4 Upfront: The top international news stories involving women in business
8 In the Right Direction: Good news stories from around the world
Features
6 The Alex Bailey Column Intuition, instinct... and being believed
10 The City Girl Column
Pippa Moyle’s amazing speech from the recent Dynamic Awards
28 Spotlight
Focusing on two women who should be acknowledged more than they currently are
J.K Rowling
The world’s most successful children’s author is also one of the most philanthropic people in the country, often donating to causes she herself has been aff acted by
30 Women in Engineering Day Women in STEM numbers are declining. What can be done to arrest that?
32 Dr Isabella Fox
How AI is transforming the HR sector across Europe
34 Dress like you mean it
How clothes can power your business from the inside out
Business
12 Mary Kemp
Exclusive Q&A with the Dynamic Award winner for Women In Tech
15 Amy Knight
From kitchen table to million-pound brand: My journey as a female founder
The number of business in the UK with women in senior management positions. Up from
Success doesn’t come from what you do occasionally. It comes from what you do consistently.”
– Marie Forleo, entrepreneur, writer and philanthropist
24 Business pitches
Mark Pearson discusses what 30,000 pitches has taught him about the world of venture capital
26 Understanding venture capital schemes ... and how they might benefit you
Wellbeing
36 Costmeitc treatments
HIFU – the non-surgical facelift
Art Scene
38 ‘One of These Days’ – Kellie Miller discusses the works of Elizabeth Price
Travel
40 Tess de Klerk explores the blue-hued delights of Chefchaouen, Morocco
Fine Dining
44 Zorba Meze & Grill, fine Turkish cuisine in Lewes
What’s On
46 A brief snapshot of art and culture across Sussex and Surrey
EDITOR’S NOTE
A warm welcome to this month’s Dynamic.
Each month, I marvel at the passion, determination and hard work that I see from the women who come across our path here at Platinum Media, and the past month has been no different. The fact is, I have to temper my own ambition of featuring each remarkable woman I know of, otherwise our magazine would be a venerable tome!
We start off with our dedicated columnists Pippa and Alex, then move on to hearing from Amy Knight who, at age 28, runs her £65 million-turnover business. J.K. Rowling’s impactful philanthropic work is highlighted in our Big Story, and from there Spotlight hears from two very brave women who are driven by their deep need to change the status quo.
Sophia Lorimer, a Dynamic Awards winner, puts in words what I think many of us intrinsically feel but perhaps struggle to express. Kellie Miller shares art by Elizabeth Price who finds her expression in sculpture, while I share my blue-hued days in Chefchaouen.
In between all of that, we bring you advice on pitching for funding, where AI is heading in HR and much more.
HEAD OF DESIGN / SUB EDITOR: Alan Wares alan@platinummediagroup.co.uk
STARLING LOANS TROUBLES
The digital bank Starling, founded by Anne Boden in 2014, has suffered a 25% drop in annual profits and said it would turn down government guarantees on £28m of Covid loans losses after conceding, in a frank admission of honesty, its own weak controls were to blame.
Starling’s handling of the government-backed bounce back loan (BBL) scheme, which was built to get money quickly to small businesses during lockdown, has been
criticised in many quarters. The scheme offered loans of up to £50,000 at 2.5% interest but carried little risk, with taxpayers picking up 100% of losses if the companies defaulted Starling’s CEO, Raman Bhatia, said the bank had proactively reviewed some of the BBLs on its books, and conceded that a tranche of loans had been granted to applicants without proper checks. That meant they were unlikely to qualify for government guarantees, which might have otherwise seen taxpayers foot the £28m bill.
BRIGHTON FOUNDER LAUNCHES MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME
Brighton-based entrepreneur Lyndsey Clay, founder of the award-winning community brand Connected Brighton, is launching a new mentorship programme in June and it’s rooted in personal transformation.
The new three-month programme, Making Waves, is designed for founders, creatives and small business owners who feel stuck, unseen, or unsure how to move forward in their work. Featuring business coaching, Clays says it’s a real-world roadmap built from her own lived experience of rebuilding a life and career from the ground up.
INDEPENDENT JEWELLER MAKES A MOVE
Independent jeweller Posh Totty Designs has moved into 33 New Road, Brighton. The restored Regency building spans three floors and will house the brand’s
50-strong team, as well as a dedicated area on the top floor for events, workshops, and a podcast studio. “After 15 years at New England House,
we faced a significant upheaval when the building was condemned, forcing us to relocate,” said Alice Cripps, founder and chief executive.
UPFRONT
THE LATEST BULLETINS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
The test of civilisation is its estimation of women.”
George William Curtis
WEC TO HEAR GENDER PAY EVIDENCE
The Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) will hear from four business investors during the third evidence session of its female entrepreneurship inquiry in Parliament on Wednesday, June 4th. MPs on the cross-party committee will explore ways to unlock greater investment
for female-led businesses and how investors can provide more support for female entrepreneurs. The session will examine investment practices and biases, as well as structural barriers and funding disparities, that affect female entrepreneurs.
CALLS TO MAKE MORE FEMALES SAILORS
Men are from Earth, women are from Earth. Deal with it.”
George Carlin
The maritime sector has made welcome and measurable progress on gender diversity. According to the 2024 IMOWISTA Women in Maritime Survey, 176,820 women now work in the industry globally. However, a closer examination of the data reveals a more sobering story. Women represent just 19% of the workforce - and only 1% at sea.
Clearly, inclusion remains more aspirational than operational. And one critical piece of the puzzle remains consistently overlooked: how women’s health shapes participation, progression, and performance across maritime careers. Hosted by Your Health, Our Health, global leaders will convene on, June 4th at the Nor-Shipping Conference in Oslo, to turn awareness into action.
BGF GETS FURTHER CASH BOOST
Business Growth Fund (BGF), a fund backed by several UK-listed banks, said it has committed £300 million ($406 million) to the Invest in Women Taskforce.
The Taskforce’s funding pool supports female-powered businesses. The latest announcement incorporates the BGF’s initial £25 million commitment to the Invest in Women Taskforce (IWT) initiative and takes the funding
pool total committee funds to more than £500 million, the Taskforce said in a statement.
The government-backed BGF, which was founded in 2011, is backed by major UK banks including Lloyds, NatWest, HSBC, Standard Chartered and Barclays. and is a private sector programme to tackle the underfunding of female founders in the UK.
WOMEN’S RUGBY WORLD CUP IN BRIGHTON
The Women’s Rugby World Cup trophy arrived in Brighton as part of an England-wide tour of all eight host cities ahead of the tournament, which kicks off in August. It was on display at Brighton i360 during May.
Each stop “gives fans’ communities and grassroots rugby clubs the chance to join the celebrations and share in the excitement and build-up to the biggest Women’s Rugby World Cup ever”, a competition spokesperson said.
The Brighton & Hove Community Stadium, as it will be known for sponsorship purposes, is hosting two matches, one of which – England v Australia – is already sold out.
DUTCH BILL INTRODUCED ON WAGE TRANSPARENCY
The right-wing majority Dutch government has published a draft bill to implement the EU Pay Transparency Directive, intending to meet the bloc-wide deadline of June 7th, 2026.
The move brings the Netherlands in line with countries like Germany, Ireland, and Poland, which have already begun adopting the Directive’s measures.
According to the International Comparative Legal Guide, it means “The Dutch government has vacated the Brussels naughty step with the recent publication of a draft bill.’
The bill, formally titled Wetsvoorstel implementatie richtlijn loontransparantie, (Bill for Implementation of Wage Transparency Directive), includes several transparency and reporting mechanisms designed to reduce the gender pay gap, albeit only the obligatory ones.
Feminism isn’t about making women strong. Women are already strong. It’s about changing the way the world perceives that strength.”
GD Anderson
WORLD’S OLDEST WOMAN NOW LIVES IN SURREY
A woman from Surrey has become the oldest person in the world, at the age of 115 and 252 days.
Ethel Caterham, who lives in Lightwater, Surrey, reached the milestone following the death of Brazilian nun Sister Inah Canabarro Lucas, aged 116 on May 1st.
Ms Caterham was born on August 21st 1909 and is the last surviving subject of Edward VII. Celebrating her 115th birthday in August 2024, she said she “didn’t know why there was all the fuss”. She said the secret to her longevity was “never arguing with anyone, I listen and I do what I like”.
Guinness World Records has confirmed the new record.
FIRST UK WOMEN IN SPORT RESEARCH HUB OPENS
Loughborough University officially launched its groundbreaking Women in Sport Research and Innovation Hub – underpinning its commitment to accelerating growth and excellence in the women’s sport sector.
The multi-million-pound Hub – launched in partnership with Vitality – will deliver cutting-edge research and innovation by bringing together leading academics, industry partners, national governing bodies, and elitelevel athletes to drive positive change at every level of the women’s sporting ecosystem.
This includes development in areas such as the menstrual cycle and its physiological impact on sports performance, the design of pregnancy and postpartum sports wear, sports nutrition in elite female athletes, digital technologies and innovation in sports bras.
We are delighted to have Alex Bailey contributing to Dynamic. She is a Global CEO and Co-Founder, with 20+ years of expertise in HR leadership, psychology, coaching, and organisational change. She specialises in cultural evolution, leadership,and performance, delivering impactful programmes globally while speaking at international events.
AINTUITION, INSTINCT AND BEING BELIEVED
By Alex Bailey
s a psychologist, it’s been drilled into me to ensure that any interventions we introduce to organisations, teams or individuals override our intuition. The rationale is that intuition can be inherently biased. As ethical practitioners, we base our work on facts and data that can be reliable and valid in most circumstances for a general population.
What importance do we then place on intuition as a leader, and how do we get the right balance between intuition and data for decision making?
For many leaders, as well as fellow psychologists, we can become fearful of our intuition due to the many negative connotations associated with it over the years.
Witches’ hunches, overly emotionally driven, baseless, you name it - it’s been called a number of things that assume discrediting to some form of magic or woo woo. But we can often therefore suppress something vitally important, for fear of not being believed or having enough evidence to back up claims in the moment.
