Business MK Newspaper December 2023

Business MK December 2023

Incorporating Business2Business

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In print and online, Business MK is published in Milton Keynes and North Bucks for the area’s business community www.businessmk.co.uk

CO MM EN T

Tourisn chief: It’s time for some decisions on the future. P5

en amazing days brought a gross economic impact of some £6.7 million to Milton Keynes and a net contribution of just under £0.75 million, say organisers of IF: Milton Keynes International Festival.

Scores of business representatives joined guests from the arts, community and voluntary sectors at the Staves Theatre in Wavendon to hear how the festival, which brought 170 artistic performances, installations and shows to eight locations across the city in July, is making an ongoing difference in

IF: Milton Keynes International Festival brings a cultural and commercial boost developing a sense of belonging across all sectors of the city’s population.

This year’s festival attracted a total audience of around 56,000. But, said festival director Monica Ferguson, that figure excludes the number of people in Milton Keynes for other reasons who paused to take in the artistic festival around them. Footfall in centre:mk, IF’s headline sponsor, rose by 14 per cent on the previous

non-festival year and was 4pc up on the figure during the previous festival in 2021.

Paying tribute to the role of the festival’s supporters headed by centre:mk and MyMiltonKeynes Business Improvement District which funded the IF volunteers and paid for a TV advertising campaign designed to draw visitors from further afield in the UK, Ms Ferguson said: “IF created some really special

moments this year and partner can use the festival as an opportunity to really make a difference, to raise their profile and make sure that their messages are communicated internationally.” centre:mk has supported IF: Milton Keynes International festival since it debuted in 2010. This year it hosted the stunning and thought-provoking installation The Place Between, an immersive artwork created by Rebecca Louise Law and sound artist Jason Singh. It incorporated more than 200,000 pieces of plant To page 3 >>

FE AT UR E

The Point: What’s the point? asks Theo Chalmers. P8

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Ten amazing days brings £6.75m into city’s economy

FE AT UR E

AI: The Summit at Bletchley Park decrypted. P12-13

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WORKPLACE CULTURE Not ‘why?’ but ‘how?’. P14-17

BEDFORDSHIRE: New plans for retail landmarks. P19

CEO Sleepout bags £50,000 for homeless charities

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xperiencing one night of rough sleeping has enabled 55 businesspeople to raise almost £50,000 for organisations working with the homeless in Milton Keynes.

Meet the intrepid souls who took part in this year’s CEO Sleepout initiative, who spent a night in the open at Milton Keynes College’s Bletchley campus to raise awareness of the plight of those

For expert legal advice, we’re here to help. franklins-sols.co.uk

without a place to sleep and to raise money for four charities supporting those in need; YMCA Milton Keynes, MK Bus Shelter, St Mark’s Meals and MK Food Bank.

They are pictured as they prepare for a night sleeping outside on a ground sheet, some in blankets, others in survival bags or plastic bubble wrap.

Read more on page 5 >>

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Business MK | December 2023

Business group aims to grow post-war UK-Ukraine trade A new organisation promoting bilateral trade between Milton Keynes, the wider Oxford-Cambridge growth arc and Ukraine is to launch this month.

OxCamMK-Kyiv Business Association will become a network of well-connected SME business partnerships, providing members with the opportunity to share ideas, innovation and technologies.

Chaired by Valeriy Voschevsky, former Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine, OxCamMK-Kyiv BA’s mission is to support SMEs in the Milton Keynes/ Ox-Cam region in their efforts to work with Ukrainian organisations. It will also support businesses in Ukraine keen to work with UK companies.

The association’s remit is to help companies to open dialogue, compete more effectively, source finance and investment opportunities, trade with one another, lobby government, upskill their workforces and promote the transfer and exchange of expertise, technology and knowledge.

OxCamMK-Kyiv BA will support both governments’ current trade agreements and endeavour to further unlock private sector investment to drive both regions’ innovation-led economies, underpinned by environmentally sustainable and inclusive development once the war with Russia is over.

Mr Voschevskyy said: “Our ambitious long-term plan is to unlock the economic

OxCamMK-Kyiv Business Association chair Valeriy Voschevsky (right) is pictured with Milton Keynes City Council leader Cllr Pete Marland on a visit to Milton Keynes in September potential of both regions, delivering transformative collaboration and tangible growth, specifically between the Milton Keynes/Ox-Cam area and Ukraine.

“OxCamMK-Kyiv BA’s vision provides a pathway to show how the regions can better connect their unique and worldleading assets to become truly united, sharing business investment and innovation while developing top talent.”

The association has already the support of organisations including the South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership, Milton Keynes City Council, the Federation of Small Businesses, MK:U and Cranfield Universities, the Oxford to Cambridge Partnership and the social democratic

political party Ukraine-Forward.

Government officials in Ukraine and the UK have heralded the association as an important step in developing vital business and philanthropic opportunities between both countries.

OxCamMK-Kyiv BA vice chair Mark Baker said: “OxCamMK-Kyiv BA’s overarching aim is to build a community of businesses to nurture cooperation, investment, education and technology, fostering meaningful business relationships between the Milton Keynes / Ox-Cam region and Ukraine. We aspire to be a place where talent and enterprise can not only develop but thrive, laying the foundations for valuable, long-term international business relationships while delivering real development opportunities for the next generation.”

Mr Voschevskyy added: “As a not-forprofit association, we will be reinvesting all our income back into the association, developing and investing in flagship collaborations and supporting our communities in the process. This will help us to realise our vision of establishing a foundation to offer scholarships, training and education for the least privileged children of our nations.” n The OxCamMK-Kyiv Business Association is to launch on December 4.

To attend, register at ockba.org

Turf firm to the rescue of DIY SOS

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rogramme makers at the BBC series DIY SOS had a SOS of their own during the recent filming of an episode in Essex.

The crew and cast were at Butterfly Effect Wellbeing, a community interest company in Harlow, to transform its mobile unit headquarters into a warm and welcoming community hub.

But when it came to landscaping, they turned to Olney-based George Davies Turf which was more than willing to supply two pallets of the turf the show needed to complete its task.

“We were delighted to be able to offer our support and provide the exact quantity of high-quality turf they were after,” said managing director George Davies.

He and customer services administrator Dawn Hewitt, were invited to the big

George Davies (centre) and Dawn Hewitt with the DIY SOS team reveal event at the end of the project.

They also got to meet several surprise guests which included cast members from the BBC series Eastenders.

“It was just amazing to witness the support and commitment from absolutely

everyone involved” said Mr Davies.

“You see these programmes on TV but it is impossible to appreciate just what goes into making the projects a reality.”

The ‘Eastenders special’ programme is due to air this month.

Council extends sustainable growth project for businesses

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xtra support for small businesses to take action against climate change is being delivered through its Net Zero project by Milton Keynes City Council.

It launched the initiative last year for 50 local firms and is now opening up the programme to more businesses in response to increased demand.

The council has teamed up with Ngage Solutions to provide fully funded practical support helping

companies to achieve their sustainability goals. The support includes steering participating organisations to grant funding and training to help them make the most of low carbon opportunities and reduce their energy costs.

Deputy leader Cllr Robin Bradburn said: “It is really encouraging to see local businesses who share our vision of making our city carbon neutral and I look forward to working with

them to achieve sustainable economic growth.”

The programme includes the steps businesses can take to mitigate climate change; access to low carbon initiatives; facilitating highquality services and training to capitalise on low carbon opportunities; a network of like-minded businesses who can work together.

“We are committed to tackling the climate crisis and this needs businesses and communities to

come together to achieve meaningful action,” said Cllr Bradburn.

Of the 50 businesses supported by Net Zero MK last year, 21 made Net Zero pledges, said Adam Champney, head of funding acquisition and business development at Ngage Solutions. n Find out more at NetZeroMK.org, email NetZeroMK@ngagesolutions. co.uk or call 01494 360569.

For local business news visit www.BusinessMK.co.uk

Business News IKEA signs in as Chamber gold partner

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etail giant IKEA has become a Milton Keynes Chamber of Commerce gold partner as it looks to forge closer links with the city’s business community.

The company, whose Milton Keynes store near Stadium MK opened in 2005, employs 450 staff and is one of 20 across the UK. Its Milton Keynes market manager David Manser (pictured below) said: “I am delighted to be starting this partnership. We are looking forward to working together to leverage our ability to be a good neighbour for our customers, other businesses in the area and the people of MK.

“There is so much potential here not only today but looking into the future as well. A partnership such as this will help us to learn more about life in MK by allowing us to have a dialogue with other business leaders who we would not ordinarily talk to in our day-to-day work.

“I am sure this will give us new and unexpected ways of meeting the challenges in our business and being better tomorrow than we are today.’

IKEA joins Towergate Insurance and Nick Freeman Photography in holding Chamber gold partner status.

The Chamber’s group commercial director Sunny Singh said: “Our valued Chamber Business Partners are influential companies from across the region and we are delighted to welcome IKEA into this exclusive group. We believe that our business community is Stronger Together, and these partnerships offer the chance for greater opportunities and more collaborative working.

“We look forward to a long and successful partnership with IKEA.”

Telecoms firm is sold to tech partner B usiness technology specialist Focus Group has completed its acquisition of Milton Keynesbased Boxx Communications.

The deal adds to Focus Group’s growing UK-wide presence and brings under its brand a company with which it has worked closely for the past five years.

Boxx’s chief executive Dean Burgin, who founded the business in 2011 with fellow director James Green, is to remain with the combined business.

Mr Burgin said: “Over the years, our rapport has matured into an important relationship for us and we had no doubt Focus would prove to be an ideal fit for the next stage in our journey. Our valued customers are set to benefit from an exceptional range of technological products and solutions while our dedicated team is looking towards a promising future.”

Dean Burgin Focus Group, established in 2003, is a leading provider of essential business technology. The acquisition of Boxx, whose offices are in Central Milton Keynes, is part of the group’s expansion plans across the UK. Ralph Gilbert, co-founder and director of Focus Group, said: “When the opportunity arose to acquire Boxx Communications, the decision

was an easy one. Beyond their clear commitment to service excellence and an enviable organic growth trajectory, the team at Boxx are quite simply the nicest people in telecoms. Our longstanding relationship and shared vision will no doubt provide the springboard into exciting times together.”

Lawyers at Geoffrey Leaver Solicitors in Milton Keynes acted for Boxx in the negotiations. Lead adviser Danielle Austin (inset), senior associate solicitor, said: “Boxx Communications are well known in the Milton Keynes business community.

They have an excellent reputation for high levels of customer service across the region, so we were thrilled when Dean and James selected Geoffrey Leaver Solicitors to advise them. It has been a real pleasure and a smooth deal to

have been involved with.”

Focus Group now has a team of more than 900 staff and provides technology solutions to more than 27,000 businesses in telecoms, IT, cyber security, connectivity, mobile and energy sectors.

Mr Green said: “Working with Focus Group for a second time, on what is naturally a huge step for Boxx, has been a genuine pleasure from start to finish. The team on all sides have moved incredibly fast, enabling us to complete the transaction in a way that has minimised impact on day-to-day operations.”

Mr Burgin said: “Boxx has been a success by truly connecting with local businesses and their goals. We can now unlock endless possibilities through The Focus Group portfolio.”

Sound artist Jason Singh Left: Rebecca Louise Law’s The Place Between which was installed in centre:mk during the festival Below: Kevin Duffy

From page 1 >> material, featuring immersive soundscapes generated using biodata captured from plants and trees.

Its aim was to reveal the secret life of plants and flowers, inviting visitors to think about the environment, the planet and how humanity’s future will be dictated by its actions.

“It took you to a completely different place and a monment in your really busy life to think about the impact on the environment of what we are doing,” said

‘The festival is making a great difference to so many people’ centre:mk’s centre director Kevin Duffy.

“We want people to have an emotional connection with the shopping centre because if you have an emotional connection to a destination, you are more likely to go back. The shopping centre creates that - having worldclass installations is hugely powerful for the community.”

Milton Keynes Community Foundation was IF’s inclusion partner this year.

Chief executive Ian Revell said: “The festival is making a great difference to so many people’s lives and it is glorious.”

The festival celebrates the diversity of Milton Keynes, he added. “It is fantastic. IF is displaying the DNA of the city

and it makes me really proud to be Milton Keynesian. It is what we are about as a city.”

Dame Ann Limb, chair of the festival board, paid tribute to the support of businesses in staging the

festival, which first took place in 2010.

“It is very hard in these times to persuade businesses and individuals and organisations to give for the arts, culture and creativity because there is so much need everywhere else. But I feel that arts, creativity and culture are the best education for people and are the best community cohesion you can possibly have.

“The fact that Milton Keynes is using creativity to build community is a wonderful thing.”

New networking group aims to connect innovators and support

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odcasts and a community news channel are among the plans of a networking group set up for innovative organisations and individuals based in Milton Keynes.

The Milton Keynes Innovation Circle met for the first time in October, with almost 50 delegates listening to a panel discussion led by representatives of national law firm Shoosmiths,

accounting software leader Xero, chartered accountants Advalorem Group and advertising agency Uptown Style on Building a Happy Innovative Organisation.

MKi aims to connect centres of innovation in the city and those who support them, including universities, investors, professional service providers, consultants and other networking groups.

To feature or comment email: news@businessmk.co.uk

Meetings are hosted in Central Milton Keynes by office rental agency Spaces and organised by video and media production agency the Video News Factory.

Its managing director John Allard said: “With half a dozen universities, science and technology parks, several new business hubs and the new East West railway connecting us to Oxford and eventually

Cambridge, well over £100 million of private investment has come to into MK this year alone. But we have no real way of knowing with ease who the movers and shakers in innovation are because of our famous grid layout fragmenting our communities.

“The job of MKi is simply to connect those with ideas to those who can invest and help them.”

