Business MK May 2022

Business MK May 2022

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

NE W S

Technology reveals true potential of green roofs. P4

CO M M EN T

Full fibre network: Economic impact may touch £1 billion. P7

NE W S

Prospects for Oxford Cambridge Arc remains strong. P13

CO MM UN ITY

Awards honour the best in Bedfordshire. P17

How sweet the sound: The High Sheriff and an iconic hymn. P22

It has been 30 years since the Aston Martin Virage rolled off the production line at the marque’s historic home in Newport Pagnell. Now its heritage centre Aston Martin Works has been celebrating the anniversary. Read more in Business MK’s new regular Automotive section: Pages 10-11.

Clinical trials company wins Queen’s Award for Enterprise

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company specialising in the support of clinical trials is among this year’s winners of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise.

Medical Research Network has received the award for International Trade after its services have been taken up around the world.

The company, based at Crownhill, provides platforms for global implementation of decentralised clinical trials. Its Home Trial Support service takes clinical trial research visits to patients wherever they live around the world.

The service also supports research sites and drug developers and makes the delivery of clinical trials faster, more flexible, efficient and improving data quality.

Since its foundation in 2006, MRN has seen dramatic and sustained organic international growth, with now more than 330 employees, offices in the UK, USA, Germany, Spain and Japan, delivering clinical trials in more than 50 countries through the deployment of healthcare professionals and the integration of digital technology.

Chief operating officer Stuart Redding inset said: “We will continue to drive the decentralised clinical trial market, as we have for 16 years, by continuing to innovate, expand our geographical reach, enhance our DCT

solutions with digital technology and expanding our portfolio of services organically and through acquisitions.

“We do this to deliver clinical trials to patients in their own communities around the globe efficiently. This award is a further validation of our position as the catalysts of DCTs, designing and scaling trials quickly and efficiently, bringing medicines to market faster.”

Now in its 56th year, The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious business awards in the UK. The awards were first established in 1965 and are determined by panels of experts along

stringent success criteria.

The awards celebrate the success of businesses leading the way with pioneering products or services, delivering impressive social mobility programmes or showing their commitment to excellent sustainable development practices.

MRN’s founder and chief executive Graham Wylie said: “We are a company that is dedicated to making healthcare more accessible for patients, clinical trials less burdensome for families and helping bring new medicines to people faster. We are honoured to receive this prestigious award as it recognises the incredible growth of our business and the dedication and persistence of our employees, global network of healthcare professionals, vendors and partners. ”

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Winners stay cool in the heat of competition

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eet the winnners of a real-life ‘Dragon’s Den’ at Cranfield University.

A total 350 Cranfield students were set real-world challenges by Unilever’s ice cream and savoury foods categories and tea business ekaterra.

They were taking part in the fourth Innovation Accelerator programme run by Unilever and Cranfield, which culminated in nine student teams shortlisted from 41 submissions pitching their solutions, focused on improving sustainability, to senior executives and academics.

The winning team B.E.A.T pictured won the first prize of £5,000 for their innovative idea to reduce the carbon footprint of ice cream sales in developing and emerging countries to the benefit of local communities. The students in the winning team were studying in several different areas, coming from the MSc Management and Corporate Sustainability, MSc Water and Sanitation of Water and the MSc Management and Entrepreneurship courses.

“Creating an initial proposal and following it through to build the business case has been a valuable, educational challenge with the opportunity to get deeply invested,” they said. “We are proud of our social entrepreneurship scheme that supports communities through a circular economy model.”

Runners-up UNITED and Evergreen Partners and ‘Evergreen Partners’, received £1,000 each.

The executive judging panel comprised experts from Unilever, ekaterra and Cranfield University. “I found it amazingly refreshing to see so many out of the box ideas addressing our business challenges this year,” said Andreas Mayr, R&D director digital and operations at ekaterra. “We are proud of our strong and long-standing partnership between Cranfield University, Unilever and ekaterra in various fields of food, science and research. The Accelerator for us is an opportunity to nurture this relationship and keep on working on and identifying

collaboration platforms to unlock new business opportunities.”

Dr Stephanie Hussels, director of Cranfield University’s Bettany Centre for Entrepreneurship said: “The Unilever Accelerator has become a real highlight in the Cranfield calendar. It not only allows students from the technical and management schools to work together and apply their learning to real practical challenges but also allows them to interact and receive mentoring from leading global players in the industry.

“The relationship between Cranfield, Unilever and ekaterra shows academia and industry’s power to train and develop the next generation.”

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Peace of mind brings entrepreneurial inspiration

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ellbeing of young people is which aim to stimulate the senses the focus of a new enterprise and relieve stress as they focus on the aiming to make it big in a wellbeing of young people in light of national competition. their challenges during the pandemic.

Meta-Noya is the brainchild of Every year Young Enterprise tests the students at Denbigh School in Shenley business skills of students across the Church End who are taking part in country by challenging them to create this year’s Young Enterprise National a product and sell it to the public.

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Students digital origin - mkt place.qxp_Layout 1 13/04/2021 09:30 Page 1 must produce a business Meta-Noya’ translates from Greek as plan, a marketing strategy, conduct Connect with us on social media and join the conversation “the journey of changing one’s mind, consumer research and sell as many /BusinessMK1999 heart or way of life”. The team pictured products as they can. Meta-Noya has @BusinessMK Business-MK have created ‘peace of mind packs’ been selling its packs - which contain

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incense sticks, herbal tea, candles, oils and sweet treats - at school events and through social media.

Head of school Andrea Frame said: “Meta-Noya has taken every opportunity both in and out of school to spread the word about its peace of mind packs and they are proving popular. It is great to see that they have developed a product that focuses on the wellbeing of young people after the challenges they have faced over the last two years.”

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Business News

Campaign uses city’s best to lure top talent

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new campaign to attract the best talent in the medical sector is under way at Milton Keynes University

Hospital.

The campaign is focusing on the advantages of living and working in Milton Keynes and the hospital trust has awarded the campaign contract to Milton Keynes-based marketing specialist WSA - The Communications Agency.

MKUH was named the highestscoring hospital to work for in the East of England in the latest annual NHS Staff Survey, which also found that the hospital’s staff were the most

motivated in the UK. The hospital has introduced a benefits package recognised as one of the best in the sector and has focused on supporting its staff health and wellbeing and developing its flexible working offer.

Now it is championing the advantages that Milton Keynes has to offer in order to bring the best medical and healthcare talent through its doors.

MKUH chief executive Professor Joe Harrison said: “Much like Milton Keynes itself, our hospital is growing.

New buildings and infrastructure, such as the Maple Centre [extension to the hospital’s A&E department]

which is set to open its doors later this year, enable us to continue expanding our services for the benefit of our local community.

“Milton Keynes was built by forward-thinkers and we want to help attract even more brilliant people to our hospital and the wider region.”

The hospital opened as Milton Keynes General Hospital in 1984, servicing the health and medical needs of the fledgling population and becoming one of the largest employers in the Buckinghamshire region.

Almost 40 years later, Milton Keynes University Hospital has

expanded to support a community that has more than doubled in size.

As well as improving working conditions for staff, MKUH has enhanced its facilities and has been at the forefront of introducing medical technologies in Europe, including being the first in the continent to introduce certain robotic surgeries.

WSA won the contract following a formal tender process. It employs 30 staff at its office in Mount Farm and is expert in advertising, digital marketing, design, websites, events and public relations.

“We are delighted to have been chosen to partner with Milton

Our focus is on the future, says hospital chief

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ocus is on the future and the development of Milton Keynes University Hospital to meet the long-term needs of the city’s residents. That was the message from Professor Joe Harrison, chief executive at Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, in a presentation to business leaders in the city.

Plans are under way to open a £13 million radiotherapy centre next to the hospital’s new Cancer Centre, ending the need for patients to travel to Northampton or Oxford for treatment. The new Maple Centre, providing emergency care for A&E patients without the need to become an inpatient, is due to open in October.

Professor Harrison is looking to open an elective surgery centre and a women’s and children’s hospital. A state-of-theart Cardiac Cath Lab is

also being created with the support and input from Oxford University Hospital’s cardiology team.

The improvements are being made after the hospital was announced in 2020 among 48 hospital sites to receive funding from the government under its New Hospital programme to improve its infrastructure.

The arrival of the pandemic derailed the plans, which have been cited as the largest hospital improvement programme in a generation. Progress has been incredibly slow, Mr Harrison admitted.

“It is a challenge for the government because they are looking at hospital sites which require demolition and rebuild but we could start building today - we have the space,” he told a Milton Keynes Business Leaders Partnership breakfast meeting.

“The development of these

Professor Harrison (right) is pictured after his presentation at The Manion House, Bletchley Park, with MKBLP chair Nicholas Mann and director Lucy Gallois. sites represents the next generation for our hospital.

Getting these buildings in place will take Milton Keynes to a new level.”

Mr Harrison was speaking a few days after the hospital marked the second anniversary of the opening of its Cancer Centre. The £15 million centre, which has brought all cancer services under one roof, has been a beacon of light for the hospital during a difficult period, Mr Harrison said.

The hospital was significantly impacted during the second wave of

the pandemic in January 2021. It is still running at a

reduced capacity, with two wards dedicated to Covid patients and measures in place to minimise infection levels.

Its waiting ists are lengthening but Mr Harrison said that the emphasis is now on getting people back into the hospital and presenting early, doubling CT scan and trebling MRI facilities to diagnose conditions.

“We are using every space possible to make sure we have the capacity,” he said.

Mr Harrison also highlighted how the hospital is playing its part in the

H

Capsticks, Devonshires, Freeths, Trowers & Hamlins and Walker Morris. The panel will run for an initial period of three years and provide full service legal advice.

Anchor is England’s largest not-for-profit provider of

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

housing and care for people in later life and serves more than 65,000 residents in 54,000 care homes across almost 1,700 locations.

Emma Costello, Anchor’s head of legal, said: “We have secured a new legal services panel with sectorleading advisers supporting us operationally as well as assisting in the delivery of our progressive growth programme to continue to provide homes where people love living in later life.”

Howes Percival partner Robert Starr said: “Our healthcare team has a particular strength in working with businesses in the care industry. We are excited to build on this and work with the other panel firms to support Anchor in achieving its future goals.”

green agenda, including a £2 million investment in solar panels which currently produce eight per cent of the hospital’s electrical output.

Mr Harrison expects the percentage to rise to 15pc by the end of the year.

“It is things like this which differentiates our hospital from other hospitals around the country who are just a mile away from this,” Mr Harrison said.

“From my perspective, it is about how we get great people to work in Milton Keynes and stay in Milton Keynes.”

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Housing provider adds law firm to its legal panel

ousing and care provider Anchor has appointed regional law firm Howes Percival to its legal panel.

The firm, which has an office in Milton Keynes, joins fellow firms Gowling WLG,

Keynes University Hospital and to work together on attracting fresh talent to this wonderful region,” said managing director Jerry Taylor.

“Anyone that lives here knows that Milton Keynes is not just concrete cows and roundabouts. It is a vibrant growth hub that fantastically balances technological innovation with sustainable and ecological principles.

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Business News

Technology reveals the real potential of green roofs Schemes can save millions and we can lead the way, says expert

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n experiment in Milton Keynes to measure the effect of living roofs on temperature control and energy consumption of buildings achieved more in a weekend than the industry has achieved in 20 years, says one of the UK’s leading experts on green roofs.

Technology experts fitted temperature-measuring devices to the roof of Saxon Court in Central Milton Keynes in September last year to test the variation as a result of covering part of the roof with a roof garden of tightly packed plants.

The results confirm that a living roof maintains temperature rather than leave building roofs open to the elements and therefore greater fluctuations. Now is the time for Milton Keynes to lead the UK in the creation and development of green roofs, with the MK Roof Greening project being backed by city centre-based organisations including centre:mk, MK

Gallery, the YMCA and Milton Keynes Community Foundation, green roof expert Chris Bridgman told a meeting of the technology forum Biztech.