Alex Bailey Column e
So I’m curious whether my experience may be similar to that of other leaders out there who may have also battled with the validity of their own intuition?
I have listened and learned from everyone I’ve worked with since I started work at 15 and valued so many opinions and insights over the years that I’ve often felt happy to change my own opinion if someone makes a more convincing argument for it. I don’t have a need to be right about everything at all, and I’m very happy for a member of my team to challenge something, especially when done with confidence and suggested improvements.
But it took me a dreadful life and death experience to realise that my intuition was much more important than I had recognised.
Without going into detail, I knew one night in late pregnancy that my daughter had turned round in my tummy a week before she was due. I let everyone tell me I was wrong, experienced midwife included, and the subsequent late arrival of her feet-fi rst was a terrifying experience in the snow with all local hospitals shut. Enough detail, I think of that moment over and over. I knew what had happened, and my intuition deep down was strong, but I didn’t listen to it, and it almost cost me and my daughter our lives.
That moment changed me forever, and years later, on Boxing Day, when my other daughter was unwell with a bad cough and we had been waiting in A&E for 10 hours, she and my husband wanted to go home and see the doctor the next day, I knew we had to stay. The voice inside me said, despite it all being incredibly inconvenient with hosting lots of guests at home, we had to see the doctor. All preliminary tests were fine, and they both looked at me to say “I told you so,” but the doctor said she wanted to do a quick CT scan just to be sure.
She called me in to see the scan results, she said she had never seen a patient with symptoms like it, her entire left lung was covered with pneumonia, and she was admitted immediately. All was well after treatment. A month later, we were in a pandemic lockdown.
I think it starts with our instinct, which I feel is often much more ‘in the moment’ reactions from my subconscious mind guiding my immediate response, noting it and exploring what we are really trying to surface.
“It took a life-and-death situation for me to listen to my intuition, and that changed both my leadership approach and my approach to life.”
My point is that it took a life-anddeath situation for me to listen to my intuition, and that changed both my leadership approach and my approach to life. I have consciously engaged with my intuition on every big decision I’ve made since, especially with my business, which, as any business owner will know, is an incredibly challenging career path to take on your own with no investors, bootstrapping from nothing.
The data and facts are still fundamentally important for making decisions for a business. Still, now I don’t let anyone override me if my intuition is telling me something important, even if I don’t have all the facts I need. And from each time I’ve taken action, the ensuing outcomes have proved me right to listen to that strong inner voice.
How do we build that trust in ourselves? Trust that gives us confidence to use our voice and be seen, heard and valued, particularly when stepping into a role leading others.
Moving from being a great contributor in work collaborations to being a leader requires us to use this confidence to be human in our leadership approach. To be authentic and call it out, this is what I know from the facts, and this is what my intuition is telling me.
I’ve found it liberating to be explicit this way, and that others do listen when they trust you.
We cannot step in our own space if we don’t feel our thoughts and feelings based on intuition are as valid as our knowledge and skills. Th is important combination is a foundational building block to becoming our best selves as a leader and owning our own path forward.
Follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ alex-bailey-26562b2/
There is nothing stronger than a broken woman who has rebuilt herself.”
Hannah Gadsby, Australian comedian
PROMISING NEW TREATMENT FOR INHERITED BREAST CANCER
A new treatment combining chemotherapy and the targeted drug olaparib before surgery has shown remarkable success against early-stage inherited breast cancer. In a University of Cambridge study, all 39 women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations survived
three years post-treatment. Scientists say it could be the most effective therapy yet for these aggressive cancers.
“It is rare to have a 100% survival rate in a study like this,” said lead researcher Prof Jean Abraham. Larger trials are planned to confirm the results.
IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
EU COURT BACKS BAN ON HARMFUL FISHING IN PROTECTED WATERS
The EU’s General Court has ruled that marine protected areas must be shielded from harmful fishing practices like bottom trawling—a major win for marine conservation. It rejected a German fishing group’s challenge, reinforcing the EU’s duty to
uphold protections. “This is a critical victory for marine conservation,” said John Condon of ClientEarth. The decision follows rising public concern over ocean damage, highlighted in Sir David Attenborough’s Ocean. Conservationists now urge swift enforcement of the ruling.
NATURE LAWS NOT BLOCKING HOUSEBUILDING
Environmental protections are not delaying UK housebuilding, new government-commissioned research shows, undermining ministers’ justification for weakening nature laws in the planning bill. Intended to support deregulation, the findings back conservationists who say changes are unnecessary. The Wildlife Trusts, which proposed some bill amendments, urged ministers to follow the evidence. Ecologists have strongly criticised the proposed rollback, warning of harm to wildlife and habitats.
ELK REWILDING AFTER 3,000-YEAR ABSENCE
Elk may return to Britain after 3,000 years through a rewilding project in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. Led by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and funded by Rewilding Britain, the initiative aims to restore biodiversity and ecosystem functions. The large, semiaquatic deer would join reintroduced beavers. Experts stress careful planning, calling elk a vital ecosystem engineer that could enrich floodplain habitats and aid in ecological recovery.
BREAKTHROUGH BRAIN TUMOUR TEST DELIVERS RESULTS IN TWO HOURS INCREASED FEMALE REPRESENTATION IN NIGERIA
A new “ultra-rapid” brain tumour test from the University of Nottingham can diagnose tumours in two hours, compared to the usual six-week wait. Used successfully in 50 operations, it identified tumour types accurately every time. With over 100
tumour types needing complex genetic analysis, delays can be distressing and hinder treatment. The new method is faster, more accurate, and cheaper. “It really is revolutionary,” said Dr Simon Paine. Co-developer Prof Matt Loose hopes for a nationwide rollout.
PKK ENDS DECADESLONG ARMED STRUGGLE
The Kurdish militant group PKK has declared an end to its 40-year armed conflict with Turkey, which has claimed around 40,000 lives. Now seeking Kurdish rights through democratic means, the group’s shift could boost stability in Turkey, Syria, and northern Iraq. Turkey’s foreign minister Hakan Fidan welcomed the move, calling it a step toward “lasting peace and stability.” Formerly committed to Kurdish independence, the PKK now aims to secure political solutions within existing state frameworks.
Nigeria has seen a surge in female political participation, with more women contesting and winning legislative seats in 2025. This progress is backed by groups like the Women in Politics Forum and ElectHER, which provide training, advocacy, and support for female candidates. The rise in representation marks a significant step toward gender equality in Nigerian politics, challenging long-standing barriers. Advocates hope this momentum will inspire further reforms and broader inclusion of women across all levels of government.
❛ ❛
While creating women, God made a promise to men that good and obedient wives would be found in all corners of the world. Then He laughed and made the Earth round!”
POPEMOBILE TO BECOME CLINIC FOR GAZA’S CHILDREN
One of Pope Francis’s former popemobiles is being converted into a mobile clinic to provide vital care to children in Gaza— once Israel lifts its humanitarian blockade. Commissioned by the Pope and refitted by Caritas, the vehicle will offer diagnosis and treatment. Caritas calls it a symbol of compassion and hope. Over 15,000 children have died in the conflict, with aid blocked for months and a million people displaced, according to Unicef.
The speech Pippa gave at this year’s Dynamic Awards resonated widely. So much so that we feel that we want to share it with our readers who couldn’t attend on the night. Here are Pippa’s words:
THE CITY GIRL’S
“You know how only 2% of women get equity funding? I’m starting to wonder if I could be one of them.”
I wrote this on LinkedIn a few weeks ago, back when the vision for this speech centred around the importance of business education and financial literacy for women and girls. It’s a cause very close to my heart that’s found its way into the fabric of this new version, whilst giving space to a whole new story that’s arisen since I wrote those two sentences in a moment of pure confidence and sass.
Don’t worry, this isn’t a pitch.
Though, I’d welcome any opportunity to tell you why the new City Girl Network tech platform is going to make you money and change the world.
Just not right now. If you’re a regular reader of my Dynamic column, you’ll know I like to talk about gaps and barriers – confidence, authority, gender pay, age, comparison, race, education, class, finance, maternity, fertility, disability –all the reasons why equity does not exist.
They’re a melting pot of research and validation, with a lot of “angry Pippa rant” removed before it’s sent to our editor, Tess. What I haven’t yet shared is the harsh reality that sometimes the heaviest barrier is the expectations we place on ourselves.
I don’t want to let anyone down. I don’t want people to be angry with me, or disappointed, or not like who I am. I don’t want to fail and be labelled as “not good enough”.
I pretend that I understand the concept that “not everyone will like you”. But I don’t. I just want to shield and be loved. Except the shield I’m trying to carry is crushing me, rather than being a force of protection.
I built my shield through society’s lessons of “How to be a Good Girl”. It taught me to be quiet, to smile, and to understand that if a boy pushes you over then he likes you.
And, ultimately, the goal here is to marry him. As a pupil of the nineties and noughties, I was also taught that “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels”.
I wonder what lies and misconceptions your shields have held.
I put down my shield the day I wrote that LinkedIn post. Not through any conscious recognition that I was holding it. I was just exhausted from being the person that I thought I was supposed to be: profusely apologising for taking up space, feeling embarrassed whenever I was complimented for my achievements and insisting that, actually, those achievements were “very small”.
“What I haven’t yet shared is the harsh reality that sometimes the heaviest barrier is the expectations we place on ourselves.”
But building a nationwide women’s network of over 160,000 people across 25 different locations, with zero capital and zero clue how to run a business isn’t small. It’s a result of sacrifice, long hours, and being a forever student.
I will no longer stand in my way and block myself from being the Dynamic Woman that I am.
Many great opportunities have come my way since the day I decided to back myself. You could say that I sent a signal to the universe that I was ready, and it laid out the path. But it’s probably more that I simply saw the help that’s been in front of me this whole time.