Business MK | December 2023

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Business News 30 years ago the Aston Martin factory in Newport Pagnell was in full production of its new V8 Vantage, hailed as a true supercar of its time.

Rare, desirable and a genuine modern classic T hirty years ago, a group of Aston Martin customers began taking delivery of a majestic new model that was the most potent production motor car yet created by the British marque.

The V8 Vantage V550 had been unveiled a year earlier at the 1992 British Motor Show. By the time production cars were ready to leave Aston Martin’s factory in late 1993, the model was already acquiring near mythical status.

Rave reviews in the motoring media, including Jeremy Clarkson’s first road test for The Sunday Times, had created a frenzy of excitement around the new car. “Calling the performance explosive is like calling the space shuttle jolly clever… you will not have felt, or heard, anything

like it in your life before,” Mr Clarkson wrote.

With peak power of 550 bhp, and 550 lb/ft of torque on offer at just 4,000 rpm, the V550 offers 220 bhp more than its predecessor the Virage from broadly the same 5,340cc quad cam V8 petrol engine.

While the V550 is no waif, weighing in at 1,990 kg, with so much power and torque on tap it is also ferociously fast.

The 0-60 mph dash takes 4.6 seconds with a top speed of 186 mph delivered via the driven rear wheels and a sixspeed manual gearbox.

Styled by designers Ken Greely and John Heffernan, the V8 Vantage V550 embraces the ‘more is more’ approach to luxury with features such as six headlights positioned in two banks of three and placed behind heated

glass cowling. While, at first glance, the car looks similar in some ways to the Virage, only a few of the aluminium panels were carried over and the overwhelming bulk of the design was new.

There is the trademark Aston Martin grille plus extensive intakes and vents to support cooling of engine and brakes. To that end, the V550 features what were at the time the largest brakes available on any production car in the world. Mercifully, perhaps, Bosch four-channel ABS is standard. Inside the four flared wheel arches sit 18-inch six-spoke alloys shod with 284/45 rubber.

Inside, the V550 is a

City BREAKFAST CLUB

MK

CITY BREAKFAST CLUB, MILTON KEYNES, BRINGS NETWORKING BACK

celebration of British luxury motoring. Wilton Carpets, Connolly hide and a surfeit of burr walnut veneers leave the driver and passengers in no doubt that this is an opulent place to be. The fourspoke steering wheel contains an airbag - a first for Aston Martin then - and the two front seats have a suite of electric adjustment controls mounted in the inboard bolsters.

Proudly carrying the Vantage name, the V550 quickly came to represent the pinnacle of British sports car desirability, notwithstanding its price tag of around £177,000 at launch - equivalent to roughly £440,000 today.

Production ran from 1993 to 1999, during which time only 239 V8 Vantage V550 were built at Newport Pagnell, making them hugely rare and desirable both at the time and today.

Paul Spires, president of Aston Martin Works in Newport Pagnell - the heritage home of the Aston Martin brand and the place where many of its most iconic models, including the V8 Vantage V550, were built by hand - said: “The V550 holds a particularly special place in my heart, as I know it does

for the small band of lucky owners who possess one of these cars.

“I recall the launch of the car, and can well remember the excitement among dealership staff, and buyers, as the first customer cars began to be delivered from Newport Pagnell 30 years ago.

“What stands out for me

today, though, is the way the V8 Vantage V550 has matured into a genuine modern classic.

It is an occasion to see one on the road, let alone be lucky enough to drive one, and I am delighted that we here at Aston Martin Works continue to service, repair and indeed now restore these exceptional cars.”

City Breakfast Club, Milton Keynes is the longest running, premier networking event giving you opportunity to meet with the city’s top business leaders. The event takes place on the first Wednesday of each month*.

To book your place, visit citybreakfastclub.co.uk

“I am looking forward to ensuring we continue to deliver an informal, informative and interactive networking experience for our guests ” Steve Freeman Chairman YMCA, 1 North Sixth Street, Milton Keynes MK9 2NR 7:30 - 9:00 *No events in January and August

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Business MK | December 2023

Law firm welcomes employment associate

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mployment law specialist Michelle Bruce (inset) has joined regional law firm Woodfines Solicitors as a senior associate.

“She not only brings valuable insight and

experience, but an approachability which is highly valued both internally at Woodfines and with clients,” said Woodfines partner

and head of employment Maria Gallucci.

“Michelle has quickly proved herself as an asset to the team and has hit the ground running.”

For local business news visit www.BusinessMK.co.uk

Business News

Talks begin on city’s visitor economy strategy Tourism body’s chief said: It’s ‘We were safe. We were not W time for decisions on the future sleeping with one eye open’ ork is under way on a new strategy for the visitor economy of Milton Keynes.

The city’s destination management organisation Destination Milton Keynes has opted to plough its own furrow, having previously considered alliances with fellow tourism organisations Visit Bedfordshire, Northants Surprise and Visit Buckinghamshire.

The decision comes in the wake of the government’s and national tourism body Visit England’s decision to reduce the number of Destination Management Organisations in the UK from 180 to 40.

Destination Milton Keynes has chosen to apply for Local Visitor Economy Partnership status, still under the auspices of Visit England but in charge of its own local tourism and visitor economy.

“We believe that we need a coherent visitor economy strategy for the next five to ten years that will crystallise where we need to go and what the city will be like in ten years time,” said Destination Milton Keynes chief executive Ian Stuart.

DMK has completed the appointment of a new tourism

strategy head, which has already begun work on the plan.

The draft strategy is expected to be completed by the end of March next year and will be presented to the city, including its business community, for feedback.

Mr Stuart (inset) said: “It is important to recognise that Milton Keynes is at a moment as a city.

“We have city status and from a visitor economy point of view we need to make some decisions about what we do, where we go and how the city is perceived both outside and by its residents.”

Speaking to an audience of businesspeople at the City Breakfast Club networking group, Mr Stuart said that Milton Keynes is now an economic powerhouse, with a GVA higher than Oxford and Cambridge combined and a

GVA per capital higher than any other location outside of London.

He added: “One of the issues we have as a city is that we do not realise just how important a place we are.”

Mr Stuart took over as chief executive in 2019, during which time DMK has launched a new website and social media plan that has seen website visitors rise from 10,000 per month in the first year to a current 28,000 per month.

Its social media activity has been transformed, with impressions of 679,000 two years ago increasing to 2.1 million in 2023. “We are becoming a force to be reckoned with,” Mr Stuart said.

“We have a fantastic city yet we do not have a visitor economy strategy, a plan

We hope the strategy will point towards investment, collaboration and engagement.

Accountants pledge fundraising support

Michelle Horsman Above left: Simon and Emily Penwright

mployees of one of the Big Four accountancy firms have chosen to support a Milton Keynesbased charity through a year of fundraising.

Staff working at EY’s office in Luton voted for Brain Tumour Research as its charity of the year following a nomination by senior manager Michelle Horsman.

Ms Horsman, who heads the office’s corporate responsibility team with colleague Amaan Baig, became aware of the charity after her mum died in October 2021 ten weeks after being diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour.

A launch event took place in September to kickstart the office’s fundraising, attended by speaker Simon Penwright from Stewkley, who has a

same feeling of hopelessness.

I do not want anybody else to have to go through that.

More has to be done to help and supporting Brain Tumour Research is our way of doing that.”

Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated centres in the UK. It also campaigns for the government and larger cancer charities to invest more in research into brain tumours in order to speed up new treatments to find a cure.

“Michelle and Simon’s stories are, sadly, not unique,” said the charity’s community development manager Charlie Allsebrook. “We are so grateful to EY’s employees for their support. We are excited to see where the team’s fundraising work takes us over the next year.”

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multifocal glioblastoma and is now receiving end of life care, and his wife Emily.

“What Simon and Emily had to say was very powerful, and not easy to listen to,” said Ms Horsman. “I found it particularly difficult because I lost my mum to the same type of tumour Simon has two years ago.”

Fundraising is under way, with EY staff joining Brain Tumour Research’s Luton Walk of Hope in September and enjoying a Halloween bingo game. In the pipeline is a winter appeal and other fundraising plans.

“My hope for the future is that there is hope because we had none with my mum,” said Ms Horsman. “Parents at the Luton Walk of Hope, who had lost children to the disease, had experienced that

To feature or comment email: news@businessmk.co.uk

of what we want to aim for.

Milton Keynes needs its own tourism and visitor economy strategy and this tourism strategy will be a step change in how the city sees itself.”

DMK currently has a membership of around 60 visitor economy organisations including hotels, conference centres, visitor attractions and other arts and culture venues.

Each pays £500 a year for membership.

At its current funding levels, Destination Milton Keynes is struggling to achieve what it would like to achieve. ”You do the maths,” said Mr Stuart.

“We do our best to promote what we have and we have some fantastic venues, places to go and things to do but if I had more resources and funding there is so much more we could do.

“We are hoping that the strategy will point towards investment, collaboration and engagement with bodies outside the city and working with business based here to become part of the overall visitor economy because they realise that their people are so closely linked to our visitor economy.”

>> From page 1 “It sounds churlish to say after one night that we now know what sleeping rough is like but it gives you a glimpse and it is something you can appreciate more fully,” said CEO Sleepout ambassador Amanda Wright. “We were in as much of a realistic situation as we could be but what we did not have was the risk.

We were safe, we were not sleeping with one eye open in fear of abuse from the public and it must be exhausting to feel that every night.”

She took part in the sleepout, using a survival bag in which to sleep. “If I was going to give one thing to a homeless person, it would be one of those bags - they are invaluable.”

According to the homeless charity Shelter, 2,336 people were housed in temporary accommodation across Milton Keynes last

year. On any given night, 18 people slept rough.

“That equates to one in every 122 people in Milton Keynes who go to bed without a secure roof over their head. That is a shocking figure in this day and age,” said CEO Sleepout chief executive Bianca Robinson. “The aim of CEO Sleepout is to bring awareness and unlock compassion around this, all while raising big money for charities who work so hard to help people change their lives.”

For many taking part, raising awareness of the plight of the homeless is as important as the money raised by CEO Sleepout.

“It is one night when you might feel some discomfort but it is an easy way to help to raise awareness and make a difference,” said Ms Wright, who has raised more than £1,300 from her own sleepout.

Business MK | December 2023

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Business MK | December 2023

For local business news visit www.BusinessMK.co.uk

Business News

Debt storm is about to break, said recovery expert

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undreds of companies in Milton Keynes are now classed as in ‘significant’ economic distress, according to the latest figures from a leading corporate recovery company.

The quarterly Red Flag Alert research carried out by Begbies Traynor shows that companies based in the city are facing increasing financial pressure due to interest rates, debt, subdued consumer confidence, high energy costs and wider economic uncertainty.

The findings show 358 are at risk of failure, a rise in Q3 of 19 per cent.

Julie Palmer, partner at Begbies

High interest rates head a financial reality check for companies Traynor in Milton Keynes, said: “This latest data highlights how the debt storm, which has been brewing for years, but had been held off by several measures to provide breathing space for companies, is likely to break.

“Businesses that had loaded up on debt at rock-bottom rates, and were only able to cling on during the pandemic thanks to government support, must now deal with a financial reality check

as higher interest rates hit working capital for the foreseeable future.”

Begbies Traynor’s findings highlight trouble particularly in the telecommunications and IT and professional services sectors, which have seen rises of businesses in distress of 29.4pc and 22.9pc respectively.

Nationally, the latest Red Flag Alert research for Q3 2023 recorded 478,176 businesses in significant distress, up by 8.7pc on the previous

Julie Palmer quarter. Almost 40,000 are classed as being in ‘critical financial

distress’, led by companies in construction, real estate and property which saw rises of 46pc, 38pc and 28pc respectively.

“Taken together with stubbornly high inflation and weak consumer confidence, many of these businesses will inevitably head towards failure,” said Ms Palmer.

“While stabilising inflation and interest rates could start to slow the rising levels of distress in the economy, history dictates that this will take some time and insolvencies often peak long after a recovery has started.

“Unfortunately for many businesses, time is not on their side.”

Law firm throws down new £50 Challenge

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our charities based in Milton Keynes are set to benefit from an Apprentice-style fundraising challenge.

Women’s refuge MK ACT and Willen Hospice have again been selected to benefit from the Franklins £50 Challenge, run by law firm Franklins Solicitors.

And now they are joined by two other charities: grief support organisation Harry’s Rainbow and YMCA Milton Keynes.

The challenge to teams from participating businesses sees each receive an initial £50 seed funding which they are tasked with using to generate valuable extra funds for their chosen charity.

The challenge takes place over three months from February next year. In previous years teams have organised auctions, cake

sales, barbecues and car washes among a myriad of fundraising ideas to help their chosen cause.

Four charities in Northampton will also benefit from the efforts of participating teams challenged by Franklins’ office in the town.

“We are excited to be working with eight local charities who do amazing work in our communities and rely on public support to help make this happen,” said Franklins partner Andrea Smith. “We hope to see as many local businesses as possible signing up to take part for 2024.”

The Franklins £50 Challenge began in 2018 and has raised more than £100,000 for local charities, The aim of the 2024 challenge is to fight hunger, fuel wellness and change lives locally.

n Franklins is encouraging companies and organisations to sign up to take part in the 2024 £50 Challenge. To register a team visit www.franklins-sols.co.uk/50-challenge.

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Franklins partner Andrea Smith is pictured after completing the New York Marathon last month. She was running in aid of the law firm’s Pallets of Hope campaign raising money for food supplies to be delivered to families in need in Northampton.

