioneer Nick Muston led the Spectacular Auction, encouraging guests to dig deep for some ‘money-can’t buy’ items and experiences, including a Goodwood VIP Motoring Experience with Jodie Kidd; tickets to the exclusive preview night of London’s Winter Wonderland 2019; and a chance to be a character in Peter James’s next book. 15 limited-edition signed prints of an exclusive illustration ‘The Juggling 10:30 Tree House Snowman’ drawn for02/01/2018 Chestnut

by Raymond Briggs were also auctioned.

Brighton businessman and charity Patron, Robbie Raggio, took to the stage for the fi nal two auction lots, Pay for a Day and Pay

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Chestnut Tree Clinical Director, Cathy Stone for an Hour. Guests generously pledged to pay for 54 days and a further 141 hours of care for the coming year. Construction company, Willmott Dixon, pledged to raise a staggering £95,900 to pay for two weeks’ care; and Mike Holland – creator of the charity’s Pay for a Day initiative – paid for three days.

Lorna & Steve Cobbett

Cathy Stone, Clinical Director at Chestnut Tree House said: “We are always humbled by the support shown at The Snowman Spectacular Ball, and this year was no exception. £516,230 is an incredible amount to raise in a single night, and we are so incredibly grateful to everyone who attended, as well as all the individuals and organisations who donated their time, services and prizes for the event.

“We would like to thank our two Headline Sponsors, Green People and Willmott Dixon; as well as Amber Scaffolding, Avensys, Clearline Recruitment, Creative Pod, E3, ECE Architecture, Gemini Print, Gusto Wines, Hilton Brighton Metropole, Oliver & Graimes, Platinum Publishing, Shoreham Vehicle Auctions, and Sussex Life.”

Photos by Graham Franks

Sally Gunnell & Jon Bigg

LEGAL

Brexit opportunities

for Private Equity The vote to leave the EU has not been well received, however, for private equity firms, there could be numerous opportunities, says Mark O’Halloran, Partner and Head of Commercial Services at Coffin Mew

logistics experts and thinking hard on how to minimise delays and costs.

T

he Brexit circus rumbles on. Calmer voices remind themselves that the UK isn’t in the Schengen Area, so we don’t have entirely frictionless trade as it is and, if the EU is good at anything, it’s fudging an irresolvable problem to keep business flowing.

Our largest clients mostly shrug off the challenge of even a no deal outcome because they already have the infrastructure in place to deal with it. Smaller clients are currently deep in discussions with

For Private Equity, these might even be thought of as good times. The Dutch investor, Nimbus, for one is investing further in its Leeds and Manchester offices with the Managing Partner, Ed van Dijk, explaining that the UK has “excellent investment opportunities irrespective of Brexit.”

It seems to me that the current environment is ideal for Private Equity investors to identify the kinds of opportunities that they typically look out for.

The quality of a company’s management team and the depth of their contingency planning are certainly thrown into sharp relief by Brexit. However, I think there’s another specific way in which Brexit might even help a company attract investment.

We often work with a company after it’s been acquired by Private Equity on a three to five-year plan to professionalise and improve the company’s risk and contract management. As one COO said to me: “I need the next due diligence report to show significant improvements on the report we prepared before we invested, and to show that we fixed all the issues we spotted at the outset.” Those improvements don’t happen overnight, and they don’t happen just by drawing up some shinier-looking documentation.

What’s required is working closely with all levels of the company, not just to improve governance, but to re-design its operations to match the risk profile and bargaining position that the investors identified as their target outcome. This is to ensure that, come the investors’ own exit, there are no identifiable deficiencies which the next buyer will use as a price chip.

In all that, there’s often a particular focus which is fundamental to the value that Private Equity is looking to create with the company. It’s easy to think that investors only seek out well-run, highly scalable businesses which simply need more capital and experience to reach the next level. No doubt, an investor will always want a good crop of those in the portfolio.

But the really exciting challenge for investors is when they find a company which has serious operational, technical and market challenges to the point that it almost appears not to be scalable. Private Equity can create a high-growth business from what otherwise looked like a dead end.

With so many companies struggling with the constraints imposed by Brexit, we may start to see companies which were not necessarily that attractive to investors suddenly start to look interesting.

www.coffinmew.co.uk

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62%

of Mid-Sized Businesses have an Ambitious Attitude to Growth Allied Irish Bank (GB) Wants to Help them get There visit aibgb.co.uk

Source: AIB (GB)’s 2017 Steps to Growth survey The AIB logo, Allied Irish Bank (GB) and Allied Irish Bank (GB) Savings Direct are trade marks used under licence by AIB Group (UK) p.l.c. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Allied Irish Banks, p.l.c.) incorporated in Northern Ireland. Registered Office 92 Ann Street, Belfast BT1 3HH. Registered Number NI018800.

Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

LEGAL

success at the

Celebrating

Sussex Business Awards

I

am delighted to be a part of the Sussex Business Awards which recognise and reward growing companies and economic prosperity. At the awards event held in November, there was an array of extremely talented and dynamic business men and women who are running some of the most promising businesses in the UK and achieving great things. It is people like this that will help our economy to recover and prosper again. Sussex businesses provide a great example to other UK businesses that success can be realised even in the most challenging economic conditions and are truly inspirational.

AIB (GB) became involved in the Sussex Business Awards because we recognise the important role that business of all sizes have whether this is entrepreneurs, SMEs or large corporate businesses. It also gives us a great opportunity to celebrate the fantastic achievement of the wider business community and bring everyone together under one roof.

Emma Lane, the Area Director for Allied Irish Bank (GB) on the South East, talks about the celebrations at the recent Sussex Business Awards and the importance of highlighting business success stories across the region.

As category sponsor for the Large Corporate Awards I was delighted to represent AIB (GB) and present the award to Raynor.

We know the ongoing economic pressures mean that the environment is tough and that achieving growth and managing cash flow are some of the key issues we see facing many of the UK’s businesses.

We understand for the economy to thrive it needs to be built on investment and we take very seriously our role in helping Sussex companies to achieve success.

As the category sponsor of the Large Business of the Year Award, l was delighted to represent AIB (GB) and present the award to Raynor. Based in Worthing, West Sussex, Raynor are the only manufacturer of intraocular lenses in the UK, being at the forefront of innovation in this field for nearly 70 years.

ativity and entrepreneurial flair. I would like to take this opportunity to pass on my congratulations to all the winners.

To see how AIB (GB) can help you with any of your business needs, please contact AIB (GB) South East Business Centre on 01273 574195 or email with an initial enquiry to Brighton@aib.ie.

Call charges may apply, charges may vary depending on operator

The calibre of finalists this year has been superb with so many demonstrating cre*The AIB logo, Allied Irish Bank (GB) and Allied Irish Bank (GB) Savings Direct are trade marks used under licence by AIB Group (UK) p.l.c. incorporated in Northern Ireland. Registered Office 92 Ann Street, Belfast BT1 3HH. Registered Number NI018800. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

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DESIGN

A YEAR

It’s been a great year for Whitespace and we thought we would share a few examples of the projects we’ve been proud to have worked on this year. By Milly Stone, Managing Director, Whitespace

DESIGN 1

FUTURE

Design, Web & Marketing RESUME

whitespace.studio

Design & Web Development

We were commissioned to work with new business, Future Resume on their web project from the early branding stage. Being involved from the very beginning allowed us the freedom to utilise our full range of services and meant we were able to control the creative direction from brand development through to site launch. It’s wonderful to have this level of involvement and the opportunity to offer our full support when launching a website for a new business venture.

It was a real pleasure to collaborate with such a great client on a particularly interesting project. The end result is a cohesive brand incorporated into a stunning web build and supported with a superb animation courtesy of our talented partner ticktockrobot.

We are a Brighton based creative agency specialising in design, web and marketing.

Founded by three passionate creatives.

Creators of the Platinum Publishing Group website

www.futureresume.com

2

MAYO WYNNE BAXTER

Design & Web Development We have completely redesigned and developed the site for award winning solicitor Mayo Wynne Baxter. The UI was built on top of a series of well thought out wireframes to ensure a seamless user experience. A smart sitewide search makes navigating the full range of services a simple process. We have utilised stunning drone footage of the Sussex countryside throughout the site to catch the eye and highlight the eight office locations across the South East. www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk

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3 Whitespace advert.indd 1

BATES WHARF MARINE SALES

Design & Marketing We have been working with Bates Wharf Marine Sales to overhaul their range of print advertising templates. The existing templates needed modernising to better reflect the company ethos and to help the brand stand out in a busy marketplace. The new designs are clean and contemporary and allow the images enough space to be properly showcased. We also provide ongoing marketing support around the leisure marine exhibition season at events such as Southampton Boat Show, Cannes Boat Show and others around the world, creating effective digital marketing campaigns.

19/06/2018

4

OX MAGAZINE

5

Design & Web Development

THE GREEN PARTY UK

Design & Web Development Recently designed and developed a temporary webpage to replace the existing Green Party UK homepage to support a fortnight long membership drive. The focus of the design was primarily to support the drive and increase membership sign up for the Party. The project had a three week critical turnaround.

OX is a luxury lifestyle magazine delivered into the finest homes, venues and newsagents across Oxford. We were approached to breathe new life into the supporting website so that it better reflected the quality of the brand. Ease of use for both visitor and publisher was a key part of our proposal. We worked together to design and develop a beautiful, responsive, fully searchable magazine site complete with a custom made ‘quick publishing’ system in the CMS for easy article upload. A fantastic project to be involved in.

6

MISSION LABELS Design, Web Development & Marketing

www.oxmag.co.uk

Mission approached us for a complete rebrand package.

This included a vibrant new corporate identity, website and ongoing marketing support. The previous brand had served them well but was in need of an overhaul to better reflect the values and modern approach of the company. We arranged an on-location photoshoot with our friend Jimpix to do his thing and capture the perfect photos for us to use throughout the site. The site and brand were unveiled during a successful launch party at the Mission offices. www.missionlabels.co.uk

If you have a project you would like to work with us on then do get in touch. info@whitespace.studio 01273 258000 www.whitespace.studio

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TRAVEL

Could I have a title Rome’s effortless charm lies in its confidence in its traditions; it knows it is one of the most desirable cities on the planet

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The Eternal City is a window to both the past and the future, finds Rose Dykins

Rome Shake Hands in

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TRAVEL

In Osteria da Fortunata restaurant (along the cobbled Via del Pellegrino) a white t-shirted chef sits facing out of a warmly-lit window. In an almost meditative state, she slices sheets of butter-yellow pasta into strips, twists them into strozzapreti-shaped pieces and places them in a simple paper lined tray. Moments later, these will be boiled, piled into plain terracotta bowls and served up to the diners crammed along the benches of the bare wooden tables.

The queue trails out of the door, on this wintery evening, as it does every night of the week.

Rome’s effortless charm lies in its confidence in its traditions; it knows it is one of the most desirable cities on the planet. Every corner you turn leads to something astounding: from secret gardens that could be straight out of oil paintings to magnificent Roman architecture – the

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relics of the one of the most powerful empires the world has ever known. With its past such a visible part of the city’s fabric, Rome provides one of the most staggering cityscapes in Europe for corporate events, along with innovative facilities that keep on evolving.

For business travellers visiting the Italian capital, a major gain was the opening of the largest congress centre in Europe in 2016. Known as “La Nuvola” (the cloud), Roma Convention Centre was 18 years in the making, following an investment of €240 million. A gigantic glass cube of a building in the heart of Rome’s EUR business district, Massimiliano Fuksas, the architect behind La Nuvola, describes it as: “an ode to transparency.”

In terms of hotels, Rome is enjoying some exciting additions, including a second Rocco Forte hotel – Hotel de la Ville – which was set to open its doors at the time of going to press.