Available roofspace in Central Milton Keynes alone is the equivalent to the area of six football pitches. “We need more green space, we have the space here and we can begin the green roofs tomorrow,” Mr Bridgman said. London has capacity for 1.5 million sq ft of green roof with almost a third of it capable of being installed immediately.

Mr Bridgman is one of the UK’s leading experts on green roofs. He is vice chair of the Green Roof Organisation, an independent not-for-profit trade association representing the UK green, blue and biosolar roofing industries, and founded the annual Green Roof Day, which takes place in June and last year attracted participation from 62 countries. His company Bridgman & Bridgman has installed living roofs at

Chris Bridgman. Below: Data collected during the two-day hackathon that took place on the roof of Saxon Court in Central Milton Keynes in September last year London’s Olympic Park, Terminal 5 at London Heathrow Airport and at the University of Brighton.

But Mr Bridgman is frustrated that the UK lags behind other countries in green roof installation. Here, around 250,000 square metres are installed each year. In Germany, the figure is eight million square metres. “It is a huge market,” Mr Bridgman told Biztech delegates.

The UK must take advantage of technology as it becomes available, as shown by the results of the event in

September which revealed that a green roof can extend a roof’s lifespan by up to three times due to rainwater

retention and a reduction in carbon dioxide and air temperature.

“We need to drill down into

this and get real focus and real data about the UK market,” Mr Bridgman said. “The industry is growing at 17.5 per cent a year and we need to do more. We are not pushing and the technology can help us to do that.”

He advocates an improved training programme for the green roof installers of the future in order for the market to develop. Bridgman & Bridgman already has a training programme, with one apprentice now set to start as head of the company’s nursery growing the plants it will use on future installations.

Three YMCA Milton Keynes residents joined the green roof installation at Saxon Court to learn the trade and prepare for the roof’s transfer to the nearby YMCA campus.

“There is so much talent out there,” said Mr Bridgman.

“We need to invest in our future workforce.”

Milton Keynes Council is backing green roof initiatives but Mr Bridgman called for greater support at a national level. “Green roofs are new to the UK because we are quite slow to catch on,” he said.

“Don’t forget that the first green roof was the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.”

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Business News

The chance to build a better future: OU launches £2.6m scholarships programme

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tudent support scholarships worth a total of more than £2.6 million are on offer from The Open University.

The scholarships are aimed at students who might not otherwise be able to afford a degree.

The OU is offering 132 fully funded degree places for the next academic year 2022-23, offering scholarships, bursaries, and support to disabled veterans, black

students and carers.

The Open Futures Fund sits at the heart of the OU’s mission to make higher education accessible to all, the university says. Since 2014 the OU has awarded more than 300 scholarships and more than 1,000 bursaries, totalling more than £5million, thanks to the generosity of OU alumni, supporters, and friends.

Armed Services veteran John

Owens was at the top of his military career when a stroke left him hospitalised and facing an uncertain future. With support of The Open University’s Disabled Veterans’ Scholarships Fund, he is now working towards a new career as a personal trainer.

“This scholarship is allowing me and other veterans the chance to build a better future,” said Mr Owens. “I believe teachers

and coaches are pivotal to our children’s futures. So the more disabled veterans like me who can be helped to do similar things, the more it benefits our society as a whole.”

The three-year scholarships, whihc start in November, include The Disabled Veterans’ Scholarships Fund, The Open Futures Scholarship for Black Students, The Carers’ Scholarships

Fund and Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships.

Dr Liz Marr, OU Pro-Vice Chancellor, Students, said: “We hope these scholarships will encourage students to study with us, to rewrite their future and realise their ambitions. Our students tell us of the huge difference study has made to their lives in terms of selfbelief and achievement.”

For more, visit www.open.ac.uk/courses

Software firm acquires pioneer health tech platform Combined business will enhance care services support, says MD

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ealth-tech platform adam HTT has been sold to a leading business management software provider.

The Access Group is to add the Central Milton Keynes-based company to its health and support and care division after completing the acquisition of adam HTT, founded in 2012 and a pioneer of digital procurement technology for the public sector.

It has a team of around 70 and works with more than 60 public bodies, including a number of NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups, to manage more than £600 million of spend on the

procurement of services often in complex care scenarios.

Access Health, Support & Care managing director Steve Sawyer said: “Technology continues to transform the health, support and care sectors. adam’s cloud-based commissioning tools has enabled local government and NHS procurement teams to streamline processes, connect providers and patients and react quickly to support the provision of consistent and high-quality care.

“We are committed to helping public sector bodies realise their potential to provide better health and care services in their geographies.

Through adam, Access

Mike Hughes

technology can help provide significant time and economic benefits to customers in the provision of commissioned services.

“We are on track to deliver our vision of a unique ecosystem of solutions across the health and social care spectrum aligned with the government’s strategy for integrated health and care

systems resulting in better outcomes.”

Grant Thornton corporate finance directors Mike Hughes and Ryan Shields, based at the professional services firm’s Milton Keynes office, led the transaction process.

Adam HTT shareholders were

advised by lawyers at Milton Keynes firm EMW, led by Ian Morris and Daisy Divoka.

Mr Hughes said: “adam is an excellent business with a strong management team, delivering fantastic results for its customers. We look forward to seeing it thriving under the ownership of The Access Group, where it will become a platform for further

growth in the health and social care sector.

“We are seeing strong investor appetite from both trade acquirers and private equity investors for healthtech businesses, particularly those with proprietary software which helps public health organisations achieve significant cost savings and also offers scalability and stable revenue streams.”

Vendor commercial due diligence services were provided by CIL Management Consultants. Adam HTT chairman Julian Young said: “We are delighted to see adam taking the next step in its journey and look forward to its continued growth and success under The Access Group’s ownership.”

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Video specialist reaches the final frontier

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ideo services specialist the Video News Factory has been reflecting on delivering a massive national ‘hybrid’ event for the UK’s space industry.

The company worked with Imperial College, London, and the Universities of Surrey and Edinburgh to stage the Fairspace Conference, an all-day livestreaming event with both virtual and physical guests.

The event brought together presentations and live demonstrations of advances in robotics aimed at clearing up space debris.

TVNF was invited by London-based events company Cosmonauts to put together the ambitious hybrid event and were supported with hire of AV and staff from SelectBrief, one of Milton Keynes’ oldest events and exhibition

production companies and based like TVNF at Kiln Farm.

The two designed and fielded a ten-man team with camera coverage of conference rooms and live demonstrations from Edinburgh University’s robotics laboratory.

They managed all livestreaming and audiovisual support enabling physical guests and presenters to interact with a global virtual audience with Q&A sessions with experts from across the UK. TVNF managing director John Allard said: “Since 2015 we have been pioneers in helping apply livestreaming for many prestigious conferences but the Fairspace project took us to a whole new level of production with ‘Space the final frontier’.”

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Business News Staff at Franklins Solicitors celebrate completing their 40-Mile Challenge

Colleagues step up to anniversary challenge

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he challenge: To complete 40 miles equivalent of physical exercise over 40 days, raising at least £40 per participant, to mark the 40th anniversary of regional law firm Franklins Solicitors. The result: more than £2,700 raised for Milton Keynes charities Willen Hospice and Macintyre.

Participants completed their 40 miles by walking,

running and cycling. Some preferred Zumba or skiing.

“There was a real buzz around the challenge,” says Franklins marketing manager Rosanna Stimson.

“We received lots of feedback from people who told us that it had encouraged them to get out and about on lunch breaks and use it as an opportunity to have walking meetings instead of sitting in an office.”

Their efforts raised a grand total of £2,741.25, shared between the two Milton Keynes charities and Cynthia Spencer Hospice

in Northampton, where Franklins also has an office.

“It is a great initiative to have organised the 40 mile challenge for their

milestone year and we are thrilled that they have used the opportunity to make a difference to their local community,” says Nigel

Birch, head of marketing at Willen Hospice. “We have been privileged to work with Franklins Solicitors over many years and are grateful that they nominated us to benefit from their hugely successful 40-mile challenge.”

MacIntyre’s head of marketing and fundraising Claire Kennedy says: “Every penny raised will benefit the children, young people and adults we support in the Milton Keynes area.”

Fibre network set to boost economy by millions

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ompletion of the primary full-fibre network across Milton Keynes is set to bring economic, social and environmental benefits and more than £560 million worth of extra productivity to the city’s economy.

Full fibre platform CityFibre’s network now reaches around 90,000 homes - around 90 per cent of residential properties - as well as most businesses and key public sector and community sites in the city.

As a result the next 15 years will see £123 million in benefits from a growing workforce and the network’s key role in the MK:5G project being led by Milton Keynes Council will result in more than £1 billion of positive economic impact.

The figures have come from a soon to be published report by consultancy Hatch into the likely benefits to Milton Keynes of the new digital

Impact could be worth £1bn: report infrastructure. The network serves the city’s university hospital where it is used to support robotic surgery, the digital transformation of back-office functions and providing patients with a solid broadband connection.

The network is also supporting the connectivity services of the headquarters and campus of The Open University, Stadium MK and the YMCA in Central Milton Keynes.

CityFibre’s chief executive Greg Mesch said: “As we complete our roll-out in Milton Keynes, we leave behind a city fully equipped for the data age. With the UK’s finest digital infrastructure under its streets, its businesses, public institutions and citizens are only just beginning to

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

Greg Mesch tap into the huge benefits that are to come.”

CityFibre has laid almost 1,000km of infrastructure since the £43 million project began in 2018. The company will now look to densify and infill the last remaining areas. The Milton Keynes network marks CityFibre’s first completed project in England and makes it the largest supplier of full fibre in the city.

Milton Keynes Council leader Cllr Pete Marland said: “Milton Keynes is a pioneering and constantly evolving city that needs to remain at the forefront of technological development to remain an attractive place to live, work and do business.

People will be able to learn and work anywhere and it will completely transform the way the council delivers its services.”

The two Milton Keynes MPs have welcomed completion of the initial work. Ben Everitt, MP for Milton Keynes North, said: “Milton Keynes finishing its journey to become a Gigabit City is a huge moment and a fantastic achievement for all involved. With CityFibre’s project now complete, households, businesses and public sector sites across MK will be able to benefit from the best possible internet connections.”

Iain Stewart, who represents Milton Keynes South, added: “Having access to fast and reliable broadband in our home, work and community is increasingly important as we move forward.”

CityFibre is in a £4 billion investment programme to roll out dense full fibre infrastructure to up to eight million homes across the UK by 2025. It is already the largest provider of full fibre in 26 cities and roll-out has now passed more than 1.5 million homes. Milton Keynes was the first location announced to benefit from CityFibre and Vodafone’s strategic partnership in 2018.

Mr Everitt added: “The legacy left by this project is just beginning. The world-class digital infrastructure now in place will keep Milton Keynes at the cutting edge of technological change and underpin our growth and success for generations to come.”

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Business News

Top management lacks minority representation, says pay report

Firms of endearment: The secret of running a successful business

study into the gaps in pay received by different ethnic groups at Milton Keynes College has revealed representation shortcomings at the highest level of management.

The headline figures show that staff from all black, Asian and mixed backgrounds earn £0.99 for every £1.00 earned by their white colleagues and that women earn £0.91 in relation to £1.00 for men.

However, says Milton Keynes College Group’s equality, diversity and inclusion manager Arv Kaushal, the findings show that the issue is representation rather than how much people are being paid.

“Identifying a problem is one thing but appreciating its scale and underlying causes is quite something else,” Mr Kaushal said. “The ethnicity pay gap information gives us some very clear messages, most significant of which is the absence of minority representation at the highest level of management within the organisation.

We are missing out on the experience

Tony Byrne, managing director of Wealth & Tax Management, has been inspired by a book on why a group of ‘widely loved’ companies are outperforming their rivals.

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Arv Kaushal and knowledge and differing approaches of people from non-white populations and that is not just an issue in terms of equality and diversity, it also limits our ability to respond to the needs of our wider community.”

