North East Times Magazine Issue 454 by N Magazine

HELPING BRITAINDECARBONISETO

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We would be delighted to talk to you, or your team, about the ways we support planning applications. We work very closely with developers and planning consultants on all the mechanical, electrical and public health (MEPH) aspects of planning applications for landmark projects throughout the UK.

Contact Lewis Clark to find out more: lewis@wilsongrayconsulting.com

6 No North East Times Magazine Looking to the future_

7 454Lookingtothefuture North East Times Magazine Looking to the future_

The entrepreneurial stories of Tim Ward, of Opportuni; Chloë Clover, of Wander Films; and Kassi Emadi, of Nuddy, jump to mind, but are only a handful of the trailblazing innovators who have featured on the cover and call the North East home. It goes without saying the last two years have made a lasting imprint on the publishing and media landscape, but the North East spirit runs deep in the team, and we’ve pivoted at every turn.

4As we approach the two-year mark since we relaunched North East Times Magazine, with a new direction and focus, I wanted to take the opportunity to update you all on our next chapter.

Here, Chloe Holmes shares the next steps in the journey.

This includes investing in our digital channels to produce a daily commentary feature during the first lockdown, a 1000-strong home mailing list to deliver North East Times Magazine directly to your doormat, as we adapted to a working-from-home set up, and a commitment to delivering news, views and stories with socially-distanced interviews and photoshoots.

Our readers, partners and advocates have shaped the magazine, and those who have shared their incredible stories have helped us chart a new path.

However, we have navigated every bump in the road, and are now looking to theThefuture!legacy of the brand spans more than 40 years, taking a new shape in almost each decade, and is now established on our principles of transparency, integrity and creativity.

North8 East Times Magazine

We can’t thank the regional business community enough for the ongoing support of the team.

All of this, coupled with the challenges of changing business needs, openness to investing in marketing and business development, and the increasing cost pressures on the publishing industry, have made for a rollercoaster ride.

It’s almost two years since the team relaunched North East Times Magazine with a renewed energy to reflect the diverse business landscape in the region. Doing so, amid a global pandemic, has fostered an environment of learnings and opportunities.

Looking to the future_

I absolutely encourage you to participate in our regionwide survey to share your views, with the aim of establishing the business community’s focus in this ever-changing world. And we’d love to chat, so please get in touch. The team’s contact details are on the credits page. Thank you again for all your supportand watch this space!

Chloe PartnershipHolmesand marketing manager

Our changes will result in a reworked bi-monthly print run, commencing this month with issue #454, to give the team the extra time and resource to work on our multi-channel plans.

9 North East Times Magazine

Looking to the future_

I’m also incredibly pleased to reveal we are working on a second project with the team at Explain Market Research.

We have continuously reflected on the changing media landscape, and the resulting evolution of North East Times Magazine, and so, as we approach another important milestone, it’s time for us to look ahead. The moment has come for the next step in our evolution.

However, we want to reaffirm our commitment to the power of print, and although a slight change in direction, this will continue to be an integral piece of theWejigsaw.stillwant to hear from the regional business community, and learn of the stories of tenacity and endeavour, which are the driving force behind North East Times Magazine.

Behind the scenes, we are working on an exciting events programme, with lots of opportunity for industry leaders to share their expertise, and we will be on the lookout for the businesspeople who can share new perspectives and takes on some of the challenges and opportunities we face today. And to support all of this, we are moving! We will soon be residents of a brilliant space in Gateshead, which comes equipped with the facilities to help us achieve our ambitions.

Our commitment to long-form and storytelling journalism has been unwavering from day dot. We have considered how we engage the business community in other ways, to nurture the next generation of North East Times Magazine advocates. In turn, this will nurture opportunities for businesses to use our marketing platform in different ways, at varying degrees of investment, to open up a more accessible way for start-up and SME businesses to engage with our network.Thispresents an exciting multi-channel approach, with investment in our digital, events, audio and visual, and more ways for you to connect with your audience.

Editor Steven steven@netimesmagazine.co.ukHugill

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Print: North East Times is printed by Stephens & George Limited, a fourth-generation, award-winning printer based in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales, which is a specialist in sheet-fed lithographic printing of magazines, brochures and programmes. North East Times is produced using vegetablebased inks combined with innovative chemical-free plate and Heidelberg press technology. All papers are sourced from well-managed, sustainable forests and Stephens & George’s vast supply chain holds many environmental accreditations.Inadditionto this, they hold a Climate Change Agreement along with ISO14001, ISO9001, FSC, PEFC and offer Carbon Balancing via The World Land Trust. They achieved an E2B Silver award for energy improvements along with an E2B Gold award for recycling; 98.5 per cent of all their waste is www.stephensandgeorge.co.ukrecycled.

@2022 Published by North East Times Magazine Ltd.

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John Duns T: 07920 152 523 john@netimesmagazine.co.uk Managing director Peter Mallon T: 07590 064 800 pete@netimesmagazine.co.uk

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Head office South Northumberland Cricket Club, Roseworth Terrace, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 1LU T: 0191 246 0212

NorthContributors:ofTyne Mayor Jamie Driscoll Mike www.thisisthebiggerpicture.co.ukAngelawww.benbenoliel.comBenwww.christopherjamesowens.co.ukChristopherPhotography:ProfessorMatthewsPaulCroneyOwensBenolielCarrington

Partnership & marketing manager Chloe Holmes T: 07493 555 509 chloe@netimesmagazine.co.uk

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Ryan Errington Businessryan@netimesmagazine.co.ukdevelopmentdirector

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Photography: All photos taken by North East Times staff are copyright North East Times Magazine Ltd, and are taken solely for use in North East Times Magazine or products published by North East Times Magazine Ltd.

Business journalist Colin Young T: 07808 974 533 Headcolin@netimesmagazine.co.ukofcreative

JillAccountsBrown jill@netimesmagazine.co.uk

Steven From centuries ago to the present day, the North East continues to have a marked impact on the world around us, as Steven Hugill explains…

4There’s a price for being smug. A few years ago, during a trip to Paris, my partner and I, armed with cost-cutting city passes, breezed past the snaking queues outside the Louvre Museum to explore the glass pyramid’s many treasures. And all was fine, until we reached the pinnacle of our tour: the Mona Lisa. For when we arrived, our view was obscured by a fellow sightseer, who held his arms aloft and fixed his camera phone directly in front of da Vinci’s masterpiece.Andhewas keen - no amount of heckling made him budge. So much for jumping the line… I guess what I’m trying to say is that for all it was frustrating - he did eventually shift, though we’d been carried by the swell of the crowd by then - it nevertheless provided a reminder of the endurance of art and its prevailing value in the modern day. I thought back to that afternoon in France’s capital when reading the words of Tyne & Wear Archives & Museum director Keith Merrin, who features in this edition talking about the return of the Lindisfarne Gospels to the North East. And I was struck by some of his quotes, which emphasise the incredible history and symbolism of the manuscript.TheGospels, he says, are “the story of creativity, the story of sacred treasures, the story of the significance of objects in people’s lives (and) connectivity to the wider world… when the North East was absolutely the centre of European learning and power”.They’re only here from midSeptember until early December, and I’d encourage everyone - even if you’ve had the pleasure of seeing them before - to head to Newcastle’s Laing Art Gallery and peer through a window to a world that helped make the North East what it is today. The connectivity element of the historic text forms a central strand in another of our features, this time with Phil Forster, who, as managing director at Teesside International Airport, is rolling out plans to make the site fly high again. It’s no secret the base has suffered a turbulent decade or so, from dramatically falling passenger numbers and uncertainty over its long-term future under a previous operator, to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the aviation sector. However, with the travel gateway now under public ownership, and having attracted new flights, undergone significant terminal investment and secured important commercial deals - with further work in the pipeline - there’s a new air of optimism sweeping the scene. And talking of notable change, we delve into the world of sport, speaking to Judith McMinn, founder of County Durham’sAgainstRezon.abackdrop of increasing numbers of athletes and players being diagnosed with brain injuries and syndromes including dementia, the company is leading the way with its revolutionary Halos headwear. Designed to minimise the transmission of rotational forces to the brain, the technology reduces the risk of career-ending and/or lifechanging concussion, and the effects of cumulative trauma. Like the Gospels all those centuries ago, it’s another example of the North East’s place at the centre of international learning and influence. I hope you enjoy this issue.

editor’s WORD WELCOME TO ISSUE 454

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Contents

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The Sedgefield operator - known for wearable nuclear radiation detector equipment used to identify threats such as dirty bombs - has also raised £1.7 million from investors, which it says will help “minimise potential supply chain disruption”.Andithas secured two medical sector deals worth a combined £620,000, which include a £400,000-plus order from a “longstanding customer” to use Kromek’s technology for bone analysis.

“While we are mindful of broader macroeconomic trends, I am confident that continued delivery against our priorities will ensure we remain well-positioned for the future.” Demand leaves software firm on course for revenue rise Technology

And Dr Arnab Basu, chief executive, says he expects the business to continue its momentum, with the present geopolitical environment providing Kromek with the “highest level of revenue visibility” in its history and scope to secure “substantial year-on-year revenue growth.” He added: “We are pleased to report a year of good progress as we delivered on existing contracts and development programmes. “Our revenues grew compared to the previous year as we saw increased commercial traction, and we ended the year in a better position than we began it. “We entered the new financial year with a higher order book than the previous year (and) the current geopolitical environment is driving greater interest from government agencies for our family of products.”

Kromek Group eyes further growth as funding boosts contract wins Technology

A technology firm known for helping thwart terror plots says it is looking to the future with “increased confidence” after complementing stronger financial results with a million-pound-plus cash boost and new contracts. Kromek Group has seen annual revenue rise and losses fall amid higher demand for its security equipment.

16 Your curated guide to the latest news, views, trends and technologies shaping the economic and business landscape of the North East. Business Briefing_ Business briefing

A software provider expects annual income to reach the higher end of projections after strong trading. Sage Group says full-year recurring revenue growth will top as much as nine per cent, thanks to SME demand for its Business Cloudbranded suite of accounting, HR and payrollAccordingtechnology.tolatest results covering the nine months to June 30, recurring revenue stood at £1.3 billion, with year-to-date growth up £107 million. Business Cloud revenues came in at £886 million, a £150 million rise on a year-to-date basis. Total group revenue was up six per cent to £1.4 billion across the nine-month period. Jonathan Howell, chief financial officer, said: “We have performed strongly in the first nine months, with momentum continuing to build, as more firms choose Business Cloud to support their digital transformation.“Asaresult,we now expect organic recurring revenue growth for the financial year to be towards the top end of our guidance range of eight to nine per cent.

The deals build on improved annual results covering the period to April 30, which show the NETPark-based company’s revenues increased 16 per cent on the previous year to £12.1 million. Pre-tax losses fell £200,000 to £6.1 million, with losses across adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation dropping £500,000 to £1.2 million.

Pictured, above, Stephen Lancaster, GB Bank chief executive Anita Clementson, PoptopUK finance director, left, with Jane Siddle, NEL Fund Managers’ senior investment executive

Gateshead-headquartered PoptopUK says it will recruit up to ten staff in an expansion fuelled by North East Growth Capital Fund backing. The business offers customers an instant party booking service, which matches their tastes to ideas and experiences.

GB Bank officially launches £3 billion venture Finance A challenger bank promising a £3 billion property sector boost has officially launched.Middlesbrough-headquartered GB Bank has received its full UK banking licence. Bosses say the venture’s multi-billionpound commitment - set across five years - will help create more than 100,000 jobs, several million square feet of office space and 20,000 homes. Offering loans of between £500,000 and £5 million, they say it will support regional property developers, small and medium-sized businesses and construction companies, who have long suffered from industry financial ambiguity. Stephen Lancaster, chief executive, said: “Everyone can’t wait to see the positive impact GB Bank will make to communities across the UK.”

Greggs bullish over future as estate expands Retail A national baker founded on Tyneside’s streets says it is well placed to steer through the cost of living crisis as new shop openings and tech innovations continue to spurGreggsdemand.ispressing ahead with “a strategy for expansion” that will offset the economic downturn, which includes inflating its UKwide store estate to 3000 and introducing more bases away from the traditional high street. The sausage roll and pasty maker says it expects to secure further growth through its expanding online click and collect service and a separate delivery partnership with Just Eat.

Pre-tax profit was flat at £55.8 million, which the baker blamed on the re-introduction of business rates and increases across VAT and inflation.

Jane Siddle, senior investment executive at NEL Fund Managers, which helped PoptopUK secure its six-figure sum, added: “The business is well set to do even better through this year and beyond.”

17 Business Briefing_

Recruitment puts Waterstons on expansion trail Technology A technology and business consultancy has bolstered workforce numbers as it pushes ahead with international and financial growth plans.

Bosses unfurled their blueprint as they revealed the company’s half-year results to July 2, which showed total sales were up 27.1 per cent on the previous corresponding period to £694.5 million.

“The people who join us are key to realising these goals, and with the expertise and passion of each and every one, we are confident they will not only be met but exceeded.”

Michael Stirrup, chief executive at the company, which also has offices in London, Glasgow and Sydney, said: “We have always been a people-first business, with each appointment designed to benefit our clients.

“By 2025, we want to add more global locations, invest heavily in research and development, and double our turnover.

Roisin Currie, chief executive, said: “We delivered an encouraging performance, with sales ahead of 2019 levels.

“In a market where consumer incomes are under pressure, we are well positioned to navigate the challenges affecting the economy and continue to have a number of exciting growth opportunities ahead.”

Durham-based Waterstons has recruited more than 65 staff across apprentice to senior level positions. Bosses say the drive will allow the business - whose services cover cybersecurity and digital productivity - to reach new markets and double turnover.

Investment gets party started for growing firm Investment A party planning company has unveiled job creation plans following £150,000 support.

Eugene Shestopal, founder and chief executive of the firm, which has recorded 300 per cent year-on-year growth, said: “We want to help suppliers enhance their offer and create experiences that will amaze customers.”

Pictured, from left to right, are Hannah Cawley, UKSE’s Sarah Thorpe, Angela Carter and The Big League CIC’s Sam Hunter

UKSE has backed training provider The Big League CIC to create an advice hub in Hartlepool.Thecash, from the Tata Steel business support subsidiary, has helped transform an ex-storeroom at the Burbank Community Centre into a training space.

Bellway saw revenue rise 13 per cent to more than £3.5 billion and sales hit a new high of 11,198 in the year to July 31. Bosses say the firm, based in Woolsington, close to Newcastle International Airport, had benefited from “good mortgage availability and low levels of unemployment across the country”, with enduring demand pointing towards another profitable 12 Jasonmonths.Honeyman, chief executive, added: “Our sizeable forward order book and continued strong investment in land puts us in an excellent position to deliver another record year of output, notwithstanding the challenges in the planning system and upcoming end of the Help-to-Buy scheme.” Building society in North West merger talks Finance A North East mutual is in discussions over a merger. Newcastle Building Society has entered into an “exclusivity agreement” with Manchester Building Society.Thedeal would see the transfer of the latter’s engagements to the North East savings and mortgage provider. If approved, officials say the earliest an agreement could be completed would be mid-2023.

The Lakes Distillery is being supported by lender Beechbrook Capital.

Newcastle Building Society has around 336,000 members and more than 30 branches, and, as of December 31 last year, was the UK’s eighth largest building society. Manchester Building Society is the UK’s 41st biggest mutual.

Business Briefing_ Numbers add up as data company grows Technology A data analytics and testing firm helping a football team score new goals is targeting success of its own after expanding its line-up. Seriös Group has created 11 jobs. Its new faces include Emma Leigh Miller who, as HR and talent manager, will advise the company’s board on a range of issues, including staff retention and wellbeing. Finance operations have also been brought in-house under the leadership of Liane Duffy, with support from finance administrator Rachel Milnes. Elsewhere at the firm, which is helping Sunderland AFC to monitor player performance and identify new talent, Dan Reed and Lorraine Rorison have joined as product owners, with Andrew Collins and Tatiana Soares da Silva arriving as seniorChristineconsultants.Huntley, Marcus

Trinder and Michael Young are working as consultants, with Miikael Puusepp appointed a junior consultant on an apprenticeship programme.

Sam Hunter, The Big League’s community and funding manager, said: “This funding means we have the facilities to help more than 250 young people during the coming year.” Sarah Thorpe, UKSE regional manager, added: “We are only too pleased we’ve been able to help with this project.”

Bellway ‘primed to build on record results’ Construction A North foundationshomebuilderEast-headquarteredsaysithaslaidtheforfurthersuccess after registering record financial results.

Legal advice was provided by Louise Duffy, partner at Newcastle-based law firm Muckle.Sheadded: “There are exciting times ahead for this innovative company.”

Pictured, from left to right, are Louise Duffy, Muckle partner; David Robinson, The Lakes Distillery’s chief financial officer; and Abu Ali, WilliamsAli Corporate Finance’s managing director

Cash deal puts drink maker in good spirits Investment A whisky maker is raising a glass after gaining financial backing to help expand its global presence.