I wish this story was irrelevant to all of you. But the reality of being a woman in business is that we’re in a world that wasn’t built for us. What power we could create if we all laid down our shields and unapologetically rebuilt it.
Tonight, we are celebrating the women who back themselves, against all the odds: innovators changing the way that we experience sound and creating new materials to save the planet; trailblazers at the top of their game in the male dominated industries of property, professional services and tech; and inspiring leaders growing empowering experiences for their team and customers.
SPEECH
You are the change that I want to see in the world. You are the national treasures and role models of today. And we, as a community of Dynamic Women, will band together to trample on the barriers you face, because we all back you too.
AI Pioneer Mary Kemp celebrated with prestigious SSIoT-sponsored award
By Nick Thorp, Sussex & Surrey Institute of Technology (SSIoT)
Mary Kemp was honoured with the Women in Tech Award at this year’s prestigious Dynamic Awards at the Grand Brighton. The award recognises her leadership in making artificial intelligence (AI) accessible and practical for real-world use.
The award was sponsored by Surrey & Sussex Institute of Technology, reflecting SSIoT’s mission to champion innovation, diversity, and opportunity in technology. As a Dynamic sponsor, SSIoT proudly supported the event and continues to work to ensure that tech education is inclusive, future-focused and open to all.
Q&A WITH MARY KEMP
What does this award mean to you?
“It’s not about the trophy – it’s proof that making AI practical matters. We help businesses lead the AI wave, not get swept away by it.”
Why did you shift your focus to GenAI?
“Our own business faced disruption. So we jumped in. GenAI is a chance to help others adapt too – not with more tools, but with real clarity.”
“This isn’t about fitting in. It’s about helping shape what comes next.”
Mary Kemp, co-founder of AI Potential and Simpler with AI, is a leading figure in the South East’s AI movement –especially for start-ups and women in business. Known affectionately as ‘AI Mary’, she’s made it her mission to demystify AI and empower others to lead, not follow, the AI revolution.
– Mary Kemp
Her story embodies the values at the heart of SSIoT, which is set to open its state-of-the-art hub at Crawley College later this year.
Why is collaboration key in AI?
“Because AI gets better when people share what they learn. If it’s going to be inclusive, it must be shaped by everyone, not just the usual suspects.”
What’s your message to young women considering tech?
“Don’t wait to feel ‘ready’. Curiosity counts more than credentials. Your thinking is needed. Be visible. Be bold.”
And the future of AI?
“It should be a leveller – not a threat. GenAI is the fourth industrial revolution, but only if people know how to use it. It’s a skill, not just a tool.”
SSIoT is building a new kind of tech education –inclusive, collaborative and built for the future. Opening a new building this year on Crawley College campus. Want to be part of it? The time is now.
www.sussexsurreyiot.ac.uk
DEVELOPING THE SKILLED WORKFORCE YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS
The Sussex & Surrey IoT work in partnership with further education colleges, universities and industry partners to equip learners with a high-level technical qualification and the skills required by employers.
EDUCATION PARTNERS
FROM KITCHEN TABLE TO MILLION-POUND BRAND: My journey as a female founder
By Amy Knight, Co-founder and Director of Must Have Ideas
In 2018, I started my business Must Have Ideas from my kitchen table with just £3,000 and a head full of ideas. Fast-forward seven years and we’re now one of the fastest-growing e-commerce companies in the UK, recognised in The Sunday Times 100 Fastest Growing Companies of 2024 with an annual turnover of £65 million. Our growth is beyond our wildest dreams, and it’s something I’m incredibly proud of. But what I’m most proud of is building a business with purpose, not just profit.
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
Now specialising in innovative household solutions, the initial vision for Must Have Ideas was for it to become a modest lifestyle business. Our journey began with a silicone antibacterial sponge we discovered while on holiday, a simple alternative to traditional sponges. We brought it back to the UK and named it Hygiene Hero. It struck a chord with customers, selling out quickly. Together with my Must Have Ideas co-founders, my husband, Rob, and our friend Chris Finch, we began exploring other unique product ideas that solved everyday problems. There was no master plan, just curiosity and a genuine desire to offer helpful, affordable solutions. Our approach was straightforward – we’d simply test products, see what resonated with customers, and repeat.
GROWING WITH DETERMINATION
The early days were filled with tough calls and tight budgets. We chose to grow organically, without outside investment, reinvesting any profits straight back into stock. This kept us in control of our vision and values. Every win was earned, and every setback taught us something valuable.
As a young woman in business, I often felt underestimated or that I wasn’t being heard. Some saw it as a hobby or side hustle. That only made me even more determined to prove that our business wasn’t just viable, it was powerful, profitable, and scalable.
tool has always been word of mouth. When someone discovers a product they love and tells their friends, that’s priceless.
THE POWER OF PEOPLE
“One thing I’ve learned is you don’t need to have everything mapped out from the start. ”
BUILDING A BRAND THAT CONNECTS
From day one, we focused on making connections as well as conversions. Social media gave us the platform to communicate directly with customers, using short, engaging videos showcasing our products, and discovering our demographic. By creating highly targeted ads, we built a community around our brand and our products. Over time, our marketing has evolved into email campaigns, influencer collaborations, and customer reviews. However, the most powerful
None of this would’ve happened without an incredible support system. Rob and Chris bring their own unique strengths and personalities to the business, and that complementary balance has been key when making collaborative decisions. I’ve also been lucky to have an amazing team that genuinely cares about the business and our customers.
Outside the office, I’m mum to two wonderful girls. But running a business and being a present parent is not without its challenges, and I’m fortunate enough to have the support of family.
BEING A WOMAN IN BUSINESS
There’s no denying that being a woman in the business world brings its own set of challenges. Like many women, I’ve had to work harder to be heard and prove my capability more than once, facing scepticism, prejudice, and underestimation. I’ve encountered people surprised that I’m the correct
person to speak to or who ask if I can refer them to someone more senior. But being underestimated has only fuelled my resilience. I’m proud to be part of a growing movement of women who are building brilliant businesses, and I want to see more of us supported and more of us celebrated.
WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS
We’ve only scratched the surface. With a brandnew 60,000 square foot warehouse and a team of 200, Must Have Ideas is building for the future. That includes expanding into new markets with an eye on developing more of our products in-house. We’re also investing in eco-conscious packaging and working with suppliers who align with our values. Growth matters, but it has to be responsible too; that’s why we’re proud to be an accredited Living Wage Foundation employer, ensuring that all our employees receive a fair wage that meets the cost of living.
LESSONS I’VE LEARNED
One thing I’ve learned is you don’t need to have everything mapped out from the start. We started with curiosity, we didn’t wait for perfect conditions, we just began.
I’ve also learned that, as well as the data, the most valuable insights come directly from our customers; their feedback has been invaluable and helped shape our business in ways we could never have imagined.
Most of all, I’ve learned that building something meaningful takes time. It’s about showing up, staying curious, and doing the work every day.
www.musthaveideas.co.uk
+ ABOUT AMY KNIGHT
Amy Knight is a 28-year-old entrepreneur, owner and Director of Must Have Ideas, one of the UK’s fastest-growing e-commerce retailer companies.
In 2018, she graduated with a Law degree from the University of Kent. During her studies, she worked as a warehouse manager at Ecoegg, a company that makes innovative, environmentally friendly household, laundry and cleaning products.
After completing her degree, Amy remained at Ecoegg and moved into the position of Head of Supply Chain Management, where she worked for five months.
Amy didn’t take long for her entrepreneurial spirit to take over when she decided to do things her own way within the world of household and cleaning products.
Teaching herself digital marketing and all there is to know about social media, Amy took her first entrepreneurial steps into e-commerce - selling household goods and cleaning products by setting up Must Have Ideas with her co-founders Rob Knight and Chris Finch.
From starting the business with an initial investment of £3,000 (£1,000 from each founder), today the business is generating an annual turnover of £65 Million.
• In 2023 Amy was featured in the Forbes 30 Under 30 List for Europe, Retail and e-commerce category.
• In 2024 Must Have Ideas is featured on The Sunday Times Fastest Growing UK Companies List
• In 2024 Amy became an LDC Top 50 Leader – supported by The Times
• The Must Have Ideas TV Shopping Channel was launched in August 2024
Amy lives in Maidstone, with her husband Rob and her two young children.
JK ROWLING & The Philanthropist’s Tome
For those who keep count of these things, international best-selling author J.K. Rowling is the UK’s second-most generous benefactor to charities worldwide. Sir Elton John, in case you were wondering, leads the list.
She cuts a divisive figure across society at present. However, depending on your source, she has donated between £150m and £200m to a variety of charities, mostly based around issues from her personal experiences.
Dynamic looks at her philanthropic personality, one which started even before she became such a success...
ROWLING Tome
Joanne Rowling was reading The Sunday Times in 2004 when a photograph stopped her where she sat. There was a small boy, about five years old, pressed against the wire of what looked like a cage. “My initial reaction was to turn the page, but I told myself I had to read the article and, if it was as bad as the photo made it look, I needed to do something about it.”
The story was harrowing. “The screaming starts at 11am sharp each day in the basement of the Raby care home, near Prague.
“That is when a little boy, five years old, is locked in his cage.” For a brief period, the boy, who was disabled — no one knew his real age — was let out to be fed and washed then forced back inside, his wails of anger and despair echoing through the building.
the bestselling series. She lobbied both the Czech ambassador to the UK and the Czech prime minister.
FOUNDING LUMOS
She wrote to the MEP Emma Nicholson, Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, a former director of fundraising for Save the Children, who had set up a charity to help abandoned children in Romanian orphanages. A year later, they formed the Children’s High Level Group charity together. It was renamed Lumos in 2010, after a charm in her books that illuminates the end of a wand, shining light into the darkest of places.
“I know I’m hardly unusual in this, but I have a particularly visceral reaction to seeing children abandoned, abused and alone.”
“I know I’m hardly unusual in this, but I have a particularly visceral reaction to seeing children abandoned, abused and alone,” says Rowling, now 59. “The image of that little boy screaming through what looked like chicken wire was so distressing. It remains burnt into my brain.”
