Sedulo Times - Q2 2022

The

Sedulo Times Times A WORLD-CLASS ADVISORY FIRM AND INVESTMENT HOUSE

@SEDULOGROUP | SEDULO.CO.UK

Q2 2022 | EDITION TWENTY TWO | PRICE: FREE

The personal development group backed by legends of sport to create better people and business leaders How Be the Standard is giving business owners education, experience and examples from the likes of Eddie Hearn, David Haye, Peter Cowgill, Alistair Campbell and more to be better versions of themselves.

I

n their quest for victory and elite performance, organisations in sporting arenas worldwide are equipped with the very best support systems that exist for their athletes to thrive.

Nutritionists, sports scientists, psychologists, physiotherapists, analysts, financial advisors and hall-of-fame idols; every aspect of a professional sports

athlete’s life is underpinned with a support mechanism to prepare them for their ‘game day’ and push their performance and careers beyond their peers.

However, for business owners - a similarly high-pressured role - the same cannot be said. Support mechanisms for those in leadership positions in the business arena are usually limited to

A NEW ERA FOR RUGBY LEAGUE AS CORNWALL RLFC ARE BORN | PG24

friends, family and uneducated regimes around physical and mental health.

The stats behind this are staggering. The National Institute of Mental Health discovered that 72% of entrepreneurs are directly or indirectly affected by mental health issues. Research carried out by iwoca and Mental Health UK delved into this further, revealing

that four out of every five SME business owners report poor mental health, with anxiety (64%), panic attacks (24%) and depression symptoms (37%) amongst the most common complaints.

Enter the field, Be the Standard.

The lack of support for someone wanting to create a business became apparent... Continue on page 3.

Q2 2022 | EDITION TWENTY TWO | SEDULO TIMES

@SEDULOGROUP | 2

Introducing Sedulo Forensic Accountants, the new name for Bartfields Forensic Accountants Historic Bartfields name adopts the Sedulo brand and transitions to Top 50 Firm

A

fter the Bartfields accountancy practice joined the Sedulo Group in 2018, the forensic accounting skillset also joined the Group alongside decades of experience and legacy.

The Bartfields Forensic Accountants brand has been a wellestablished name in the forensic accounting market for around 30 years; so much so that Bartfields has continued to support legal teams across the UK and abroad since 2018 to continue the goodwill and legacy.

Alongside this, the Sedulo Group has continued to grow with the expansion into Liverpool and further growth into London happening in 2021 alone. As this was happening – and as the Forensic team have continued to evolve and welcome new clients, technologies and projects – it became clear that the time was approaching for the Bartfields brand to make the ‘full leap’ into the Sedulo Group in order to be a bigger part of the business’ ecosystem.

With this in mind, and to reflect the status as the Top 50 UK

firm, the firm have adopted the new name and banner as Sedulo Forensic Accountants.

This brand expansion also enables the business to continue working in more cities across the UK, as well as abroad.

Of the unveiling of the new brand, Head of Crime Forensic Accounting at Sedulo Forensic Accountants and long-term team member at Bartfields, Elisabeth Scott, said: “This re-positioning of our brand is really exciting for us as it’s recognition of our growth over the years from boutique firm to the Top 50 Firm that we now are.

“We’re already working closely with some of the largest solicitor firms nationwide, and our Group’s growth in 2021 – particularly in London and Liverpool – means we can continue to bring value to even more firms across all areas of the UK and abroad.

“The other part of what makes our new brand so exciting is for our team. For years we have been able

to enjoy the signature Sedulo ‘giving back’ and ‘having fun’ campaigns, for example the amazing initiatives such as the Sedulo Christmas Toy Appeal.

Being Sedulo in-name allows

our team to feel an even great affiliation and level of pride in those initiatives, so we’re already excited for what 2022 will bring for the Sedulo Forensic Accountants team.”

Q2 2022 | EDITION TWENTY TWO | SEDULO TIMES

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 very quickly to Paul Cheetham-Karcz, the Managing Partner of Sedulo Group.

He says: “I wanted to create something special in business from the start.

What I didn’t realise would be most of the problems I would incur would not be hurdles within business, but within myself. I’m in control of the problems I encounter each day in the business environment; I seem to have a knack of finding solutions for them and they don’t phase me. What I didn’t realise was I’d be in for a rough ride personally and had no answers for the personal challenges I faced. Worse, I had nowhere to turn.”

Cheetham-Karcz added: “My response over 15 years was to create an infrastructure around me which allowed me to become the best version of myself at that moment. This structure is a continuous journey of personal reflection, self-awareness, education, discipline, and - more than anything else - a momentum of self-progression. The more I worked on myself, the better behaviours I learned.

From this I was able to positively influence others and become a better leader. In turn, this created a better business.”

The opportunity to work with rugby league’s greatest ever player, Kevin Sinfield, after becoming the official auditors and corporate advisors of Super League giants, Leeds Rhinos, allowed Cheetham-Karcz to delve into the topic further.

The comparisons between the lack of support in business and the plethora of options open to sports athletes gave birth to the idea of a platform combining the elite elements of sport and business as a support structure for business owners

of any level; this idea became the development group, Be the Standard.

On the platform, Sinfield says: “I have been involved in professional sport for over 20 years, both as a player and administrator.

“The challenges I have faced and my experiences throughout have shaped me and provided the best ‘life education’ I could have wished for.

Attitude is such an important part of our day-to-day lives - it is the

PERFECT GETAWAYS CONQUER COVID-19 PANDEMIC | PAGE 7

@SEDULOGROUP | 3

one thing we all get to choose every second of every day. To become a champion in any walk of life, you have to behave and think like one 24 /7.

Great people with great attitudes can become great champions.

“Be the Standard gives business owners access to education, knowledge and peers to forge behavioural changes that begin at home, with themselves, and then manifest throughout their organisations. As I’ve experienced in

my sporting career, we focus on the owner as an individual, helping to utilise learned techniques to create better people.”

The Be the Standard group is approaching its first birthday in Summer 2022 and to date has welcomed speakers including the likes of Eddie Hearn, David Haye, Alistair Campbell, Karren Brady, JD Sports executive chairman Peter Cowgill, Alistair Brownlee, Myprotein® founder Oliver Cookson and more.

The group has also featured regular interactive sessions, giving members a rare opportunity to share their critical personal and business challenges with peers outside of their immediate circles; peers who will have experienced and overcome similar hurdles.

The need and response of the support the group provides has laid foundations for a special Be the Standard: Live session, which is booked to appear at the Leeds Everyman for over 200 guests in June, with tickets going on sale soon.

On the progress of the Be the Standard team and group to-date, Paul Cheetham-Karcz said: “Kevin Sinfield was the leader of one of the most successful teams in history of British sport.

A man who lead his country and one of the few to have transcended his own sport. Not just a hero to many, but a leader to thousands; he led his club, his team, the fans and the organisation through change, and ultimately unrivalled success.

“Be the Standard harnesses so much of that mindset and experience and brings it to those who truly need it.

As Kevin said Be the Standard creates better people, and better people make better leaders.”