Funding adds steel to youngsters’ ambitions Education Unemployed youngsters are taking steps into work thanks to a £2000 grant.

The spirits maker secured the cash thanks to help from Newcastle’s WilliamsAli Corporate Finance, with the boost coming as the business increases single malt whisky production and ramps up exports to global markets including the US, France and Japan. Abu Ali, managing director at WilliamsAli Corporate Finance, said: “It’s been a privilege to support such an iconic brand on its future growth.”

The endeavour is part of the Phoenix Project, which guides the next generation through CV writing and job searches, and works to build skills and confidence.

left to right, are Lisa Jordan, of Maker and Faber developer Landid; Councillor Graeme Miller, leader of Sunderland City Council; James Silver, Landid managing director; and Russell Toogood, of contractor Sir Robert McAlpine

Employment 4NEPIC welcomes trio to boost member offer A chemical sector support organisation has strengthened its team.The North East Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC), based at The Wilton Centre, near Redcar, has welcomed Abigail Bell, Lesley Hawke and Dawn Musgrave. Aerospace engineering graduate Abigail joins as an innovation executive, with Lesley taking on the role of membership account manager. Dawn is NEPIC’s new project manager for Supply Chain North East, which helps SMEs diversify and move into new markets. Officials say their arrival strengthens the organisation’s focus on innovation and its commitment to helping its 300-plus membership meet net-zero, clean growth and carbon capture targets.

Tees Components full of cheer as record orders roll in Manufacturing A heavy engineering firm is celebrating after securing record orders. Tees Components, based in North Skelton, East Cleveland, has picked up deals worth £3 million. And to maintain its momentum, the company is creating eight jobs across engineering and administration roles. The business’ contracts include work for its Tees White Gill division - which previously supplied thrusters for the RSS Sir David Attenborough - with staff set to supply pump jets for National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration vessels. Further deals include a £750,000 marine defence agreement and a £500,000 nuclear sector partnership. Sharon Lane, managing director, said: “I’m delighted to see the hard work pay off for our team, and to see our clients show this confidence in us. “We are excited to embark on these contracts; they provide a brilliant blend of projects. “We have fascinating new products, we have critical British infrastructure projects and we’re also involved in essential climate research work. We’re so fortunate to be able to play our part, and that is why we enjoy what we do.”

Apprentices get to grips with equipment in Tees Components’ on-site training hub. The company is set to employ more young faces in a recruitment drive to build on record orders

Graeme Miller, leader of Sunderland City Council, said: “The level of ambition and determination of all partners is clear.“These buildings will make their mark visibly, but also in terms of the economic value they will deliver during construction and when they welcome many hundreds of Pictured,workers.”from

The North East Automotive Alliance (NEAA) Expo will take place at Sunderland’s Beacon of Light on Thursday, September 29. It will feature Nissan’s UK vicepresident for manufacturing Alan Johnson as guest speaker, who will discuss the firm’s switch to greener motoring through its £1 billion EV36Zero hub, and an SME Zone, which organisers say will help firms looking to expand their market presence. News you may have missed For more news and views across the North East, visit our website www.netimesmagazine.co.uk/news@

Business Briefing_

Automotive 4Firms get in gear for popular event A flagship automotive event is returning for a seventh year.

‘City’s ambition clear’ as office blocks take shape Construction A landmark city centre office development has hit a significant milestone. The first steel beams of Maker and Faber are now climbing high into Sunderland’s skyline. The buildings, backed financially by Legal & General as part of the wider Riverside Sunderland scheme, will provide 150,000sq ft of work space when completed in 2024. Five-storey Faber has already secured insurance group RSA as a tenant, with the operator primed to switch 400 staff from an existing Doxford International Business ParkCouncillorbase.

4Reputations matter. Just ask Rebekah Vardy.OrBernard Looney, chief executive of BP, which recently reported its biggest quarterly profit in 14 years. The news came at the same time forecasts were claiming household energy bills will hit more than £3600 a year this winter.It’snot a good look. Reputations matter. Employers’ reputations matter too. There are bosses, and there are good bosses. There are jobs, and there are good jobs.

North of Tyne Mayor

Celebrating good employers

Robson Laidler is just one of the dozens of organisations to have signed up to the North of Tyne Combined Authority’s Good Work Pledge – a kitemark for decent employers.It’sdesigned to help businesses demonstrate their commitment to providing not just jobs, but good jobs.

So too is recognising the employers that offer them. We announced the Good Work Pledge in 2020. Awareness raising started and applications began flowing in 2021. We’ve just had our 65th company sign up. Look down the list and you see all manner of organisations – from consultancies to care providers to cleaners. There’s even a theatre company. Any firm ‘taking the pledge’ must show us how they meet various good practises–do they, for example, encourage flexible working options?

Employment Words by Jamie Driscoll

“It’s all about having a bit of soul”, she says.“The impact of this business is more than a financial return for its owners.

With the North of Tyne Combined Authority’s flagship GoodWork Pledge having recently secured its 65th company, Mayor Jamie Driscoll highlights the benefits of the scheme and why, as the cost of living crisis bites harder, more organisations should take the oath and provide a safe and rewarding environment for staff. The pandemic has done many things, not least alter the very fabric of our working lives. Yet while a number of our daily practises are now different, one element remains the same: the importance of a stable, supportive employer.Amida fragile economic backdrop, the businesses that are there for staff, providing good salaries alongside opportunities to progress and mental health and wellbeing support, are vital. And helping them deliver - and continue improving - such backing is the North of Tyne Combined Authority’s Good Work Pledge. Having attracted multi-national operators such as Sage and KPMG, as well as many well-known regional names including Bernicia and Newcastle Building Society, the venture has now welcomed its 65th company.Designed to help organisations demonstrate their commitment to offering good jobs, which provide security and a decent standard of living, it awards operators accreditation across two levels for their commitment to a number of pillars.These columns include paying - or pledging to meet - the Real Living Wage, providing additional benefits, such as flexible working, and ensuring staff feel fulfilled in their roles. They also obligate firms to give employees a voice in their running and invest in training to help workers - across all tiers - climb the career ladder. Guest contributor North of Tyne Mayor Jamie Driscoll_

“Why would you not want to be part of creating a better world, a better local community, and a better place for your people to work?”

Do they have policies that promote equality and diversity?

They’re not necessarily the same thing, though. Do they pay enough? Are they secure? Are there opportunities to learn and develop? Are staff fairly represented? Amy Park gets it. She’s director of people and culture at Robson Laidler.

In a world where so many people are struggling on zero-hours contracts in a gig economy, these jobs are important.

Providing opportunitiesfuture

Are there opportunities for staff to progress; to make their voices heard?

The pledge is more than a kitemark, though, it’s a business improvement plan too.It sets out “some great ideas for providing an even more exceptional workplace”.Thosearen’t my words, they’re Rachael Kuronboev’s, chief operating officer at Eco Steam, which took the pledge earlier this year.Good work matters.

As a cost of living crisis hurtles towards us, it matters more than ever. I’m grateful to those 65 businesses that know this. Businesses like Robson Laidler, like Eco Steam. Every employer in the region should aspire to be a good employer. Every employer should sign our Good Work Pledge.

As companies continue to look for ways to accelerate growth plans, Mike Matthews, former managing director at Eaglescliffe-based car parts maker Nifco UK, and the firm’s ex-European boss, says it is imperative businesses switch to digital operations, to help their marketplace presence and put the region at the forefront of the Government’s ‘levelling-up’ agenda.

It was a bit of a strange move for a guy who isn’t known for his IT and technology prowess, other than hitting the on and off buttons, and shouting at equipment when it doesn’t work.

And it’s crucial businesses harness that.

in my experience, brings about a vibe like the one I recall from those old Westerns about a ‘gold rush’.

Small restaurants, hotels, bakeries, manufacturers, taxi firms, transport businesses and printing firms - to name a few - are prospering by boosting capacity utilisation of their services through digital platforms and tools. And this has knock-on effects, with operators benefiting from building a client database that records spending habits, develops sales forecasts and enables focused marketing and financial budgets - all of which aren’t practicable with Microsoft Excel. Throw artificial intelligence into the mix, and you have a digital tool that takes guess work out of ordering, stock levels, customer patterns and financial modelling.

The Government has updated its UK Digital Strategy paper, which highlights how “critical building blocks of the digital economy, from superfast internet access to cybersecurity capabilities, are already in place or being built…with universities lead(ing) the world in fundamental and applied science”.

4After a 38-year career in manufacturing, with the latter five alongside organisations such as the North East England Chamber of Commerce and North East Automotive Alliance, I’m now working as a business consultant, which is providing a great platform to see and compare organisations globally.Andone thing it is really emphasising to me, through each passing week, is the importance of digitalisation.

My advice for all companies, large or small, is that if they don’t have a business plan, with a strong digital pillar that reflects all aspects of their operations, to give it thought sooner rather than later. Because digital will take them to the next level.

Latest figures show the top ten companies globally are pretty much digital businesses, with the tenth, Warren

If not the most powerful, digital is certainly one of the most powerful tools for the North East to really compete on a national and global basis, and really level up business and our environment, both socially and economically. Three years ago, I was contracted with Hitachi Vantara, one of the world’s leading providers of digital solutions for business.

It has, however, been a tremendous experience and has provided a real window to see how household names are rushing to digitalise their businesses in some, if not all,Digitalisation,aspects.

Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate, now divesting in the traditional banking sector and moving significantly into digital banking.Furthermore, digital has propelled Walmart’s fortunes to dizzier heights, with a 79 per cent increase in e-commerce sales in 2020, as well as those of Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and Google. But digital isn’t the sole preserve of the perceived elite.

The ‘levelling-up’ agenda is, by now, a well-known Government buzz phrase for closing the UK’s social and economic geographic divide. But what about the commercial landscape?Insuchmutable times, one way to ensure it is balanced and, furthermore, tipped in favour of growth, is to embrace the digital revolution. For many firms, particularly those in the manufacturing sector, automation has long been fundamental to production line activity. However, by embracing digital more widely, to incorporate artificial intelligence into everyday functions, businesses have the opportunity to bolster every aspect of operations, from product conception to fabrication and delivery, as well as detailed customer-focused analysis capable of shaping future plans and financial forecasts.

Guest contributor Mike Matthews_ Get in gear digitally to drive ahead Tipping the balance towards growth Digital Words by Mike Matthews Independent business consultant

Time to start a new diet

It’s been quite the summer of sporting battles.From Wimbledon and the Commonwealth Games to the Lionesses’ triumph at Euro 2022, the sunshine months have provided some spectacular drama. They’ve also been the backdrop for another skirmish - the Conservative Party leadership race.

Adam Moran (or BeardMeatsFood, to use his YouTube moniker) is the man behind the story, the owner of the castiron stomach who goes where very few, if any, digestive systems have gone before.

Opinion POLITICS

From the UK to the US, he’s downed countless towering burger stacks, colossal steaks, giant burritos and even a two-foot long, 5000-calorie chocolate éclair. Yet recently, as he picked at the remaining scraps of a monstrously-sized, artery-choking fried breakfast (which he’d eaten in less than 12 minutes), I found myself asking, ‘just how much is too much?’Because, for all the many places, restaurants and greasy spoons he frequents, his schtick is basically the same thing every time, just presented in Words by Steven Hugill

As the country gets ready to welcome its next Prime Minister, Steven Hugill assesses the political landscape and explains why, despite the two principal parties promising much to feast on, it feels like the cupboard is rather bare. 4It sounds like the stuff of bizarre bar room legend.

With Boris Johnson’s Prime Ministerial reign cut short, Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss have punched and counter-punched their way through the last few weeks. For the victor, though, will come not the chance to bask in the warmth of glory, but the chilling realisation that a much longer fight awaits. After years of Johnson haphazardry, the country is in desperate need of being wrestled in a fresh direction.

Pushing for change Politics

‘Hey, have you heard about that skinny guy, the one with the massive beard, who randomly pops up in a town and eats anything you put in front of him?

‘Yeah, it could be a 100oz steak or a metre of macaroni cheese in a length of guttering, he puts it away - and he always asks for a dessert too’. The tale, though, is not myth.

But Labour - a party wonderfully adept at eating itself from within - should really have made that knockout blow by now.

The pair of them may have spent the past few weeks whetting the appetites of blue rosette voters with saccharine PR campaigns and cheesy grins, but there remains a hell of a lot more to do when it comes to the wider scheme of things.

Arguably, when you’re principal rival is landing haymakers on his own jaw, it’s understandable to leave him to it.

And forgive me for sounding pessimistic, but do we stand much hope of getting it? Really? These two, after all, are co-architects of policy and action that put the country where it is today. They were members of Johnson’s trusted inner-circle, who were there through the COVID-19 PPE contract controversy, the track and trace shambles and, in Sunak’s case, the lockdown fines. They have also been chief witnesses to the Government’s ham-fisted attempts at ‘getting Brexit done’.

a different way. Which got me thinking about the Conservative leadership race. Thanks to Boris Johnson eating up tonnes of voter support in just one Prime Ministerial sitting (a strike-rate that would no doubt impress Moran) we’re set for another serving of Tory governance. Whether it’s Rishi Sunak - left with egg on his face after his wife’s tax revelations, and who went viral for apparently confusing Darlington as a place in Scotland - or Liz Truss, who got lost leaving her own press conference and who nearly got whiplash from U-turning on plans to cut civil servants’ pay outside London - we’re going to have to pinch our noses and swallow hard.

Yet, in today’s absurd political environment, their past performances don’t mean the Conservatives are dead and buried come the next General Election.Farfrom it.

Whoever secures the post - and by the time you’re reading this, we’ll know, or have a pretty good idea who it is - will have a lot on their plate. In a land where inflation, and therefore, the cost of living continues to spiral, where the health service remains in a parlous state, where the busiest passenger port ground to a crawl during the summer as Brexit reared its head, where the ‘levelling-up’ agenda must be delivered as promised, we need decisive action, not the same old dishes renamed and sprinkled with a hint of garnish.

Yes, some polls have Labour in front, but you take those with a large handful of salt. That it hasn’t got the Tories firmly on the canvas is as revealing as it is significant; the party, and its messaging, simply isn’t convincing enough. I wrote a piece last year about what the Labour Party meant - or, to be more precise, what it didn’t mean - to voters. At the time, I interviewed Phil Wilson, the former Sedgefield MP who took over Tony Blair’s seat, about the red rose’s wilting, particularly in its North East heartland.Hewas clear on the problem: Labour wasn’t speaking the language people understood.Tomany,it still isn’t. Without doubt, Sir Kier Starmer is the stable hand on the tiller the party so desperately needed when it was left foundering following the calamitous Jeremy Corbyn era. And he’s made progress to repair its reputation, charting a course back towards respectability. But his recent announcement of a ‘clean slate’, in the process removing previous manifesto pledges, points to a party in flux, one still searching for a true identity. And his apparent recent U-turn on ministers attending strikes only exacerbates the point. His windfall tax plans represent the beginnings of more decisive action, of making the voting public sit up and take notice. But they are just that - a start.

Because, despite Johnson’s shambles and ultimate self-cannibalism, Labour remains a distance away from convincing enough people it can be trusted again. To get to that point, it needs ideas that resonate, policies that mean something, a vision that makes sense to voters. It needs to become recognisable, and to be liked again. For the good of the UK and democracy, it needs to serve up more than it is; it needs to provide some real food for thought. Because, at the moment, there are too many voters asking the same thing: please, Sir, I want some more.

And nowhere, says Deborah, who has more than 30 years’ experience as a banking and finance lawyer, is the strength of The Endeavour Partnership’s support more keenly felt than by small and medium-sized companies (SMEs).Shesays: “When looking at an offer, any business is focused on price and fees, but the devil is in the detail.

“One size doesn’t fit all, and the cheapest bank offer isn’t always the best.

Acting for entrepreneurs, owner-managed businesses and investors, the department provides expert advice on corporate transactions, covering areas including sales, acquisitions and management buy-outs and buy-ins, and advising on processes such as contact drafting and negotiating.Afurthercomponent is its understanding of the growth funding sector, which is spearheaded by banking and finance specialist Deborah.

Working closely with businesses, Deborah and her team explicate the intricacies of every deal to help secure funding packages tailored to firms’ existing structures and expansion ambitions. Helping implement internal financial structures, the team also works through the due diligence process and ensures organisations understand the full spectrum of the Any business embarking on a new venture needs a guiding hand to steer its direction. And one company providing such navigational aid is The Endeavour Partnership. Operating as Tees Valley’s largest commercial law firm, its expert corporate and commercial team - complete with specialist banking and finance support - is helping organisations realise their growth ambitions. Here, Steven Hugill speaks to banking and finance specialist - and corporate and commercial department partner - Deborah Kirtley, to find out more.

A loyal partner at the side of business

24 financial deal, starting with the initial term sheet through to financial close, highlighting there is more to an offer than just the margin and lender’s fees.