“Located on top of the Spanish steps, the newest addition to the Rocco Forte

For business travellers visiting the Italian capital, a major gain was the opening of the largest congress centre in Europe in 2016

TOPfor a meeting or event PL ACES

Rome Convention centre (La Nuvola)

The capital’s game changing new conference and exhibition venue is truly cutting edge, with some sizeable spaces, including the glass-walled plenary Forum that can seat 5,000 people for a gala dinner, and the 1,800-seat auditorium. nellanuvola.it

Nuovo Fiera di Roma

This sprawling conference venue has ten event pavilions and 40,000 sqm of outdoor space. What’s more, the building’s ultra-thin solar power system produces enough energy each year to power the homes of 600 families. fieraroma.it

Rocco Forte Hotel de Russie

Opened in the early 19th-century to welcome Russian aristocrats, the courtyard of this oasis-like property has always been a hub for exchanging ideas. Its signature suites pay homage to its famous guests; my favourite is the stunning Picasso suite, which would be ideal for a private meeting.

“Our tiered Secret Garden can be hired for private events, launches, welcome drinks and celebrations for up to 100 guests,” says Elsner. “For team building purposes, our catalogue includes Renaissance walking tours, exclusive private tours of the Vatican, the Colosseum or the Roman Forum, or exploring atmospheric districts such as Trastevere and the Ghetto.”

MAXXI National Museum of Contemporary Art

roccofortehotels.com

maxxi.art

Hotels portfolio in Rome will offer an ideal mix for business travellers: an ideal location, six different food and beverage offerings and several meeting and banqueting spaces – amongst them a 400 sqm courtyard and a private terrace with spectacular views over Rome,” says Martin Elsner, general manager of Rocco Forte Hotel de Russie. Also coming in the very near future is the First Roma Dolce, part of Preferred Hotels group. The property will be housed in a 19th-century building along the iconic Via del Corso, with 23 rooms and suites – some with in-room libraries and fitness centres – offering inspiring contemporary interiors that would set the right tone for a product launch or private meeting.

Designed by Zaha Hadid, this award-winning piece of architecture is a feast for the eyes. Italy’s first museum dedicated to “contemporary creativity” has some unforgettable spaces for corporate events.

Last year, Rome Fiumicino was named the World’s Most Improved Airport by Skytrax. In 2015, plans to invest €12 billion by 2044 in revitalising the airport came into play, and the results are already starting to show. The aim of the investment was to enhance travellers’ end-to-end experience, encourage self-service and boost technologies that track passenger flow through the airport. So far, the airport has gained a new boarding area and the extension of Terminal 3 has been completed, adding 90,000 sqm of space for passengers.

This year, work on a new baggage hall for Terminal 1 will be completed, and a fourth terminal will also be added in the future, all of which will help accommodate the airport’s forecasted 50 million

annual passengers by 2021. Fiumicino’s grand plans also include launching high-speed rail links to Florence, Bologna and Venice, encouraging domestic travellers to fly via the Italian capital rather than turning to European hub airports outside of the country (such as Paris Charle de Gaulle and Frankfurt).

While Rome’s confidence in its appeal for international travellers is justified, the Italian capital recognises it must move with the times to compete with the fresh facilities of other European business hubs. Fortunately, long-term infrastructure investments are starting to take shape, and the Eternal City is ever-changing to meet the demands of corporate travellers.

TRAVEL

New Gatwick’s plans for growth Gatwick Airport is the biggest driver of economic growth in the region and currently supports 85,000 jobs, including over 24,000 based on the airport campus. In all, the airport generates a £5.3 billion contribution to UK GDP and this could increase by £2 billion if the scenarios in the airport’s latest draft master plan are realised.

The plan sets out the airport’s ongoing growth into the early 2030s and its latest thinking on how it can meet the increasing demand for air travel, provide enhanced global connectivity and also new economic opportunities and jobs across the region for generations to come.

Taken forward, the scenarios in the plan could deliver a further 20,000 new

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HEIGHTS

There has been widespread support for Gatwick’s plans for growth and polling across Sussex, Surrey and Kent reveals what residents think about Gatwick’s plan to use its standby runway

airport’s noise footprint and provide greater operational resilience.

3. Additional runway – while not actively pursuing the option of building a new runway to the south of the airport – Gatwick believes it is in the national interest to continue to safeguard this land for the future.

jobs and could see the airport using technology to maximise the use of its main runway, while also bringing its existing standby runway into simultaneous use for departing flights.

Three scenarios

Gatwick could grow across three scenarios looking ahead to the early 2030s:

1. Main runway – using new technology to increase capacity in the near term offering incremental growth through more efficient operations.

2. Standby runway – potentially bringing Gatwick’s existing standby runway into routine use for departing flights, alongside its main runway, by the mid-2020s. This development would meet all international safety requirements and would be delivered without increasing the

Polling Following publication of its draft master plan in October 2018, Gatwick commissioned YouGov to gather the views of local residents on its proposals.

The results showed that there was overwhelming support with three quarters of residents (74%) in Sussex, Surrey and Kent who were surveyed supporting Gatwick’s plans to increase capacity by making better use of its existing runways – with only 14% opposing.

A similarly high proportion (67%) who were surveyed also supported Gatwick’s plans to continue safeguarding land south of the airport – in the national interest - in case it is ever needed for a new runway to meet future long-term demand. Only 16% opposed this concept.

38% of those who supported Gatwick’s plans said they did so because of the potential increase in the airport’s contribution to the local economy (e.g. jobs, trade, investment); 32% recognised the potential increase in travel connections and 27% because the airport already owned the land required to increase capacity.

check-in Month-to-month changes shaping your travel, by Rose Dykins

E

asyjet has unveiled plans to introduce a new loyalty programme in 2019. For the first time, members will be able to gain loyalty points by purchasing Easyjet flights. The loyalty scheme will also involve partnerships with other brands and there will be the option to redeem points in conjunction with cash.

Easyjet to launch POINTS BASED loyalty scheme

The airline currently offers the paid-for Easyjet Plus scheme (£199 per year), which comprises perks such as a members only bag drop, fast track security, speedy boarding and extra cabin baggage allowance. Easyjet also has Flight Club, an invitation only programme for its most frequent flyers.

Norwegian announces low cost GatwickRio flights

Gatwick airport gains

NEW LOUNGE FOR 2019

A

new lounge will open at Gatwick South Terminal this year for paying passengers.

Created by Swissport and Airport Lounge Development, the Club Aspire lounge will have space for 130 travellers, plus an area with work stations, a quiet lounge with runway views and a dining area with a bar.

As well as paying customers, members of Priority Pass, Executivelounges.com, Loungekey and Lounge Pass airport lounge access programmes will be able to enter the new Club Aspire lounge for free. At the time of writing, the price for using the facility had not been confirmed. Access to Club Aspire to Gatwick North terminal starts from £20.99 per person.

Revealed: Brexit open skies deal between the UK and the US

T

he British government has announced a new open skies agreement between the US and the UK, which will replace the existing EU aviation agreement with the States.

The new deal is intended to safeguard flights across the Atlantic after Brexit and: “guarantee the continuation of the vital transatlantic routes used by tens of millions of passengers a year, ensuring people can continue to travel easily between the UK and the US and maintaining choice and good value travel.”

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: “This new arrangement and those concluded with eight other countries around the world are proof that the UK will continue to be a major player on the world stage after we leave the EU.”

F

rom March 31st, Norwegian will launch low cost flights connecting Gatwick Airport with Brazil. The four weekly flights from the London airport to Rio de Janeiro will start from £240 each way, and Norwegian will deploy its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft on the route.

Bjorn Kjos, the airline’s CEO, said: “We’re building on our expansive global network by launching the UK’s most affordable flights to Brazil and making South America available to even more consumers. Our new Rio de Janeiro route breaks the monopoly on direct flights between the UK and Brazil as we’re committed to lowering fares and making travel more affordable for all holidaymakers and business travellers.”

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LUXURY TRAVEL

Ba li BUCKET LIST:

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The seductive island may be touristy, but there’s still untouched corners to escape to, says Rose Dykins

I

struggle to think of an island with more character per square metre than Bali. With its soaring volcanoes, emerald jungle, sprawling Hindu temples, hulking great waves, tranquil villages, mystical shamens and technicolour festivals, there are myriad reasons why visitors struggle to tear themselves away and venture to further-flung parts of the Indonesian archipelago. What’s more, in 2017, Bali was named Best Destination by TripAdvisor, due to high quantity and quality of user reviews of its hotels and attractions – knocking London off the top spot.

Capella Ubud

True, Bali’s popularity can make it feel crowded in places, and it’s important to know which areas to bypass (the resort town of Kuta is basically Magaluf for Australians). For the best experience, avoid high season – the months of April, May and June are the ideal for a trip. Factor in at least a week for travelling around the island, as it’s easy to get settled and linger longer than planned in one of its magical corners.

To the north is the verdant town of Ubud, where gamelan instruments chime in the air like birdsong, and tourists are enraptured by its charming artisan vibe, coffee shops and hip yoga parlours. It’s the ideal base for a sunrise trek to the summit of active volcano Mount Batur (1,717 metres) which takes about two hours to climb. A guided cycling tour of the area’s electric green rice paddies and intricate ancient temples is another adventure you won’t want to miss.

Capella Ubud

Open since the end of last year, Capella Ubud (capellahotels.com) offers a highly original way to experience Bali’s wilderness. Experimental architect Bill Bensley has created an ultra-luxurious camp inspired by the early European settlers who came to the island in the 1800s. Staggered down the slope of a rainforest valley, the 20 one and two bedroom tents, plus a two bedroom lodge all have private salt water plunge pools and sun loungers shrouded by dense jungle. Inside, the tents have plush canopy beds, antiques, Balinese-style furnishings and high-speed wifi. Evening cocktails are served in the Officer’s Tent, which has a library and colonial-style décor with a quirky twist.

There’s also a restaurant serving authentic Asian barbecue food, a nature-based spa with three treatment tents and the option to partake in camping excursions with rangers if the call from the wild urges you to respond.

BUSINESS EVENT

main sales event and were informed on how best to follow up contacts made.

They met

THE BUYERS

The annual Gatwick Diamond Meet the Buyers event, sponsored

by Gatwick Diamond Initiative, Gatwick Airport and Crawley Borough Council, took place at the Arora Hotel in November.

T

he event was designed to connect procurement teams from larger organisations with smaller local businesses.

great advantages has been the huge variety of the businesses we have seen and could work with either in a formal supplier or partnership sense so positive.”

It was a great success with 18 buyer organisations and 90 local suppliers taking part.

An estimated £1million of business deals will be generated because of the event and the supporting seminar programme.

An advisory section was included this year, enabling national and local government representatives to provide guidance on how to secure contracts with public sector organisations.

This year’s buyers - including blue chip corporates - believe it is an efficient way to meet potential suppliers. Elekta, Gatwick Airport and Chichester College Group were among those taking part.

Crawley, Horsham & Mid Sussex Councils explained, “As a local authority working in the area, it’s really useful for us to meet some of the local supply chain and explain to them how we go about doing business in local authorities. We’ve been able to signpost them to people within the organisation but also to our online tendering portal and give some advice on how to access future opportunities at the council.”

Julie Kapsalis, Managing Director of the Chichester College Group said “The reason my colleague and I came today is as a business Chichester College Group is committed to procure products and services locally, we think it’s really important to support local businesses and local supply chains. Today I think one of the

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Eight pre-event seminars were also held across the Gatwick Diamond area, ensuring the local suppliers were prepared for the

Paula Aldridge, Community Engagement manager, Gatwick Airport, said, “Gatwick is proud to be one of the region’s major buyers and it was a privilege to meet so many local businesses and see if we can support them by growing the airport’s supply chain. The sales this event generates makes an important contribution to the local economy and supports Gatwick Airport’s wider economic contribution.”

One supplier at the event, Peter Sowerby from 20six, a Sussex-based interior specialist, said: “I don’t think I’ve ever been to an event where I’ve met so many potential buyers in such a short space of time. My hope is that I form relationships from this and can follow up in the next couple of weeks.”

Kathy Taylor from Sodexo Prestige, corporate hospitality professionals at Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club said: “I felt that the Buyers in attendance today were incredibly engaging and supportive and provided high value in a short period of time with regards to my business needs and how they can help me. For me it was entirely valuable - within 6 appointments I received potential business out of all of them. Entirely worth the investment and I would quite happily come back and do it again. I look forward to seeing what my follow ups will bring.”

FUTURE OF WORK

R

apid advances in automation, artificial intelligence, platform technologies and digital data create challenges for employers and governments to keep pace with the consequences of change. Individuals face new uncertainties over how to become and stay ‘connected’ in turbulent labour markets unsure of what kind of jobs the future holds.

