Business MK August 2022

Business MK August 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

CELEBRATION TIME...

Meet the winners of this year’s SME MK & Buckinghamshire Business Awards.

Report & Pictures: Pages 11-15

VI EW S

Why SEMLEP is vital to jobs and growth delivery. P5

AN AL YS IS

Business needs to put its arm round the community. P6

Truck manufacturer leaves town for new headquarters

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Insolvency Service is getting tough on rogue directors. P10

Q& A

All the news from Bedfordshire business. P17-20

Joe Cuffaro’s biggest regret: Not buying shares in TikTok. P21

Volvo Truck and Bus Centre South & East is relocating and expanding its operations after agreeing to let an industrial unit in Bedfordshire

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ehicle giant Volvo Truck and Bus Centre South & East is relocating from its base in Milton Keynes to a new headquarters near Bedford.

The company is expanding its operations into a 27,600 sq ft facility on the Wilstead Industrial Park.

The new premises sits within a secure, gated, 28acre site and provides greater workshop capacity and a more modern working environment.

“Geographically it is a perfect fit for our network

LAST FEW STANDS AVAILABLE SEE PAGE 5

and we have been able to tailor the configuration of the workshop to cater for both current and future needs, supporting diesel, LNG and electric fleets,” said operations director Stuart Potter.

Volvo Truck & Bus took over the former site in Delaware Drive, Tongwell, when it acquired Milton Keynes Dealerpoint in 1996. Milton Keynes Dealerpoint was opened in 1990 by the Dawson Group and was one of the biggest Dealerpoints in the country at that time. In 1996, Milton Keynes Dealerpoint was sold to Volvo Truck & Bus and now forms part of the Volvo Truck and Bus Centre London.

“For the last 25 years Dawsongroup has been both our landlord and customer in Milton Keynes, with our team sharing their site,” said Mr Potter.

“They have been fantastic to us but, as our local operations continue to expand, it was the right time to move into our own depot.”

The workshop at the new site has been fitted out and equipped to service and maintain the complete range of Volvo trucks and buses, as well as handling all-makes of chassis, bodywork and trailer servicing. The dealership also provides brake testing, headlight beam setting and tachograph and speed limiter calibration and fitting.

Volvo Truck & Bus secured the unit through commercial property consultants Kirkby Diamond, which were acting on behalf of developer and asset manager Canmoor. Kirkby Diamond had been appointed by Canmoor to market two units on the industrial park. A second unit is under offer and expected to complete soon, said Eamon Kennedy, head of commercial agency.

“Attracting an occupier of the quality of Volvo Truck and Bus Centre South & East to Wilstead To page 3 >> WHERE YOU NEED TO BE...

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Vintage store hatches hopes for the future

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rom flying jackets to sweatshirts, welcome to a retailer that is a throwback to 20thcentury fashion.

Faye Kingston is the owner of Throw Back Vintage, one of three winners of the first Hatch competition run by Midsummer Place shopping centre in Central Milton Keynes. The prize is the winner’s own retail space and Throw Back Vintage is the first to welcome customers through its doors.

“As a brand, we are committed to looking fresh and on trend through vintage, reworked and recycled clothing to help reduce the impact on the environment,” says Faye.

“We are so excited to be open in Midsummer Place and to take our company to a new level while encouraging thousands of people to consider shopping unique and stylish vintage pieces.”

More than 40 businesses entered the competition when Hatch launched in March and a final 11 presented to a panel of judges in June.

Kirsty McGiff, marketing manager at Midsummer Place, describes the entries as “beyond expectations and truly inspirational”.

She adds: “We started the competition thinking it would be great to have at least one really strong winner but, due to the incredible talent that entered, we have three.”

Second to open, in late July, is data-based fitness studio Vibrant Fit, with skincare clinic Amber Ray Aesthetics due to open later this year.

Hatch’s success has persuaded Midsummer Place to run it again in 2023.

The centre is also to host a Hatch Market on September 24-25 when all the 2022 finalists will have a chance to meet shoppers face to face.

Faye Kingston, owner of Throw Back Vintage

Breakfast club returns after two-year hiatus

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he longest-established networking breakfast club in Milton Keynes is to welcome guests once more from September.

The City Breakfast Club, originally chaired by Paul Davis, is finalising its reopening plans ahead of an autumn return to face-to-face networking.

The format will remain similar to the club’s meetings before the pandemic, attracting up to 100 guests until lockdown restructions forced the club into a hiatus.

Attendees will enjoy informal networking ahead of the formal part of the meeting; a welcome from the City Breakfast Club chairman before a sit-down breakfast, more networking and the opportunity to listen to an influential speaker talk on a theme relevant to every business in Milton Keynes The club’s running has been taken over by professional services firm MHA

MacIntyre Hudson, whose partner Steve Freeman is to take over as chairman from Mr Davis.

“It has been a long two and a half years since our last event and it will be great for it to be back due to popular demand,” said Mr Davis.

The first meeting takes place on September 7, 7.45am at the Delta Milton Keynes Hotel, Kents Hill and the City Breakfast Club is delighted to have secured Milton Keynes Mayor Cllr Amanda Marlow and Debbie Brock, High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire, to talk about the impact and opportunity created by Milton Keynes receiving city status from Her Majesty the Queen and to discuss other issues relevant to the city.

Many of the club’s previous sponsors have signed up to continue their support of the club, including Business MK, Franklins Solicitors, Yellow Yoyo,

Steve Freeman Willen Hospice, Eden Financial & Wealth Management, NatWest and ACS Solutions.

“We have a list of superb speakers lined up, all ready to discuss the wider issues affecting Milton Keynes business and the wider community,” said Mr Freeman.

“Under Paul’s leadership the club has developed the reputation of being one of the best networking opportunities in Milton Keynes and I am delighted to be taking over the reins from Paul with the aim of making sure the reputation and success of the event continues to grow.”

Find out more at www.citybreakfastclub.co.uk or book your place for future meetings directly at www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/city-breakfast-club-milton-keynes-tickets-316618001967

Business sustainability in the spotlight at Clean Air Day

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upport available for businesses looking to reduce their carbon footprint, learn more about sustainability and access funding and ideas to do so were top of the agenda at a Clean Air Day event hosted by the University of Buckingham.

Businesses also had the chance to join the #NetZero Collaboration Circle initiative set up by Buckinghamshire Business First, the county’s

growth hub, to bring businesses together to create a Net Zero Bucks economy.

BBF hosted the event with the university, Buckinghamshire Council and environmental charity Global Action Plan.

“It was clear that while there is no silver bullet or easy answer to some of the day-to-day practicalities of going green, there is a wealth of support, including from our own low carbon business

advisers,” said BBF managing director Philippa Batting.

Presentations included those from three businesses already working towards Net Zero.

They discussed the benefits and pitfalls of marketing the green credentials of a business.

Delegates also discussed energy use and measuring carbon footprint with low

carbon advisers and Global Action Plan representatives.

Global Action Plan and BBF are delivering the governmentfunded Buckinghamshire EV Project on behalf of Buckinghamshire Council.

The project aims to work with employers to remove barriers to purchasing electric vehicles and improving air quality.

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

Business News

Powertrain rebrand reflects shape of things to come

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Pictured (from left) Amy Lawrence, of The Safety Centre; Personal Group’s chief financial officer Sarah Mace, portfolio marketing manager Viki Bell and chief people officer Julie Stayte; Sarah Surridge, marketing and communications manager at The Safety Centre

Employer backs centre’s knife crime campaign with £10k support donation

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donation of £10,000 from a major employer in Milton Keynes is set to boost a charity’s campaign in schools to prevent knife crime.

Incidents are on the increase across the city and charity The Safety Centre has delivered more than 130 knife crime sessions in the past year to more than 3,700 students in schools across the region.

The early intervention knife crime sessions help children and young people to understand the impact of their decisions around carrying knives and weapons. Now Personal Group, which provides companies with benefits and services focused on improving employee health, wellbeing and engagement, has stepped in with a £10,000 donation that will enable The Safety Centre to deliver sessions to around 1,200

year six students in schools across the borough.

The in-school sessions also give the students a safe space to talk about what is going on in their world and to discuss how carrying a weapon can change their futures and the lives of their friends, families and communities.

The money will also support The Safety Centre’s education delivered at its education centre Hazard Alley on Kiln Farm.

The Safety Centre chief executive Maya JosephHussain said: “Donations like this help us support more children and young people across our region, delivering life-saving learning. Every student receiving a session has the opportunity to talk about knife crime in a safe, supportive way, without judgement and with time for important discussions.”

The Personal Group donation has come via the organisation’s charitable

trust. “When we discussed the Safety Centre Charity’s knife crime prevention initiative it was a unanimous decision to take this forward,” said a spokesman.

“As a local business, many of Personal Group’s staff are MK residents who are very aware of the challenges being faced currently.

Bringing support and education to local students is key in helping to reverse this worrying trend.”

The Safety Centre is appealing to other Milton Keynes-based businesses to follow Personal Group’s lead and support the charity.

Ms Joseph-Hussain said: “We are reaching out to our communities to ensure this lifesaving learning continues for generations to come.”

ts move to become a full service supplier of premium electric powertrains has led to a rebrand by Milton Keynes-based engineering company Integral Powertrain.

The business has unveiled its new corporate brand Helix, including a new website and logo. The switch aligns with its strategic move from consultant to become a fullservice supplier and marks another major milestone in the evolution of the organisation, the company says.

Helix is now preparing to invest and gear up as a technology-driven global company targeting new markets and sectors.

Founded in 1998, Integral Powertrain gained rapid recognition for its expertise in internal combustion powertrain consultancy work as demand for highperformance electric drivetrains accelerated.

In developing the world’s most power-dense motors and complementary inverters at its headquarters on the Denbigh West industrial estate in Bletchley, Integral Powertrain was central to development of the first hybrid and EV hypercar applications and

in premium motorsport. In 2015, it completed its first manufacturing programme, delivering the final SPM150 for a pioneering hypercar application.

Founding director Luke Barker said: “While always maintaining our course of innovation, we have evolved rapidly. Now we are more than an electric powertrain consultancy; we are a worldclass supplier to a growing global market, providing straightforward access to the most powerful, compact,

Luke Barker

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Volvo move ‘will generate investment and jobs’ >> From page 1 Industrial Park is a real coup for Canmoor and Kirkby Diamond,” he added. “Their

arrival will bring investment and potentially new jobs to the area.”

The new site is just off the A6, one mile south of the A421

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

Bedford Southern Bypass and ten miles from junction 13 of the M1. Companies with distribution centres nearby include retailers B&M, Asda, Holdsworth Foods and Amari Plastics.

Canmoor asset manager Will Preece said: “Wilstead’s close proximity to the A421 provides occupiers with direct access to the national motorway network and reinforces the park’s excellent connectivity to both the Southeast and the Midlands.

Attracting a business of this magnitude is a huge boost for the park and we look forward to working closely with Volvo to best facilitate their growth at Wilstead.”

efficient electric powertrains available” The company moved into its state-of-the-art Technical Centre at Shenley Wood in January last year, since when it has developed its unique Scalable Core Technology and its Flexible Manufacturing Facility.

“Recognising these strategic changes, we are relaunching Integral Powertrain as Helix,” said Mr Barker. “This is a natural evolution of our DNA, reflecting upon our progression from a high-tech engineering consultancy to a full-service supplier of worldclass electric powertrains.”

Helix is also introducing its advanced technology department group X-Division.

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Appointments New partner boosts advisory team

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ccountants Mercer & Hole has strengthened its business advisory team with the appointment of partner Anil Kapoor.

Mr Kapoor below joined the firm last month from advice firm Azets where he was a partner in its London office. He works with clients in the property, leisure and hospitality sectors and is

a specialist in advising FCA-regulated businesses on technical accounting and audit, compliance and corporate governance.

“Mercer & Hole has a strong employer brand in the accountancy profession.

People come to us who want to build a fulfilling career,” says managing partner Paul Maberly.

Double delight for young lawyers

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olicitors Tanveer Ranshi and Ulugbek GomesPessoa have good reason to smile after joining the commercial real estate and corporate and commercial teams respectively at Luton law firm Taylor Walton.The two below are newly qualified this year after completing their training with the firm.

“Recruitment is currently a significant challenge for the legal sector and makes the nurturing of the talent we have within the firm, more important than ever,” says Taylor Walton’s people and talent partner Stephanie Simon. “We work hard to help each trainee reach their full potential.”

MD is ‘piece of the jigsaw we have been seeking’

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reative and digital agency Stratos has appointed Martin Carmody as its managing director. He will oversee agency operations, client service and business growth.