DEBORAH KIRTLEY REACHES INTO HER POCKET and pulls out a mustard yellow tin. With a metallic clink, it pops open and labradoodle Freddie, who Deborah has just walked around Teesdale Business Park, gladly accepts a treat from within.

@Endeavour_lawwww.endeavour.law

Like Deborah’s faithful companion, the Stockton-based firm is a loyal partner at the side of business. And a key strand within its dedication is the work of its highly-qualified and experienced corporate and commercial team.

The largest of its kind across firms operating between Newcastle and Leeds - and respected domestically and internationally for work on high-value and complex deals - it is led by partner Nik Tunley, with support from fellow partner Deborah and contemporaries Nigel Williams, Martin McKinnell and James Butler.

Law_ Advertising feature_The Endeavour Partnership

Although initially incongruous to the surrounds of a law firm, the scene is actually a wonderful metaphor for The Endeavour Partnership and what it stands for.

“We provide people with hands-on training and mentoring that allows them to thrive.

“And, as a firm, we want to support local businesses and are committed to making the region even stronger.” Endeavour

Deborah says: “We’ve probably been busier than ever over the last two years, and we have a lot of pipeline deals.“The last recession had such a long tail, which meant that by the end, many businesses were sitting on cash patiently waiting for the right investment to come along.

She adds: “I was born in Middlesbrough, my mum was from Newcastle, my dad is from Sunderland, so I feel very much part of the North East, and I want the whole area to do well.

And Deborah says she expects the firm’s work stream to grow further, helped in no small part by what is taking place across Teesside, with its new freeport status and airport improvements, together with the redevelopment of Middlesbrough and - up the road - much investment in Darlington.Deborah says: “In the funding sector, we are going to see an increasing focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) requirements for lenders.

Partnership

“SMEs are so busy and, as their trusted advisor, we compare offers and provide real insight into the overall funding

“This will bring huge opportunities, which we’re already seeing locally at Teesworks - where the former SSI UK steelworks is being turned into a clean energy hub - and we are perfectly placed to support such ventures.”

“The calibre and variety of work, as well as our culture, means we stand toe-to-toe with any Newcastle or Leedsbased firm.”

As well as its trusted service, the firm’s workload continues to be bolstered by a decision, taken in the summer of 2019, to invest in IT equipment capable of delivering greater flexible working.

Law_ Advertising feature_The

“Sustainability lending is going to become an additional requirement; lending criteria will no longer just be about financial performance.

our reputation is such that we’re gaining increasing numbers of transactions from businesses who previously acted on the opposite side of deals to us. “And we’re being instructed by a franchisor, after acting for a lot of franchisees, because it too recognises our expertise.”

“We’repackage.abletohighlight areas such as the quality of a lender’s after sales service, and we help SMEs build relationships with different funders for the future,” says Deborah, who joined The Endeavour Partnership four yearsSheago.adds: “We know what questions to ask, and that really sets us apart. “We also take great pride in growing with clients.

25 The PartnershipEndeavour As the commerciallargest law firm in the Tees Valley, The Endeavour Partnership ofmultipledepartmentsitsRecognisedbusinessallexperiencedisinaspectsoflaw.forspecialistandlayersexpertise,

The move meant that when the pandemic struck, The Endeavour Partnership not only remained at the side of businesses during great uncertainty, but was able to act immediately on the many investment and exit strategies triggered by the health crisis.

She says: “We have blue-chip and national firm expertise; for the vast majority of transactions there is no need to go to Newcastle or Leeds.

“We get under their skin, and there is nothing more satisfying than being involved with a business that we’re helping“Furthermore,succeed.

the firm offers a genuine focus on legalcommercialsolutionsto provide support that goes beyond static advice, and is committed to producing innovative options for clients while bankingteam,andhowinformationForthinking.business-focuseddemonstratingstillmoreonitscorporatecommercialanditsand finance support, could help your business, https://endeavour.visit law/ or contact 01642 610300.

“But the pandemic provided a moment for them to make some decisive moves.”

And being at the forefront of monumental change, says Deborah, not only marks The Endeavour Partnership out as an industry leader, but also serves to dispel an outdated perception that staff must work for Newcastle, Leeds or London-based firms to progress their careers.

Jackson Hogg’s offices, based in Newcastle and Billingham, near Stockton, remain open five days a week.

www.jacksonhogg.com @JacksonHoggRec

“And the initial feedback has been very positive.”

Under the plans, the company’s recruitment consultants take each Friday off, subject to operational commitments.

THE COMMERCIAL WORLD IS FULL OF TERMINOLOGY. Yet for all the language, we’re increasingly finding ourselves in danger of becoming lost in translation. Because while we may comprehend the lingo, do we actually understand what the employment landscapeand specifically the working week - means anymore?

The pandemic has done many things to our everyday routine, not least introduce a paradigm shift in the way we earn a living. We work differently now - whether its location, method or time - with our verbal shorthand increasingly drowned out by talk of operational change to meet these newThenorms.phenomenon is no more emphasised than at leading specialist recruitment and outsourced people services partner Jackson Hogg, which introduced a fourday week at the beginning of August.

Meanwhile, its Talent Partners - who deliver headcount plans, increase the speed of recruitment and control costs for clients - and its HR Partnership team - which provides everything from day-to-day assistance to fully outsourced support - are alternating days off between Fridays and Mondays.

Ahead of the launch, the business - which helps clients find staff in spheres such as manufacturing, heavy engineering, life sciences, food production and digitalcarried out extensive research into a four-day week.

Spearheaded by associate director of people Aoife Owens (pictured, top right), it looked at a number of global organisations to have made the shift, including feature_Jackson Hogg

Jackson Hogg

Staff are also continuing to assist clients with urgent enquiries, with flexibility in place to work a short number of hours on a Friday, rather than a Thursday afternoon and evening, if needed.

“We are increasing the focus between Monday and Thursday,” says chief executive Richard Hogg (pictured below, left), “condensing each working day to provide even greater emphasis on supporting clients’ needs.

Specialist recruitment and outsourced people services partner Jackson Hogg has switched to a four-day week. Having begun on August 1, the move has already increased productivity, provided even greater quality of client service and delivered a significant boost to employee mental health and wellbeing. Here, Steven Hugill speaks to company founder and chief executive Richard Hogg, chief operating officer Anthony Broadhead and associate director of people Aoife Owens, to learn more about the change.

To find out more about week,Hogg’sJacksonfour-dayhowits Executive Search support can help your business recruit high-level outsourcedofprogrammeandprofessionals,itswiderbespoketalent services and HR Partnerships, visit www. jacksonhogg. com, email info@ 0495.orjacksonhogg.comcall0191580

Redefining the working week

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And the firm - which helps clients across the science, technology, engineering and manufacturing (STEM) sectors secure appointments from professional entry to board level - says the venture has already increased productivity and delivered an even greater quality of service.Italso says it is affording staff - who have dropped from five days to four but received no salary reduction - extra time for rest and recuperation and self-development.

“The plan is to hire ten people a month from now on - and we believe our four-day week will really help us do so. “And by having more people, we will become even more efficient, meaning we will be able to increase further our provision of care and top-class service.”

“We need a better balance, and providing staff with an extra day is doing just that. “It allows space to get odd jobs done, to attend appointments and properly refresh and recharge, to really flourish again at the start of the next working week.”

“In fact, it has done the opposite, because employees are far more efficient and productive.”

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Anthony adds: “We are committed to fostering a place where people love coming to work.

He says: “We’ve always used technology; we had Teams and Zoom before COVID-19, and it makes us incredibly flexible. “We can be with clients anywhere, and at any time, when they need us. “But we’re still seeing clients in person like we’ve always done - face-to-face meetings and conversations remain incredibly integral to what we do. “We know clients value our personal approach and the benefits it brings them and their businesses.” “And we too hold it very dear, so our commitment will stay as robust as it always has,” adds Anthony, who confirms flexible working is continuing under the new system, with staff attending the office three days a week.

“Our core value is care, and having a three-day weekend takes us much closer to having a better work/ life balance.”

Anthony says: “We’ve always had 37.5 hours as the standard working week, but is it fit for purpose any longer in the busy, modern world?

Microsoft, which has seen productivity across its Japanese arm lift by 40 per cent on a four-day schedule.

It assessed the model rolled out by Durham-based lender Atom Bank, which says its switch to four days has increased worker engagement and lowered stress levels.

And bosses took further lead from Denmark and Germany, which both have shorter working hours than the UK but are 23.5 per cent and 14.6 per cent more productive, respectively. Richard says: “Our services, the standard of support and the outcomes we deliver, are all being amplified by the four-day week. “We’re an output-driven business; our success comes through delivery of talent to clients, and we’ll never stop doing that.”

He also says the move, which was overwhelmingly welcomed by clients, will deliver significant benefits to employee mental health and wellbeing.

“We’re growing at a phenomenal rate; we were at 32 people last January, and we’re now at 110.

And chief operating officer Anthony Broadhead (pictured, above) says the increase in output will be spurred by a legacy of the pandemic.

And with such an environment, the company - which celebrates its tenth anniversary in October - says it expects to further bolster employee numbers, to cater for demand in what is an increasingly busy, and competitive, marketplace.Richardsays: “We want to attract - and retain - the best talent, and switching to a four-day week provides another reason to join the business, and another reason to stay.

Aoife adds: “Moving to a four-day week hasn’t compromised any of the qualities clients have grown accustomed to receiving.

“But we still need more people to service clients’ needs.

Recruitment_ feature_Jackson Hogg

Dr Chris Ferguson, pictured at Yeavering, near Wooler

Realising a childhood dream to recreate Sutton Hoo of the North

Instagram:www.adgefrin.co.ukAdGefrin

An archaeologist and museum professional, with a PhD in Anglo-Saxon Northumbria from Oxford, there was no hesitation in grasping the opportunity presented to him to come home to the North East, celebrate Northumbria’s Golden Age and bring it to the attention of the world.

It was Chris and Eileen who together landed on the name for the new development. Ad Gefrin means ‘By the Hill of Goats’, with the latter being the ancient name for Yeavering. Driven by Chris’ passion for the largely untold story of the period and the international significance of the archaeological site at Yeavering, and supported by the absolute commitment of Alan and Eileen to create something world-class, Ad Gefrin is stirring significant interest.Housed in a state-of-the-art building designed by local architect Richard Elphick - with world-renowned Studio MB (of Durham Cathedral Open Treasure, Richard III and Titanic Belfast visitor experiences’ fame) undertaking the interior design - Ad Gefrin will re-imagine the Great Hall discovered at Yeavering by archaeologist Brian Hope Taylor in the 1950s, one of the century’s most remarkable archaeological finds. Gefrin

AS A CHILD, CHRIS FERGUSON REMEMBERS standing on the grassy plateau at Yeavering, imagining the kings and queens, bards and thegns, slaves and artisans of the seventh century royal court beneath his feet – all mingling around him.

So, where did this childhood passion for Northumbria’s ancient past take him?

Well, today, Dr Chris Ferguson is at the forefront of delivering one of the most anticipated museum openings in the world this year (Smithsonian Magazine, January 2022), which will celebrate exactly what inspired him all those years ago.

When his father Alan and stepmother Eileen mooted they were going to spend their children’s inheritance on building a whisky distillery and visitor experience on an old derelict site long-owned by the family at the edge of the hill town of Wooler (only four miles from Yeavering), little did they know just how much the idea of the Ad Gefrin visitor experience would grab the imagination of locals and media alike.

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As the Lindisfarne Gospels make a brief return to the region of their foundation, another North East venture is readying itself to tell the story of Northumbria’s Golden Age. Opening in the spring, the Ad Gefrin whisky distillery and visitor experience will take enthusiasts back to a seventh century royal court of kings and queens. Here, Dr Chris Ferguson explains more about the endeavour and its significance in shining a light on a hugely important period in North East history.

“This was no ‘dark ages’ – this was a melting pot of glorious craftsmanship, embroidery, music and language.”

What is more, the visitor experience will bring to life the people that populated the court through immersive AV projection, giving the visitor the feeling of being right there among them.

Chris adds: “It was King Edwin who presided over the first mass conversions to Christianity in Northumberland, and although many fell back to paganism on his death, when King Oswald succeeded him, in 634 AD, it was he who brought Aidan to Northumberland, founded the monastery on Lindisfarne, and ultimately led to the creation of the Lindisfarne Gospels. “As a ‘hidden’ period at the cusp of written history, wedged between the Romans and Vikings, this couldn’t be richer or more important.”

He goes on to explain the significance of the Northumbrian court at that time.

So, is Chris excited by the return of the Lindisfarne Gospels to the North East this autumn? “Absolutely!”, he says.

“Between us and Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums, we are creating a compelling voice for the historical significance of Anglo-Saxon Northumbria and its relevance to today. “The exhibition from this September to December is a wonderful precursor to the opening of our permanent museum in February 2023 – and it will hopefully whet everyone’s appetite.”

Pictured, above, is a replica of a seventh century claw beaker

Ad Gefrin Ad Gefrin whisky distillery and visitor experience will open to the public mid-Febru ary 2023, and as well as delivering its visitor experi ence and being the home of the first Northumbri an English Single Malt Whisky, it will offer a bistro, shop, distillery tours and tastings as part of a year-round visitor Fordestination.moreinforma tion, visit www. calladgefrin.co.uk,01668281554 or email info@

AnnPictures:adgefrin.co.ukSallyNorman

People travelled from North Africa, Europe and Scandinavia to visit the court, and brought with them extraordinary craftsmanship, accomplishments and creativity – giving rise to a rich culture that ultimately spawned the Lindisfarne Gospels. Some fourteen centuries later, the importance of hospitality, cultural exchange and kinship endure in the values of the new development.

“King Edwin would have been at Sutton Hoo – he was exiled in East Anglia before returning as king to Northumbria in 616 AD.

This was a time when kings were celebrated for their generosity; women could own property and were equal in the eyes of the law; diversity was embraced; and there was the expectation that new friends and visitors would give, not take away.

Chris says: “People are aware of Sutton Hoo –the discovery of the burial longboat unveiled the riches placed in a king’s grave, but what the story encompassed by Ad Gefrin does, is reveal for the first time the riches of the royal court found in life.

Business_ Advertising feature_Ad Gefrin

31 Spreading the Gospel

The Lindisfarne Gospels are coming home. Displayed in an atmospherically-controlled clear box, which has taken months to transport and install, the 1300-yearold manuscript is the centre piece of the Laing Art Gallery’s exhibition. It opens on September 17 and you have until December 3 to see it. The British Library has entrusted the rare appearance of this precious and delicate historical document to Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums (TWAM), following Durham Cathedral, which opened its beautiful pages to a curious and relentless public in 2013. The Lindisfarne Gospels Exhibition is arguably one of the biggest cultural events in the UK this year – and certainly in our neighbourhood – and is expected to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors, many from outside the region. But there is so much more to the Gospels’ return and display than its entrancing, centuries-old mosaics. As Colin Young finds out, for TWAM director Keith Merrin, the Lindisfarne Gospels offer the opportunity to spread the word from the North East once again.

“It was literally sitting in my spare bedroom one day on one laptop, and www.twmuseums.org.uk

@TWAMmuseums

“And it always brings a massive smile to my “Ourface.museums were quiet for far too long.”Keith has been director of TWAM for more than a year now, and most of that time has been spent working from home, visiting TWAM’s nine locations or finalising the return of the Lindisfarne Gospels.

Words by Colin Young

“When I first arrived, all the museums were still closed,” he says.

Photography by Christopher OwensFeatureMerrinKeith

“My office is up on the fourth floor of the Discovery Museum,” he says. “I really noticed it when the schools came back after we’d reopened.

4Keith Merrin loves noise. He is the head of nine museums across the North East, and mountains and streams of physical and digital archived materials. We are sitting for our interview in the Laing Art Gallery cafe, where the softly-spoken Keith is competing with the constant hisses and bangs of the coffee machine alongside the sounds of dozens of schoolchildren, who have been invited to sing and perform in the foyer.And Keith, who is director of TWAM - Tyne & Wear Archives & Museumscould not be happier.

“I couldn’t meet any of my new colleagues because everybody was working from home.

“When they come up the stairs in the corridor right next to my office, it sounds like a herd of elephants.