She was also partway through writing what would become Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth book in
In the 21 years since the young boy’s story was published, Rowling has donated £63 million to Lumos, either directly or via the Harry Potter franchise, helping more than 280,000 children not just in eastern Europe but also in Haiti, Colombia and Ukraine. It has been calculated that Rowling has donated almost £200 million to three main causes: Lumos, the Volant Charitable Trust and the Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic. This has happened out of sight.
Visiting institutions around Eastern Europe with Lumos, she saw the need for action in the first year of a child’s life. “When that door closes, it’s very hard for children to develop into emotionally stable, functioning adults,” she says.
JK Rowling arriving for the World Premiere of ‘Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows pt2’, Trafalgar Square, London, 2011
“We now have 80 years of meticulous international research to show that institutionalised children have vastly poorer outcomes than children raised in families. So intervention is critical, and the earlier the better. Neglect not only causes cognitive harm, it exposes children to a higher risk of abuse and exploitation.”
She remembers a little girl of about five who sat on her lap during a meeting at a Czech orphanage near Prague and beamed up at her. “A child who has been properly nurtured and is securely attached would never sit in a stranger’s lap. I was emotional and trying to hold it together while talking with experts in the room. I was stuck on the fact that this child was giving me a visceral demonstration of why it’s so easy to abuse — and traffic — an institutionalised child. She had been deprived of every child’s birthright. She was so desperate for love, for attention, that she would have gone home with anyone, no question.”
Rowling came very close to taking a child home. “It was in a unit in Bucharest in 2006, where all these tiny babies were completely silent. I tried to make eye contact with a beautiful little girl who must have been around four or five months old, but there was nothing. She’d learnt that when she cried, no one came, so she’d stopped crying. She was completely shut down. It upset me. I had a powerful impulse to pick up that baby and take her home. I’ve never completely got over that.”
Like 80% of abandoned children, she had a living mother. “The question I’ve met loads of times from westerners and donors is, ‘Why do they abandon them?’” Rowling says. “Social, political and economic upheaval all influence the numbers of children who are put into institutions, but grinding poverty is the number one driver. Lumos has worked hard to establish systems that enable people to care for, feed, and educate their children. Mothers don’t give their children up if they’re in a position to raise them within a family.”
things ever leave you. All of that shaped my worldview and informs the kind of causes and issues I want to help.”
However, it was as a woman escaping an abusive, shortlived marriage that Rowling experienced poverty herself. In the noisy frenzy of the culture wars, Rowling’s private pain can be overlooked. She arrived in Edinburgh from Portugal in 1993 when Jessica was four months old, with one suitcase containing the first three chapters of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
“Nobody who hasn’t been poor can understand what it means. The poor get talked about, talked down to, and talked over, and all of that happened to me during those years.”
Rowling’s family growing up on the England/Wales border was by no means well-off , though they got by. Her father, Peter, was an aircraft engineer at Rolls-Royce in Bristol, and made no secret of the fact that he wanted a boy. Her mother, Anne, was a science technician at Rowling’s comprehensive school. At school, though, she met kids who didn’t have everything they needed.
“There were families who couldn’t afford full school uniforms. I saw and hated the kind of caste system that results from those conspicuous differences. I don’t think those
In her 2008 Harvard commencement speech, she said that she had been as poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain without being homeless.
“Nobody who hasn’t been poor can understand what it means. I remember it vividly; you never forget it. The poor get talked about, talked down to, and talked over, and all of that happened to me during those years. I literally went hungry at times because I prioritised feeding my daughter, but that wasn’t the worst of it. It’s the daily indignities — overwhelmingly, not being able to give your child the things you’d like.”
Rowling still seems to be confounded by her success. “I’d have had to have psychotic levels of self-belief to imagine my book would be a bestseller.” Her literary agent had warned her to find a job because the story wasn’t commercial enough.
Baroness (Emma) Nicholson of Winterbourne, Co-Founder of Lumos with Rowling
That first book, published by Bloomsbury in June 1997, became one of the bestselling works of fiction of all time. She was 32. However, with sudden fame came the letters, which she found incredibly difficult to handle. Over the years, though, she has learnt to do “due diligence,” ensuring the money she donates reaches the right places.
“I do buy The Big Issue and I’ve always tipped, but yes, the tips have got bigger!”
Many letters were from women trying to escape violent and coercive men, asking for relatively small amounts of money. “All genuine, and I was delighted to be able to help,” she says. Rowling has since donated more than £86 million
+SUPREME COURT RULING AND ITS CONSEQUENCES
JK Rowling is a publicly outspoken critic of gender distortion. The Supreme Court recently ruled that a woman is defined by biological sex under equalities law — a judgment she toasted with a cigar and a cocktail from her yacht in the Bahamas. However, she has been on the receiving end of spite, hatred and death threats, appalling behaviour that has no place in a civilised society.
Meanwhile, after Dynamic published a clarification of the ruling last month, speaking at the Charleston Literary Festival in East Sussex, Lady Brenda Hale, former president of the Supreme Court, has registered dismay that the decision “has been misinterpreted.”
Lady Hale said: “There’s nothing in that judgment that says that you can’t have gender neutral loos, as we have here in this festival. It’s for other people to work out the other parts of the Equality Act, which permit but do not require services to be provided differently for people according to sex.
“There are plenty of things to quarrel with” about the judgment, but Hale said her primary concern was the “very binary reaction that there has been to it,” which has upset her greatly.
The proper answer to all of this, she believed, was somewhere in the middle. “So that’s what I very much hope we will come out with when people have calmed down and start being sensible about things,” she concluded.
At the end of May, Rowling set up a new organisation, the JK Rowling Women’s Fund, to help support ‘gender-critical’ legal cases.
The debate, it appears, is nowhere near over, for either side.
in grants to projects in Scotland and around the world, focusing on social deprivation with a particular emphasis on women and children who are at risk in their lives or find themselves in situations where there seems to be no way out. Volant, the first charity she set up in 2000, supports services for victims of sexual abuse, rape and domestic violence, as well as isolated and lone parents.
One heart-rending letter from parents asking for money to fund surgery for their child sticks in her mind. She had just met Neil Murray, the doctor she married in 2001. “I was so upset and disturbed by this letter that I showed it to him.
“He said very calmly that the reason UK doctors wouldn’t operate is that it would involve a lot of pain for no gain. He’s a person full of integrity, so that brought my anxiety levels down. And he has continued to be a fantastic support, because it can still feel overwhelming.”
In more mundane situations, she states, “I do buy The Big Issue and I’ve always tipped, but yes, the tips have got bigger!”
In 2020, Rowling donated more than £12 million in royalties from her children’s fairytale, The Ickabog, to Volant, to support vulnerable people impacted by COVID-19. And she donates all royalties from the first of her Cormoran Strike detective series, written under her pseudonym Robert Galbraith, to ABF The Soldiers’ Charity (now called the Army Benevolent Fund).
Rowling at the White House, 2010
Rowling is most proud of the Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic in Edinburgh, which opened in 2013. Her mother, Anne, who was diagnosed with MS in 1980, died aged 45 of related complications in 1990, when Rowling was 25, reflecting her most profound loss.
“Her disease progressed so fast, she didn’t even know I was writing Harry Potter,” she says. She never saw the later success, the profits of which are, in part, ploughed back into the centre. Rowling’s donations of £27.8 million to date have allowed the clinic to employ the world’s best clinicians and researchers.
“I know that was well worth doing because of the number of women who are coming through our doors.” Over three years, she has donated £1 million to fund running costs, including a staff of nine counselling support workers who have provided more than 6,000 hours of support to 700 women and girls.
Social services in the Czech Republic have undergone significant transformation. “They stopped using caged beds as a result of our intervention, so that was a triumph,” Rowling says.
“My mother was the most amazing gardener. She had green fingers, which I have not inherited...”
“My mother was the most amazing gardener. She had green fingers, which I have not inherited,” Rowling says. “I chose an image of green shoots for the centre’s logo because I wanted that sense of regrowth — we’re looking at whether we can stimulate nerves to grow correctly — but it also felt like a beautiful tribute to her.”
In 2022 she founded Beira’s Place, a women-only rape and sexual assault support centre in Edinburgh. It is named after the Scottish goddess of winter, who represents female wisdom, power and regeneration.
As a survivor of domestic violence and a serious sexual assault she suffered in her twenties, she is particularly proud of it. “There was no such single-sex service before,” she says.
An estimated 5.4 million children still live in institutions worldwide. Rowling’s plans for Lumos’s third decade is to do at least twice as much in half the time. “In ten years’ time Lumos aims to have helped enable more than half a million more children and young people to thrive in safe and loving families,” she says.
Coming up to 30 years after Harry Potter changed the face of publishing, she isn’t in the least bit interested in legacy.
“It has always seemed to me to be an entirely futile pursuit, trying to frame the way you’re remembered after you’re dead,” she says. “I care about now and the living. Honestly, all I ever think about with regard to death is that I hope it doesn’t happen too soon because I’d like to stay with my family as long as possible.”
A bookstore in California, five minutes before the release of Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows, 2007
What 30,000 pitch decks taught us after a decade in venture capital
By Mark Pearson
After ten years on the front line of early-stage investing, we at Fuel Ventures have reviewed more than 30,000 startup pitches, and counting. Today, we receive around 6,000 new decks each year, which works out to one every 88 minutes. With a decade of data behind us, we decided it was time to take stock and share what these numbers say about the UK’s startup ecosystem, and where it’s heading.
CO-FOUNDERS MAKE THE CUT
Our analysis shows that 76% of successful pitches we’ve backed have come from co-founded startups, not solo founders. While we’ve seen exceptional individuals secure investment, our experience suggests co-founders bring complementary skills, shared resilience, and greater long-term potential factors that consistently give them an edge in the investment process.