Mr Carmody’s strength in building relationships with clients and a community will support a longer-term objective to reinforce and develop the agency’s offering beyond its current core disciplines of brand, creative and digital communications and strategy, says creative director Marc Smiddy.

Mr Carmody has been working as a consultant after leaving Milton Keynesbased creative agency Cygnus. “I have recently been fortunate to work with a variety of talented people and brands,” he says. “My latest consultative venture encouraged me to experience other brands, cultures and businesses. This time gave me the vigour to reset and seek what is next.

“Working alongside like-minded people

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EPC’s Silverstone Park management team has been restructured following the departure of Roz Bird at the end of April.

Senior asset manager Chris Sills has taken overall charge for MEPC’s management and development of the estate. He joined the business 35 years ago and oversees both MEPC’s Silverstone Park and an urban regeneration scheme at Wellington Place in Leeds.

He was part of the MEPC team that acquired the lease from the British Racing Drivers’ Club to take over the management and development

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is important to me and that is why I am delighted to be back leading a wellrespected team and agency.”

Mr Smiddy said Stratos had been working to combine its strengths in talent, creativity, digital and strategy.

“This means working together as a team to create the next generation of agency.

Martin is a piece of the jigsaw we have been seeking and we are looking forward to his leadership and direction in taking the agency to the next level.”

Innovation park unveils restructured management team

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Martin Carmody (left) with Marc Smiddy and Stratos digital director Darren Bond

of Silverstone Park in 2013. Mr Sills pictured front is working with asset manager Ruth Williams and executive assistant Rebecca Harry.

Alex Housden becomes Silverstone Park development manager alongside senior development manager Chris

MPs host expo focusing on the over-55s

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Ps Ben Everitt and Iain Stewart are set to host an Over 55s Fair in Milton Keynes to provide advice and information from charities, businesses, leisure groups and more.

The free event takes plac eat St Paul’s Catholic School, Leadenhall, from 10am to 3pm on September 2 with exhibitors including walking sports groups, delivery robots and travel companiess.

Mr Everitt, MP for Milton Keynes North, said: “I am delighted we can finally get people and groups together to showcase the many different businesses, charities and leisure groups we have here in MK.” Mr Stewart, MP for Milton Keynes South, added: “It is no secret that Milton Keynes has a growing number of older residents, so I believe it is important to showcase the many positive opportunities we have on the doorstep to improve our health, safety, wellbeing and leisure.”

The event will be of great benefit to residents, he added.

“This includes me as someone who enters his 50s in the not too distant future.”

Kimber-Nickelson. Kiely Nichols has become the new occupier liaison and events co-ordinator.

Mr Sills said: “Under MEPC’s management, the park has been established to become a real jewel in the crown for business growth, networking, skills and innovation in the UK. “There is a great work ethic and spirit among the Silverstone Park team.

This drives a sense of community and business awareness. Both are essential for occupiers and investors delivering an exceptional environment for future growth.”

Recruitment firm founder retires

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orld travel is the ambition of HR specialist Angela Rhodes as she retires from Crispin Rhodes, the consultancy she founded 25 years ago.

Mrs Rhodes pictured sold the Milton Keynes-based business to expanding HR and health and safety specialist HR Solutions in July 2020 and stayed with the new company to ensure a smooth handover.

“Crispin Rhodes has been a real labour of love for me and for my team and, while I am sad to leave, I feel that this is the right time to step down,” she says. “I know that my clients will

be well supported by the HR Solutions family and I leave the company in good hands.”

She now plans to travel the world with her husband.

“It has been a pleasure working together since we become one team two years ago and we wish Angela a long and happy retirement,” says HR Solutions chief executive Greg Guilford.

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

Business News

Ministers: LEPs vital to growth and jobs delivery Skills and support for growing businesses top SEMLEP’s agenda for 2022-23

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he role of the South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership is needed now more than ever as business continues its recovery from the pandemic amid the rising cost of living, says its chief executive.

Hilary Chipping was speaking after a government review of the LEPs around the country. Ministers have confirmed that they want to ensure that businesses can access the support, expertise and representation that the Local Enterprise Partnership provides and to ensure that an independent business and stakeholder voice continues to play its vital role in supporting growth.

SEMLEP has published its Annual Delivery Plan for 2022/23. It coincided with a nationwide Local

Enterprise Partnership-central government conference that has reaffirmed the role of LEPs and priorities for the future.

SEMLEP is funded by central and local government to deliver national programmes, tailored locally on behalf of several government departments, including the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Department for Education and the Department for International Trade.

Ms Chipping said: “SEMLEP’s commitment to deliver sustainable and inclusive economic growth is set out clearly in the Delivery Plan for this year. We will continue to deliver an employer-led Skills Strategy, support high-growth, scale-up and pre-scaleup businesses through our Growth

Hilary Chipping Hub and deliver much-needed Green Recovery and Innovation support to businesses in our area.”

SEMLEP’s Annual Delivery Plan sets out core activities, performance indicators and timeframes for the partnership to deliver: n Economic and skills intelligence and analysis to support data-led and evidence-based decisions on development across the South East Midlands.

n Multiple programmes to support local businesses to manage change, enhance export opportunities, recruit and retain talent, and transition to a zero-carbon future. n Support for employer-led skills development, connecting pathways into current and future occupations and enhanced careers-related information and experiences for young people. n Added value from the 60 projects supported through the major capital investment funds managed by the LEP. “The LEP as a public private partnership bringing together businesses, local authority leaders, Universities and the voluntary sector is needed more than ever now to support local businesses and local communities in these economically challenging times,” said Ms Chipping.

At the conference, technology minister Chris Philp, who recently

Boris Johnson is pictured on a visit as Prime Minister to UK Biocentre during the pandemic in 2020

Sample processor joins UK’s largest health research programme

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p to five million people are being recruited for the UK’s largest health research programme.

The programme aims to discover how lifethreatening diseases can be detected, treated and prevented more effectively.

It is hoped that the Our Future Health project will pave the way for a bold new approach to healthcare in the NHS, focused on detecting life-changing conditions before symptoms appear, on better treatment outcomes and people living longer, healthier lives.

UK Biocentre, a specialist in sample processing, will play a key role in the research programme, which is looking at diseases such as cancer, dementia, heart disease, arthritis, diabetes and stroke. Its purposebuilt laboratories in Milton Keynes at Tilbrook have been designed specifically for the management,

processing, and analysis of biological samples for biomedical research. They will process and store up to 50 million samples collected during the study.

It will use the latest automated technologies to receive and process up to 10,000 samples a day for use in future biological and genetic analysis work.

UK Biocentre’s chief executive Dr Toby Cox pictured below described the Our Future Health research as “nationally significant”.

He added: “We are delighted to support Our Future Health, a ground-breaking research

programme, which will lead to more of us living healthier lives for longer. Our strong track record.”

UK Biocentre has a successful track record in high-capacity processing and storing samples, he added. Its staff of 800 supported the nation’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic by testing more than 30 million samples. UK Biocentre stores samples for more than 100 organisations including the government, academic institutions, the NHS, and other research partners.

Our Future Health chief executive Andrew Roddam said: “We are delighted that UK Biocentre will be one of our key partners supporting us in the processing of our participants’ blood samples and be solely responsible for the long-term ultra-low temperature sample storage.

“Their wealth of experience will ensure our volunteers’ samples are in good hands.”

published the government’s UK Digital Strategy, said: ”Everyone should be able to get the skills needed to seize the benefits of new technology and forge a career in the UK’s booming digital industries.

This is at the heart of the Digital Strategy and Local Enterprise Partnerships will play a vital role in delivering it by helping to boost growth, jobs and opportunities in tech across the country.

“LEPs are also putting their weight behind international trade opportunities and exploiting local economic strengths that boost innovation, where they have a strong card to play.”

The government’s LEP Review concluded in March. It concluded that “LEPs will eventually fully integrate into local democratic institutions in line with [government’s] mission to offer a devolution deal to everywhere that wants one by 2030.”

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Rival bidders vie for town centre office

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city centre office building in Bedford has changed hands after a bidding battle.

The freehold of the 13,400 sq. ft. premises in Lurke Street has been acquired by a private investor after a number of competing bids pushed the offers well above the £800,000 guide price.

Commercial property consultancy Kirkby Diamond was joint agent with Koopmans Property Asset Management on the sale of the

building pictured and received a total ten bids on the property, formerly occupied by law firm HCB Park Woodfine.

“We surpassed expectations

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

both on the price achieved and the speed of the sale,” said Nathan George, head of lease advisory at Kirkby Diamond.

Hundreds of law books left by HCB Park Woodfine following the firm’s departure have now been donated to charity and will be shipped abroad to countries in Africa and Asia to help budding lawyers there with their studies.

HCB Park Woodfine has relocated to offices at Goldington Road in Bedford.

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The Growth Debate

Theo Chalmers Theo Chalmers is director of Verve Public Relations and chairman of Urban Eden.

As the cost of living crisis continues, MKBLP chair Nicholas Mann delivers a heartfelt plea.

www.urbaneden.org www.vervepr.co.uk e: t.chalmers@vervepr.co.uk 01908 275271

Planners take a leap off the Peer

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arlier this year I discussed Milton Keynes Council’s never-ending ‘Planning Crisis’’ which had, by then, become a Planning Disaster’. I described how 28 incorrect planning decision notices had been sent out before being checked when their parttime ‘Service Improvement Manager’ - publicly described as a ‘rogue’ by both council leader Pete Marland and chair of the development control committee Mick Legg - was allegedly sending out 70- 80 decision notices in an afternoon.

But these were just tragic addenda to the litany of incompetence which preceded them.

In 2020 the two MPs for Milton Keynes called for the then housing minister to investigate the planning consent on the Blakelands warehouse planning permission which had somehow, by incompetence or design, left out 13 key conditions.

The council appointed independent planning consultant Marc Dorfman to

conduct a review but he failed to meet his deadline and only published an interim report finding no evidence of “collusion” between planners and the applicant. A council audit report concluded that it could not fully say that Dorfman had properly examined the evidence. However, the council was aware of the effect of the process on Mr Dorfman’s wellbeing and had offered extra administrative support to help him finalise the review. He resigned, his report never to see the light of day.

Did that catalogue of incompetence daunt our noble council? Of course not.

It determined to spend a further £150,000 or so from the public purse to appoint Queen’s Counsel Timothy Straker to prepare a second independent report into the Blakelands warehouse scandal. He concluded that there was “no corruption or malpractice” and yet this was despite the author’s failure to interview several case officers involved.

There have been so many recent scandals

City BREAKFAST CLUB

MK

CITY BREAKFAST CLUB, MILTON KEYNES RETURNS SEPTEMBER 2022 The City Breakfast Club is the longest running, premier networking event in Milton Keynes, giving our guests the opportunity to meet with the city’s top business leaders and hear from professional speakers on issues affecting Milton Keynes and the wider region. The City Breakfast Club returns to its traditional meeting dates, the first Wednesday of the month, from September.

Our September speakers: Amanda Marlow Milton Keynes Mayor

Debbie Brock High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire

To book your place, visit citybreakfastclub.co.uk Delta Milton Keynes, Timbold Drive, Kents Hill MK7 6HL 7:30 - 9:00

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and so little done to rectify them that there is not enough space to list them here.

However, a proposal was agreed for how the Planning Advisory Service and Local Government Association could support the council with a ‘Peer challenge of the Planning Service’. Its purpose was to draw a line in the sand and to allow the service, despite its reputation problem and low level of trust among councillors and stakeholders, to move forward.

It is now published but consists mostly of long-winded meaningless platitudes. I will try to precis their own words, with my own thoughts in brackets: n There needs to be an acceptance of past issues but it is time to move on and be more confident. n The organisation needs to be clear on who is driving the growth agenda (I thought that the property developers have been proven overwhelmingly to be banging every drum in MK for years). n Council, stakeholder and communities need to be aligned. n Planning needs to move quickly through the current phase of process and systems improvement and should engage with service users as this is rolled out. n Pick up performance and take action so that confidence in the service isn’t harmed (Surely that boat, in their own words, has long sailed). n Capacity need to be addressed within the development management service and in areas that support the function (It’s all about recruiting competent staff, and that is arguably simply not happening). n Develop a more constructive relationship with community groups. n Undertake a stakeholder mapping exercise and develop relationships with key stakeholders (Could this be any more meaningless?). n Work with stakeholders to deliver a strategic delivery programme with clear deliverables, aims and objectives that will drive the 2050 Strategy. n Formulate a delivery plan that will enable the team to focus on delivery of the actions required to realise the council’s overall vision for MK (In short; ignore and deny those lawfully making or objecting to planning applications unless the council or individual planners agree with them).