33 the next day, sitting in my spare bedroom on a different laptop. “And that was the change in my job. “Then there were all the things that went along with that; worries about finances, all the time our venues were shut we weren’t generating any income, but we still had quite significant cost pressures. “Clearly, we couldn’t deliver as normal; we were having to reschedule and change exhibitions, change programmes. “There were genuine worries if visitors would come back at all. “We were incredibly lucky the Government released the Culture Recovery Fund, which was an absolute lifeline to our sector, in terms of being able to cover some of our losses, because we were one of the hardest hit sectors. “People could still go to the shops and spend, even pubs were able to do outdoor drinking or ordering in; we were just shut. “That was a difficult time but, at the same time, the great thing about TWAM is that it has this massive footprint across the region. “It’s really well loved. People in all our different communities love their local museums. “It’s been very challenging at times, but it is also incredibly uplifting to see the reaction of people since they’ve been coming back. “We had to adapt. “When schools were back, but we weren’t open, we delivered things online, like an Ancient Egypt study day from the Great North Museum. “We had 4000 kids online, from all over the“Butcountry.there’s something about museum spaces; these civic spaces allow people from all backgrounds to come and mix together, to do their own thing while being part of something collective. “I find it incredibly uplifting - it’s quite rare in society now. “When something is taken away from you, you appreciate it more when it comes back.“And also, you just see how important we are to people. “It gives you that extra edge to do well.” Away from the hubbub of the cafe, we head behind the scenes for a photoshoot. This is, of course, familiar territory for the director of TWAM, and across the North East there are dozens of rooms and corridors – rows of paintings, drawers and cabinets full of artefacts of every description and era, and countless historical documents.

Every step of the ancient book’s journey has been meticulously planned and monitored, and it must reside in an atmospherically-controlled clear box for the duration of its stay before it returns to London in December.

“So we had to take some big leaps of faith, but it has paid off, and we’ve been able to deliver the exhibition and community and learning programme in full.“Part of my job has been to keep everybody holding their nerve, if you like, and being steady and keeping all of our partners, the stakeholders, on board, like the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the North of Tyne Combined Authority, who have been brilliant in supporting us. “When we deliver the Gospels, it’s going to be amazing, and it’s going to drive a lot of “Peoplevisitors. in government talk about this as one of the key events in the country this year alongside the Commonwealth Games.“This is a real coup for Newcastle.”

The Lindisfarne Gospels’ reappearance, so close to their creation, is deserved reward for TWAM and its partners, who had to sustain their belief in the project throughout COVID-19 without knowing if the exhibition would even be open to the public.

“Some really interesting things came out

But even Keith seems surprised by some of the discoveries before us. Especially the swords.“Ihonestly didn’t realise we had so many,” says Keith. He gives us a fascinating half-hour impromptu tour, and it’s reassuring that if these are the items in store, how powerful must those on display be across TWAM’s nineButmuseums?wearenot here to discuss these secreted items – although they are on Keith’s post-pandemic agenda.

TWAM won the right to follow Durham Cathedral’s hosting of the book nine years ago following an extensive report into the Gospels. It promised to deliver an ambitious exhibition that would encapsulate their contemporary significance. The exhibition opens with an immersive digital experience, including early medieval treasures brought together from across Britain, representing both personal and collective religious experiences in the eighthTurnercentury.Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller has been given free rein to create his interpretation of the Gospels, but equally fascinating is the speciallycommissioned ‘These Are Our Treasures’ community exhibition.

MerrinKeith Feature www.twmuseums.org.uk @TWAMmuseums

The Lindisfarne Gospels are coming home.The three-month exhibition in the Laing Art Gallery is three years in the bidding, fundraising, planning and delivery.

Keith says: “We invested a lot of time in planning the project and in writing applications to raise the money we needed, but without really knowing whether we would ever do it.

It has taken nearly six months to move the most spectacular manuscript to survive Anglo-Saxon England from its home in the British Museum to the region.

Keith says: “We went to libraries across the region, as part of the wider reach-out to take the Gospels into communities and schools, talking about the Gospels being a treasure of the North East, and asked, ‘what is your treasure?’

Keith is now into his second year as TWAM director, and while he may have inherited the Gospels’ return, he has been at the forefront of cultural developments Keith Merrin

“I come from Jarrow originally, and Bede was sitting in Jarrow in the seventh century, writing about mathematics, astronomy, science and poetry, as well as religion, and helping make sense of the world, not necessarily just for people who lived locally, but for people across Europe too.“And he was in correspondence with people all over Europe, and all over the world.“So, the Gospels aren’t just something that were tucked away on the isle of Lindisfarne, they are something that represents a time when the North East was absolutely the centre of European learning and power.

“It is still a contemporary topic, as is that connectivity to the wider world. “One of the things we forget in the North East is that, in the seventh century, we were absolutely connected into a worldwide network, of learning, of communication, of exchange, via the Catholic Church, the monastic network.

Feature

“We wanted to reference that the North East is absolutely connected to the rest of the“Inworld.many parts of life now, we are worldleading.“TheNorth East is a centre of excellence around certain things. That chimed with local stakeholders and the British Library too.

of36that - war medals, an ironing board, all sorts – it was fascinating.

“Yes, the Gospels are an important part of our history, but also the story of creativity, the story of sacred treasures, the story of the significance of objects in people’s lives.

“I suppose a lot of their main motivation was, ‘who’s going to look after the Gospels best, and ‘who’s going to get them to the widest possible audience?’

“And what TWAM is brilliant at is presenting things in a way that audiences can engage with.

“One of the things we were really keen on was that it isn’t just the book in a box.

“We are particularly keen that people think about the role of the North East in the wider world, and how coming from here is really special.”

“We know people will come to see the Gospels, but it is about so much more than“Thethat.most important thing is that people feel inspired by the Gospels; how they are inspired doesn’t really matter, but we hope they go away thinking, ‘wow, that’s“Maybeamazing’.theart will inspire them to draw or paint, or think, ‘that’s amazing because of the religious significance of it’, or it inspires them to explore their spirituality in whatever form that takes?

“Some people, who used to come and visit us, are reticent about coming back because they’re still nervous about COVID-19, and may have long-term health conditions. “And so they’re saying, ‘we want to know there are lots of restrictions in place’. “And some are saying, ‘we came back, it wasn’t much fun because of the restrictions - we don’t want restrictions in place’. “If you’ve got small kids, when you go to the Great North Museum, part of the fun is them running around, pressing all the buttons and seeing things happen - suddenly they had to rigidly follow a oneway system and not touch a lot of things.

37 across this region for a number of years.Asdirector of Bede’s World, in Jarrow, he oversaw the bid to have the Wearmouth-Jarrow AngloSaxon Monastery nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, so he was certainly no stranger to the importance of the manuscript. He was previously chief executive of Sunderland Culture too, a unique regeneration company, which, under his stewardship, saw a dramatic increase in the city’s cultural profile and infrastructure. Before that, as director of the Woodhorn Trust, in Northumberland, he brought the hugely popular Poppies: Weeping Window installation to the North East, and launched the multi-million-pound Bait programme to bring arts experiences to communities across the area. And the Lindisfarne Gospels exhibition comes hot on the heels of ‘Hadrian’s Wall 1900’ - a hugely successful year-long festival that has attracted thousands of British and international visitors to TWAM’s three venues on the World Heritage Site. Keith says: “Our venues are well-loved. “People like what we do; we are a force for good in the region, for getting people back out into the city centres and into communities.“WhenIcame in, I could see the potential of what we could do, at the same time as having to deal with the day-to-day issues of the initial outcomes of COVID-19.

“We know they are saying, ‘yeah, it was brilliant to be open, but it wasn’t quite the same’.“And we get that. “Thankfully, almost all our interactive exhibits are now back in action.

@TWAMmuseums

www.twmuseums.org.uk

Keith adds: “We’re now thinking about what we could be doing differently.

“We’ve got amazing resources, wonderful artworks, historical collections, incredible stories.

“Because we’re in the North East, we forget, or we don’t really necessarily realise, that TWAM is one of the biggest museum services in the country and, in my sector, this is one of the biggest jobs I could“Therefore,take. when it came up, I was absolutely keen to get it because it’s a huge organisation, which has the power to make a massive impact on communities across the North East, and be an exemplar across the country. “We’re in a quite interesting phase now. “All our museums and galleries are back open, people, and schools in particular, are visiting, and we’re back at 60 to 70 per cent levels, which is brilliant. “But it is quite a complex picture as to why people are not coming back, and we have done some quite extensive research.

“What can we do now to support the rest of our

“Whethercommunities?it’sbusinesses, getting people back into the city centre, communities struggling with poverty, people affected by health inequalities, mental health or racism - we’re looking really closely at that.

“The question now is how can we use them to really support everybody in their recovery from the pandemic?”

And with that change in priorities comes the need for a change of approach by landlords looking to attract new tenants. That change can be seen at Newcastle office building West One, where investor Pioneer Real Estate has created a fully fitted-out office suite, ready for a new occupier to turn up, plug in and start working.

www.parkerknights.co.uk One

The furnishedfully- West One suite is marketed by Parker 594Matheson8924oncontactinformation,Frank.alongsideKnightsKnightFormoreMichael0191649orPatrickon01915015.

“It avoids the need for any immediate outlay – we all know costs are spiralling in every area – and it means they can occupy the space without delay.

“A fit-out isn’t a quick job, and it needs time and attention to get it right - with this development, all that hard work has been done for you.

Built Environment_ Advertising feature_ Parker Knights Ready to go

A LOT HAS CHANGED IN THE WORKING WORLD in the last two years or so, no more so than the move to flexible working and a rethinking of how – and how much - a business uses its office space.

“It’s been put together with a lot of emphasis on what a business needs, and wants, from the first day of setting up in its new office space, with a sharp look and good facilities.”

Fitting out an office space takes time and money – lots of it. But a new development, in one of Newcastle’s premier office buildings, aims to take those headaches away in a first for the city, offering a fully-furnished suite a tenant can move straight in to.

Here, property agent Michael Downey, director at Parker Knights, tells North East Times Magazine why ‘ready to go’ office spaces are proving increasingly popular.

West

The first fully fitted-out office suite offered in Newcastle, the new development follows a trend elsewhere in the country to offer a ‘ready to go’ working environment.

Situated on the fifth floor of the building, on Forth Banks, close to the amenities of the Quayside and within a few minutes’ walk of Central Station, the 2962sq ft office has space for 22 workstations - with room for more - collaborative working spaces, two meeting rooms, a kitchen area, reception, connectivity and secure parking.

The aim of the furnished suite, says property agent Michael Downey, director of Parker Knights (pictured, right), is to take all the headaches out of leasing an office space.

He says: “There are so many benefits to this for a tenant. “They can move into the space immediately on signing the lease without even needing to think about the things you need to make an office usable and a desirable place to work.

“For those businesses still working out how many people they are expecting to have in the office on a regular basis, and how much space they need, a fullyfitted suite is an excellent option. “With flexible terms and lease they can take on without risking any outlay, they can see how it works and go from there. “This is the first ‘ready to go’ suite in the city, but there are already others in the pipeline – this is the way things are going. “There has been a lot of talk about a speculative commitment like this from a developer, but this is the first to go ahead and we’re excited to bring it to market.”

Built Environment_ Advertising feature_ Parker Knights

And the impact on the Newcastle market has been instant.

“It opened up a new level of interest as soon as we started marketing this suite as fully furnished,” says Michael, whose Parker Knights agency is joint agent on the suite with Knight Frank. He adds: “We’ve had interest from potential tenants who maybe hadn’t considered the building or this type of office space “Ready-to-letbefore.officesuites are a fairly new concept in the UK - they’ve been around the last couple of years, but the pandemic and its effects accelerated the change, and there has been a shift in requirements.

It’s not just our business credentials that saw us stand out,Atthough.justtwo-and-a-half hours for a direct train journey from London Kings Cross, we’re the ideal location for a Westminster satellite campus.

THESE ARE EXCITING TIMES FOR DARLINGTON. The level of inward investment, from both the public and private sectors, is unprecedented, creating opportunities for individuals and businesses alike.

The announcement that Darlington had been chosen as the new home of an economic campus for a number of high-profile Government departments, moving staff and roles to the North East as part of the ‘levelling-up’ agenda, was a major coup for the town. Here, Ian Williams, chief executive of Darlington Borough Council (pictured, below), explains what the arrival of Westminster heavyweights means for the local economy and how inward investment is helping the town thrive.

We boast a highly-skilled workforce, with an estimated 1.6 million working-age people within an hour’s commute of Darlington, supported by nationallyrecognised further education and training provision, to ensure local talent comes through as the economic campus grows.

Investment_ Advertising feature_Darlington

The arrival of the campus is not just a chance for people in this region to secure quality jobs, but also for businesses across the professional services sector locally to Already,benefit. we have seen interest from firms in accounting, financial services, legal and education looking to move to Darlington for the first time, or expand their existing operation in the town, in order to strengthen their connections with the influential figures now based here.

The direct investment by the Government in creating the economic campus is backed up by our work locally to create opportunities for businesses and individuals to thrive and grow. Borough Council Investing in the future

The arrival of the Government’s economic campus is undoubtedly a major boost for the town.

The economic campus will bolster an already strong public sector presence in the town, with Student Finance England, the Disclosure and Barring Service and the Department for Education employing hundreds of people.Thelong-term aim is that Darlington will become the North’s ‘Little London’, a thriving hub of financial and professional services supporting the Government and the economic campus.

Our ambition and drive as a town to boost our position nationally, as well as regionally, saw us chosen ahead of strong competition.

Add to that, the investment by Tees Valley Combined Authority and the Department for Transport in a comprehensive improvement programme for Darlington Railway Station, and the adjacent land, which will provide faster, more frequent services north and south, and an improved visitor experience.

@InvestInD_tonwww.investindarlington.co.uk

CouncilBoroughDarlington For more infor mation businessoughDarlingtonaboutBorCouncil’ssupport services and its investments, www.investindarvisit lington.co.uk

More than 1400 civil servants are expected to be based in the heart of the town centre, in a hub now officially named the Darlington Economic Campus. In total, seven Government departments will be based here, initially in the council’s own Feethams office development before moving to a dedicated campus that will be built on the brownfield Brunswick site, close to the railway station.

We also have a strong tradition of manufacturing and engineering in Darlington, and a proud history as the birthplace of passenger railways.

The success of CPI has led to spin-off projects on Central Park, including the National Horizons Centre – a Teesside University-led facility housing cutting-edge technologies and facilities to help advance research in the biosciences and healthcare sectors. Further work planned this year will see the remaining sections of Central Park cleared and new access roads completed to open up development plots for potential office and lab space, with a view to creating new opportunities for companies looking to benefit from the expertise of the organisations already based there.

Darlington Business Summit

With world-class expertise in low-emission engines, led by Cummins, a strong offshore and subsea sector, and products for the freight, industrial and light rail industry, Darlington businesses are a driving force nationally for engineering, design and advanced manufacturing.

Investment_ Advertising feature_Darlington Borough Council

In the last decade, targeted, strategic investment, led by Darlington Borough Council, has seen the development of a number of high-quality business parks and facilities suitable for key sectors.

The nearby Symmetry Park, home to the Amazon site, and neighbouring, newly-marketed, 24-acre industrial park Fabric, are exciting new developments with easy access to the A66, while Faverdale Industrial Estate, next to the A1, is also seeing growth and investment, with developers hungry for opportunity.

The Summit will include a business-tobusiness exhibition, jobs fair and business support events with focused workshops on key themes around funding, marketing and skills development.Visitwww.investindarlington.co.uk/events or sign up for more information at business.support@darlington.gov.uk

This is a time of real progress for Darlington. Huge investment has been secured and ambitious projects are underway.

Central Park, just a few minutes’ walk from the railway station, has been transformed from abandoned rail sidings into a thriving development that supports housing and further and higher education alongside Business Central, which offers incubator and grow-on space for knowledge-based SMEs, as well as our newlycompleted £8 million state-of-the-art office and labspace facility Innovation Central, pictured above.

October 5-7

The development of Ingenium Parc, a 40-hectare site close to the A66 and a short drive from Teesside International Airport, is anticipated to lead to more than 2000 jobs by 2036, with the site open to development for engineering, manufacturing and logistics firms.

Find out more about the opportunities and support available in Darlington at the sixth annual event.

The ingenuity and forward-thinking of our previous generations continues to live on through firms today.

The cornerstone of Central Park is CPI, a world-leader in the development and commercialisation of nextgeneration products and processes in the biologics and healthcare sectors.

We have all the components for success and we’re looking to keep growing.

• Do you have a clear, integrated financial plan to model the impact of price and volume changes?

• Do you know what your competitors are doing?

• Do you know what your (business-specific) fixed and variable costs are?

Not all of the issues specified in this article apply to all businesses. However, if you would like a more ondiscussiondetailedmatters relevant to your contactorganisation, enquiries@ iagrowth.co.uk

Timber and metal prices have typically tripled and quadrupled, gas prices are predicted to continue their eye-watering climb, and inflation is likely to remain at high levels for some time to come.

On the other hand, though, food prices, and dairy in particular, continue to escalate.

WHILE HEADLINES ARE DRIVEN BY ONGOING increases in gas prices, there is some evidence of stabilisation in other areas.

On top of this, manufacturers have seen raw material prices spiral upwards over the last 12 months.

Purchase additional supplies ahead of price increases

In June, the price of a barrel of Brent Crude Oil peaked at $124.