A WELCOME RISE IN FEMALE FOUNDERS
We’ve also seen encouraging progress when it comes to gender diversity. Since we launched in 2014, female founder submissions have increased by 45%, including a 30% jump in just the last five years. There’s still more work to be done, but this trend is a step in the right direction.
NOT JUST A LONDON GAME
While London remains the top destination for startups in the UK, innovation is spreading. In the past decade, we’ve seen pitch volume from Birmingham rise by 120%, and Manchester by 95%. But it doesn’t stop there: Leeds is up 88%, Bristol 72%, and Glasgow 65%. Even Belfast and Cardiff have seen notable increases of 54% and 47% respectively.
More founders are building businesses outside the capital, and it’s a sign of a healthier, more decentralised entrepreneurial ecosystem.
“There’s a shift in the age profile of founders. Over the last ten years, we’ve received 35% more pitches from entrepreneurs aged 40 and up.”
FOUNDERS OVER 40 ARE GAINING GROUND
There’s also a shift in the age profile of founders. Over the last ten years, we’ve received 35% more pitches from entrepreneurs aged 40 and up. It’s clear that many of the most exciting businesses are now being built by experienced professionals turning their deep industry expertise into scalable ventures.
At the same time, founders aged 25–34 still make up the largest share of submissions, but growth has slowed slightly (up 12% over the decade), while founders aged under 25 have increased by 22%, driven largely by university spinouts and digital-native startups. We’ve also seen a modest rise (9%) in founders aged 55+, often launching businesses in later careers or post-exit from previous ventures.
AI: THE MOST OVERUSED WORD IN PITCH DECKS
In 2024 alone, “AI” featured in 86% of all decks we received, beating out “disruption” (61%), “scale” (52%), “sustainability” (45%), and “pivot” (32%). Other repeat appearances included “Web3” (28%), “decentralised” (24%), “hypergrowth” (21%), “blockchain” (18%), and “metaverse” (11%)—some of which have aged better than others.
But here’s the kicker: in roughly one in five of those decks, there was no actual AI capability. If you’re chasing a buzzword without the product or team to back it up, we’ll notice.
TIMING YOUR PITCH MATTERS
at 127 slides. Neither of those extremes secured investment. In contrast, the average successful pitch deck we receive sits at around 18–24 slides.
The best decks are focused, well-structured, and tailored to the opportunity at hand. It’s not about how much you say, it’s about saying the right things, clearly and convincingly. When it comes to pitch decks, quality always beats quantity.
“If you’re chasing a buzzword without the product or team to back it up, we’ll notice.”
We also uncovered some interesting patterns in timing. January and September are peak months for pitches - up 9% and 10% respectively - and Tuesdays are statistically the best day to send your deck. Submissions that land on a Tuesday are 18% more likely to get a follow-up than those sent on Fridays.
WHEN LESS (OR MORE) ISN’T ALWAYS MORE
Over the years, we’ve seen pitch decks of all shapes and sizes, from the shortest at just three slides to the longest stretching
WHAT THIS TELLS US
As one of the UK’s most active early-stage investors, we’ve had a unique vantage point on how the startup landscape has evolved.
We’ve seen first-hand the creativity, drive, and resilience that founders bring to the table. We’ve also learned that the strongest pitches come from teams who understand their market, tell a clear story, and show evidence of traction - not just buzzwords.
UNDERSTANDING VENTURE SCHEMES
AND HOW THEY
If you're running a startup or small business in the UK, chances are you've hit that familiar roadblock: you need funding to grow, but convincing investors to take a chance on your business can feel nearly impossible. That's where the UK government steps in with a set of powerful tools known as Venture Capital Schemes.
Think of these schemes as a win-win. They make it easier for startups to raise money, and offer tax breaks that help investors feel a lot more comfortable taking a risk on earlystage companies. Here's how they work, plus how they can work for you.
WHAT ARE VENTURE CAPITAL SCHEMES?
Venture capital schemes are government-backed programmes designed to encourage investment in smaller UK businesses. They offer investors generous tax reliefs in return for putting their money into companies that need funding to innovate and grow.
There are three main schemes:
1. Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS)
2. Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS)
3. Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs)
Each one targets a different stage of business growth, but they all share a common goal: helping entrepreneurs access funding by rewarding the people willing to invest in them.
WHY INVESTORS LOVE THESE SCHEMES
Let’s face it - investing in small companies is risky. But what if the government helped soften the blow? That’s what these schemes do. For example, under SEIS, an investor can receive up to 50% of their investment back as a tax reduction. If the business goes under, further loss relief is available. And if things go well? They could pay no Capital Gains Tax on their profits when they sell. It’s a smart incentive that makes early-stage investing more attractive.
WHICH SCHEME IS RIGHT FOR YOUR BUSINESS?
Here’s a quick breakdown of each scheme and who it’s for:
UNDERSTANDING
CAPITAL
MAY BENEFIT YOU...
SEIS – For new ideas just getting started
If your business is very young - less than two years old - and hasn’t raised more than £250,000 in total, SEIS is likely the best fit. You can raise up to £250,000 through this scheme.
Investors’ benefits include:
• 50% Income Tax relief (on investments up to £200,000/ year)
• No Capital Gains Tax on SEIS shares
• Loss relief if the business fails
To qualify, your company must have fewer than 25 employees and less than £350,000 in assets.
EIS – For growing businesses
EIS is ideal for more established startups looking to scale. You can raise up to £12 million through this route.
Key eligibility:
• Less than seven years since first commercial sale (for most sectors)
• Fewer than 250 employees
• Gross assets under £15 million
Investors' benefit inludes:
• 30% Income Tax relief
• Capital Gains Tax deferral
WHAT KINDS OF BUSINESSES QUALIFY?
Most trading businesses qualify, but there are exceptions. Sectors like property development, banking, energy generation, and legal services are generally excluded. Additionally, your company must be based in the UK, be engaged in a qualifying trade, and not be listed on a stock exchange. Importantly, your business can’t be controlled by another company.
ADVANCE ASSURANCE: A SIGNAL TO INVESTORS
“Venture capital schemes offer investors generous tax reliefs in return for putting their money into companies that need funding to innovate and grow.”
A NOTE ON SITR
Before you go hunting for investors, you might want to apply for what's called advance assurance from HMRC. This isn't a requirement, but it’s a strong signal to potential investors that your business is likely to qualify for tax relief.
You’ll need to send HMRC information such as your business plan and details of how you'll use the funds. In return, you’ll get a letter that reassures investors their tax benefits are safe.
• Loss relief and CGT exemption after three years
VCT – For investors who want to spread risk
This scheme doesn’t apply to individual businesses directly, but is worth knowing. VCTs are funds listed on the Stock Exchange that pool investor money and invest it across multiple small companies.
Investors get:
• 30% Income Tax relief (up to £200,000/year)
• Tax-free dividends
• No Capital Gains Tax
For businesses, this means access to funding through VCTs if you meet similar requirements as EIS.
There used to be a fourth option, Social Investment Tax Relief (SITR), aimed at charities and social enterprises. However, this scheme closed to new investments in April 2023.
TAKE THE LEAP
Raising money can be one of the toughest parts of running a startup. But the UK’s venture capital schemes are designed to make it easier, for both businesses and investors. Whether you’re just launching and need a small boost through SEIS, or you’re scaling up and need more substantial backing via EIS or a VCT, these schemes can make a real difference.
If you’re thinking about raising funds, now’s the time to explore these options. And if you’re an investor looking to support the next big thing - while getting rewarded for your risk - it might just be the smartest move you make.
In our exclusive Spotlight feature, we highlight women who are doing good things in their community. They’re not always seen but we think they should be.
SP OTLIGH T
Berta Santos
Berta is the Director of Social Impact Newbie, an online plaform helping students and graduates break into Social Impact space
We defi ne ‘social impact’ as any industry or role focused on benefiting people and the planet, whether that’s working in government, with international organisations, at charities, in social enterprises, or sustainability and social governance departments within traditional companies.
I founded the platform during my fi nal year at the University of Sussex, driven by my own experience navigating the job market without any guidance or connections. As an immigrant, I didn’t have the support network many of my classmates did; no insider advice, no family friends offering internships or job referrals. It felt overwhelming and deeply unfair, and I realised that so many others were in the same position.
Since then, I’ve made it my mission to build a more inclusive, accessible space for young people trying to fi nd their way into purpose-driven work. It hasn’t always been easy. Th is was my fi rst time stepping into the world of entrepreneurship, and without a support system that understood the challenges I was facing, I often felt stuck.
What I’m most proud of, though, is the culture we’ve created, one that encourages people to pass on what they’ve learned to others, so the cycle of inaccessibility starts to break.
We’re built on the values of inclusivity, accessibility, and positive impact, and I hope the platform continues to be a source of hope and clarity for those who feel like they’re navigating this path alone. If someone looked back on my career in 20 years, I’d want them to say I helped level the playing field, that I fought to make the job market a more just, welcoming place for everyone.
“I’ve made it my mission to build a more inclusive, accessible space for young people trying to fi nd their way into purpose-driven work” comprising
One of the most valuable decisions I made was to establish my own unofficial board of advisors, comprising people I admired who generously offered guidance and encouragement. Thanks to that, and the growing community around Social Impact Newbie, we managed to reach over 1.5 million people in just 18 months and have directly supported more than 50 individuals in landing their dream roles in the impact space.
Outside of work, I decompress by spending time with friends and family, reading, or trying out new crafts; anything that gives me a break from screens and helps me slow
After years of being dismissed by the medical system, Abi Chapman—now Chief Executive of Accessify UK—found herself fighting for her life. This near-fatal event became a turning point, inspiring her to launch a multi-award-winning accessibility movement focused on embedding lived experience into research, policy, and service design.
Abi’s journey began in 2017 with a sudden cardiac event and a 12-foot fall that nearly killed her. Living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, Abi had long struggled with misdiagnosis and inadequate care. At 29, her health was spiralling—but instead of giving up, she chose to fight back.
