Dynamic Issue 5

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR WOMEN

July | Aug 2020 #5

THE UK’S RICHEST WOMEN

POLICY REVIEW Women’s Enterprise

FINANCE MOTORING HEALTH

JK

ROWLING Nadia Sawlaha

How to home school

“It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all, in which case, 1 you fail by default.”

Thinkers Challengers Innovators Leaders DISCOVER THE SUS SE X MBA

FIND OUT MORE 2

www.sussexmba.com

cont ent s DYNAMIC FEATURES 12 THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING

Alison Jones reminds us that everyone has a different way of adapting to the new world

16 T HE UK’S RICHEST WOMEN

Profiling the top 20 wealthiest women in the United Kingdom

DYNAMIC FINANCE 24 WOMEN OF THE MOMENT DYNAMIC EDUCATION 34 H OME EDUCATING

Looking ahead to a new book on home schoolong

18 WOMEN & COVID

An in-depth look at how the pandemic is affecting women

24 W ORDS OF INSPIRATION

Empowering quotes from JK Rowling and other talented women

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To book, call or go online 01273 041 482 events.brighton@malmaison.com malmaison.com

4

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GIRL TORQUE

DYNAMIC HEALTH 26 VITAL VITAMINS 28 SUNSCREEN THAT DOESN’T DAMAGE THE OCEANS 30 A NEW ACUPUNCTURE SERVICE FOR HEALTH WORKERS

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DYNAMIC TRAVEL 33 WOMEN IN TRAVEL

SALMA HEYEK

The campaign to remove the BAME glass ceiling

DYNAMIC MOTORING 37 G IRL TORQUE

Why we all need a great mechanic

INSPIRING WOMEN 54 L OUISE PUNTER

CEO OF SURREY CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE

My Inspiration

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WHAT VITAMINS DO YOU NEED?

28 54

JACINDA AHERN

5

Harvey John’s placed candidates are ‘movers and shakers’... but they don’t move on!

The team of specialist recruitment consultants at Harvey John have an impressive track record of retaining placed candidates in new roles for the long run. We decided to find out how many of our candidates, from the past 24 months, chose to stay in their new jobs.

94%

of our candidates choose to stay.

To feed the most vulnerable we needed great service from our bank Joshua Owens-Baigler Director, Angelina Restaurant

Can you say the same for your staff?

At NatWest, we approved a Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan for Angelina Restaurant in Dalston. This not only enabled them to keep their staff on, but to provide around 500 meals a day to local vulnerable people.

Search NatWest Business

Here to support you

Contact the Harvey John team for your recruitment needs:

Security may be required. Over 18s only. Subject to status. Business use only. Any property or asset used as a security

Start your searchmay be repossessed or forfeited if you do not keep up repayments on any debt secured on it.

6 with total clarity

+44 1273 820808 info@harveyjohn.com www.harveyjohn.com

welc ome Welcome to the fifth issue of the only business magazine for women

Women are faced with a mounting array of issues at the moment, not least trying to work from home and schools on summer break and, if you run your own business, those problems multiply ten fold. I think Rosemary sums it up quite well in her following intro.

We have pages of great information for you from wealth management to health and wellbeing, from motoring to home schooling and everything in between.

If we are not covering something you feel we should, get in touch.

As we approach the end of lockdown, or the hostage crisis as l prefer to call it,

we take tentative steps back to ’normal’. If Leicester is anything to go by, this could be two steps forward and three steps back and only time will tell.

Although it has been overused, we really are in this together.

Stay safe.

The Dynamic Team

WWW.PLATINUMPUBLISHING.CO.UK info@platinumpublishing.co.uk DISCLAIMER 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.

Dynamic Magazine is owned and published by The Platinum Media Group.

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MEET THE STEERING COMMITTEE

Our illustrious steering committee guide the editorial tone of the magazine

JULIE KAPSALIS CEO Chichester / Crawley College Group

EMMA LANE Director Allied Irish Bank

FAIZA SHAFEEK CEO Carrot Events

ALISON ADDY Community Officer Gatwick Airport

MAARTEN HOFFMANN CEO/Publisher The Platinum Group

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VICTORIA KERTON ROSEMARY FRENCH OBE Regional Director Executive Director NatWest Gatwick Diamond Initiative

ABIGAIL OWEN Corporate Partner DMH Stallard

LOUISE PUNTER CEO Surrey Chamber of Commerce

LESLEY ALCOCK Commercial Director The Platinum Group

FIONA SHAFER CEO MD HUB

MAXINE REID Partner Quantuma

FIONA GRAVES Events Director The Platinum Group

ANA CHRISTIE CEO Sussex Chamber of Commerce

ALISON JONES Partner Kreston Reeves

ZOE RUDLING Partner RSM

IAN TREVETT Publications Director The Platinum Group

LYDIA BUNYARD Events Executive The Platinum Group

welc ome FROM ROSEMARY FRENCH OBE Chair of the Dynamic Steering Committee ROSEMARY’S OBE WAS AWARDED FOR SERVICES TO WOMEN IN BUSINESS As we leave Lockdown, I want to reflect on what it has meant for most working women.

The media will portray a picture of endless yoga, baking bread and Zooming happily with colleagues.

I wish the media would show the quite different reality. A reality of just trying to get through it, to survive. A daily regime of housework, cooking, teaching, babysitting, entertaining and caring have all landed on the working woman, who already has a job to deliver. That larger percentage of women who hold essential and key worker roles have faced the biggest challenge trying to juggle outside work with the new home reality. While those working women higher up the pay and

professional scales have struggled to balance board meetings and educating.

All of which has been an even greater strain on single mothers.

Where a male partner exists, how often have we heard of him taking cover in the home office and remaining there all day to reappear for lunch and dinner.

While the lockdown started out as a good time to increase and benefit from flexible working, it turns out that there remain different standards between the sexes.

What’s new? We have lost 20 years of economic growth. We must not lose 20 hard won years of improving gender equality at work!

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MISSING WOMEN There is a “global absence” of women in leadership roles in the response to coronavirus, new research has shown.

The charity, CARE International surveyed 30 countries and found that on average women made up only 24% of national response committees. The survey also showed that governments with lower levels of female leadership risked failing to consider the disproportionate impact the pandemic is having on women and girls.

Only Canada has made funding and policy commitments that “specifically recognise the economic effect of the pandemic on women”, CARE said.