‘Work in the Digital Age’ In a new book ‘Work in the Digital Age’ Professor Jacqueline O’Reilly and her colleagues suggest that these changes will vary enormously by country, economic sector and the actions of managers, employees and policy makers. As a leading researcher in this field, we asked her to

required, to bring together an ecosystem of business and civic interests, while being aware of emerging regional disparities and how these can be mitigated.

Jobs for the future Most of the workforce in 2030 is already in employment today therefore more attention will need to focus on maintaining and improving their employability. The risk of jobs being eliminated through automation tends to be overestimated and doesn’t take account of factors such as the task composition of jobs, the macroeconomics of technology diffusion, and hurdles to digitalisation.

Opportunities for upskilling and reskilling as well as for developing transferrable skills will need to expand. This would require

PROFESSOR JACQUELINE O’REILLY LOOKS AT HOW WORK WILL BE DISRUPTED IN THE DIGITAL AGE

CHALLENGING

Futures at Work share her insights, and predict the future role of employers and business. A number of messages emerge from this extensive international study from Asia, North America and Europe.

Developing the right maps is essential to navigate between the highly polarised predictions. High quality education across the life course is more than teaching kids how to code. A bigger challenge is the need for investment is non-digital skills too, to create a workforce profile that brings together technical skills with interpersonal interaction, to offer services that are uniquely human.

Professor O’Reilly suggests we will need to build new institutions that secure stable employment transitions so that those displaced are not ‘left behind’. An infrastructure enabled by the state would be

access to life-long learning, a change in culture and narratives, with upskilling and reskilling becoming an integral part of a successful working life.

Professor Jacqueline O’Reilly is co-editor of Work in a Digital Age.

To find out how your business can collaborate with the University of Sussex Business School, or for information about the Sussex MBA visit www.sussex.ac.uk/business-school

Digital technologies are profoundly reshaping the world of work. The disruption of traditional business models is transforming employment.

PROUD SPONSOR OF THE SUSSEX BUSINESS AWARDS University of Sussex Business School were proud to sponsor the Creative Industry of the Year award. Innovation is a key strength and focus at the Business School and our involvement with this award reflects our interest in connecting with business in this strong regional sector. Our winner Rhythmix uses music and technology to help people manage an array of health conditions. They take a collaborative approach to find solutions that will benefit users and demonstrate a clear culture of continuous improvement from research. We hope that winning this award will raise the profile of their excellent and innovative work.

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BEE PART OF THE BIZ BUZZ KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Andrew Ball

Kathy Caton

exhibitor stands Explore local opportunities

Digital Masterclasses

Breakfast Networking Enjoy some networking over a hearty breakfast

Free business support From business experts in various fields and industries

Hone your online skills with tips from the Pro’s

Info Zone

A hive of info for start-ups to established businesses

FREE ENTRY

Meet the buyers

From local larger companies and Adur & Worthing Council

Lunch Box

Cyber Crime Specialist

South East region Organised Crime Unit

Heritage and Philanthropy

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Founder and MD

Brighton Gin

...network and mingle

#betterbiz2019

Don’t miss out – register now! www.worthingandadurchamber.co.uk SHOW PARTNERS

MAIN SPONSOR

design: yoohoocreative.com

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Chris White

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

At the show...

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Worthing Town Hall 13th February • 10am to 4pm

BUSINESS EXPO

The Better Business Show 13TH FEBRUARY 2019 10AM – 4PM Worthing Town Hall and Assembly Hall

BETTER BUSINESS 2019

With a strong focus on ‘Buy Local’, this event is a ‘must’ in the 2019 business calendar for ALL businesses in Worthing & Adur, both large and small.

B2B Exhibition

Be Informed

Over 90 stands, meet, network and introduce your business. You’ll find everything from local manufacturing companies, a wide range of professional services, construction companies, health and fitness providers, and caterers offering a great lunch!

Keep up to date with the latest cyber-crime trends, threats and vulnerabilities. Keynote Speaker Chris White, Police Cyber Security Advisor for the South East Region Organised Crime Unit will guide you through the cyber frauds and scams.

Info Zone

Connect

A hive of information for start-ups, growing and established businesses including information about grants and finance. Come along and meet the Coast to Capital Growth Hub team and find out what’s on offer.

Enjoy some networking over a tasty breakfast or a light lunch, a place to meet and mingle at the Lunch Box

Growth Opportunities to meet buying teams some of our areas larger companies.

Be Inspired Don’t miss the Keynote speakers, they will be sharing their journeys to success.

ANDREW BALL Head of Corporate Relations, Heritage and Philanthropy, will share the history of this prestigious brand we all love - Rolls-Royce Motor Cars KATHY CATON Founder and MD of Brighton Gin, Brighton’s first (legal!) distillery, talks about taking the multiple award-winning super-premium Brighton Gin to the city and beyond.

Promote Meet, network and share experiences at the B2B Exhibition with both new and established businesses. Who knows, you could even pick up some new clients

Digital Masterclasses Top tips on Social Media Strategy and Digital Marketing – trust us, you don’t want to miss these!

This event is collaboratively delivered

by Worthing and Adur Chamber & Adur & Worthing Business Partnership.

FREE to attend For more information and to keep up-to-date with the developing programme visit www.worthingandadurchamber.co.uk

Make the most of the day

Network at the B2B exhibition, learn from the experts, be inspired by the speakers, connect with the local business community, snap up the show offers and leave with a wealth of information - and those all-important connections to build your business for 2019.

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HORSE RACING

PLUMPTON RACECOURSE IS BEATING THE CHRISTMAS BLUES WITH SOME

SENSATIONAL RACING EVENTS THIS NEW YEAR

O

n December 3rd we undoubtedly had one of the stars of the season in Kalashnikov running here, comfortably seeing off his rivals for an easy 18 length victory.

Aside from the star quality Kalashnikov oozed, the win also qualified him for a crack at the £60K bonus initiative that Plumpton runs each season. If you win one of five qualifying races at our track, and then follow up with a win at the Cheltenham Festival, you win the £60k bonus. We will certainly be cheering him home in March…!

Speaking of cheering one home, Plumpton has one of its season highlights on Sunday 6th January, the perfect way to get over the Christmas blues and start 2019 in style – the Sky Sports Racing Sussex National. Run over three miles

We’ve had a great season so far at Plumpton, hosting thousands of people having a great day out as well as the horse racing aficionados who are out to spot the future stars gracing our hallowed turf. and four and a half furlongs, it’s a stamina sapping contest that is a great spectacle with up to 18 horses flying the 4 foot 6 inch obstacles at speeds of over 30mph, and competing for over £30k in prize money. It’s a tradition, or if it isn’t it should be (especially as children aged 17 and under accompanied by an adult come in free of charge), and one where only a single favourite has obliged in the 17-year history of the race and so an incredibly competitive contest. Alongside

six other quality races, live music and a fantastic atmosphere, it’s a day not to be missed.

We also enjoy the Timeform Raceday on Wednesday 16th January and the Hepworth & Laine Raceday on Wednesday 30th January for some proper National Hunt Action and the best way to spend a Wednesday afternoon. Come and join us - we have restaurant spaces and boxes with some limited availability.

2019 FiXtures AT PLUMPTON RACECOURSE 2019

Sun 6th Jan

Mon 11th Mar

Sky Sports Racing Sussex National

Anglo-Irish Raceday

Wed 16th Jan

Sky Sports Racing Spring Jumps

Mon 18th Mar

Timeform Raceday

Wed 30th Jan

Sun 7th Apr

January Jumps

Sussex Raceday

Wed 13th Feb

Sun 21st & Mon 22nd Apr

Mon 25th Feb

Sun 12th May

Midweek Racing

February Raceday

Easter Festival Ladies Day

Advance Standard Racedays Tickets available from: £13 Advance Picnic Enclosure Tickets available from: £13 (not available at every fixture)

Tel. 01273 890383 racing@plumptonracecourse.co.uk www.plumptonracecourse.co.uk

ADUR & WORTHING BUSINESS AWARDS

THE WINNERS

are announced!

T

he sell-out event was attended by over 385 guests all representing local businesses and included the town’s Mayor, Paul Baker, and Mayoress; Vice Chairman of Adur District Council, Councillor Joss Loader; Tim Loughton MP as well as other distinguished guests and Council delegates.

ceived this year. Run as a not-for-profit organisation, the awards are organised by a committee of successful local business people from organisations including Electronic Temperature Instruments Ltd, JSPC Computer Services, Seagull Travel, Worthing & Adur Chamber of Commerce and Adur & Worthing Council.

The Adur & Worthing Business Awards is one of the most prestigious events in the local business calendar and over 700 entries and nominations were re-

James Stoner, Managing Director of JSPC, commented: “Adur & Worthing has a great deal to boast about when it comes to business. From incredible

On Friday 16th November the winners of the 11th Adur & Worthing Business Awards were announced at The Pavilion Theatre, Worthing. start-up companies to large manufacturers, exciting independents and professional services - there isn’t a great deal you can’t find!”

Peter Webb MBE, Managing Director of Electronic Temperature Instruments Ltd commented: “I would like to personally congratulate all of the nominees, runners up and award winners, for their exceptional achievements over the past year. This year saw a record number of entries, once again making it a huge task to choose our finalists.”

THE 2018 WINNERS

START-UP SPONSORED BY: Michael Jones & Co WINNER: The Georgi Fin Micropub SMALL BUSINESS, UP TO 9 EMPLOYEES SPONSORED BY: Adur & Worthing Business Partnership WINNER: ViiSana Ltd MEDIUM BUSINESS, 10 TO 49 EMPLOYEES SPONSORED BY: Allergy Therapeutics WINNER: A&F Pilbeam Construction Ltd LARGE BUSINESS, 50+ EMPLOYEES SPONSORED BY: 5 Rings Group WINNER: Fizz Creations Ltd

YOUNG ACHIEVER SPONSORED BY: Lancing College Preparatory School at Worthing WINNER: Henry King (HG King Funeral Services) CUSTOMER SERVICE SPONSORED BY: Worthing & Adur Chamber of Commerce WINNER: Wall Bros Carpets & Flooring HOSPITALITY, TOURISM AND LEISURE SPONSORED BY: Adur & Worthing Councils WINNER: Field Place Manor House & Barns INNOVATION SPONSORED BY: Kreston Reeves WINNER: ColourFull Kitchens

BUSINESS PERSONALITY SPONSORED BY: The Martlet Partnership WINNER: Chris Coopey (Carpenter Box)

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT SPONSORED BY: MET – Greater Brighton Metropolitan College WINNER: Ricardo PLC

MANUFACTURING & ENGINEERING SPONSORED BY: Carpenter Box WINNER: Pyroban

GREEN BUSINESS SPONSORED BY: Southern Water WINNER: Nordell Ltd

RETAILER SPONSORED BY: Worthing Town Centre Initiative WINNER: Browns Natural Pet Store PLACE TO EAT AND/OR DRINK SPONSORED BY: Bennett Griffin Solicitors & Notaries WINNER: The Egremont Bar & Restaurant BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION SPONSORED BY: Gardner Scardifield WINNER: A&F Pilbeam Construction Ltd BUSINESS IN THE COMMUNITY SPONSORED BY: FRP Advisory WINNER: Gardner & Scardifield LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT SPONSORED BY: JSPC Computer Services WINNER: Geoff Raynsford (5 Rings Group) OVERALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY: Electronic Temperature Instruments Ltd WINNER: A&F Pilbeam Construction Ltd

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MOTORING

Model tested:

Stinger 2.2-litre CRDi GT-Line S Engine: 2.2-litre deisel Power: 179bhp Speed: 155 mph limited Top: 143mph Economy: 48.7 combined Price: £37,725

PLATINUM

This is their first rear-wheel drive car and, in my opinion, their first really great looking car.

THE STINGER Kia have long be known as a producer of quite good, small cars but nothing that will really stimulate you. You might say they are for people who don’t know much about cars and just want to go, economically, from A to B. Nothing wrong with that but personally, l would rather self-harm with a blunt razor. It is not about the destination, it is about the journey.