The report covers the 12 months to the end of March last year. It has been released to coincide with the legally required data around gender pay disparity. Milton Keynes College Group is one of the first further education institutions in the country to release a report on the gaps in pay for people it employs from different ethnic groups.

The college’s report has been welcomed by Business

in the Community, the business-led membership organisation dedicated to responsible business. Its race director Sandra Kerr said: “Our data shows that more and more companies like MK College are not waiting for legislation to publish their ethnicity pay gap - they are doing it themselves because they know it is the right thing to do. Understanding the ethnicity pay gap in organisations ensures that action can be directed to where it is needed most. This is extremely important to ensure that we speed up the process in closing the current ethnicity pay gap in the UK.” Mr Kaushal said: “If we do not have people in the top positions who understand the full variety of different lived experiences of the community we serve in Milton Keynes, we will not be as agile and responsive as we should be in terms of meeting their particular educational needs.

Put simply, a homogenous leadership group is not the best equipped to deal with the needs and problems of a multi-racial community.”

Work has been going on behind the scenes at the College Group, looking at everything from recruitment and interview policies to the tackling of unconscious bias.

The findings are hardly a surprise but it is important to raise awareness of the issue, Mr Kaushal said.

“Recognising the reality of the situation gives us an incentive as an organisation to do something about it, knowing full well that when future reports come out it will be easy to judge whether progress is being made.

We are effectively giving ourselves a stick to beat us with but, with the intention that when we try to make improvements, we will be able to see whether the steps we are taking are working.

“When we look at the big issues from education funding to climate change to the cost of living crisis it is vital for the group to be able to understand the different ways these challenges affect people from different backgrounds. The figures are just a snapshot, it is what they represent which really matters.”

Wealth management specialist sells majority stake

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ccountancy firm MHA MacIntyre Hudson has taken a majority stake in wealth management and independent financial advice specialist Cave & Sons.

Cave & Sons will be renamed MHA Caves Wealth as a result of the deal, which has the approval of the Financial Conduct Authority. Its investment managers and financial advisers will work with MHA MacIntyre Hudson’s private wealth client teams across the firm’s regional offices.

The deal is in response to increasing client demand for an integrated private wealth service, which incorporates discretionary and advisory wealth management alongside tax planning and other accounting and advisory services.

MHA Caves Wealth chief executive Simon Harvey said: “The partnership between MHA MacIntyre Hudson and MHA Caves Wealth is also a springboard for future expansion. With MHA MacIntyre Hudson’s network of offices and clients throughout the

Rakesh Shaunak, group chair of MHA UK and the skill and experience of its private client team behind us, MHA Caves Wealth can look forward to bringing our wealth management services to clients across the country.”

Cave & Sons, based in Northampton, is one of the UK’s oldest wealth management firms. Founded in 1906, it specialises in the provision of discretionary and advisory wealth management and of independent

financial advice. MHA MacIntyre Hudson, which has an office in Milton Keynes, is the largest member of MHA, the network of accountancy firms that together form the UK’s 12th largest accountancy group.

Rakesh Shaunak, group chairman of MHA MacIntyre Hudson and MHA, said: “Increasingly, owner-managers and high net worth individuals want to see a comprehensive and fully integrated range of advisory and investment services from their providers. In addition, they want a highly personal, tailored wealth management service, responsive to specific individual needs with the highest levels of client service.

Our partial acquisition of Cave & Sons, now MHA Caves Wealth, further strengthens our ability to provide this service.

“From now on we can complement all our existing advisory services with the sophisticated, highly-professional, in-depth financial advice and wealth management offering that Cave & Sons is well known for.”

Recruitment firm reports annual profits increase of 49%

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he parent company of a recruitment agency in Milton Keynes is forecasting continued strong growth through 2022 off the back of its latest financial figures.

Berry Recruitment Group’s accounts to the end of 2021 showed its profits before taxes, depreciation and amortisation up by 49 per cent on the previous year to £2.27 million. The business, which includes

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Wild Recruitment based at Linford Wood, also recorded a 17 per cent increase in turnover to £68.8 million.

The impact of Brexit and the pandemic threw up unprecedented difficulties, said chairman Tony Berry. However, the company explored new business development opportunities and acted swiftly to reduce overheads and manage its cashflow. The effect of the war in Ukraine

is a concern. However, employment levels remain high and employers face the ongoing challenge of finding enough candidates for their roles, Mr Berry added “Overall, these factors lead us to remain bullish about the rest of the year and beyond. Our ambitious targets are being hit and we know now how we can pivot strategically and quickly due to rapidly changing circumstances.

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somehow knew the title would intrigue you so much you would have to read my article. I will not disappoint you.

My article is based on a book I read recently about conscious capitalism. Firms of Endearment: How World Class Companies Profit from Passion and Purpose draws from an extensive research study looking for companies that focused on endearing themselves to their customers, employees, suppliers, communities and shareholders.

These FoEs are driven by “aligning the interests of all in such a way that no stakeholder group gains at the expense of other stakeholder groups; rather, they all prosper together.”

The authors and their research team narrowed their initial list of 60 companies to “28 companies we felt best manifested a high standard of humanistic performance” and did a financial analysis on these from an investor viewpoint. They found “these widely loved companies (those that are publicly traded) outperformed the S&P 500 businesses by huge margins,

over ten-, five-, and three-year time horizons.”

The book dives deep into understanding what sets FoEs apart from their peers.

It is brimming with insightful stories and examples from many of the firms. Here is a partial list of their “distinctive set of core values, policies, and operating attributes”: n Subscribe to a purpose for being that is different from and goes beyond making money. n Actively align the interests of all stakeholder groups, not just balance them. n Devote considerably more time than their competitors to employee training. n Their employee turnover is far lower than the industry average. n Consciously humanise the company experience for customers and employees, as well as create a nurturing work environment. n Project a genuine passion for customers, and emotionally connect with them at a deep level. n Consider their corporate culture to be their greatest asset and primary source of competitive advantage.

Tony Byrne For advice on how to run a more successful business, join us for a one-hour Discovery Meeting either at our offices or by a video conference call at our expense worth £270 to each of the first three readers who contact us before May 31. You know it makes sense. We offer a great cup of coffee too but unfortunately not a virtual one.

Ring us on 01908 523740 or for free on 0800 980 4516 or email wealth@wealthandtax.co.uk

www.wealthandtax.co.uk The contents of this article are for information purposes only and do not constitute individual advice.

You should always seek professional advice from a specialist. All information is based on our current understanding of taxation, legislation and regulations in the current tax year. Any levels and bases of relief from taxation are subject to change. This article is based on my own observations and opinions.

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

Business News Developer extends property contract

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uilding consultancy Kirkby Diamond has taken on the management of a further 700 properties for a major property management firm.

It is working with Nationspaces Developments, which manages more than 5,000 properties on more than 125 sites around the UK. The two have worked together for more than decade.

“Due to a strong relationship built with the client over a number of years, our remit has been expanded,” said Mark Pepper, Kirkby Diamond executive partner and head of building consultancy services. “To be asked to oversee even more properties proves that we are continuing to deliver for our clients.

“Expanding our service line area shows that the relationships we are able to build with our clients are going from strength to strength.”

The properties are across southern England, including in Canterbury, Maidstone, Southampton and Epsom.

Kirkby Diamond already manages around 500 properties for Nationspace in its heartland of Bedfordshire, Keynes, Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire.

Nationspace’s property management director Ross Syme said: “Due to the exceptional service they have provided, we have sought to transfer the developments we managed south and south east of London.”

Owner seeks partner to futureproof market site

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he search for a development partner to work on the transformation of Milton Keynes Open Market outside centre:mk is under way.

Milton Keynes Development Partnership, which owns the site, plans to change the market site to a destination retail, leisure, and food and beverage scheme.

The ideas will retain the market’s values and traditional appeal, MKDP says, but the scheme aims to futureproof the market against economic and other changes.

Ahead of a full tender process, expected to take place this summer, MKDP has appointed Activate Workman Placemaking to lead the search for a development partner.

MKDP is keen to work with partners with experience in the retail destination sector and says it is open to new ideas and innovative concepts for the space.

MKDP managing director Tracey Aldworth said: “MKDP is seeking comments and enquiries from partners keen to enter into a longterm agreement and is open to partnering with a singular institution or a consortium. We are also seeking

Roz Bird

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Milton Keynes Market. Below: MKDP’s managing director Tracey Aldworth

the views of potential partners to determine the best-suited contractual vehicle for the development of this site.”

The market takes place on its longtime home in Midsummer Boulevard next to centre:mk shopping centre, which attracts more than 23 million

visitors annually.

Esther Worboys, placemaking manager for Activate, said: “Milton Keynes Market is an essential element of Milton Keynes’ civic fabric and retail offer. We are keen to find a partner who will work with MKDP on both operating the market as it is in the short-term, but also developing it in the medium to long-term into a destination for local residents and visitors.” n Responses must be received by May 6. For more information, visit www.mkdp.org.uk or email activate@ workman.co.uk

Tech cluster bids farewell to chair ilverstone Technology Cluster and Silverstone Park have bade farewell to Roz Bird, who has taken up a new position as chief executive officer at Norwich Research Park.

She stepped down as STC chair last month but is continuing as an official ambassador. Silverstone Park has begun the search for her successor as commercial director.

STC chief executive Pim van Baarsen said: “The STC owes Roz a huge debt of gratitude for her incredible commitment and work.

She was a real driving force behind the research that was integral to its launch in late 2016 and, of course, the founding of the STC organisation itself. She has since helped to steer the STC, along with the board, onwards and upwards to the very strong position it finds itself in now.”

The cluster is now considering its options for the way forward, he added.

Promotion

Showcase puts the best of business in the spotlight

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lans are under way for the Milton Keynes Business Showcase event being hosted by Milton Keynes Chamber of commerce next month.

The event takes place on June 9, with doors opening at 10am at Kents Hill Park Training & Conference Centre.

The Chamber’s deputy chief executive Julie Maclennan said: “Following the success of our previous Milton Keynes Business Showcase event, we are excited to return at a new venue to allow the local business community to showcase, network and make new connections.”

Exhibition stands are available for Chamber members on a first come, first served basis.

The Business Showcase begins with a Business Before Hours networking event from 8.30am with a breakfast and networking opportunity for attendees to meet up to 50 business contacts before the Business Showcase opens.

Business MK is the official media partner for the Business Showcase, which is sponsored by Chamber platinum partner 123 Internet Group

and Chamber gold business partner Right Digital Solutions.

“I cannot wait to attend the upcoming Milton Keynes showcase,” said 123 Internet managing director Scott Jones inset. “The event will be a fantastic chance for local businesses to network and meet other likeminded professionals.

These Chamber of Commerce events are always well attended. As a Chamber Platinum Partner, I am excited to meet all the attendees and find out more about their products and services. With breakfast networking and seminars, it’s a perfect chance to learn, collaborate and exchange ideas between members.”

Tim Hubbard, sales and marketing director at Right Digital Solutions, added: “It is a great opportunity to meet fellow members and the local business community. Since joining, we have been unable to connect with likeminded peers at events such as these so we are really excited to be a part of this showcase.”

Right Digital Solutions will also offer all visitors a complimentary Digital Health Check for their business.

Prices for Business Before Hours are £10 + VAT Chamber members; non-members £15 + VAT. To book, visit www.chambermk.co.uk./events. n Stands are available to book for Chamber members strictly on a first come first serve basis, call 01908 733082 or email events@chambermk.co.uk. n

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

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Automotive

Where motoring heritage meets sustainability Electrifying, the future of refuse fleets

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oaring demand for electric versions of the world’s most prestigious cars is set to create new jobs and increase production.

Lunaz is the world’s leading maker of restored, remastered and electrified classic cars and has opened order books for 2024 delivery after selling out of its 2022 and 2023 production capacity.

Demand for its stable of pinnacle British marques including Rolls Royce, Bentley, Range Rover and Aston Martin has rocketed. Now the company, which builds its vehicles in a state-of-the-art facility at Silverstone, is to increase production capacity to 110 vehicles every year.