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18 Theydon Avenue, Woburn Sands, Milton Keynes MK17 8PL Tel: 01908 281470 www.devonlodgecare.co.uk

RESIDENTIAL—RESPITE—HOLISTIC Business MK | December 2023

7

The Growth Debate

Theo Chalmers Theo Chalmers is director of Verve Public Relations and chairman of Urban Eden. www.urbaneden.org www.vervepr.co.uk e: t.chalmers@vervepr.co.uk 01908 275271

Surely it is time to bid farewell to this eyesore R egular readers of this column will know that I have written about the former cinema, nightclub and bingo hall that is The Point many times in the past, most recently in March this year. Once upon a time it was literally a beacon for MK, with its red, neon-lit, pyramid visible from the M1 - until Xscape blocked the view - inviting the curious to explore that exciting new city, the one with the amazing new shopping centre and Britain’s first-ever cinema multiplex.

Those in the know, of course, soon realised that the actual cinema screens were in a rather less impressive building tucked away behind the pyramid and right next door to its own multi-storey parking building set further back from Midsummer Boulevard, only accessible by tunnel from the ‘pyramid’.

It was, I suppose, a sort of modern day trompe l’oeil or trick of the eye.

You thought you were watching movies in a red, neon-lit pyramid but you were watching movies in a cuboid brick box with a flat roof.

Sadly, The Point has very much lost its point in the years since

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it closed as a cinema. It’s now just over six years when owners Hammerson applied successfully to demolish it and - ignoring the good advice of many, including myself, that secondary shopping centres were doomed - sought to replace it with a new secondary shopping centre and even add another cinema screen to replace the twice-failed cinema it had already hosted.

So, has anything happened since then? Well no, except the unsubstantial steel beams that made up the pyramid are now more rusty and rotting than ever. In the meantime, some use has been made of the flaking carcase including charities using parts of it.

The so-called ‘Hidden Festival’ was due to return early this month to ‘transform the iconic Point into a two-day indoor electronic music festival location - in aid of Willen Hospice’. Hidden Festival’s claim was that it was ‘renowned for its ability to breathe life into hidden, disused, and quirky spaces, bringing The Point to life this winter with monumental DJs’.

The DJ’s may have been “monumental” but sadly The Point

Business MK | December 2023

is no longer ‘monumental’ and preserving it now, would be in my opinion simply just ‘mental’. Still, I hope the event went well and raised good funds for the very worthy Willen Hospice.

Meanwhile, developers GHL (Galliard Holdings Ltd) under a new company GHL (Milton Keynes) Ltd, working in a joint venture with DS Real Estate, has taken over from the misadvised Hammerson and submitted plans, yet again, for the demolition of all the existing and vacant entertainment complex buildings making up The Point and redevelopment to provide flexible Class E leisure/retail uses (upper and lower ground level

where the bingo hall was), up to 487 apartments (Build to Rent, private and affordable; including 233 one-bedroom flats, 187 twobedroom and seven three-bedroom apartments) over the upper floors (up to 21 storeys with a floor to floor height of three metres plus a crown structure), recladding of the existing car park with Class E/F.2/sui generis leisure uses (bar, outdoor sports and yet another doomed to fail cinema) at rooftop level, landscaped public realm, amenity space, cycle parking and associated access and servicing provision.

As banal as these plans are - and, trust me, they do for architecture what Wilko did for retail - surely it’s

time for this eyesore to go. The past can never be relived. The worlds of retail and cinema have changed beyond recognition and Milton Keynes needs more accommodation - flats, houses, hotel rooms and homeless shelters. However not everybody agrees and various people including Simon Stevens from the Save The Point group back in 2014 and Christina Cragg from Save The Milton Keynes Point more recently have started petitions to both Milton Keynes City Council and English Heritage. At the time of writing these petitions have received about 4,000 and 2,000 signatures respectively.

While I will always support groups determined to make Milton Keynes a better place, my feeling is that they would be far better occupied improving the new plans rather than seeking to preserve a rusting hulk.

Perhaps you agree, perhaps you don’t. I’m happy to hear from all.

In the meantime, I’d like to wish everybody all the seasonal warmth and comfort that they would wish themselves as we approach year’s end. Surely that is the real Point?

Cheerio.

For local business news visit www.BusinessMK.co.uk

Business News Advertisement Feature Published on behalf of Capital Space, operator of Milton Keynes Business Centre

‘I do not believe there is a better business space in Milton Keynes’

Award winners celebrate their success

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inners, sponsors and supporters of this year’s SME MK & Buckinghamshire Business Awards 2023 are pictured at a celebratory networking event hosted by awards platinum partner Wealth & Tax Management at Abbey Hill Golf Club in Milton Keynes.

They reflected on their success at the awards ceremony in June, with some looking forward to being at the SME National Business awards final at Wembley Stadium this month.

“Having done incredibly well to win against tough competition from across the region, it was great to see and celebrate our winners once again,” said SME Business Awards director Damian Cummins.

Wealth & Tax Management’s managing director Tony Byrne said: “Hosting the Winners Circle event was a privilege and a moment to celebrate excellence. We have won SME awards in the past and this year we are delighted to be SME Platinum Partners.”

Head of Dons: We need you to reach next level Club calls for business support for women’s teams

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K Dons women’s team are on course for another successful season. They sit in fifth place in the National League Southern Premier Division - the third tier of women’s football - on 19 points, having ended last season in the same position with 30 points and having lifted the Berks & Bucks Cup. The club’s ambitions remain undimmed, looking to reach the next level in their quest for top-flight women’s football. But money talks and the club has issued an appeal for Milton Keynes businesses to step up and support the team as it looks to climb the football ladder.

Professional services firm MHA is one city-based company that is backing the club, having agreed a sponsorship deal for this season of midfielder Megan Attenborough, signed from Swindon Town in the summer, and pacy forward Leyla O’Brien.

Speaking to an audience of businesspeople at the City Breakfast Club, MK Dons Women’s head of operations Ethan Wallbank called on employers to follow MHA’s lead and help the club to continue its progress.

The women’s operations are financed by the club’s community charity arm MK Dons Sport & Education Trust but, Mr Wallbank added: “We have financial stability but to push on to the next level we really need sponsorship and we hope that businesses will come and support us.”

The women’s first team attracts crowds of around 1,000 to home games at Stadium MK. The club wants to grow the support and sees the involvement of businesses as a way to do that.

“We want to give back to our sponsors,” Mr Wallbank said. “MHA sponsor two of our players and it is huge for us to have that support. It supports everything we are doing and helps us to grow

and get as high as possible in the league.”

The club puts the emphasis on home-grown talent. Five current first-team players have come through the club’s academy system and of the 19 players in the under-23s, 15 have progressed through the club’s ranks.

“It is a fantastic stat and we are really proud of it,” Mr Wallbank said. “We have to develop these players, create an environment to support them and give them the opportunity to grow and progress to the first team.”

The club is looking forward to another successful season on the pitch and wants the city’s business community to join the journey. “It is not just about the players on the pitch,” Mr Wallbank said.

“It is all about putting the right strategy and support networks in place to be able to grow. We try to develop people and support them in a football environment. We are making good people.”

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It was a move forced upon his business at the end of a lease he had taken over just two years previously. A steep rise in rent for a new lease meant that sports injury specialist Jimmy Gillespie was on the hunt for new premises… and fast.

“I was ringing round frantically trying to see what was available and the only people who picked up the phone were Milton Keynes Business Centre,” Jimmy recalls. “They had a room available, I went round to view it and that was that, within 25 minutes. Deal done.”

The timing was perfect, he adds. “I was lucky. Since I’ve been here, a lot of businesses have moved into the centre and there’s now a waiting list for units here, I think it was meant to be.

“The facilities are superb, there’s a wonderful café, the landscaping is constantly being maintained so a client’s first impression as they drive in for an appointment is that this is a clean, tidy and well maintained centre.”

Jimmy (inset) bought his business Everyday Performance Therapy to Milton Keynes Business Centre, part of operator Capital Space’s portfolio of nine business centres across the South East, in 2019. He had been treating clients - “I don’t like to call them ‘patients’” - for ten years as a oneman band, the previous two years out of premises sublet from another company at Wolverton Mill.

He had set up the business after deciding that his previous working life as a electrician working first on musical theatre shows around the world and then in the construction industry was no longer for him. “I realised my quality of life and worklife balance was terrible so I spoke to my partner who said ‘What you want to do?’.

“So I chose sports injury work which is something that always fascinated me. I was never gifted enough academically to go down the formal qualification route but found a course in sports massage and over the last ten years I have added and added and added on the qualification front.”

Today Jimmy is fully qualified to treat a range of conditions; sport-related injuries but, just as common, office workers and long-distance lorry drivers suffering from posture-related ailments. He admits: “My typical patients are those aged 40-plus with the sort of aches and pains that arise

when the body can’t keep up with life so easily.

“I never particularly wanted to become a sports injury clinic because there are already some pretty good ones around and while a large part of what I do is treating sports injuries, I wanted the business to come across as one that is open to everybody.”

He now holds enough qualifications to offer a full package of treatment. “Any treatment I’m not qualified to deliver I refer to the most appropriate person.”

Having been at Milton Keynes Business Centre for a year and seen his business growing nicely, Jimmy was in conversation with the centre about moving to larger premises on the site when the pandemic struck. “I lost ten to 12 months trading because of the restrictions imposed during the pandemic and although in the second and third lockdowns we were allowed to practise, no one wanted to come and see us.

“To all intents and purposes we were closed and from a financial point of view that was better in order that we could apply for some of the government help that was available.”

Clients have returned since the restrictions eased and the future of the business is once again on Jimmy’s mind.

“It’s going to be at least another year before I expand but now is the time to start thinking about it,” he said. “The first step would be to see whether I need another room the same size or whether I look at a bigger space so we can see more clients. Then the idea would be to take someone part-time.

“Right now the business is happy where it is and I am looking for the security of keeping it that way but I know that I would have the backing of the centre if I wanted to move into new premises.

“But I would never want to move away from here. I would rather delay expanding and stay put than take what, to me, would be a much bigger risk and move somewhere else. I do not believe there is a better business space in Milton Keynes.”

Find out more about Milton Keynes Business Centre at www.capitalspace.co.uk or call 01908 698700.

Foxhunter Drive, Linford Wood Milton Keynes MK14 6GD

Business MK | December 2023

9

Appointments Grand designs on growth

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rchitects The Harris Partnership, which has an office in Newport Pagnell, has announced a series of senior promotions as part of its growth programme.

Director Russell O’Donoghue (inset), who is based at the office in High Street, is one of four new directors of parent company The Harris Group. The company has also made two promotions to director and associate in its London and Manchester offices.

Joint managing group director James Richmond said: “We are committed to not only developing our people but fostering a positive culture across the business. These promotions also signify our ongoing confidence as a group as we invest for the future.”

From a funder to foundation chair

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rants charity the Milton Keynes Community Foundation has appointed Matthew Downton as its chair of trustees. Mr Downton is an experienced strategic and operational change leader, a qualified Chartered Management Accountant and the current director of finance, operations and projects for professional standards at the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

He succeeds Kurshida Mirza who has completed her threeyear term as chair. She has been a trustee for five years.

“The Community Foundation represents all that is positive about charities,” said Mr Downton. “It has a bold and relevant strategy and a strong record of success.

“Our Vital Signs research guides our strategy, and the organisation listens to and

supports the voices of local charities. It is key that we send funding where it is most needed and therefore our priorities include poverty, inclusion, the environment, and sustainability.”

Reflecting on her three years as chair, Ms Murza said: “My aim has been to lead by example and this has permeated in the positive changes we have made not only in terms of equity, diversity and inclusion but also to our way of working from the introduction of key performance information for each area of our work measured and scrutinised

‘The foundation represents all that is positive about charities’

Rural economy adds value to wider society: CLA head

Matthew Downton in details by individual committees and the board.

“This has ensured that the Foundation stays relevant and fit for purpose, taking an evidence-based approach to directing our support and resources to where it is most needed.”

Mr Downton first became involved with the foundation when he raised the idea of a fund to support access to professions for ethnically diverse communities. “It is remarkable how Matthew has evolved from being a funder to becoming an integral part of the Foundation,” said its chief executive Ian Revell.

“We are excited to have him lead our diverse team of trustees as we embark on our strategic journey for the next three years.”

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he passion, knowledge and goodwill of those working in the rural sector can help the country tackle climate change, said the new chairman of the Country Land and Business Association’s Buckinghamshire branch.

Charlie van Exter has replaced Robert RuckKeene in one of the most important rural roles in the county, representing farmers, landowners and rural businesses.

Mr van Exter (inset) said navigating the planning system will remain a challenge for many rural businesses, while natural capital and the role estates can play in tackling climate change will become even more central to the industry.

“The CLA is a great platform through which the rural economy

can showcase the diverse and significant value it adds to the wider economy and society as a whole,” he added. “The rural economy brings together a phenomenally diverse group of subject matter experts whose passion, knowledge and goodwill should be leveraged by the wider economy as it looks to tackle climate change and reach net zero.”

Mr van Exter said farmers and rural businesses are facing ‘exciting but somewhat daunting times’ post-Brexit, as the UK transitions away from EU funding towards its own support schemes.

He manages his family’s farm near Wendover and is a director and executive search consultant at Tarver Melrose, helping estates and the rural economy to appoint senior business leaders.

The Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Bill received Royal Assent and the Act came into force in July this year. The new law provides special protection to pregnant women and employees who are returning from certain types of family leave in a redundancy situation. Sara Marshall, Head of Employment at Franklins Solicitors LLP, explains.

Legislation extends redundancy protection for female employees and new parents

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he new legislation provides greater protection to women that are on maternity leave or an employee who is on adoption or shared parental leave in a redundancy situation. In other words, before making a woman who is on maternity leave (or an employee on adoption or shared parental leave) redundant, an employer must offer a suitable alternative vacancy to them, where one

is available. The Act extends protection to: n A pregnant employee who is in ‘a protected period of pregnancy’; n An employee who has recently suffered a miscarriage; n An employee returning from maternity leave; n An employee returning from adoption leave; n An employee returning from shared parental leave.