If you are thinking of submitting or objecting to a planning application any time soon, good luck with that.

Cheerio.

Time to put an arm round the community

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s chair of Milton Keynes Business Leaders Partnership, I am often in awe of the outpouring of support from organisations across the city. Never more so than during the pandemic when businesses effectively wrapped their arms around the local community.

Time and again, we share news from MKBLP members on their fundraising initiatives and voluntary efforts to support the wider community. Personally, I have participated in charity events close to home, including donning my hiking boots to walk miles to raise much-needed funds.

As we celebrate business successes and the achievements of individuals, we never lose sight of the plight of many within our community. But we all feel the pinch of the cost of living crisis; it is tightening its grip and the numbers of people needing greater support is growing alarmingly.

At the last MKBLP event we were joined by Louisa Hobbs pictured below, operations manager at MK Food Bank, who outlined the stark reality of the crisis. Since the start of this year, MK Food Bank has distributed 11,000 emergency food parcel - a third more than in 2021 and more than in the whole of 2019. Demand in June outstripped that of January - traditionally when greater support is needed - leading to growing concerns for what the winter months will bring.

Over the last 18 months, MK Food Bank has supported more than 4,700 households - that’s one in 30 households, one in every school class and more than one in every street.

The number of new people contacting the Food Bank each week is rising, particularly among those in full-time employment and who are still struggling to make ends meet.

MK Council released data only last month which revealed that 17,750 Milton Keynes households could be facing financial hardship - that’s one in every six.

It’s the reality of the times we are living in. Named Charity of The Year at the 2022 Milton Keynes Business Achievement Awards, MK Food Bank plays a vital role within the community. However, as demand for its support increases, the charity has revealed that donations have plummeted and it now needs £100,000 a year extra to help the people of Milton Keynes through this crisis.

Businesses can offer their support in many ways, from payroll giving and match funding for sponsored events to volunteering by packing and delivering emergency food parcels. Or by supporting MK Food Bank’s new TopUp shop initiative where people can purchase ten store cupboard items for £2 and receive advice on anything from debt management to navigating through the complicated benefits system and how to manage rising energy costs.

As Louisa pointed out, generosity is the best form of marketing.

While much needs to be done on a national level to tackle this crisis, businesses should not only be offering support to the local community but also be looking at employees and colleagues to alleviate the burden of the crisis, from offering wellbeing support, childcare vouchers and using business credit cards to streamline expenses.

Through MKBAA we have seen the parameters of success change for businesses. It’s not all down to financial achievements but how employers give back to their community and support their own teams. Ultimately, this cost of living crisis is not going away. We need to replicate how we pulled together during the pandemic and once again wrap our arms around our local community.

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

Business News

‘Everyone deserves to be in a job they enjoy’

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ix months after giving birth to her son, Della Judd returned to work. She struggled to find a job that worked around her new family after being made redundant while on maternity leave. Now she was settling into her new role, a 90-minute commute from home.

Then one day her son’s nursery called to say they suspected her boy had meningitis.

“That 90-minute journey to get back to him felt like the longest journey of my life,” Della recalls. “It also gave me time to reflect and realise that this job just was not working. I was out of the house before my son was awake and back after he had gone to bed. I then secured another job that was a

big pay cut but gave me ten hours back a week.”

Since then, Della has become an advocate for flexible working and positive leadership and works with people to help them to identify what they want from their job, what they value and what motivates them.

She believes that, following the pandemic, many are asking themselves these questions. And now she has put her personal experiences of redundancy, childcare and health challenges on paper in her first book Get The Job You Really Want In A Post Pandemic World.

Della has coached and mentored hundreds of people in senior roles over the last 25 years. The book tells her story and offers tips, exercises

Della Judd.

and case studies for the reader to understand their values and what drives them, to reflect on their work-life balance and how to build confidence so they can present their best self at interview.

“The pandemic hit us all for six,” she says. “Then, slowly, we got used to this enforced period of staying at

home without a commute. People started spending more time with their family and focusing on the things that really mattered. Now we are seeing some companies forcing a return to the office and others offering a more flexible, hybrid way of working. As we enter an employees market,with more choice than ever before in

Photo: JAR Photography

terms of how we work, it is important to understand how we can get the job that really works for us.”

Her book is available on Amazon and Della has donated copies to the YMCA and education and careers service Key Business Skills Ltd in Daventry, thanks to a Crowd Funder initiative in which people who buy a book also donate a copy to the service. Copies of the book have also been donated to Willen Hospice, for the charity to sell in its shop.

The Crowd Funder to donate books has now closed but companies interested in giving copies of Della’s books away to those in need can to contact Della at admin@dellajudd. co.uk.

“Everyone deserves to be in a job they enjoy and I really want to do all I can to make that happen,” she says.

Hub can be ‘the jewel in the crown’, say developers

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evelopers working on the new MK Gateway project in Central Milton Keynes have unveiled plans for an innovation hub offering workspace to start-ups and trailblazers.

The Shed is one of two distinct buildings within MK Gateway, the redevelopment of the former council offices at Saxon Court into a futurefocused knowledge hub.

The Shed is envisaged as a versatile space for creatives who have, until now, been relegated to the outskirts of Milton Keynes due to high rental rates. The building aims to showcase local innovation, attracting local entrepreneurs.

The Shed was originally due to be a second, smaller residential block, with the overall majority of the planned 288 apartments to rent being housed within a taller block, The Village. However, public feedback from several rounds of consultation has convinced after mixed-use developer Socius and investor Patron Capital to alter the plans to answer calls for creative and independent space for businesses.

Socius project director Steve Eccles said: “During the planning stage we made it our mission to work closely, and listen to, local organisations and communities, and there are a large number of businesses looking for

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

a space like this. The result is plans for a building that is well designed

but straightforward to offer versatile workshop space that is efficient yet

minimalist to keep rents low.”

The Shed is based on other similar concepts in Oxford and Cambridge.

“We believe that if we start bringing these creative businesses into Central Milton Keynes the value add will be huge,” said Mr Eccles. “The Shed may become the jewel in the crown of MK Gateway.”

Milton Keynes Council’s deputy leader Cllr Robin Bradburn said: “The plans are an exciting new addition to Central Milton Keynes providing start-ups with a creative space. Our city is brimming with aspirational entrepreneurs and spaces like these give them the opportunities to reach their full potential.”

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

Business News

Accelerator picks SMEs to test new green tech

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en small businesses have been selected to be part of a Milton Keynes Council-led programme to create new green jobs and test cuttingedge technologies in the city.

The Milton Keynes Accelerator is designed to help small and mediumsized enterprises operating in data analysis, 5G or artificial intelligence to speed up the launch of new and innovative technologies.

The ten businesses will receive expert advice and support from a consortium of industry partners, including centre:mk, Amey and Saxon Court developer Socius Development. They will also test schemes using the city’s 5G network, roads and public spaces.

The council is funding the Accelerator using a national

grant. It is being delivered by the Connected Places Catapult in partnership with the True Altitude group of entrepreneur and investor mentors.

Earlier this year it invited businesses to apply for the scheme as part of its proposals to support a fair, green and balanced economic recovery.

Those selected will support the council’s commitment to becoming carbon neutral by 2030 and will address challenges related to sustainable travel, renewable energy and improving air quality.

“We are delighted to see some great businesses on the programme which will help everyone in Milton Keynes learn invaluable lessons through real-time testing,” said council leader Cllr Pete Marland. “They will have access to industry experts

who will take their vision and help them turn it into reality.

We have big hopes for the Accelerator and expect these business to take major strides as we work together towards making our city even greener and better connected.”

Alex Weedon, executive director SME development and academic engagement at Connected Places Catapult, added: “Milton Keynes has been at the forefront of many innovations and has invested significantly in the development of a sustainable economy, which is why we are thrilled to have partnered with the council once again to launch this brand new accelerator. We look forward to supporting the SMEs on the programme and seeing how their disruptive technologies are tested and implemented in the city.”

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

I had to move before I was asked

S Milton Keynes North MP Ben Everitt (centre) with the Country Landowners Association delegation at Hill Farm

MP: I will fight rural economy’s corner

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onnectivity, food security and housing were on the agenda when Milton Keynes MP Ben Everitt took a tour of a farm near Newport Pagnell.

He was joined by Tim Bamford, regional director of the Country Land and Business Association South East, and CLA member Peter Geary.

The aim of the meeting was an update on issues affecting rural business and life in the country. A report from an AllParty Parliamentary Group has highlighted the rural economy’s potential but CLA members say the urban-rural divide still remains.

The visit was hosted by the CLA’s Buckinghamshire chairman Robert RuckKeene, who showed his visitors around his farm. The

group discussed the APPG for Rural Business and the Rural Powerhouse’s recent report Levelling up the rural economy: an inquiry into rural productivity. It is one of the most comprehensive inquiries into the rural economy by a parliamentary group in years, says the CLA, and calls for the government to show ambition for the countryside, highlighting areas such as housing, planning and skills.

Mr Everitt’s father worked on a farm. The MP for Milton Keynes North said: “I was really pleased to talk about issues including food security, the cost of farming, Milton Keynes Council’s plans for the MK East expansion and the future of agriculture in the UK.” Mr Bamford said: “It was a

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

pleasure to meet Ben for the farm tour and discussion. We look forward to building a close relationship as farming is such an important sector in the Milton Keynes North constituency.

“This is a crucial time for our sector. The government must commit to creating opportunity and prosperity for everyone.”

Mr Ruck-Keene has been actively involved in the management of the family estate since the mid-1980s, and is a staunch backer of Thames Valley Police’s campaign to combat crime in rural areas. He has sat on the Thames Valley Rural Crime Partnership since 2013.

“It is important for our MP to take rural issues seriously and continue engaging with rural communities,” he said.

he positions herself as the big sister young girls wish they had growing up. She now has more than 660,000 followers on TikTok and influencer Victoria Wright is creating content that aims to inspire young - and not so young - women to be their ideal version of themselves.

Victoria, known on TikTok and Instagram as Vickaboox, talks candidly about mental health, relationships and insecurities. She reflects on the success of a venture that only began during the pandemic. “I started doing it for fun out of my bedroom,” she says. “I never expected to have a business out of it.”

Today she works with leading fashion brands including beauty brand Superdrug, fashion brand In The Style and cosmetics brand W7 and puts her success down to, simply, being herself. “We spend so much time on social media that it is easy to see when someone isn’t being themselves,” she says. “People like honesty, openness, people being themselves.”

That has been the case for her since day one. The first video she made was about a “hideous” dress she found online. She told her friends she wanted to buy it and filmed their reaction.

Since then her activity has grown to the point where she has moved her office from her bedroom at her parents’ house to an office in Milton Keynes Business Centre. “I didn’t want to move away from my mum but when you’re an influencer, boxes arrive for you every day and it inevitably gets messy at home. I had to move before I was asked…”

Her search for premises led almost immediately to Milton Keynes Business Centre at Linford Wood. “I signed the lease the day I saw it,” says Victoria. “It’s perfect for what I need and I’ve made it look like a really pretty girly studio. The lighting is

Victoria Wright perfect for filming and it’s a great place to show off clothes.”

Before her move to Linford Wood, Victoria had been signed up by her management team in 2020, which negotiated a deal for her with British lipstick brand W7. She launched her own eyeshadow palette - available in Tesco, in stores all over Europe and is sold as far away as South Africa - earlier this year, has begun work presenting on social media and is writing a book of self-help advice.

“Brand deals are where the money comes from,” she says. “The content I create I upload free and we’re working with so many brands now. It’s such a busy year.”

The book she is writing is all about empowerment. “It’s called The Year of the Bad B not the Sad B,” she says.

B stands for Bitch. “I’m hoping the book will do really well. It’s all about levelling up your life and doing things for yourself. Never be afraid to do that.”

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

Foxhunter Drive, Linford Wood Milton Keynes MK14 6GD

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Money Matters

Insolvency Service gets tough on rogue directors Abuse of the government’s Covid loan schemes is leading to an increase in disqualifications, says corporate restructuring specialist Dominic Dunville.

E

arlier this year, the government announced new measures that will further scrutinise auditing and corporate governance for larger companies following the highprofile collapses of retailer BHS and the builder Carillion. The latter had a devasting impact on healthcare provision and resulted in the loss of thousands of jobs and revenue for shareholders. The board of directors was found solely responsible for the collapse and accused of “recklessness, hubris and greed” in a very public dressing down.