Lunaz announced in December last year the establishment of the UK’s largest remanufacturing and electrification facility next to its current home opposite the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit.

This will take the company’s total production space to 130,000 sq ft over two sites, making it the largest employer and manufacturer in Silverstone’s Technology Cluster.

The move is in response to increasing global demand for its electric classic cars, in particular from a millennial customer base who prioritise sustainability in the goods they purchase. They had previously dismissed the idea of owning a blue-chip classic because of issues around reliability, usability, and sustainability. Lunaz says its technology now is making classic car ownership a relevant proposition for future generations.

“Surging global demand for an electrified and remastered classic car

by Lunaz is affirmation that clients

Andrew Gibbs takes a look at a company based at Silverstone that is taking the expanding world of electric vehicles to whole new levels. are responding to a proposition that preserves the most celebrated cars in British automotive history while answering the pressing global requirement to transition to more sustainable practices,” says founder and chief executive David Lorenz.

“We are proud to introduce an entirely new and conscious audience to the pleasures of classic car ownership by answering the key questions of reliability, usability and sustainability.”

Lunaz offers a line-up of the most revered cars in British automotive history: Range Rovers, Bentley Continental, Jaguar XKs, RollsRoyce Silver Clouds and Phantoms and Aston Martin DB6s. Prices start at £290,000 + local taxes for a restored, reengineered and electrified Range Rover Classic.

A Bentley Continental and RollsRoyce SIlver Cloud are available at £350,000 + local taxes. Jaguar XKs start at £375,000 + local taxes, RollsRoyce Phantom Vs at £550,000 + local taxes and Aston Martin DB6s at £950,000 + local taxes.

Such has been the demand since Lunaz opened its order book in early 2020 that its workforce has grown fivefold and the company now employs more than 120 skilled engineers, designers, craftspeople, restoration specialists and technicians recruited from some of the leading names in luxury

t is set to deliver dramatic cost and carbon savings and a course towards worldwide fleet decarbonisation that is both economically and ecologically more viable. This is the first in a new classification of electric vehicles: the Upcycled Industrial Electric Vehicle.

The technology behind the project has been developed by a specialist company based at Silverstone whose meteoric success has propelled it to be among the fastestgrowing companies in the UK. Lunaz expects to make its first industrial vehicle deliveries in Q4 next year and has already signed major fleet electrification agreements with councils including Buckinghamshire - for the conversion of refuse truck fleets to clean-air powertrains.

Its UEVs will produce significant savings compared to replacing vehicles with new electric equivalents, the company says.

automotive and engineering. Lunaz expects its workforce to grow to 350 within 12 months as it begins work on its industrial vehicle electrification projects.

The company is becoming a major UK export success with significant

Upcycling, remanufacturing and electrification will also address significant capacity deficits compared to demand for the production of new EV industrial vehicles.

Its technology aims to break what the company describes as the “catastrophic cycle of replacewith-new that defines current dynamics in the global automotive industry”. Industries around the world including aerospace, rail and fashion are embracing the potential of upcycling to save millions of tonnes of embedded carbon that would otherwise be scrapped.

An environmental audit by leading scientists and engineers confirmed that more than 80 per cent of embedded carbon over total lifetime is saved when upcycling rather than replacing an existing refuse truck with a new EV equivalent. Lunaz will deliver an upcycled, reengineered refuse truck built to a near zero-mile for

growth across the USA, Europe and Asia Pacific. This includes within the hospitality sector following the reopening of leading hotels, restaurants and casinos and Lunaz is preparing to make its first deliveries of Rolls-Royce Phantoms

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trial area, alongside diesel and oil samples, where specialists will test fluid-based treatments to see if they can absorb the spillages without destroying the evidence.

The products and their application will be put through their paces under strict testing conditions on a new 200-metre road surface at the drag racing venue.

“We are always looking to improve how we design, build, maintain and operate our road network,” says National Highways on-road service delivery manager Sian Norman. “This trial is incredibly exciting because it means we can look in detail at how some of the products work in treating spillages and what impact it might have on

and Clouds to some of the most celebrated names.

Says Mr Lorenz: “We are delighted to further the legacies of these beautiful vehicles in greater numbers in doing so creating highly skilled jobs and economic impact.”

Three different types of road surface have been installed at Santa Pod Raceway as part of the trial.

Chemical trials aim to tackle spillages and ease congestion ew chemicals that aim to treat spillages on England’s major roads and motorways more effectively, enabling roads to reopen more quickly, are being tested at Santa Pod Raceway in north Bedfordshire.

The National Highways agency is joining forces with the Forensic Collision Investigation Network and Kier Highways for a special trial funded from the National Highways Innovations Designated Funds programme and incorporates techniques in a realworld testing environment.

Forensic evidence such as tyre marks and debris - usually found on the road following a major incident - will be placed on the

broadly the same price as a new diesel equivalent and, it says, less expensively than a new electricpowered refuse truck.

The company has completed a successful substantial funding round providing growth capital to expand its production at Silverstone Technology Park. Work is under way on a new remanufacturing facility that when fully operational will employ 350 technicians and produce 1,100 UEVs a year.

The new building confirms the Lunaz Group’s long-term commitment to the UK, specifically Silverstone as its global R&D and technical headquarters.

From Silverstone, it will manage a network of manufacturing facilities strategically sited near to its major global markets. The company is already in discussions with European governments and advanced discussions are under way with US states seeking to build long-term clean tech jobs growth.

any forensic evidence on the road.”

When a major incident happens, police investigations involving detailed forensic work are often required. While forensic work takes place, however, access for National Highways teams to treat any spillages like oil and diesel is restricted. Yet it can take just 90 minutes for such fluids to damage the road surface and if the surface cannot be treated in time, it means resurfacing work is required, adding to further congestion and delays.

The estimated cost to the economy of a full carriageway closure for around two hours is nearly £750,000. If the road is fully closed for four hours, that increases to almost £3 million.

Following the trial, it is hoped that a new standard operating procedure will be rolled out across England’s police forces to ensure that the new approach is used consistently around the country to help to reduce closure times and costs incurred to motorists from congestion. “By investing in

innovation, we can explore new technology and solutions to reduce disruption to road users and communities that live alongside our network,” says Ms Norman.

Tarmac has resurfaced a stretch of the Santa Pod racetrack where cars often reach speeds of more than 300mph. It has created three lanes: one with typical highway surfaces including stone mastic asphalts, a high-friction surface course in lane two and a third surface of hot-rolled asphalt and pre-coated chippings.

“This will enable specialists to test many different scenarios,” says Richard Vine, Tarmac’s regional director for contracting. “Anything that can be done to minimise the disruption of road closures caused by spillages is worthwhile.”

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

Automotive An internship scheme pioneered by an automotive training company in Milton Keynes is being hailed as the future for a sector desperately seeking the new talent it needs.

‘Vital that the industry retains these skills’

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t is being hailed as “the missing link” between colleges and employers.

Offering newly qualified automotive students a route into full-time automotive employment through a paid internship, a new initiative is vastly different to the apprenticeship route.

A specialist training centre in Milton Keynes has developed a new method of creating a supply line of new talent for the industry and reduce the number of qualified automotive college leavers who find employment in other sectors.

The Autotech Academy, based at Linford Wood and part of the Autotech Group, is providing newly qualified students to dealerships all over the UK. Volkswagen Vans’ dealership in Birmingham has welcomed three interns after contacting the Autotech Academy. “We have taken on apprentices in the past and it continues to play a part of our strategy but as apprentices join us fresh from school, they do not hold the college-learned theory so, understandably, it takes a lot longer for them to gain the necessary knowledge and skills required to carry out repair or servicing work,” says the dealership’s head of business Wayne Ollershaw.

“The interns from Autotech Academy all have the most up to date knowledge and are keen to put this into practice.”

Each has a mentor but, given their background, are expected to be working independently within eight weeks. The three students arrived after completing courses at Sandwell and Walsall Colleges. Autotech Academy completed all documentation and equipped the interns with a box of tools and uniform, ensuring they were ready for work in under two weeks. The internship

period is set to end within six months, at which point Wayne expects to offer at least two full-time positions.

“It is vital that the automotive skills learned within colleges are retained by the industry,” says Autotech Academy’s national sales manager Gemma Edwards, who maintains regular contact with the interns and their employer.

“It would be fantastic if fulltime positions are offered but what each intern will hold is the experience they need to walk into another automotive position.”

Intern Rajan Kainth, 22, qualified with a Level 3 in Light Vehicle Maintenance & Repair in 2020 but struggled to secure a role within the automotive industry. He found work in a warehouse just to earn money but, with a lifelong passion for cars, remained keen to become a vehicle technician.

“I thought once I had qualified, I would easily find work but realised it was easier said than done,” he says. “I tried independents and dealer groups for technician positions and even considered going down the apprentice route just to secure a role but, in doing this, I may as well have written off the last three years of my course.”

He registered with Autotech Group early last year and the company made contact after launching the Academy division. “I realised that this was a great opportunity,” Rajan says. “I am hopeful that I will secure employment with The Volkswagen Van Centre but, at the end of the day, if I do not I will still have six months’ experience under my belt which is far more than many of my college peers have.

“The industry needs to commit to young people like myself who hold the theory but lack the experience.”

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

Council’s EV loan scheme targets businesses

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usinesses are a target customer for a new car club scheme that enables employees to borrow an electric vehicle on a pay per use

basis.

The club, operated by Enterprise Car Club, has been launched by Milton Keynes Council, giving both businesses and residents 24-7 access to low emission vehicles.

Car clubs already run across the UK and help to reduce car ownership levels and ease parking pressures and congestion. They also enable users to access a car without the burden of owning one at a fraction of a typical car ownership cost.

The fleet will include five different

models including the electric Nissan Leaf which when fully charged has a range of 239 miles.

Around 635,000 people are already signed up to car clubs across the UK. Cllr Jennifer-Wilson Marklew, cabinet member for climate change and sustainability, said: “We think it will

work well for individuals and businesses in MK. It was a straightforward decision to launch an electric car club as it is more sustainable, cuts emissions and will allow more people to reduce their carbon footprint by using more sustainable options.

“For many people the purchase price of an electric car is still out of reach and we hope this offers a more flexible option. I am looking forward to seeing good use being made of the club.”

By using promo code MK1010, Milton Keynes residents can sign up for an annual membership for £10 and receive £10 driving credit (usually £60). Find out more at www.getaroundmk.org.uk

Photo:Max Carey

Aston Martin Works is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Virage, manufactured in Newport Pagnell

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ston Martin Works - the heritage home of the great British luxury car maker in Newport Pagnell has been marking 30 years since the dramatic debut of, arguably, one of the marque’s most memorable and desired ‘niche’ models.

The Aston Martin Virage and Virage Volante 6.3-litre conversion was unveiled as a comprehensive upgrade package for the standard Virage, launched in 1989 and the first entirely new Aston Martin in 20 years.

The 6.3-litre conversion was made available by the brand’s customer service division - now known as Aston Martin Works - early in 1992. The 6.3-litre conversion made the Virage among the most potent sports cars of its day with suspension, braking and comprehensive styling changes complementing the huge uptick in power and performance.

The Virage 6.3 has its roots firmly in the marque’s motorsport activities of the time. The late 1980s saw Aston Martin return to sports car racing after a 25-year hiatus with its AMR1 Group C machines contesting the World Sports Prototype Championship in 1989. The racing programme saw the capacity of Aston Martin’s all-alloy V8 increase from its standard 5.3 to 6.0 and, later, 6.3 litres.

At the time of the 6.3 conversion’s introduction in 1992 the standard Virage was retailing at around £140,000 excluding options. The cost of the conversion added £60,000 to that figure.

While the precise number of Virage and

‘An iconic road car with real motorsport heritage’ Virage Volante 6.3 conversions carried out remains unconfirmed, it is thought that as many as 60 conversions were created over the course of a couple of years. The uncertainty around the number of cars built is due largely to a number of special, coach-built Virage models that carried some or all of the constituent parts of the conventional 6.3 conversion.