PAGE 17 | BRITISH ICE SKATING APPOINTS SEDULO AS OFFICAL AUDITORS

Q2 2022 | EDITION TWENTY TWO | SEDULO TIMES

@SEDULOGROUP | 4

Corrie con writers enlist forensic experts for Speed Daal scam storyline

B

ack in 2021, the ITV soap opera Coronation Street ran a storyline on fraud and money laundering. Zeedan had secretly been laundering money for

Hashim, after landing himself in debt of £50,000 without any means of repayment.

To keep the storyline factually accurate, ITV researchers reached out to

industry experts to add viability to the story arc; a call which was answered by Forensic Accountant and Expert Witness at Sedulo Forensic Accountants, Emma

Whitaker, who provided expert advice and worked closely with the crew for a number of months.

On how the process worked, Whitaker said: “Our role was to make sure the plot was feasible and to advise on how money laundering would usually work through a business.

We covered topics like would they deposit small amounts or large amounts, do business owners now do their accounting online or have old fashioned books and how do we make it so the money cannot be recovered after being scammed.”

Whitaker received multiple extracts of the script from ITV and assisted with the assembling of the story. Whitaker added:

“I was tasked with ensuring the script was a plausible enactment of how the offence would be executed, and even made several suggestions for the show to portray the laundering as realistically as possible.”

Those of you who watch Coronation Street will have seen the storyline unfold. Now you know: Sedulo forensic accounting expertise helped bring it to your screens.

Top 5 tips when looking at invoice finance

By Leyton Jeffs, Funding Partner at Sedulo

Invoice finance is a popular form of finance but with so many options out there, understanding it better is key.

M

y top 5 tips come from a position of experience; I’ve worked in senior roles for invoice finance organisations for over 10 years, I’m an owner of a business that has used invoice finance and as a broker, I’ve brokered well in excess of 100 invoice finance facilities.

Below are 5 things to consider when looking at Invoice Finance…

1. Invoice finance beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

There are over 50 providers of invoice finance in the UK and there isn’t a league table of the best and worst provider. Each of the providers are the best in a set of circumstances whilst could be the worst if the circumstances were different. One provider will be excellent

in the recruitment sector whilst another will be more flexible when it comes to having a highly concentrated customer base. The key is understanding which provider is good at the different elements or challenges within your business.

2.

Understand the different products Whilst there are lots of providers, each of those providers have different products within invoice finance, often all called different things!

From invoice discounting which is very light touch from the lender to full factoring where the financier provides more of the services such as credit control, it is important to know what is out there, what is your preference and also what you

PODCAST: TRAITS OF AN ELITE PERFORMER - ALISTAIR BROWNLEE | PAGE 16

may qualify for.

3. Read the small print!

Comparing one provider to another using only headline figures is a recipe for disaster!

It’s not only the headline rates but also the smaller, more hidden charges.

Also it doesn’t just relate to charges – cheapest isn’t always best! The cheapest option may have covenants or restrictions that just don’t work for your business and the costs of changing facilities or worse, changing your business will far outweigh the saving.

4. Review regularly The market changes all the time and with increased competition comes better pricing, increased service levels and more

flexibility! Every 12 months, it is worth your while to test the market to ensure that you have the best possible provider for your individual needs.

5. AND MY BIGGEST TIP? Don’t get sucked in by the salesman!

Salespeople are supposed to be charismatic and charming but 3 months in, they will be long gone! Don’t consider the relationship you have with the salesperson when choosing a provider, instead ask to meet the relationship manager/risk people that you will be assigned, as the relationship with these people will be far more important. So many people choose their provider through the rapport built with the salesperson and it is the number 1 mistake I see.

PAGE 9 | NUTRITION MARKET ENJOYS POST-PANDEMIC HEALTH KICK

Q2 2022 | EDITION TWENTY TWO | SEDULO TIMES

@SEDULOGROUP | 5

LINDSAY BRUCE FORMER SPECIAL FORCES

OPTIMISING EVERYDAY HUMAN PERFORMANCE AND WELL BEING

Expertly designed functional nutritional supplements to work with and support your own biological rhythm

Q2 2022 | EDITION TWENTY TWO | SEDULO TIMES

@SEDULOGROUP | 6

Meet the leftover food initiatives fighting food poverty amongst Manchester’s vulnerable and homeless.

M

anchester recorded more deaths of homeless people than in any other local authority area in England and Wales in 2017, according to the first national statistics capturing the pattern of deaths among rough sleepers and people living in homeless shelters.

With Manchester holding one of the country’s highest rough sleeping rates, those figures are perhaps not surprising. However, layer on the extra challenges posed by a pandemic and rising living costs with the energy crisis, and the UK is left with a recipe for food poverty.

On the Mancunian streets, however, you can find numerous examples of community-first initiatives looking to support the vulnerable using resources and ingredients that are more readily available than first meets the eye.

One of Manchester’s leading sustainable catering companies is Open Kitchen. This social enterprise focuses on sustainability, waste reduction and producing food in the most sustainable and ethical way possible. The chefs at Open Kitchen work with a range of food businesses to stop good food from being wasted and purchase ingredients, working only with local, sustainable, and ethical suppliers. The ever-changing

nutritious, seasonal menus serve up the lowest carbon catering possible, with profits from the business providing food and supplying meals for people struggling with food insecurity across Greater Manchester.

Another Northern-based leading light is homeless charity, Lifeshare - Manchester’s oldest charity dedicated to supporting homeless and vulnerable people in Greater

SEDULO BUY RUGBY LEAGUE’S FIRST NFT | PAGE 16

Manchester and Salford. Among other initiatives, the Lifeshare team work alongside local organisations that have surplus food at the end of a day, becoming the conduit to distribute the leftovers to local shelters and street support teams on the same day.

Both initiatives have begun working with the Manchester-based Sedulo hospitality and events team to in order to create support for their projects; something that has grown over the past year. On the support, Events and Hospitality Executive, Harley Tagg, said: “With our events calendars coming back - and with our own continual focus on the Sedulo’s internal values - it was vital to build relationships with suppliers that matched our own ethos.

“We had been in talks with Open Kitchen and they have expressed how impressed they are with all of our community and giving back projects

and how they would love to work with us on future Manchester events. They recently catered for us at our first time this year and the menus went down really well.

“The added benefit that working with Open Kitchen is helping to combat Manchester’s food poverty problem makes it all even sweeter.”

Lifeshare has also entered into partnership with Sedulo. The relationship sees all surplus leftover from events and day-to-day office life being boxed up and gifted to the charity every week, which is then distributed out to the city’s homeless population.

On the relationship with Lifeshare, Events and Hospitality Executive, Maddie Ham, added: “Every week we have a little bit leftover, so hopefully what we have and are able to give every week can stop someone from going hungry.”

PAGE 11 | NEXT GENERATION - MINI MAGAZINE VOL.2

Q2 2022 | EDITION TWENTY TWO | SEDULO TIMES

@SEDULOGROUP | 7

Perfect Getaways conquer COVID-19 pandemic with flying colours S

tarting life as a shop in the small town of Little Sutton in 2017, the Perfect Getaways brand has overcome the turbulence of two COVID-hit years to arrive at sunnier destinations as the travel industry regains momentum following the end of pandemic restrictions.

Set up by Nicola and David Palmer, and backed by investment from Sedulo, Perfect Getaways quickly grew

from one shop to five by January 2019 through the introduction of a unique concept. ‘Your Holiday Starts Here’ is the promise that entering a Perfect Getaways shop should feel like the start of your holiday, and it is this concept that was the Sedulo investment funded to help the company to grow.