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N

ow l am confused as they have just produced a cracking car with great looks, great power and great practicality. The names a bit daft but what a lovely surprise.

The top of the range model boasts a twin-turbocharged 3.3-litre V6, delivering 356 horses and and that means 0-60 in less than five seconds. But it’s not the straight-line oomph that impresses most. It’s the way this car feels as you go about your business: a bit special. It certainly has the whiff of a BMW 3 Series about it and maybe this is because the Stinger was developed by Albert Biermann, who was poached from his previous job run-

ning things at BMW’s M division. You can sense his DNA in the Stinger. My 2.2-litre has a good amount of get up and go.

This is their first rear-wheel drive car and, in my opinion, their first really great looking car. OK, you have to overlook the fake vents in the bonnet but this car is very well sorted, well put together and drives really well. It think the Germans might have to pay some attention here.

Yes, there’ll be plenty of you looking at those prices and exclaiming in horror at the prospect of a £40,000 Kia. A Kia instead of a BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe or Audi A5 Sportback? This doesn’t worry Kia. Its primary targets are American and East Asian sales, where customer badge envy is less prevalent, and the Stinger’s huge equipment checklist will help to shift it. European sales are predicted to only make up seven to ten per cent of the Stinger’s total, and in the UK there’ll only be about 1,800 a year finding homes. Over here, the Stinger is supposed to catch eyes and impress punters as it sits among the Kia range in the showroom, or on the website.

My 2.2-litre GT-Line S version drives really well and the 3.3-litre V6 will keep pace with the BMW 440i. I would avoid the diesel and stick with either the 2.0 or 3.3 petrol - they fly. It is also very well equipped and one might say, over-equipped. With five settings each for the steering, ride and suspension and with so little noticeable difference between any of them, it is rather pointless. Then the modes - Comfort and Eco kill the huge attraction of this car and make it a tad turgid. Then there is Smart, which is supposed to learn your driving habits and adapt to them. Daft. Switch it to Sport, rip the knob off and chuck it out of the window - this is how the car was designed to be driven. This adds a bit of fake noise, tightens up the steering and suspension. Settled into Sport Mode, the Stinger sets about pleasantly surprising you. It steers accurately, and the variable ratio set-up isn’t so overly rapid that the front tyres get caught out every time you pour it into a corner.

ver’s seat and you’ll discover it can be shunted reasonably low, ahead of a vertical steering wheel with plenty of reach adjustment. Ahead of you sit clear dials, bookending a 8.0in screen that will show you everything from temperatures and pressures to a G meter, nav directions and so on.

Climb into the rear and so long as the driver hasn’t taken full advantage of the seat’s lowliness, there’s footroom, plus decent legroom and more headroom than you’d expect given the sweeping silhouette. The boot’s 406 litres can be expanded to 1,114 litres by pulling the handle that flips the rear backrests forwards, but they don’t lie flat, as is usual in this class.

Kia’s dealers have a stellar reputation and plenty of customer service awards. The Stinger is subject to the range’s seven-year warranty. Reliability is strong across the range. It all bodes well for the Stinger actually being a more painless thing to own than its posher branded rivals. And then there’s the value. All Stingers, which are GT-line trim or higher in the UK, get a wealth of equipment. The standard 8.0in touchscreen has sat-nav, Bluetooth and speed camera warnings. ‘Basic’ models have a nine-speaker hi-fi, toppier ones have 15 speakers.

The V6, at 244g/km, has higher emissions than a two-tonne V8 Porsche Panamera Turbo. This is one respect in which Kia really doesn’t want to be beating Porsche.

Thanks to a twin turbocharged 3.3-litre V6, you get 365 horses and that means 0-60 in less than five seconds.

Inside is a nice place to be and does not suffer from that normal Japanese/ Korean smell of a multitude of melting plastics. Drop into the comfortable dri-

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NETWORKING

Team Players Is your workforce prepared for high performance?

L

oveLocalJobs.com are hosting a Breakfast Club on Friday 5th April at Hotel du Vin, Brighton, 8.30am-12.30pm, sponsored by Search Consultancy.

The theme of this event is ‘Maximising your Current and Future Talent’ with an in-depth session delivered by training provider The Skills Farm, to make sure you are preparing your team for high performance.

The biggest challenge facing companies of all sizes is managing their existing and future talent through today’s (and tomorrow’s) turbulent times. Our business landscape is continually evolving and many organisations are currently managing multiple change initiatives in an attempt to stay ahead of the curve.

Leadership sights around our region are set on growth, stability, cost reduction, innovation and improving customer satisfaction - or in some cases, all of the above. However, statistically 70% of change initiatives fail due to lack of employee engagement - so how do you ensure that your team or company, be it

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small, medium or large, stays on track and achieves its one to three year strategic goals?

Whatever direction you are heading as a company, you’ll only succeed if you have the right talent in place and that everyone in your team is aligned and pulling in the same direction. So to execute your strategy, you’ll need a high performing team. But how do you lead a team to high performance? That’s the topic that we’ll be discussing and answering at our first breakfast club.

You’ll find it hard to reach or sustain high performance if your team and your processes aren’t effective. To optimise your team so that they are ready to pull out all the stops, you’ll need to ensure

that you have addressed the issues that may hold them back when you need them most.

In this session, we’ll provide tools for employers, including decision makers, HR professionals and managers, to ensure your team is ready for the rigours and rewards of high performance.

We hope to see you at our first breakfast club, tickets will be going live at the end of January.

Email info@lovelocaljobs.com to learn more. This event is in association with Platinum Publishing Group.

NETWORK XPRESS

Happy New Expo Networking with a difference this new year with Net XP

H

appy New Year to all! After ending 2018 on a high with The Sussex Conference, Net XP, the business events company with a twist, is ready to take on 2019. Net XP throws fun and icebreaker games into the serious nature of B2B to enable people to have a more enjoyable and memorable time at B2B tradeshow events. Different from the formal atmosphere that usually accompanies B2B marketing expos, Net XP brings life and energy to the networking scene.

The final event of 2018 - The Sussex Conference at Malmaison Brighton on December 6th - was the cherry on top for Net XP, with inspiring talks from keynote speakers and unwavering support from everyone attending the event.

Along with the conference, some exciting new developments were shared during 2018, including the announcement of the new business directory for Net XP, which will have a FREE directory listing for every

business who has exhibited with us from day one. The Brand Ambassador Network was also rolled out to delegates at the conference.

Founder of Net XP, Sonny Cutting, noted that 2018 though successful, hadn’t been

Along with the conference, some exciting new developments were shared during 2018 without its challenges - organising and running expos, and the responsibilities of a network is a large feat for anyone, however, the partnership between Brighton Cakes and BBA couriers begun at one of Net XP’s expos, and a year on is showing no signs of slowing down. And Blackman Terry LLP and IB Design, whom without

Net XP’s events, may never have entered into their current strong strategic marketing partnership. These companies are the embodiment of all that Net XP hope to achieve: strong and trusted partnerships emerging from face-to-face networking.

Net XP’s next event is the East Sussex Marketing Expo on March 21st at the East Sussex National, Uckfield where 60+ businesses and guests from across Sussex will be in attendance for the expo and early bird conference. Keynote speakers will be Mick Dawson, Jonty Egginton and Harry Daymond.

Please contact 01273 833222 or visit www.netxp.co.uk for more detailed event information.

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Let’s Do Business Opportunity We are thrilled to be able to offer Platinum readers an exclusive 5% discount off of all stand bookings made quoting the code Platinum2019.

Featuring thought-provoking seminars and the chance to meet with key business decision makers from Sussex and the South East, this is an opportunity too good to miss.

Thursday 13th June 2019 The Amex Stadium, Brighton

To find out more about the exhibition or to book a stand visit www.letsdobusiness.org/Platinum2019 info@ldbgroup.co.uk 01323 411044

In association with

FUTURE OF WORK

T

he expo runs annually in the city and will focus on a new theme; in­ novation. The event will return to the Amex Stadium on June 13th and will feature a dedicated Innovation Zone.

The zone is proudly sponsored by East Sussex College Group. The theme was inspired by the commitment from Sussex businesses over the last year to entrepreneurship, growth and exciting new technologies.

Let’s Do

INNOVATION The Let’s Do Business Group and PRG Marketing Communications have added an innovative new spin to 2019’s Let’s Do Business exhibition.

Sussex based colleges, universities and inno­ vative businesses will feature in the new zone which aims to inspire companies from around the South East to engage with new technolo­ gies and futureproof their offerings. Last year’s expo boasted a successful Enterprise Zone gi­ ving start-ups and small businesses advice on finance, business growth and mentoring.

Follo­wing feedback from visitors and exhibitors, the 2019 exhibition will offer more ways for busi­nesses of all sizes and budgets to be involved. As part of the bigger and better 2019 exhibition, there will be additional stands on sale at a variety of price points. Already confirmed sponsors include Cooden Tax Consulting and Switchplane.

In keeping with the business to business expo’s emphasis on making lasting connections, the organisers are bringing back last year’s popu­ lar pre-show breakfast. This year’s pre-show breakfast networking will be run by Brighton and Hove Chamber of Commerce.

Sean Dennis, Deputy Chief Executive at the Let’s Do Business Group says ‘Innovation is central to any successful business. The Let’s Do Business Group continues to support star­ t-ups and SMEs alike in their ventures and this year we’ve seen some especially exciting inno­ vations such as VR, augmentation and A.I. It’s the businesses that are continually seeking new ways to improve and diversify that have proved to be the inspiration for the 2019 event.

We look forward to showcasing the best in bu­ siness that the South East has to offer.’

Stands are now on sale and Platinum Business will once again be a media supporter for the event.

You can use the Platinum exclusive discount code PLATINUM2019 for 5% off stands and electricity. Valid until booking closes. T & C’s apply. Book your stand or find out more at Letsdobusiness.org/platinum-2019

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START-UPS

Start-Up SURGERY

Welcome to Start-up Surgery, offering advice and information, plus profiles of new businesses in the South East. Edited and compiled by David Tewkesbury.

P

rint is dead – isn’t it? My role as Start-up Surgery’’s Editor at Platinum means that I can offer business owners the opportunity to get their business, story and products publicised in the largest regional business publication in the UK. I raise this as an option when helping business owners grow their business and expand their reach. Often, I get the challenge: “That’s a great idea, but isn’t print dead now? Everything is digital and online isn’t it?”

Fake News and the Facebook Cambridge Analytics scandal, it’s no wonder that customers are more than a little nervous about the things they read online.

Don’t Stop with Social

2

3

So, I decided to do some research, and the answer Is a resounding NO! PRINT IS GROWING!

Now, I’m not saying stop social media altogether. There is no doubt that people read it and it’s essentially your shop front to you, your products and your business. Print media, though, is seen as a more credible medium with glossy magazines being seen as more reliable, truthful and honest than newspapers.

Print Media reported a growth of 9.2% in 2018 and is forecast to grow by 11.2% in 2019. As the social media and internet gets saturated, businesses need to do more to stand out.

There’s also a wealth of additional benefits to having your business covered in a printed magazine. So, here’s my five steps to maximising your print coverage.

4

When you then add to this the mistrust of online media, the advent of

Choose the right magazine.

1 There are many magazines out

Print media is seen as a more credible medium

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5

there, so choose one which reflects not only your brand, but the image you want to project and the people you want to contact.

Look at the coverage. All magazines will be able to provide you with readership statistics. Take a look, in particular, about the geographical area, who reads it, where it can be found, and how it’s distributed. Ensure all of these fit your ideal business target.

Editorials are great for showcasing. An editorial written about you and your business enables you to get your message across easier than an advert when starting out.

You can share your goals, why you started, why are you different. It’s you talking to your clients.

Maximise your coverage. When you are published, share the magazine with all your social media clients. Most magazines have online versions, so provide a link to it and show the whole magazine and not just your page. This shows you alongside high-quality brands and increases your reputation and credibility You’ve been published. The final element to great coverage is that you are able to say you have been

PLANNING FOR SUCCESS

Happy New Year. By the time you read this, you will be back at work and planning how to provide great service to your clients. If you haven’t already created your businesses strategy and plan for the year, WHY NOT? I read that a Jumbo Jet flying from London to New York is off course at least 90% of the time. It arrives at JFK because the pilot or autopilot is constantly making small adjustments to ensure it stays focussed and pointed at its final destination.