Employers are not required

to take any immediate actions at the moment as the guidance regarding the implementation of the Act is still awaited. The guidance will provide further regulations and explain how the new legislation will work.

In the meantime, employers should be aware of the new Act but wait for the regulations before implementing the Act. However, employers should consider the implications and update their policies to

ensure they are compliant with the legislation and minimise the risk of potential discrimination claims on the grounds of pregnancy and/or maternity.

Employers will be required to implement processes to identify the timeframe of earlier periods of maternity leave in redundancy situations, adopt systems to identify alternative suitable vacancies across the

Sara Marshall n For more information or for a conversation if you are considering introducing a parental leave policy or updating your redundancy procedures in your organisation, contact Sara Marshall at sara.marshall@franklins-sols.co.uk organisation and creating a supportive environment for

employees returning family leave.

from

Five simple ways to save you tax when paying yourself from your business

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n spite of the UK being one of the highest taxed countries in the world there remain numerous ways to save taxation writes Tony Byrne, managing director of Wealth & Tax Management.

Unfortunately, I rarely find that business owners maximise their tax mitigation opportunities. For the life of me I do not understand why.

Here are five simple ways to save you tax on the sums you withdraw from your business. n Pay yourself dividends rather than salary This strategy is not as clear cut as it used to be.

However, it will still save

you taxation overall under many circumstances. Worth running past your accountant.

If you are interested in ways to save tax, take advantage of a one-hour Discovery Meeting either at our offices or via a video conference call at our expense worth £270 to each of the first three readers who contact us before December 31 2023. You know it makes sense. We offer a great cup of coffee too.

Ring us on 01908 523740 or for free on 0800 980 4516 or email wealth@wealthandtax.co.uk and quote DECEMBER 2023 OFFER to book your free Discovery Meeting.

n Pay your spouse or partner and your children/ dependants, not just yourself Again, one to check with your accountant. Usually it has to be a bona fide employment so it will not work for minors. n Maximise employer pension contributions to your pension and your family members’ pensions This is a tax free benefit in kind so well worth doing now that the annual allowance for maximum pension contributions has increased

Tony Byrne to £60,000 per annum per person.

benefit in kind especially for 100 per cent electric vehicles.

n Join a salary sacrifice electric car scheme This is a fantastic low cost

n Claim as many legitimate business expenses as possible

If the expense is genuinely a business one then get your business to pay for it. If your business is VAT registered and it is a VAT receipt you can not only claim back the VAT at a rate of 20 per cent but also Corporation Tax relief of up to 25 per cent.

www.wealthandtax.co.uk

RISK WARNING The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate tax planning.The information contained within this article is for guidance only and does not constitute advice which should be sought before taking any action or inaction.

All information is based on our current understanding of taxation, legislation, regulations and case law in the current tax year. Any levels and bases of relief from taxation are subject to change. Tax treatment is based on individual circumstances and may be subject to change in the future. This article is based on my own observations and opinions.

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Business MK | December 2023

For local business news visit www.BusinessMK.co.uk

Advertisement Feature

Ian Pryce CBE retires as CEO of The Bedford College Group having transformed educational and training opportunities across the region. Businesses and politicians will pay tribute to him at a special event in Bedford on December 7.

Pryce has been right for the region’s Further Education Retiring after 28 years, more than 25 of them as CEO, Ian Pryce leaves behind a modern Further Education college group fit to train people for the demands of the future...

Ian’s leadership has taken Bedford College from an organisation building on the past engineering glories of the town of Bedford, to a regional group serving Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes, which truly shows how Further Education can meet the skills needs of modern Britain.

Growing from Bedford College there followed a merger with Shuttleworth College, near Biggleswade, another with Tresham College in Northamptonshire and most recently Central Bedfordshire College in Dunstable.

Tresham included the National College for Motorsport at Silverstone and then a link with the UTC at the same worldfamous location.

It is fitting that Ian’s retirement coincides with the official refurbishment of the 1959 tower block at Bedford.

The building is now a shining beacon of the very latest digital, science and technology training.

Earlier this year a new Sixth Form establishment was opened in Corby town centre, the latest in a long, long line of offerings.

The Bedford College Group is now rated one of the top ten colleges in the UK - it was recently named the national College of the Year. The group is an excellent example of how loyal and consistent leadership can result in really positive outcomes for communities.

Ian’s achievements were recognised when he received a CBE in 2011 for services to further education. That success has been sustained and today

The Bedford College Group’s student numbers stand at 18,000, having risen from 5,000 when Ian took over as chief executive in 1998.

The Bedford College Group is the largest provider in the region of education for students aged 16-18. It supports thousands of apprenticeships and sends more young people to university than any other establishment in the region.

As an accountant by profession, Ian knows that only the most robust, efficiently financed organisations can adapt to meet the changing demands of government and the community.

A solid financial base has allowed The Bedford College Group to deliver the best value service in challenging times and financial astuteness has enabled it to access millions of pounds in funding for the benefit of the local community. In doing so, it offers to its students a more modern choice of learning.

Take into account all the projects that

To feature or comment email: news@businessmk.co.uk

the Bedford College Group has brought to Bedford under Ian’s leadership and it adds up to MORE THAN £100 MILLION being invested in education. This includes: n Sponsorship of the £25 million project that is Bedford Academy. n He chaired the opening of the national success story that is Bedford Free School. n The former Harpur Trust school in Bromham Road became the modern Bedford Sixth Form which now has nearly 1,000 students - a blueprint which is now being repeated in Corby with the new sixth form which opened this autumn. n Transformation of Shuttleworth College, an old-style agricultural facility, into a modern land-based learning centre. n Delivering to the community of Wixams a much-needed primary and secondary school as part of Bedford College Academies Trust. n Increasing the value of a University Technical College at Silverstone with links to The Bedford College Group’s National College for Motorsport .

Today, The Bedford College Group has links with over 1,500 employers ranging from global giants such as Lockheed Martin, Tata Steel, Weetabix and Vauxhall to start-up businesses across the region.

Employability and entrepreneurship have long been qualities which have been instilled into students and which Ian has encouraged. He has led by example and allowed talent to flourish among students and staff so leaves behind a lasting legacy of a Further Education college group fit to face the challenges ahead.

Ian’s successor as CEO is Yiannis Koursis OBE

Business MK | December 2023

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News feature THE SUMMIT IN PICTURES

Around 100 businesspeople accepted an invitation to hear expert analysis of the key outcomes of the Milton Keynes offices of AI software specialist Aiimi to discuss the likely next steps in a technological

Education begins now to bridge the AI skills gap

E World political and tech industry leaders gather at Bletchley Park for the AI Safety Summit

Elon Musk, owner of X formerly known as Twitter, and former UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg - now Facebook’s president of global affairs - were among the delegates at the summit.

Above: Michelle Donelan, the UK government’s Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak greets Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres

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Business MK | December 2023

ducation of individuals and businesses is the next important stage in the integration of AI into modern life, a panel discussion at the AI Summit Decrypted event heard.

Its progress is inevitable and businesses are already starting to include AI modelling in their planning and operations. But skills levels may struggle to keep pace with the technology’s evolution and development, which must be addressed.

Education establishments need to deliver AI literacy to their students and businesses must be ready to capitalise on the benefits the technology offers now and in the future.

Speaking to an audience of around 100 businesspeople at the AI Summit Decrypted event, hosted by software company Aiimi at its head office in Central Milton Keynes, panel member Professor Paul Morrissey - a technology entrepreneur and policy adviser in the House of Lords - said: “The summit has been great but having the understanding

is really important. We should be putting education first, educating people what AI is about.”

John Higgins, chair of the Global Digital Foundation and a former chair of the British Computer Society, added: “Businesses are starting to think about how they can build AI into their day to day operations and decision-making and make sure that it is as low-risk and as compliant as possible. AI is another risk they need to manage.”

Education is a key part of that, said panel member Jack Lawton, Aiimi’s AI solutions architect. Businesses are turning to AI generative models to improve their operations. “That is impossible to stop,” Mr Lawton said. “We need to educate people on these models and how they work and to not just blindly trust them.”

Professor Morrissey said: “We are in for a skills gap. It is inevitable but we need to start looking at the level of education we need to bridge that gap.”

Added Dr Monika Manolova, scientific projects advisor at MKAI - a development

agency and worldwide community of technology stakeholders supporting the development, deployment and governing of emerging new technologies including Artificial Intelligence: “It is a gap that needs to be addressed because it is quite significant.”

Their concerns and the solutions required to remedy them are also on

The new art of the possible. But safety must come first

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enior executives at Aiimi believe that AI can be “the new art of the possible” if used safely but must be carefully regulated and managed in order to bring the maximum benefit to businesses and individuals.

“Our stance is that it is a force for good,” chief executive Steve Salvin told guests at the company’s AI Summit Decrypted event staged hours after the summit at Bletchley Park closed. “It is unstoppable and we must embrace it.”

He said that AI will develop to enable faster and more accurate decision-making and will allow users to ask questions and get the answers they require.

The AI Safety Summit focused on regulation, control and compliance. “We are all really worried about how this really powerful capability in the hands of a few organisations will be leveraged,” Mr Salvin said.

“It is really important.”

Aiimi director Gillian Baker reflected on the “massive” investment in AI technology. “It is here, it is here to stay and it is now about how we manage it,” she said.

S e n i o r data scientist Reece Cook stressed the risks involved with AI. He spoke of interference in elections and other “unpredictable advances”.

“There will be areas that AI will unlock that we have not seen before,” he added.

“Society will have to adapt and move faster but it is difficult to forecast what is going to happen over the next ten years.”

Strict and clear regulations and controls should be put in place now to ensure society reaps the benefits of AI safely. AI companies have

Gillian Baker assesses the opportunities created and risks to be managed from AI. Left: Aiimi chief executive Steve Salvin made progress in developing their own internal safety policies but that must be backed up at national and international level, particularly in respect of cyber security, said Aiimi’s senior data consultant Sneha Eashwer Singhraj.

“Government must play a crucial role in setting standards and regulations.

National policy makers hold a vital role in shaping regulations and government must collaborate across regions so they can confront global challenges and share

resources.”

International understanding is also key, she added. “The focus on responsibility, policy and regulation is key in order to address the fear.

It all depends on the policy makers to develop a plan that will ensure safety and accessibility for all.”

Mr Salvin and Ms Baker both said that AI is an opportunity to be seized.

“The challenge is now about how we control and optimise the use of this technology,” Ms Baker said.

“We must have the imagination to look at the

For local business news visit www.BusinessMK.co.uk

News Feature historic AI Safety Summit of world political and tech industry leaders at Bletchley Park. They were at the development that is set to transform the world of work and society in general. Andrew Gibbs reports.

The panel discussion in full flow at the AI Summit Decrypted event hosted by software company Aiimi

It is a technology that is going to change everything we do

the minds of educational establishments in Milton Keynes and beyond. Milton Keynes College Group principal and chief executive Sally Alexander, who was among the audience, said: “We are really excited about this and the opportunity to develop the skills that are needed in Milton Keynes.”

Dr Manolova stressed the importance

of AI literacy at all levels. Professor Morrissey emphasised the need to introduce appropriate education as quickly as possible to narrow the skills gap.

Panel host Richard Foster-Fletcher, founder of MKAI, said staging the AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park was a breakthrough moment for the

technology and the sector. “The journey to the future of AI has started here in Milton Keynes,” he told the audience. “It is a technology that is going to change everything we do.”

And businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, have good cause to view AI as a positive for their operations. Mr Higgins said: “Businesses should approach it from a problems and opportunities perspective and establish what the right tools are to apply. For most SMEs it is just another great set of tools to solve problems and make their business a better business.

“I do not think that SMEs need to worry about regulation as long as they stay on the right side of societal concerns. A lot of it is common sense.”

Mr Lawton added: “AI is going to drive huge growth in the tech sector and will have a huge impact on all jobs.

Businesses are going to be clamouring to have these data foundations to move their business forward.”

Governments to work with corporates on AI testing

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opportunities it creates. It is opportunities AI will create. the new art of the possible “We need to make sure that and we need to think big and people feel empowered and work back. The fear is there, not replaced,” Ms Baker said. for sure, but let’s think about Mr Salvin said that AI how we can make it work.” creates a huge opportunity for AI invokes ethical the tech and wider business considerations too, she community in Milton added. “Just because we can Keynes. “We have to seize the does not mean that we should. opportunity AI presents but We need to think about what we must put in the guardrails can go wrong but it does not and controls so that we can do mean that we should not so safely and ethically. do things - we need “This is part of to manage the our commitment Just risks.” to invest in our because Essentially, Milton Keynes AI is about community,” we can does adapting rather he added. “We not mean we than adopting want to make in order to act Milton Keynes should... differently and the leading tech in response to the city in the UK.”

To feature or comment email: news@businessmk.co.uk

ountries and companies developing frontier AI have agreed a groundbreaking plan on AI safety testing at the AI Safety Summit.

They recognise that both parties have a crucial role in testing the next generation of AI models. This includes collaborating on testing against potentially harmful capabilities, including critical national security, safety and societal harms.

And governments as well as companies will now have a role in seeing that external safety testing of frontier AI models occurs.

AI Safety Summit delegates agreed to invest in public sector capacity for testing and other safety research, to share outcomes of evaluations and to work towards developing shared standards. This will lay the groundwork for future international progress on AI safety in years to come.

It is one of the several significant steps achieved at the Summit on building a global approach to ensuring safe, responsible AI, including the UK’s launch of

a new AI Safety Institute.

Professor Yoshua Bengio, a member of the UN’s Scientific Advisory Board, is to lead a scientific assessment of existing research on the risks and capabilities of frontier AI and set out the priority areas to inform future work on AI safety.