{up f r o n t } All the latest bulletins from the world of business

RIP

ABORTIONS DECRIMINALISED

Dame Vera Margaret Lynn CH DBE OStJ passed away surrounded by her family on June 18th 2020 at her home in Ditchling, East Sussex at the age of 103.

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New Zealand’s parliament has passed a bill decriminalising abortion and allowing women to choose a termination up to 20 weeks into a pregnancy.

Previously, two doctors were required to approve an abortion - and this could only happen if there was a “serious danger” to the pregnant woman’s health. The bill passed on its third reading by 68 votes to 51.

For more than 40 years, abortion was the only medical procedure considered a crime in New Zealand - unless it was performed under exceptional circumstances.

The legislative vote in parliament was labelled a “conscience issue”, meaning that MPs did not have to vote along party lines.

N E WS

MOONCUP AMBASSADORS

MASS SCREAM

Mooncup’s latest campaign features real Mooncup Users. Hundreds came forward to share their own diverse stories in a virtual ‘word of mouth’ campaign celebrating 18 years of the Mooncup menstrual cup, and its impact in smashing menstrual taboos.

Wanting to include all, but having to select only six inspirational stories, Mooncup has documented them in a series of videos which represent the diverse lives that real Mooncup users live. Watch all the stories and on the blog www.mooncup.co.uk/ blog/what-kind-of-person-uses-amooncup/ where they talk about first periods, menstrual cup folds, first impressions, and what they love about the Mooncup. Or watch on Youtube: www. youtube.com/user/mooncupltd/.

Women across Switzerland have let loose with screams during a national protest demanding equal treatment and an end to violence at the hands of men. Last year half a million people marched to highlight the nation’s poor record on women’s rights. This year’s version of what organisers call the Women’s Strike was more subdued due to coronavirus restrictions.

Thousands of marchers in Geneva and other Swiss cities screamed for a minute at 3.24pm – the time of day when women technically start working free given the wage gap.

Switzerland has a high quality of life but lags other developed economies in women’s pay and workplace equality. Women earn roughly a fifth less than men, better than 30 years ago when it was about a third less, but worse than in 2000, according to government data.

PENSION POT DROP The size of women’s pension pots has fallen by three times as much as men’s during the pandemic, pushing the existing gender pension gap wider, industry data has shown.

The difference between how much money men and women are left with in retirement has widened during the lockdown, according to Profile Pensions, a pensions advice provider.

Women’s “defined contribution” pension pots shrank 17.5% on average during the pandemic, compared to just 5.7% for men.

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DY NA M IC

L E A DE R SH I P

THE IMPORTANCE

OF UNDERSTANDING I think we can all agree these are exceptional times!

Going into the lockdown was easy.

But coming out of the lockdown and getting back to “normal� is far more complex and in many ways reflects your views on life and how you perceive risk.

Take my family for example.

Alison Jones from Kreston Reeves on how businesses are tackling challenges to growth

My 23-year-old daughter adhered to all the lockdown rules, although having just taken up a job in London, she suffered from the loss of her social life and seeing her friends. Recently, she perceives that there is less risk but is still very conscious of being careful and having attended one of the marches in Brighton, she has selfisolated for five days in order to protect us.

My mother who is in her 80s and is shielding, regularly phones me and

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tries to plan for when we can all get together again. She knows how risky it is for her, but she is not afraid and believes that life should go on. I am sure that growing up just after the Second World War has given her the steely determination that life must go on.

And then there is me, sitting in the middle, wishing that life could go back to normal but, at the moment, still very conscious of the risks.

I am sure that the different views in my family also apply to the business world.

I know some companies that kept their office open throughout the lockdown and continue to go to work every day.

In contrast I am hearing that some offices will not open until next year, especially if they are based in London.

And where do I stand? Well we are

going to be opening our office in Brighton in mid-July. We are taking every precaution to keep the office clean and maintain social distancing, and I for one am looking forward to properly seeing my team again.

Over the next few months, and as you try to get your business back to ‘normality’, it is very important that you keep in mind these three different views when dealing with your clients and business contacts. Really knowing and understanding your client is even more important now than it was before.

Some clients will want to have regular catch ups and will be excited to start business again. Others will still have their door firmly locked and will not want to be constantly interrupted and reminded of the risks that any new business brings. And then there are those in the middle who are eager to start again but, at the moment, are still cautious and are just starting to venture back.

In the meantime, there are other ways that you can keep your business upper most in the minds of your clients:

• Call your clients and business network, but make sure you have a plan and know what you want to discuss first and don’t phone too often!

• Take advantage of the many different forms of social media - from Facebook to WhatsApp – and be flexible.

Different clients engage in different ways so make sure that you cover them all.

• Do something fun, putting together a quiz does not take much time, is easy to promote, and perhaps it could be used to help raise funds for a local charity by charging a small fee.

• Be brave and record a video. They say a picture is worth 1,000 words!

So perhaps this is the time to practice speaking on camera and letting people

see you and know more about you, your business and how you could help.

• If you don’t want to be in front of the camera then how about a podcast. Many of your phones have a microphone option and an app like Audacity can be used to smarten it up.

There is never a better time than now to experiment with new ways of reaching your clients.

History is in the making right now and we will all have a major part to play over the next few months. So be brave, keep smiling and let’s come out of the lockdown together. We will meet again!

There is never a better time than now to experiment with new ways of reaching your clients.

◗ Alison Jones is a

Partner at Kreston Reeves alison.jones@krestonreeves.com www.krestonreeves.com T: 0330 124 1399

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WOMEN OF

THE MOMENT In previous issues of Dynamic I have discussed a number of financial challenges faced by women. However, the good news is many organisations are championing – and influencing – change! And in my latest article, I wanted to talk about a brilliant programme that aims to reinvent insurance and personal finance for women, helping us plan for a more secure financial future.

THE “MOMENTS THAT MATTER”

The life events that leave women at a financial disadvantage – and why change is coming!.

By Samantha Kaye, Chartered Financial Planner and Adviser at Wellesley Wealth Advisory

Did you know that women’s use of financial protection is limited compared to our male counterparts?

This is often due to us experiencing different financial ‘risks’ throughout our lives, for example, the implications of becoming a mother.

To tackle this disparity, the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) has established the Insuring Women’s Futures programme, bringing together 150 financial services and insurance professionals, businesses and policy organisations with the goal of providing women with insurance solutions that work for us.

The programme focusses on the “6 Moments that Matter” – pivotal points in life with heightened risk exposure for women. I’m sure at least one of these will ring true for you!