A business strategy and plan will do this for you and help you have clear, defined goals, and a method to make those small adjustments to hit your targets at the end of the year.

As a new year offer, I have 15 complimentary planning sessions to help you explore your business, identify your goals and create a plan to achieve them. If you are interested, click the QR code here and put some time in your diary.

My clients that have done that have started their journey to create a solid, challenging and achievable plan to help them make 2019 their best ever. Do it now!

published. Reputable magazines will give you a high-quality PDF of your editorial and you can share that on your website, on your social, and to prospective clients.

START-UP SHOWCASE

This month, I’m highlighting the work of a great start-up: NADARRA COSMETICS Nadarra is family-run company based in Sussex which hand blends 100% organic and natural skin care products of the highest quality.

The founder Margaret Sinclair, was unimpressed by the poor quality of skin care products available and was shocked by the amount of chemicals, preservatives and fillers present. The solution was to create her own range of products.

All of this helps you and your business maximise your investment.

I chose to work with Platinum Business Magazine as it offers all of the above, and has the largest readership of any business magazine in the UK. I’ve been able to get some really great prices for people that I feature in my pages. Contact me on the details below and we can discuss how you can maximise your coverage for 2019.

Get involved. Send your business questions to davidtewkesbury@merranti.com.

Or if you would like your start-up profiled, email David for details.

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START-UPS

Start-Up

PROFILE which is the best. After I am happy, I will then share with family and friends who are my willing volunteers and get their feedback.

What about quality control and testing?

NADARRA COSMETICS

Q&A WITH

MD MARGARET SINCLAIR

Nadarra produces 100% Natural and Organic Skin Care products What was your first product?

Our first product was purely made for me and my needs. I blended a face cream and so many people commented on how good my skin looked, and how nice I smelt, and asked where I got it from.

I then gave it away to them and they loved it so much they wanted to buy more. And Nadarra was born.

Why did you start?

It was accidental. I have supersensitive skin and was buying really expensive so-called natural and organic products which weren’t supposed to cause a reaction, but they did. And then I felt that I wasted my money. So I came up with the idea that I would do a better job myself.

What kind of products do you make?

Skin care products, body butters, face creams and face oils. All are totally organic and 100% natural.

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How do you guarantee that your products really are 100% organic and natural?

I spent a lot of time finding quality organic sources, and then purchasing samples, and assessed them to find the absolute best quality raw ingredient.

So how do you develop a new product?

Often it comes out of my need, or a request from a friend or client. I then create a number of recipes using various products and then test to see

My products are extensively tested in various rounds by my wonderful willing volunteers who give me very honest feedback. My products are not and will never be tested on animals. I also give a 60-day no quibble money back guarantee on any product as I was so disappointed in so many other products, I don’t want my clients to feel that way.

What are your best sellers?

The Rejuvenate, Sweet Orange and Frankincense Face Oil is massively popular. Interestingly both men and women love it because it’s a citrussy, slightly spicy and very refreshing. Face Oil is an alternative to face cream and many people prefer it as they find it absorbs quicker than face cream.

It’s been so popular that I’ve made a body butter in the same recipe, which is for all over skin moisturising.

Where can I find your products?

We can often be found at craft fairs and markets in and around Sussex, and our website has an online shop with the all of our products.

As a special gift, enter the code PBM25 at www.nadarracosmetics.com to get an introductory 25% off your first order.

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ANGER MANAGEMENT

BEAM ME UP

SCOTTY No doubt you know of those narcissistic newspaper columnists who begin with ‘Are you thinking what l’m thinking’ that always make me want to scream NO, l am bloody not. Well l was sorely tempted to begin this feature with those exact words but relented. But really, has the world gone mad.

By Maarten Hoffmann

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speak of gender - no longer are you born male or female - you now get to decide what gender you are. Sorry, but when did that happen? When did it become trendy to change sex?

With the exception of that tiny percentage of genuine terribly sad cases, and l could name one who l was close to and witnessed the terrible pain they went through as they were born in the wrong body.

This is fact that cannot be denied and they deserve every ounce of help, compassion and acceptance possible. But have the bleeding heart liberals lost what little of the plot they had in the first place.

My attention was piqued when l read that of all the schools in the UK, there is one that has more ‘gender fluid’ pupils than any other by a country mile - Dorothy Stringer School in Brighton, hailed

by Tatler as ‘the coolest state secondary in town’. No fewer than 40 pupils between the ages of 11 -16 ‘do not identify as the gender presented at birth’. A further 36 pupils are ‘gender fluid’, not identifying with their birth gender.’

The number of children referred to the NHS specialist service for such cases has seen a rise in cases of 700%. When they turn 16,

some will make life-changing alterations to their bodies, cutting off breasts or genitalia or taking hormones such as testosterone that will affect their fertility. What are the long-term effects? Will they regret it?

Out of political correctness, taxpayers money is being thrown at groups that actively encourage children to question their gender. They have become darlings of the Establishment, fixtures of official panels and glossy diversity awards ceremonies. They are not just supporting transition, they are actively promoting it. In Brighton, a local LGBT charity called Allsorts Youth Project has launched the first ever group for ‘trans or gender questioning’ children aged 5 - 11. For any parent concerned that 5 years old is too young for children to question their gender, Allsorts says: ‘Extensive studies of older transsexual people show that 80% knew something was not right before the age of 12. The most common age is 7. The “extensive studies” are not cited and they would not return my calls to explain themselves or back up this ‘extensive’ research.

Allsorts, who received £166,000 in public and lottery funding last year, run awareness courses for children, and training for staff, in nearly all Brighton’s secondary schools as well in five primaries. In their “trans inclusion schools toolkit’ that schools use to determine their policies, it states that sex-education teachers must tell children that ‘most rather than all boys have a penis and most rather than all girls have a vagina. Parents who question their child’s wish to transition should be referred to the Allsorts support group or even referred to social services! One family in Brighton with a 15-year-old girl had her ripped from the family by social services and taken into care for resisting her wish to become a boy!!

It has been shown that a large number of these kids are autistic, not helped by the mass of dangerous online peer pressure. Vloggers urge them to ‘just

do it - it’s all good’. There are countless tips for handling parents and a mass of claims that this is the way to avoid suicide. Another group, Mermaids, have a CEO called Susie Green, who routinely invoked the risk of suicide to urge more and earlier medical intervention. She claims that 48% have a suicide risk. The NHS itself state that this number is actually 1%. When a highly respected NHS psychiatrist accused this ‘CEO’ of making it all up, she responded by saying: “You should f… off, you know nothing”.

tional needs or they have been talked into it. Basically, it’s all crap and l want to leave this school.”

Beautifully put l must say. This is a trend that has got certain groups the attention they crave, buckets of cash and a feeling of actually doing something worthwhile. It is not - it is crazy liberal nonsense that is playing with our children lives and cannot be reversed.

Richard Byng, Professor in primary care research at Plymouth University,

VLOGGERS urge them to ' JUST DO IT - IT'S ALL GOOD' I spoke to a friend’s 15 year old daughter who attends Dorothy Stringer School who said: “It’s all the rage at school and these kids are seen as cool. Everyone wants to be cool. They get special treatment, special classes and can miss school without even needing a note or an excuse. Everyone lavishes praise and attention on them as they are special. I know kids who have gone along with it because they think its cool, because they feel they might be gay or bi, they have special educa-

warned of the potential harm or over diagnosis and over-treatment and said that medical practitioners should follow a framework of evidence, not simply respond to client expectations. ‘People are embarking on medical transitions they may not need or want in the end.

I fear greatly that in 10-15 years time, we will find ourselves with a slew of young adults with mutilated bodies and no sexual function, who will turn round to the NHS and ask: ‘Why did you let us do this”. Are you thinking what l’m thinking? This is child abuse.

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INSTITUTE OF DIRECTORS

What’s Next?

L

eaders must continue to ask themselves ‘what’s next?’. We don’t always know the answer to that question though, which is why at the very least we must always be change-ready. In fact, in any role at any seniority, we would all be wise to consider ‘what’s next?’.

A leader’s role is to facilitate change, and more importantly, help others to enable the transition. It’s well known how fast the IT and technology landscapes move, and I have devoted my career to decoding this landscape to understand what the future of technology holds. So fast is the rate of change, in the last half a decade alone we deployed and begun to disassemble our cloud infrastructure, in favour of global cloud networks as we adapt to market forces.

By Andrew Hookway, Managing Director at Extech Cloud, and Sussex IoD Ambassador for Technology

There are three levels of change which any leader and organisation should look for to remain competitive.

FIRST, there are changes which are out of our control; these are the global trends which drive our economies. Global trends can receive lots of coverage, such as the introduction of GDPR. However, they can also creep up on many businesses, such as the financial crises. For me, technolo-

gy is currently one of the biggest drivers, especially with the global shift away from local and national SME cloud computing to global cloud technology.

SECOND, there are changes in our industry. Our industry structure can change based on the global trends as previously mentioned. For example, legislation may lower barriers-to-entry which increase competition and shift greater power to the consumer. An example of this is the introduction of Alternative Business Structures, which allow non-lawyers to invest in law firms. In these cases, we still have an element of control, however, we must respond fluidly and retain some flexibility. Other market forces, such as new products or services, industry consolidation or structural changes to supply chains may force us to adapt, but equally, our actions will force others to act too.

FINALLY, there are employment trends and how global and industry trends change our day-to-day roles. Dell estimates that 85% of jobs that will exist in 2030 haven’t been invented yet, to put that into context, 2030 is just over a decade away.

If correct, then that could perhaps have implications on our own and our colleague’s roles.

Global, industry and employment trends will continue to change and adapt the way our organisations run and how we work. Paradoxically, change is both faster and slower than we expect. For example, the first iPhone was released only 11 years ago and radically changed personal computing. However, in that same period, we have only just started to move away from email as our primary form of internal communication.

My advice? Remain flexible, open and always ask ‘what’s next?’.

My advice?

Remain flexible, open and always ask ‘what’s next?’.

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PLATINUM

SPORT THE THREE LIONS ROAR IN TO 2019 SUSSEX SPORTS AWARDS

WALLABIES TAKE A WALLOPING!

WHEN

MEETS

SPORT

Lizzy Yarnold OBE retires after living the Skeleton dream

THIN LIZZY NO LONGER

SPORT HOCKEY

L

news

ast month saw the Men’s World Cup take place in India with an England squad featuring four players from East Grinstead falling at the semi-final stage losing 6-0 to Belgium after knocking out the reigning Olympic champions Argentina in the quarter finals. The third place play off ended with an 8-1 defeat to Australia.

BOXING

L MARATHON RUNNING

B

ack in October, the first Mountain Marathon was held in Afghanistan. Local explorer and entrepreneur Neil Laughton helped to run the event at Band-e-Amir in Bamyan Province, NW of the capital Kabul, with all the proceeds going to the local charity Free to Run. 400 local male and female runners took part together with a select band of 20 Western runners from USA, Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy and France whose US dollars helped finance the project.

The vast majority of runners completed the tough marathon course including many young boys and girls from the local community. Significant income was delivered to a desperately poor region and the Mayor of Bamyan along with his entourage of security militia bristling with AK47 machine guns turned up to present the medals! The winning time was just over 3 1/2 hours by a local Afghan runner.

“I had a wonderful experience on the golf course today. I had a hole in nothing.

Missed the ball and sank the divot.”

DON ADAMS

ast month Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder fought out a “contentious” draw in Los Angeles as Fury survived two knockdowns in an enthralling WBC world heavyweight title fight. Many pundits had Fury down as the winner of this thrilling contest after he came back off the canvass in the 12th round to finish strongly, but either way a rematch is on the cards while both fighters have called out IBF, WBA and WBO champion Anthony Joshua.

“Wrestling is ballet with violence.”

SNOOKER

R

onnie O’Sullivan won the UK Championship for a record seventh time with victory over Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen by 10-6 in York last month. O’Sullivan now has nineteen World, UK and Masters trophies, overtaking Stephen Hendry’s record.