The findings will support future AI Safety Summits.

The Republic of Korea is to co-host a virtual summit in the next six months. France will host the next in-person Summit later in the year.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “Until now the only people testing the safety of new AI models have been the very companies developing it. We should not rely on them to mark their own homework, as many of them agree.”

The State of the Science report will help policymakers worldwide to keep up with the rapid pace of change in AI. Demis Hassabis, cofounder and chief executive of Google DeepMind said: “Getting this right will take a collective effort from governments, industry and civil society.”

Milton Keynes MPs Ben Everitt (left) and Iain Stewart at Bletchley Park with Michelle Donelan, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak

Public trust of AI is now urgent, say MPs

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Ps Ben Everitt and Iain Stewart have hailed the A1 Safety Summit at Bletchley Park as a landmark moment for both Artificial Intelligence and for Milton Keynes.

AI can be a force for good as long as humanity learns to use it properly but the risks of getting it wrong could be “catastrophic”, Mr Everitt told the A1 Summit Decrypted event.

Mr Stewart said the urgent issue now is to generate trust of AI among the public. “This week has been incredibly significant,” he said. “It has put us as a city on the map and the summit is only the start of the journey, the most significant staging post yet.”

Bringing the leading nations and corporates together at Bletchley Park to agree a global understanding in the form of the Bletchley Declaration on AI safety is a success in its own right, the MPs said.

“The issue now is trust,” said Mr Stewart, MP for Milton Keynes South. “The challenge is to get the public to see that AI can be a force for good and not a threat to the human race.

The jury will be out on that for many people. People will be terrified of what AI could potentially lead to.”

He likened AI to the computer systems used in planes and trains, in which millions travel regularly. “The challenge is to engender that trust in the majority of the population so that they see what AI can add to health and tackling climate change, where it can do so much good,” said Mr Stewart, who chairs Parliament’s Transport Committee.

Joining him at the event, Milton Keynes North MP Mr Everitt said that education of the benefits and risk of AI is now paramount. “We are now on the cusp of developing an intelligence that has the consciousness of a life form, that is non-organic and giving it the ability to use our

n Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan has hailed Milton Keynes as the ‘vibrant tech capital’ during a debate in the House of Commons.

She was replying to comments by Milton Keynes North MP Ben Everitt in the House following her attendance at the AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park.

Mr Everitt highlighted the city as an ‘excellent place to invest in technologies like AI and robotics’.

Ms Donelan said: “I absolutely agree with my Honourable Friend. I could not have thought of a better place to host this international summit than Bletchley Park and it is not just me that thinks that. All of our delegates remarked how important it was to host it at such a historic venue and so close to the vibrant tech capital Milton Keynes.” language. It is existential and we should be talking about it.”

The potential risks are considerable, he added. “They are far away but they could be catastrophic if we get it wrong so the building blocks have to be put in place now. It comes down to education.

“I am very optimistic that we have a global community that can rise to the challenge of developing AI safely.”

Milton Keynes is well placed to take full advantage of AI’s development, Mr Everitt added. “Milton Keynes is where it is at when it comes to applying technology and investing in the future we want to see,” he said. “We should be incredibly proud of everything we have done and be really positive about the future.”

Mr Stewart said the city should take ‘immense civic pride’ in its staging of the AI Safety Summit. “We should be proud of the fact that the name of Bletchley Park is once again resonating around the world.”

Business MK | December 2023

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Workplace Culture & Engagement HR teams are facing challenges in both recruiting and retaining skilled employees and in the impact that the quality of the digital workplace has upon each stage of the employee lifecycle, from onboarding to learning and development. Dave Page, founder and chief strategy officer at human experience management specialist Actual Experience, delves deeper.

A workforce that feels valued is not only happier but also more productive

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he talent crisis continues to place enormous pressure on HR teams. The goal is not only to recruit and retain skilled employees but also to ensure each individual maximises their potential to deliver value to the business for as long as possible.

In a hybrid working environment, the quality of the digital experience now has a significant impact on those key employee lifecycle moments, from an employee’s first day through ongoing learning and development and extending their time in the business.

HR has a compelling need to ensure the quality of each employee’s unique digital experience throughout their lifecycle.

Recruitment processes have become ever more rigorous in recent years as companies leverage a raft of new, intelligence-led and often digital processes to improve selection and entice talented individuals to the business.

But how are companies adapting to the digital dependence of knowledge workers to transform the key moments throughout an employee’s lifecycle?

There is growing recognition of the power of digital technologies to improve onboarding, using a mix of video and virtual meetings alongside faceto-face interactions and fast-track access to both colleagues and key business information. The initial productivity growth curve has been condensed through the use of webinars and online training while ongoing career development can be tailored to meet the employee-specific learning and development needs.

This optimised employee experience is hugely valuable. It provides the chance to maximise productivity and to minimise the risk of the employee disengagement that presages a drop in performance and a letter of resignation. This experience is also, however, increasingly dependent upon the quality of each individual’s unique digital workplace.

So what happens to employees struggling with any form of digital friction?

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Dave Page

Transforming the employee lifecycle in a digital workplace Employee expectations have changed. With knowledge workers now spending between 60 per cent and 90pc of their time using digital technologies, providing a contract and start date are no longer enough.

Pre-employment engagement is essential.

Individuals want to know how the onboarding process will work both digitally and face to face… and they do not want to wait until day one to start setting up their digital workplace.

Switched-on firms that proactively engage with new recruits in the run-up to the start date, that provide laptops, screens, VPN access, even home office furniture, can enhance a new recruit’s perception of the business and set the scene for a longterm relationship.

But companies also need to ensure individuals have a good digital experience.

Ensuring any areas of digital friction are highlighted and addressed ahead of day one will minimise the risk of problems - from glitchy video calls to an inability to stream videos - that could

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fundamentally undermine the onboarding process and compromise the new working relationship.

The onboarding process sets the scene for any new recruit and the right approach will play a key role in increasing their confidence and business commitment.

As individuals then build their business knowledge and increase their productivity, the quality of the digital experience is again paramount. Every business wants to maximise the length of employment for each employee, especially given the investment in learning and development and the rising recruitment costs.

Productivity and business value can be further enhanced throughout the lifecycle through the use of training, learning and development. However, with the constant evolution of the IT infrastructure, it is vital to continually assess each employee’s unique digital experience to avoid problems that could lead to disengagement.

Has a software upgrade suddenly created a

problem that is making one individual’s working experience untenable? Is a new recruit’s inadequate digital set-up now compromising an entire team’s productivity?

Understanding and intervening to create an optimal digital workplace experience for everyone is now key to boosting both productivity and retention.

For knowledge workers, the quality of the unique digital workplace experience is playing an ever more critical role at every stage of the employment lifecycle.

If the quality of digital experience is not good, every step - from onboarding to getting up to speed and becoming truly productive - will take much longer and disengagement will arrive sooner.

In contrast, those businesses that commit to delivering a great digital experience from the moment a contract is signed will set the scene for a positive, fruitful and productive working relationship. www.actual-experience.com

igher productivity and motivation among staff, greater employee engagement and a healthier workforce… all the potential outcomes of a robust mental health and wellbeing strategy in any business.

Looking after the mental health of employees has graduated from a nice to have’ to a ‘must have’ for employers.

And an HR specialist in Northamptonshire has said the issue has become a key part of an organisation’s plans for the future.

“The ongoing pressures of everyday life have made it clear that supporting the mental health of employees is not just ‘nice to have’ but is a crucial element of business survival and growth,” said Rachel Collar, who owns Haus of HR, based in Towcester, and is a non-executive director of Milton Keynes Chamber of Commerce.

“The health and wellbeing of your employees directly impact your business’s performance. A workforce that feels valued and supported is not only happier but also more productive.”

Mental health strategies are now a linchpin to success, she adds and

emphasises some key points for employers to consider. n The cost of ignoring mental health, such as presenteeism, sickness absence and staff turnover, collectively cost SMEs billions each year. Investing in mental health initiatives can yield a strong return on investment. n Creating a mental health plan promotes employee wellbeing, boosts morale and reduces stress. It should address how to support employees experiencing mental health issues, promote the wellbeing of all staff and tackle the work-related causes of these problems. n Employee involvement means staff are more likely to commit to supporting their own mental health and that of their colleagues.

Business leaders hold the responsibility of ensuring the strategy is carried out fully and effectively.

But, said Ms Collar, HR departments are there to provide expert advice and support.

“Line managers play a vital role in assessing their teams’ mental health and all employees should strive for a healthy work/ life balance.”

Rachel Collar

For local business news visit www.BusinessMK.co.uk

Workplace Culture & Engagement

Workplace equality: Not a question of ‘Why?’, but ‘How?’ Author and leadership coach Susan Popoola argues that investment in equality, diversity and inclusion can bring an organisation immediate and immense benefits.

M Inclusive environments can unlock immense potential

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usan Popoola is the founder of business and talent management consultancy Mosaic Fusions, youth support organisation, Mosaic Wise CIC, and a published author. She has worked with organisations and business leaders from Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the USA, to develop inclusive and productive workplaces that embrace the richness of diversity.

Her dedication to empowering future generations has led her to establish Mosaic Wise, enhancing her work with children and young adults as they navigate the complexities of life. This includes the Christmas letters initiative for young people who are careexperienced, recognising the challenges of being alone during festive occasions.

An accomplished author who has lived in Milton Keynes for 20 years, she has written Touching the Heart of Milton Keynes: A Social Perspective, Consequences:

Diverse to Mosaic Britain and Male Perspectives on The Value of Women at Work.

Her writing reflects Ms Popoola’s strong belief in the inherent value of every individual. At this year’s Women Leaders UK Awards, Ms Popoola - who was shortlisted under the category of None of The Above due to the diversity of her work - received an award for Transforming Lives.

“She is a leader with a heart to represent those voices that are not always heard,” said Liz Newell, partner at profesional services firm and award sponsor MHA. For Ms Popoola, the award is encouragement to continue her work supporting leaders and others with the belief that true strength lies in its ability to harness the value each person brings.

“By creating inclusive environments that celebrate individuality, we can unlock immense potential and achieve remarkable success together,” she said.

Susan Popoola receives her Women Leaders UK Award from MHA partner Liz Newell

To feature or comment email: news@businessmk.co.uk

ost business leaders now recognise the importance of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at work. There are those who believe that there is a moral or Corporate Social Responsibility for their organisations to represent society; those who understand that diverse teams, that are inclusive, fostering a sense of belonging are more effective and profitable to business.

Others are aware that a lack of representation can be damaging to their brand image.

EDI is therefore no longer a question of why, but how.

Most specifically, how do we make it effective?

Focused on gender but with the understanding that it has wider relevance, I explored EDI for my book Male Perspectives on The Value of Women at Work.

There are numerous initiatives aimed at bringing about change and improving the experiences and progression of women at work. Progress is still, however, limited and does not reflect the quality of some of the initiatives nor the capabilities women have to offer.

This left the curious child in me with the question: Why? Much has been said on the subject of gender equality from the perspectives of women but I was curious about the viewpoints of men. Through interviews with 30 men between the ages of 16 and 74 and from a rich diversity of backgrounds and professional experiences, I learned how the external environment to the workplace, the manner in which men and women navigate the workplace differently, together with organisation structures and design, impact men and women differently.

Dr Tariq Siddique, who works as a leadership coach, highlighted some of the external factors such as how children are still treated differently on the basis of gender in most homes and in education. In addition, gender roles are often assigned within the books students read, with the message reinforced by the media.

There is a predominance of

men in leadership positions in education and other areas within society.

This all impacts the way in which men and women navigate the workplace differently, with men typically feeling a greater sense of entitlement than women, leading them to navigate the work environment more confidently.

This is not to speak negatively of men but the fact is also that the workplace was historically designed by and for men.

On the basis of my research and the subsequent conversations I have had, some of the key consequences I have observed are that women are less likely to apply for roles or ask for promotions than men, even when they are just as competent or even more competent than their male counterparts.

Unlike men, women are also more likely to accept an initial salary offer while men will typically negotiate on an offer. Men are also much more likely to ask for a salary increase than women. This means that if a woman and a man are both offered £50,000 a year for a position, the woman may end up starting on a £50,000 salary while the man begins on £60,000.

Even with merely regular cost of living increases, the gap between the two is likely to increase each year. However, the increase is widened even further when you take account of additional salary increase requests that men may demand. This has major implications on organisations’ quest to decrease the gender pay gap.

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eading business consultant Thomas Power believes that women bring great value to the workplace but do not push enough and make themselves visible. “Women tend to take a more peripheral view while men tend to look straight ahead,” he said.

Others also spoke of how they have benefited from working with women and learned to think differently.

Men are further advantaged by their access to networks with decision-makers which

Organisations need to be clear about the competencies they really need as essential or desirable. They otherwise will not get the best person for the job. provides them with advanced knowledge, visibility and access to opportunities.

Women will never have access to some of these networks.

Keith Howell, a former chief design engineer at Rolls Royce, speaks of a need for ‘conscious shifts’ in leaders’ decision-making to take account of this. Women’s value can only be truly realised with the allyship of men, acting as sponsors and not just mentors. There is also a need to support men and to define the new role of men for their benefit and a future workplace that optimises the value of everyone.

A number of system shifts are required by organisations that want to bring about gender equity and realise the full value of both men and women in their workspaces.

This starts with reviewing the traits and competencies that are valued within organisations. Historically, organisations place more value on masculine traits more typically demonstrated by men such as competitiveness, linear thinking and independence.

This not only disadvantages women; it means organisations miss out on the feminine traits more often displayed by women, such as collaboration, intuition and interdependence.

There is also the need for organisations to review

how they assess and reward competencies. It should not matter that men are more likely to apply for a role if they do not meet the competencies than women.