Aston Martin sold a grand total of 46 cars in 1992 all Virage - and of those a good number would have visited what is today Aston Martin Works in Tickford Street for the 6.3 conversion work to be carried out over the course of 12 weeks or so per car.

“The Virage and Volante 6.3 conversion came at a testing time for Aston Martin,” says the marque’s historian Steve Waddingham.

“The business had experienced a boom in the late 1980s but with the economic downturn of the early 1990s sales were harder to come by.

“This ingenious offering created by the

brand’s customer service division not only created a huge amount of positive media interest in the marque but also provided many of our well-heeled customers with the opportunity to acquire an iconic road car with real motorsport heritage.”

Aston Martin Works’ current president Paul Spires pictured worked on the Virage 6.3 conversion project and remembers driving the development and demonstration vehicle, affectionately known today as ‘Minky’.

“The Virage 6.3 conversion was, and remains, a superb example of the capabilities of the department that is now Aston Martin Works,” he says.

“The car was comprehensively reengineered and restyled right here in Newport Pagnell. It remains a true testament to the ingenuity and vision of the Aston Martin business and I am thrilled - but also a little shocked from a personal point of view that we are able to celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2022.”

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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

Planning academy hopes have turned to despair

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his month I was hoping to bring you good news, really I was. Many will be aware that Milton Keynes Council’s planning department has in recent years been the home of mediocrity and major planning errors at best and downright incompetence or even worse, at worst. I was going to bring you a story of hope. I was but, sadly, it seems I cannot.

Back in January I was buoyed by news that the council was about to address the obvious severe problems, which included the inability to recruit and retain experienced planning professionals, by launching a Planning Academy.

This story was covered by several local media and online mentions can easily be found by posting ‘Milton Keynes Council to Launch Planning Academy’ in any search engine. You will soon find mentions including on the websites of local radio stations MKFM, Secklow 105.5FM and that

of the MK Liberal Democrats.

Since all these stories carry almost the exact same wording, it is safe to assume that the story came from a council press release, including the following quote from council leader Cllr Pete Marland: “Milton Keynes is iconic for planning and urban design. We are absolutely determined to provide local residents with an excellent planning service. Our plans will see us using our national status for sustainable growth to attract new and the best planners to the city, provide the best on the job training in the country and develop national best practice by working with the best institutes and planning bodies.

“We know that a few issues have led to people questioning the service we provide. We are totally committed to restoring trust and improving the planning services the council provides.

“The reality is that attracting good planners is hard in a fiercely

competitive market with lots of demand for planners from a large private sector and other public sector bodies. We need to show that coming to work for Milton Keynes Council is a good thing, as well as retaining our current employees, and our academy plans will help do that.

“We will also propose more funding to help improve our enforcement service and help people to better understand issues surrounding permitted development rights to try and prevent issues before they arise.

Our planning services are moving forward. The planning academy and additional funding for the service will mean we continue to improve.”

I determined to find out what had happened regarding the setting up of this academy in the three months since. I called the switchboard at MKC and asked to speak with the head of communications - Brian Messina, according to switchboard. I left a message on his ansaphone but

no reply despite over an entire week leaving message after message.

I also called the other communications extension number given to me by the council’s switchboard only to leave another unreturned message. Finally, out of frustration, I called the council’s chief executive Michael Bracey and left a message for his PA Becky Lovelock and surprise, surprise, at the time of writing, I have received no reply from either.

Are not these public servants paid out of funds extracted from us, the general public, and should not those taking advantage of our often less than willing largesse at least pretend to be doing their jobs?

I took a different tack. I searched through press releases on the council’s website hoping to start with the originally widely reported release from January 22 to see if there were any ‘good news’ followups. But the original release has now disappeared. So my question is this:

“Milton Keynes Council to Launch (a) Planning Academy”? My best guess is no, not ever, never. I am wondering whether this was all just a pretence to pull the wool over the eyes of those whose opinion of the council’s planning department, as in Cllr Marland’s words; “have led to people questioning the service we provide.”

So perhaps you would like to ask your own councillor this simple question, again based on the words of Cllr Marland: Is the council really “totally committed to restoring trust and improving the planning services the council provides.”? Please let me know if you get a reply. Cheerio.

Update: I have established that Kelly Evans is Milton Keynes Council’s head of communications and Brian Messina is digital services manager.

Perhaps she might also include her own contact details on each press release on the council website.

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The Growth Debate

Being able to adapt is rooted in our culture Nicholas Mann, pictured at the Milton Keynes Business Achievement Awards

The Oxford to Cambridge Arc growth corridor is having to compete with others further north for the government’s attention. But, says Milton Keynes Business Leaders partnership’s chair Nicholas Mann, the appeal of Milton Keynes and the region to inward investors remains as strong as ever.

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eports that the government has diluted plans for the Oxford to Cambridge Arc in a bid to prioritise levelling up in the north have been met with disappointment. Business leaders across the region are addressing their concerns directly to government in the belief that the Arc is central to the UK’s present and future economy.

While the development of the Arc will certainly unlock the full potential of the five counties it encompasses - and significantly boost the UK’s economic output in the process - we cannot overlook the major strides Milton Keynes has already made in delivering strands set out in the Arc’s framework, from becoming a testbed for smart mobility to the installation of full fibre connectivity.

And it is not only technological prowess which has seen Milton Keynes rise up the ranks to become one of the UK’s fastest growing cities.

The spark that ignites our business community is the entrepreneurial spirit, reflected across all sectors and organisations no matter how large or small.

It was wonderful to celebrate this spirit at the Milton Keynes Business Achievement Awards in late March.

This year, for the first time in the history of the awards, the coveted Business of The Year award was won by not one but two businesses - Emerging Markets Quality Trials and Naturally Tribal. They are linked by their incredible mutual founder, Entrepreneur of the Year winner Shalom Lloyd and the MKBAA judges believed that both businesses clearly demonstrated what can be achieved under the helm of an inspirational leader with the vision, tenacity and a drive to support others.

Surely this description encapsulates the very essence of Milton Keynes.

Built to inspire, invoke and

I have every confidence that we will realise our full potential within the core of the Arc

cultivate, Milton Keynes has increasingly become a magnet for inward investment with major companies uprooting and shifting their headquarters in our direction and large developers looking to play a part in the growth narrative.

Socius, the mixed-use development company behind MK Gateway which will see the redevelopment of Saxon Court, has been enthralled by the magnetism of Milton Keynes, describing the town as innovative and forward-thinking. Significantly, their plans for the former council site have

been created by globally renowned architects Rogers Stark Harbour and Partners and MK Gateway marks the first commercial development they have worked on outside of a major global capital.

Two of the partners who are actively involved in the plans studied Milton Keynes as architectural students and have an enduring fascination with the new town.

The appeal of Milton Keynes certainly shows no signs of abating.

So, while the government’s watereddown plans for the Arc may incur

changes, it is important to remember that being able to evolve and adapt is rooted in the culture of Milton Keynes and I have every confidence that we will realise our full potential within the core of the Arc. If the return of MKBAA demonstrated anything, it is that the resolve and indomitable spirit of the Milton Keynes business community remains high and will continue to underpin our ongoing success and position within this premier growth corridor. n Nicholas Mann is chair of Milton Keynes Business Leaders Partnership. Find out more at www. mkblp.com

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Business MK

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May 2022

13

Feature

Health check contracts as your business grows The need for legal protection and regulatory compliance becomes more necessary as a business expands. Neves Solicitors says that a review of current arrangements is always time well spent.

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hen starting a small business there is much to focus on, and with budget and time constraints, sometimes getting robust legal arrangements in place can get overlooked.

It may have been just you, testing the waters, and so did not need an office, did not consider brand protection or you felt that a quick set of standard terms and conditions sufficed.

However, as your business grows and evolves, its need for protection and regulatory compliance will change. Take some time to review your arrangements and get the most out of your contracts.

way you do business.

Online Business Nowadays an online presence is critical and as your business grows so do your needs for marketing and branding.

Seek advice on protecting your intellectual property, ensuring copyright and getting Trade Mark Protection, as soon as you can. The more valuable your brand becomes, the higher the risk of copying.

If you are selling goods or services over the internet, ensure that you are complying with consumer protection legislation and online regulations.

Website T&Cs, privacy policies and GDPR compliance are all key and getting the proper advice to make sure you do not fall foul of the law.

Standard Terms and Conditions Standard contracts are usual practice for most businesses but if a contract does not comply with the proper requirements or no longer reflects the way you do business then it may not be offering you the protection you need.

Regularly review any standard documents you use to ensure they are up to date and properly reflect the

New People When new people join the business, make sure that relationships are properly documented. If new investors, shareholders or partners have come on board, think about how you will deal with big decisions and profit sharing. A properly drafted shareholders agreement or

Meet the company commercial team at Neves: (from left) Jessica Williams, paralegal; Stewart Matthews, managing partner and head of company commercial; Kim Sayer, solicitor; Simon Porter, senior associate partnership agreement is crucial.

If the business requires more time and attention, is everybody clear of what is expected of them? Putting together work specifications and service level agreements makes sure that everyone knows what they are expected to bring to the table.

If you have taken on staff, have proper employment contracts and practices in place. Seeking advice will ensure that you meet your legal requirements as an employer as well as get the most out of your employees.

Entering into contracts

A bigger business has more needs a marketing company, new suppliers or bigger offices. When entering into contracts with others, take the time to get them checked. Being locked into unsuitable arrangements will impact your business and cause stress that can be avoided with careful precontract reviews and advice.

needs change. Contact our team of specialists on 0330 0945 500, email info@nevesllp.co.uk or visit our website www.nevesllp.co.uk

At Neves we recognise the different needs of businesses and can assist in a contract review to ensure that everything is up to date and legally compliant, or provide advice on any area that may be of concern as your

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he Holiday Inn Milton Keynes Central is a bright, spacious and modern hotel, ideal for corporate and leisure guests, located in the heart of the town’s business and shopping district.

Featuring Holiday Inn’s signature and stylish Open Lobby concept which merges the reception, lounge, bar and restaurant into one cool space it is perfect for guests to work, dine or socialise in a homely

atmosphere. The hotel also features a Marco’s New York Italian restaurant, another great place to dine with friends and family at the hotel.

This year, business guests can enjoy revamped and refreshed conference facilities at the hotel’s large and renowned Academy Conference and Training Suites. The newly refurbished modern conference spaces, with brand new “connected” furniture, natural daylight and

ground floor access make it an easy venue to host a great event.

Oana Cutas pictured, The Meeting and Events Coordinator at the Academy Conference and Training Suites, has a wealth of experience including five years in her current role and is passionate about the success of your meeting or event at the Holiday Inn Milton Keynes Central.

On hand to coordinate your individual needs, Oana and her team offer options including day delegate and 24-hour meeting and accommodation packages or room hire rates.

Each of the nine meeting rooms open into the Academy Foyer which lends itself perfectly as a great place to refuel with the all-day fresh bean to cup coffee on offer.

On-site parking is available at the hotel and free wi-fi is available throughout.

The Holiday Inn Milton Keynes Central is located just a short walk away from Milton Keynes Central rail station, with direct connections to central London, and is only a 30-minute drive from London Luton Airport.

n To make a booking, visit Holiday Inn Milton Keynes Central or call on 0371 9429057.

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

Business2Business May 2022

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

Investors buy in-demand new estate

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Showcase the brilliance of your business... Enter today. P17

Apex Park deal highlights appetite for qualty units of Apex Park, with units ranging from 1,880 sq ft to 20,800 sq ft and totalling 57,100 sq ft. Property consultancy Kirkby Diamond acts on behalf of Pears Property and other third parties in relation to their UK commercial and residential investment portfolios and was joint agent on Apex Park with Milton Keynes-based Louch Shacklock.

Eamon Kennedy, head of commercial agency at Kirkby Diamond, said: “Apex Park has been a fantastic success by any standards. Before Apex Park was completed, there had not been a development of high-quality industrial units in Leighton Buzzard for over 20 years.”