After the ‘Rocket’ won six frames in a row, Allen rallied to trail 9-6, but O’Sullivan hit a break of 78 in the sixteenth to collect the trophy and the £170,000 top prize.

JESSE VENTURA

CRICKET

T

his month England begin their tour of the West Indies this month with three Test Matches before the One Day series begins next month. The Test squad remains unchanged from the recent series win in Sri Lanka while David Willey returns for the five-match oneday series as Sam Curran, Liam Dawson and Olly Stone are left out. While the West Indians don’t hold the same fear as the all-conquering team of the 80’s featuring the likes of Joel Garner and Michael Holding, or late on Malcom Marshall and Curtly Ambrose, it’s still a big challenge for the tourists not having won in the Caribbean since Michael Vaughan’s side in 2004

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SPORT | GOLF

SPORT | GOLF

So, is this the way golf’s going to go and are we going to see more one-off events like this in the future? the whole show, while other gimmicks included the betting odds being displayed on the screen with real-time, hole-by-hole statistics, displaying the probability of different outcomes, to help them make their choices.

THE

– PUTTING FOR THE BIG BUCKS

Phil Mickelson lands the big one as winner takes all

L

ast month you may have read about the small matter of a little competition between two of the game’s biggest names, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods. I say small matter rather sarcastically, as the winner of this one-off match got to take home $9 million!?

So, what was it all about then?

‘The Match’, at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas, was a winner takes all match play between two of the most recognisable players in the world which went to a 22nd hole before Mickelson sank a four-foot putt for victory.

With 19 majors between them and twenty years at the top of the game, the battle between Woods and Mickelson promised to show golf as it had never been seen before but failed to deliver as a sporting spectacle.

‘The Match’ was streamed on pay-per-view across the US on Thanksgiving weekend, but opinion across the golfing community and beyond seemed to be divided as to whether it was a welcome bit of fun or completely pointless.

Both golfers challenged each other with charity side bets throughout the match, although many expected more trash-talking and bravado which did not materialise in the way many thought would happen.

No spectators were allowed on the course, apart from select family, friends and sponsors, which meant the only way to watch the contest in the US was to pay a $19.99 (£15.50) fee for commercial-free coverage on television.

The players and their caddies were also wearing microphones on their way round which added a touch of novelty to

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Basketball legend Charles Barkley and Hollywood actor Samuel L Jackson also featured prominently throughout, with Jackson playing the role of tee announcer at the start of the match.

Despite there not being the performances that were expected, the night finished with the players finally separated in what was effectively pitch and putt under the artificial lights.

Whilst Mickelson has the bragging rights, one wonders why there was so much money involved. Presumably all this was to conveniently coincide with the US Supreme Court’s decision to end a federal ban on sports punting. Despite golf already part of betting, ‘The Match’ was a likely move to ensure that golf doesn’t miss out. So, is this the way golf’s going to go and are we going to see more one-off events like this in the future? I think the jury is very much out on this, unless you’re one of the golfers playing for the big bucks that is!.

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SPORT | WINTER SPORTS

THIN LIZZY NO LONGER LIVE AND DANGEROUS AS LIZZY YARNOLD OBE RETIRES AFTER LIVING THE SKELETON DREAM

The definition of the sport, Skeleton: A small toboggan (= an object used for sliding over snow and ice) for one person, ridden with the person lying on their front with their head first: e.g. She found herself riding the thin skeleton sled down a steep, ice-covered track at speeds as high as 80 mph.

T

owards the end of last year, it was announced that Britain’s most successful Winter Olympian Double Olympic Champion Lizzy Yarnold OBE had retired from competitive sport after ten years of living the Skeleton dream.

She won her second Olympic Gold at the PyeongChang 2018 Games, adding to the Gold she won in Sochi in 2014, in the process becoming the first Team GB winter athlete to retain their Olympic title.

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At the time she said, “It means so much to me. At times over the last four years it’s been so hard and I’ve doubted myself and wondered whether I could get back to where I wanted to ….to achieve that is the stuff of dreams.”

Team GB’s most decorated Winter Olympian was also the first British athlete and the second person ever to claim the Grand Slam of skeleton titles when she won every major title in her sport in just four hundred and seven days back in 2014/15.

Yarnold won her first World Championship gold medal at the 2015 event in Winterberg, Germany to add to her Grand Slam collection of the Olympic and European titles and the overall World Cup title won in 2013/2014. She is the second athlete ever and the first British slider to hold the Grand Slam titles at the same time when she was the Olympic, World and European Champion.

Not only did she win the Olympic Skeleton event at the Sochi Winter Olympics on Valentine’s Day but she won having

led the field in every training run leading up to the Games and over the entire 4 race event with her winning margin of 0.97 seconds being the largest ever.

Born in Sevenoaks thirty-year-old Lizzy grew up in West Kingsdown in Kent and went to Maidstone Grammar School for Girls. A keen athlete as a child, Lizzy grew up on a farm and tried her hand at most sports including the heptathlon which she specialised in.

Her association with Skeleton all started when Lizzy was picked to take part after entering a talent ID programme called ‘Girls for Gold’ in 2008. She was physically and mentally tested and picked to take part in the sport where she rose to Olympic champion in just 5 years!

After her success in Sochi, she was awarded an OBE for Services to Sport and when she announced her retirement, Yarnold commented “It’s a really emotional time to step away from something I have dedicated a third of my life to…..to be able to race for my country on the World Cup circuit was one thing and to step onto the ice at an Olympic Games another, especially holding the flag for my team this year. Of course, to be the first GB winter athlete to retain their Olympic title was an incredible feeling….I am looking forward to the road ahead, spending time with my amazing family and friends. I will make sure I give back to my sport, to the younger athletes and to the next generation in whatever dream they want to take up. I truly believe there is something out there

Britain’s most successful Winter Olympian Double Olympic Champion Lizzy Yarnold had retired from competitive sport after ten years of living the Skeleton dream.

for everyone, skeleton found me and if you put your mind to it, with hard work, something you love will find you as well.

Make sure you chase your dream!

Since winning in South Korea last year, a slipped disc in her back had kept her out of training since and, while she underwent successful surgery in July for the injury which she said had left her in so much pain that she was unable to sit or stand for long periods, the prospect of another Olympic training cycle has ultimately proved too much.

Yarnold reportedly said the decision was made irrespective of her injuries.

“For the last month or so I’ve been in a really happy, positive and physically good place,” she said. “At Pyeongchang I didn’t want to go into the race thinking about retiring and then afterwards I didn’t want to make the decision for the wrong reason.”

“So now when I’ve gone through all this rehab for the past six months, I’m retiring

for the right reasons - not through injury, not for a bad competition, or any other reason but because I love the sport, and I’ve loved 10 years of it, but I think I’m ready. It’s probably fair to say it would take me longer to get back to competitive level, but I think on top of that my vestibular issues [inner ear damage that causes dizzy spells] were happening more and were affecting me more…. this is a good time to go - although I’m still sad.”

Yarnold says not spending half of the year training and competing abroad will free up time to explore her options in retirement. “Being away half the year has been a bit of an issue, so going to watch a bit more rugby and football would be good and also just being a normal person, seeing my husband and being at home with my two children would be nice.

However, the two-time Olympic champion has said she will continue to remain outspoken about anti-doping.

Her first Olympic success at the Sochi 2014 Games was overshadowed by state-sponsored Russian doping, although four years later Russian athletes who met specific criteria were permitted to compete in Pyeongchang, but not under the Russian flag.

When it was announced that the World Anti-Doping Agency had lifted its suspension on RUSADA, Russia’s anti-doping agency, Yarnold said: “At the moment I do feel as if we’re not being listened to.

“I think it’s clear that many athletes’ view was to not allow RUSADA back in until they had completed all their requirements that were set out a few years ago. Doping issues have, unfortunately, been a part of my career for many years, so I really stand strongly with other athletes hoping we can take anti-doping further and protect clean sport and fair competition.”

Away from the track Lizzy apparently loves to cook, listening to music, the Archers and even knitting, a far cry from the exhilaration of lying face down, head first and inches from the ice whilst travelling at speeds of over 80mph!

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108

SPORT | ACTIVE SUSSEX THE CURTAIN COMES DOWN WITH A CELEBRATION OF

SPORT

The Active Sussex team hosted the Sussex Sports Awards for the 16th year. Photo credit / Stephen Lawrence

Winners are announced at the 2018 Sussex Sports Awards The full list of winners at the Sussex Sports Awards is: ACTIVE SUSSEX CLUBMARK AWARD

Hellingly Hound Dogs Youth American Football Club ACTIVE SUSSEX YOUNG VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

Sarah Graham PLATINUM PUBLISHING GROUP YOUNG SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR

Jonah Bryant ACTIVE SUSSEX SPECIAL RECOGNITION FOR INTEGRATION, INNOVATION AND INSPIRATION

Brighton Table Tennis Club CREATE DEVELOPMENT ACTIVE PRIMARY SCHOOL OF THE YEAR

Arundel Church of England Primary School THE GRAND HOTEL COMMUNITY IMPACT AWARD

Crawley Old Girls (COGs) RIX & KAY SOLICITORS LLP TEAM OF THE YEAR

Team Santos (Brighton Table Tennis Club) ACTIVE SUSSEX COACH OF THE YEAR

Danielle Lewis-Collins SUSSEX COUNTY FA VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

Eric Douglin EVERYONE ACTIVE CLUB OF THE YEAR

Burgess Hill Cricket Club UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON DISABLED SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR

Joe Townsend FREEDOM LEISURE SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR

Rob Cross BBC SUSSEX UNSUNG HERO AWARD

Peter Witcomb WAVE LEISURE OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO SPORT AWARD

Teresa Bennett

T

he curtain has come down on another successful year of sport across the county after the winners were announced at the 2018 Sussex Sports Awards. Hosted by Active Sussex, the black-tie gala dinner was held at The Grand Hotel on Friday 23 November. With guest host Eddie ‘the Eagle’ Edwards providing the 400+ audience with inspirational tales of his journey to the 1988 Winter Olympics coupled with the achievements made by our local sporting heroes, the event was humbling as much as it was inspiring.

The theme of the event was ‘Believe: Achieve’, pointing to the successful exploits of some of Sussex’s elite athletes both at home and abroad, and the impact they are having on aspiring sports stars and coaches at grassroot levels.

The Platinum Publishing Group was honoured to have sponsored and presented the award for the Young Sports Personality of the Year Award, which went to 13-year old Jonah Bryant. As part of Corals Squash Club, Jonah is the current Sussex Under-13 County Champion, the reigning English National under-13 Champion, the British under-13 Champion, and the British Junior Open under-13 Champion, the last title giving him credence as the World Number 1 for his age. With Jonah unfortunately unable to attend the event due to competing, it was humbling for us to meet his family and to gain a different perspective to the sacrifices that go into supporting a sports star of such tender years.

Eddie the Eagle was the star co-host of the Sussex Sports Awards 2018 / Photo credit/ Stephen Lawrence

Sadie Mason MBE, Active Sussex CEO, commented: “This year was the hardest round of nominations that we have ever had to judge so to have come out on top of such a competitive field of nominees speaks volumes about what these winners have achieved. Winning a Sussex Sports Award is known to have helped propel teams and individuals onto to even bigger things so I’m looking forward to seeing what the future holds for all the winners. I’d like to also congratulate all those nominated for an award and wish everyone luck in their future sporting endeavours.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our sponsors, including the Platinum Publishing Group. Without their ongoing support then the event wouldn’t be what it is – a high-profile celebration of sport which our sports stars, past, present and future, all deserve.”

To watch the 2018 Sussex Sports Awards highlights and individual winner videos visit the Active Sussex Youtube channel.

If you would like to be involved with next year’s event, including sponsorship, please contact Ed Bartram, Active Sussex’s Event Officer: E: ebartram@activesussex.org T: 01273 644103

109

SPORT | INTERVIEW WITH MARTIN BODENHAM Is the forthcoming introduction of VAR a good thing?

Overall, I think it’s very good and the way forward, but we don’t want the game stopped all the time. There’s a difference between football and cricket because when they have referrals in cricket, there is a natural lull between balls (being bowled). If I was refereeing Man Utd versus Liverpool and there was a debate about whether it was a penalty at one end or not, the game is so quick that the ball is up the other end in a split second. If then a goal was scored but I had the fourth official in my ear saying, ‘you’ve got to disallow it and give a penalty at the other end’, there would be all hell to pay!