Abi Chapman
Abi is the Chief Executive of Accessify UK. But her journey has been far from smooth
programme had been discontinued. A chance meeting with a former tutor redirected her path to the London College of Communication (LCC), where she pursued a degree in Design for Social Innovation. Despite undergoing surgeries and facing a global pandemic, Abi graduated and went on to specialise in accessibility during her Master’s degree.
This passion led her to launch The Accessibility Project, focused on inclusive design. Though the project expanded into broader community health efforts, Abi felt her original mission was drifting. In 2024, acceptance into LCC’s business incubator—LCC Accelerate—gave her the opportunity to relaunch and refocus her vision. Accessify UK was born.
“Today, Abi lectures, delivers workshops, and speaks on stages and in communities, using storytelling as a tool to connect and dismantle barriers.”
That fight became a mission. Today, Abi leads Accessify UK, a multidisciplinary think tank tackling systemic healthcare barriers through human-centred design. Her personal trauma became the foundation for building the world she once needed.
Before her health crisis, Abi studied at Croydon School of Art. When she returned to education, her original degree
From the outset, Accessify UK sparked change, championing inclusive research, policy, and service design. Abi’s work has since earned national recognition; in 2024, she was named her university’s number one future founder.
Yet, for Abi, this journey isn’t about awards—it’s about justice. She continues to live with chronic disability and always will. Today, she lectures, delivers workshops, and speaks on stages and in communities, using storytelling as a tool to connect and dismantle barriers.
For Abi, this isn’t just a career. It’s her life’s work. Because accessibility and inclusion don’t just improve lives—they save them.
Women’s STEM roles decline by nearly double the national rate
An analysis of the Annual Population Survey which is produced by the Office for National Statistics, reveals the gender split in STEM roles within the UK.
The analysis, conducted by Burgess Hill Girls’ School, compared the number of men and women reported to be in STEM roles from January to December 2021 with those from October 2023 to September 2024 (the most recently available data) to understand how the number of roles had changed over that period. The UK saw numbers for both men and women fall across the two periods, with STEM roles for men falling by 7.43% and a drop of 13.51% for women.
Total Numbers - Women
The only UK nation to see numbers rise was Northern Ireland, which saw a 22.59% rise for men and a 12.64% rise for women.
Scotland saw the largest fall for women, seeing roles for women in STEM drop by 29.89% overall, while the highest fall for men was found in Wales with a reduction of 10.32%.
Anne Pithie, Director of Marketing and Communications at Burgess Hill Girls’ School gave her thoughts on the changing numbers: “We often hear about the importance of Women in STEM, but phrases like this and the numbers behind them are often used without context. Ensuring a diverse range of perspectives and inputs means that the problems that STEM roles tackle can be solved more effectively, and in ways that account for the needs of the full population.
“Seeing numbers fall in STEM occupations is disappointing, especially seeing numbers for women fall at a higher rate when they’re already under-represented. Burgess Hill Girls’ School aims to empower girls, both within our school and the wider community, to achieve their personal and academic goals.
“This means ensuring that opportunities and pathways are available for them to pursue careers that might not be traditionally encouraged. If we want to see these numbers moving in the right direction, we all have a responsibility to ensure that as many doors are open, giving all children the ability to walk through them.”
“Seeing numbers fall in STEM occupations is disappointing, especially seeing numbers for women fall at a higher rate when they’re already under-represented”
“When we look at the actions that Northern Ireland has taken within the past two decades, we can see why their numbers are rising. Its unique situation during Brexit has attracted more fintech and cybersecurity businesses, meaning more roles in STEM sectors would become available.
“Still, their efforts in promoting these subjects as key educational sectors, starting with their ‘Success through STEM’ programme in 2011, have seen rises in the number of students studying those subjects at GCSE level, as well as an increase in engineering apprenticeships in recent years.
“This has meant that Northern Ireland has been able to meet the demand of new roles, with a qualified workforce, where other UK nations have suffered from an ongoing skills gap.”
WHAT CAN THE UK DO TO IMPROVE THESE STATISTICS?
To improve the number of women in STEM roles, the rest of the UK can draw valuable lessons from Northern Ireland’s proactive approach. A key strategy is early and sustained engagement with STEM education. Northern Ireland’s “Success through STEM” programme, launched in 2011, promoted STEM subjects from GCSE level onwards,
helping build a qualified talent pipeline. Similar nationwide efforts—particularly in England, Scotland, and Wales— could help reverse declining trends.
Additionally, increasing access to engineering apprenticeships and aligning education with industry demand, especially in emerging fields such as fintech and cybersecurity, will help bridge the skills gap.
The UK should also invest in outreach initiatives that counter gender stereotypes, support mentorship programs for girls, and ensure greater visibility of female role models in STEM fields. Crucially, policies must focus not just on recruitment but also on retention and career progression for women in STEM, creating an inclusive and supportive work environment.
How AI is transforming the HR sector in Europe
HUMAN-CENTRIC AI
By Isabella Fox. Isabella’s role as Investment Director for ECI Partners
took her to the recent HR Tech Europe Conference in Amsterdam. Here she shares her insights from the conference and ECI’s portfolio company experience
Investment in AI continues, although it has transitioned from being perceived as innovative to being an enabler. The reality of AI being utilised effectively by HR teams, however, remains behind the curve. Whether it is organisational structure or data, most businesses lack sufficiently stable foundations to maximise AI’s efficiency, resulting in the risk that AI is layered into businesses without improving productivity. Many businesses are still spending a lot of time fixing interfaces or grappling with data.
This presents an opportunity for tech and AI providers to create human-centric solutions. We’ve seen that even digitally advanced firms are still doing a lot of HR activity in very manual ways – i.e. recruitment, despite it being one of the first areas to adopt AI solutions. The solution in today’s environment can’t just be whether the tool is innovative; it is whether it is easy to adopt by the end users.
This, in turn, is driving better employee experience, improved compliance, and data-driven decision-making.
THE RESILIENCE OF HR TEAMS
“The solution in today’s environment can’t just be whether the tool is innovative; it is whether it is easy to adopt by the end users.”
The period since 2020 has been tumultuous for HR teams as the shift to remote working and the wave of job changes have kept teams incredibly busy, and the pace of change doesn’t look set to slow down. There is still a lot of uncertainty in the market, and with the advent of AI, there has been additional complexity to consider. Overall, the consensus at the conference was that these teams have had to show remarkable resilience in recent years. The future is bright, with AI offering the promise of a reduction in manual tasks; however, this is not immediately on the horizon for most teams.
EMPLOYEE WELLBEING IS STILL A TOP PRIORITY
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE RIGHT TECH STACK
The HR tech stack is vast. In an ideal world, a core HR Information system would be integrated across some key areas:
• Talent acquisition and recruitment
• Performance management and employee development
• Learning and development
• Employee engagement and wellbeing
• Payroll and benefits
• Analytics and reporting
• Collaboration and communication tools
However, an HR tech stack usually evolves in a slightly less ordered way, as point solutions are often needed, which means they aren’t always fully integrated. As businesses grow, they need to evaluate whether their Human Resources Information System (HRIS) is sufficient for their needs. There is an efficiency and usability experience factor for both employers and employees that is causing change in the sector, as HR teams focus on streamlining systems.
Wellbeing remains a key focus for those in HR across all job roles, with the likes of Coca-Cola having wellness rooms across its factories. For HR Tech platforms, modules such as employee engagement and wellbeing are becoming increasingly important for an HRIS to accommodate.
The first step to enhancing wellbeing is to track it with monitoring, with HR platforms providing new and easy ways to understand employee sentiment. That increased monitoring inevitably has led to more demand for levers to pull to improve engagement. Changing regulation/labour laws is also a driver in some industries, but for the most part, it is employee expectations that continue to grow, and HR tech is responding to that need.
It is clear that AI remains the ultimate buzzword in European HR tech. However, the landscape has evolved, with AI now part of a continuous transformation as opposed to the single catalyst it was considered to be a few years ago. The impact on the sector is beyond doubt – it is the pace of change which is being debated.
transforming Europe
“It is clear that AI remains the ultimate buzzword in European HR tech. However, the landscape has evolved...”
ECI is a private equity investor with over 45 years of experience supporting growth-focused businesses. Managing over £2bn in funds, ECI invests in companies valued up to £300m, taking either majority or minority positions.
The firm is known for its collaborative, value-driven approach, working closely with management teams to drive growth. ECI offers support across areas such as acquisitions, market expansion, employee engagement, and scalable technology.
DRESS LIKE YOU MEAN IT
How your clothes can power your business from the inside out
By Sophia Lorimer, Founder of Fine-Tuned Wardrobe
It’s often said that confidence is an inside job, and while that’s true, what we wear on the outside plays a far bigger role than many people realise.
As a Sustainable Stylist, I’ve worked with professionals from entrepreneurs to executives. The common thread? They didn’t come to me because they lacked clothes. They came because their wardrobes didn’t reflect who they were — or who they were becoming. They were dressing to fit in, not stand out. Or they were stuck in “neutral mode”, wearing outfits that said nothing about their identity or ambition.
Here’s what I know for sure: when you wear something that feels powerfully and unapologetically you, everything shifts. You speak more boldly, lead with conviction, and yes, execute better business.
Can your wardrobe be part of your business strategy? Absolutely. If you’ve ever worn a blazer that makes you feel unstoppable or a dress that sparked a great conversation at a networking event, you already know clothes are not superficial — they’re strategic. Your wardrobe is your non-verbal brand. It speaks before you do. When used consciously, it becomes a tool to amplify not just your style, but your purpose. Especially for women, this is powerful. The right outfit can help you stand out in a sea of sameness, not for vanity’s sake, but for visibility.
your wardrobe like a vision board, the results are magnetic. Some people hear “sustainable fashion” and picture beige linens, boring basics, and a life without sequins (if you saw me at the awards, you’d know that’s not true). Sustainable style can be bold, joyful, and empowering. It’s about wearing what you love — and loving it for a long time.