If suppliers notify a business of a forthcoming price increase, you could buy excess stocks at the lower price to maintain price or improve margins. But you must be mindful of having resources to pay for increased supplies, what credit limits you have to work with, and if you can negotiate extended payment terms.Before deciding any way to progress, organisations must have answers for the following questions:

• Do you clearly understand your costing model?

This is very simple but potentially very damaging. In the current climate, people are expecting price increases, but they will also be looking harder for the best deals, so businesses must be mindful of how easy it is for customers to move supplier.

It is now down to around $98, although the drop is yet to be fully seen in forecourt fuel prices, which have fallen about ten per cent.

damaging - organisations must have a clear understanding of product cost. As a retailer, you buy a product, mark it up and sell it on - it is easy to understand the margin. But what about increasing overheads? Sell more (cheaply) and there’s more to allocate (fixed) overheads across.

From a manufacturing point of view, it is critical to keep your cost model up to date.

• What is the impact on supply lead times?

• How reliable is your supply chain? Will they sell to the highest bidder?

It is also imperative that businesses think of turnover in terms of volumes and values, and be sensitive to changes in sales, enquiries, orders and terms.

www.iagrowth.co.uk @IaGrowth IA Growth

Business_ Advertising feature_IA Growth Managing cash in inflationary times

• Are you in a fixed price contract? If so, for how long? Can you renegotiate terms?

• Do you have enough working capital?

If this results in lower sales volumes (proportionate to price increases), you must also ask yourself what impact might it have on working capital? Absorb price increases Again, this is very simple but potentially very

So what can businesses do?

With inflation running at more than ten per cent - its highest rate in the UK since 1982and not looking likely to fall any time soon amid the war in Ukraine and global supply and demand issues, many businesses are feeling increased financial pressures. Here, Andy Briggs (pictured, below, left), a director at Durham-based strategic consultancy IA Growth, looks at the situation and offers advice for organisations to navigate the difficult landscape.

Well, much will depend upon the sector a business operates in, and different answers will apply to different sectors. But differing approaches may be required within sectors, depending on the strength of the business or availability of resources, especially working capital. Here are some ways businesses could look at mitigating ongoing inflationary pressures. Increase prices

43 ENQUIRE TODAY AND FIND OUT MORE: events@spanishcity.co.uk | 0191 691 7090 | @myspanishcity | www.spanishcity.co.uk Spanish City, Spanish City Plaza, Tyne and Wear, Whitley Bay, NE26 1BG HOST YOUR BUSINESS MEETINGS AT THE NORTH EAST’S MOST ICONIC VENUE Just a stone’s throw away from the North East coastline, Spanish City is well equipped with everything you could need to host a seamless and unique event. Alongside panoramic views of the North Sea, the multi-award-winning venue offers: • Several full room and half room arrangements for different group sizes • Private bar, service kitchen and bathrooms • AV equipment including LCD projector and white screen • Various day-delegate packages for your individual preferences and budget • Private dining, breakfast meetings, working lunches and large-scale events • WiFi • Air-conditioning • Flipchart, paper and pens • Cloakroom

Campaign: Skin Life Analytics, ESP Diagnostics, Respiratone Northern

Accelerator In collaboration with North East Times Magazine

The transition from laboratory to real-world markets is a watershed step for any university spin-out. A key bridge in the journey is Northern Accelerator, which marries business leaders with eminent research from the region’s five institutions to transform ventures into commercial entities. And when the academic founders of Skin Life Analytics, ESP Diagnostics and Respiratone sought to spin-out from Newcastle and Durham universities, they utilised Northern Accelerator’s suite of support mechanisms. They include the flagship Executives into Business programme, which connected the trio to experienced sector bosses, who helped officially launch the firms and are now planning their next growth phases. Here, Steven Hugill speaks to the three companies to find out more.

A FORCATALYSTGROWTH

“Spin-out businesses need every chance possible for success - and Northern Accelerator provides them with just that. “It is very unique and forward-thinking.” Jonathan Brookes looks out from the fourth-floor window of a Newcastle photographic studio, his words set against a chorus of mechanical clatter from the neighbouring Pilgrim’s Place development. The scene for all the noise, makes for a truly fitting backdrop. For just like the heavy machinery, his subject matter is too digging the foundations for commercial success.

advances, it de-risks the spin-out process while connecting fledgling companies with key contacts and expertise across numerous channels that include venture capital, sales, recruitment and administration.

Backed by the European Regional Development Fund and Research England’s Connecting Capability Fund, Northern Accelerator is realising the potential of world-class research from the North East’s five universities - Durham, Newcastle, Northumbria, Sunderland and Teesside - into game-changing, real-world applications across multiple industry sectors.

With nearly 40 spin-outs created and more than £100 million investment raised across the last five years, the collaborative scheme is catalysing economic growth, delivering scores of highly-skilled jobs and providing a significant boost to the region’s reputation as a global innovation hub. A key strut in its framework is the flagship Executives into Business programme, which matches academics’ innovation with business leaders’ commercial knowledge and experience of growing and scaling organisations.

And Jonathan, appointed chief executive of Skin Life Analytics through Executives into Business, is a perfect example of its influence.

Having officially spun out from Newcastle University earlier this year, thanks to Northern Accelerator’s support, the firm - which uses a swab test to detect mitochondrial DNA damage in the top layer of skin, supports individuals on healthy skin ageing and assesses the performance of protective creams and therapies - has already worked with its first company.

Pictured, from left to right, are ESP Diagnostics’ director of research and development Dr Marzena Kurzawa-Akanbi; chief scientific officer Dr Chris Morris; research and development scientist Dr Lina Patterson; and chief executive Dr Dale Athey

Pictured, from left to right, are Respiratone’s Dr Eckart Wrede, chief executive Laura Bond and Dr Hendrik Nahler Skin Life Analytics’ founder and chief scientific officer Professor Mark Birch-Machin, left, with chief executive Jonathan Brookes

Campaign: Skin Life Analytics, ESP Diagnostics, Respiratone & Northern Accelerator collaboration with North East Times Magazine

on Jonathan’s impact, Prof BirchMachin says: “He has great credentials and credibility, and his knowledge and experience makes us very investable. “Our work is making the invisible visible when it comes to skin damage, and that is really empowering for people. “What we are doing has knock-on effects too; decreasing the burden of damage is clearly going to have benefits when it comes to other diseases.

47 Accelerator“Northern is realising the potential of worldclass research from the region’s five universities by turning it applications”multi-sectorgame-changing,into

“Northern Accelerator is delivering scores of highly-skilled jobs and boosting the region’s reputation as a global hub”

And Jonathan, alongside founder and chief scientific officer Professor Mark Birch-Machin, is laying the next blocks to build its long-term future.Bringing to bear a raft of experience - which includes overseeing the sale of YorkTest Laboratories as a board member - he is helping expand Skin Life Analytics’ commercial presence.Working up plans to bolster its market standing and staffing numbers, the biomedical graduate is “talking to a good pipeline of companies” with Prof Birch-Machin, with the duo also exploring ways to extend the spin-out’s focus across areas such as pollution andReflectingdiet.

“And having Jonathan on board is giving us the best possible chance to succeed. “He’s got many t-shirts from a life I’ve not lived, and it means the pair of us are bringing distinct but very complementary skills to the table.”Jonathan adds: “Through Executives into Business, you’re bringing in skills and expertise at absolutely the right time to take a venture to its next stage, from the moment of spinning out to those important first conversations withTheinvestors.”positivity is reflected at fellow Newcastle University spin-out ESP Diagnostics, which now counts experienced sector operator Dr Dale Athey as chief executive.Theventure, spearheaded by research from Dr Marzena Kurzawa-Akanbi, has developed a liquid biopsy diagnostic test for Lewy body disorders - a collective term for Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies, common neurodegenerative disorders characterised by alpha-synuclein protein aggregation and accumulation of Lewy bodies in the Havingbrain.previously been awarded funding by the Michael J. Fox Foundation to carry out a study into common risk factors of Parkinson’s

Chris says: “Northern Accelerator, and the Executives into Business programme, is really helping us make the jump from being a bench science project to a diagnostic product.

“Acetone in breath is almost like a key to unlocking more non-surgical therapies, and there are quite a number of medical applications.“Itcould,for example, help injured athletes, who need to eat properly to gain the nutrients to heal, with our device giving physiologists information to better structure their diet - and ensure it is maintained.” Dr Hendrik Nahler, associate professor of physical chemistry at Heriot-Watt University, adds: “Our technology can also help monitor the performance of athletes who want to adhere to a low carbohydrate diet, for example.“Sotoo will it help people in weight-loss clinics - and the medics advising them - remain in the optimal state during their journey, by Skin Life Analytics’ founder and chief scientific officer Professor Mark Birch-Machin, left, with chief executive Jonathan Brookes

And, says chief scientific officer Dr Chris Morris, the progress of the firm is being supercharged by the influence of Dr Athey, who previously nurtured life science operators Orla Protein Technologies and OJ-Bio, and Northern Accelerator financial support.

48 disease, ESP scientists identified increased levels of the fat ceramide and protein alphasynuclein in Lewy body dementia cases. From that, the company - which counts The Lewy Body Society as a shareholderdeveloped the Extracellular Synucleinopathic Protein test to detect alpha-synuclein in cerebrospinal fluid, and is now working to extend to blood samples. Ultimately, it says the test will be able to help with diagnosing disorders including dementia with Lewy bodies, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.DrKurzawa-Akanbi, director of research and development, says the test represents “a real breakthrough”, with the technology “able to detect disease at the very earliest stage, even before the usual symptoms”, giving a “definitive answer much more quickly than current complex, time-consuming and expensive methods”.

“However, as the disorder moves on, it becomes harder to treat, and Northern Accelerator is helping us deliver a test that can get patients in front of specialists much sooner.“Itis allowing us to make the bridge between a cerebral spinal fluid test and a blood“Andtest.it’s so beneficial to have someone like Dale in the business.

“The impact is so multi-layered,” adds research and development scientist Dr Lina Patterson, who previously took part in the Northern Accelerator-funded Future Founders scheme, which provides training to academics keen to embrace enterprise opportunities.Shesays:“From getting the businessperson in, to funding opportunities and finding commercial potential, it has allowed us to understand the landscape and put everything intoThecontext.”momentum is similarly felt at Respiratone, the Durham University and Heriot-Watt University collaboration behind a mobile device capable of identifying metabolic imbalances through breath. By analysing acetone levels, bosses say the firm - which previously welcomed Laura Bond as chief executive through the Executives into Business programme - has the potential to make a game-changing impact across sports science.Similarly, they say the pioneering technology has significant scope to support people undergoing weight-loss treatment, help epilepsy sufferers manage their symptoms and aid treatment of diabetes ketoacidosis.

“Breath is rich in trace compound,” says Dr Eckart Wrede, associate professor of physical chemistry at Durham University, “and we’re providing practitioners with a tool they can rely on for timely, accurate values.

“He has a very good understanding of diagnostics and knows how to start a company and successfully take it forward.”

“One of the biggest issues patients have is the length of time from when they first notice symptoms to getting a diagnosis, which could take as long as two years.

not overdoing, or underdoing, things.

“Furthermore, our technology gives immediate feedback - we can put a nasal cannular on someone and know their acetone levels in less than 30 seconds.”

And Dr Wrede and Dr Nahler - who are joined at the company by co-founder Dr David Carty, associate professor in physics and chemistry at Durham University - are equally definite on the impact of the Executives into Business programme. Highlighting the commercial experience of chief executive Laura - who spent time with IP Group, which invested in, and worked with, North East university spin-outs, and was also part of global brand leadership and product development teams at Walgreens Boots Alliance - they say her influence is immeasurable.DrWredesays:

“Hendrik, David and I are academics - we are not natural entrepreneurs. “And Laura has really helped us think about what we want to do, what the business should look like and how to draw up a financial“Thanksplan.to her, it feels far more real now.”

“The difficulty is sometimes not so much getting the product out of the ivory tower and into the real-world, but getting the academics out of their ivory tower and into the“Butreal-world.withLaura by our side, and with Northern Accelerator’s wider support, we’ve been able to do that.”

Dr Nahler adds: “Laura has given us more confidence and belief in our product, and opened our eyes to the people who want and need it by arranging meetings with potential stakeholders and customers.

Campaign: Skin Life Analytics, ESP Diagnostics, Respiratone & Northern Accelerator In collaboration

with North East Times Magazine

Pictured, from left to right, are Respiratone’s Dr Hendrik Nahler, Dr Eckart Wrede and chief executive Laura Bond www.northernaccelerator.org @Northern_Acc www.ncl.ac.uk @StudentsNCL www.durhamac.uk @durham_uni

This has an adverse knock-on effect on the gender pay gap, the pension gap and the number of women in senior leadership positions.

I vividly recall my mother sweating profusely and having palpitations, but when I asked if she was ok, she would wave me away with embarrassment. Thankfully, there is now an increased awareness about menopause, but the stigma still exists, particularly among certain groups in society.

Practical support can include having books on menopause, setting up menopause cafes and delivering training sessions. The report also suggests it can be helpful to have specific workplace policies, or amend existing sickness and flexible working policies to include guidance about menopause.

The report calls again on the Government to amend the EqA to allow dual discrimination claims based on more than one protected characteristic, and to consult on making menopause a protected characteristic.

Overhauling menopause workplace support

www.muckle-llp.com THE ‘CHANGE’, AS IT WAS CALLED IN MY HOUSE growing up, was not something we talked about.

This year’s events will take place in Carlisle, Newcastle and Teesside, where the topic will be ‘Managing employees with certainty in an increasingly flexible world’.

The Government previously confirmed it did not intend to make any changes to the Equality Act 2010 (EqA), in relation to Currently,menopause.menopause

Yet, many of these women feel “forced to leave work because of menopausal symptoms”.

With pressure mounting on the Government to increase support around menopause in the workplace, Lisa Kelly, partner in the employment team at leading independent law firm for business Muckle LLP, talks about how it is helping organisations break the taboo and make positive changes for the wellbeing of staff.

The report encourages employers to discuss menopause as a health issue more openly.

Law_ Advertising feature_Muckle LLP

Muckle LLP To find out more toroadshows,employmentMuckleaboutLLP’sandsignupfor attendance, visit www.muckle-llp. com/events/ To contact Lisa, email lisa.kelly@ 7897.ormuckle-llp.comcall0191211

What can employers do to break the taboo?

Managing the change: menopause and the workplace

The findings are consistent with a survey conducted by BUPA and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development in 2019, which identified three in five menopausal women were negatively affected at work, and nearly 900,000 women in the UK left their jobs because of menopausal symptoms.

The House of Commons’ Women and Equalities Committee recently published a report, titled Menopause and the workplace, which highlighted 51 per cent of the population will experience menopause, and that women over 50 were the fastest-growing group in the workforce based on pre-pandemic research. Despite this, there is little support for menopause symptoms at work. The report remarks that evidence to the inquiry highlighted women in this age group are “highly skilled and experienced, typically at the peak of their careers”, and are “role models for younger workers”.

Crucially, employers need to make it clear how employees will be supported. We can help Getting ahead of the game and making positive changes for the wellbeing of your staff is a great first step.

is not a protected characteristic in its own right, meaning discrimination claims are shoehorned under sex, age or disability. However, there is mounting pressure for change.

And reviewing and amending your policies doesn’t have to be a daunting task; our employment experts are here to help. We will be tackling the issue of menopause in the workplace as part of our upcoming employment roadshows.

@MuckleLLP

“We deliver a holistic service; we have the capabilities to cover whatever a client needs, including both our compliance and advisory offerings,” says Alastair Murray, associate tax partner (pictured, right).

With the business environment becoming ever busier, and national economic pressures growing significantly, ensuring your tax affairs are up to date and accurate has arguably never been more important. Here, Steven Hugill speaks to Alastair Murray, associate tax partner at Haines Watts, to find out more about its services and support for clients.

“Furthermore, our advisory offering operates almost like a ‘concierge’, covering off anything a client requires that is related to tax, and liaising closely with their investment or legal advisors as required.

“We ensure the risk of a HMRC inquiry is minimised, or, if one is opened, that any queries are brought to a prompt conclusion, which, in the current environment, remains a significant challenge. “Ultimately, we make the gap between individuals and HMRC as close as possible.”

“New legislation is continually being introduced, and Finance_ Watts

And Alastair, who joined Haines Watts in the first half of 2020, having previously worked with a Big Four accountant, says such support is vital in an environment where a new political regime will soon be fashioned against the backdrop of recessionary worries, and where dealing with HMRC regulation - contrary to its marketing campaigns - is not so clear-cut.

A secure tax team in a changing world

One like Haines Watts’ private client tax team, which guides those in need of support through the myriad of complexities.

www.hwca.com @haineswatts

He adds: “That could be on an individual level, for a trust or an incorporated business, and we aim to ensure everything is delivered, from a compliance perspective, accurately and on time.

To navigate the fluctuating landscape requires a trusted team, one with significant experience of standing at the shoulders of high-net worth individuals and business owners.