I wouldn’t want to take away the opinion of the referee either and despite all the camera angles VAR is still not conclusive.

ENFORCING THE RULES Martin Bodenham is the only man to have refereed topflight football and umpired first class cricket in the UK. When did you become a football referee?

1998, but now of course you can carry on beyond 48 years of age.

I was sixteen when I first became a referee and like most people my age, I wanted to be a professional footballer.

But I remember my sports Master said I’d never play football to a high level and I’d never play at Wembley as a player, so he suggested I take up refereeing as one day I might referee at Wembley!

Low and behold I did! 1981/2 was when I got on to the FA list and I was one of 20 refs selected when the Premier League started in 1992. I had to retire in

What do you think of the standard of refereeing now?

Overall, I think it’s very good. When I refereed there was only one camera in the ground but now there’s eighteen for a Premier League game and you can’t get away with anything now. It’s not easy for referees now because the game is that much faster, and the players are much fitter, so referees have to match that.

What team do you support?

I’ve got a soft spot for Brighton, but I don’t support any one team (I’m not sure I believe that – Ed). I love football, but we always had to remain neutral as refs. When I started refereeing, I didn’t support anyone specific because every Saturday I had to referee.

What were your proudest moments as a referee during your 19 years in the top flight?

I was fourth official for the European Cup Final in 1994 between AC Milan and Barcelona and I also refereed three FA Cup semi-finals, Portsmouth v Liverpool at Highbury and the replay at Villa Park in ’92, plus I refereed the replay between Manchester United and Oldham at Maine Road in 1990. But I also did the League Cup Final between Leicester City and Middlesbrough at Wembley and the replay at Hillsborough in 1997.

TAKE ON A NEW CHALLENGE!

Give something back and see the game from the other side by becoming a Referee... Visit: SussexFA.com/referees

What was your most controversial moment?

People think it was the Roy Keane incident but contrary to what it says on Google, I didn’t send him off for that ‘tackle’, that was David Elleray. It was a game between Leeds v Man United four years earlier, when Keane tried to do Alf-Inge Haaland, I yellow carded him while he was being carried off on a stretcher after he came off worse!

Do we see enough talent coming through to be referees?

We recruit a lot of young referees, but we have to identify who wants it for the right reasons as opposed to doing it instead of having a paper round. In Sussex we have an academy and a development group as well and now we have quite a few refs in our County League who are 22-23 years of age which is great. There is a great pathway for those that want to progress.

Funniest moment in football when you were refereeing?

I ref’d a game at Portsmouth, I think it was against Oxford United and Jim Smith was the Oxford Manager. Oxford were leading 1-0 when a Father Christmas ran on to the pitch from behind one of the goals. Back in those days there were hardly any stewards and he lumbered right to the other end of the pitch and climbed over the other side of the barrier. Effectively there was about a three-minute delay and during that added time at the end Portsmouth scored two goals to win. Jim Smith proceeded to give me all sorts of stick saying I shouldn’t have added the time on.

So how does a football referee become a cricket umpire?

I played cricket to a pretty high level and played in the Sussex League for Preston

Nomads, but when I lived and played down in Cornwall there was an incident where another player was given out which I didn’t think was correct. It went a bit nasty after the game and the players had to be separated. At that point I decided I didn’t want to play anymore, so when I came back to Brighton it was suggested I take up umpiring. I’d umpired before, especially when I got out early so, I said yes and that’s how it started.

I came back to Sussex 18 years ago, umpired in the Sussex League and then went through the system to become a recreational umpire at 2nd XI matches, primarily with Sussex. Peter Moores the then Coach at Sussex suggested I try and get on the ECB’s reserve list.

In those days you had to be proposed and seconded by a County and the latter was Alec Stewart! I spent 3 years on the reserve list before eight or nine years on the main list.

What was the toughest part about switching from a referee to an umpire?

I thought the main obstacle would be whether I’d be accepted as an official having not played the game at the highest level. 98% of the umpires are ex-

TAKE ON A NEW CHALLENGE!

-pro’s, but they were all interested and wanted to know which team I supported or who was the best player etc, so I got a rapport with both the players and the umpires. They all supported me 100%, so I needn’t have worried.

Most unusual moment in cricket?

I was umpiring Yorkshire v Somerset when I gave a run out, not out! The Yorkshire players went ballistic at my decision, but when I was invited to look at a replay in the interval everyone was amazed that when the ball hit the stumps the bail didn’t come off until the batsman was in..somehow it had lodged itself so they were amazed that I’d actually got it right!

Any regrets?

No, none. I’ve been very fortunate to get paid for doing a job I love.

If you’re interested in becoming a referee, please visit www.sussexfa.com/referees/getinto-refereeing

Give something back and see the game from the other side by becoming a Referee... Visit: SussexFA.com/referees

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SPORT | FOOTBALL THE

A

lthough City lost 2-0 to Chelsea, their first defeat of the season, to give up top spot they have scored an average of 2.813 goals per game, with Liverpool the nearest competitor remaining unbeaten since the start of the season. Spurs, Chelsea and Arsenal continue to be the additional challengers with the latter seemingly galvanised by Manager Unai Emery ‘after an unbeaten run of 22 matches in all competitions. While Chelsea’s new Manager Maurizio Sarri continues to impress in his debut season in England, Spurs will be hoping to not only hold on to their prize assets Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen, but also bolster their squad in this month’s transfer window after a summer that failed to yield any additions to Mauricio Pochettino’s squad’.

Three Lions

ROAR IN TO 2019

At the time of writing we are rapidly heading towards the festive season and by the middle of last month, predictably last season’s Premiership champions, Manchester City remain everybody’s favourites for the title.

Brighton & Hove Albion boss Chris Hughton was the guest speaker at a packed Brighton Curry Club lunch during the International break and spoke about his time at Newcastle, Norwich and Birmingham before revealing his thoughts about life at the Amex. With 35-year-old striker Glenn Murray scoring some key goals already this season, December saw a first Albion win at Huddersfield Town for six years which was followed up by a memorable 3-1 victory over arch rivals Crystal Palace, a result that saw the Seagulls reach the heady heights of 10th. (We won’t mention all that hard work undone by a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Burnley).

I can’t leave this month’s feature on football without a mention of the Nations League. I have to admit I was sceptical about the benefits of such a competition, after all did we need to give our already over stretched players MORE game time, when too much football is regularly the excuse for England’s all too often failure in major competitions? However, I take my hat off to Gareth Southgate and what he has achieved, succeeding in ensuring En-

gland qualified for another semi-final out of a group that contained Croatia and Spain. The fact is that England will have reached two semi-finals in 2018, a statistic made all the more impressive

by Southgate’s desire to utilise the undoubted talents of the younger players available to him such as Harry Winks from Tottenham, Liverpool’s Joe Gomez and Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Bournemouth’s Callum Wilson. Add into the mix the talented Jesse Lingard who already seems to be one of the

first names on the team sheet after his displays in the summer, Borussia Dortmund’s Jadan Sancho and not forgetting Brighton’s Lewis Dunk, the Three Lions have an exciting future ahead.

After Euro qualifying matches against the Czech Republic and Montenegro, a mouth-watering tie against the Netherlands on June 6 awaits Southgate’s men, with the winners playing either the hosts and European Champions Portugal or Switzerland in the final three days later.

SPORT | RUGBY

WALLABIES TAKE A Rampant England end on a high!

E

ngland rounded off their Autumn campaign with a 37-18 win over Australia at Twickenham and thanks to an invite from Platinum Sport’s rugby sponsors, Rix and Kay Solicitors, I was one of the 82,000 people packed in to an overcast but largely dry Twickenham where I was treated to a fantastic atmosphere, a superb game of rugby and a thoroughly entertaining afternoon. It all began with a much-needed pre-match buffet lunch and a beverage or two at The Winning Post, a handy local hostelry just a short walk from the stadium.

Once I’d made my way to my seat in the Upper North stand, England began the game with complete dominance after Ben Youngs succeeded in charging down an attempted kick away to force a five-me-

We were also ‘treated’ (I’m not sure that’s the right word!) to a streaker but thankfully the man in question managed to keep his pants on. tre scrum. England’s pack drove hard allowing Youngs to feed Jonny May for the opening try after only three minutes and with Owen Farrell adding a successful conversion from out on the touch line and a further two penalties, England led 13-3 mid way through the half.

Australia were denied two tries during the first period either side of a legitimate

one as they fought back strongly. Firstly, a clear forward pass before the touchdown

by Haylett-Petty was spotted with the officials only reversing the decision when the kicker was just about to take the conversion. A universal roar of approval rang out as the decision was made to award an English scrum instead, but after Israel Folau danced his way through for the first of his two tries for the visitors, a blatant shoulder check by Farrell which denied Izack Rodda a certain try, rather curiously wasn’t reviewed by the TMO. A further Australia penalty meant that the two teams were locked 13-13 at the break. Queue the big line up for an interval beverage as people all around were availing themselves of the local refreshments which continued with impressive regularity… and let’s face it what goes in has to come out, so up and down and bouts of ‘excuse me, excuse me’ were all too frequent…especially when the game, like England seemed to go up a few gears in the second half, as they ran in a further three tries through Elliott Daly, Joe Cokanasiga and Farrell in a blistering display of attacking rugby. Farrell’s own personal tally was 22 points while Folau took some gloss off with a try in the 80th minute. England were rampant and provided a clear sign that Eddie Jones’s men look tough enough to present a real challenge for any nation.

We were also ‘treated’ (I’m not sure that’s the right word!) to a streaker but thankfully the man in question managed to keep his pants on. The crowd willed him on to evade the chasing stewards and when he was eventually grabbed Twickenham was greeted by a smattering of boos. But that was the only booing I recall, as ‘Swing Low Sweet Chariot’ rang out on many occasions which your truly was only to happen to join in with.

On the mini bus back home the general consensus to a great day out was that the second half against the Aussies coupled with the first half against the Kiwis was the ideal performance. The trick will be making this the norm rather than the exception..roll on the World Cup!

SPORT | PLATINUM SPORT CHALLENGE

WELCOME TO PLATINUM

SPORT CHALLENGE

Laurence has decided to take on a new sporting activity challenge every month…he just needs some ASSISTance

L

et me introduce you to the ‘Platinum Sport Challenge’ - this will consist of yours truly attempting a different activity or sport once a month and then through the power of print and digital media I’ll tell you all about it. The wackier and weirder the activity the better but the thinking came as an extension to our new Health and Wellbeing campaign where I simply tell you the activities that are available in Sussex you can have a go at and how easy (or hard) they are.

Hopefully this will encourage you to get out from behind your desk and well…try it!

As is the way with these things I decided I needed some help, after all it’s sure to be less daunting and more

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fun with two people isn’t it? I needed some strategic ASSISTance with my DEVelopment so enter the Managing Director of East Grinstead based company Dev Assist, Paul Addison. We’re roughly the same age though one of us is a tad more active than the other (I’ll leave you to guess who!) and we both feel the need to simply partake in something fun and feel exhilarated.

So, the plan each month is to engage in some form of (not too) strenuous activity which will be filmed by our good friend James Johnson at Picture Book Films and added to the website, plus I will also write an article every month telling you what we’ve been up to and hopefully encouraging you to think about trying said activities.

Frankly with the weather turning cold, I’d be quite content with some chess, a sauna and steam room and maybe some ten-pin bowling, but I think Paul is looking for the adrenaline rush so we’re going to have to find a happy medium. Example ideas thus far include Wing Walking (GULP!), Sea Kayaking, facing the bowling machine at the Sussex Cricket Indoor nets, Kitesurfing, Stockcar racing and beach volleyball. Watch this space as I’m sure it’ll become competitive!

In the meantime, I chatted with Paul before we agreed to participate in this together about his motivation to get involved and what his company Dev Assist actually does.

Tell us what DevAssist is all about?