In a developed economy seeking to cultivate an entrepreneurial spirit, it is generally considered to be a good thing that almost anyone can be a director of a company. Providing you are at least 16 years old and not currently bankrupt ,you can take the appointment in the UK. While such a low barrier to entry has no doubt helped the British economy over the decades, each year there are a minority who, due to their conduct, have lost the right to be a director. Currently there are more than 6,500 directors with active UK disqualifications.

The Insolvency Service is the government agency that monitors director conduct and brings most disqualification proceedings. Nine times out of ten, the genesis for a disqualification is the company entering into insolvency proceedings and the Insolvency Practitioner submitting a conduct report to the Insolvency Service. If and when the Insolvency Service has cause to commence proceedings it is by no means guaranteed that disqualification will follow; as with all fair law enforcement, the accused have the chance to defend themselves.

In the year to March 2022 were down significantly on previous years; 802 directors were disqualified in that year against 1,200-1,300 in earlier periods.

While it would be nice to think that standards of behaviour have improved, I have a hunch that this recent downward trend will swing back in the opposite direction in the next few years:

Consolidating your pensions into one plan delivers peace of mind and a clear strategy towards your future retirement.

Tony Byrne, managing director of Wealth & Tax Management, explains.

Clearing a path through your pensions hotchpotch

A Dominic Dumville n During 2021, as a result of the pandemic and government support there were record low levels of corporate insolvencies, resulting in lower conduct reports; n Corporate insolvencies are expected to bounce back to more normal levels and increase in the wake of the pandemic and inflationary pressures; n The Insolvency Service was recently given powers to investigate into and bring disqualification proceedings in dissolved companies; n Perhaps most significantly, the government’s massively popular Covid support schemes were not always used in accordance with the scheme rules.

This hunch is supported by recent data from the Insolvency Service’s website pages listing recent disqualification outcomes.

A review of the summaries for cases submitted in June highlights the fact that more than half related to the abuse of Covid support measures and Bounce Back Loans in particular. The most common offences were the improper use of the funds and obtaining the loans by submitting false information.

Another interesting statistic is the average disqualification term. The commentary accompanying the statistics for the year to March 2022 explains that the average disqualification term in that year was five years and ten months. The disqualifications in cases submitted in

June average a term of more than seven years, with a number of the Bounce Back Loan-related offences attracting bans for ten and 11 years.

I am often asked by directors ‘Should I be worried?’ and the answer is ‘It depends’. Compared to the number of insolvencies in any given year, it is a minority that lead to disqualifications.

However, if a director knows they have allowed the line between what is good for them personally and what is good for the company to become blurred, they may find themselves in hot water.

Where Bounce Back Loans have been obtained with false information or where the funds were not used in accordance with the terms set out by the British Business Bank, one might argue that the offence is undone if the loan is repaid.

While logical, this argument should be considered in the bigger picture; have other creditors suffered as a result?

No two cases are the same and so the best advice I can give is to take advice, early. Swift, professional advice can mean that financial decisions are properly scrutinised, investors are kept in the loop and there is good, open communication with all involved.

re you a business owner or a business executive planning your retirement?

Or maybe you have already retired? Have you built up a number of pensions during your working lifetime? Is it a veritable hotchpotch of different types of pensions?

Do you know exactly what type of pension each of them is, how much it is worth and how it has performed? Are you sure you have a record of all of your pensions?

Is the information you receive on them clear and understandable or do you skim read it and put it in a drawer saying to yourself that you will look at it later but then you forget about it? Then you repeat the same process next year?

Rest assured you are not the only person who does this. Most people are like you.

Consider having your pensions reviewed by a specialist with a view to consolidating them into one pension. Once an adviser has reviewed your pensions and advised you to consolidate some or all of them into one pension plan, you will find it easier to manage the pension and you will have an adviser who can explain

Everything will be in one place so it will be simple to manage it to you and review it with you annually.

You will understand the new pension plan clearly, you will know how it is performing and you will be able to ask your pension adviser as many questions as you like about it. Everything will be in one place so it will be simple to manage.

If you choose a good adviser, he or she should be able to advise you well by building a trusted, longterm relationship with you.

This will give you peace of mind as well as a clear retirement strategy that will assist you to achieve your retirement goals.

www.wealthandtax.co.uk

n Dominic Dunville is a partner in the corporate restructuring team at accountants Mercer & Hole. email dominic.dumville@mercerhole.co.uk or visit www.mercerhole.co.uk.

£1.5m investment thrusts firm on to global stage

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mployee engagement platform Workbuzz is moving ahead with expansion overseas and the creation of 15 new jobs after securing a £1.5 million investment.

The funding has come from Workbuzz’s existing backers Mercia and Foresight, both of which invested via the Midlands Engine Investment Fund, alongside funding from private investors.

The Milton Keynes-based company has more than doubled the size of its team since initial investment in March last year and now employs 35 staff, with plans to fill 15 new positions by the end of the year.

Revenue has more than doubled to £2 million. The platform delivers real-time feedback to help management to improve employee experience and to build a more inclusive culture. It enables HR managers

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to launch surveys and algorithms analyse responses and highlight areas for potential improvement.

Workbuzz, whose offices are at Linford Wood, intends to expand its sales and marketing team and to add new features and languages to the platform ahead of further expansion. It already has won new clients in Australia and is planning a Series A fundraising, its first significant round of venture capital financing.

Chief executive Steven Frost launched Workbuzz in 2018, having previously run an employee engagement consultancy.

Today its clients include Shell Energy, Premier Foods, HS2, Hovis and restaurant chain Five Guys. “With generational talent shortages, fundamental shifts in how millions of people work and changing employee expectations, we are excited to

use the funding to amplify the difference we can make, faster,” Mr Frost said.

Mercia says the funding will help Workbuzz to launch on the global stage off the back of rapid growth in the UK. Investment director Stephen Windsor said: “Organisations today not only face the challenge of managing remote workers but also of finding and retaining staff in a very tight labour market. WorkBuzz helps them to meet the challenge.”

The Midlands Engine Investment Fund project, through which the new investment has come, is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank.

Tony Byrne For advice on pensions consolidation, take advantage of 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 August 31 2022. 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. n 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

Feature: SME MK & Buckinghamshire Business Awards

The celebrations begin in earnest for the winners at this year’s SME MK & Buckinghamshire Business Awards

‘This means a huge amount to all of us’

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hree good reason to celebrate… and the team at Bluecube Technology Solutions are making the most of it.

The Central Milton Keynesbased firm, which has reported record growth this year and expects to hit its five-year growth strategy target, took centre stage at this year’s SME Milton Keynes & Buckinghamshire Business Awards, striking gold in two categories and receiving the overall award for best business.

Bluecube and the winners in all but two categories also secured a place at the SME National Awards, which take place at Wembley Stadium in December.

Speaking after collecting the company’s third award of the night, Bluecube’s commercial director David Robinson said: “We have been part of the MK culture for the past 20 years.

We started off in Newport Pagnell and now we are right in the middle of the city. We have built and developed a business, employed hundreds

of people. This award means a huge amount to all of us. We really appreciate it.”

Around 250 businesspeople were at the awards ceremony, organised by Towcester-based events specialist Events & PR and held at the DoubleTree by Hilton, Stadium MK. Events & PR managing director Damian Cummins said: “In a room full of successful businesses, many of whom have had to pivot over the last two years, it was heartening to see such a leading example win our overall award. Bluecube Technology Solutions are clearly making huge strides with their business.”

Specialist IT resources company Lucid Support Services, based at Wymbush, described its award as Business of the Year with more than 50 employees as “a huge achievement” in its 20th year in business.

Managing director Alun Jones said: “We pride ourselves in putting our people first and supporting the local Milton Keynes community. We are passionate

about providing integritybased recruitment services as a highly certified, recognised and valued partner to clients, contractors and candidates.

“We are no more than the sum of our parts, which includes everyone over the years who has advised, guided, had faith in us and most importantly worked for Lucid.”

Digital content and software company REAS Group, based in Central Milton Keynes, was named BAME Business of the Year. Founder and managing director Robert Lee said: “We

Robert Lee

Paul Tomlinson

did not set out to be a BAME business, however one of our core values is inclusion.

Our inclusive approach has enabled us to build a global

team of talented minds. ” The company comprises staff from the UK, Guyana, India, Lithuania, Israel and Azerbaijan.

“Inclusivity does not mean including everything straightaway. It means if you can, you should,” Mr Lee said.

Winner of the Business MK and MK Pulse magazinesponsored Best New Business category was Wolvertonbased Fierce Gym, founded by former IT specialist Paul Tomlinson. “Winning this award means so much,” he said. n Now meet all the winners in a four-page photo special: Pages 12-15

We’re delighted to be a partner of the SME Business Awards.

Congratulations to all the winners and finalists

“Stopping advertising to save money is like stopping a clock to save time”

Increase your profile.

Promote your business.

Strengthen your brand.

– Henry Ford

70,000

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B2B and B2C coverage across Milton Keynes, North Bucks and Northamptonshire

Talk to us 01908 465488 Established, trusted & well-read media Lucid Support Services managing director Alun Jones (second from left) with the Business of the Year award

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

www.pulsegroupmedia.co.uk Business MK

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Feature: SME MK & Buckinghamshire Business Awards BAME Business of the Year

GOLD REAS Group

SILVER D’Rose Development Consultancy

Sandler MK Best Customer Service Public Vote

Celebrate with the winners of this year’s SME MK & Buckinghamshire Business Awards, announced at a glittering gala ceremony at the DoubleTree by Hilton, Stadium MK. MyMiltonKeynes BID Best Business in the MK BID District

GOLD La Aesthetics/ La Academy

SILVER Treat Street

DoubleTree by Hilton Best Enterprising Business GOLD Bluecube Technology Solutions

123 Internet Group Business Innovation

GOLD Queensbury

SILVER Nutshell Creative Marketing

Business MK/MK Pulse Best New Business GOLD MumPod Company

GOLD Fierce Gym

SILVER The Willen Ice Cream Company

Buckinghamshire Business of the Year

SILVER Vinyl Interiors

Complete IT Business of the Year (less than 50 employees)

GOLD Voucherline

SILVER The Engineering Quest

Business Chameleon

GOLD Mia Tui

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GOLD Kimbletech

SILVER Brettish Services

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August 2022

SILVER WSA The Communications Agency

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

Feature: SME MK & Buckinghamshire Business Awards Franklins Solicitors Business of the Year (50+employees)

Bluecube exists to make people’s lives easier, more connected, organised and secure. We support our clients by being their whole, or an extension of their IT department so that their businesses are not limited by technology and their minds are not needlessly preoccupied by IT. To be recognised and celebrated for our growth, performance in the MyMiltonKeynes Business Improvement District as best business, and as the best overall winner in the Milton Keynes & Buckinghamshire area is a truly fantastic accomplishment for Bluecube Ad.pdf 1 14/07/2022 15:40:35 our team and something we are incredibly proud of.

GOLD Lucid Support Services

SILVER SMS Cleaning

C

M

Community Business of the Year

Y

CM

Bluecube Logo award winners contact details

MY

CY

about bluecube / profile / pleased

CMY

K

GOLD The Princes Risborough Centre

www.bluecube.tech

SILVER Active in the Community CIC

Eco Design Consultants Corporate Social Responsibility Award

“This is a huge achievement for Lucid as we pride ourselves in putting our people first and supporting the Milton Keynes community through partnerships with MK-based businesses and fundraising for local charities. We are passionate about providing integrity-based recruitment services as a highly certified, recognised and valued partner to clients, contractors and candidates.

“We are no more than the sum of our parts, which includes everyone over the years that has advised, guided, had faith in us and most importantly worked for Lucid. I would like to thank everyone that has contributed to our success in this time.”

ALUN JONES Managing Director, Lucid Support Services

GOLD Shirley Parsons

SILVER Red Giraffe

Employer of the Year

Lucid Support Services is a multi-award winning, established, reliable and trusted employment services and IT project delivery provider throughout the UK. Lucid offer a range of end-to-end talent solutions including: n Temporary, project and back fill IT staff and teams n Audit, installation and project delivery n IT managed services n Government digital services n Permanent and executive hiring Find out more at www.lucid-support.com

GOLD The Engineering Quest

SILVER MDB Service Consultants

Odyssey Connections Family Business of the Year

Being recognised for our activity in the Corporate Social Responsibility space is hugely rewarding and motivational.

Far wider than making great talent matches, supporting project delivery and enabling client success, our corporate responsibility always goes much further.

Our commitment to doing things ethically, ‘in the right way’, has always been a fundamental part of the Shirley Parsons ethos and it’s wonderful to have the hard work and dedication from everyone in the team recognised.

If you’re looking to grow your career either direct with us, or with one of our clients, we’d love to hear from you.