FROM ADAM HART-DAVIS ABSEILING DOWN A high-rise building to Moira Stewart delivering advice from a broom cupboard, HMRC has long led a campaign on the ease by which individuals should be able to arrange and report their tax affairs.

Yet for all the apparent simplicity, and the accompanying ‘tax doesn’t have to be taxing’ strapline, in a world where legislation is ever-changing and economic uncertainty continues to grow, organising your financial returns is anything but straightforward.

He says: “The ‘tax doesn’t have to be taxing’ line is misplaced; it points towards something simplistic, when the reality is the complete opposite.

Advertising feature_Haines

Haines WattsFor informationmore on how Haines Watts’ private client tax team’s support could help you or your business, contact Alastair on 0191 269 9960 or email amurray@ hwca.com

He says: “We’ve got a really good team of people, who are all used to delivering the very high service levels that clients“Theirdemand.breadth of experience is a real point of difference.“Otherfirms have tended to separate compliance and advisory support by creating separate internal teams, but we have it all within one business, which means work is carried out in a joined-up manner and ensures things flow properly.” And Alastair says their knowledge and expertise will be crucial in providing clarity to clients across the coming months. With wealthier members of society expecting to be targeted by the Government to help ease the country’s financial burden, the guidance of the private client tax team will be vital in providing peace of mind and certainty to those individuals. He says: “The public deficit, and the way the economy is going to need to be funded, is going to be of real focus.“And whether this is by increasing taxes, or making a concerted effort to look back to previous failures to pay the correct amount of tax, individuals will need to be supported.

“Tax is a complicated picture, and clients want things to be done correctly. “And with our experience, and investment in a really good team, we’re delivering just that.”

“The amount of tax is the amount of tax; we’ll never be responsible for that, but what we can do is manage client’s expectations as much as possible. “They want to know the numbers, and once they do, they can plan around them, to see the full picture, whether for business expansion or lifestyle reasons.”

Pictured, from left to right, are DakotaBowmakerCato,Agbeko,Sillett,Murray,Gill,JordanAlastairAlisonLucyAndrewNatalieandBrown

it’s difficult to see how business owners can realistically stay up to date without quality advisors working alongside them. “The reality is that their time is often far better targeted at doing what they are best at, which is running their business. “There are often various pitfalls and reliefs available in equal measure, especially around issues such as property/share disposals, reviewing residency rules and navigating through the provisions for funding pension schemes.“Thecurrent laws require appropriate disclosures to be made to HMRC, and the failure to comply may allow HMRC to look back many years, with the potential to levy significant penalties where they can demonstrate a failure to take an appropriate level of care.”

Alastair adds: “And, contrary to some public opinion, clients aren’t always looking to exploit loopholes to save paying their tax. “People realise where the economy is, and where public opinion is - the appetite for risk simply isn’t there.

Finance_ Advertising feature_Haines Watts

And helping ensure clients take care with their tax affairs is Haines Watts’ private client tax team, which has been bolstered by a number of new arrivals. Led by Alastair, the private client tax compliance team includes Alison Sillett (manager); Lucy Agbeko (assistant manager); Dakota Brown and Jordan Gill (tax seniors) and Andrew Cato (tax assistant).

Four of the team arrived at Haines Watts during the last 14 months, and Alastair says their impact has already been significant.

The private client advisory business is supported by Natalie Bowmaker, who was recognised nationally with a distinction in her recent tax exams.

54 LAYING THE BUILDING BLOCKS FOR SUCCESS www.woodsmithgroup.com | LinkedIn: WOODSmith Construction Group | Facebook: WOODSmith Construction | Instagram: @woodsmithconstructionuk

4Some things, they say, are meant to be.

Gary, meanwhile, having also caught Boro scouts’ eyes, swapped the bruises of on-field battles for the building site. And for a good while, they remained apart. Until last year.

As youngsters, Dale Smith and Gary Wood formed a partnership in their school’s football team that built the foundations for success. Years later, they’ve reunited to found WOODSmith Construction, the East Cleveland-based firm that works nationally on residential, commercial and public sector projects. Here, Steven Hugill learns more about their venture, the stellar contracts that have fuelled its first year, and why it is primed to continue expanding, despite ongoing market uncertainty.

Life, though, doesn’t always obey the script. When injury curtailed his footballing career, having graduated to the junior ranks of Middlesbrough FC, Dale switched to golf, captaining his country at under-18 level and securing a US collegiate move.

He says: “The initial plan was to focus on residential refurbishments, with Gary running those while looking at bigger Part of:

When Dale Smith and Gary Wood lined up on the muddy pitches of the junior football scene, they were inseparable at the heart of their school’s midfield.

The result was WOODSmith Construction Group. And, naturally, for a duo used to winning on the field, the venture has already exceeded its primary goals.

Their bond was equally as strong off the pitch, leading many to predict they’d remain forever as close.

With momentum growing at The SDDE Smith Group - the real estate organisation founded by Dale in 2017 - he turned to Gary, his friend and former football-playing partner at De Brus School in Skelton, East Cleveland.

The agreements, allied to other contracts, saw annual turnover at the Skelton-based firm hit £1.7 million in its first 12 months, much higher, reveals Dale, than projected.

Initially set up to service SDDE Smith Group’s Host & Stay holiday home arm, the endeavour has subsequently secured blue-ribbon contracts with Whitby-based miner Anglo American and British Steel’s special profiles plant in Skinningrove, East Cleveland.Providing grouting, cleaning and support services on the former’s vast fertiliser development, it has delivered six projects to date for the latter, ranging from concreting work to office refurbishments and the replacement of broken doors.

“Things are continuously developing.”

“On the commercial side, we have higher-value revenue jobs, but are working on lower margins, whereas on the residential side, we’re working on lower revenue jobs that have higher margins.

“We’ve got our CHAS accreditation - we gained elite certification - we’re working on ISO9001 qualifications and working on RISQS (Railway Industry Supplier Qualification Scheme) too, so we can look to expand into rail.

Dale concurs, adding: “Over the next three years, we want to become one of the top five construction companies in the North East, both in terms of revenue and profitability. “And to do that, it’s important we keep a balance of work.

“I’d been running a project for Anglo American with Tolent, so we thought we’d get into the commercial side of things, but not in the first three or four months.

“Then we have our services work that brings consistent daily rate work.

“What really helped us was the commercial work with Anglo American and British Steel.” And managing director Garywho, prior to joining WOODSmith Construction rose from apprentice joiner to project manager at Tolent - says much more stands to follow, with plans in place to push annual revenues beyond £8 million in 2022. He says: “The business took off in March last year, and it’s still going off like a rocket now.

“And from our work at Skinningrove, we’re now getting opportunities to tender for work at British Steel’s plants in Lackenby, near Redcar, and Scunthorpe.” He adds: “We’re not basking in the glory, though.

And to help its push, Gary plans to visit

Having built a team of 28 directlyemployed staff, both he and Gary are keen to extend the number, with the duo eager to hire locally.

56 projects too. “We set an objective of hitting £1 million revenue in the first 12 months, and ended up doing just under £1.8 million.

Dale says: “A lot of our staff are based in Redcar and Cleveland, and that is a big thing for us. “Yes, we want to have an impact on Teesside and the North East more widely, but, as East Cleveland guys, we really want to drive employment and opportunity in that area too.”

“That mix is important, because we need sustainable, balanced growth.”

Another critical factor in the business’ rise, says Dale, will be its workforce.

WOODSmith Construction X North East Times Magazine

“Gary and I make the decisions; there isn’t a biggerapproachmanagement-by-committeelikeyoumightgetwiththeplayers.

WOODSmith Construction is handily positioned to provide such avenues for employment, despite ongoing economic and market uncertainty. He adds: “The larger firms aren’t as lean and nimble as we are, and have overheads we don’t carry, which really comes into play when bidding for work. “In a turbulent market, it’s about being smart, making quick decisions and, for example, being more creative on pricing to deliver jobs - and we’ve got the flexibility to do that.

Part of: WOODSmith Construction Based on Skelton Industrial Estate, in East Cleveland, WOODSmith Construction Group’s multidisciplinary team provides clients with end-to-end services across residential, commercial and public sector developments.

57 schools to introduce the business, and the construction sector in general, to the employees of tomorrow.

He says: “We’ve got two firstyear apprentice joiners, and a civil engineering apprentice will start at the end of September, but we want to bring more on board.

For more information on what it does, and how it could support your next project, www.woodsmithgroup.com,visitcall01287221461oremailinfo@woodsmithgroup.comFormoreinformationaboutTheSDDESmithGroupanditssuiteofcompanies,visitwww.sddesmithgroup.com

“I’m speaking to governors to get into schools and talk to students, to show them construction is a viable career opportunity. “Some young people have a mental block around construction, but if you knuckle down then opportunities come and, if you take them, the world is your oyster.” And Dale - who recently invested in Redcar Athletic FC, to boost on-field success while growing the club for the benefit of its local community - says

“If we believe it’s right, we do it. “There are plenty of opportunities out there - and we’re well placed to take them.”

In recent years, shopping habits have changed, with consumers buying more online rather than visiting physical shops.

An example of a better environment helping to let a vacant shop is one youngsRPS recently handled; The Market Place, in Morpeth.

The new shop has added to the local retail offer and Built Environment_ Advertising feature_youngsRPS

The actions proposed by the ex-Chancellor to reduce the vacancy rate include increasing police powers to tackle anti-social behaviour, allowing local authorities to double fines for littering and graffiti, and relaxing rules to encourage more farmers’ markets in town centres.

Other ideas involve locating police stations, job centres and NHS diagnostic hubs into town centres, to increase employment and provide services.

In order to formulate a constructive policy, it is necessary to understand why there are 58,000 empty shops in the UK.

That, in turn, should lead to shops opening in these areas to meet the demand.

The recovery of town centre shopping

The UK’s high streets have suffered in recent years, with falling demand and switches to digital shopping and banking, for example, forcing plentiful closures. However, Chris Dixon, youngsRPS business development consultant (pictured, on opposite page), says hope is not lost, with a blueprint from ex-Chancellor Rishi Sunak providing a potential route to fresh prosperity.

IN HIS LEADERSHIP CAMPAIGN TO BECOME Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak promised to take action to “slash” the number of empty shops in our towns and cities by 2025.

And while there are many reasons, there have been two principal factors.

This trend was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, with shops forced to close for long-periods and potential customers restricted from visiting town centres.These restrictions led to a fall in demand for goods and services in physical shops, which in turn led to closures.Themain thrust of Mr Sunak’s proposals centre around creating a more pleasant environment in which to shop with less litter, graffiti and social problems to deterThis,shoppers.coupled with locating NHS hubs and other services in town centres, would increase potential customers and stimulate demand.

He also revealed plans to reverse the closure of 500 bank branches. At present, it is estimated there are 58,000 empty retail properties in the UK. The vacancy rate represents 14 per cent of the total stock.

www.youngsrps.com @youngsRPS

His aim, he said, would be to create “thriving local assets” that support business services and employment.

Retail property and other unused buildings, that are unlikely to be used again, could be demolished and replaced with new housing or turned into green spaces.

The result would be a higher local population using local services and shops. Another area worth consideration is a relaxation, or even abolition of, the Use Classes Order, which would allow property to be used for any purpose.

An empty shop could continue being used as any type of shop, or it may revert to residential, office or workshop use. This may lead to a change in the businesses on the high street, but should increase demand, therefore reducing empty properties.

59 youngsRPS If you would like to find out more about propertycommercialyoungsRPS’ services, visit 261comwww.youngsrps.orcall01910300. led to capital investment in the property. The question that should be asked is whether these proposals will halt and reverse the decline of retail that has been experienced in our towns and cities?

An improved environment, as proposed by Mr Sunak, may also encourage more people to live in towns, taking advantage of easy access to local services and shopping. This initiative could be strengthened by building more houses/apartments in the centres of towns, or achieved by allowing existing buildings to be converted to residential use.

The proposals by the former Chancellor would help our towns to recover but, as always, more must be done.Asa society, we must use our shops, or we will lose them.And our towns, and way of life, will be poorer if we do.

Built Environment_ Advertising feature_youngsRPS

The UK experienced shop closures following the financial crisis in 2008, but not to the extent we have now.Interestingly, demand for small shops back then rose, as people sought other employment opportunities. This trend has started to occur again, particularly in affluent suburban areas.

In my view, these proposals are limited and need to go further to lead to a broad recovery throughout our towns.Other proposals include the Retail Jobs Alliance, which seeks a cut in business rates to reduce retailers’ costs. However, it should be kept in mind that a lot of small retailers are already exempt from paying business rates.Arelaxation in parking charges, coupled with measures to make parking easier, would encourage people to visit towns and shop.

While safety solutions have been slower to take off, their value is quickly becoming evident.

This sees data from onboard sensors fed through machine learning programs to determine the best time to perform equipment maintenance. How artificial intelligence is steering shipping in the 21st century

Specialist voyage optimisation tools work to analyse the most efficient routes for vessels to take at sea.

Another important maritime application for AI is condition monitoring, which is looking at the state of various components on a vessel and analysing which of them need servicing, upgrading or replacing.

As an example, artificial intelligence (AI) is fast gaining traction in shipping, with tools targeting regulatory compliance and cost reduction already well established.

However, as times change, so do ways of doing things, and this industry steeped in tradition is increasingly one of the most forward-thinking around.

www.nepia.com @NorthPandIClub

In the wider maritime community, shipowners are showing a clear preference for systems that support regulatory compliance and reduce costs. Accordingly, the main growth area for AI in shipping is voyage optimisation – the process of working out the best routes for vessels to carry out their tasks.

Insurance_ Advertising feature_North P&I

With more and more shipowners recognising the potential of artificial intelligence to enhance their operations, the technology is gaining widespread acceptance throughout the maritime sector.

Quest Marine P&I, from insurance analytics expert Concirrus, analyses large volumes of data to provide individual risk scores for North members, based on which the Club can adjust its offering.

The second solution, from predictive intelligence company Windward, is geared towards sanctions monitoring, with automated reports informing North of any sanctions risks within its registered fleet.

This process can cut overall fuel consumption by up to five per cent, reducing costs considerably while supporting compliance with maritime regulations.

In marine insurance, too, AI is proving to be of significant value. North P&I Club currently deploys two AI tools to support its loss-prevention and risk-assessment services.

As the shipping industry increasingly adopts technology to stay on the move, North P&I Club reveals how it is using artificial intelligence to support key operations.

THE SHIPPING INDUSTRY IS ONE WITH CENTURIES of tradition and a proud history, particularly here in the NorthNewcastleEast. is home to the global marine insurer North P&I Club, which has been insuring vessels, their cargo and crew for more than 160 years, while the region’s fishing industry has been immortalised in songs such as ‘When The Boat Comes In’ and is still going strong.

The platform provides exclusive access to more than 60 alerting and reporting features, including the COVID-19 Tracker application, which won the 2020 SAFETY4SEA Technology Award for its contribution to maritime safety. Route Risk Advice, meanwhile, helps shipowners better understand the potential hazards of a voyage, from port of origin to destination. Users of the application can establish bespoke reports for specific routes or locations, which North supplements with in-house expertise and knowledge from its claims, legal and loss-prevention teams.

61 North P&I North P&I Club is a leading global marine insurer with more than 160 years of history in the Foundedindustry. headquarteredand in the North East, North’s influence stretches around the world, with offices in Asia, EuropeAustralasia,and North America.

At the heart of this suite of digital tools is MyGlobeView, a market-leading interactive solution that enables North members and correspondents to identify commercial risks and physical threats to shipping.

Steering a course – technology is becoming increasingly important for the shipping industry Depending on condition, the system might recommend delaying replacement, saving the owner money on planned maintenance.

As further evidence of North’s commitment to maximising safety through digital solutions, the Club has a long-term contract with geospatial intelligence specialist Geollect, a UK-based company that provides data services for North’s Marine Intelligence Platform.

If the part needs replacing sooner than anticipated, the owner could save money by avoiding machinery failure.Sofar, the adoption of AI systems in shipping has been driven mainly by environmental regulation and financial incentives.

Safety-focused AI solutions are popular in sectors where safety is a competitive issue, like the tanker segment, and among more forward-thinking companies with well-defined environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategies. As time goes on, and the bottom-line benefits of adopting such systems become more apparent, it is likely these systems will be used even more widely.

As solutions like Quest, Windward and North’s Marine Intelligence Platform demonstrate, shipboard AI and digital safety tools are already adept at identifying risks.

When the underlying technology matures to the point where it can respond to those risks without human intervention, vessels could even be steering themselves.

For now, though, these solutions are making life easier for seafarers while helping shipowners improve operations across the board, and making a historic industry sail into the future with confidence.

For example, if an AI tool prevents an incident at sea, it not only has significant health and safety benefits, but also spares the owner commercial disruption and legal issues.Equally, if the technology eases the burden on seafarers – and allows them to feel safe and secure on board – it is likely to help with crew retention and recruitment, which will boost profitability in turn. The more these systems are deployed, the more data they will produce and the clearer their benefits will become.