Either the competencies are not a true requirement or assessments should rule such men out.

Organisations need to be clear about the competencies they really need as essential or desirable. They otherwise will not get the best person for the job.

They also need to go further and make a conscious effort to ensure that there is an openness about all opportunities within their organisations and the competencies required.

Reward also needs to be linked to roles, competencies and outcomes, not based on who is best able to negotiate for the highest return.

The required changes will take a fair amount of consultation and dialogue to obtain buy-in and get things right. But the returns for organisations that do will be both immense and immediate.

Susan Popoola MA CIPD FRSA Human Value Optimisation Maximising Productivity| Leveraging The Value of People www.MosaicWorld.live Susan@MosaicWorld.live 07957 743022

Business MK | December 2023

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Workplace Culture & Engagement Build the right team that reflects your culture and you are ready for the next step. Andrew Gibbs talked to Bryan and Amanda Wright, the brand transformation specialists behind Yellowyoyo.

Values represent the essence of a business D eveloping and maintaining in a business a culture that aligns with its values will generate loyalty and positivity from both customers and staff.

“A business needs to be representative of its leaders and that needs to filter down through the entire organisation,” said business transformation specialist Amanda Wright. “Values are so important to a business because the more you can align them to those of the customer the more likely they are to respond positively to you. But it works internally as well.”

The couple set up Yellowyoyo in 1998 after careers in running businesses of all sizes.

“Our decades of experience mean that we understand how to run businesses, deliver impact and enrich customer experiences across all channels,” said Mrs Wright.

“In a world where interaction and communication are ever changing, the only constant is that as channels develop so must businesses and brands.”

Yellowyoyo has evolved into a business transformation company, working with clients looking to enhance their brand and business ahead of a new chapter often an exit. “Quite often we find when we enter a. business that they are not ready for exit but they are ready to start the journey,” said Mr Wright. “The business platform is not strong enough to make the change in strategy and a big part of the platform is how

they deal with people, what their culture is like, how they hire people.”

Inevitably, change brings stress. “Part of the way of dealing with that stress is to generate the right culture, the right team ethic towards change. It is very challenging.

“A business has had to grow through change, with digital and hybrid working and that causes stress in any organisation. Any change causes stress. You have to lay the ground rules and understand how this change affects people - some will be able to cope, others will not.”

Changing times have brought radical changes in working practices. Hybrid and remote working are now the norm and that creates trust issues. The key, said Mrs Wright, is to have the right team around you and to create an environment in which leaders can trust their staff to deliver.

Yellowyoyo’s office sits in the beautiful Bedfordshire countryside just outside Cranfield. Its location creates an inspirational and calm backdrop to the business.

Yellowyoyo staff also gather in a co-working space in Central Milton Keynes in order to talk with each other and to gather the thoughts of other workers based in the building.

“You have to trust the people working for you but it is good to bring them together regularly, for meetings or social activities,” said Mr Wright. “We use a community hub in thecity centre so our people do not have to come all the way

out to our office but can still co-work and feed off other people. It is about building a community and it is important for us to be part of that community and have access to that wider community and everyone can use it.”

Yellowyoyo continues to thrive thanks to its relationships with clients built up over many years.

“Those who trust us to ensure their businesses and brands are irresistible and en route to their desired exit,” said said Mrs Wright.

“That trust and those relationships are the catalysts to our success stories.

They are the proof that we continually strive for the best possible outcome and keep our clients’ - and team’s - best interests at heart.

“Being authentic is very important to us. Any business represents its leaders and that needs to filter through. There is a genuine, authentic desire to help our people and our clients to be the best they can be. That is something that runs through what we are.”

An organisation’s culture is constantly evolving with the wider business environment.

Communication is key to keep pace and recruiting and retaining ambitious staff.

“Creating the right team around you is crucial,” said Mr Wright. “We need to employ people who want to get on and we have to give them the leeway to fail and not worry about it. As soon as people are frightened of failure, it stifles them.”

Added Mrs Wright: “Conversations when the

Stella in the Yellowyoyo office with owners Amanda and Bryan Wright

Stella is proving a star attraction

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eet Stella, onsite decompression specialist at business transformation company Yellowyoyo. All the staff and clients love her.

“They take you out of yourself,” said director Amanda Wright. “Stella is lovely. She’s a quiet dog and is a pressure valve release in the best way. She brings that to the office every day.

“Stella loves a cuddle and even if it is only for a moment, it is so good for you to have that.”

A canine companion in the office gives staff a reason to step out to clear their head.

“She is a reason to go out for a good walk and it takes you away from your worries for a while, which is a good thing,” said Amanda.

Occasionally, clients are wary of dogs or, worse, are allergic. If that is the case, nine-year-old Stella stays at home. “We do not bring her in if we know a client is coming who either does not like dogs or is allergic and we always ask the question beforehand,” said Mrs Wright. “But there are clients who come to see her rather than us, I’m sure.”

time is right keep people aware and comfortable in their decision-making. Taking your people with you is really important - it sounds obvious but it is not always the case.

Keep talking, keep it fresh.”

As a business and brand

transformation company, it is essential for Yellowyoyo that it constantly pushes and develops new ideas.

“Changes to the culture in a business is something that we have to work on every day to make sure it works to best

effect,” said Mr Wright. “You need to make sure that you are on top of it all the time.

“Some people can have that control of their people and do not have to work at it but get it right and you can become a better you.”

It’s clear... IT firm is putting focus on social values

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thical business practice, positive social impact and enriching its local community has won the prestigious Social Value Quality Mark accreditation status for IT solutions provider Lucid Support Services.

The Bronze accreditation endorses the company’s work to uphold social values across its operations, from environmental sustainability to community outreach and employee empowerment.

Lucid Support Services, based at Wymbush in Milton Keynes, has committed to putting more resources into employees’ health

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and wellbeing and becoming more environmentally friendly, investing in tree planting schemes through its partnership with the National Environmental Wildlife and the Green Regeneration programmes.

The company also offers IT and digital apprenticeships and has donated more than £1,000 to local and national charities including Willen Hospice, local food banks and youth sporting teams.

“Our core legacy is to be locally focused, changing lives for the better through the work we provide and the support we offer,” said managing director

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Alun Jones. “It motivates us to keep innovating new ways to drive positive local impact as we continue growing. Our goal is to lead by example in integrating social values into everything we do as a company.”

Now silver and gold accreditation are in the company’s sights, he added.

Lucid is also running a recruitment training programme aimed at young people wanting to gain an on-the-job qualification.

Pictured are the company’s two social values champions, administration manager Chelsea Dickson and account delivery

lead Natalie Harwood.

“It is very important to me to work for a company that puts social responsibility and community impact at the forefront of its values and operations,” said Ms Dickson.

“I am proud to be part of

a business making a positive difference in the lives of our employees, our partners, and community,” added Ms Harwood.

“The Social Value Mark recognises Lucid’s commitment to keep innovating new ways

For local business news visit www.BusinessMK.co.uk

Workplace Culture & Engagement Health and safety specialists at law firm Howes Percival assess what the increase in firms allowing employees to bring their dogs into work means for employers and their duties under health and safety law.

Study highlights call for equal leave after early end to pregnancies

Man’s best friend... but not S always an employer’s chum R esearch by The Kennel Club shows that 70 per cent of people say dogs alleviate stress in the workplace. 45pc said that dogs in the workplace make companies more attractive to job seekers with dogs. It is no surprise then that, since the pandemic, there has been an increase in the number of employers who allow their employees to bring their dogs into work.

There is no dedicated law which deals with having pet dogs in the workplace however employers should be mindful of their duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

Under the Act employers have a general duty to ensure the health, safety and welfare of their employees so far as is reasonably practicable while they are at work.

Employers also have a duty to ensure that they go about all aspects of their business and work in a way which ensures those not in their employment are not exposed to risks to their health and safety.

While having a well behaved and well-mannered dog in the workplace may prove to be a good stress reliever and boost staff morale, there are also potential disadvantages that employers will need to consider before deciding whether or not to allow pet dogs in the workplace.

There are some settings where it will be inappropriate to have a dog; for example, in food preparation businesses or settings where there is a higher risk of infection or cross-contamination.

In order to comply with their duties under health and safety law employers must first assess the risks posed by dogs in the workplace.

Outlined next are some key

It is important that employees and other people are not put at risk

risks that employers will need to consider: n Dogs behave differently depending on the environment they are in and may act unpredictably in unfamiliar places around unfamiliar people. Even ‘good dogs’ can bite if they feel vulnerable or threatened so it is important to ensure that measures are put in place to reduce the risk of injury. n Give careful thought to where the dog will stay during the working day, where it will sleep, eat, drink and toilet. Make sure that all toys are kept in the dog’s bed or a designated area and ensure that any spills from its water bowl or any ‘little accidents’ are cleaned up immediately. n It is important that dogs and their belongings are not in the way of any fire exits or firefighting equipment. There must be a plan setting out how the dog will vacate the workplace in case of emergency. It is important that employees and other people are not put at risk. n Consider whether anyone in the office is allergic to dogs. If so, how can this be managed? n Give some thought to how many dogs will be allowed in the office at any one time and how negative interactions will be avoided and managed. n Ensure all dogs are up to date on their flea, tick and worm treatment.

To feature or comment email: news@businessmk.co.uk

n Is anyone in the workplace particularly vulnerable to infection or any other risks posed by dogs - expectant mothers and asthma sufferers, for example?

Consider how these risks will be managed. n Some employees may have a phobia of dogs which will cause them unnecessary stress.

The types and extent of risks will be specific to each workplace and the type and nature of the dog being introduced to it.

A new risk assessment will need to be carried out in relation to each dog that comes into the workplace, taking into account any unique risks. Employers will need to engage with the dog’s owner in order to complete the risk assessment and employees should also be reminded of their duty under the Act to take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and others while at work.

In addition to health and safety, there are practical considerations of bringing pet dogs into the workplace.

If the workplace is in a rented building, there may be specific exclusions in the lease which prohibits animals on the premises.

Does any insurance policy - public liability or employer’s liability insurance, for example - exclude incidents or injuries caused by animals or pets? Who will be responsible for any property damage or injuries caused by the dog?

The dog’s owner may need to check their pet insurance to see whether it is valid for incidents outside a domestic environment.

To avoid disputes, employers should implement a policy so that all parties are clear on the rules about bringing dogs into the workplace.

ignificant inequalities exist in the paid leave that parents receive when they face an early end to a pregnancy Researchers are calling for changes to ensure that new employment leave policies focus on fairer and more inclusive practices.

The study, carried out by academics at The Open University, University College London and at the Universities of Plymouth and Essex, calls for a more equitable approach based on physical recovery needs.

Jo Brewis, Professor of People and Organisations at The Open University, said: “This research is significant because it is, as far as we are aware, the first to analyse the different inclusions and exclusions generated by laws in England and Wales and around the world regarding paid employment leave and the status of the foetus or baby. We call upon policymakers to carefully evaluate the implications of new proposals regarding employment leave for pregnancy endings.”

The call comes on the back of the research paper that brings to light inconsistencies in paid leave entitlements for parents experiencing pregnancy endings that do not result in a living infant, such as miscarriage, ectopic pregnancies, molar pregnancies

and abortion. Analysing their findings, the researchers were surprised by the wide range of categorisations within the laws and the complex inclusions and exclusions both between and within legislatures.

Employment leave after an early end of pregnancy is limited to, usually, sick leave or bereavement leave, the researchers found. “Both of these types of leave make assumptions about the nature of the pregnancy ending and what the experience has involved which may not be suitable,” said Dr Aimee Middlemiss, a research fellow at the University of Plymouth.

“Sick leave assumes a pregnancy ending without a live birth to be an illness, and sidelines people who feel a baby was lost. Bereavement leave sidelines the physical needs of the post-pregnant woman and may exclude some types of pregnancy ending or those who do not feel bereaved.”

The paper is based on the Early pregnancy endings and the workplace project led by Professor Brewis (inset). The research is supported by the OU’s Open Societal Challenges Programme, which focuses on the themes of tackling inequalities, living well and sustainability.

Safety first, warn experts as employees welcome AI

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orkers are unconcerned about Artificial Intelligence replacing their roles, although almost two-thirds happily trust the accuracy of the technology to aid in tasks.

New data from HR consultancy HR Solutions, which has an office in Milton Keynes, found that of those polled in a recent survey, 49 per cent of businesses were using AI such as Chat GPT. AI - using computer science for problem solving - is being cited as the ‘fourth Industrial Revolution’ and is a monumental change in technology. HR Solutions has already suggested that if businesses are to remain competitive and have the advantage in a modern marketplace, they must embrace the modern method and ensure it is used ethically and reasonably.

AI has the potential to revolutionise how companies work, the consultancy adds. However it warns of the risks associated with it and urges companies to set out clear parameters for staff.

“There is no doubt that if you use AI correctly, it has the potential to streamline processes and improve performance and productivity,” said HR Solutions chief executive Greg Guilford (inset).

“However, as with anything groundbreaking, it is wise to be wary about how it is used.”

Most of those using AI were using it to write business documents or brainstorm ideas, with a third using it to analyse information, the HR Solutions study found.

Ninety per cent of respondents said their own role could be improved with AI and although even more (92pc) were unconcerned about AI replacing their roles, almost threequarters (73pc) were concerned about how AI might change roles in the future.

HR Solutions held a webinar earlier this year on using AI in the workplace and has published a policy and impact assessment to help business establish guidelines ensuring firms have the right measures in place to get the most out of AI technology and to remove or limit the risks.

Mr Guilford said: “Our AI policy can be implemented by businesses in order to ensure that the technology is used solely to enhance working practices and also identify and prepare for any potential challenges it may bring.”