It means investing in purpose-driven pieces, sourcing preloved gems, or being mindful about new purchases. It might mean mending instead of replacing. It might mean renting a showstopper for a big event. It’s not about perfection. It’s about alignment.
Wearing your values becomes a daily affirmation of what you stand for. Dressing consciously is a form of leadership. Most of us have faced the dreaded wardrobe meltdown before a big moment — the frantic trying-on, clothes everywhere, the feeling of “nothing works”. That chaos costs more than time. It steals your presence.
“Can your wardrobe be part of your business strategy? Absolutely. Your wardrobe is your non-verbal brand. It speaks before you do.”
We’ve all been told to default to “safe” neutrals — black, navy, beige. But empowering clothes aren’t always quiet. Sometimes they’re red and ruffled, bold-shouldered or perfectly tailored. Sometimes they make you feel like you could run the country — and let’s be honest, we need more women in those rooms.
I’ve had clients moved to tears — not by how they looked, but by how they felt. One tech founder came to me dressed head-to-toe in grey. “I don’t want to distract from my ideas,” she said. But she was the idea. Her presence was the brand. After we worked together, she started wearing rich jewel tones that made her feel alive. Her confidence — and her business — soared. In her words: “I finally feel like the woman I’ve always wanted to be.”
There’s a deep sustainability in wearing clothes that truly reflect who you are. You stop impulse shopping. You stop chasing trends. You start dressing with intention. And intention breeds confidence.
I always say: dress not for the job you have, but for the impact you want to make.
Ask yourself: Would my dream client feel drawn to me in this? Does this reflect how I want to feel today? Is this an outfit my future self would be proud of? When you treat
But when your wardrobe is aligned, edited, and empowering, the panic disappears. You know what to wear, when to wear it, and how it supports your message. It becomes your armour — not to hide, but to represent your most powerful self.
In my view, you don’t need more clothes — you need more clarity. Who are you becoming? What story are you telling? What legacy are you creating?
Your answers to these questions should shape how you get dressed. That’s not frivolous. That’s foundational. Whether you’re leading a team, pitching to investors, launching a brand, or entering a new chapter, your wardrobe can support you every step of the way. When filled with pieces that empower you, it becomes a springboard, not a stumbling block.
Style isn’t just in trends or magazines. It lives in your wardrobe, your mornings, your choices. When those choices reflect your identity and your power, they ripple into your work, your relationships, and your impact.
So the next time you stand in front of the mirror, ask yourself: Does this outfit support the future I’m stepping into? Because when you dress like you mean it, the world listens.
If anything I’ve shared resonates with you, please get in touch. www.finetunedwardrobe.com
The nonsurgicalHIFU
With so many cosmetic treatments out there it can be hard to know what information to trust. Our readers asked us for clarification. You asked, we listened.
High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) has quickly become one of the most sought-after non-invasive cosmetic procedures in the UK.
Often dubbed the ‘lunchtime facelift,’ HIFU claims to be a solution for skin tightening and wrinkle reduction without the need for surgery, downtime, or needles. But how exactly does it work, and is it right for everyone?
WHAT IS HIFU?
HIFU is a cosmetic procedure that uses focused ultrasound energy to stimulate collagen production in the deeper layers of the skin. Unlike laser treatments that target the outer layers, HIFU can penetrate deeper, potentially reaching the superficial muscular aponeurotic system (SMAS) - the same layer tightened during a surgical facelift. By creating controlled heat at depths of 1.5mm, 3mm, and 4.5mm, HIFU causes micro-injuries that trigger the body’s natural healing response. This results in the production of new collagen, which lifts and firms the skin over time.
facelift
This treatment is most effective for individuals aged 30 to 50, who generally have sufficient collagen and skin elasticity to benefit from the treatment. At this stage, HIFU can induce lifting and firming as well as acting preventatively, potentially helping to slow down the signs of ageing before they become deeply embedded.
HIFU is most effective for individuals with mild to moderate skin laxity. Generally, people concerned with slight jowling, fine lines or the beginnings of moderate lack of firmness may be ideal candidates for HIFU. It is not a suitable replacement for a surgical facelift in cases of severe skin sagging.
“This treatment is most effective for individuals aged 30 to 50, who generally have sufficient collagen and skin elasticity to benefit from the treatment.”
WHAT TO EXPECT
Each HIFU session should start with a skin analysis and consultation to determine whether you’re a suitable candidate.
During the treatment:
• Your skin will be cleansed, and a special ultrasound gel applied.
• A handheld device is then used to deliver ultrasound energy beneath the skin’s surface.
• The session takes between 30 to 90 minutes, depending on the area being treated.
Patients typically report a tingling or warm sensation, and some experience mild discomfort in more sensitive areas like the jaw or forehead. However, no anaesthetic is usually required.
RECOVERY AND AFTERCARE
One of HIFU’s major benefits is the lack of downtime.
Most people return to their normal activities immediately. However, you may experience redness or slight swelling for a few hours, tenderness or tingling for a few days as well as minor bruising or numbness (in rare cases).
Side effects are usually temporary and minimal when the procedure is performed by a qualified professional using CE-marked or FDA-approved devices.
RESULTS:
WHEN WILL YOU SEE THEM?
• Have active acne, infections, or open wounds in the treatment area
• Use blood-thinning medications or have a bleeding disorder
• Have metal implants or pacemakers
“One of HIFU’s major benefits is the lack of downtime. Most people return to their normal activities immediately.”
Some lifting and tightening effects may be noticeable immediately, but the full impact takes two to three months to develop as collagen production increases. Results typically last 12 to 18 months. Opting for annual maintenance treatments may prolong the effect. Those seeking more comprehensive rejuvenation sometimes combine HIFU with other treatments like dermal fillers or radiofrequency therapy.
CONTRAINDICATIONS
HIFU isn’t suitable for everyone. You should not consider it if you:
• Are pregnant or breastfeeding
A detailed consultation with a certified practitioner is essential to rule out any risks.
REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS
It’s important to understand that HIFU is not a miracle cure. It is a middle ground between skin care and surgery. While you may experience noticeable improvements in skin texture and firmness, the results will always be subtler than surgical interventions. Outcomes will also vary based on age, skin condition, genetics, and lifestyle factors such as sun damage and smoking.
As with all cosmetic procedures, it is essential to have the procedure done by a qualified and experienced practitioner. HIFU may be marketed as something quick and easy but it is a cosmetic procedure that sends heat deep into the dermis and you want your practitioner to take suitable caution.
By KELLIE MILLER
ONE OF THESE DAYS THE WORKS OF ELIZABETH PRICE
Elizabeth Price’s characterful sculptures are highly sought-after and collected worldwide. Her figures are predominantly female, with an occasional signature male figure accompanying her ladies as a support act.
She captures everyday moments in life, often with humorous, full-figured women. Echoes of the late Beryl Cook
“One
Of These Days”
OBE’s paintings can be seen. Beryl’s lifelong work was dedicated to painting comical compositions of life’s daily encounters. She documented scenes in pubs, hen nights and people enjoying themselves. Simple life pleasures remind us of the good times that can easily be missed. Much like Beryl, Elizabeth is unassuming and private, preferring to express her inner flamboyance and extroverted persona through their artwork.
She says, “Figures are my visual language, my means of artistic expression. The work is sometimes all about people, their body language, mood, looks and stories. At other times, it is shapes, patterns or objects that inspire, or abstract thoughts and concepts – I reinterpret them as figures.
“Much like Beryl, Elizabeth is unassuming and private, preferring to express her inner flamboyance and extroverted persona through their artwork.”
She believes evolution has primed our brains to pick out faces, figures, and animals from what we see, and she is compelled to anthropomorphise what she witnesses. Her state of mind and recent experiences doubtless influence how the figures end up.
Her ideas either come in a flash or develop over time, prompted by personal experiences, people-watching, conversations, or triggered by a mere passing commentary. Contemporary dance is an influence, as are media images
“Hold That Thought”
and, of course, visual art. Sometimes, a title is the starting point for a piece; in other cases, the original idea cannot be expressed in words, so the title comes later.
Another draw to Elizabeth’s works is her Small Visitors series, reminiscent of The Borrowers— a fantasy novel by
“Pears
– I, II and III”
“Elizabeth uses the visual messages of gesture and stance... The results can be serious, light-hearted, ambiguous, or enigmatic.”
Mary Norton that was adapted into TV series and films. The story is about tiny human-like creatures who live unseen in houses and seemingly borrow items from the humans that live there. Items that are borrowed are used as furniture or useful survival tools.
Elizabeth uses the visual messages of gesture and stance – for example, the tilt of a neck or the set of the shoulders – to express the state of mind or capture the moment in a narrative. The results can be serious, light-hearted, ambiguous, or enigmatic.
Kellie Miller is an artist, curator, critic and gallery owner. www.kelliemillerarts.com
3 Church St, Brighton, Brighton BN1 1UJ
By Tess de Klerk
“That laid-back atmosphere, I suspect, is no accident. After all, the surrounding Rif region is one of the world’s largest hash-producing areas.”
Chefchaouen MOROCCO’S BLUE-HUED
Chefchaouen BLUE-HUED HAVEN P
erched amid the dramatic peaks of the Rif Mountains, Chefchaouen is a city swathed in a thousand shades of blue. Often dubbed the “Blue Pearl” of Morocco, this town, equal parts serene and surreal, has become a favourite among photographers, seekers of peace, and yes, curious travellers like myself. But as we drove the winding road, ascending into the hills, a question lingered in my mind: Is Chefchaouen just another pretty tourist trap?
To my relief, and slight surprise, it isn’t.
Chefchaouen’s charm doesn’t feel orchestrated. The streets aren’t polished, and while you’ll undoubtedly spot fellow travellers angling for the perfect Instagram shot, the medina itself retains an authenticity sometimes diluted in more visited Moroccan cities. There are no aggressive vendors pulling you by the sleeve or elaborate schemes to lure you into carpet shops. In fact, it was refreshing to walk freely without being hassled, to browse slowly, to meet only relaxed curiosity in return.