With COVID devastating the travel industry in February 2020, Perfect

Deals of the day: Corporate finance Round-up

By Will Stanton, Corporate Finance Director at Sedulo

I

t has been well recognised that the global merger and acquisitions broke all previous records in 2021, both in terms of deal volumes and overall values, and some have predicted that 2022 will follow in a similar suit – despite the growing market uncertainty.

The pandemic created a bizarre dynamic where measures to support faltering businesses in suffering industries, such as cheap debt, generous HMRC payment terms and lower operating costs, created a supercharged environment for well-capitalised businesses and those in thriving industries to pursue acquisition strategies or attract investment. Equally, many business owners expedited their exit strategies due to the pandemic stresses, or to take advantage of the deal and subsequent enhanced valuations.

Although the effects of these

measures are waning, many businesses are continuing those strategies to expand so we will undoubtedly see increased deal volumes this year even with global geopolitical tensions and rising inflation.

Closer to home here at Sedulo, we are still seeing significant activity having taken six opportunities to market in recent weeks at the time of writing.

These are a mix of full or partial exits and minority investments, with more of the former echoing the market sentiment that shareholders in many businesses have become either fatigued by the events of recent years, or wish to crystallise some value to provide security against further uncertainty.

In terms of trends that we are seeing in the market, the impact of private equity on the M&A market is particularly apparent, with private equity funds more

Getaways restructured their business so staff were able to trade from home and utilise different business sources to sell holidays every day, even when no one could go on holiday anywhere.

Throughout the two years of COVID restrictions, the company made no redundancies and took the opportunity to completely refurbish all shops whilst premises were closed, reopening after restrictions were lifted with new, chic, concept stores that included gin & prosecco bars with 15 different flavoured gins, beer on draft, flower walls, arcade machines, play areas and overflowing sweets. As restrictions have eased in January this

year, they have been in a strong position to continue their growth with the opening of a new shop in Douglas, Isle Of Man, and the acquisition on a tailor-made appointmentonly business, Above & Beyond. Perfect Getaways now has shops in Neston, Little Sutton, Liverpool, Birkenhead, St Helens and the Isle Of Man, as well as, their tailormade Above & Beyond office in Brimstage, Wirral.

With the support of Sedulo, the company aims to take the ‘Your Holiday Starts Here’ concept forward and grow to 10 Perfect Getaways travel agencies and two Above & Beyond offices by the end of 2023.

capitalised than ever before and under huge pressure to deploy those funds into quality opportunities. This either means that PE are making more direct investments but also are more willing to further back portfolio companies to make acquisitions as a means to grow, alongside organic growth strategies. This means that those industries with a heavy proportion of PE-backed companies are particularly active.

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) focussed investment funds are becoming more and more prominent and will be a dominant theme in the coming years. These funds may have to work harder to source relevant opportunities but the dynamic should become more level in the future as

more quality businesses meet the ESG criteria and we should start seeing that investment propel businesses with those characteristics to the forefront of their industries.

Overall, the unique set of conditions we have all experienced over the last few years, coupled with the appetite for investment and acquisitions in the market generally is leading to more flexible and creative transactions structures. We see this as a fantastic opportunities for business owners to explore how they could secure investment, fully or partially exit their businesses in a situation where they can have greater control over the outcome and therefore invite a scenario which suits their objectives better than ever before.

Q2 2022 | EDITION TWENTY TWO | SEDULO TIMES

@SEDULOGROUP | 8

Driving value in the insurance sector The concept of insurance as a cover for the risk of loss has existed for centuries, with some historians tracing its roots back as far as Ancient Babylon, to cover a merchant’s shipment of goods if a ship were to sink.

T

oday, insurers cover a vast range of areas where customers are at risk, including travel, health, motor and property, in addition to other specialist categories. In recent times, Insurtech – the use of technology to generate a strategic advantage – has disrupted the industry and has attracted a high volume of investment from both strategic and financial sponsors.

This trend looks set to continue, and we expect both strong deal flow and wider adoption to be evident in 2022.

We have worked with a selection of companies in the sector over the past year, providing both deal advisory guidance and transaction services support, in the form of business valuations for both traditional insurers and brokerages and insurtech SMEs.

How do we determine value?

Essentially, an insurance company’s value lies in the difference between the premiums earned and the claims that are paid and the returns that the company is able to generate on the investment of premium proceeds.

Whereas, insurance brokers primarily drive profits based on commissions as a percentage of premiums and consultancy fees.

A discounted cash flow (DCF) method can be used to value an insurance firm. However, forecasting cash flows from the investment portfolio can be inherently complex and difficult to gauge, which in turn makes the valuation extremely sensitive to the assumptions used. As a result, this approach is often less valuable and should be supported with a marketbased approach.

Where possible, one method should not be used in isolation, and it is useful to benchmark valuations against that derived under alternative methods.

A market-based approach assigns value by examining the valuation of a basket of comparable companies. From the basket of comparable quoted companies and recent transactions, an appropriate multiple is derived. Typically, a multiple of EV/ EBITDA is applied to adjusted EBITDA to arrive at a valuation.

For brokers, The Insurance Journal [1] reported that 2021 multiples for high performing companies have been around eight to nine times EBITDA. However, successful Insurtechs can expect higher multiples, and recent transactions have seen multiples of up to 29X. Given the high quantity of deals in this space, it is justifiable for insurance brokerages to be valued based on a comparable technique.

SERIES 9 A honest and raw, real-life podcast on how to grow a successful business whilst taking care of what matters most...yourself.

Listen, subscribe and review now on

Why are investors willing to pay a premium for insurtechs?

Ultimately the innovation that is driving efficiency in the insurance sector is coming from software and data analytics tools. Digital platforms are reducing time consumption with regards to claims handling and policy selections and process simplification is attracting a young and growing customer market.

These efficiencies are increasingly attractive to traditional parties with capability gaps, acquiring to stay competitive and in line with evolving consumer demand in the space.

The difference between a high multiple and low multiple valuations in the insurance space is driven by key performance indicators such as: High growth, Effective technology, Uniquely positioned offering in the market, Strong cross-selling capability, and Strong customer retention and acquisition.

Q2 2022 | EDITION TWENTY TWO | SEDULO TIMES

@SEDULOGROUP | 9

Nutrition market enjoys post-pandemic health kick

By Hannah Anderton, Corporate Finance Associate at Sedulo

M&A activity in the nutrition and dietary supplements markets is healthy, and consumer behaviours are driving innovation in the industry. For many people, the Covid-19 pandemic was the first time they had visited a supermarket to be greeted with empty shelves lacking high nutritional value groceries.

I

n addition to this, around the world, we watched otherwise generally healthy people fall desperately ill with a virus, which re-awakened consumer awareness of the immune system and wider health and well-being.

Evolving attitudes in the western world have engendered new buying behaviours. Consumer intent to ensure our bodies have the proteins, vitamins, and minerals they need has intensified, and our attention to the wider implications of fat content and muscle strength has increased.

Nutraceutical companies, that bridge the gap between nutrition and pharmacology and Nutra-cosmetical brands entwining beauty with health have experienced growth owing to these behavioural shifts, which are driving vitamin and supplement consumption.