GOLD Hazlemere Window Co

SILVER Locanda Gabriella Voucherline were thrilled to win Best Buckinghamshire Business of the Year. Voucherline annually dispatch thousands of employee, customer and member rewards, with over 300 gift card brand choices with both digital and physical gift cards. Companies and organisations have free access to our www.voucherlinecorporate. com platform to self-serve gift cards manually or via API.

Specialising in:

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Voucherline also has a great employee/member reward and benefit platform www.rewardpanda.co.uk with membership packages starting at £1 per member FOR LIFE. We are based in High Wycombe and will be celebrating 20 years in 2023.

Customer Service

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Send us your challenge and enjoy working with our great team. corporate@voucherline.com

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

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Feature: SME MK & Buckinghamshire Business Awards The Engineering Quest is a leading global supplier of precision-machined components and sub-assemblies. We help companies to design new products and reinvent legacy products for new markets. It’s our mission to help you to develop the next breakthrough device or component in your industry.

High Growth Business of the Year

With 30 years’ experience in price-sensitive environments and multiple industries, we’re experts at creating new process routes and cost-reducing techniques.

Turning a brilliant idea into reality takes a brilliant engineering team that understands the challenges of long-term development projects and works closely with clients and their suppliers, throughout the development and prototype stages.

GOLD Bluecube Technology Solutions

SILVER Benchmark Architects

Milton Keynes Business Centre Milton Keynes Business of the Year

PRECISION... QUALITY...

INNOVATION... EFFICIENCY...

01908 370 788

info@join-the-quest.co.uk

First Avenue Bletchley Milton Keynes MK1 1DY. Also at Great Gransden

GOLD Treat Street

SILVER RJ Fabrication & Design

Positive Impact Award The Willen Ice Cream Company is a family run, award-winning artisan ice cream manufacturer. We produce premium ice cream and use the finest and, where possible, locally sourced natural ingredients to make the best flavours around.

To do this, we work with other local food producers, including Foxdenton to create Foxdenton Raspberry Gin and Vanilla and Fruity Farmer for our Fruity Farmer Seville Orange Gin Sorbet. Collaboration is at our heart.

As well as creating dairy ice cream with farm fresh milk, we also make cashew and fruit-based flavours - perfect for food lovers on a lactose-free or vegan diet.

GOLD Harry’s Rainbow

SILVER MDB Service Consulting

Service Excellence

GOLD J Brown Funeral Services Brettish Services now widely known as Brettish Property & Services are a solution-driven, one stop shop for property professionals and investors who are immersed in the world of real estate investing.

SILVER Ashridge Home Care

Sustainability Award

Brettish Property & Services is centred at the heart of supporting our client’s visions and investments in propertyrelated activities. We support in property or land sourcing, project managing deals and build projects and carry out overall day-to-day servicing and management of properties and sites.

Brettish Property & Services is so proud to have been shortlisted and then to have won the Silver Award for Business Chameleon. Thank you from all at Brettish.

GOLD Carly’s Candle Company

THE ONE STOP SOLUTION PROVIDER TO PROPERTY PROFESSIONALS AND PROPERTY INVESTORS www.brettishservices.co.uk Tel: 07913 127 004 / 01908 393 410 SERVICES info@Brettishcleaning.co.uk PROPERTY enquiries@Brettishproperty.co.uk

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August 2022

SILVER Ramtech Consultant

Nutshell Creative Marketing are delighted to have achieved a Silver award in the category for Best Enterprising Business.

This is our first entry into the SME MK & Buckinghamshire Business Awards and it won’t be our last. It was fantastic to spend the evening soaking up the enterprising energy of this magnificent CITY! We are proud to be a part of this community and hopefully now we have introduced ourselves to the SME businesses across our county as a personable design and marketing agency from Stony Stratford. Congratulations to all involved and we look forward to meeting again.

WHERE LOCAL BRANDS GET CREATIVE.

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

Feature: SME MK & Buckinghamshire Business Awards Businesswoman of the Year

Lockdown Leader

GOLD Hazel Scanlon SMS Cleaning

GOLD Martin Lay (centre) Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts Milton Keynes

SILVER Jessica Sussex Floors at Fourteen

SILVER Matthew Walsh The Princes Risborough Centre

BRONZE Natasha Barnes-Hutchinson Spoilt Rotten Dog

BRONZE Datis Gol Bucks Star Brewery & Tap House

Website of the Year

Ros McFadden, founder and MD of MumPod Company Limited says of her recent award: “I am so excited to have won a Gold SME Award for Business Innovation before the MumPod® has even officially launched.”

The first installation will be in Colchester Hospital with our gender-neutral branding MyPod. MumPod innovates to improve health and wellbeing by enabling parents to breastfeed for longer.

Designed by Ros, who is a midwife and lactation consultant, MumPod is an accessible, comfortable and secure space for parents to rest, express or breastfeed/chestfeed at work, study and when out and about.

Franklins Solicitors Young Business Person of the Year

GOLD Feroze Shanmughanathan Rivaro Travel

SILVER Sanj Chandi Treat Street

BRONZE Jessica Sussex Floors At Fourteen

Rivaro Travel is super thrilled for our founder Feroze Shanmughanathan who has won the Gold Award for Young Business Person of the Year at the SME MK & Buckinghamshire Business Awards.

This is a great achievement for all of us here at Rivaro Travel, especially to have overcome a massive battle with Covid-19 which has caused a major disruption to everyone within the travel industry.

We are all excited to see Feroze head to Wembley for the finals to compete for the National Best Young Business Person of the year.

YOUR GATEWAY TO THE WORLD

2022 is the year of the GOLD Red Giraffe

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

mum-pod.com

www.rivarotravel.com hello@rivarotravel.com 0333 577 6441

Business MK

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August 2022

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Networking Business networking across Milton Keynes, North Bucks and Bedfordshire by business owner and FSB member Justin Charlton-Jones. Free event.

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

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

CONNECT OVER COFFEE August 16 10am-11.30am: The Bedford Swan Hotel, The Embankment Networking event. Free event for Chamber members; non-members £15.

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

August 9, 23 7.45am-8.45am: Best Western Hotel, Buckingham.

Breakfast networking with speaker. Contact: David Babister at dab@espressoarchitecture. co.uk or visit www.bucks-fizz.biz

No fuss, no membership, pay as you go... The Business Buzz format is relaxed, informal, conversational B2B networking.

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

These are complemented by regional virtual events.

All Business Buzz events run 10am-noon BRACKLEY 1st Thursday: Paisley Pear, Northampton Road MILTON KEYNES 3rd Friday: Revolucion de Cuba, Savoy Crescent, 12th Street BEDFORD 1st Wednesday: George & Dragon, Mill 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.

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

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Business networking and referral group.

Price: £6.

MILTON KEYNES 2nd Thursday, 7.30am-9.30am: Abbey Hill Golf Centre, Two Mile Ash VIRTUAL NETWORKING Tuesday Brunch 2nd Tuesday, 9.30am-11am Wednesday Breakfast 4th Wednesday, 7.30am Thursday Breakfast 3rd Thursday, 7.30am Friday Breakfast 2nd Friday, 7.30am THE ACCOUNTABILITY CIRCLE Monday 10am-11am: Online A regular virtual meeting helping small businesses get tasks from ‘to do’ to ‘done’.

Advice and tips on time management and productivity.

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

More information: www.buscomm.co.uk

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

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

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

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

DIAMOND Tuesday 6.45am: Abbey Hill Golf Centre, Two Mile Ash APOLLO Wednesday 10am: MK Gallery PHOENIX Friday 9.45am: The Bedford Golf Club ENCORE Friday 6.45am: Holiday Inn London Luton More information: www.bni.co.uk Airport PIONEER Wednesday 9.30am: Online meetings More information: www.bni.co.uk

Breakfast networking online and face to face.

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

Email yvonne@4unoworries.com

MAXIMISE YOUR MEMBERSHIP August 17 8.30am-10am: Cynthia Spencer Hospice Charity, Northampton Joint event with Northamptopnshire Chanmber of Commerce. An opportunity to find out more about the benefits of Chamber membership.

Free event, Chamber members only.

MILTON KEYNES VIRTUAL NETWORKING August 12 10am-11am: Online.

Hosted by Daxa Patel. Free event.

CHERWELL & NORTH BUCKS August 17 10am-11am: Online Networking forum for entrepreneurs, the self-employed and small businesses. Hosted

F1 fans set record as venue becomes a camp site

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ore than 8,000 campers and motor racing fans descended on Whittlebury Park over the Formula 1 British Grand Prix weekend last month. The site near Towcester sold more than 5,000 plots and welcomed 50 per cent more campers than it had done for the last pre-pandemic Grand Prix in 2019.

“This was our biggest ever camping event by 14 per cent and we are thrilled to have provided so many campers with such an unforgettable weekend,” said Whittlebury Park managing director Charles Sargeant.

Whittlebury Park campsite enjoys Platinum Award standard in Silverstone’s campsite ratings, the highest rating given for a campsite by the Silverstone Interagency Campsites Subgroup.

To book on to Chamber events, visit www.chambermk.co.uk/events

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 TIME OUT TUESDAY! August 16 12 noon-12.45pm: Online via Zoom Informal networking. Free event for Next Generation Chamber members. To book, email info@nextgenerationchamber.co.uk For more information, visit www. nextgenerationchamber.co.uk

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

August 10 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

NEWSinBRIEF

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

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

Car maker opens new UK HQ

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uxury car maker Genesis has opened its first UK headquarters after agreeing a lease on offices with the help of Bedfordshire-based commercial property consultancy Kirkby Diamond.

The Korean car company is to move into a new landmark office building in Maidenhead, Berkshire, on a ten-year lease. Genesis had appointed Kirkby Diamond, which has offices in Luton, Bedford and Milton Keynes, to acquire the company’s first UK headquarters.

Andrew Pilkington, Genesis Motor UK managing director, said: “ We wanted to make sure that our office space was in keeping with the brand’s premium credentials and Kirkby Diamond were instrumental in helping us achieve that.”

Mobility becomes connected

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new partnership between mobility platforms SIXT and Jyrney is under way in several UK towns and cities including Luton.

Integrating the two companies’ technologies enables SIXT ride customers to access ondemand rides. Jyrney has direct links with established local private hire companies.

Jyrney’s co-founder and chief executive Daniel Price said: “The partnership between Jyrney and SIXT is strategically important for us. It validates our vision to make mobility services, such as private hire and taxi, more connected and easier to access for both consumers and business travellers.”

PR firm celebrates contract

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pecialist B2B public relations agency Neo PR has won the PR contract for the global nanosatellite Internet of Things network operator Astrocast. The company is looking to raise its profile in the UK and mainland Europe through a thought leadership campaign to create brand awareness and support inbound sales activity.

Neo PR is based at Nash near Winslow.

Founder and managing director Ashley Carr said: “We are helping to position Astrocast to its target prospects.”

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

Business2Business August 2022

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

Built environment specialist converts to Employee Owned Trust

Meet the entrepreneurs with a taste for success . P18

Move gives business the best chance to attract top talent, says director

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Vertical farming can ease food crisis, says minister. P19

Property firm acquires industrial estate units. P19

specialist in architecture, engineering, planning and surveying has become a business owned by its employees.

The move by Woods Hardwick, whose head office is in Bedford, is part of the organisation’s long-term succession strategy similar to the John Lewis model of ownership where staff rather than shareholders receive a share of the profits each year.

The decision to move to a 100 per cent Employee Owned Trust has been made to deliver a smooth transition to future leaders of the business and to reward staff across the firm for their contribution to the company’s growth, the practice says.

Former shareholders Calum Wilson, Jason Leonard, John Freeman and Tom Francis will remain in their current director posts.

Woods Hardwick staff discuss the move to an Employee Owned Trust on a recent away day Mr Wilson, who has been with the business for more than 30 years, said: “We are an independent firm and our staff are our most vital asset so it is a great opportunity to give

Funeral firm launches new bereavement group

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bereavement support group run by funeral directors Neville Funerals has opened a new branch in Bedford in response to increasing demand for its service.

Talking Elephants has been running since 2015 at the company’s branches in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire. The service provides accessible, free, face-to-face bereavement support and the chance to meet with others also experiencing loss or who are coping with grief.

Bedford branch manager James Witham Developer’s plans for Vauxhall is responsible for managing the new Talking site at M1 J11A. P20 Elephants group. “Since we reopened the groups in September 2021 following the pandemic, we have seen a significant rise in the number of people walking through the doors, which highlights the value and need for such services,” he said.

The Bedford sessions take place at St Andrew’s Church on the first Thursday of each month.

“Support for the bereaved often can be overlooked,” said Neville Funerals director Charmian Alexander.