DevAssist carries out investigations into locations to ascertain the development risk in the area. We have thousands of case studies where a development risk has been exposed and we have been able to give purchasers of that land or a property on it an informed choice as to whether they want to continue with the property transaction. One specific investigation report that stands out concerned a property in Windsor, where the purchaser had agreed to purchase a listed building sitting in 12 acres in a rural location. It would have not been unreasonable to view the remote location and assume it was free of development risk. However, our investigations showed that the property straddled two councils, Windsor and Maidenhead and Bracknell. Bracknell had failed to demonstrate that it had a five-year supply of housing, therefore leaving properties in its region vulnerable to hostile planning applications for development with the risk becoming maximised due to the automatic presumption of development. There was also a large area of agricultural land which the council had found suitable for development in their Land Availability Assessment. It was going to provide 2200 homes and it was directly opposite the listed buil-

ding that the clients were buying. This would have had a catastrophic impact on the area as well as the marketability and value of the subject property.

You’re going to be part of the Platinum Challenge in 2019, what made you get involved?

I have always been involved in active sports but with the attention needed for a growing business I have not done as much as I used too. I felt this was a perfect way of personally getting more active again and bringing DevAssist to a bigger audience.

How would you describe your physical state?

I could be fitter but generally I am better than most.

What’s the hardest activity you’ve had to participate in?

I ski and have recently learnt to paraglide with Fly Sussex. It’s an exhilarating activity that complements my love of the mountains and gives me an opportunity to have an active summer sport as well as skiing in the winter. I still have three horses from polo days so riding still holds a soft spot for me.

What are you hoping to achieve from this?

I hope that my business will get more attention and of course I want to spend more time with you!

Which activities would you most like to do?

Anything that gives a rush of adrenalin gets my vote. Baselining down the i360 would for me be a great challenge - despite my love of paragliding, I am actually scared of heights!

I invite you all to join myself Paul and James as we aim to become more active and healthy…bring it on!

I used to play a lot of polo. It took a lot of time and energy and required so many different skills. It requires everything from horse welfare to being able to hit a moving ball at a gallop.

What sport do you play now?

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SPORT | MOTORSPORT

January sees the Dakar Rally take place in Peru while later this month is the first stage of the FIA World Rally Championships in Monte Carlo.

WHEN THE

SAINZ

LIMA! T

he Dakar Rally will take place in only one country for the first time in its history as Peru is the sole host nation for the 2019 event, where the route will comprise of 10 stages, starting and ending in the capital city Lima.

It will begin on January 6 and finish on January 17 and there are expected to be more technical and difficult stages with at least 70% of the stages comprising of sand and dunes which in the history of the Dakar is unique.

Another change for 2019 is that competitors in the car and truck classes will be able to rejoin the action in the second week if they retire from the first week but will have their own classification so they do not interfere with the starting

order. This does not apply to bike and quad riders.

Last year’s champions were former World Rally Champion, Carlos Sainz of Spain with Peugeot in the car category, (not to be confused with Carlos Sainz Jr. in Formula One), who will be looking to win again after his victory for the first time since 2010, while Austria’s Matthias Walkner won the race on two wheels with the Red Bull KTM Factory team, having finished as runner up in 2017.

Meanwhile the first of fourteen rounds of the FIA World Rally Championships begins in Monaco this month followed

by Sweden in February. WRC 2019 will be contested in Europe, North America, the Middle East and South America with Wales getting it’s turn at the start of October

before the Championship concludes in Australia at the end of November. This will be the forty-seventh season of the highest class of International rallying where Crews and Teams will compete with each other for the manufacturers, drivers, and co-drivers’ titles.

The FIA World Rally Championship was first established in 1973 and is widely regarded as one of the most challenging and diverse of the motor sport disciplines, with the current World champions France’s Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia in the M Sport Ford World Rally Team having won their sixth consecutive title last year. Belgian Driver Thierry Neuville, who led the Championship with Hyundai for most of the year finished second, eighteen points behind Ogier.

However, 2019 will see a different principal driver for M-Sport World Rally team following Sebastien Ogier’s departure for Citroen.

Meanwhile, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT based in Finland, who made their debut in 2017, will be looking to make it two years in a row after earning their first Manufacturers’ title last year with seven victories out of the fourteen rallies.

Gatwick Awards – not in DB

WALK IN WARDROBES

SPORT | WHEN BUSINESS MEETS SPORT

WHY I

LOVE

RUGBY UNION When Business meets Jeff Alexander, Chief Executive of Gatwick Diamond Business

Wales had players such as Barry John, Gareth Edwards, Phil Bennett, Mervyn Davies, Gerald Davies and JPR Williams – all great Lions as well. Wales won four consecutive Triple Crowns during that period.

I

grew up in a south-west Wales coal-mining valley where rugby was more a way of life than a sport. So, it’s a bit like being asked “Why do you love your family?” My secondary school was the famous “Fly Half” factory producing three Welsh and two British Lion No. 10s around my time. As a boy in the late 60s and early 70s I was a season ticket holder at Stradey Park, the home of the great Llanelli team that could put 60 points past the likes of Bath and the Harlequins for fun!

I was lucky enough to enjoy the “Golden Era” of Welsh rugby in the 1970s, when

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I attended just about every Wales home international match in those years without seeing them lose – except when cheated out of a win by a New Zealand side in connivance with a dodgy English referee! The opposition can score more points than Wales, but they can never beat us!

To cap it all, there were the great Lions tours of New Zealand and South Africa in 1971 and 1974. The 1971 tour, with 14 Welsh players, created history by being the first, and only, Lions team to win a series against the All Blacks.

Not only did they win, but building on the style of Llanelli and Wales, they cemented a new brand of 15-man rugby.

Players like Barry John (one of the No. 10s from my school) became heroes – even in New Zealand. I learnt to broaden my appreciation to non-Welsh greats such as David Duckham, Mike

Gibson, ‘Mighty Mouse” McLauchlan and Willie John McBride.

Wales and the Lions have enjoyed ups and downs since but my support for them, and love of rugby, has never waned. Horsham, where I live, may not have the rugby tradition of Llanelli, but I was very pleased to coach at the Rugby Club there up to the under 16 level as I followed my son through the age groups. I am very pleased to say that I now have two grandsons playing at the club and a son-in-law (an avid Spurs fan!) who coaches there.

Q&A MOST MEMORABLE MATCH EVER WATCHED? “I was there” at Stradey Park in 1972 when Llanelli beat New Zealand by 9-3. The ground was full to bursting and it was the greatest atmosphere of any sporting event I have attended. The pubs really did run dry – and Llanelli enjoyed two breweries at the time!

FAVOURITE STADIUM? There are two – Stradey Park (now sadly gone) and the old Cardiff Arms Park of the “Golden Era”. The Principality Stadium is a great ground but cannot match the old Arms Park for atmosphere and spontaneous singing (not to mention the rivers of pee running down the terraces!).

FAVOURITE PLAYER OF ALL TIME? Without question it’s Barry John and not just because he was from my neighbouring village and went to my school. He was the most naturally gifted rugby player I have ever seen.

Unlike Phil Bennett and Gerald Davies with their deadly side-steps, Barry John mesmerised players and seemed to glue would-be-tacklers to the spot. He was rightly crowned “The King” after the 1971 Lions tour.

BEST MANAGER EVER? Carwyn James (another international fly half from my school, and largely forgotten outside of Wales) was the coach that did more than any other to establish the modern game of rugby.

First as coach of Llanelli and then of the 1971 Lions, but sadly never of Wales, he introduced a brand of 15-man, free-flowing rugby that paved the way for the Welsh “Golden Era” and, indeed, the modern, professional game.

SPORT | WHEN BUSINESS MEETS SPORT

I

Iove being outdoors and especially the mountains. As we don’t get much snow, proper snow, in the UK there is something magical about snow covered landscapes and the best way to see these is on skis. I don’t think you really need to be super fit because you can take it all at your own pace.

I was actually a late starter to skiing and first went when I was 28, but fortunately I’ve been able to go every year since.

Being out in nature is very grounding and having to focus on the skiing helps take your mind off other things. I thoroughly love the challenge skiing continues to give me because there are so many different terrains and the conditions, both on and off piste, change everyday.

I enjoy the bumps and jumps because you simply have to laugh or scream, you can’t help yourself, but it really is great fun.

Whenever possible I always try and have an early start, so I can catch the first tracks and having breakfast on the mountain is just beautiful. Plus, there is the advantage of fresh cool air being great

WHY I

for your lungs and your skin as I always feel invigorated after a ski holiday.

Watching the lucky ones that start skiing as young children is lovely. Anyone that’s seen this will know what I mean.

Helmets as big as their bodies and duvet ski suits, they bomb around the mountain without a care in the world.

You can’t beat Europe for excellent food in beautiful mountain restaurants and for me, the food and wine is equally a main part of the holiday. The only time you’ll see me eating fondue is on a ski holiday. It’s just not the same at home.

LOVE

SKIING

Clare Rogers, Managing Director of The Treatment Rooms Limited tells us why she gets invigorated and has to laugh or scream when she’s on the piste

Q&A WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SKIING RESORT? Would have to be Courchevel, France, set in the four valleys for the vastness of skiing, superb food and great spas!

IN YOUR OPINION WHAT’S THE BEST COUNTRY FOR SNOW? You’ll get guaranteed powder in Japan.

ALPINE, FREESTYLE OR NORDIC SKIING, WHICH DO YOU PREFER? Alpine and ski touring enable me to enjoy on piste cruising and ski touring is great for the physical challenge.

WHAT’S THE HARDEST PART OF SKIING FOR YOU? The first few hours breaking my boots in and now they’ve been customised for less pain.

WHO IS YOUR ALL-TIME SKIING/SPORTING HERO? Eddie the Eagle for his sheer determination to get a place at the Olympics.

SPORT | VIEW FROM SOFA A

DOESN’T NECESSARILY MEAN A

WINNING

Laurence Elphick asks are streakers at sporting events welcome fun or simply offensive?

A

t the recent England v Australia international at Twickenham in November I witnessed a male streaker on the pitch before he was caught and led away by the stewards.

One can only assume, he had been dared by his mates for some financial gain, once the consumption of copious amounts of alcohol had taken effect.

All in the name of fun no doubt, where the culprit decided it would be okay if he kept his pants on, after all, it’d be a little on the chilly side out there!?

So, what’s the harm in a little prank?

To me it’s disappointing when I’m watching sport on the ‘box’ only to have the commentator apologise and inform us that a streaker has interrupted the game! EXCEPT I can’t see the offender, apparently the TV channels here in the UK tend not to show footage of the person invading the pitch as they don’t want to encourage others to try and gain some cheap TV time.

For viewers at home, a pitch invader is forbidden fruit—an object of interest precisely because broadcasters don’t want us to see it.

My first memory of a streaker on TV was perhaps the most famous and coincidentally at another rugby match which also happened to be England v Australia at Twickenham when Erika Roe made a topless run across the pitch on 2 January 1982. She was taken to the Police station, but nothing happened to her, presumably because England won.

Shortly after I’d left school the brother of a good friend of mine told me a story that his younger brother had been

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under the influence and dared to run across the pitch at the Sydney Cricket Ground (Australia again, sorry!). Obligingly he took up the challenge and with Alvin and the Chipmunks on full display he even vaulted the wicket in the middle. When he was finally caught, he was promptly arrested, thrown out of the ground and had to pay a fine.

Still his older brother was very proud, and I must confess I laughed as well.

However, my view has changed, partly because of getting older but also

I remain disappointed when TV stations refuse to show us what’s going on when surely, it’s our choice whether we want to watch it or not.

because of what I learnt. During a T20 cricket match down at Hove I was busy chatting to a steward when from the far end of the ground a young lad ran on in just his banana hammock and ran the whole length of the pitch before being grabbed and led away as you would expect. When I asked the steward what would happen, he told me that it was lucky the lad was wearing pants - apparently now if you streak naked you can be placed on the sex offender’s register because you have exposed yourself in front of minors!

I remain disappointed when TV stations refuse to show us what’s going on when surely, it’s our choice whether we want to watch it or not.

After all you can hear the crowd cheering, the commentators chuckling away, and you can even see the players laughing in some cases. Next time you’ve had a few and are presented with the challenge of a streak at some sporting event. Don’t, unless you’re happy to face the consequences of your actions! Or at the very least keep your underwear on!

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