1. Growing up, studying and requalifying 2. Entering and re-entering the workplace 3. Relationships: making up and breaking up 4. Motherhood and becoming a carer 5. Later life, planning and entering retirement 6. Ill-health, infirmity and dying.

Insuring Women’s Futures has identified specific ‘Perils and Pitfalls’ for each Moment – for example, if a woman puts her career on hold due to becoming a mother, this can result in a cost to earnings, savings and pensions provision. The programme also highlights issues such as the gender pensions gap – which I’ve discussed previously.

The Moments that Matter are discussed in detail in the report, ‘Securing the

The Insuring Women’s Futures programme makes me even prouder to be a member of the Chartered Insurance Institute.

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A DV ERTISING FE ATUR E

financial future of the next generation’.

I would strongly recommend that you read it and use it to help you plan the financial future you desire: www. insuringwomensfutures.co.uk/resources/.

STARTING THE CONVERSATION It’s wonderful to see key institutions lobby for equality – and the Insuring Women’s Futures programme makes

◗ Contact me today

me even prouder to be a Chartered member of the CII. It’s clear that change is coming – as Money Box presenter Paul Lewis commented in the above report: “I am confident that the industry that has insured against death and fire for centuries can find a way to insure people going through divorce [and] to help people to have both a baby and a pension...”.

Wherever you are on your financial journey, it is important that you’re getting the right advice. If you have a question about planning for a secure future or would like more information about my services, please contact me today.

Samantha Kaye Chartered Financial Planner/Adviser Wellesley House, 50 Victoria Road, Burgess Hill, West Sussex RH15 9LH 01444 849809 samantha.kaye@sjpp.co.uk www.wellesleywa.co.ukk

But, while insurance and financial services firms have a vital role to play, it’s also up to women to feel empowered to discuss their finances and long-term plans. So, ladies – let’s get talking!

St. James’s Place guarantees the suitability of advice offered by Wellesley Wealth Advisory when recommending any of the services and products available from companies in the Group. More details of the Guarantee are set out on the Group’s website www.sjp.co.uk/products Wellesley Wealth Advisory is a trading name of Wellesley Investment Management Ltd. The Partner Practice is an Appointed Representative of and represents only St. James’s Place Wealth Management plc (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority) for the purpose of advising solely on the Group’s wealth management products and services, more details of which are set out on the Group’s website www.sjp.co.uk/about-st-james-place/our-business/our-products-andservices. The ‘St. James’s Place partnership’ and the titles ‘Partner’ and ‘Partner Practice’ are marketing terms used to describe St. James’s Place representatives. Wellesley Investment Management Ltd: Registered Office: 44 The Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England TN2 5TN. Registered in England & Wales, Company No. 06530147.

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DY NA M IC

W E A LT H

WHO ARE

THE RICHEST WOMEN IN THE UK? A RECORD 25 WOMEN BILLIONAIRES MAKE THE SUNDAY TIMES RICH LIST

Kirsten Rausing

Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken

FOR THE FIRST TIME THERE ARE 150 WOMEN AMONG THE RICHEST 1,000

Denise Coates

Kirsty Bertarelli

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Princess Marie-Chantal

Salma Heyek

The UK’s 20 Richest Women Rank

Name

1

2020 Wealth

Rise / Fall

£12.1bn

- £156m

2

Kirsten Rausing Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken

Source of Wealth Inheritance and investment Inheritance, brewing and banking

£10.3bn

- £1.7bn

3

Marit Rausing and family

Packaging

£9.59bn

New entry

4

Kirsty Bertarelli

Pharmaceuticals

£9.2bn

- £511m

5

Denise Coates

Gambling

£7.166bn

£310m

6

Fashion and films

£6.592bn

- £250m

7

Salma Hayek Baroness Howard de Walden and family

Property

£4.316bn

£126m

8

Leonie Schroder and family

Finance

£3.977bn

New entry

9

Carrie Perrodo and family

Oil, gas and wine

£3.438bn

-£1.129bn

10

Harriet Heyman

Internet

£3.047bn

£47m

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Inheritance Duty free shopping, fashion and finance

£2.65bn

£2bn

12

Inna Gudavadze and family Princess Marie-Chantal and family

£2.15bn

-£50m

13

Sarah Dawson

£2.05bn

£60m

14

Lady Charlotte Wellesley

Discount stores Inheritance, brewing and investment

£2.031bn

-£804m

15=

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw

Pharmaceuticals

£1.808bn

£119m

16=

Varsha Engineer

Pharmaceuticals

£1.8bn

£100m

16=

Opticians

£1.8bn

No Change

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Dame Mary Perkins and family Emily von Opel

Finance and property

£1.654bn

No Change

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Anita Zabludowicz

Property and hotels

£1.5bn

No Change

20

Lady Ballyedmond and family

Pharmaceuticals

£1.345bn

-£293m

In total there are 150 women who have, or share, personal fortunes worth £120m or more in The Sunday Times Rich List and a record 25 of them are billionaires. The list of richest women also includes singer Rihanna, who is now London-based and has a fortune of £468m.

Other famous names included on this year’s list are the actress Salma Hayek, who shares her fortune of £6.592bn with husband FrançoisHenri Pinault. He oversees luxury brands such as Gucci through his family’s Kering operation. Catherine Zeta-Jones, who has a combined wealth of £210m with husband

Michael Douglas, also makes the list. There are also three authors on the list: Joanne Rowling, who has amassed £795m from her Harry Potter books and films; Yorkshireborn novelist Barbara Taylor Bradford who is worth £162m; and E L James of Fifty Shades fame, who has a total wealth of £132m.

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COV I D-19

WOMEN’S ENTERPRISE

& COVID-19

A Policy Review from Women’s Enterprise Scotland outlined the challenges and issues facing women in business during the pandemic HEIGHTENING EXISTING INEQUALITIES As with all public health crises, the economic, social and health impacts of Covid-19 will be gendered both in the labour market and in the home with the pandemic having a disproportionately negative impact on women both at home and at work.

Women are more likely to take on the ‘second shift’ of care at home, particularly if someone in their family is sick or has to be isolated (either young or elderly) and are more likely to be affected by school and nursery closures. For example, it is women who are most likely to be home-schooling children and checking on people within intergenerational family and friend networks.1 With social distancing measures becoming the norm, informal care from friends and / or other family members becomes impossible.

The situation for lone parents can be even more difficult, especially when such options are unavailable.

The Resolution Foundation2 estimate that over one-third of Britain’s five million self-employed people may have to stop working either because they work in sectors most heavily affected by social distancing, or in order to care for children who would have

otherwise been at school 3.