“With the world how it is today, it is vital that we can expand our support radius to include Bedford and give our local community that extra support they need in16:08 difficult times.” st choice recruitment 124mm x 28mm.qxp_Layout 1 06/04/2021 Page 1 The robots are coming n Find out more at www.nevillefuneralservice. com, call 01582 499680 or email talkingelephants@ to Central Bedfordshire. P20 nevillefuneralservice.com.

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back and reward everyone’s efforts.

“We have got plans to extensively grow the business across our London, Birmingham and Bedford offices and moving over to an employee-owned

business will give us the chance to attract the best employees and talent across the UK.” Woods Hardwick has now begun a five-year transition period in which the former owners will coach and develop the next generation of directors.

“For our clients it still remains business and operations as usual and this decision will allow us to carry on serving the sectors we have worked in for nearly 60 years,” said Mr Wilson.

Woods Hardwick also has offices in London and Birmingham. Its staff have welcomed the move.

Carol Smith, who works in the business support team at the Bedford office, said: “This news really shows how valued we are by Woods Hardwick and gives us a real chance to help it grow and be rewarded for our work and effort.”

1st Choice for Recruitment in Bedford, Biggleswade, Milton Keynes, Northampton and Huntingdon for over 30 years.

www.1stchoice.net Head office: 01234 210025 To feature or comment email: news@businessmk.co.uk

Luton’s night-time economy has been praised as vibrant, diverse and safe

BID chief hails evening economy award

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uton town centre has won Purple Flag accreditation for a third year for its evening and night-time economy.

The Purple Flag is awarded by the Association of Town and City Management to areas providing a vibrant and diverse mix of dining, entertainment and culture while promoting the safety and wellbeing of visitors and residents.

The award is similar to the Green Flag for parks and Blue Flag for beaches.

Luton Business Improvement District funded the Purple Flag application and jointled the process with Luton Borough Council.

BID manager Julia Horsman said: “We are aware that we need to continue to work to address the challenges that businesses and visitors face and to support and build on the offer we have with our evening entertainment and culture in a safe and welcoming environment.”

Cllr Maria Lovell, portfolio holder for inclusive economy

added: “This renewal really is excellent news and it demonstrates the success of the collaborative work across the town centre during the pandemic to keep businesses running and operating safely for residents.

“We have also shown again that Luton has a varied choice of dining, entertainment and events for all ages, lifestyles and cultures both during the day and at night, and that we provide a safe, vibrant and diverse environment that residents can enjoy.”

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Business News

Raise a glass to entrepreneurs’ nose for success

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hen the doors to its new winery and tasting room closed due to the pandemic only two months after they had opened, Jamie Smith and Alex Taylor decided they would not be beaten.

They took their business online, maintaining the wine-tasting experience by rebottling into bottles small enough to be delivered to their customers at home.

Thus the Online Wine Tasting Club was formed and now its founders are celebrating after being named among the most promising new businesses in South East England at the StartUp Awards.

The Online Wine Tasting Club, based in Leighton Buzzard, won the award for Manufacturing and Engineering StartUp of the Year.

Founders Mr Smith and Mr Taylor developed a lightweight packaging that would fit through a letterbox and had machinery custom-built to repack the wine to ensure it arrived in perfect condition.

Jamie Smith (left) and Alex Taylor They had found that rebottling was difficult. “The small bottles did not work with our winery equipment.

We could not keep the quality of the wines for long enough to ship them around the country, as oxygen got in during the rebottling process.”

Postage was difficult, expensive and carbon-intensive because of the weight. “The glass bottles were even sometimes arriving broken or too late for the tasting. Frankly, we knew we could do better. People loved the

tastings and wanted to come back and bring their friends but it did not work well outside of our local area.”

The two set about making the production values as good as the wine, with tasting notes, aroma cards, journals, custom corkscrews and glasses. “We wanted to make sure you get what you need to make the most of a wine tasting.”

Conversations with customers established what the clients wanted.

ARE YOU READY FOR BUSINESS?

“They wanted entertainment and interactivity. They did not want to be lectured for hours about the geeky intricacies of wine-making or which years were best in Bordeaux. They wanted to spend an hour or so having fun, learning how to find a great wine and hearing interesting stories.”

The StartUp Awards National Series debuted this year to highlight the startup scene across the UK that skyrocketed during the pandemic

Machinery dealer backs Blues charity arm

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gricultural machinery dealer Oliver Landpower has partnered with Blues Foundation, the charitable arm of Bedford Blues Rugby Club, to supply an Isuzu D-Max pick-up to the charity to assist in its work with schools, community clubs and organisations.

The Kings Langley-based company has a base in Luton and has provisionally agreed a year’s partnership but expects it to lead to growth opportunities in Bedfordshire. Oliver Landpower will also support Bedford Blues

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via a sponsorship board inside the club’s Goldington Road ground.

Tom Harwood, head of Blues Foundation, said: “This is another critical junction for Blues Foundation, again enabling us to reach even more schools, community clubs and organisations who are keen to access the services we offer.”

Bedford Blues launched its Blues Foundation in April 2020. Since then it has donated more than 40,000 items to Bedford Foodbank, engaged more than 600 children in summer holiday programmes and supported over 5,000 local people.

Historic site wins £2.6m eco grant

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and have been rolled out in nine UK nations and regions.

Awards creator Professor Dylan Jones-Evans says the awards recognise the “amazing” entrepreneurial talent around the UK. “The stories of how they started their businesses during the Covid pandemic were inspirational in so many ways and all these local entrepreneurial heroes are amazing role models for others to follow.

Supporting entrepreneurs needs to be at the forefront of economic policy at both a national and local level in the UK.” The Online Wine Tasting Club continues to gather momentum. “We are incredibly lucky to have been joined by a number of incredibly experienced and interesting wine folk who shared our vision about wine entertainment and education,” says Mr Smith.

“We have always loved hosting wine tastings. The thrill of putting a new wine in front of people and seeing their reactions is incredible.”

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August 2022

mproving the eco-values of one of Bedford’s most historic buildings will be the outcome of a £2.6 million government grant to the Bedford College Group.

The Bedford Sixth Form in Bromham Road is to install hightech low-carbon technologies and removing fossil fuel heating systems.

New technologies include air source heat pumps, renewed mechanical and electrical services, insulation, secondary glazing, motion sensing energy saving devices.

Bought by The Bedford College Group in 2012, the former Harpur Trust private school, Trinity chapel and leisure facility site has already undergone a sympathetic internal modernisation. The grade II listed Bedford Sixth Form is one of five buildings owned by the college to be decarbonised. Air source heat

pumps will replace fossil fuel heating boilers and water heaters, along with new roof and loft insulation and upgrading the building energy management system. The Sixth Form site has already been redeveloped to allow the growth in learner numbers.

Bedford College Group chief executive Ian Pryce said: “We have tried to invest in making our buildings more energy efficient and grants have helped us accelerate those improvements in line with the wishes of our students and our communities.”

The Bedford College Group has already completed decarbonisation projects on other sites and has been nominated for an award in connection to the River Water Heating solution which was a key project for work at the Bedford College riverside campus in Bedford.

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

Business News

Pioneer farm set to boost food production Minister: Growing Centre ‘fantastic’ for local economy

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ne of the largest vertical farming facilities in Europe has opened in Bedford.

Infarm’s first high-capacity Growing Centre, now operating on the Elms Industrial Estate, is set to play a major role in the UK’s food strategy and will be a boost to the local economy.

Jo Churchill, the government minister for agri-innovation and climate adaption at the Department of Food and Rural Affairs, and Bedford MP Mohammad Yasin joined Infarm executives and staff for the official opening.

The facility measures 10,000 sq metres and accommodates up to 40 Infarm cloud-connected farming units, each standing ten metres high. Each unit can grow more than 500,000 plants per year - the equivalent of a football pitch-worth of crops.

Speaking at the opening, both MPs stressed the importance of ensuring a domestic food production that goes with the security of offering UK’s population fresh produce and caring for the environment through innovative and outstanding technology.

Ms Churchill said: “Infarm is capable of producing up to 20 million plants across the UK every year and its new facility in Bedford will be a fantastic boost for the local economy.

We want to be world leaders when it comes to innovation.”

The government’s Food Strategy aims to boost food production and the government is spending £270 million on unlocking innovation in agriculture. “Infarm is a great example of innovation being used to enhance productivity,” the minister said.

Mr Yasin said the UK’s over-

Have your say on Wixams rail station plan

Jo Churchill officially opens the Infarm growing centre in Bedford. The minister is pictured with (from left) Infarm’s UK country director Jeremy Byfleet, Bedford MP Mohammed Yasin and Erez Galonska, Infarm’s co-founder and chief executive dependence on food imports left the country at risk from soaring prices and food insecurity. “I am really excited that Bedford is now home to one of Europe’s largest vertical farming facilities at the forefront of new ways to grow more food domestically,” he added.

“The prospect of growing food with a low carbon footprint, without the need for chemical pesticides, using the latest in green technologies is very promising and it is great that Bedford can play its part in bringing food closer to the people on a scale that might one day feed the nation.”

Each Infarm Growing Centre uses 95 per cent less water and land than traditional agricultural methods and saves thousands of food miles.

The location of the new Bedford facility means that, fully equipped, it can serve 90pc of the country’s population within a four-hour drive.

Uniquely, the Growing Centre in Bedford will implement rainwater harvesting. The further estimated 2.5 million litres of water captured by this technique every year will be used for conditioning the plants.

The new Growing Centre in Bedford will be part of Infarm’s expanding global network of vertical farms. By the end of 2030, Infarm plans to expand to 20 countries.

Every vertical farm is connected to a central farming brain which gathers data constantly to improve plant yield, taste, and nutritional value, while further reducing the use of natural resources.

Infarm’s chief executive and cofounder Erez Galonska said: “The Infarm Growing Centre in Bedford enables us to increase the amount of fresh produce grown locally in the UK significantly. The opening of this UK facility is aligned with our goal to change the food system for the better by improving the safety, quality and environmental footprint of our food.”

In the UK, Infarm’s herbs and leafy greens are on sale at Whole Foods Market, Selfridges, Marks & Spencer, Fortnum & Mason, Budgens and online retailer Getir. Its fresh produce is served in restaurants in London, including Michelin Star locations Pied a Terre, Sabor and Hide.

ublic opinion is being given on Bedford Borough Council’s plans to build a new railway station at the Wixams.

Businesses and residents are having their say ahead of the council submitting its planning applications for the site.

A previous application, approved in 2012, lapsed after the scheme was not implemented. When Network Rail was unable to deliver the station in partnership with the developer, Bedford Borough Council took on the role as project sponsor and, with S106 funding of £13.4 million already allocated, is investing an additional £26 million to help ensure the station, car park and supporting infrastructure can be delivered.

The Station will be located in the ‘Station Quarter’ on the western boundary of the Wixams, on the Midland Main Line between Bedford and Flitwick stations. It will be served by up to four Thameslink trains per hour in each direction.

Plans for the station include two platforms, a station building with a waiting room and coffee shop, parking for up to 350 vehicles and secure cycle parking.

Bedford Mayor Dave Hodgson said: “I am pleased that we have been able to step in, fill the funding gap and help to get this station back on track. This is a significant investment in the Borough’s transport provision, and creates more opportunity for sustainable travel.”

The public engagement is taking place before the council submits its planning applications for the site. n Find out more about the plans for Wixams Station at www.bedford.gov. uk/WixamsStation. Have your say on the plans via the Response Form or email WixamsStation@bedford.gov. uk

Employability Day highlights career options

E Four industrial units in Sandy have been acquired by Pears Property Advisers

Property group pays £1.7m+ for industrial units

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our industrial units in Bedfordshire has been sold to a Londonbased property group.

Pears Property Advisors acquired the investment of a terrace of units on a 0.79-acre site at Tyne Road, Sandy, in a deal in excess of the £1.7 million guide price.

The four units extend to more than 12,000 sq ft of industrial and warehouse

space and a 4,800 sq ft yard.

Occupiers include Home Plastics, BED (Corby), JAMM Group and a private personal training gym.

Eamon Kennedy, partner and head of commercial agency at commercial property consultancy Kirkby Diamond, acted on behalf of private Canadian investor vehicle Forgold, working with Paul Quy in the Kirkby

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

Diamond industrial team.

“We were delighted to achieve above the quoting price for this excellent investment,” Mr Kennedy said.

Michael Genis, investment manager at Pears Property Advisors, said: “We are pleased to have acquired this well located and fully let investment in a market characterised by strong supply/demand dynamics.”

mployers and professional role models from the black community met more than 125 students to give practical advice and guidance on career opportunities and the pathway to success.