Following advising on the sale of a majority stake of vitamin and haircare brand Hairburst to international retailer JD Sports, and Sedulo’s investment in supplement business HMN24, we continue our interest and research in the market.

Sports nutrition and supplements are among the fastest-growing categories in health and wellness, with a reported CAGR of over 30% for the growing sports nutrition market over the past 4 years. Specifically, the pre-workout supplements market is increasing year-on-year internationally, with the North America region leading the way in new brand launches.

The vitamin supplements space, particularly within the EU

region, is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7% over the next 5 years, and innovative administration methods such as personalised gummies and high absorption liquids are disrupting the space that tablets and capsules have dominated to date.

Supplement brands have experienced high EBITDA multiple valuations, as highlighted below, with the average public company multiple rising from 6X to over 11X (Fig 1).

Figure 1

Here’s your free Spring Budget 2022 guide…

Strategic buyers have led transactions in the space recently, with many international companies deploying inorganic growth strategies to diversify their offerings and increase consumer engagement.

Scan to download the brochure here

Sedulo | Insights | Budget

SEDULO INVEST IN SPORTSWEAR BRAND, IGD | PAGE 19

PAGE 22 | UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF LIGHT AND HOW IT WAKES US UP

Q2 2022 | EDITION TWENTY TWO | SEDULO TIMES

@SEDULOGROUP | 10

TV personality and legendary rugby league pair receive royal honours L

eeds Rhinos legend Kevin Sinfield was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2021 for services to Rugby League and charity fundraising.

The Sedulo ambassador had previously received an MBE for his services to the game back in 2014, a year before he retired from the sport.

However, it is his remarkable fundraising and awareness efforts in the last twelve months that has been acknowledged with his latest award.

In December 2019, Sinfield’s teammate and friend Rob Burrow MBE was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease. Since then, Sinfield has worked tirelessly as part of a team effort by Rob’s former teammates and all associated with the game of Rugby League to support Rob and his young family as well as raising awareness of MND and those

impacted by this cruel disease.

In December 2020, Sinfield led a team of seven fundraisers aiming to achieve £77,777 by running seven marathons in seven days each in under four hours, all inspired by Burrow’s iconic number seven shirt. The publicity raised created substantial public support and resulted in over £2.7 million being raised.

Former teammate and fellow ambassador Jamie Jones-Buchanan, also received an MBE recently for services to the sport, making him the fourth player from Rhino’s most successful era to receive the award.

Sedulo client Gok Wan also received an MBE for using ‘his influence

as a TV presenter to draw attention to a number of charities and campaigns, including those surrounding anti-bullying, cancer care and body positivity’.

On receiving his MBE, Gok Wan said: “I believe in all of us having proud moments whenever we possibly can – whether it is overcoming something or going out of or coming into a relationship,” Wan explained.

“But when something like this happens to me, I will never forget this feeling. I will never forget this moment.”

“It is a feeling of calm, contentment, validation, pride and, also bizarrely, it also fires you up to do more.”

Burberry British Diversity Awards shines light on equality and inclusion champions Jamie Carragher and Little Mix’s Leigh-Anne Pinnock collect Sedulo-sponsored Media Champion in the Public Eye prizes

L

ittle Mix star Leigh-Anne Pinnock and sports pundit, Jamie Carragher, both collected gongs at the British Diversity Awards, celebrating their efforts to champion equality and inclusion.

Hosted in London by British television presenter, June Sarpong,

the ceremony also featured the likes of Westlife star Mark Feehily, community projects such as London Black Women’s Project (LBWP) and unsung heroes from all walks of life as individuals and organisations came together to celebrate those making the world and workplace better for others.

Sky Sports star and exLiverpool legend, Jamie Carragher, collected his Media Champion In The Public Eye award for his social mobility work with the Football For Change initiative.

There were also celebrations for the Little Mix chart-topper, LeighAnne Pinnock, whose BBC Three documentary Race, Pop And Power highlighting her journey through the music industry as a black woman who was also recognised with a Media Champion In The Public Eye award.

The category was sponsored

by Sedulo with Managing Director, Cathryn Wright, handing out the

awards to Carragher and Pinnock on the evening. Of the night and winners, Wright said: “It’s a huge honour for us to be invited to be a part of the Burberry British Diversity Awards and the awards themselves a richly deserved

by Leigh-Anne and Jamie.

Celebrating work like this is vital for inclusion and, in particular, we’ve seen firsthand the work that the Football For Change campaign has done over the past year for social mobility in our role as sponsor for that.

Well done to all of the winners and those shortlisted on the night.”

Sponsored by

T X E N E H T N O I T A R E GEN

M i n i M a ga z i n e Volume 2 The next generation 11

Sponsored by

S Y A D E V FI S Y A D E V I F ES O H S Y M IN ES O H S I N MY ARTICLE | DAISY DALTON | 2ND YEAR SPORTS AND EXERCISE SCIENCE STUDENT

Scan QR code to read the whole prospectus

12 The next generation

THER E’S NEVE R A DULL MOM ENT FOR SPO RTS AND EXER CISE SCIE NCE STUD ENT DAISY DALTON FIND OUT WHAT SHE GETS UP TO ON A TYPICAL WEEK AS A UA92 STUDENT...

feels the . Not ever yone ys da on M ve lo I week, but I arting a new same about st hat the week cited to see w am always ex sketball in the s, I get to play ba has in store. Plu rning student, friends. I’m a mo my th wi g in en ev y, Tuesday, 1pm on a Monda m9a m fro dy stu so I assistant, I am iday. As a care Thursday and Fr me perfectly. I early, so it suits used to getting up ub this year and en’s Basketball Cl joined the Wom students that y to meet other wa od go a ch su it’s d paths with necessarily crosse I might not have otherwise.

1

Today was a full-on 13-hou r day for me.

It started as no rmal, with cla sses on campus, then straight into m y uniform and off to wor k from 2pm-1 0p m . I have been working as a care assistant for a couple of years. I love my job and I get to meet the most incredible people who have such wi sdom and life experience.

UA92 has always su ppor ted me having a job an d other commitm en ts outside of my course. It’s help ed me develop th e kin d of skills you can’t be taug ht in a classroom .

2

D AY O N E E WEEK ATTAC K TH

“ TODAY WAS DEFINITELY ONE OF THOSE ‘PINCH ME’ MOMENTS .”

I am so lucky to be able to work while I study. In my first year at UA92, I got the amazing opportunity to work for Gary Neville’s Relentless and GG Hospitality brands. And today we got to go on a team building day. It started with breakfast at Hotel Football, then off to the countryside for an 18km hike! I have to pinch myself sometimes as it doesn’t seem real. There were over 100 professionals attending, from across Gary’s various businesses, and I got the chance to network with some really inspirational people.

3

4

“I GOT THE AMAZING OPPORTUNIT Y TO WORK FOR GARY NEVILLE’S RELENTLESS AND GG HOSPITALIT Y BRANDS.”

D AY T H R E E TEAMWORK = DREAM WORK

Today was definitely one of those ‘pinch me’ moments. After my usual morning studies, I was off to photograph a charity event that Emma Neville was hosting in partnership with Harvey Nichols, at The Stock Exchange in Manchester.

The experience was amazing. I got to photograph the Harvey Nichols catwalk show and capture some great moments throughout the event. Afterwards, Emma told me to put my camera down and enjoy the rest of the evening. The event raised over 40k towards some fantastic charities.