Social isolation policies will also increase women and girls’ vulnerability to domestic abuse. 22% of services across the UK report an increase in caseloads since the beginning of the pandemic.4 Women and young people are more likely to be working in sectors hit by social distancing. A recent report by the IFS5 showed that 36% of young women and 25% of young men were working in sectors most affected and / or closed down during the pandemic. These include coffee shops, restaurants, leisure facilities and travel and tourism.

EFFECTS ON WOMEN’S BUSINESSES All SMEs are facing disruption never seen before and this has serious effects on their markets, supply chains and staffing. Women are more likely to work and be business owners in the sectors most affected by this crisis. UK Women-led businesses in the SME sector with employees were most likely to be operating in health (37%), education (31%), other services (27%), accommodation and food service (22%) and administration and support sectors. (21%)6.

KEY QUESTIONS WE supports the ISBE Gender and Enterprise Network who have posed a number of interesting and key questions to the UK government regarding the extent of support for businesses and the selfemployed, especially for women entrepreneurs.

◗ As women have been driving the growth in self-employment, is it possible that they will constitute the majority of nascent business owners (under 3 years old), who may not be entitled to any support?

◗ Will access to Business Interruption Loans be readily forthcoming for women entrepreneurs owning low-profit businesses? Will business owners be asked to put their houses on the line for collateral, or provide personal guarantors?

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The contribution of women’s enterprises across the UK is not insignificant. A growing importance to the UK economy, women owned, and women led businesses contribute a total of £221bn GVA to the UK economy, representing 13.3% of GVA. Of particular note is the significant provision of employment with women owned and women led businesses providing a total of 23.85% of private sector employment.7 There is a major concern that already existing inequalities in entrepreneurship will be worsened now

and in the future beyond the pandemic.

This disruption is going to last months rather than weeks, and some women’s lifetime earnings may not recover. According to the Scottish Widows Women and Retirement Report8 over one-third of self-employed women are already paying nothing into a pension.

Generally, business owners (and the self-employed) are currently saving in private pensions at particularly low

44% of women directors owning private limited companies were paying themselves under £15,000 per annum and 51% were making no pension provision.

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levels, with small business owners in Britain having unrealistic pension expectations. Already there is the threat of a retirement ‘time bomb’. During periods of low income and business uncertainty such as now, it is unlikely that this situation will change, and it could worsen.9 Women face specific challenges in business and access to needs-based expert support is critical at this time.

Women-led businesses are 44% of the size of male-led businesses on average, and women-owned enterprises represent less than 25% of business in the UK’s five most productive sectors with women owned businesses still dominant in sectors such as healthcare, personal services, administration, retail etc.

Women entrepreneurs are also underrepresented in the most productive, high value sectors in the UK.10 As small businesses with limited resources, women-owned businesses are especially vulnerable to the disruption caused by the pandemic. For example, many women owned businesses are

COV I D-19

home based (without premises) and will have no access to grant support with business losses.

Women-led businesses receive less funding than those headed by men at every stage of their business. Women start their businesses with 53% less capital than men, and also tend to draw more upon private capital (including personal savings) and family finances.

Recent research by the British Business Bank found that female founders receive just 1p in every £1 of venture capital11 and a lack of investment can constrain business growth. As women-owned businesses typically generate lower profits, this crisis is expected to increase financial dependence upon partners or, in the case of lone self-employed women or parents, cause substantial difficulties in providing for themselves or their families.

While financial support measures from government, such as the Business Interruption Loan Scheme, are welcomed at this time, evidence shows that women self-employed/ business owners are relatively more reluctant to take on financial risk, and government schemes such as these might be less attractive or indeed accessible to women at this time.12

SUPPORT AND INFORMATION FOR BUSINESS OWNERS AND THE SELF-EMPLOYED The self-employed are not a homogenous group – some are highly paid - but the majority have low earnings.

The current crisis has shown the crucial need for discussion on better social protection for small businesses and the self-employed.13 Although men are more likely to be self-employed and own businesses than women, women are most likely to be hardest hit during this crisis as a result of the sectors in which they operate, and the typically lower profits generated by women’s businesses.

There is still a lack of clarity surrounding those individuals and their enterprises who are eligible for government support.

As outlined in a recent paper 14while self-employed people of all genders will be eligible for a taxed grant of 80% of their average profits, up to a maximum of £2,500, for many women in particular, given low profits over the preceding period, access to Universal Credit may in fact be more beneficial than the proposed support.

Company directors who access payments via company dividends are not included within the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme. This will leave many directors unable to access an income with women-owned businesses especially vulnerable given the serious impact of Covid-19 on the sectors in which they operate and the smaller profits they generate.

In 2019 research conducted on women’s businesses in Scotland found that 44% of women directors owning private limited companies were paying themselves under £15,000 per annum and 51% were making no pension provision15. For directors who are able to access the furlough scheme, it is not clear if they may continue to work on vital business defence strategies while furloughed.

Information is key during any crisis.

Information about incentives such as loans and tax freezes must be made available to all businesses – regardless of size, sector, geography. Women’s Enterprise (WE) is working to help fill the gap for micro and small businesses by providing regular up to date information on its website and social media channels for women’s businesses who may not think that such measures apply to them or know how to access such support.

Businesses throughout the UK are looking at ways to maintain productivity and enable employees to con-

◗ Only 6% of UK women run their own businesses, compared to 15% of women in Canada, almost 11% of women in the US, and over 9% of women in Australia and the Netherlands.

◗ How will those who have not been explicitly addressed in the UK Government Financial Aid Package be affected, such as entrepreneurial refugees, asylum seekers and other migrant women who have no access to government funds?

◗ What might the implications be, now and in the future, for women’s informal economic and entrepreneurial activity? tinue working, and more businesses are trying to adapt to more innovative and quite different, working practices to enable them to continue through this crisis. Support is urgently needed to assist these businesses to pivot, re-purpose and execute strategies to help them continue as best they can.

WE are working with other organisations to help give more access to critical digital tools and business resilience support.

It will be required to radically rethink how businesses are supported now and in the future. WE are currently engaging with thought leaders and partner organisations to monitor developments, shape collaborative proposals and identify new ways forward during this crisis. However, it remains critical that gender-specific support is provided for women currently in business. Ensuring access to needs-based support will give these enterprises the best chance of success at this time.