Kirkby Diamond completed the letting on the last of the units to power protection specialists Levant

UPS. Fellow tenants include visual presentation technology distributor Lang UK and FAI Automotive, distributors of premium aftermarket automotive components. Ram online Ltd, trading as Blue Box Self Storage, and chartered surveying practice AIS Surveyors are also based on site, as are Heath Electrical, Universal Event Production, Stephen & Son, Diverse Flooring, and LTM Design.

Luke Tillison, managing partner of Kirkby Diamond, has been involved with the development for more than five years. He acquired the land, including the site to the rear now known as Ascent Park, on behalf of Pears Property Advisors five years ago. The rear part of the site was sold to the Firethorn Trust and Apex Park was developed on the remaining section.

“It is very satisfying to see a scheme through from its grass roots all the way to becoming a thriving industrial estate,” he said.

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Employer to the rescue of employee’s labour of love. P17

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nvestment management company Colliers Capital has completed the acquisition of the Apex Park industrial estate in Leighton Buzzard.

The company has paid an undisclosed sum to London-based investment house Pears Property Advisors for the site, a new speculative development of 13 business units that are already fully occupied.

The deal comes only ten months after Apex Park was completed. The first of its kind in Leighton Buzzard for more than 20 years, the development answered huge pent-up demand from businesses for quality units in the region.

Pears Property Advisors investment director Ben Grosman said: “This is a well located, fully let industrial estate with a 3.25 per cent yield that should provide the buyer with excellent rental growth opportunities moving forward.”

Pears Property Advisors funded the development

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University honours MD as a sustainability champion. P18

Colleges merger puts business needs first. P19

Green light: Santa Pod Raceway has unveiled a series of waste management and recycling initiatives to minimise its environmental impact

Motorsport venue vows to meet its environmental challenges

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anta Pod Raceway, home to the FIA European Drag Racing Championships, car shows, festivals and public track days, is moving its environmental targets towards the finish line.

The venue at Podington, in the north of the county, already introduced a series of initiatives 1st choice recruitment 124mm x 28mm.qxp_Layout 1 06/04/2021 has 16:08 Page 1 including working towards eliminating single-use plastic on site, no onger selling drinks in singleWaterway park plan receives use plastic bottles and sourcing stock whenever

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possible locally in order to reduce carbon emissions produced by transportation.

Now Santa Pod has teamed up with recycling and waste management company Cawleys as it commits to ensuring that the waste generated at its events causes minimal damage to the environment.

Santa Pod’s operations manager Neale Saunders said: “Reducing our environmental impact is important to us. With upwards of 400,000 visitors a year, all our staff are conscious of the environmental challenges that come with being such a popular venue. Be it our Bug Jam festival or the FIA European Finals Championship, the site needs a clean-up that is as sympathetic to the environment as possible.”

The raceway is switching to compostable cutlery, straws and food packaging and to using paper or woven bags in its retail and merchandise outlets.

There is also a site-wide ban on polysterene.

We’re more than just legal experts.

We’re trusted advisers who take the time to really understand your issues.

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

Under the new partnership Santa Pod staff will segregate all cardboard waste on site and glass waste in the licenced bars for recycling. General waste will be collected by Cawleys and processed through its Materials Recycling Facility.

Cawleys will also be on site during popular weekend meetings to highlight the benefits of waste reduction, reuse and recycling to visitors.

Cawleys marketing manager Nicky Severn said: “Working with such an iconic venue as Santa Pod Raceway is very exciting. The organisation’s events are extremely popular and, as with all high footfall sites, waste can be a challenge.

“The solution we have in place will not only help the organisation to maximise recycling rates but it will also encourage waste reduction. We will be heavily involved with the team in terms of educating visitors and staff to ensure they understand the importance of recycling.”

0330 0945 500 info@nevesllp.co.uk www.nevesllp.co.uk Business2Business

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May 2022

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

Business News

Property firm joins River Festival sponsors Employers step in to ensure dancers take centre stage

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ore than 550 Irish dancers have taken part in more than 200 competitions at a major dance competition in Luton.

The event took place thanks to sponsorship from town-based business Neville Funerals, which stepped in to sponsor the event as it resumed for the first time since the pandemic. The Feis was the brainchild of Finbarr Conway, who has run his Academy of Irish Dancing in Luton for more than 21 years. He has worked for Neville Funerals’ sister company Neville Special Projects, which specialises in construction work, since 2020 and turned to his employer for support in resurrecting the contest.

Due to the pandemic, funding declined for the dancing school and for the first time since 2008, sponsors were needed in order to fund the event. Sponsorship from Neville Funerals and other local businesses ensured that awards, trophies and sashes were presented to all participants and winners.

“It was heart-breaking to see the effects of the pandemic on the schools, with both students and teachers dropping out,” says Finbarr. “We are hoping now that

in-person events have returned and we have the support of our wonderful sponsors, we can build the Irish dancing community once again.”

Since the pandemic, the number of applicants for the 2022 Feis had dropped by half compared to those in previous years. Nonetheless the competition went ahead at the Queen Elizabeth School in Luton with dancers of all ages competing in more than 200 competitions, 24 of which were Finbarr Conway Academy Feis Championship titles.

“I first started dancing when I was four years old and have not looked back since,” says Finbarr, who works as a special projects administrator. “I set up the school so I could share my passion with others and hopefully help them achieve their goals.”

He established the competition in 2008 and his employers felt it important to show the company’s support. “Many of our employees enjoy other pursuits outside of the business and Finbarr Conway is no exception,” says Neville Funerals director Charmian Alexander.

“We are very proud to support one of our team in achieving something they are very passionate about.”

Developer hails council’s ‘significant investment’

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Finbarr Conway (centre) is pictured with under-14 preliminary championship winner Shannon Grant and third-placed Malachy White

Government awards £31m annual contract to Thameslink line operator

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he Department for Transport has awarded a National Rail Contract to Govia Thameslink Railway to continue operating the Thameslink line serving stations in Bedfordshire.

The new contract began in April and will run for a minimum of three years, with up to a further three years at the Secretary of State’s discretion.

GTR, which has operated the Thameslink line since 2014, will earn a fixed annual management fee of £8.8 million to deliver the contract, with an

additional performance fee of up to £22.9 million a year.

GTR chief executive Patrick Verwer said: “I am delighted that GTR’s long-standing experience in running the UK’s largest train network, our focus on improving the customer experience and our strong local community relationships have been recognised.

“This new agreement means we can continue to build on what we have achieved to date as we focus on welcoming more people back to the railway.”

ommercial and residential developer Gallagher Developments is the newest sponsor of this year’s Bedford River Festival.

The firm has been behind many sites of significant scale in and around Bedford and is to sponsor areas of the River Festival including the Embankment Stage, the funfair, the activities at Castle Mound and Riverside Square, the car parks including the Park & Ride for the weekend, along with the festival programme and website, and the Mayor’s civic reception.

The River Festival takes place on July 23-24 after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. Bedford Mayor Dave Hodgson said: “It is great to welcome Gallagher Developments as a sponsor of this year’s River Festival. The River Festival is one of the largest outdoor events of its kind in the UK, with thousands of visitors over this one weekend in July. Its organisation is a big undertaking and it is great to have sponsors on board, enabling us to bring this to our riverside and town.”

Gallagher Developments’ founder and former chairman Sir Tony Gallagher said, “It is great to see such a fantastic event return and we are sure it will be even bigger and better than before. The council has worked tirelessly in recent years to secure and deliver significant investment in the town centre and its surroundings.

The river festival provides a great opportunity for the families of Bedford Borough to come together in the enhanced public realm.”

Hospitality, brand promotion and teambuilding opportunities are still available at the River Festival, the council says. Find out more at https:// riverfestival.bedford.gov.uk/

Awards aims to celebrate the best of Bedfordshire business

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he search for Bedfordshire’s best in business is under way after the launch of the SME Luton and Bedfordshire Business Awards 2022.

Hosted by the Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce, more than 50 local businesses were in attendance at the newly opened community hub The Farmstead at Linmere Village near Houghton Regis.

The SME Luton and Bedfordshire Business Awards are widely recognised as the most prestigious and high profile awards for the business community in the county.

The winners will go through to the SME National Business Awards in December 2022.

“As we enter 2022 we know more than ever that SMEs across Luton and Bedfordshire are working harder than ever before,” said awards director Damian Cummins. “We know from

Lockdown Leader Best Enterprising Business Best New Business Business Innovation Business of the Year Less than 50 Employees n Business Person of the Year n Business Woman of the Year n Community Business of the Year n n n n n

previous awards that when firms showcase their hard work and talent by entering it makes a real difference to how they are seen by their existing and future customers.”

The SME Luton and Bedfordshire Business Awards feature categories that allow any successful business in the county to enter these prestigious awards. All entries are judged by a panel of local judges with the Awards Night taking place in September.

“Luton and Bedfordshire SMEs can put themselves in with a real

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

And there will be a public vote in certain categories. “With the extra hard work and commitment over the last year we also want to hear from the public who they think should be crowned in 2022,” Mr Cummins said.

Richard Latimer of IT support company JamCrackers in Leighton Buzzard - the overall gold winner at the 2020 SME Luton & Bedfordshire Awards and tangible opportunity of winning by entering the awards over the next few weeks,” said Mr Cummins. “We want to encourage those businesses to put themselves forward and put themselves in with the chance of

being on the national stage later this year.”

The SME Luton and Bedfordshire Business Awards 2022 categories include: n Business Chameleon

Find out more about the SME Luton and Bedfordshire Business Awards 2022 and the entry rules at https:// eventsandpr.co.uk/sme-luton-andbedfordshire-business-awards/

Business2Business

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May 2022

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Business News Richard Walker receives his honnorary Doctorate of science from the University of Bedfordshire’s vice chancellor Professor Rebecca Bunting

Iceland MD hailed as a green champion University awards honorary degree for service to sustainability

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celand Foods managing director Richard Walker has received an honorary degree from the University of Bedfordshire for his “outstanding service to sustainability in retail and business”.

Mr Walker received his honorary doctorate of science at the university’s graduation ceremony - the first since

the pandemic - at St Mary’s Church in Luton.

Leading astrophysicist Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell also received an honorary doctorate of science for her services to science and widening participation for girls and young women in STEM. The university, which is also tackling carbon

emissions and encouraging climate action through its Target Zero initiative, commended Mr Walker

for his shared commitment to the environment and sustainability.

In his acceptance speech, Mr Walker

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May 2022

said: “I am truly grateful for the huge honour that the university has bestowed upon me, which I gladly accept not just for myself but for all the 30,000 Iceland colleagues who work with me to serve our customers, support our communities, improve the environment and pay the taxes that fund everything from schools and higher education to hospitals, medical research, defence and the arts.”

Under his leadership, Iceland Foods has reported a drop in carbon emissions by 74 per cent since 2011 and a reduction in food waste by 23pc in the last two years.

Mr Walker is a committed environmentalist and holds influential roles with a number of charities and foundations ncluding the Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation, Fauna & Flora International, Surfers against Sewage and the Wildlife Trust. He is also is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader.

Dame Jocelyn became famous for her discovery of radio pulsars while studying at the University of Cambridge in 1967. She was the first female President of the

Institute of Physics (UK and Ireland) and of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. In 2018 she was awarded a ‘Special Breakthrough in Fundamental Physics’ prize worth £2.3 million, which she donated to help female minority and refugee students seeking to become physics researchers.

She delivered a public lecture titled We Are All Made of Star Stuff at the University of Bedfordshire in January last year.

More than 700 students received their degrees at graduation ceremonies held over three days, followed by a remote ceremony for those unable to attend in person.

Addressing the graduates, university vice chancellor Professor Rebecca Bunting said: “Graduation is not just a ceremony, it is a turning point in your lives. You will look back on all your hard work, all the amazing experiences you have had and the friendships you have made. It is also a time to reflect on the challenges you have faced and how you have overcome them.

You have all had to deal with the many challenges of the pandemic so we look back on all that and say ‘Well done, we are very proud of you’.”