D AY F O U R ON CLOUD NINE

D AY T W O WORKING AROUND S T U DY

Back to reality! It might not be the glitz and glamour of yesterday’s event, but I always enjoy getting into the Performance Hub to put my knowledge into practice. And today, we were in for a treat! Eoin, our Sports and Exercise Science tutor, had arranged a guest speaker to come in and demonstrate how to partake in a maximal oxygen velocity test on the performance monitoring equipment. I really enjoyed watching the test take place and I felt thoroughly prepared to write my laboratory report.

5

D AY F I V E GETTING HANDS ON

The next generation 13

MAKE IT FOR REAL WITH A FREE £5,000 PACKAGE* INCLUDES

MICROSOFT SURFACE DEVICE UNLIMITED DATA LUNCH EVERYDAY TRAVEL PASS £150 HOME VOUCHER

#MAKEITFORREAL

Own your future UA92.AC.UK/MAKEITFORREAL *Terms and Conditions apply. Visit www.UA92.ac.uk/makeitforreal

14 The next generation

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Q2 2022 | EDITION TWENTY TWO | SEDULO TIMES

@SEDULOGROUP | 15

READING LIST R

eading is fundamental, but the quest for new information can often be overlooked whilst living in the social media sphere of the new-age digital era.

Understandably, finding the time to invest can also mean the activity often falls to the bottom of the to do list.

However, with the right read you will soon find that thirst for knowledge reappearing, and your favourite publications become a part of your every day.

Here are our three top reads this issue:

World Class, How to lead, learn and Grow like a Champion by Will Greenwood Best known for being an integral part of the 2003 Rugby World Cupwinning team, Will Greenwood knows what it takes to lead, learn and grow like a champion.

And now you do too, thanks to Will’s book!

Making Sense of Economy by Roger Martin-Fagg

Relentless 12 Rounds to Success by Eddie Hearn

Gross domestic product. Economic policy. Money supply. Interest rates.

The key stages of the business cycle and D.I.Y. economic forecasting.

Not just a list of terms economists understand; just some of topics explained in Roger Martin-Fagg’s practical guide to economics, written specifically for noneconomists.

What does it take to succeed, be the best and stay at the top of your field? How do you come back from failure? How do you even fit all of that into one book?

A coffee with...

From City Football Group to Sedulo: Tax Partner, Tom Whittome Q. First things first - how do you take your coffee?

A. Black Americano.

Q. What was it that attached you to Sedulo?

A. Opportunity to continue working with sports people and individuals in the media and entertainment industry as well as advising some of the UK’s most exciting entrepreneurs.

Q. Could you tell us about your role as Tax Partner?

A. Extremely varied!! Spend time dealing with a wide range of tax advisory projects, corporate and personal tax compliance (from high-net-worth individuals up to multi million pound groups of companies), business development and staff / team management.

Q. What are you looking forwarded to over the next few months?

A. Working with the rest of the team to continue building a successful tax department that we can be proud of.

Q. Do you have any top tips or mottos you live by?

A. When you know better, do better.

Q. And finally, tell us something random about yourself?

A. I have had some random Saturday jobs in the past including: working as a dog groomer and dressing as a giant cigarette in Birmingham City Centre for a quit smoking campaign.

I’ve also visited North Korea.

Eddie Hearn knows.

Q2 2022 | EDITION TWENTY TWO | SEDULO TIMES

@SEDULOGROUP | 16

Podcast: The traits of an elite performer – A chat with Alistair Brownlee What are the personality traits required to not only reach an elite performance level, but to maintain that level across a career?

O

lympic gold medal-winning British triathlete, Alistair Brownlee, has appeared on the Taking Care of Business podcast with Sedulo Managing Partner, Paul Cheetham-Karcz, to discuss the qualities needed to maintain elite performance.

Recalling the stories he had collected for his book, Relentless: Secrets of the Sporting Elite, Brownleee - the only athlete to hold two Olympic titles in the triathlon event - also waded in

on the debate between competition vs participation and the difference between confidence and self-belief.

Whilst divulging the lessons sport can teach on the necessity to be ruthless, Brownlee also gave his account of THAT moment where he carried his heatexhausted brother, fellow triathlete Jonny Brownlee, across the finishing line at the 2016 World Triathlon Series in Mexico.

To listen to the full podcast episode, head to www.sedulo.co.uk/tcob

Building a brand that lasts – A chat with Barber Barber’s Johnny Shanahan What does it take to build a brand and business that stands the test of time?

“You cannot build a business on a trend” That’s the thoughts of Johnny Shanahan, the man behind the standout barbershop brand, Barber Barber.

Appearing on the Taking Care of Business podcast, Shanahan believes the only way for a business to stand the test of time is by being authentic on whatever stage they are on, as his unique brand of grooming services continues to go from strength-to-strength in the face of an

extremely trend-heavy industry, as well as the challenges that the industry has been presented with in the wake of a pandemic.

Speaking to Sedulo Managing Partner, Paul Cheetham- Karcz, Shanahan also revealed how he has approached the task of transitioning Barber Barber from a purely service-driven business to one that also supplies products.

To listen to the full podcast episode, head to www.sedulo.co.uk/tcob

Q2 2022 | EDITION TWENTY TWO | SEDULO TIMES

@SEDULOGROUP | 17

British Ice Skating eye financial infrastruture improvements to develop next generation of skaters

By David Stansfield, Head of Audit and Compliance at Sedulo

British Ice Skating - the National Governing Body that oversees the UK’s performance on the ice in the likes of figure skating, short track and long track - has appointed financial powerhouse Sedulo as their official auditor.

T

he appointment further enhances Sedulo’s growing portfolio of National Governing Bodies in the UK. It is seen as a fantastic opportunity for the firm – now amongst the top 50 accountancy firms in the United Kingdom – to provide the organisation with a holistic range of services going forward.

Chief Executive Michelle Draper, who was involved in the decision to appoint Sedulo, said: “The knowledge and experience that Sedulo has in the National Governing Body sector is very impressive. This coupled with their holistic service offering meant that it was a logical decision to appoint Sedulo as our new advisors.

“We’re really looking forward to working with Dan, David and the rest of the Sedulo team over the coming years as we develop our financial infrastructure and invest in the next generation of skaters”.

With over 4,000 members across the country, the organisation operates from state-of-the-art facilities in Sheffield and provides training, development and support to skaters of all ages and abilities.

These range from beginners to the Great Britain support squad, with disciplines including figure skating, short track, long track, synchronised and ice dance, where Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson claimed a top 10 position at the recent

Olympic Games.

Sedulo Group Head of Audit and Compliance, David Stansfield, said: “British ice skaters have a long and proud history of success on the world stage and have won a number of Olympic, World and European championship medals in the past.

“We are extremely proud to be appointed as the auditor of British Ice Skating and add them to our growing

portfolio of NGB clients. Our experience of working with these NGB’s and other sporting organisations should prove invaluable in creating new opportunities and providing accurate and timely advice to Michelle and her team in the future.”

Sedulo NBG Expert Dan Wilson added: “Sedulo’s appointment is a testament of the hard work invested in recent years in establishing the Sedulo

Sport division and developing a reputation as one of the lead advisory firms to NGB’s in the country.