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COV I D-19

WOMEN’S ENTERPRISE

& COVID-19 ACTION REQUIRED The Covid-19 pandemic will lead to a new way of thinking for labour market and economic policy across the UK and globally.

of the regulatory framework is required to ensure that such uncertainty is avoided for businesses now and in the future. The need for less bureaucracy at times such as these could be WE supports the objective of main- essential for the survival of a business. taining whatever economic activity we can in the UK amidst necessary ◗ The promotion of collecting gender measures to combat the crisis and its disaggregated data is crucial as well effects. as recognition of the gender differences in the effects of the Covid-19 virus ◗ First and foremost, the UK govern- both for infection rates (to ensure that, ment and devolved institutions in for example, pregnant women may be Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland given accurate information in any fumust put the right measures in place ture pandemics) and economic impact to protect vulnerable people who will (to ensure Equality Impact Assessbe most affected by this pandemic. ment of support measures) and also to monitor the extent of domestic abuse ◗ Regulatory confusion around the during such crises. self-employed has made responses to Covid-19 difficult. An urgent review ◗ Sector-specific relief packages - in-

cluding for seasonal work – should be introduced to sustain businesses.

References

14 Gender Enterprise Network ISBE https://isbegen. wordpress.com/2020/03/27/stay-home-and-work/ 15 Survey of Women’s Businesses in Scotland 2019.

Women’s Enterprise Scotland. www.wescotland.co.uk

1 https://isbegen.wordpress.com/2020/03/27/stayhome-and-work/ 2 https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/our-work/ coronavirus/ 3 On 4 April 2020, the Government extended its furlough scheme to cover employees who cannot work because they are caring for children. However, it does not cover the self-employed, or people who started work or changed employers after 28 February 2020.

4 https://safelives.org.uk/news-views/domestic-abuse-and-covid-19 5 Sector shutdowns during the coronavirus crisis: which workers are most exposed? IFS Briefing Note BN278 https://www.ifs.org.uk/uploads/BN278-Sector-shutdowns-during-the-coronavirus-crisis.pdf 6 Small Business Survey (employers) 2019. BEIS. https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-business-energy-and-industrial-strategy 7 Supporting Women’s Enterprise in the UK: The

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Economic Case (2018) Federation of Small Businesses, Women’s Enterprise Scotland, University of Portsmouth www.fsb.co.uk 8 ‘Women and Retirement 2019’. Scottish Widows (2019) https://www.scottishwidows.co.uk/about_us/ media_centre/reports_women.html 9 ‘Pensions and Small Business – Ticking Time Bomb or Hidden Treasure‘. Forum of Private Business (2017) 10 The Alison Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship (2019) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ the-alison-rose-review-of-female-entrepreneurship 11 UK VC and Female Founders report, British Business Bank (2019) 12 Covid 19: Critique and Proposals to Develop More Comprehensive and Inclusive Support for the Self-Employed ERC Research Report (April 2020) www. enterpriseresearch.ac.uk 13 ‘Who are business owners and what are they doing?’

Jonathan Cribb, Helen Miller, Thomas Pope. Institute for Fiscal Studies (2019) http://www.ifs.org.uk

◗ Women’s enterprises may be par-

ticularly negatively impacted by the decision to give loans and not grants to most self-employed, as research16 shows women typically have a higher risk-awareness than men and are more cautious about scaling a business.

◗ Women’s enterprises may also be dis-

advantaged by the new start-up fund which offers match funded private investment to businesses which must have raised £250,000 privately in the past five years. Research17 shows that women’s access to private investment such as venture capital is significantly restricted with less than 1% of UK venture capital and just 4% of UK deals going to women led businesses.18

16 The Alison Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship (2019) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ the-alison-rose-review-of-female-entrepreneurship 17 UK VC and Female Founders report, British Business Bank (2019) 18 British Business Bank, BVCA and Diversity VC. UK VC & Female Founders report. February 2019 19 The Alison Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship Progress Report (2020) https://www.natwestbusinesshub.com/content/rosereview 20 Covid 19: Critique and Proposals to Develop More Comprehensive and Inclusive Support for the Self-Employed ERC Research Report (April 2020) www. enterpriseresearch.ac.uk

◗ As women navigate the double im-

pact of attending to care at home and checking on people within intergenerational family and friend networks, plus dealing with unprecedented disruption as owners of SME businesses, they face heightened exposure and vulnerability to the impacts of the Covid-19 virus. Specific support packages should be made available to ensure women facing such ‘doubled-up’ impacts receive appropriate support and inequalities are not escalated. Recent research has shown a reluctance amongst women entrepreneurs to discuss care responsibilities with banks as they believed this would be perceived negatively.19

◗ Action is needed to extend sick pay to the self-employed and also relax the savings taper and threshold in

Universal Credit during this period so as to give more access to social protection for the self-employed20.

◗ Policy issues affecting businesses across reserved and devolved powers of each government in the UK should be monitored for consistency of approach and reliability of guidance to businesses in order to sustain growth across all areas of the UK. This should include robust Equality Impact Assessment of all support policies introduced across the four nations for the self-employed and SMEs as a result of Covid19.

◗ For further information:

www.wescotland.co.uk/covid-19

Action is needed to extend sick pay to the self-employed and also relax the savings taper and threshold in Universal Credit

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Do one thing every day that scares you.

I was asked what I thought about the recession. I thought about it and decided not to take part.

ELEANOR ROOSEVELT Former first lady of the United States.

ALICE WALTON Chair, Crystal Bridges Museum of American

I have yet to hear a man ask for advice on how to combine marriage and a career.

GLORIA STEINEM, Journalist and social activist

WOR DS OF world’s most talented Empowering quotes from some of the n Rivers female figures, from JK Rowling to Joa

To love what you do and feel like it matters, how could anything be more fun?

KATHERINE GRAHAM First American female Fortune 500 CEO

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It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all, in which case, you fail by default.

JK ROWLING Author

Growth and comfort do not coexist.

We need to accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes - understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, is part of success.

ARIANNA HUFFINGTON Editor of Huffington Post

GINNI ROMETTY CEO IBM

N O I T A R I P S N I Knowing what must be done does away with fear.

Some leaders are born women.

GERALDINE FERRARO First female vice presidential candidate

ROSA PARKS Civil Rights Activist

I was smart enough to go through any door that opened.

JOAN RIVERS American Comedian

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VITAL VITAMINS Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Vitamin D and Vitamin Z - Should I simply start supplementing with all vitamins mentioned in Covid headlines?

Vitamins are, by definition, needed in minute amounts, but large doses can be harmful. We try and separate the wheat from the chaff...