That laid-back atmosphere, I suspect, is no accident. After all, the surrounding Rif region is one of the world’s largest hash-producing areas. While the town itself is far from a stoner’s paradise, the mellow vibe of Chefchaouen might just have something to do with it. People smile easily here. Shopkeepers chat without an agenda. It felt like being allowed to be - a nice change in Morocco.
THE BLUE THAT BINDS
The question most visitors ask first: Why is there so much blue? History offers a few theories. Some say the colour was introduced by Jewish refugees in the 1930s, symbolising the divine and the infinite sky. Others argue it keeps mosquitoes at bay or simply that it keeps houses cool in the sun. Whatever the origin, the tradition stuck - and is lovingly maintained. It’s not uncommon to spot a man or woman with a bucket of indigo paint, giving their doorstep or wall a fresh coat. The result? A medina that feels like a living canvas, serene and dream-like.
“Place Outa el Hammam is the medina’s heart, home to the 15th-century Kasbah and the Grand Mosque—the square pulsates gently with local life.”
WANDERING WITHOUT PURPOSE
We spent our two days simply walking - no destination in mind, no map. The alleyways twist and narrow in a way that might be confusing in Marrakesh, but here, it’s a pleasure to get lost. Around every corner, a new door, another lazy cat, or a street artist setting up a makeshift gallery. Place Outa el Hammam is the medina’s heart, home to the 15th-century Kasbah and the Grand Mosque—the square pulsates gently with local life. Older men sip mint tea beneath orange trees, and children dart through the fountain spray. Climb the Kasbah’s towers for a view that brings the blue into perspective—hundreds of rooftops tumbling down the hills like waves.
No visit is complete without the climb to the Spanish Mosque, perched on a hill overlooking the town. We made the trek in the late afternoon, joined by local teenagers and a few goats. From the top, we watched as the sun slipped behind the mountains, casting golden light over the sea of blue below. It was quiet. Peaceful. Beautiful.
If the town starts to feel too sleepy, lace up your boots. A short walk from the medina leads to Ras El Maa, a small waterfall where locals do laundry and cool off in the summer heat. A little further afield is Talassemtane National Park, a wonderland of cedar trees, hidden valleys, and the Akchour Waterfalls- one of the most rewarding hikes I’ve done in Morocco.
“Chefchaouen may be small, but it’s rich in Moroccan flavour.”
TAGINES, TEA & TRANQUILLITY
Chefchaouen may be small, but it’s rich in Moroccan flavour. At Restaurant Triana, we relaxed on a cool terrace overlooking the small river running from its mountain waterfall, while tucking into a lamb and prune tagine with a view over the rooftops. Another night, we found a quiet rooftop café where the mint tea came strong and sweet and where guests began spontaneously playing various instruments.
STAYING THE NIGHT (OR TWO)
There are many B&Bs scattered through the medina and surrounding hills, each offering its own take on Moroccan hospitality. We stayed at Usha Guesthouse, a lovely and authentic spot tucked into one of Chefchaouen’s quieter corners. The rooms were simple but full of charm, and the rooftop terrace was a highlight - perfect for morning coffee
or watching the sunset blush the blue walls.A word of advice for fellow travellers: wherever you stay in Chefchaouen, prepare for stairs. The medina clings to the mountainside, and verticality is part of the city’s DNA. Narrow staircases are everywhere, often uneven and charmingly crooked. If you pack light, your knees will thank you.
GETTING PRACTICAL
Chefchaouen can be reached by road from Tangier (two hours), Tetouan (an hour), or Fes (four hours). The journey winds through pretty landscapes, dotted with olive groves and shepherds guiding their flocks. We had flown from Gatwick to Malaga to Tetuan where we easily found a private driver to take us to Chefchaouen for around £20. There are direct flights from Stansted to Tangier.
Once in town, choose a riad or guesthouse with a rooftop terrace as you’ll want to watch the changing light across the hills.
Spring and autumn are ideal times to visit, with warm days and cool evenings. And if you’re two women, and if you’re wondering about safety, as two women travelling, we felt completely safe, and I believe that I would have felt the same way had I been travelling solo.
THE VERDICT?
Chefchaouen isn’t a tourist trap. It’s a quiet pocket of colour and calm, where time slows and senses sharpen. Go there with no expectations. Wander. Talk. Taste. Breathe in the blue. And let this Moroccan gem surprise you the way it did me.
Zorba Meze & Grill
Lewes
By Tess de Klerk
Tucked away in the heart of Lewes, Zorba Meze & Grill has become a local favourite since its opening in 2022. This Turkish-Mediterranean spot, located near the centre of town, has already built a loyal following. Even on a Sunday evening, it was around 70% full, a solid turnout that speaks volumes.
The mood in the restaurant was lively yet relaxed. The layout is comfortable, with plenty of space between tables, and the open kitchen means you can watch the chefs at work grilling meats over the traditional charcoal mangal. A nice touch.
shish, and adana kebab. The menu pays clear attention to dietary needs - gluten-free dishes are well-marked, and there’s a decent number of vegetarian and vegan options too.
To start, I went for the trio of cold meze and selected the baba ganoush, tzatziki, and a caprese salad. The baba ganoush was velvety and smoky, the tzatziki fresh with just the right garlic kick, and the caprese surprisingly punchy, thanks to a drizzle of thick, tangy balsamic. My companion chose the mini feta-stuffed filo pastries. They were crispy and fine for what they were, though he said they were a little forgettable.
“The layout means you can watch the chefs at work grilling meats over the traditional charcoal mangal.”
Zorba’s menu is long and varied, as is often the case with Turkish restaurants. The usual suspects are all there: cold and hot meze, such as baba ganoush, tzatziki, and hummus, alongside mains from the grill, including lamb ribs, chicken
The mains, however, did not disappoint. He ordered the Ali Nazik lamb, a dish consisting of tender, marinated lamb cubes served over a bed of creamy baba ganoush and tomato sauce. The lamb was perfectly cooked, juicy and full of flavour, with that unmistakable grilled char. I had the mixed fish skewer, which turned out to be a plate of salmon, seabass, and king prawns, all grilled and served with rice and salad. The fish was well-seasoned,
not overdone, and nicely varied. It’s the sort of dish that leaves you feeling full but not weighed down.
One of the real strengths of Zorba is the portion sizes. It’s one of the things people love about Turkish food - you don’t just get your main, you get the sides, too. Rice, salad, and sometimes flatbread are par for the course, and it all adds to the feeling that you’re getting good value for your money. Our bill for two starters, two mains, two cocktails, and two glasses of wine came to around £120, including the tip, which felt fair for the quality and quantity.
Speaking of drinks, it’s worth noting that Zorba has a pretty extensive wine and cocktail list. The wine selection spans the Mediterranean and beyond, and the cocktails aren’t just tacked on, they’re thoughtfully put together, if slightly over sweet.
Another small but important detail: the music wasn’t blaring. That may seem minor, but too many Turkish restaurants fall into the trap of cranking up the volume and making conversation a chore. Here, it was pitched just right enough to add to the buzz, but not intrusive.
Zorba is doing a lot right, from its upbeat and welcoming atmosphere to a menu that ticks all of the boxes. It’s the kind of place that works equally well for a casual dinner or a celebration. If you’re in Lewes and fancy a generous, flavour-packed meal without the fuss, Zorba is a safe and satisfying bet.
Zorba Meze & Grill, Unit 2, Old Court House, Friars Walk, Lewes BN7 2FS www.zorbalewes.com
WORTHING WORTHING 10K
The Worthing 10K offers runners a scenic coastal route that’s both flat and fast, making it perfect for personal bests. Whether you’re a seasoned athlete or a casual jogger, the vibrant atmosphere and supportive crowds make this event a highlight in the running calendar.
June 8th
Worthing Seafront, BN11 3JT worthing10k.co.uk
NR GUILDFORD SURREY HILLS COUNTRY FAIR
This inaugural event celebrates the beauty and heritage of the Surrey Hills. Explore countryside skills, sustainable living exhibits, artisan stalls, and enjoy family-friendly activities. Set in the scenic Merrist Wood College, it’s a great day out for all.
From the roaring glamour of race days in the 1920s & 30s to the luxurious golden age of mid-century travel, Brooklands Museum brings history to life. Celebrate the legacy of British motorsport and aviation with vintage cars, historic displays, and live demonstrations in an immersive weekend of nostalgia and excitement.
A gastronomic delight, this festival celebrates the finest cheeses and spiciest chillies. With tastings, live music, cooking demonstrations, and family entertainment, it’s a flavourful experience that caters to all palates and ages.
June 21st-22nd
Oaklands Park, Chichester, PO19 6AP cheeseandchillifestival.com
OF MOTORSPORT WEEKEND
EGHAM EGHAM REGATTA
A historic rowing event, the Egham Regatta showcases competitive races on the River Thames. Spectators can enjoy thrilling boat races, riverside picnics, and a lively atmosphere, making it a quintessential British summer experience.
Bring the kids and join Hiccup and Toothless on a trail through the historic grounds of Bodiam Castle. This interactive experience, inspired by the beloved book and film series, offers games and activities that teach participants the art of dragon training, making it a magical day out for families.
May 24th – September 7th 2025
Bodiam Castle, Robertsbridge, East Sussex TN32 5UA nationaltrust.org.uk/bodiam-castle
GUILDFORD UNIVERSITY OF SURREY REUNION
An opportunity for University of Surrey alumni to reconnect, the Surrey Weekender offers a series of events, talks, and social gatherings. It’s a chance to revisit campus memories and network with fellow graduates.
June 13th-15th
University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH surrey.ac.uk
LOWER BEEDING LEONARDSLEE LATES EXTRA
Experience the enchanting Leonardslee Gardens illuminated under the evening sky. With live music, gourmet food, and light displays, this event promises to be a beautiful nocturnal adventure in one of Sussex’s most beautiful settings.