“Since our appointment in December, we have already provided advice across a number of areas and we are really looking forward to working with the whole team as they look to capitalise on the success of the Beijing Olympics and build a lasting legacy within their local communities.”

Q2 2022 | EDITION TWENTY TWO | SEDULO TIMES

@SEDULOGROUP | 18

Supersonic stoppages for TeamIGD’s latest Mancunian signings Professional Middleweight, Brad Rea, extended his record to 12-0 after a thrilling firstround knockout victory over Craig McCarthy in the build-up to the Amir Khan–Kel Brook fight in February.

T

he 23-year-old landed two heavy right hands on McCarthy before sending the Irishman to the canvas after a vicious left hook.

Speaking after the fight, Brad said: “It’s one of the best days of my life. “I know that I’m capable of that. I hit hard - this was a message to the other

middleweights.

“Craig is a good fighter; I was pleased he took the fight because it would help me show how good I am.

“I know I have that power, but a lot of work goes into making sure the shots land.

“I just want more of these potential hard fights and opponents so I can move up the rankings and start targeting titles.”

With British ring legend Ricky Hatton beaming in his corner, Rea put on a brief but faultless performance to thrill his local, Mancunian crowd.

Shortly after the bout, Brad

secured sponsorship from compression sportswear brand iGD Sport, joining fellow Mancunian prodigy the Anthony Crolla trained Jake James.

Jake “The Jackal” James took another positive step on his Welterweight title trail in March as he took his professional record to 10-0 after a convincing 2nd round stoppage against Eligio Palacios.

Speaking about the importance of supporting young boxing talent, founder of iGD Sport, Andy Wray said: “There’s nothing better than

sponsoring the next generation of fighters.

Boxing is one of the toughest sports, with financial security only coming at the end of what is a ferociously intense training lifestyle.

“The ethos behind the iGD Sport brand is a dedication to helping athletes train harder and recover faster; therefore working with new up and coming fighters is paramount to our message spreading.

“Any help we can offer in gaining an advantage within the sport creates a lasting impression in our mission.”

Q2 2022 | EDITION TWENTY TWO | SEDULO TIMES

@SEDULOGROUP | 19

Sedulo invest in sportswear brand, iGD Sport The brand is backed by world-level boxers, including Tyson Fury, Shawn Porter, Kell Brook and Josh Warrington I

GD Sport was founded by former professional athlete Andy Wray, whose career was unfortunately cut short due to injuries. Having studied physiotherapy and navigating the challenge of dyslexia with a visual anatomy style of learning, Andy completed his degree and began training professional athletes and private clients, with a particular focus on injury prevention as much as rehabilitation.

This was the start of iGD Sport, as Andy began to play with the design of garments around the human anatomical

structure through sketching over anatomy drawings to sculpt panelling and seams to follow the natural contours of the myofascial structures.

Compression wear became the hero product, using tight fabric around the muscle groups to aid recovery and to help with the next-day ache, otherwise known as Delayed Onset Muscles Soreness (DOMS).

The quality of the product was such that it was used by elite athletes, including current World Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury, to name a few.

In late 2021, Zeri Cheetham-Karcz was appointed as Brand Manager, with a vision to take the products used by the world’s sporting elite to the mass market.

The revamped offering and website launched in November 2021.

On the investment and launch, Wray said; “I am delighted to have taken investment from the Sedulo Group Investment Fund. I have a passion for creating products that boost improve performance by aiding recovery, as well as guard against injury.

“Bringing Zeri in has given the brand huge impetus in making the brand more consumer-friendly. In a short space of time we have rebranded, produced a new website and brought almost 60 SKU’s

to the market. I am really looking forward to the future.”

Paul Cheetham-Karcz, founder of Sedulo Group added; “It was a no brainer to invest in the brand. Having followed it for a while, we recognised the opportunity existed to take it to the market.

We have the experience of dealing with numerous fashion and D2C brands, none of which compete directly with iGD Sport in the compression sportswear market.

“We wanted to build on the success of our investments into travel agency Perfect Getaways, sports performance brand HMN24, and leadership club Be The Standard. We would hope to make another couple of these investments throughout 2022.”

Q2 2022 | EDITION TWENTY TWO | SEDULO TIMES

@SEDULOGROUP | 20

How Absolute Body Solutions are raising the bar for fitness in the city A

bsolute Body Solutions, or ABS, as they are more commonly known is a personal training company located on

Peter Street in Manchester city centre.

They are nestled between two of the city’s most popular eateries, Albert’s Schloss

and Rudy’s Pizza.

ABS opened in Manchester four years ago and have two sites in Liverpool.

One in the city centre on Castle Street and the other in the city’s south.

ABS specialises in providing the highest standard of personal training. Their friendly and welcoming teamwork with their clients provides tailored approaches to fitness and nutrition, so they achieve the very best results, no matter what they are.

ABS has worked with clients who are regular gym-goers to people who have never set foot in a gym. They have trained all age groups, from 18 to 83! The most important thing for ABS is to work closely with their clients to make sure every second spent in the gym helps them achieve their end goals, whether that is gaining muscle, losing weight, simply keeping fit, or addressing a medical issue for which exercise can help.

The team offer a range of programme lengths, with their 6-week programme being the most popular.

ABS has also been working with businesses across Manchester to host health and fitness events for their staff.

The company does this because they believe that wellness begins at work, and exercise, fitness and nutrition are a big part of that.

As part of this ABS came into The Regency Club in Manchester to talk all things health and nutrition to our team.

Connor O’Brien, ABS’ owner, covered a range of topics from what you should and should not be eating to how sleep is vital and how to approach choosing the right supplements for you.

Following on from this, a group from Sedulo braved a one-hour group workout at ABS’ gym. The PTs took the team through a high energy full body lunchtime workout that we hope everyone enjoyed!

Now it’s Liverpool’s turn. Later this month, ABS will visit the Sedulo office in the city centre to meet the staff, followed by a workout at their brand-new gym facility in the city centre.

BS owner, Connor said “It’s been fantastic to work with Sedulo, who have been extremely welcoming to us and our team.

Thank you for inviting us to your incredible office space in Manchester to present to staff, and I would like to say a massive well done to everyone who came to the group workout.

The atmosphere and energy in the gym were brilliant to see.

We can’t wait to meet the staff in Liverpool and welcome them to our gym space in the city.”

For more information on ABS you can visit their website at: https:// absolutebodysolutions.com/ If you’d like to try out a taster session you can email ABS’ team member Sam at sam@absolutebodysolutions.com

has been unprecedented. With over 400 volunteers all contributing to the cause, the aim of sparing more people from the pain suffered by that of Andy Roberts’ family is still very much alive.

Speaking on the Taking Care of Business podcast, Luke Ambler said: “I have a theory I live by called “What’s next?”. All it means is what are you going to do about it. Whether I’ve got

a parking ticket or someone threatens me, whatever it is, I always say “Okay. What are you going to do about it?”.

“And that way it came to me. The only thing I could actually do here (after Andy taking his own life) here is try and stop another family going through what you’ve been through.

That’s what Andy’s Man Club is about.”

“It’s okay to talk” the story of tragedy and hope behind Andy’s Man Club W

hat are you going to do about it?

This is the question Luke Ambler asked himself after losing his brother-inlaw to suicide.