BY TESS DE KLERK

Vitamin K supplements against Covid? A bit of a stretch!

According to Dutch local news and a Guardian article, high blood levels of vitamin K, found abundantly in cheese, has the potential to prevent the worst outcomes in patients who become infected with Covid-19.

But don’t start popping the vitamin K supplements just yet - the science behind the advice sounded unlikely plus the clinical press release has since been deleted after it was pointed out that the research was done in collaboration with two scientists who had previously defrauded their government while running a business selling none other than vit K supplements!

Vitamin K in large doses can cause complications in various conditions. It is best to get your K from a healthy diet, rich in green veg.

What about D? Nothing wrong with a bit of cheese though. If you need a reason for stocking up on Gruyere, look no further than vitamin D3. Cheese is one of the foods highest in vit D and, according to recent clinical observations, sufficient levels of vit D greatly improves Covid-19 prognoses.

The evidence is not indisputable but this virus came at us so quickly that clinical trials have some catching up to do. What we do have evidence for is that vitamin D deficiency contributes to the seasonal increase of virus infections of the

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DY NA M IC

respiratory tract, from the common cold to influenza, and now possibly also Covid-19.

10-30 minutes of midday sun exposure 3 -5 times a week is sufficient for most people.

Regular sun exposure is the most natural way to get enough vitamin D. Time in the sun varies according to a number of environmental, physical and personal factors but anecdotal evidence suggests between

This is based on having at least the forearms exposed, without sunscreen and without burning.

That is often easier said than done of course. Fortunately, eggs, oily fish, mushrooms and fortified foods,

H E A LT H

amongst others, can assist in topping up those vitamin levels.

A useful tip is to leave your uncooked mushrooms on a window sill in the sun - they soak up the rays and their vitamin D levels soar!

NHS England is currently advising daily supplementation of 10 micrograms of vitamin D for adults.

Vitamin C - the age-old remedy Another vitamin being touted as a Covid preventative cure is vitamin C. It is a pity that the word ‘cure’ is being used as there is absolutely no evidence to support the claim.

Vitamin C does, however, support the immune system, protect cells and maintains healthy skin, blood vessels, bones and cartilage. Vitamin C is plentiful in fresh fruit and veg and as long as you consume those on a daily basis, you should be ingesting enough to support your immune system.

It is also likely safe for most people to supplement with dosages up to 1000mg but, as always, check with your health care practitioner before embarking on any supplementation regime.

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H E A LT H

PROTECT YOUR SKIN WHILE

PROTECTING OUR OCEANS Sunscreen selection can be a nightmare – with so many to choose from and so much sun care jargon to decipher.

By Tess De Klerk

The stark reality is that your choices are crucial for the protection of our oceans and reefs. When most people think of ocean pollution, they refer to plastic waste that finds its way into our seas and oceans, overlooking the estimated 14,000 tons of sunscreen which enter the world’s reefs annually, according to the journal Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology.

Fortunately, it is possible to protect your skin without destroying marine life and polluting our waters, so whether you are searching for sunscreen without health-harming chemicals or advocate for the environment at large, keep reading and find our selection of great ocean-friendly and reef-safe sunscreens.

NANOTISED VS. NON-NANO Wondering whether you should be avoiding physical, mineral or chemical SPFs? I would go for mineral every time but the main concern should be the size of the particles within the formulations.

The vast majority of SPFs are formulated with nanotised particles

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(meaning they’re less than 100 nanometres) whereas “non-nano” means the particles are larger than 100 nanometres. But what’s so important about nanotised or “non-nano” particles? Nanoparticles tend to break down and dissolve in the ocean where they can be toxic to marine life, nonnano particles sink and become part of ocean sediment, posing less risk to marine life.

Nanoparticles can also cause allergic reactions in humans and it is still unclear if these formulations end up in the bloodstream -yikes!

REN CLEAN SCREEN MINERAL SPF 30 Mattifying face sunscreen free of silicone. A nice consistency with ample protection without feeling heavy. Works well under make-up too.

Our tester struggles with sunscreens anywhere near her sensitive eyes but had no issues with this REN screen.

Cruelty-free and vegan with the added plus of the recyclable tube. ◗ www.renskincare.com/products/ clean-screen-mineral-spf-30mattifying-face-sunscreen

BADGER CLEAR ZINC SUNSCREEN SPF 30 Lightweight and moisturizing with no added fragrance. This organic fluid starts out white but rubs in clear - leaving no white residue which can be an issue with mineral screens. Our tester noted that her sensitive, breakout prone skin stayed calm and clear even after consecutive days of usage.

Best suited for dry skin. ◗ www.ecco-verde.co.uk/badgerbalm/clear-zinc-sunscreen-creamspf-30

People overlook the estimated 14,000 tons of sunscreen which enter the world’s reefs annually

PAI SKINCARE BRITISH SUMMER TIME SENSITIVE SUNSCREEN SPF 30 Pricy but great for sensitive and eczema prone skin. The consistency is similar to a light day cream and it rubs in clear. The super ingredients are certified natural, cruelty-free and vegan. ◗ www.paiskincare.com/ products/sensitive-sunscreen-spf30?variant=28396426723415

AVENE MINERAL FLUID SPF 50+ Our pick for utter and complete sun protection. This formula is too heavy for daily use but it is superb for days at the beach. Very water-resistant and not a trace of sunburn, even after forgetting to reapply after swimming (not recommended!). We prefer the clear formula as opposed to the tint, which seemed too dark on fair skin. ◗ www.avene.co.uk/mineral-fluidspf50

COLORSCIENCE For people who prefer fuller coverage, Colorscience offers a range of options from foundations to powders to sun sticks - all reef-safe and free of nasty chemicals. ◗ https://colorescienceuk.com/

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ACUPUNCTURE Acupuncturists open specialist clinic to support NHS workers

FOR THE NHS A volunteer group of eight very experienced local acupuncturists have created a clinic offering 40 appointments a week to support the NHS staff with stress, exhaustion and pain caused by their extraordinary workload due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

A call to assist the NHS went out in early April to acupuncturists and an initiative called ‘Acupuncture for NHS’ was formed which consisted of a number of volunteer acupuncturists. The collective of acupuncturists from all over the country fought for specialist insurance for the project and have developed first class safe practices and integrated a research project to run alongside the program.

The very first clinic of its kind was setup in Brighton & Hove with a team of acupuncturists brought together by Cara Beckinsale & Soreh Levy. They also run a clinic at the Berkeley Clinic in London.