Dr Peter Carter, a local mental and general health consultant who received an Honorary Doctorate of Science in 2018 and is now an active member of the University Court, attended as a guest of honour at the graduation ceremony for students of the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences.

Supporting journalism

Professor receives logistics award

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ichard Wilding, Professor of Supply Chain Strategy at Cranfield University’s School of Management, is pictured after receiving the Sir Robert Lawrence Award from the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport for his outstanding contribution to the industry.

“Recent events have shown

our profession is critical to the wellbeing of our society,” he said. “It is an incredible honour to join the small group of individuals, business leaders and pioneering academics who have received this award.”

He received the award from CILT board member Phil Roe, chief customer officer and strategy director at DHL Supply Chain.

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

Business News

CEO: Merger will focus on skills needs of business

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entral Bedfordshire College is to become part of The Bedford College Group.

The college, which recently celebrated its 60th anniversary, serves communities across southern Central Bedfordshire and Luton, with campuses in Dunstable, Houghton Regis, Leighton Buzzard and Luton.

The merger is due to take effect from February next year.

The merger will result in an expanded educational offer to meet the skills needs of Bedfordshire’s employers.

Meanwhile it will be ‘business as usual’ for students and staff, the college says.

Professor James Crabbe, chair of Central Bedfordshire College’s Corporation - its full governing body - said: “The merger will allow our vision of skills and vocational education for our region, which we as a college have developed over many years, to become an actuality with enormous benefits for our learners, our staff, local employers and the community of Bedfordshire as a whole.”

The combined college could become a model for mergers in the FE sector, he added.

Colleges combine to expand educational offer to county

Dr Ali Hadawi College chief executive Dr Ali Hadawi added: “This merger will enable us to offer additional courses in a wider range of subjects to a larger number of learners, young and old. We will also be able to meet the needs of a broader range of businesses across a wide range of industries locally, hence enhancing their competitiveness and success.

“This important strategic merger will help ensure that the technical and vocational education and training in the local area are best placed to meet the challenges of our economy in the future.”

Students at The Bedford College Group campuses have had access to improved facilities, resources and teaching since the group was formed five years ago. TBCG chief executive Ian Pryce said: “We are really looking forward

Harpur Centre office site for sale at £2.75m

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or sale: One office building in Bedford town centre with planning consent to convert into 29 apartments.

The office building at The Harpur Centre has permitted development granted for conversion to residential use with plans for a rooftop extension to create a further ten Property consultancy Kirkby Diamond is marketing the building on behalf of the owner’s asset manager Tellon Capital.

Offers are invited in excess of £2.75 million.

Joint agents for the residential sale are DI Properties but the building could also be used as an office headquarters, providing 18,557 sq ft of space on four floors. It currently

has private offices, meeting rooms, a reception area and 48 on-site parking spaces.

Andrew Clarke, associate head of agency at Kirkby Diamond’s Bedford office, said: “The building is situated right in the very heart of Bedford centre.

It presents a wonderful opportunity for a developer to create an outstanding residential development of high-quality apartments.

It really is an exciting proposition for developers to create a high quality, build to rent or private sale scheme. On the other hand, the property is also available as an office headquarters building, providing highquality, refurbished accommodation in a central location with first-class transport links.”

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

to working with Ali Hadawi and his team. We already have a great relationship with the college but this will allow us to deepen and build that relationship to create something very special for our community, employers, staff and students.”

Allan Schofield, chair of The Corporation at TBCG, said: “The Bedford College Group is delighted to have been selected as the merger partner for Central Bedfordshire

College. It brings together the two largest post-16 educators in the local authority area and creates a financially strong institution which will allow us to expand the educational opportunities to Central Bedfordshire and Luton.”

The merger is in line with the government’s policy of encouraging more regional colleges. The Bedford College Group, formed in 2017 by the merger of Bedford College, including Shuttleworth

Ian Pryce College near Biggleswade, with Tresham College in Northamptonshire. Tresham College has maintained its own identity but benefited from being part of the group which went on to be awarded The Best FE College in Britain status by the Times

Educational Supplement.

The merger announcement comes after an Ofsted inspection report in January this year on Central Bedfordshire College, which concluded that its overall effectiveness “requires improvement” - similar to its previous Ofsted inspection in 2018. The inspectors gave a similar assessment of the quality of education, leadership and management and educational programmes for youg people.

Other aspects were rated “good” although its apprenticeships rating was “inadequate”.

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May 2022

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Networking

Will advisor and estate planner Greg Pawsey

Mile Ash APOLLO Wednesday 10am: MK Gallery Networking lunch.

AYLESBURY 2nd Tuesday 12 noon-2pm: Online

May 3, 17, 31 7.45am: Online meetings.

More information: www.bucks-fizz.biz

MILTON KEYNES 2nd Thursday 12 noon-2pm: Online

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

No fuss, no membership, pay as you go... The Business Buzz format is relaxed, informal, conversational B2B networking. Our town focused events meet face-to-face, allowing visitors to build better and more robust relationships. These are complemented by regional virtual events.

All Business Buzz events run 10am-noon BRACKLEY 1st Thursday: Plough Pub & Kitchen, High Street MILTON KEYNES 3rd Friday: Revolucion de Cuba, Savoy Crescent, 12th Street

BIGGLESWADE 2nd Wednesday: Yorkshire Grey, London Road Price: £6, payable in advance on the Business Buzz Booking App https://app.business-buzz. org/app or at the event.

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.

BUILDING THE SIZEWELL C SUPPLY CHAIN May 5 10am-12 noon: The Forest Centre, The Forest of Marston Vale, Marston Moretaine Hosted by the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce Sizewell C Supply Chain in collaboration with Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce.

Speakers: Ashley Shorey-Mills, Head of Sizewell C Supply Chain Engagement, Suffolk Chamber of Commerce; Steve Carroll – Senior Supply Chain Lead, Sizewell C. Free event.

CONNECT OVER COFFEE May 12 9.30am-11am: Ivel Valley School, Biggleswade Networking plus an opportunity to showcase your business in a one-minute pitch.

Free event for Chamber members; nonmembers £15.

PIPELINING TALENT: BUSINESS BREAKFAST May 17 8.30am-10.30am: HMP Bedford Skills and training business PeoplePlus, HM Prison & Probation Service and its New Futures Network, which brokers partnerships between prisons and employers, work with employers to support prison leavers in their bid to secure employment after serving their sentence. They and Bedfordshire Chamber are offering an opportunity for Bedfordshire employers to visit HMP Bedford and to talk to staff and prisoners Free event.

CONNECT OVER COFFEE May 26 10am-11.15am: Online Networking plus an opportunity to showcase your business.

Free event. Chamber members only.

To book on to Chamber events, visit www.chamber-business.com/events

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Business MK

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May 2022

Putting a buzz back into networking

G

May 18 12 noon-2.30pm: Maaya, The Hub, Central Milton Keynes Sponsors: Document Logistix; EMW; Pinders

Networking in a relaxed environment with exceptional Indian cuisine.

Price: £25.

Find out more at www.thelondoncurryclub.com

BEDFORD 1st Wednesday: George & Dragon, Mill Street

EAST MIDLANDS 1st Friday: Online. Price: £10 May 18 7.45am-9.15am: The Bedfordshire Golf Club, Stagsden 3rd Wednesday of the month (exc. August), Speaksr tbc. Contact: Kerry Ransby email kransby@woodfines.co.uk or visit www. bedfordbreakfastclub.co.uk

ENCORE Friday 6.45am: Holiday Inn London Luton More information: www.bni.co.uk Airport PIONEER Wednesday 9.30am: Online meetings More information: www.bni.co.uk

BUCKINGHAM 3rd Tuesday 12 noon-2pm: Online CAPPUCCINO CONNECTIONS 4th Thursday 10am-12 noon: Online

PHOENIX Friday 9.45am: The Bedford Golf Club

MILTON KEYNES 2nd Thursday, 7.30am-9.30am: Abbey Hill Golf Centre, Two Mile Ash

MILTON KEYNES VIRTUAL NETWORKING May 13 10am-11am: Online.

Hosted by Daxa Patel. Free event.

CHERWELL & NORTH BUCKS May 25, 10am-11am: Online Networking forum for entrepreneurs, the self-employed and small businesses. Hosted by business owner and FSB member Justin Charlton-Jones. Free event.

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

Breakfast networking online and face to face.

1st + 3rd Friday, 7am Monthly dinner event. For more information.

Email yvonne@4unoworries.com

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

BUSINESS BEFORE HOURS May 26 8.30am-10am: The Cock Hotel, Stony Stratford Informal networking event. Price: £10 + VAT Chamber members; non-members £15 + VAT. To book on to Chamber events, visit www. chambermk.co.uk/events

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

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

Networking events provide a platform to meet and build relationships with peers and fellow members. The group also hosts personal development sessions, with talks from business leaders.

EVERYONE SELLS! May 24 5.30pm-7pm: Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce offices, Waterside Way, Northampton Presented by Julie Futcher, the Sales Ace.

reg Pawsey is on a one-man mission to get the Brackley business community buzzing again.

The will advisor and estate planner found the lack of interaction with other local business owners during lockdown challenging both personally and professionally. Looking for a solution he came across Business Buzz, a group of informal networking events across the country which at the time were operating virtually.

“I had been attending the virtual events for around 12 to 18 months when we finally came out of lockdown so when the opportunity to launch a live event in Brackley came up, I jumped at the chance to be the host. Due to its close proximity to merging county lines there is huge opportunity to raise profile and meet key business partners from far afield.”

Brackley Buzz welcomes more than 40 attendees at its meetings on the first Thursday of every month at The Plough Pub & Kitchen on the High Street between 10am and 12 noon.

Tickets are £6. n Find out more and book your place at www.business-buzz.org/northamptonshire/ brackley

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, Warden Hills Road / 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

NETWORKING LUNCH May 25 12 noon-2pm: The Brasserie, Milton Keynes College Bletchley campus.

Speaker: Laura McLean, mindset and behavioural change coach. Subject: Creating unshakeable belief in yourself.

Price tbc.

To book, visit www.womeninenterprise.co.uk

>> >> To have your networking group’s events included in future editions of Business MK, email details to news@businessmk.co.uk For local business news visit www.BusinessMK.co.uk

info@qoobgroup.co.uk 03303 801 651 Unit 5 Darwin House, Corby Gate Business Park, Corby, Northamptonshire, NN17 5JG

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Business MK

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May 2022

21

In the Community Willen Hospice is hoping for a significant boost to its funds from the Summer of Moo events

Victim support scheme wins crime prevention award

A

scheme run by the YMCA in Milton Keynes that supports young people affected by serious violence has won a national award.

Under the Hospital Navigator scheme, volunteers provide signposting to mentoring and support for victims aged 1335 who attend hospital A&E departments, including to YMCA MK’s services.

The scheme has won first prize at the National Crimebeat Awards, run by the youth crime prevention charity National Crimebeat.

It is the national charity of the High Sheriffs’ Association in England and Wales and the Hospital Navigator

programme, which had the backing of Buckinghamshire High Sheriff George Anson, received the High Sheriffs’ Association’s Special Award.

YMCA MK’s hospital navigator Tayler Tookey said: “We know that when people are in hospital, there is a reachable moment when intervention can be successful.

It is incredibly rewarding to see the impact this scheme has had on the young lives of those we have supported.”

The Hospital Navigator Scheme launched in June 2021. Funded by the Thames Valley Violence Reduction Unit, the volunteers operate from the A&E department at Milton Keynes Hospital.

Space raises community spirit

W

elcome to The Outdoor Space, an urban undercover area next to The Old Bath House and Community Centre in Wolverton and the first stage of an ambitious community project.

Works by local artists Timothy B Layden, Luke McDonnell, Sara Myers, Cathy Ebbels, Jill Kitchen, Iain Talbot and Gavin Grace, along with more than 40 mosaic birds made in workshops by families during lockdown, has been shared on the walls of the pedestrian entrance to the space between the centre and Tesco supermarket.

The space is the result

of a consultation with Wolverton businesses and residents. Their responses led to plans to make the area more welcoming and to encourage more people to use the space.