Almost two-thirds of those surveyed said that they would trust the accuracy of AI to help with tasks. 21pc believe it would be ethical to

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Business MK | December 2023

For local business news visit www.BusinessMK.co.uk

Business2Business December 2023

In print and online Business2Business is published throughout Bedfordshire for the area’s business community www.businessmk.co.uk

Town centre transformation ‘a welcome boost’ Two landmark store sites are up for sale, creating opportunity in Bedford’s plans to regenerate its town centre

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uyers are being sought for the vacant former Debenhams department store in Bedford town centre.

Offers around £3 million are being invited after LPA receivers Kroll Advisory on the market.

The 75,377 sq ft property has mixed use development potential and the site is included in the Local Plan being put together by Bedford Borough Council. The plan also includes Bedford Corn Exchange, the Harpur Suite and Bedford Central Library.

The building, which has six floors and runs from the centre of Bedford High Street to Silver Street, is being marketed by commercial property consultancy Kirkby Diamond.

Nathan George, associate and head of agency at its Bedford office, said: “Although the demise of Debenhams was a sad moment for Bedford town centre it means that a long-awaited opportunity has arisen to acquire a historical piece of the

town centre. We are of the opinion that the property would best suit redevelopment of the upper floors to residential and splitting of the ground floor into multiple retail or leisure units, subject to planning.”

The property is currently fitted out as a department store with open plan retailing around several service cores and access points. There is a large basement and additional storage to the fifth floor and loading access via St Paul’s Square to the rear.

“Bedford Borough Council has continued its proactive approach to economic development across the borough and will be supportive in promoting the site as a viable development opportunity,” said Mr George. “The site has been included in the upcoming Local Plan which considers how a scheme could potentially create smaller commercial units for retail or food/ beverage occupiers, other leisure uses and residential opportunities on the upper floors.”

The Mall gets the point of new owner’s rebrand

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he new owner of The Mall shopping centre in Luton have announced plans to rebrand the premises at Luton Point.

Sovereign Centros, who asset manages the 900,000 sq ft scheme, has submitted a planning application to Luton Council to update all the scheme’s external signage to the new name, with a strong focus at its main entrances, particularly the Atrium at St George’s Square.

Investment will also be made to update internal signage.

The shopping centre, now owned by Frasers Group, has been in Luton since 1972 and has tenants including Primark, TK Maxx, H&M, River Island and Boots. It expects to announce new openings including a Sports Direct store. Frasers Group is owned by businessman Mike Ashley.

“Luton Point reflects a new ownership with a new approach, and a move to an identity more in keeping with the centre’s place within the town,” said Sovereign Centros commercial assets manager Mark Stapleton.

Subject to planning approval, the new brand is expected to be in place early next year.

The Mall’s centre director Roy Greening, said: “With a fresh new identity and the prospect of fantastic new brands arriving, we are excited for the next chapter.

“Our loyal customers are always at the centre of our plans. We will continue to work hard to support local community and stakeholders.

“We are proud of the partnerships we have locally and our place at the heart of Luton, and that is one thing that will never change.”

Building’s potential significant in council’s vision for St Paul’s Square redevelopment

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he former Wilko store in Bedford town centre is up for sale. Agents Kirkby Diamond are seeking offers in the region of £1.75 million. For the freehold of the 36,900 sq ft property in High Street.

The three-storey property offers excellent potential for existing use, leisure and/or residential redevelopment, said Nathan George, associate and head of agency at Kitrkby Diamond’s Bedford office.

“While the closure of the Wilko store was undoubtedly a blow, the potential transformation of the building in a fantastic high

street location could bring a welcome boost to the town centre,” Mr George (inset) added.

“The property offers a wonderful opportunity to an investor or developer to remodel the building and to attract new retail or leisure occupiers. We expect there to be a great deal of interest in acquiring the freehold of this important building.”

The property, whose frontages are grade II listed, overlooks St Paul’s Square. Bedford Borough Council

has received £5 million funding improvements to St Paul’s Square opposite the property.

Regeneration plans include a comprehensive development of the square to support a variety of outdoor events, activities and performances.

The objective of the council’s plans is to improve visitor experience, increased vibrancy and footfall and diversify the town centre’s offer to promote Bedford as a visitor destination.

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SCAN THE QR CODE TO START >> To feature or comment email: news@businessmk.co.uk

Business2Business | December 2023

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Business News

Publisher’s pitch earns a year’s Chamber membership

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usinesswoman Melissa Mason has good reason to smile after receiving a one-year membership to Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce for her work self-publishing educational children’s books.

The membership is her

People Power Makes Business Great – Let’s Work Together Across the country, thousands of businesses are members of a Chamber of Commerce. Why? Because the Chamber is renowned the world over for helping foster connections and enabling local businesses to thrive and grow.

Here at the Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce, we are passionate about working at a local, national and international level to support businesses of all sizes and across all sectors.

Being a member of the Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce: • Connects you with a large network of businesses.

• Provides you with unrivalled access to help, support, and advice to grow your business.

• Opens new business opportunities for you in local, national and international markets.

• Ensures your views are heard within Government and other policy makers.

Council wins £2m support package

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“The Chamber is not only there to give support of local connections and guidance on export and trade, but go above and beyond to help us nurture business collaborations that results in business growth.”

Our role is to ensure that, working together, we create connections within our ever-growing network and become an enabler for business growth – after all, business is done better together.

Become a member today: Visit www.chamber-business.com Email membership@chamber-business.com Call 01582 522448 Follow us on social media

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Business2Business | December 2023

prize for success at a Dragon’s Den-style pitching competition hosted by the University of Bedfordshire, part of its involvement in the national Pathways4Recovery initiative, which aims to give economically inactive and unemployed people with the opportunity to pursue their entrepreneurial ambitions by removing financial barriers.

Ms Mason (inset) was one of a group of entrepreneurs given the opportunity to share their business ideas and practise their pitching skills in front of a panel of judges including NatWest Business regional ecosystem manager Debbie Lewis (main picture) and Mohammad Azam, senior lecturer and MBA portfolio lead at the University of Bedfordshire.

Alumnus Andy Kirtland took second place for his work founding the social and sporting enterprise Neurodiversity Inspire.

The university supports start-ups and businesses through the national research & Innovation Service. RIS Pathways project manager Chris Fox said: “It was brilliant to host this event which was dedicated to celebrating the remarkable participants of the University of Bedfordshire’s Pathways4Recovery initiative.

Luton’s outstanding achievement in attracting start-up ventures and for sustaining a thriving ecosystem of independent and sustainable businesses is testament to the collaborative efforts between the university and our regional partners.”

undreds of Central Bedfordshire businesses are set to benefit from £2 million worth of free, specialist advice on start-up and growth, innovation, developing trade and export and decarbonisation.

Central Bedfordshire Council has secured funding from the the government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Rural England Prosperity Fund to deliver business support across the area, alongside skills development and investment in town centres.

Part of the package, to be delivered by the University of Bedfordshire, will see businesses receive innovation and technological support to improve productivity.

Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce is offering support on exports. WENTA will work with start-ups.

Cllr Mary Walsh, executive member for planning and development, said: “Businesses in Central Bedfordshire have tremendous potential for growth.

This new support will give a further boost to the local economy, attracting inward investment and creating jobs for local people.”

For local business news visit www.BusinessMK.co.uk

Business News Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce chief executive Justin Richardson looks forward to the SME Bedfordshire Business Awards 2024 - organised for the first time by the Chamber.

Chamber takes over awards that aim to make Bedfordshire’s SMEs shine

A TUI aircraft at Exeter Airport

Project probes flight turnaround emission cuts Airline joins university in study to reduce environmental impact

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ollaboration between Luton-based travel giant TUI, Cranfield University and airports operator Regional & City Airports is investigating how to reduce the environmental impact of aircraft turnarounds at airports.

The study will focus on how to decarbonise ground operations and reduce environmental impact by analysing TUI aircraft turnarounds at RCA-owned Exeter Airport.

Experts from Cranfield University’s Centre for Air Transport Management, which has a long-standing focus on aviation and the environment, are using TUI data, airport vehicle usage data and other information sources to create an ‘emissions inventory’ of ground operations.

By examining the different elements of the turnaround in detail, the study will address a gap in current research and identify where tangible emissions savings can be made in the short term and where there may need to be bigger changes in the future, including new technology.

With an estimated 85 million global air traffic movements in 2022, the project’s findings could have important ramifications for the global aviation industry.

Professor Anna Smallwood, head of the Centre for Air Transport Management at Cranfield, said: “Addressing the future challenges faced by the aviation industry will require high degrees of collaboration to develop integrated solutions.

“This is an excellent example of industry and academia working together to understand the real issues and find opportunities to move forward in a viable and sustainable way.”

TUI Airline’s chief operating

officer Dawn Wilson added: “This important collaboration is another step in our net zero journey and commitment to reducing the environmental footprint of travel. TUI Airline is already among the most carbon-efficient in the world having continuously invested in new aircraft and our goal is to drive further emissions out of the system.”

Exeter Airport will act as a live laboratory for Cranfield’s experts to look at aircraft turnarounds in forensic detail, tracking every aspect of the ground handling process to measure emissions impacts.

The next step will examine potential emission reduction measures such as the use of electric and alternatively fuelled airside assets and other operational measures.

The study is expected to report back next year.

Regional & City Airports chief executive Andrew Bell said: “This project is the latest in our ongoing collaboration with Cranfield University to help drive innovation across our industry, and is a vital part of RCA’s commitment to make our own airport operations net zero by 2040.

We are excited to be involved and look forward to seeing how the findings could be put into practice across our airport estate.”

Dr Thomas Budd, senior lecturer and DARTeC Fellow in Airport Planning and Management at Cranfield, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for us examine a key part of the aviation ecosystem.

Understanding more about the emissions created will give us a clear view on what mitigating measures will make the most significant impact and we can then use this as a stepping stone to further decarbonisation of airport operations.”

To feature or comment email: news@businessmk.co.uk

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he SME Bedfordshire Business Awards are coming to town again for the seventh year running.

But this year, there are some important changes that will put us in full control of the content and organisation of the awards and enable us to more closely support local businesses who wish to enter.

For while we have sponsored the awards many times in the past, this time, we are now actually the organisers; the event and the awards are now ours. So this high-profile celebration of successful businesses in the local area now has a stronger connection to us here at Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce than ever before.

And we will be making sure this delivers every possible opportunity for you to benefit from the spotlight that this well-established and respected calendar fixture focuses on the great businesses that shine in our county.

All over the UK, small and medium enterprises punch way beyond their weight. The well over 5.5 million SMEs in the UK make up an incredible 99.9 per cent of private sector businesses nationally.

Little wonder, then, that SMEs are often also said to be responsible for driving innovation and competition in many economic sectors - and

the SME Business Awards publicly recognise and reward these achievements in the heart of the communities those businesses call home.

The awards are well known for their extensive category coverage, which is highly inclusive, meaning there is potentially something for everyone. A business can enter up to three categories.

From the geographic categories include Business of the Year for Bedford, Luton, and Central Bedfordshire - to categories of age and size, to more specific awards such as growth, innovation, sustainability, individuals, apprenticeships and not-forprofit, the emphasis is on enabling your business and its people to tell a knockout story to the world, no matter how general or particular the achievements in question.

Naturally, the awards - and their winners - generate a hefty amount of local press coverage, which ultimately widens the audience your

Justin Richardson

As the saying goes, you have to be in it to win it business can reach and this is in addition to pre-arranged coverage through our own media partners.

But we will also be working to ensure both pre- and postevent publicity is maximised through our other marketing channels. This will include social media, website content, email campaigns, editorial in local business publications and features in the Chamber’s own Focus magazine that all our members receive.

And though it is often said that ‘the winner takes it all’, the awards feature both Gold and Silver winners so your chances of winning one way or the other are maximised.

The benefits do not stop at the county boundary, either. The awards are part of a national range of events

and if you are a winner in certain categories, you will automatically make it through to the SME National Business Awards Final where you will be in the company of some of the best businesses in the UK. In addition, there are sponsorship opportunities available that give you a great opportunity to raise your business’s profile, whether you win or not.

Of course, no awards are complete without a memorable awards ceremony, a little bit of glitz and glamour and a chance to let your hair down while doing some relaxed networking at the same time.

On these fronts the awards deliver. ‘Black tie’ and ‘Dress to impress’ are the watchwords but as for date, time, and location, we are just going to have to tease you for a while longer. Keep checking www.chamber-business.com for updates.

What does a winner look like?

If you are thinking your business is not the kind that could win an award, think again... Winners in the past have come from SMEs and individuals across all sectors.

As the saying goes, you have to be in it to win it and no Bedfordshire SME is excluded from entering, or indeed winning, these awards.

n To find out more about the Awards and receive some handy tips to help you write a stronger entry, join us at our Awards Launch Event on January 17 at The Pavilion, Luton. Register and book your ticket at www.events.chamber-business.com/events

Stay in the loop...

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n Sca up Business MK THE ONLY BUSINESS NEWSPAPER FOR MILTON KEYNES, NORTH BUCKS AND BEDS

Business2Business | December 2023

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Networking

Networking lunch.

AYLESBURY 2nd Tuesday 12 noon-2pm: Online MILTON KEYNES 2nd Thursday 12 noon-2pm: Online BUCKINGHAM 3rd Tuesday 12 noon-2pm: Online CAPPUCCINO CONNECTIONS 4th Thursday 10am-12 noon: Online Contact: Anna Atkins-Carter, regional director North Bucks / West Chilterns. 07540 097776, email anna.atkinscarter@theathenanetwork.com or visit www.theathenanetwork.com BEDFORD 2nd Wednesday 12 noon-2pm: Online SOUTH & EAST BEDFORDSHIRE 4th Tuesday 12 noon-2pm: Online WOBURN 3rd Thursday 12 noon-2pm: Online Contact: Kate Cherry, regional director Bedfordshire & St Albans. 07909 675333 email kate.cherry@theathenanetwork.com or visit www.theathenanetwork.com

December 13 7.45am-9.15am: The Bedfordshire Golf Club, Stagsden Sponsors: Ginger Cow Marketing; Mazars; Metro Bank; Woodfines Solicitors Speaker: Sarah Grimes, of homeless support charity the SMART Prebend Centre .