Co-incidentally acupuncturist Cara Beckinsale was awarded a scholarship by the British Acupuncture Council to Heilongjiang University in China in September. Her submission was based on the idea of integrating acupuncture into the NHS by working with trauma doctors and nurses to reduce stress levels.

Cara Beckinsale said: “It has been a long time passion of mine to integrate Chinese Medicine and the NHS, so when this opportunity presented itself I contacted likeminded colleagues in Brighton &

Quotes from NHS So grateful for the team staff who have already offering this service, it used the service shows great commitment and initiative.

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Hove who already worked together and we quickly formed a clinical team.”

One of Cara’s clinics is The Float Spa, in Hove where owner Camille Pierson offered immediate support to the project. Camille sponsored the project by converting The Float Spa, which is currently closed due to coronavirus, into the clinic space for the project completely free of charge.

The uptake from NHS staff has been incredible - the first two weeks were fully booked within three days. The demand for the service has been proven in the uptake alone and the patient feedback is overwhelmingly positive. The need for this kind of service will continue long after lockdown as the realistic reverberating effects of Covid affect the NHS. The project was set up on goodwill and small donations. We are currently seeking individuals or an organisation to fund costs for at least a year .

Camille Pierson said: “When Cara approached me with the idea, I jumped at the chance to be able to support the NHS teams who have worked so very hard throughout the current pandemic. The Float Spa is closed, so what better way to utilise the space until we are permitted to reopen. The Float Spa is a hub for wellness in the community, so this is an incredible way to give back.”

Acupuncture was new to me and now I am a total convert.’

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H E A LT H

Cara Beckinsale and Camille Pierson

The Acupuncturists Cara Beckinsale Has been practising acupuncture for over 5 years. She has clinics in London and Hove. Her main long term focus is the integration of Eastern and Western medicines. Her specialism is PTSD, anxiety and depression.

Claire Diola Has 13 years clinical experience specialising in women’s health and paediatrics. She also has a specialist interest in mental health and a passion for community based clinical work.

A practical and effective solution to help me deal with work stress.

Frazer Leckey Frazer has 8 years in practice. His specialism is nutritional health and mental health.

Rufus Jordan With 13 years treating both one- on- one and in a multi bed setting, Rufus has a passion for making the benefit of acupuncture available to all.

Soreh Levy Soreh has been a qualified acupuncturist for 20 years; she cofounded the Brighton acupuncture charity ‘Pathways

to Health’ and has always been committed to providing affordable acupuncture to the community. As well as providing one to one treatment, she has worked in a low-cost multi-bed acupuncture clinic for over 15 years.

Barbara Cooke - Hider Is the regional co-ordinator for the BAcC and has been an acupuncturist for 13 years. She works in the MacMillan Horizon clinic treating people with cancer and is a member of the ACT fertility acupuncture group.

Anna Tarjan Anna was a pharmacist before becoming an acupuncturist in 2018. Her area of focus is musculoskeletal conditions and assisting patients in making new connections with their bodies.

Charlotte Whitestone Charlie has practised since 2005, always with a focus on the multi-bed and group clinics.

She founded ACMAC in 2007 to support the multi-bed practice.

No other physical treatment has been offered to the NHS since lockdown – and we really need it.

Afterwards, I felt as if a burden had been removed from my shoulders.

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Going for IT? With our cloud based approach you can get straight down to business.

Humanising IT

Real human beings, trusted by our clients to deliver strategic IT solutions 32

01444 443 200 hello@extech.co.uk extechcloud.com

DY NA M IC

T R AV E L

WOMEN IN TRAVEL Women in Travel CIC, the social enterprise dedicated to empowering women through employability and entrepreneurship in the travel and hospitality industry, has announced the launch of BAME Women in Travel’s Corporate Partnerships.

1. Setting tangible targets to increase BAME representation in the travel and hospitality industry

The new Partnership scheme will see BAME Women in Travel work with committed organisations to create tailored solutions that increase the level of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) inclusion in the workplace.

3. Raising the profile of existing BAME Women in Travel through ‘Breakthrough to Excellence’ spotlights and collaborative events

Corporate Partners will be guided by BAME Women in Travel to accomplish the following four key strategic goals, which support BAME Women in Travel’s core purpose of addressing racial inequality as a societal, moral and business issue:

2. Breaking the BAME glass ceiling by boosting the profile of existing industry employees

4. Establishing best practice guidelines and supporting cross-sector Women in Travel networks and interest groups to galvanise change in matters such as ethnicity pay gaps and talent pipelines.

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DY NA M IC

BOOK S

HOW TO HOME EDUCATE Nadia and Mark removed their two children from mainstream school five years ago as they had struggled with bullying and school phobia in a traditional school setting. Since then they have home-schooled them. At a time when so many of us are having to adapt our roles as parents and teachers, they bring their experiences – the good and the bad – and offer a candid and practical guide to teaching at home.

Loose Women’s Nadia Sawalha and husband Mark Adderley have written an honest and practical guide to educating your children at home

Statistics show that the number of home-schooled children in the UK has increased by 40% over the last three years, and the rate is steadily increasing. Honey, I Home-Schooled the Kids will share obstacles, insights and resources that all parents can learn from, whether they’re looking for help in supporting their child at school or if they have decided that they would benefit more from being home-schooled.

Nadia and Mark said: ‘We’ve been home educating our daughters for many years now and have certainly had our challenges along the way. We hope that by sharing our personal experiences – the highs and lows – we can help other parents through the difficulties that they may be facing. Now more than ever we feel a “real” guide to educating children at home is so important and we hope that our honest and witty tone can help families with their journey nationwide.”

Nadia Sawalha has been a well-known face on our TV screens for nearly 30 years, appearing on iconic British shows such as EastEnders (playing Annie Palmer) and Celebrity MasterChef, which she won in 2007. Nadia has been a regular panelist on ITV’s Loose Women for over

The number of home-schooled children in the UK has increased by 40% over the last three years 34

twenty years, entertaining daily with her quick wit and loveable charm. In addition, she has written five cookery books and has her own cooking show, Nadia’s Family Feasts on ITV.

Nadia, Mark and their two children Maddie (17) and Kiki-Bee (12), have taken the online world by storm through their ever-growing YouTube and Instagram platforms.

Mark Adderley is a successful producer and director of documentaries and factual programmes for BBC1, BBC2, BBC4 and National Geographic. He is the owner of Dog House Media, a well-known production company which has produced factual shows for multiple major UK channels including Nigel Slater’s A Taste Of My Life (BBC2), Jo Brand’s Big Splash (UKTV) and How Star Wars Changed The World (Channel 5).