Andrew Roberts was just 23 years old when he took his own life in early 2016.

With no warning signs of the internal turmoil that would drive him to suicide, Andy left behind a young family and relatives determined to try to understand why this would happen and prevent it from happening to more young men around the UK. That was the driver behind the idea of Andy’s Man Club; a place where men over the age of 18 can openly speak about their struggles without fear of

personal or clinical judgement.

The first group was founded

by Andy’s mother, Elaine Roberts and brother-in-law, Luke Ambler, as the pair began to challenge the stigmas that existed in the UK around men’s mental health and suicide. With male suicide the biggest killer of men under the age 50, the groups took off and now exist across the country as the barriers began to get broken down, giving the UK’s male population a place to air their internal struggles.

From nine men meeting in 2016 at the first club in Halifax, to over 1,000 men EVERY WEEK now attending the 70+ clubs across the the UK, the demand for the support provided by Andy’s Man Club

Q2 2022 | EDITION TWENTY TWO | SEDULO TIMES

@SEDULOGROUP | 21

Sedulo buy rugby league’s first NFT

Super League side, Warrington Wolves, have become the world’s first professional rugby league club to dive into the world of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), with the first range a trading card style design bearing the face of star player George Williams.

N

on-fungible tokens – or NFTs – are unique digital artworks which tokenise an object that exists in the real world, such as art and collectibles. NFTs are secured by blockchain – meaning they can then be bought and sold online with cryptocurrency, with only one official owner at any time.

NFTs enjoyed a mainstream breakthrough in recent times, with the Financial Times reporting that nearly $41bn had been spent on the digitised artworks in 2021 alone. In comparison, the global art market was estimated to be worth $50.1bn in the same period, according to UBS and Art Basel.

Warrington Wolves’ entry to the NFT digital space sees the release of seven artworks which also come complete with a personalised video message and physical framed Wolves shirt signed by the England

international. On the move, Warrington chief executive Karl Fitzpatrick told Sky Sports: “I think number of supporters are still trying to get their head around it, but we’ve had quite a lot of positive feedback in terms of the club being at the forefront of new media and new platforms.

“It demonstrates we are willing to push the boundaries and innovate, and being progressive is one of our core values.

“One of our core values is to be progressive and therefore I think it’s really important we entered this digital space because these are the platforms younger supporters and audiences are engaged in.

“It’s important we as a club are on these platforms and speaking a language young people understand.”

On supporting the Super League

side with their move into the NFT market, Sedulo Managing Partner, Paul CheethamKarcz added: “We work with a number of clubs in various sports, and Warrington Wolves are certainly at the forefront of innovation and adoption in their arena.

“Blockchain technology is becoming ever more commonplace in our daily lives, so it’s not surprising to its arrival in organisations, particularly in sport. The NBA have already embraced it to good effect so it’s only natural that other sports will follow suit.

“Congratulations to Karl and Warrington Wolves for being the first rugby league club in the space, and we’re of course really proud to be supporting them by becoming the owner of NFT No. 0001 – the first NFT in global rugby league history.”

Q2 2022 | EDITION TWENTY TWO | SEDULO TIMES

@SEDULOGROUP | 22

Understanding the role of light and how it wakes us up Written by Sedulo investment brand, HMN24

W

HAT IS LUX? Lux is a measurement used to show how intense the level of illumination is on a certain object. It’s critically important when trying to understand light and darkness. During the day, light intensities outside can reach illuminances up to 100,000 lux in direct sunlight and 25,000 lux in full daylight. Light intensities in closed rooms are considerably lower and standard office and home lighting is often lower than 500 lux.

Our eyes, that conversely communicate with the brain, need to be illuminated by around 500 lux to trigger certain processes within the body. When this happens, our body wakes us up naturally, physiological function operates in a better fashion and we ultimately find rest and sleep much easier.

LIGHT AND THE CIRCADIAN RHYTHM The Circadian Rhythm is the cycle of 24 hours, integral to the internal clock within the body. This rhythm is essential for all the processes and functions that our body goes through. In fact, the sleepwake cycle is one of the most important circadian rhythms. This internal body rhythm is influenced by various factors, the most important one of them being light.

All the circadian rhythms in the body have a connection to the master clock in our brain, located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus(SCN), and featuring different clock genes. These emit different signals from the SCN to the body to trigger different activities. The signals sent by the SCN are triggered by various external cues. This includes our light exposure, and this is why the circadian rhythms and light are closely connected.

LIGHT AND OUR HORMONES. There are two main hormones at play when we talk about sunlight and darkness. Serotonin and Melatonin. In short, our levels of melatonin are boosted when it’s dark, whereas serotonin levels increase when we expose ourselves to sunshine and light environments.

Melatonin helps you get to sleep and serotonin helps you feel awake when you wake up. Serotonin is a

neurotransmitter or chemical messenger, that’s involved in many physiological processes, not only waking up and regulating our circadian rhythm. It has also been shown to impact: • Appetite • Learning and Memory • Positive feelings and sociable behaviour.

When we expose ourselves to this higher level of quality light, we produce serotonin and in turn, the body reduces its melatonin levels.

Melatonin is the only known hormone synthesized by the pineal gland and is released in response to darkness, hence it helps us wind down and ultimately transition into sleep. With melatonin in the bloodstream, we can rest better during our sleep. If two people slept for 8 hours, one during daylight and another darkness, the person that slept in darkness would feel more rested. Many people who have sleep

issues use artificial melatonin supplements to help them fall asleep, yet disregard light and it’s importance. Melatonin is produced from serotonin through a cascade of enzymatic reactions, so if we get our light exposure wrong or serotonin production wrong. It impacts our sleep.

LIGHT THERAPY? Light therapy, also called phototherapy, has been studied in relation to numerous medical conditions, including: • Insomnia • Circadian rhythm disorders • Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease • Parkinson disease • Depression • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) • Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) The discovery of lux and the effects of light on sleep and waking up has led to many innovations. One of these is

light therapy. This type of therapy includes exposing people to an artificial light source for treating sleeping disorders, jet lag, seasonal depression, or merely adjusting sleep patterns.

SO HOW DOES LIGHT THERAPY WORK? Quite simply it’s about light exposure. A patient would sit next to a light source, often a “light therapy box,”.

This emits light, similar in nature to the natural light that we can find outdoors, so often in excess of 10,000 lux.

Simply put, it’s designed to artificially create the natural conditions we are exposed to when we go out in daylight.

Light therapy affects various chemicals in the brain that regulate sleep and mood.

This treatment is completely safe and has little to no known side-effects. If you work nights, you’re up before dawn, or you can’t access sunlight for any reason, a lightbox may be a viable alternative. For those of you that regularly travel across time zones and suffer from jet lag, it may also be of benefit.

LACK OF LIGHT AND INSOMNIA Our internal body clock is deeply tied to exposure to light. When we expose ourselves to high-quality light during the day, our internal clock adjusts to going down to a bed when it gets dark.

Both of these are influenced by serotonin and melatonin production and the cool thing is, both conditions can be simulated positively or negatively.

A WORD FROM HMN24 Light is a significant factor that affects when we wake up and how.

It can be an obvious trigger when we are exposed to light, but at the same time, the amount of exposure to light during the 24h cycle is also a critical factor in our long-term sleep-wake cycle.