Insurance_ Advertising feature_North P&I

Pictured, left, is North P&I’s GlobeView technology in action

Report

However, with Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen having wrested control from the operator, the base is being reinvigorated, with revived sunshine getaways matched by terminal upgrades and significant investment into a huge business park said to hold the potential for as many as 4400 jobs. And he says the turnaround is on track, with projections estimating it will return to profit within three years. The airport has suffered a number of false starts. It appears now, though, that the runway is clearing for it to take off again.

Words by Steven Hugill

There was a time, not too long ago, when taking the motorhome or caravan up and down the country for a summer break appeared a far more likely option than using the airport’s limited services. As carriers departed for good, the base’s main building went from annually welcoming nearly one million passengers to around a tenth of its peak figure, with a masterplan drawn up by its former owner Peel to sell a sizeable chunk of the site for housing.

Across the other side of the terminal car park at Teesside International Airport stand scores of mobile holiday homes.

Learning to fly again Aviation

Here, Steven Hugill charts the site’s trajectory and hears from Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen - the man who took the airport back into public ownership - about why it is ready to fly to profitable heights again.

Teesside International Airport has flown through a few storms in recent years, with carrier losses and associated lower passenger numbers compounded by stalled revamp plans and the more recent impact of COVID-19. Now, though, the scene looks somewhat brighter, with significant investment luring back holiday services, upgrading terminal facilities and laying the foundations for greater commercial revenue.

‘A success for years to come’

4Flashes of bronze speckle in the sunlight, accentuating the creases and pulls of a military uniform. Right hand gloved and fixed in salute, and an oxygen mask hanging loosely below his left cheek, a crewman stares into the distance. A guardian of its skies, the immortalised figure’s eyes trace every plane as it rises from the runway at Teesside International Airport. Today, his address provides him with a partial block from the glare of the lowering afternoon sunshine. For a while, though, it was more than the bright light of summer that threatened to obscure his view. The fate of the airport, home to memorialised pilot officer Andrew Mynarski during the Second World War - who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for attempting to save a comrade during a fated 1944 French sortie - was very much in the balance. After metamorphosing from RAF Middleton St George - where Mynarski took off for the last time with fellow members of the Royal Canadian Air Force - into a commercial hub in the 1960s, the airport grew steadily, providing travellers with a gateway to faraway sun-kissed shores.Itreached its peak halfway through the first decade of the new millennium, when annual passenger numbers climbed to nearly one Fast-forwardmillion.adecade, though, and demand had nosedived to a mere tenth of that figure. The loss of blue ribbon domestic flights, including a Heathrow Airport link, and the departure of holiday services, left a skeleton itinerary, the bones of which were flights to Amsterdam and Aberdeen, and a library-like terminal building.Toarrest the slide, former operator Peel - which failed to endear itself to many when changing the site’s name to Durham Tees Valley Airport in 2004rolled out a blueprint for transformation. Labelled as a masterplan, and unfurled after unsuccessful attempts to secure cash from the Government’s Regional Growth Fund, it included proposals for hundreds of homes - right in Mynarski’s line of vision - and a commercial hub on

the opposite side of its runway. Launched under the premise of making the airport more self-sustainable against a backdrop of fewer passenger flights, it said the south side development would diversify income streams by providing bases for engineering and distribution operators. The vision, however, quickly clouded over.Despite much positive talk, and a PR event in late 2017, titled ‘flying for the future’ - which got local business leaders to sign a board pledging their allegiance to the site during an event held, ironically, in its departure lounge - Peel’s plans remained grounded. The landscape around, however, was changing.AsPeel passed around the permanent marker and its bosses blinked from the flashes of photographers’ lights, freshlyinstalled Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen was seeking to make good on an election promise to bring the airport back into public hands. A battle quickly ensued, which turned into a war of words, with the regeneration boss meeting a ‘hands-off’ warning with stinging rebukes of Peel’s investment strategy. A year later, and a £40 million deal had been struck to buy Peel’s 89 per cent share in the airport and 819 acres of land, with the agreement including a commitment from Mayor Houchen to throw out Peel’s housing scheme. And, says the development chief, the takeover saved it from extinction, citing Peel’s travails at Doncaster Sheffield Airport, which it recently admitted “may no longer be commercially viable”. He says: “Bringing the airport back into public ownership was not just about revitalising it – it was about securing it for generations to come. “There is absolutely no doubt that if we hadn’t, our airport would have closed, and we would have been left with a housing estate. “You only have to look at what’s happening at Doncaster Sheffield to realise that could have been us.” Mayor Houchen wasted little time in removing all traces of the airport’s former owner’s fingerprints, with the site swiftly rebranded as Teesside International, and Durham Tees Valley’s red and blue colour scheme swapped for a blue and green palette. A new logo was created, with a tailfin incorporating the outline of nearby landmark Roseberry Topping, while on the runway, household names Ryanair and TUI were unveiled as carriers, the latter returning after a near ten-year hiatus, to deliver sunshine services to, among other getaway hotspots, Alicante and Majorca.

Report Aviation

Ben Houchen Tees Valley Mayor “Bringing the airport back into public ownership was not just about revitalising it – it was about securing it for generations to come. “There is absolutely no doubt that if we hadn’t, our airport would have closed, and we would have been left with a housing estate.”

Central to its continued progress, he says, is its wider industry offer, with ground broken on a link road to the £200 million Southside Business Park, the site’s flagship bricks and mortar commercial scheme Mayor Houchen believes has the potential to create as many as 4400 jobs.

Furthermore, global firm Willis Lease Finance Corporation - alongside wholly-owned subsidiary Willis Aviation Servicesrecently unveiled £25 million plans to create a 200-job aircraft maintenance base on land formerly set aside for housing.

Just like the hill reflected in its new marketing, the airport was left with its own peak to get up and over when the turbulence of COVID-19 hit, the effects of which were highlighted recently when it was confirmed a further £20 million of taxpayer cash will be pumped into the site to offset nearly £12 million losses. The airport suffered another blow in June this year, when the return of a popular air show fell flat after significant traffic congestion forced many day-trippers to abandon their journeys, with bosses subsequently admitting to serious organisational “lessons to be learned” if the venture is to return again. However, Mayor Houchen says the picture remains positive, with projections pointing to a return to profitability within the next three years, explaining some of the financial reverses are accounted for by outlays to transform the site’s departure lounge, revive its retail space, add a spa and build a landside bar and viewing platform. Offices have also been created for Mayor Houchen and Tees Valley Combined Authority’s army of staff within the bowels of the airport. He says: “The past couple of years have been incredibly difficult for the global aviation industry - indeed, the Airport Operators Association has reported UK airports suffered to the tune of £10 billion during the pandemic. “Teesside was no different, as lockdowns came and went, and travel restrictions changed day-by-day. “But we took it as an opportunity to develop our terminal with a £3 million upgrade, retain each and every one of our staff and secure more routes and operators, so we would be ready to come back stronger than ever.

The company, which already carries out maintenance, storage and disassembly from a hangar at the hub, has also taken over its Jet Centre, from where it hopes to build on existing ground handling services for business, private aviation, military and cargoAndflights.Draken Europe - formerly known as Cobham Aviation - is building a second hangar to continue a longstanding relationship with the airport. Set to create as many as 30 jobs, bosses say it will extend the use of Dassault Falcon training planes, which have been a fixture across Teesside’s skies for a number of years. They also say the new, 5000sq ft hangar has brought the Alca L-159E ‘Honey Badger’ combat jet to the region for the first time, adding it will support the delivery of further contracts with organisations including the Ministry of Defence and US Air Force. And Mayor Houchen reveals further talks are underway “with a number of potential investors over both the business park and freeport”. He says: “I’ve always said our airport will need more than just holiday flights, as important as they are. “And now we’ve transformed the terminal, we’re turning our attention to our land and assets.

And he says the momentum will help the site return to the black within three years. He adds: “You see phrases like ‘vanity project’ bandied about by a vocal minority, who have always wanted our airport to fail, but nothing could be further from the truth.

“Only with quality air links can we attract global businesses to our region, and they’re increasingly standing up and taking notice of what we’re doing. “We set out with a ten-year turnaround plan and, despite a pandemic, we’re still in a very strong position.

“Putting our losses into context and looking at what we’ve achieved, I’m delighted with our progress. “We’ve developed the public-facing side of our terminal, and now have an airport fit for the 21st century.” However, while the base now has an environment for the modern-day holiday passenger, Mayor Houchen says the renovation is just one cog in a larger wheel of fortune.

Aviation

“An airport is critical for our region, so local people can get away on holiday. “But it’s critical too so we can be a truly outward looking region, to grab the opportunities Brexit and freeport status presents, drive inward investment and create jobs.

“Our plan is on track, and we’re projected to come back into profit in the next three years. “Nobody is pretending the last two years haven’t been challenging, but Teesside’s size, adaptability and huge site potential has helped shore us up during this time, and will make sure we’re a success for years to come.” Report

“This will help further diversify our revenue streams and protect our finances, while supporting more local, national and international businesses and creating good-quality, well-paid jobs.“Our cargo handling facility is up and running and the airport’s designation as a customs zone of the freeport will give businesses benefits such as VAT suspension and duty deferral, providing a huge incentive for manufacturing and aviation.”

Delivering, he says, where Peel could not, the twice-elected regeneration boss says the development will provide 1.9 million sq ft of distribution and industrial space, which will be augmented by the airport’s place within Teesside’s freeport, which affords tenants advantages such as tax reliefs.

65 However, take-off wasn’t entirely smooth.

TO WINGSFLY www.teessideinternational.com @TeesAirport

The scene is replicated on the apron stands.Where once Amsterdam and Aberdeen were the site’s staples, sunshine breaks are back on the boards, with TUI and Irish carrier Ryanair taking flyers - served by new departure gates - to holiday hotspots including Alicante, Majorca, Corfu and Faro.

As managing director of Teesside International Airport, he’s responsible for making the site fly again.

Words by Steven Hugill

After Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen fulfilled a 2017 election pledge to return the airport to public ownership, a fresher feel now lays across the site and its runway; positivity has overtaken pessimism, connection replaced separation.

And like a football manager sweeping into a new club, he’s wasted little time in putting his stamp on things.

As part of Sky Sports’ news reporting team, he regularly brought jubilation - and equal amounts of despair - to fans of the region’s football clubs.

As a television reporter, Phil Forster regularly interviewed the high-fliers of the footballing world. Today, though, he’s focused not on soaring on-field talent, but making Teesside International Airport take off again after years of decline under previous ownership. Here, Steven Hugill speaks to the broadcasterturned-managing director to learn more about his life in front of the camera, how he pivoted into the aviation sector and why his airport turnaround plans are only just beginning.

Photography by Christopher Owens

From delivering live match updates to Hartlepool’s Jeff Stelling on the channel’s flagship Soccer Saturday show, to press conference and training ground interviews, he covered everyone from polished Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo to the more rugged semi-professionals of the non-league scene. Today, though, he’s focused on entirely new goals. And they have nothing to do with the Beautiful Game.

Under previous owner Peel, a metaphorical fog had hung heavy over the airport, the associated stuporific atmosphere creating an opaque outlook. Today, though, like the vapour trails of overhead planes, the miasma has burned away.

The feeling is demonstrated inside its terminal, where aged legacies of the base’s nadir have been flattened to create bright, modern lounges, bars and cafes, a dutyfree store, a slicker security check area and Bannatyne’s first-ever airport express spa.

68 4Phil Forster was once a familiar face on the small screen.

“We’re effectively starting on a blank page, but that’s great because it brings so many opportunities.

After initially joining as Teesside’s head of airport development, to be the “eyes and ears” of the ownership transition, Phil was

He says: “I loved my time with Sky - I did four years and it really helped me develop as a “Thingsperson.like public speaking and engagement, which are so common in my current post, don’t faze me because of my broadcast background.

He says: “There are so many different plates spinning; every day is different and it’s a thoroughly exciting time.

It was, says Phil, a real period of learning, the lessons of which he’s now putting into practise.

70And Phil couldn’t be happier with the progress.

“And I’ve got a team around me that would run through a brick wall for this airport - they are so passionate about seeing it succeed.” It could, though, have all been so different. Having cut his teeth across the region’s football scene, Phil moved to Scotland to cover the game north of the border and, such was his passion for broadcasting at the time, he even attended a screen test for ITV’s This Morning.

But, when he and his partner discovered they were expecting their first child, they moved back to the North East, with Phil pivoting his career in the direction of another passion - aviation. With his microphone and broadcaster’s overcoat hung up, he embarked on a role with Newcastle International Airport, where he formed an instant bond with chief executive - and former Football League referee - David Laws.

Helping drive the base’s development across a four-year period - which included significant terminal refurbishments and flight launches - he followed his boss to Leeds Bradford Airport, where they laid foundations for that site’s renovation too.

“I’d always been interested in politics, local government and transport, and when I saw the role with Newcastle, I thought, ‘why“Andnot?’working alongside David really helped me.

“You take different advice from different people, but David was the first person who - pardon the pun - took me under his wing and saw potential in me, which I’ll always be grateful for. “He exposed me to the commercial and aviation worlds, filled me with confidence and taught me so much about leadership and how to handle situations and people.”

71 promoted to commercial director during the pandemic, before being handed the managing director role. And he’s not stopped since. Like the football managers he once interviewed, a white board hangs on his office wall, tactics squiggled in black ink. But it’s not just Phil’s vision that’s aiding the airport’s progress - a national focus is providing a spotlight to shine too.

And fellow longstanding resident Draken Europe - formerly Cobham Aviation - is building a second hangar, due to create as many as 30 jobs, which will extend the use of Dassault Falcon RAF training planes in Teesside’s skies and bring Alca L-159E

“And it’s helping the airport, because it is giving fresh exposure we’re able to emphasise with the investments we’re making.“Myjob is to knit all of the pieces together to deliver success, and the great thing is, with investments like the Government jobs, I keep on getting more pieces to play with.” He adds: “And things are coming together.“Thisairport has always had the surface access and infrastructure; we can serve Teesside, the North East and Yorkshire, because Tees Valley has one of the UK’s fastest-moving road commuter networks.

“What it didn’t have was the route development, but we’re working on that, and the initial results are very positive. “This summer - owing to the pandemichas been the first where airlines have been able to take a proper look at things, and what they’ve seen is our phenomenal load factors, with flights going out full.” Business and leisure flights, however, are only one aspect of the masterplan, says Phil, with significant investment in the airport’s commercial offer equally crucial to its turnaround. As he talks, over his shoulder labourers in high-visibility jackets and hard hats scale scaffolding to finish another phase of redevelopment work.

Elsewhere, existing tenant and global plane maintenance, removal and overhaul firm Willis Lease Finance Corporationalongside wholly-owned subsidiary Willis Aviation Services - has submitted plans to create a £25 million, 200-job base, and is also set to expand the Jet Centre, which delivers ground handling support.

“And it’s a fantastic time to be here, given the amount of opportunity across the region“Beingnow.able to say we’re part of the UK’s largest freeport, and that the Government is moving departments to Darlington, is really adding significant weight to the North East’s stature.

Across the way, ground lies broken where a link road will eventually stand as a gateway to the £200 million Southside Business Park, which Phil says will create as many as 4400 jobs by providing 1.9 million sq ft of distribution and industrial space on the opposite side of the runway.

The base sits within Teesside’s freeport, the commercial boundary that gives operators numerous tax and trading benefits, and is also a short drive from Darlington, where the Government is shifting more than 1000 civil service posts from London across departments including thePhilTreasury.says:“I’d always watched with interest the situation at Teesside, and I was delighted to be given the chance to play a part in taking it forward.

“It’s got a catchment area of 5.2 million within 90 minutes’ drive, and the A1 and A19 are on the doorstep.

“And there are so many opportunities for us on the commercial side. “This airport sits in a freeport, has more than 800 acres of land to develop and a runway, which at 2291 metres long, can take any aircraft. “We’ve got fantastic potential with freight too. “We have plans to bring fully-loaded cargo aircraft in, which will make a major difference to the economic side of the business, while allowing us to play our part in the North East’s prowess as an exporting region.“But we can go beyond that, owing to Teesside’s central position on the map. “With freight, for example, we can very easily serve the North East and Yorkshire, but can truck things to other parts of the UK too, because we’re not constrained when it comes to road links. “And operators are seeing that landscape.“Willishas extended its agreement because it can see the opportunities at the airport and the levers for growth across the“It’sregion.thesame with Draken.”

A further component in the commercial expansion, reveals Phil, is a major lowcarbon drive, with a blueprint in place to make the base the UK’s first hydrogenready airport, along with producing its own sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). With hydrogen-powered and electric vehicles, from cars to tugs, already in use, Phil says the site is well placed to harness the expertise of the area’s process sector, notably a £1 billion investment into SAF by Saudi-based Alfanar Group and the Net Zero Teesside endeavour, which is primed for land on Redcar’s Teesworks.