The occasion was the first Employability Day in Luton to be hosted by the Foundation for Reach Society in conjunction with Luton Council and the Local Employability Assistance Partnership Project.

The event took place at Chiltern Academy. Some of the young people, aged between ten and 19, found work experience and apprenticeship opportunities on the day. Others discovered the opportunities on offer with Luton-based travel firm TUI, Bedfordshire

construction firm Kier, the health sector and by the uniformed services with the RAF, the Royal Navy, the British Army and Bedfordshire Police Service.

Also highlighted were summer schools like the Space to Explore Potential summer school for year 12 black pupils at Durham University.

Cllr Aslam Khan, deputy leader and portfolio holder responsible for skills and employability at Luton Council, stressed the central role of education in order to access the local employment opportunities.

Chiltern Academy’s head teacher Ian Douglas expressed his delight in being a part of an “historic” event in the area.

Cllr Khan said: “We were really pleased to support the

event. Many young people attended and were able to meet and talk with role models and it was a great opportunity to find out about career paths and what kind of roles are available from a number of employers.

“We are passionate about achieving our aim to make Luton a town that thrives and where no one is left behind and working with our partners, we are here to support young people at all stages of their journey from school to employment so they can achieve their best potential and thrive”.

Plans for the next Employability Day in spring 2023 are under way. Chiltern Academy has offered to host the event and already several role models have offered to participate in the next event.

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Business News

Developer unveils business park plan for former Vauxhall site

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auxhall’s aftersales warehouse site next to Junction 11a of the M1 at Luton in is to be transformed into a 1.2 million sq ft industrial and logistics park.

Developer Goodman plans to create a state-of-the-art commercial park on the brownfield site, providing space for customers operating across the manufacturing, distribution and logistics sectors.

The site’s strategic location makes it ideally placed to serve London and the Midlands, with 27.7 million consumers accessible within a two-hour drivetime.

Goodman’s vision is of sustainably-

designed warehouse space with extensive landscaping. It has pledged a circular approach to construction, minimising waste and use of resources, reusing existing materials wherever possible.

The development will also feature renewable energy sources including full rooftops of solar photovoltaic panels, rainwater harvesting and electric vehicle infrastructure.

“Luton’s excellent connectivity, large labour pool and strong performance across sectors including technology, research and development, transport and logistics, makes it an ideal location for investment,” said Goodman’s development director

Nigel Dolan. “In line with our brownfield development strategy, Goodman will redevelop this site and create a highly sustainable business and employment destination of exceptional quality, while placing our customers close to large consumer populations and a readily available talent pool.”

Work on the Vauxhall site is expected to start in 2023, subject to planning.

The project is part of Goodman’s wider investment in Bedfordshire. It has recently completed the second phase of Bedford Commercial Park, a 45-acre development and joint venture with Bedford Borough Council.

Developer Goodman’s plans for the former Vauxhall site at M1 junction 11A

Delivery robot operator seals partnership with council

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elivery robots will soon be seen on the pavements and roads in Aspley Guise.

The village is the first to welcome the robots after Central Bedfordshire Council agreed a partnership with the robots’ operator Starship Technologies.

The robots are designed to deliver food, groceries, and packages to homes and have proved a resounding success in Milton Keynes and Northampton. They are also arriving in other towns and cities across the UK. Aspley Guise was chosen through research and analysis from Starship’s business development team, engineers and business partners.

Customers choose from

a range of grocery items, schedule their delivery time and destination and can watch in real-time on an app while the robot makes its journey to them.

The council is to work with Starship Technologies to expand the service across Central Bedfordshire. A council spokesman said: “One of the key advantages to the robots is the accessibility benefit as they offer a service to people with mobility issues who cannot get to the shop easily or people busy at home.”

The robots travel no faster than 4mph and use a combination of sensors, artificial intelligence and machine learning to travel on pavements and navigate around obstacles.

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Manufacturer opens new facility

County welcomes new Lord-Lieutenant

BUSINESS OWNERS, S Across Northamptonshire, MANAGERS, LEADERS, Milton Keynes, ENTREPRENEURS, DIRECTORS, Bedfordshire, C-SUITE EXECUTIVES, & DECISION MAKERS.

usan Lousada is to become the new HM Lord-Lieutenant of Bedfordshire when current incumbent Helen Nellis retires next month.

Mrs Lousada pictured, currently a Deputy LordLieutenant, spent a year as High Sheriff of the county when appointed in 2020.

Now she is to become Her Majesty’s representative in the county. “I am passionate about Bedfordshire and will continue to help and promote all the organisations and individuals that work tirelessly to help others within our community,” Mrs Lousada said.

She is vice-president of Bedfordshire NSPCCand is

E a trustee of both the Level Trust, which helps children from poorer families in Luton meet the costs of education, and of the HEART multiacademies trust in Bedford.

Mrs Lousada paid tribute to her predecessor Mrs Nellis’ 11 years as HM LordLieutenant. “It has been a wonderful experience to be part of the team led by the current Lord-Lieutenant,” Mrs Lousada said. “She has fulfilled the role with dignity, integrity, energy and absolute commitment.”

lectronics manufacturer Jaltek has increased its manufacturing space in Luton as it bids to keep pace with demand.

The company is also recruiting to its production, engineering, and account management departments. The new facility adjoins the Jaltek factory at Sundon Park and is expected to start production of electronic system assembly and test in next few months.

Business manager Steve Blythe said: “We continue to see sustained growth in sectors including aerospace, medical and electric vehicle-related products. More clients require full system assembly and test which has led to some great opportunities.”

& Buckinghamshire.

The region’s premier business to business titles, highlighting the brilliant people, companies, talent and opportunities in Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire.

Find out more at www.pulsegroupmedia.co.uk or call 01604 259900 or 01908 465488.

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n A total 200 early risers have raised £4,000 for charity after completing London Luton Airport’s annual Runway Race. They ran the length of the airport’s 1.3-mile runway and back again, raising money for the airport’s two charity partners Luton Foodbank and East Anglian Air Ambulance. The race takes place between 4.30am and 5.30am, while the runway is closed to flights.

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

Q&A

Feature: Q&A Where business people discuss their motivation, ambition, experience - and themselves.

Meet Joe Cuffaro, head of PR and marketing at WSA The Communications Agency in Milton Keynes.

MY FAVOURITE...

FOOD Italian - the surname gives it away...

MUSIC/SONG 00s nu-metal. Keep on rollin’.

BOOK Dracula by Bram Stoker FILM Jurassic Park TV PROGRAMME The Simpsons RESTAURANT Miller & Carter.

Onion Loaf... If you know, you know.

DESTINATION St Ives, Cornwall

‘The Rock’ for President...

He gets my vote’ What was your first job?

What’s your career ambition?

What’s your most treasured possession?

While studying at university, I worked at Milton Keynes Hospital in the medical records department during summer and winter breaks.

Years later, I get to work with the hospital again, now as a client of WSA.

I am very proud to have climbed from an account executive to head of PR at WSA and my ambition is to keep learning because this industry never stands still. I enjoy assisting others to pursue careers they enjoy and knowing I have helped someone achieve their goals means a great deal to me.

Probably my insulin. I’d be in trouble without it.

‘Sometimes it’s better to be kind than to be right. I just like to try and be both’

Why did you choose your particular career?

English and history were my best subjects at school and I went on to study broadcast journalism. I am a creative thinker and found that PR was the perfect way to combine all these skills and interests.

What’s the best job you’ve had and why?

It seems obvious to say my current job - but it’s true. As head of PR and marketing at WSA, I get to play an integral role at a fully in-house agency, working on projects involving PR, social media, events, advertising, website design and more.

…and the worst?

Like many grads, I faced a reality check when job seeking during the 2010 recession. I found myself in jobs that were not my passion, which tested my confidence, but then WSA gave me a shot as an account executive and the rest is history.

What’s the best advice you’ve received in business?

A manager in one of my early jobs used to say “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.”

That resonated with me and I still adopt that mantra both in business and in life.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

There’s been a few but hearing a radio advert I wrote the script for being broadcast on talkSPORT during my first month as part of the WSA PR team was a stand-out moment. I knew I had found what I was looking for.

…and the low point?

I spent my early career taking unpaid

opportunities outside of gainful employment to get experience as a sports broadcaster but it became an unfeasible dream to pursue. A tough pill but I bounced back and eventually found a career path where I can explore my passions.

Who in business do you respect the most?

Dwayne Johnson. From WWE to Hollywood, to selling gym merchandise and launching tequila brands. All are built on a consistent strategy of flawless PR, branding and marketing. Don’t be shocked if he becomes US President.

What annoys you the most in business?

Shortsightedness. Capitalising from a position of strength is what separates the best businesses. All too often, companies reach initial objectives only to take their foot off the gas instead of pushing out of their comfort zones and discovering just how great they could be.

What’s the best thing/worst thing about where you work?

The care WSA has towards its staff and partners is the best thing. We share a great working environment and regularly surpass client expectations.

The worst thing is that we have long been one of MK’s best-kept secrets, but that has changed as more people learn who we are and engage with the local and national work we do.

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

…and your life ambition?

To be able to look back at the end with pride, to know I did the best I could and hopefully, to have enriched the lives of those around me.

What’s the best moment of your life?

Marrying my wife Louise will forever be my happiest day. But Newcastle United (my team) completing their takeover on the same day I arrived in the city for my stag do was pretty great too.

…and the worst?

Being diagnosed as Type 1 Diabetic and coming to terms with that news was challenging. But for anyone who finds out similar, it gets better and doesn’t have to hold you back in any way.

How do you relax?

I am a movie fanatic so the easiest way to chill me out is with a good film. Failing that, get me on a football pitch. I might not look relaxed, puffing and shouting expletives, but I am enjoying myself.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

Sword and sandals epics with outdated special effects. It’s just not a Bank Holiday weekend for me without the plasticine Medusa from Clash of the Titans or the stopmotion skeletons in Jason and the Argonauts.

What’s your worst fault?

I am very strong-willed and always share my opinions. That has benefits but sometimes it is better to be kind than to be right. I just like to try and be both.

What are you afraid of?

Things beyond my control. I like to be in charge of my destiny and not leave things up to fate. I am a better driver than I am a passenger.

What annoys you most in life?

Lack of humility and arrogance. We are all in this life together. If we work hard, play fair, count our blessings and look out for each other, we will all enjoy the ride that little bit more.

Tell us something you regret.

Not buying shares in TikTok. I am a big advocate of incorporating video in PR strategies but missed the boat on investing in that one. The yacht in the Caribbean will have to wait.

Tell us a secret about yourself.

I prefer the American version of The Office to the original UK TV show. It’s borderline treason to suggest such things in the eyes of some. But Dwight Schrute is my guy.

Which two historical figures would you most like to talk to and why?

Alan Turing, so we could talk about working in Bletchley. I suspect he would be very helpful trying to work out that day’s Wordle.

Plato would be useful for that too but I would be too busy asking him if Atlantis was real and, if so, where to find it.

What are the first three things on your bucket list Sturdy handle. Strong material. No holes.

What song/music would you like to be played at your funeral?

Something inappropriate to make people chuckle. Perhaps a looped recording of muffled coughs and knocking.

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In the Community ‘She has no idea how much we are all going to miss her’

Show some love to your favourite café

A G

et voting…that’s the appeal to Milton Keynes from the city’s two MPs as they launch their MK’s Best Café competition.

Iain Stewart right and Ben Everitt are pictured enjoying a cuppa outside the Houses of Parliament as the public vote begins.

They are inviting cafés from across Milton Keynes to enter the competition and those who sign up will battle it out to be named MK’s Best Café.

The competition is aimed at promoting and support local cafés after a difficult couple of years due to Covid lockdowns and the impact of the global cost of living. Residents can vote either through an online form or by sharing a photo of themself at

their favourite café using the hashtag #MKBestCafe on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

“It is wonderful to see many cafés from across Milton Keynes sign up to compete for the title of MK’s Best Café and I would like to wish all involved good luck,” says Mr Stewart, MP for Milton Keynes South.

Adds Mr Everitt, who represents Milton Keynes North: “I hope everyone will get involved and help promote our fantastic cafés across Milton Keynes.

“We know how much businesses had a tough time throughout the pandemic and the effect the global cost of living is having so let’s get out there, support local and show some love to MK’s business scene.”

n Cast your vote at https://forms.gle/9S1BAjhYs4coDpjC7

There’s a fresh new look down by the river...

S

tony Stratford Futures Group has completed the refurbishment of the Stony Riverside Walks information boards.