From parenting, home schooling, marriage, film reviews, cooking features, popular culture, news reviews and everything in between – the Sawalha-Adderleys really are a content hub for all ages. Nadia and Mark also host two top Global Player podcasts, ‘How to Stay Married [So Far’] and ‘Confessions of a Modern Parent’.

◗ Coronet will publish in hardback,

eBook and audiobook in September 2020.

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>> GI R L

TORQU E

Why every woman needs a great mechanic

By Motoring Editor, Fiona Shafer, MD of MD HUB

In the absence of no new cars to review since lockdown, it has has given me a momentary pause to extoll the virtues of why, alongside our hairdressers, every woman needs a great mechanic in their lives. If you can find one.

Earlier this year, whilst out test driving the Jaguar F-Pace, I was having supper in a pub with one of my best friends when a very tall and instantly recognisable (to me anyway) man walked in.

I rather rudely abandoned both friend and supper and went to greet him - grasping his huge hand in two of mine. My friend commented that they had never seem me look so animated. The man in question was Roy Williams, owner of Mann and Woodland Garage in Hove, SAAB & FIAT specialists, all-round top bloke

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and the best mechanic I have ever known. In fact, I was so pleased to see him I could have literally cried. It was not an over reaction.

To reassure Mrs Williams, who was also with him at the time, my animation was entirely to do with the amazing customer service experience I had enjoyed with Roy over 14 years. In 2018, I decided to change my Saab (too old, too much going wrong and they had stopped making them) to another car make, an experience that has proven to be in very sharp contrast to working with Roy. To add context to this episode, I had a clear goal in my first year of business to save up for a Black Saab Convertible, which I had always coveted. I achieved that goal and that purchase felt as good as any I have ever had since and it exceeded expectations.

It was a car that made my heart sing - a top rule for any car you significantly invest in that is for you alone. I had 2 Saab’s during my time with Roy (I could rephrase that statement but my relationship with my car was akin to a love affair at

times) and one of the reasons I held onto it probably longer than I should is that I wanted the customer care and expertise to continue with whoever I changed to. But Roy took exemplary care of something that I had worked incredibly hard for and loved. It was hard to leave.

I think this relationship is captured beautifully by the Advanced Technology Institute: “Good mechanics are a driver’s best friend, great mechanics are almost family.”

So what is it that makes Roy such a great mechanic and what should you look for?

• The Golden Rule - Roy was recommended by somebody I trust implicitly.

• Excellent communication skills – he talked me through and checked my understanding of all the work he proposed carrying out and never did anything without my agreement.

• First class technical and specialist diagnostic skills – Roy knows his stuff.

• No fancy showrooms but a very tidy workshop and great work ethic.

• Incredibly polite and respectful at all times – we continued on a Hello Miss Shafer/Hello Roy basis for 14 years.

Good mechanics are a driver’s best friend, great mechanics are almost family

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• Fantastic customer care – too many occasions to mention here but one Christmas Eve when he was about to close for the holidays, Roy drove 10 miles north of Brighton to fix my stuck convertible roof (having taken it down to get the Christmas Tree in) • He was endlessly patient with me and did not treat me like an idiot but like a truly valued customer.

• Very honest and fair pricing.

And then the day I hoped would never come - he told me that I really should stop spending money on my SAAB and think about changing to another make.

At my last service before selling he told me he was retiring. I caught up with Roy to ask him firstly how he was faring during this time and if he was happy to be written about ( he very humbly agreed ).

It will come as no surprise I am sure for me to tell you that he has come back out of retirement and like the vastly

experienced mechanic that he is, Roy has had to diversify into repairing most makes of cars now. His customer base is now grown to a healthy split 30% females to 70% male.

He was exceptionally busy when I rang but ‘always good to hear from you Miss Shafer’.

◗ Roy can be contacted on 01273 771807. ◗ Fiona Shafer is the MD of MDHub.

No fancy showrooms but a very tidy workshop and great work ethic.

www.mdhub.co.uk. 01273 311220.

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My Inspiration I have always lived by a rule that says, “Treat others the way you would like to be treated” and I have found this to be mostly effective.

Louise Punter CEO, Surrey Chambers of Commerce

I was brought up by parents who gave me an inner sense of confidence, which I am forever grateful to them for. They were also realistic and honest and when my dad responded to my ambition to be an actress with “Most actors have something outstanding, but you are a great allrounder” I got the message!

During most of my early career I often found myself in meetings with all men and found very few senior women to be inspired by, but my more empathetic approach was often a good balance with the more task focused styles of my peers.

I want to highlight a few women who have inspired me over the last few decades.

Maria Montessori was a pioneer of theories in early childhood education, which are still implemented in Montessori schools all over the globe. Having experienced this method of learning in America with my first daughter I know it can make a big difference to a child’s education. My husband still mourns the fact that his dream of bringing a Harley Davidson motorbike back with us was hi-jacked by my daughters early schooling!

Second on my list is Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. She has carried out her role with so much grace and elegance, able to converse on any subject and with any subject! The fact that she was in the same school year as my dad also places her in context with our family life. If I could share a cup of tea with someone it would definitely be her.

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A lady more familiar with playing the part of a queen is Dame Judi Dench, who has been gracing the stage since 1957, playing hundreds of parts including Sally Bowles in the musical, Cabaret, which I also played in my amateur days! I have always admired her and since my daughter has followed her dream as an actor, she too is hugely inspired

by Dame Judi.

The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted another lady who has been inspiring to all age groups. Jacinda Ardern, the 39-year-old prime minister of New Zealand, has stood out across the world with her empathetic leadership style. She has outstanding communication skills and connects with people, not just in her own country but across the world. The level of trust and confidence she has created has been impressive to watch.

So, looking to the future where is my inspiration. My two daughters aged 30 and 28 do a great job teaching me and keeping me up to date.

Amy, the actor, inspired by Montessori all those years ago, has a voracious appetite for reading and has done a great job of pointing me towards important articles and books. Her support and leadership within Productions she has been part of has made me very proud.

Hannah has just qualified as a doctor, and during her training has tutored many young people on their way to success. The feedback I get from their parents confirms my slightly biased view that Hannah is inspiring others and provides a great role model. I think our future is safe in the hands of these young women and their peers.

I NSPI R I NG

WOM E N

Clockwise from top: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Dame Judi Dench, Maria Montessori, Jacinda Ahern.

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