The Outdoor Space, which already hosts two weekly community fridge sessions and a regular monthly craft market, will soon be home to a pop-up café at weekends.

“The collective creativity, time and commitment that everyone has contributed to this project is astounding,” says project coordinator Helen Innes. “We hope that people that use this space, enjoy it and it makes them feel good.”

Foundation launches refugee fund

A

n appeal to support Ukrainian families and individuals fleeing the war in their homeland for a new life in Milton Keynes is under way.

It has been launched by Milton Keynes Community Foundation, which hopes that the appeal will help to ease some of the hardship, isolation and fear faced by refugees as they settle in the borough.

The appeal also aims to support the onward resettlement of refugees to other places in the UK, said the foundation’s director of

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Business MK

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philanthropy Ranjit Singh.

He added: “MK Community Foundation’s mission to ‘Fund Fairness’ is at the heart of everything we do. We want support those vulnerable refugees who will call MK their home and wish to provide the right support to help them do this.” n Voluntary groups and charities supporting refugees in Milton Keynes can apply for funding via MK Community Foundation’s website at https:// mkcommunityfoundation. co.uk/grants/apply-for-agrant/.

May 2022

Fundraisers in the moo-d to put best feet forward

W

illen Hospice has unveiled plans for its three biggest fundraising events of the year.

The Summer of Moo begins in June, a series of walks around Milton Keynes to raise funds for the hospice.

The Midday Moo on June 25 and Midnight Moo on July 15 challenge local people to walk a five- or ten-mile route around Milton Keynes. The Mini Moo, previously branded the Scooterthon, on August 7 offers a fun way for younger supporters to get involved.

The Midday Moo starts and finishes at Milton Keynes Rugby Club in Emerson Valley, and includes pub stops on route

and a finale at The Big Food Festival. The Midnight Moo is back for its 13th year with a new route starting and finishing at Midsummer Place shopping centre.

The pandemic has hit hospice funds hard and Willen is hoping that participants can pass its fundraising target of £125,000.

“I am confident,” says hospice chief executive Peta Wilkinson. “The Moo has become one of Milton Keynes’ most popular fundraising events and we are looking forward to it being even bigger and better this year.”

The hospice’s specialist nurses provide free, holistic care to people at the end of their lives and to those who have been

diagnosed with a life-limiting condition such as neurological diseases or cancer, as well as comfort and counselling for their family and friends. The service is free to those who need it but requires £4.7 million a year to run.

Specsavers MK has agreed to be the Midnight Moo’s headline sponsor. The Midday and Midnight Moo costs £20 to enter, and includes a Moo T-shirt and medal. The Mini Moo costs £10, which includes a cap and medal. n Find out more at www.willen-hospice. org.uk/moo. To discuss sponsorship, email corporate@willen-hospice.org.uk

High Sheriff speaks of a year inspired by hymn’s anniversary

F

ormer Mayor of Milton Keynes Debbie Brock has been appointed the new High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire.

She is pictured after the official Declaration Ceremony at The Church of Christ the Cornerstone in Milton Keynes, attended by Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant The Countess Howe, past High Sheriffs of Buckinghamshire, Mayors from across the county, judges, magistrates and guests.

She succeeds the outgoing High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire George Anson and will be in the post for 12 months.

Of his year in office Mr Anson said: “Being the High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire has opened my eyes to the tremendous contribution made to our community by essential service providers Debbie Brock, the newly appointed High and volunteer organisations.”

Sheriff of Buckinghamshire He described his year in office as “very special”.

January 1773, looking at the “I Ms Brock added: “I look way modern slavery and forward to giving my exploitation are tackled am keen service in support of the today.” to support peace and well-being of All appointments were initiatives that help witnessed by Neil Arnold, our county. Like many of my predecessors, chair of Buckinghamshire to build stronger I am keen to support Magistrates. communities” initiatives that help to build Serene Taylor was stronger communities as appointed as the new Under well as those that prevent crime Sheriff of Buckinghamshire and and reoffending and I am also keen to Ms Brock’s predecessor George Anson understand the ways in which victims of was appointed as the Deputy Under Sheriff. crime are supported.

The Office of High Sheriff is the oldest “I have a broad theme of inclusion and secular office in the UK, after the Crown. taking the lead from my home town of The High Sheriff is appointed personally Olney marking the 250th anniversary by The Queen at the Pricking Ceremony of Amazing Grace being sung on 1st held in March each year.

Former art critic takes office in Bedfordshire

L

ady Jane Clifford is the new High Sheriff of Bedfordshire for 202223. She was installed at a ceremony at Elstow Abbey and succeeds Eric Masih.

A former art critic for the Daily Telegraph, she worked closely with Laura Ashley finding and copying antique wallpaper and textile designs and writing books about furnishing and decorating houses for the company.

Lady Clifford’s husband Timothy was a director of the Manchester City Art Galleries and National Galleries of Scotland. He was knighted in 2002.

The Cliffords moved to Bedfordshire after their retirement in 2010 to be nearer London and their daughter and grandson.

Lady Clifford is keen to support charities that promote sport for all ages, rehabilitation and homelessness. She also spoke of the honour of holding office in The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee year.

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

In the Community

A concert fit for a Queen

I

nspiring orchestral music is set to round off celebrations of Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee at Milton Keynes Theatre.

The Milton Keynes Chorale concert will include music

by Handel, Elgar, Parry and Walton and at the same time arise money for Willen Hospice.

The concert, on June 5 at 7.30pm, is to be sponsored by law firm Geoffrey Leaver Solicitors, which has been based in Milton Keynes for more than 50 years.

“We truly believe that being a successful business is about more than just delivering a high-quality service to clients but to support both socially and economically the wider local community that we

Heathland at Rushmore Country Park, part of Greensand Country Milton Keynes Chorale in concert operate within,” says Geoffrey leaver partner Paula Stuart.

“We are delighted to have the opportunity to support a momentous event such as this in celebration of the Queen’s Jubilee.”

The concert will feature more than 120 singers from four choirs, accompanied

by Milton Keynes’ new professional orchestra Alina

Orchestra. At the end of the concert, there will be a collection for Willen Hospice, and any profit from the concert will also go to Willen Hospice.

Hospice chief executive Peta Wilkinson says: “We are delighted to have the generous support of Milton Keynes Chorale. We rely so heavily on donations made by local people to help us raise the

money we need to support patients and their families in the community.”

Ticket prices start from £15.

Book at www.atgtickets.com/ shows/mk-chorale-crowningglory/milton-keynes-theatre/ MK Chorale will also perform at Jubilee Parade being planned by the Mayor’s Office on June 2 at MK Rose in Campbell Park.

No messing about on the river as waterway park gathers support

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oard members and regional chairs of the Inland Waterways Association have been in Bedford to hear an update about the 26-kilometre Waterway Park plan to link the River Great Ouse with the Grand Union Canal in Milton Keynes.

The delegation, including IWA national chair Paul Rodgers, took a trip along the Great Ouse on the Bedford community boat the John Bunyan and visited a new landing stage at Kempston Mill.

“The board were keen to see for themselves the progress being made on this strategically important proposal for a new waterway,” Mr Rodgers says. “The time is right for this project with its benefits to biodiversity, water management and to the economy of the area.

“Particularly impressive are the immediate benefits

Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway Trust chair Jane Hamilton with Paul Rodgers, chair of the Inland Waterways Association, and Bedford MP Mohammed Yasin of demonstrating an electric trip boat and the new landing stage. IWA is committed to supporting the Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway Trust and its local partners as they seek to deliver this landmark initiative which brings a new dimension to the regeneration of the waterways in the 21st century.”

The trust presented the latest on the Waterway Park

plan. The history of the plan was provided by IWA Great Ouse branch secretary John Hodgson, a founder member of the Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway Trust.

After lunch at Box End Water Park in Kempston, the delegation was joined

by Bedford MP Mohammed Yasin and boarded the John Bunyan community boat to see Bedford’s Embankment

from the river and understand the challenges the river poses.

Trust chair Jane Hamilton said that the search for investment in the Waterway Park was under way. “IWA brings a great deal of experience in regenerating waterways, working with volunteers and pulling in a wide range of funding for projects. We certainly hope to see a lot more of them as we take steps to secure large-scale investment in the B&MK Waterway Park.”

The Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway Trust was established in 1995. Having designed a route linking the Grand Union Canal and river Great Ouse, now protected by local authority policies in three Local Plans, the trust is lobbying for its inclusion as part of the Oxford-Cambridge Arc. n Find out more at: www.bmkwaterway.org

A new perspective on the revival of a historic park

M

ajor works by The Parks Trust to restore and interpret the historic park at Great Linford Manor have included the provision of a mooring point pictured for the new community boat Electra on the Grand Union Canal.

This allows Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway Trust volunteers, who run the all-electric boat, to offer a new selection of Grand Union Canal cruises.

“The Parks Trust is delighted to work in partnership with the Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway Trust. This work will

allow visitors to enjoy another view of the canal, which passes through the park,” says Julie Dawes, events and community engagement manager at The Parks Trust.

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

The Parks Trust is working to reveal, revive and restore the wider 18th-century landscape of the park with the help of fuding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Electra’s lead cabin host James Clifton said: “We are most grateful to The Parks Trust for giving us access to this mooring and charging point for Electra. It means we can now offer cruises starting at Great Linford in addition to our existing routes from our base at Campbell Wharf.”

Last year the Trust hosted over 180 cruises from Campbell Wharf.

Festival celebrates the beauty of the countryside

H

ousebuilder Mulberry Homes is to support the annual Greensand Country Festival in Bedfordshire for a second year.

The festival, hosted by the Greensand Country Landscape Partnership since 2018, begins this month and promotes events taking place across the local area, encouraging people to explore more of Greensand Country and its parks, woodlands, heritage sites and attractions.

Events already signed up include Forest Bathing at Rushmere Country Park at Stockgrove near Heath and Reach, an early morning dawn chorus at RSPB The Lodge in Sandy, talks by Bedfordshire Gardens Trust about the Swiss Garden at Shuttleworth and Ickwell Bury, a plant fair, ultra-trail run and celebrations for The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Greensand Country covers the Greensand Ridge, a swathe of countryside running from Leighton Buzzard to Gamlingay across central Bedfordshire.

Mulberry Homes’ sponsorship of the festival comes as part of a £7,500 donation, in which it is supporting and raising awareness of Greensand Country. The money will also fund drone footage, a leaflet and a cycling competition.

“We could not be happier to be supporting the Greensand Country Festival for the second year in a row,” says Mulberry Homes sales and marketing director Kerry Jones. “The Greensand Ridge itself

runs through the heart of our Bedfordshire patch so aligning ourselves with this project felt like a very natural decision.

“2022 is a hugely important year for both the Greensand Country Landscape Partnership and Mulberry Homes and both of us share similar core values of putting the local community and sustainable practices at the heart of all we do.”

The festival programme includes events at The Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden.

“Supporting the local environment from nature to commerce and everything in between - has never been more important in order to ensure we create a sustainable and healthy future for the landscape and the people that live, work and enjoy it,” says Shuttleworth’s executive director Rebecca Dalley.

“Each year, we include our events at Shuttleworth and the Swiss Gardens within the festival programme to help us reach new audiences, share activities hosted by other local organisations to our visitors and to raise the profile of the unique and much-loved Greensand Country area.”

Daniel Bowles, partnership co-ordinator at the Greensand Country Landscape Partnership, said: “Our annual festival allows us to showcase both the amazing landscape of Greensand Country and the efforts of all our partners, with whom we work very closely all year round. The festival is the perfect opportunity to explore.”

n Find out more about the Greensand Country Festival 2022 at www.greensandcountry.com. n In Business MK’s April 2022 edition, we published an article headlined ‘Conservation work reveals hidden medieval artwork’, in which we referred to Eleanor of Aquitaine as the wife of King Edward I. She was in fact the wife of King Henry II. Eleanor of Castile was the wife of Edward I. We apologise for the error.

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May 2022

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