In reality, many of us have shifted our internal clocks to suit our busy lives and busy schedules and in both the long and short term this disrupts our mood, productivity and our abilities to perform at our very best.

A few simple changes to how you expose yourself to light can have huge impacts on your overall productivity.

Q2 2022 | EDITION TWENTY TWO | SEDULO TIMES

@SEDULOGROUP | 23

The best exercises to treat calf strain

By Andy Wray, founder of iGD Sport, physiotherapist and a former professional athlete.

W

ith longer daylight hours and an upturn in weather encouraging the UK’s population to return to outdoor exercise, a common symptom of this season in our fitness calendars is also the return of niggling muscle strains after periods of relative inactivity.

One of the most common strains I see as a physio is in the calf, perhaps due to exercising outdoors providing an added expanse of area that promotes activities such as running and competitive sport.

If you suffer a calf strain, however, you do not necessarily need to press pause on your training as there are exercises and stretches you can do to keep active whilst recovering from your injury.

What muscles are in your calf?

The two major muscles of the calf are gastrocnemius and soleus.

Gastrocnemius starts above the knee and attaches to the calcaneus bone through the Achilles tendon. The gastrocnemius is at its most powerful when the leg is straight and has two heads on the inside and outside of the calf to create strong contractions whilst also stabilising the ankle.

A great way of activating the Gastrocnemius muscle is to perform a straight leg calf raise or simply walking around on your toes. Below these two heads of Gastrocnemius lies the flat triangular muscle Soleus which again attaches into the Achilles tendon however it only controls ankle movement.

There are other important muscles within the calf that help whilst walking or running. These pass down the inside of the calf and sometimes are missed when diagnosing a calf strain.

Tibialis Posterior supports the arch of your foot whilst Flexor Hallucis Longus and Flexor Digitorum Longus both control the big toe during movement, giving the athlete a solid platform to push off.

The best calf strain stretches It’s very important to stretch all the key muscles involved in walking and running to avoid any injuries. The calf muscles are located between the knee and ankle joint at the back of the leg.

Gastrocnemius can be stretched by dropping the heel off a step whilst keeping the knee straight. The Soleus is best stretched by pushing the knee forward over your toes whilst keeping the foot planted on the floor. I like to do this in a half-kneeling position with the affected foot kept on the floor and my chest pushing through my knee. I do this so I can then proceed to the other muscles that pass through the arch of my foot; Tibialis posterior, Flexor Digitorum and Flexor Hallucis Longus.

I push the knee further forward allowing the heel to rise and weight to be transferred from the foot into the big toe.

Once in this position, I allow the heel to drop slightly so the ankle joint is being squashed or made smaller, and the stretch can be felt along the inside of the calf and into the arch of the foot.

The best exercises to strengthen

Physio and founder of iGD Sport, Andy Wray, educates on how to recover from niggling calf strains and injuries. your calf One of the best exercises for strengthening the calf complex is walking around on your toes.

This simple exercise contracts and strengthens every calf muscle and teaches them how to adapt to controlling and stabilising the ankle during movement. To create dynamic stability and acceleration/ deceleration exercises you can use a boxstep to jump up and over repeatedly, so the calf muscles work quickly between each phase of contractions.

The calf works to decelerate you as the foot strikes the ground during running however it can become tired quickly and tear if it’s not used to the forces applied through it.

These forces change when you are heavier than normal, dehydrated, running too quickly or haven’t trained before on a specific terrain where increased calf activity is required to stabilise the foot.

Fartlek training is great to allow

your muscles to recover and is underused in training. Fartlek training is where you run intervals at different paces and have walking stages between efforts. It’s very common to hear runners wanting to run for 30 or 60 minutes without a break yet we all go into the gym to lift weights and rest between sets.

The same principle needs to be applied when trying to run further or faster and allow the muscles to recover so don’t be scared to walk a little to allow the calf muscles to have a break.

How long does a calf strain take to heal?

Calf strains are frustrating and can take a long time to heal due to us having to use the calf complex in everyday activities.

A low-level calf injury that appears by the muscle tightening excessively during exercise usually resolves in a couple of weeks however if the calf tears (you may even feel a “pop” when it does) you may be out of action for 4-6 weeks.

It’s important to avoid these types of injuries with correct compression garments until full fitness levels and optimum body weight is achieved.

That’s not saying we all need to be skinny to exercise or have minimal body fat compositions, this means we must understand that the heavier we are the more force goes through the calf as it tries to decelerate our movement. Gradual conditioning the speed and distance our calves need to work which allows them to adapt to these pressures whilst we are hopefully reducing our weight.

Chronic calf tears mean a total reduction in activity and no explosive movements or fast running from anywhere between 1 and 2 months. Gentle nonimpact exercises can resume once the initial pain has subsided or even upper bodywork could be favoured. It’s very important to allow the new fibres to strengthen under small forces before running again or reinjury will occur at the initial injury site.

Q2 2022 | EDITION TWENTY TWO | SEDULO TIMES

@SEDULOGROUP | 24

A new era for Rugby league as Cornwall RLFC are born C

ornwall Rugby League Football Club (RLFC) have received approval from the Rugby Football League (RFL) to compete in Betfred League One for the 2022 campaign.

Rugby League’s first professional entity in Cornwall will play their home matches at the Memorial Ground, Penryn.

It is fitting for such a ground-breaking development in Cornish professional sport that the side will be based at the home venue of Cornwall’s oldest rugby club.

A traditional oval-ball venue, in every sense of the word, it will provide a fervent and partisan setting for Cornwall RLFC supporters to back the team in their maiden season.

The Club have also announced a partnership with Sedulo as the club gear up for their maiden campaign.

Sedulo, one of the top 100 accountancy firms in the UK, have four offices in England – London, Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool – with the company experts in accounting, corporate finance, tax, wealth and funding.

Significant expansion in recent years has seen Sedulo partner with sporting entities and rugby league clubs specifically such as Super League giants, Leeds Rhinos, and former World Club Challenge winners Bradford Bulls.

On the opportunity to be a part of Cornwall RLFC’s story, Sedulo Managing Partner, Paul Cheetham-Karcz said: “Supporting organisations that are at the heart of their communities is a key part of what we do, and you don’t get many organisations more communityfocused than sports clubs.

This, combined with the plans the team behind Cornwall RLFC had for the club

and for the region, made it a no-brainer for us to lend our support.

“We’re really proud to be a part of this early stage of the club’s journey and can’t wait to help support them even more as they climb up the Rugby Football

League’s ranks and continue to grow.”

Meanwhile, Cornwall RLFC President Eric Perez, added: “Sedulo is hands down the best strategy consultancy firm in the country.

They’re fresh and innovative approach

PUBLISHED BY SEDULO GROUP, REGENCY COURT, 62-66 DEANSGATE, MANCHESTER, M3 2EN ST PAULS HOUSE, 23 PARK SQUARE, LEEDS, LS1 2ND OFFICE 505, ALBERT HOUSE, 256-260 OLD ST, LONDON EC1V 9DD WALKER HOUSE, EXCHANGE FLAGS, LIVERPOOL, L3 3YL

allows businesses to grow and thrive.

“To be the best you’ve got to work with the best and for that reason we are proud to have Sedulo as an official partner.”

WWW.SEDULO.CO.UK