Price: £20. Contact: Kerry Ransby email kransby@woodfines.co.uk or visit www.bedfordbreakfastclub.co.uk

If you are serious about growing your business, BNI works. Last year BNI members in the UK generated more than £482 million worth of business for each other. To find out how, visit a local chapter meeting and see for yourself.

Each chapter has a personality of its own and finding where you fit best helps you get connected.

DIAMOND Tuesday 6.45am: Abbey Hill Golf Centre, Two Mile Ash APOLLO Wednesday 10am: MK Gallery PHOENIX Friday 9.45am: The Bedford Golf Club ENCORE Friday 6.45am: Holiday Inn London Luton More information: www.bni.co.uk Airport

conversational B2B networking.

Town focused events meet face-to-face, allowing visitors to build better, more robust relationships.

These are complemented by regional virtual events.

All Business Buzz events run 10am-noon BEDFORD 1st Wednesday: George & Dragon, Mill Street.

BIGGLESWADE 2nd Wednesday: The Crown Hotel, High Street.

BRACKLEY 1st Thursday: Paisley Pear, Northampton Road.

LUTON 2nd Tuesday: The Hat Factory, Bute Street.

MILTON KEYNES 3rd Friday: Pop World, Lower 12th Street, Central Milton Keynes.

TOWCESTER 4th Thursday: The Saracen’s Head, Watling Street.

All meetings: £8 + VAT, payable in advance on the Business Buzz Booking App https://app.businessbuzz.org/app or at the event.

EAST MIDLANDS 1st Friday: Online. Price: £10 BEDFORDSHIRE 4th Tuesday: Online Price: £10, payable in advance on the Business Buzz Booking App https://app.business-buzz.org/ app or at the event.

Business networking and referral group.

Price: £6.

MILTON KEYNES 2nd Thursday, 7.30am-9.30am: Abbey Hill Golf Centre, Two Mile Ash VIRTUAL NETWORKING Tuesday Brunch 2nd Tuesday, 9.30am-11am Wednesday Breakfast 4th Wednesday, 7.30am Thursday Breakfast 3rd Thursday, 7.30am Friday Breakfast 2nd Friday, 7.30am THE ACCOUNTABILITY CIRCLE Monday 10am-11am: Online Helping small businesses get tasks from ‘to do’ to ‘done’. Advice and tips on time management and productivity.

Price: £6 per session or £12 per month.

More information: www.buscomm.co.uk

Alt. Fridays 7am: Abbey Hill Golf Centre, Two Mile Ash Networking breakfast with speaker. Price: £15.

Contact: www.businessgrowthclub.co.uk or Mark Orr 07903 655169.

PIONEER Wednesday 9.30am: Online meetings More information: www.bni.co.uk

December 12 7am-8.30am: Villiers Hotel, Buckingham Breakfast meeting + speaker. Visitors: £10.

More details: www.bucks-fizz.biz

Regional sponsor: Business MK and Business2Business No fuss, no membership, pay as you go... The Business Buzz format is relaxed, informal,

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Business MK | December 2023

NETWORKING BREAKFAST 3rd Friday, 7am-9am Astral Park, Leighton Buzzard Breakfast networking with speaker. Price: £13.

Contact: info@buzzardnetworking.co.uk or visit www.buzzardnetworking.co.uk

December 6 7.30am-9am: YMCA, North Sixth Street, Central MIlton Keynes Networking breakfast event hosted by the longest-established breakfast networking club in Milton Keynes.

Speaker: Sue Burke and Lolly Marlborough from the charity MK-ACT which provides emergency

accommodation for families escaping domestic violence.

Book at www.citybreakfastclub.co.uk

MILTON KEYNES VIRTUAL NETWORKING December 10 10am-11am: Online.

Networking + an update on the benefits of FSB membership. Hosted by James Anderson, FSB development manager for the Thames Valley.

Free event for FSB members and non-members.

BEDFORDSHIRE, CAMBRIDGESHIRE & HERTFORDSHIRE VIRTUAL NETWORKING December 16 10am-11am: Online.

Networking + an update on the benefits of FSB membership.

Free event for FSB members and non-members.

To book on to FSB events, visit www.fsb.org.uk

CHRISTMAS CHARITY LUNCH December 6 12 noon-2.30pm Northamptonshire County Cricket Club, Abington Road, Northampton Joint event with Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce. Chamber members only.

Price: £35 + VAT. To book on to Chamber events, visitwww.chambermk.co.uk/events

12 noon-2pm, networking lunch.

Bedford & Ampthill 1st Tuesday: The Swan Hotel, The Embankment, Bedford / Online Leighton Buzzard 3rd Wednesday: The Dukes, Heath & Reach / Online Luton 2nd Monday: South Beds Golf Club/ Online Sandy & Biggleswade 1st Wednesday: Stratton House Hotel, Biggleswade Contact: Louise Yexley on 07989 020647, email louise.yexley@wibn.co.uk or visit www.wibn.co.uk Milton Keynes 1st Tuesday: The Brasserie at Milton Keynes College, Sherwood Drive, Bletchley Contact: Edith Samambwa on 07802 581838, email edith.samambwa@wibn.co.uk or visit www.wibn.co.uk

FUNDRAISING FESTIVE LUNCH December 13 12 noon-3pm Moore Place, Aspley Guise Price: £45 WiE members; non-members £60.

Book at www.womeninenterprise.co.uk

To have your networking group’s events included in future editions of Business MK, email details to news@pulsegroupmedia. co.uk

Chef of the Year William Bowman-Smith (front celebrates with his colleagues at Nonna’s in Woburn Sands, named Best Family Restaurant at this year’s MK Food & Leisure Awards.

Below: Louise Cuthbert celebrates her Service Staff of the Year award. Awards judge Trevor Garrod with Nutro Troops founder and chief executive Peter Bakare

Raise a glass to leisure sector champions

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record number of public votes - more than 14,000 - have determined the winners of this year’s Milton Keynes Food & Leisure Awards.

The winners were revealed at a black tie dinner and ceremony at the Delta by Marriott Hotel, Kents Hill. The awards, in their 11th year, showcase the best restaurants and attractions in and around Milton Keynes and are an occasion for hospitality businesses to celebrate before the busy festive period begins in earnest.

“The event goal is to uncover the most fabulous-tasting dishes, recognise the most talented chefs, and identify the best family and leisure locations, among other categories,” said awards director Steven Dryden-Hall.

This year’s awards were sponsored by food manufacturer Brioche Pasquier, domain name registration company Safenames, accountancy practice Pantons and city centre-based estate agent Thomas Connolly. A raffle raised £2,500 for the Nutri Troops charity, based in Fishermead and which works with underprivileged children to create a better understanding of healthy eating.

For local business news visit www.BusinessMK.co.uk

Community

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Volunteers rally to Action4Youth’s cause

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taff at Action4Youth’s charity partner NHBC - the UK’s leading provider of warranty and insurance for new homes - are pictured during a volunteer session redecorating the showers and bathrooms at the charity’s George Amey building at The Caldecotte Xperience.

Said Matthew Clay, chief digital and technology

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MEET THE WINNERS Asian Restaurant of the Year Maaya Indian Kitchen & Bar Bar of the Year Revolucion de Cuba Best Coffee/Business Cafe Cornwall Place Kitchen Best Family Restaurant Nonna’s - Woburn Sands Best Independent Takeaway The Greedy Pizza Best Newcomer The Dolphin - Stoke Hammond Highly commended: The Nags Head Best Pub The Old Swan - Astwood Best Restaurant The Navigation Inn Judges choice - House of Chicken Best Street Food The Rub MK’s Favorite National Chain Las Iguanas MK’s Top Attraction Aqua Parcs Service Staff of the Year Louise Cuthbert - The Three Trees Chef of the Year William Bowman-Smith: Nonna’s 2nd: Andy Slater: The Oakley Arms Harrold 3rd: Szymon Zawada: Chef Simon Private Dining Best Local Artisan Drink Fruity Farmer: Rhubarb Spirit Drink Best Local Artisan Food Just Biscuits: Parmesan and Rosemary Biscuits

n a summer’s day in July 1943, a USA B-25 Mitchell bomber left Tunisia in North Africa on a mission to attack the Sciacca Aerodrome in Sicily. On board was a crew of six including 27-year-old US Army Air Forces 2nd Lt Gilbert Haldeen Myers, the co-pilot.

But as the aircraft approached its target, the B-25 bomber was struck by anti-aircraft fire and crashed in a field about 1.5 miles from the aerodrome.

One crew member bailed out of the B-25 before it crashed, witnesses reported, but Myers’ remains were never recovered and he was declared missing in action.

There were no survivors nor any record of passengers being taken prisoner.

Around 72,000 American personnel are still unaccounted for from the Second World War, with around 39,000 deemed to be recoverable. For years, Mr Myers (pictured) was one of those individuals. In 1947, investigators conducted search and recovery operations near Sciacca but could not locate anything linking back to Mr Myers.

But last year, nearly 80 years on from the B-25 crash, that changed.

Forensic experts from Cranfield University’s Recovery and

officer: “Participating in initiatives like Caldecotte Experience is not just about giving back.

“It is about showing a demonstrable culture of compassion and social responsibility within our organisation. The positive ripple effect is immeasurable.”

NHBC’s head office is at Knowlhill.

udit specialist Mazars has rallied to the cause at Action4Youth’s headquarters next to Caldecotte Lake in Milton Keynes.

The company, one of the UK’s largest and with an office in Central Milton Keynes, has despatched a team of volunteers from its asset management department to help the revamp and redecoration of the charity’s George Amey building.

The building, part of the Caldecotte Xperience that delivers outdoor education programmes to more than 13,000 young people a year, is being renovated and refurbished to create modern space able to accommodate more young people.

Mazars partners Sarah Cooke and Lucy Sampson are passionate about the project. “We wanted to make a difference in our local area by supporting a local charity. We believe that every child deserves a safe and enjoyable place to visit, explore, and experience new things. Our partnership with Action4Youth allows us to fulfil this vision and positively impact the lives of young people.”

Mazars colleagues are pictured above painting some of the residential bedrooms at the site. They also redecorated the building’s canteen.

A profound privilege to play a role in quest for missing airman

Identification of Conflict Casualties team, working with the US Defense Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency, travelled to Sciacca to undertake a painstaking investigation. It entailed meticulous examination of tonnes of soil, aiming to recover fragments of human remains or personal effects crucial for identifying crew members.

And in October, they announced

they had located human remains belonging to Mr Myers, identifying him through DNA analysis.

“This deployment was our longest yet,” said Dr David Errickson, senior lecturer in archaeology and anthropology at Cranfield Forensic Institute.

“During our operations, we systematically excavated the ground, meticulously examining every piece that could possibly be bone or other evidence.”

The team of 20 employed wet screening, a process where excavated material is passed through water to separate and analyse human remains and artifacts. The human remains were sent to the DPAA Laboratory for examination and identification and in August, DPAA identified them as belonging to Mr Myers. They also recovered plane wreckage parts.

Cranfield’s Forensic Institute has has been involved in the investigation of several aircraft crashes in Europe, including a Lockheed P-38 Lightning, a Douglas A-20 Havoc and a Martin B-26 Marauder, with a missionin the planning stage to the recovery site of a Boeing B-17.

“The recovery of 2nd Lt Myers’ remains not only facilitates a proper full military honours burial but also allows the family to receive any personal effects found,” said Dr Errickson. “Most importantly, it brings closure for the families of those missing or killed in action.”

Mr Myers’ name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Sicily-Rome American Cemetery in Nettuno, Italy, along with others still missing from the Second World War. Dr Nicholas Márquez-Grant, a forensic anthropologist at Cranfield Forensic Institute, added: “Sometimes excavations like these can yield nothing or remain ambiguous. However, one small piece of evidence can be crucial in identifying an individual. In this case, playing a role in the quest to locate a missing serviceman was a profound privilege, bringing closure to Gilbert Haldeen Myers’ family.”

Radio academy aims to back a new generation of talent

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resenting, production, journalism and sales…

Community radio station 1055 The Point is preparing to launch a Radio Academy to develop the next generation of radio talent in Milton Keynes.

The station has worked with several now-established local community presenters including Steph Watkins, who came to 1055 The Point and is now a presenter and producer on BBC Radio

To feature or comment email: news@businessmk.co.uk

Guernsey. 1055 The Point has launched a crowdfunding campaign aiming to raise £6,000 to fund the academy’s first year of a rolling programme of introductory courses.

The appeal runs until December 12. As well as supporting the academy’s work, contributing businesses will receive a range of rewards including social media acknowledgements, invites to the station’s events and sponsorship of a 1055 The Point radio show.

Stations such as 1055 The Point are a great starting point for aspiring presenters and producers, said Ms Watkins.

“I am forever grateful for my time with 1055 The Point. It was a fantastic training ground to be able to hone in my skills as a presenter while being able to talk about and engage with my local community.

It is a great training ground to experiment as I learned through my year volunteering with the team.”

The support and feedback she received helped her to secure her ‘dream job’ at BBC Radio Guernsey. “If you are willing to put the work, it is a great platform to be able to help you to springboard to further opportunities.” n To support the Academy, donate at https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/ p/1055-the-point-training-academy.

Find out more about 1055 The Point at www.1055thepoint.com

Business MK | December 2023

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