The boards, situated at points of interest on the walks, were installed a decade ago. Now, with the

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help of The Parks Trust, which looks after 6,000 acres of Milton Keynes’ parkland and green space, the boards in the Mill Field and Toombs Meadow have been updated and reframed with better weatherresistant material.

August 2022

career spanning 32 years in education as a teacher and leader has come to an end as Milton Keynes College Group said farewell to its principal and chief executive Dr Julie Mills.

As part of the day Dr Mills planted a tree as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy project to Plant a tree for the Jubilee. The college is planning to plant a total 70 trees on its campuses this year, one for each year of Her Majesty’s reign.

At Dr Mills’ farewell event, attended by staff and students, the College Group announced it is to fund a new volunteering scheme, the College in the Community Pledge. Starting in the autumn term, staff will be able to take a day per year, fully paid, helping a cause of their choice.

Dr Mills said: “I am overwhelmed after such a warm farewell from colleagues, partner organisations and friends. It’s been a privilege to have spent my time here working with passionate, dedicated people who have made incredible contributions to the lives of our students and the wider Milton Keynes community.”

She joined Milton Keynes College in 1990 as a finance lecturer. After progressing to the role of the college’s deputy head of education at nearby HMP Woodhill, she led a bid for a contract to provide offender learning in prisons around the country. Milton Keynes College is still one of the key contractors today looking after various institutions.

She has overseen the transformation of the college into a group which beyond further education and offender learning now includes the South Central Institute of Technology at Bletchley, which provides training for 1,000 people a year with the tech skills in shortest supply.

Dr Julie Mills

‘It’s been a privilege to spend my time here’ Dr Mills, is a respected figure in the areas of education, skills, social justice and diversity. She is a former Principal of the Year, awarded by the National Centre for Diversity, and has also served as chair of the Helena Kennedy Foundation and of Women Leaders UK. She received an OBE in the Queen’s 2019 Birthday Honours List.

Milton Keynes College Group’s deputy chief executive Sally Alexander said: “Julie’s leadership has seen the College Group develop and grow to an extent nobody could have imagined when she first walked through the doors in 1990 or even when she took over as principal in 2011. Her hard work and commitment to the institution and the people who work

here, staff and students alike, cannot be overstated. She has no idea how much we are all going to miss her and we are all committed to carrying on her fantastic work to build fairer futures in our communities.”

Dr Mills said: “I have no doubt that under Sally’s leadership, the College Group will continue to transform lives in our city of collaboration, innovation and talent.”

Her tree and the 69 others due to be planted will all be native British species including hornbeam, silver birch, rowan and beech. The college will also have its own orchard for the first time comprising different varieties of apples, pears, plums, mulberries and figs.

Trust stalwart steps down after 19 years

R

etiring chief executive David Foster received a formal send-off as he takes retirement after 19 years at the helm of The Parks Trust.

More than 230 people, including High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire Debbie Brock, Milton Keynes Council leader Cllr Pete Marland and John Duggan, founding chair of The Parks Trust, were in attendance at the trust’s annual general meeting to hear Mr Foster present his final report.

Highlights include an increase in net asset value to £150 million, total investments of £9.4 million in the previous 12 months, 1,700 events and a Green Flag award for the fifth consecutive year. The trust has also planted 35,000 trees and shrubs, completed phase two of its development at

Victoria Miles

David Foster, pictured after receiving the Lifetime Achievement award at this year’s Milton Keynes Business Achievement Awards Willen Lake and appointed a sustainability manager as part of its work towards net zero status.

Mr Foster’s successor as chief executive Victoria Miles told the meeting: “Stewardship of much-loved local assets has been at the core of my work

in previous roles and it is an honour to now lead the team that cares for the parks, lakes and landscapes of Milton Keynes.”

Questions were also put to the trust’s management team on sustainability, use of glyphosate, grass cutting and litter management.

The meeting ended with a preview of the charity’s first TV commercial which went live across the region in late June. Head of marketing, events and community engagement Hannah Bodley

said: “Our wide-ranging work is entirely funded by income we have to generate ourselves and touches the lives of every resident in the city. However, many people still do not realise that it is a charity caring for their green spaces, delivering outdoor learning to their schools and bringing the community together at over 500 events a year. Local TV advertising is now a more affordable channel and, as we enter our 30th birthday year, it offers a great way to increase awareness of the trust.”

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

In the Community

MPs back zero tolerance approach to knife crime

A

new police operation to tackle knife crime across Milton Keynes has been welcomed by the city’s two

MPs. Under Operation Deter, set up by Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber, the police will adopt a zero tolerance approach to knife possession for offenders aged over 18.

Mr Barber’s plan intends that knife possession offences are proactively charged and remanded to court by the police while the suspect is still in custody. Following the charge, the custody sergeant will then take a more robust approach to bail, sending a clear message to those routinely carrying a knife in Milton Keynes that this will not be tolerated, says the PCC. Additional funding is also heading to the Milton Keynes Youth Offending Team to pilot a rapid response approach to youth diversion, with an initial meeting with a child taking place within 90 minutes of them being brought into custody.

MPs Ben Everitt and Iain Stewart have both been working with Mr Barber and the Home Office and

Ministry of Justice on the issue of knife crime and set up walkabouts with the Commissioner in Oldbrook and Netherfield.

The MPs have welcomed the launch of Operation Deter. Mr Everitt, MP for Milton Keynes North, has been determined to ensure anybody caught carrying a knife in Milton Keynes should expect to be locked up.

“I have been working very closely with Matthew Barber on tackling knife crime in Milton Keynes and I am strongly encouraged by the plans announced for Operation Deter,” Mr Everitt said. “I have been saying for a long time that we need to ensure if you are caught carrying a knife on the streets of Milton Keynes you should expect to be put behind bars and this is a big step in the right direction.”

His Parliamentary colleague Iain Stewart, MP for Milton Keynes South, added: “Over the last few months, I have been working with government ministers, the Thames Valley Police & Crime Commissioner and Thames Valley Police. Operation Deter is one of the outcomes of my conversations and it will make positive steps in the fight against knife-carriers and deterring individuals thinking of carrying a knife.”

An example of the material being used by The Safety Centre in schools to highlight the dangers and consequences of carrying a knife

High Sheriff supports early intervention sessions in schools

T

he dangers and consequences of carrying a knife have been stressed to Year Six students at Brooklands Farm School in Milton Keynes. Debbie Brock, the High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire, joined

pupils for the session delivered by staff at The Safety Centre, a charity that works closely with schools across the region.

Crime prevention and initiatives that help to build strong communities are issues that the

Business leaders echo Food Bank’s call for help

A

n urgent appeal has gone out to businesses across Milton Keynes for help in meeting the soaring demand at MK Food Bank.

The charity, based at Kiln Farm, has delivered 9,500 emergency food parcels so far this year - an increase of 27 per cent on 2021.

Yet donations are down by a third. MK Food Bank’s need for support was raised at a business dinner hosted

by Milton Keynes Business Leaders Partnership, at which chair Nicholas Mann called on the city’s business community to back the food bank’s work.

Support need not come in financial form, he said.

Companies can support MK Food Bank on a monthly basis and be recognised as a Food Bank Champion.

Payroll giving for employees is easy to set up and taxefficient. Companies can take opportunities for corporate volunteering and set up food collection points with donation boxes for staff, clients and visitors.

The Food Bank has been

supplying emergency food parcels since 2004. It relies solely on donations of food and money from the community, schools, churches and corporate sponsors. It distributed more than 27,500 parcels to residents in 2020 alone.

“We need an additional £100,000 a year to help everyone who needs us,” said operations manager Louisa Hobbs. “When successful businesses champion local charities they can make massively positive change in their community.”

MK Food Bank is one of a number of charities being supported by Franklins Solicitors LLP through its MK Food Reach campaign to mark its 40th anniversary.

Franklins partner Andrea Smith said: “We wanted to play our part in making a difference and decided the money we would have invested into corporate giveaways would be better spent on supplies to help feed our local communities.” n Find out more at www. mkfoodbank.org.uk

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

High Sheriff is keen to support. “I am so impressed by the session and the sensitive way the young people were taken through the content,” the High Sheriff said.

The Safety Centre works closely with schools across the region, enabling it to deliver early intervention knife crime sessions that help children and young people to understand the impact of their decisions around carrying knives and weapons. It has delivered more than 130 knife crime sessions in the past year to more than 3,700 students, said chief executive Maya Joseph-Hussain.

“We are so pleased to showcase our vital knife crime prevention school outreach sessions to the High Sheriff,” she added. “I encourage schools across Milton Keynes and the wider region to book this popular and essential session for their students.”

Chamber selects its Charity of the Year

T The Baby Basics charity in Milton Keynes takes delivery of supplies from Franklins Solicitors at its base on Kiln Farm

Community support, not corporate giveaways, marks law firm’s 40 years

P

allets with essential food and supplies worth a retail value of £20,000 have been donated to eight food banks across Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire by regional law firm Franklins Solicitors.

The pallets will provide food and essential items to hundreds of families living in poverty. In partnership with the food redistribution charity His Church, pallets have been delivered to Aylesbury Vineyard Church, One Nation, One Can Trust, Baby Basics, MK Food Bank, Milton Keynes Community Fridge, The Bus Shelter MK and MK Melting Pot. Franklins decided to contribute towards His Church’s admin and logistics costs of its charitable redistributions as part of its programme to mark the firm’s 40th anniversary.

As sponsors of the SME Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire Business Awards, Franklins had the opportunity to provide promotional giveaways to guests at the awards.

Rather than do this, the firm opted to invest in food pallets to help

struggling adults and children.

As a result of this initiative, the MK Food Reach campaign has been set up to provide ongoing support to help with the local food crisis. Every time £10,000 is raised - enough to fill an articulated lorry with 26 pallets of food worth around £52,000 - a lorry will bring the food to Milton Keynes for distribution.

The donation has enabled His Church to distribute more than 10,000 meals to vulnerable people in Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire.

“Kudos to Franklins for reallocating a budget for corporate giveaways in order to give meaningful support to the local community,” said His Church’s director of operations Richard Humphrey.

“This is truly commendable social responsibility and I hope their example will inspire other businesses to follow suit.” n Find out more about MK Food Reach at www.justgiving.com/ fundraising/mk-food-reach or email mkfoodreach@outlook.com

he charity Harry’s Rainbow, which supported children bereaved of a parent or sibling, is to be Milton Keynes Chamber of Commerce’s Charity of the Year 2022/23.

Founded in 2011 by Odette Mould in memory of her son Harry who died in 2009, Harry’s Rainbow offers advice, support groups, materials and activities as well as therapeutic mentoring, a youth group and young adults support group.

“The services enable families to understand their feelings, lessen the isolation and loneliness felt while grieving, build confidence and selfesteem and provide a safe space for shared experience,” says Odette pictured, who received a MBE for her work in The Queen’s Birthday Honours List in June.

As the Chamber’s Charity of the Year, Harry’s Rainbow receives complimentary Chamber Silver Partner membership and will network with influential companies across the area at Chamber networking events. The Harry’s Rainbow logo also features on the Chamber’s website, company stationery and publications and the charity will feature in a future edition of the Chamber magazine inBusiness.

Says Odette: “We are absolutely thrilled to have been chosen as the MK Chamber’s charity for the year and cannot wait to utilise the fantastic upgraded membership offer to support us in raising the awareness of child bereavement.

Milton Keynes Chamber chief executive Louise Wall adds: “We feel it is important to support county charities and to highlight the contribution they make to our community. We look forward to helping them to raise their profile and forge new connections with the business community.”

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August 2022

23

Kettering Park Hotel

26 October th

Your Marketing plan in a day!

Join our “One-Day Marketing Plan” workshop on October 26th at Kettering Park Hotel.

At the end of the day you’ll: •

Have a highly effective marketing plan you can put into action immediately

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Benefit from the intense focus on your marketing during the day (no distractions from the office)

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Be clear on what will help your business grow, and what won’t

Is 2023 is going to be a year of growth for your business?

Book your seat at the “One-Day Marketing Plan” workshop and you’ll have the clearest path to achieving your goal.

Because we’ll be working with each business individually, there are only 20 places available.

The workshop costs just £250 plus VAT for the day, and includes: •

An intensive day of planning with individual attention from our coaches

We’ll focus on the 9 main elements of your marketing strategy, including:

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A comprehensive Workbook that can be used as your business develops

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The 1-Page Marketing Plan Template

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Your purpose – the reason your business exists and the problems you solve

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A light lunch

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Your people – your ideal client(s)

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Networking opportunities

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Your plan – creating a plan for the year ahead

Call us today 03303 801 651

The workshop is hosted jointly by HR Solutions and The Qoob Group.

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