He adds: “Teesside is back on the map, not just as a region but as an airport, and we’re getting into the next phase of growth. “The first was getting the airport back, and you have to take your hat off to Ben, who came up with the vision to do so. “The second was developing flights and the terminal, which we’ve done, and are continuing to do, and the third is around enhancing the estate, which we’ve started. “We’ve achieved so much in a short space of time, but we’re not resting on our laurels; we want to be ahead of the curve. “And everyone here is working flat out to deliver success - we can see the opportunities and we don’t want to pass any of them up.” He adds: “There is a pride about the airport again - people are wanting to fly out of here once more and businesses are seeing the potential. “Things are starting to tick, but you never get a second chance to make a first impression. “The job will never be done.”

Known as the Lighthouse Green Fuels Project, Alfanar says its 240-job venture will make SAF from household and commercial waste at scale.

Phil says: “If you get an airport right, it brings jobs, increased GVA, inward investment and inboard tourism; its influence is immense.

73 ‘Honey Badger’ combat jets to the region.

Led by BP, Net Zero Teesside will feature two hydrogen production plants –HyGreen Teesside, which will make green hydrogen through water electrolysis using renewable power, and H2Teesside, which will produce blue hydrogen from natural gas.Phil says: “I’m really excited about what we can do around the net-zero agenda. “And we can genuinely lead the way on SAF, thanks to things like Alfanar and Net Zero“Teesside’sTeesside.industrial cluster is massively to the airport’s advantage, because it produces more than 50 per cent of the UK’s“Andhydrogen.whatwe’re doing is getting noticed. “We had the chief executive of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore visit to talk about our work with hydrogen, and we’ve got other airports wanting to chat too. “That makes me very proud, and shows the level of our progress.” However, despite the ground made, Phil says much more remains to be accomplished. For while the airport may be flying again, he wants it to soar.

And this is important, because if a company doesn’t have shareholder protection and the business owner were to die, their share would pass to their family.

Finance_ Advertising feature_Perspective

www.pfgl.co.uk @perspectivefgl

Key person insurance

Lush greens are turning yellow and brown and radiant blooms draining of colour as Mother Nature readies herself for the harsher months ahead.

This is taken out by a business to compensate for monetary losses resulting from the death or incapacity of an important member of its team.

When deciding on the sum to be insured, it is worth considering potential loss of profits, the cost of replacement and any costs that would need covering without the key person.

By taking out shareholder protection, the remaining partners or directors can retain control.

74 AS THE FINAL THROES OF SUMMER GIVE WAY TO autumn’s inescapable pull, the environment is taking on a fresh feel.

Shareholder/partnership protection

With global political tensions - led chiefly by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine - compounding domestic economic depression and the uncertainty caused by the search for a new Prime Minister, companies too must prepare accordingly to weather the stormy scene.Financial planning for owners and directors is a constant challenge, but even more so in a world of such distinct highs and lows.

With the Bank of England’s recession warning adding further economic tremors to a landscape already shaken by the cost of living crisis, it is more important than ever for companies to plan robustly. Here, Trevor Clark, Chartered financial planner and director at Perspective (North East) Ltd, sets out a map for businesses to steer through the fluctuating environment.

This can be a complex area where good quality legal advice is required to ensure cross-option agreements are correctly handled. Financial Group Plan now to protect the future

Most companies have a key person, who is responsible for most of the profits, or someone who has a skill that would be difficult to replace. Examples include managing directors and IT specialists.

And there are a number of aspects to consider, from unexpected illness and death to corporate tax planning, workplace pensions and employee incentives.

The loss to the business could be diminished reputation, a decline in sales from the loss of a sales manager and the costs of hiring and training a replacement.Althoughit is written on the life of a key business person, the policy is owned by the business.

GroupFinancialPerspective fromOperatingmore than 20 offices across the UK, including bases in andNewcastleDarlington, planningprovidelocalPerspective’sofficesfinancialadvice on retirement,includingmatters laterlife and long-term care inheritanceplanning,tax, investments and protection and membertoIfplanning.corporateyouwouldlikespeaktoaofthe Perspective team to better plan your finances, call 0191 217 3340 or 01325 289400.

It’s the same across the business landscape.

This, in turn, could cause several problems; not only would the remaining owners have less control on the running of the business, but a family member could sell their bequeathed share to a competitor.

If a shareholder in a private limited company were to die, it is crucial to know if remaining shareholders would be able to buy their part of the business.

Furthermore, if a business owner has died, or been diagnosed with a terminal or critical illness, shareholder protection would provide a lump sum to the remaining shareholders or business owners, which could be used to help buy their stake.

If not, there would be significant future implications.Wouldyou want your next business partner to be your current business partner’s widow/widower, or their children, following their death?

• Gaining wider access to funds

For seasoned employers who are already advocates, we review and restructure group protection policies, and source the best terms available from the whole market to deliver the best possible value for money.

provide a cash lump sum in the event of the death of an employee, and can be a lifeline for workers’ dependants to help them manage financially if the worst happens. Income protection provides an income (usually up to state pension age) if the employee cannot work due to a long-term illness or injury. Not only does group income protection benefit the employee, but it also helps organisations manage sickness and rehabilitation costs, which enables staff members to return to work, thus reducing absence and therefore impact on the business.

• Service improvements

We provide advice to all employers on all workplace pension and group personal pension schemes. Our strength is our ability to explain complicated issues in a clear and comprehensible way.

We help with:

• Setting up and running new schemes

For employers new to these types of benefits, we source and implement them to maximise employee engagement to show how they are valued.

• Reviews of existing schemes Management charge reductions

Finance_ Advertising feature_Perspective

Group

•

• Organising pension surgeries for all employees Financial planning is demanding, but we’re here to help businesses navigate the ups and downs and get through the headwinds. It’s fundamental to our core purpose. We provide expert, specialised financial planning and wealth management advice that enables clients to make full and effective use of financial resources, so they can plan for - and achieve - the future they desire. Financial

A suite of good employee benefits is essential for many employers fighting to attract and retain the right calibre of employees.

• Governance advice, including auto-enrolment compliance Administration support

Recruitment and retention

We help employers consider the potential benefits of offering employees access to a wider range of benefits and/or greater choice. We have significant experience of flexible remuneration packages and can advise on the tax treatment of additional benefits, both from an employer and employee perspective. Group schemes, such as death in service and income protection, are becoming the norm, rather thanDeathnice-to-haves.inserviceschemes

Healthcare schemes were once the preserve of larger companies, however, competitive terms are available for smaller groups of people and sometimes individuals through tailored group arrangements, which we can advise on.

Workplace pensions - group pension schemes

76 AS A BUSINESS PROVIDING OCCUPATIONAL health support to organisations across the board, our team is often called in to deal with the most delicate of matters – from drug and alcohol problems to mental health issues.

Some will seek to ignore the situation and keep on working, as if nothing has happened.

We are all different, and death affects individuals in a myriad of ways.

• Denial - After the death of a loved one, it’s not uncommon to be in denial about what has happened. This can help temporarily protect you from the overwhelming emotions that come with grieving

The standard HR policy, which allows the bereaved some immediate leave for their loss, is, at times, a very blunt instrument.

This is because grief has numerous stages, which do not have a set timeframe. The stages are worth knowing, so you can understand how someone may be feeling. Grief stages*

If you are an individual or business that would like to find out more about Recovery4Life’s expert grief support services, or wish to learn more about its mental health and health,occupationalwellbeing,addiction and COVID-19 288callprogrammes,03333448oremail recovery4life.john.devitt@ co.uk

• Bargaining - When you move out of denial and anger, you may find a period where you create a lot of ‘if only’ and ‘what if’ statements

Others may break down completely, to a point where attendance at work becomes impossible. There is no way of telling what will happen and, most importantly, there is no right or wrong answer.

• Anger - You may find you are angrier than normal, and direct your emotions at other people, including the person who died. It’s also possible to direct the anger toward yourself, other family members or the workplace

A global pandemic, the war in Ukraine and serious economic crises have placed enormous strain on employers and employees in recent times. Yet, despite the nature of such stressful matters, the loss of a loved one, a devoted colleague or a close friend is still the ultimate trial. Here, John Devitt (pictured, below, left), of leading occupational health expert Recovery4Life, talks to North East Times Magazine about the ways managers can support their people – and themselves – through the deepest emotional trauma of all.

-Recovery4Life

• Acceptance - When you get to a point where you accept what has happened, and understand what it means in your life, you’ve reached the acceptance stage

Dealing with grief in the workplace: helping you and your people cope with the ultimate taboo

• Depression - This is often called the ‘quiet’ stage of the grieving process. You may experience overwhelming feelings of sadness or confusion. It’s common for your emotions to feel heavy during the depression stage, and you may want to isolate yourself from others

@Recovery4LifeNEwww.recovery4life.co.uk

However, while many firms appreciate the need to support people in these areas, many are less aware of the importance of dealing with the issue that is rarely talked about and, consequently, left to fester with potentially difficult and unsatisfactory results – grief.

This means organisations must develop a flexible approach, based very much around talking to the affected person or people. We have found some people may actually need time away from a particular business many months after the sad event has happened, rather than in the immediate aftermath.

The support individuals may need is far more complex, and much more tailored, than what people might imagine.

Health_ Advertising feature_Recovery4Life

• pervasive yearning for the deceased

The discussion of death is often avoided, especially in Western cultures, and colleagues may struggle with knowing ‘what to say’ or rely on platitudes – neither helps the Indeed,bereaved.avoidance can lead to a deeper level of grief, which makes working almost impossible.

If in doubt, simply recognise the situation - ‘I’m sorry for your loss’ - and, if appropriate, offer practical help or a ‘listening ear’ if the bereaved wants to talk. When grief is long lasting and interferes with daily life, it may be a condition known as prolonged grief disorder.According to the American Psychological Association, prolonged grief is marked by the following symptoms:

• difficulty accepting their death • intense emotional pain • emotional numbness • feeling like you’ve lost a part of yourself

• persistent depression • withdrawal from typical social activities

This very difficult process for the bereaved needs to be understood and, quite frankly, can only be done by understanding their nature, their drivers and their attitude to the situation.

In general, this type of grief often involves the loss of a child or partner, but it can also be the result of a sudden or violent death. According to 2017 meta-analysis, prolonged grief disorder may affect as many as ten per cent of people who have lost a loved one.

77 Reference: modeKubler-Ross*The

And this level of knowledge will usually mean outside advice is worth seeking.

At Recovery4Life, we have access to a team of qualified clinicians and counsellors, with long-standing and wide-ranging experience.

The Swiss–American psychiatrist Elisabeth KublerRoss, a pioneer in dealing with death and the first person to transfigure the way the world looks at the terminally ill, wrote elegantly about loss, and I think these words suggest a positive way to cope.

She said: “The reality is that you will grieve forever. “You will not ‘get over’ the loss of a loved one; you’ll learn to live with it. “You will heal, and you will rebuild yourself around the loss you have suffered. “You will be the whole again, but you will never be the same.“Nor should you want to.”

Health_ Advertising feature_Recovery4Life

The support we provide makes a difference to the bereaved and to managers too, who find helping a colleague an anxious and stressful process.

Most recently, the business has been shortlisted for the CIPR North East’s PR Consultancy of the Year title. Earlier in 2022, the Group made a strategic move to expand by acquiring competitor agency Fusion PR Creative – retaining all staff and providing Karol with more resource, a graphic design department and critical volume in areas of specialism such as healthcare, sustainability, wellbeing and energy.

Having reached its 30th anniversary, leading North East PR and communications agency Karol Marketing Group has its eyes firmly set on future success. Here, founder Stefan Lepkowski talks about its inception, its recent successes and why it is committed to further investment to boost not just its own progress, but that of the region and its people.

Founded by Stefan Lepkowski in 1992, the Karol Marketing Group has seen several new business wins, resulting in the doubling of its turnover year-on-year.

www.karolmarketing.com @KarolMarketing A PR,integratedleadingdigital and creative ofthreeexpertiseusesMarketingagency,communicationsKarolitsuniqueanddecadesexperience to deliver information,Forclients.campaignsimpactfulaward-winning,formore visit www. comkarolmarketing.

The acquisition drove forward a vision to offer the very highest level of strategic communications, marketing, digital, public affairs and public relations expertise to its regional, national and international Marketing_ Advertising feature_Karol Marketing

MarketingKarol

North East agency celebrates milestone birthday with record year

ONE OF THE NORTH EAST’S LONGESTestablished integrated and multi-award-winning PR, digital and creative communications agencies, Karol Marketing Group, is celebrating its 30th birthday, and is firmly on track for its most successful year-to-date.

“It is our team of enthusiastic, passionate and generous PR and marketing experts that makes the Karol Marketing Group what it is.

These recent successes have resulted in three new appointments across the business.

Stefan says the Group is committed to continuing its investment in further growth of the business, the region and its people, offering a wide range of initiatives such as hybrid working, wellbeing days and mental health prevention programmes, to support overall wellbeing and work/life balance across the organisation.

Stefan said: “When Karol Marketing was set up from my bedroom 30 years ago, I never could have imagined it would grow to become the thriving, and internationally-recognised, agency it is today.

“When Karol Marketing was set up from my bedroom 30 years ago, I never could have imagined it would grow to become the thriving, and internationally-recognised,agencyitistoday”

Marketing_ Advertising feature_Karol Marketing

client base. Cumulatively, the Karol Marketing Group has won business from nine new clients in the past 12 months, with four existing clients approaching a doubling of fee spend with the company.

“It is our team of enthusiastic, passionate and generous PR and marketing experts that makes the Karol Marketing Group what it is”

“We’re privileged to work with, and alongside, the businesses, charities and public sector organisations that make up this thriving and vibrant part of the world, and I’m particularly proud that our Old Pub office, in Ouseburn, has been the home of some fantastic regional, national and international campaigns, delivered for so many incredible organisations and people over the years.”

“Our recent client wins and accolades demonstrate that success, and this is evidenced by Karol being firmly on track for its most successful year-to-date.

“Downstairs is an open living lounge, where guests can use the long networking tables for meetings, or sit outside and do a bit of work.

A little more than a year after officially opening on the banks of the River Tyne, INNSiDE by Meliá Newcastle is continuing to go from strength-to-strength. Here, Steven Hugill speaks to manager Calum Manekshaw about its progress and how it intends to maintain the momentum with its unique business and leisure offer. www.melia.com/en/hotels/united-kingdom/newcastle/ @MeliaHtlResorts

“At its peak, we did 5000 covers over a weekend last summer, and we’re still busy now; even during more traditionally quieter periods like Tuesday evenings, we’re still doing 120 to 150 covers, and they are both business and leisure guests.”

And walk the polished interior of the four-star hotel, taking in its open living lounge - floor-to-ceiling windows framing the River Tyne and the city’s High Level Bridge - its Gino D’Acampo Quayside restaurant and terrace, its corporate meeting space and distinctive artwork celebrating Newcastle’s culture, and the amalgam is not without great substance.

And when it comes to more conventional business requirements, INNSiDE by Meliá Newcastle is more than adept at meeting companies’ needs.

Ranked inside Trip Advisor’s top ten Newcastle hotels, (having climbed 49 places since opening last year), the venue was also rated the best across the entire global INNSiDE brand for 13 weeks in 2021 for guest experience. “What we do here is very much an integration of business and leisure,” says resident hotel manager Calum Manekshaw. He says: “Working patterns have changed, lives have become more fluid, and our concept caters for that really well.

Calum, who joined the hotel in March 2021, says: “Our contemporary first-floor corporate environment includes the 48sq metre Hawks meeting room and the Keelman Suite.

“They can even stroll along the Quayside if they’ve got a meeting on their phone.

“And Gino’s is a fantastic partner when it comes to bleisure.“Therestaurant is a real USP, not just with it being led by Gino, but because of its status.

“When it opened, it was the first hotel restaurant Gino had operated in - he’d always had an affinity for a UK quayside restaurant, and we were chosen for the honour.

THEY DO THINGS A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY AT INNSiDE by Meliá Newcastle. So much so, they have a word for it: bleisure.

INNSiDE by Meliá Newcastle expertly melds business and leisure, providing an environment that befits postCOVID-19 corporate flexes with travellers’ changing palates.

For more informa tion about the hotel and its busi ness and leisure offer, and to book accommodation, visit www.melia. newcastle/united-kingdom/com/en/hotels/ Alternatively, contact 0808 239 0397.

Hospitality_ Advertising feature_INNSiDE by Meliá Newcastle Delivering the feel-good factor

INNSiDE by NewcastleMeliá

“The latter provides 200sq metre of space for social events, large meetings and conferences, and can accommodate up to 245 people or be split into three separate sections for smaller meetings or break-out sessions.

“We’re very passionate about locality, not just in design but in senses too, and we are very keen to integrate with what is already here. “Newcastle, as well as the North East, has lots of stories, and we want to shout about them and celebrate them.“Art is a huge part of that - we were really proud to work with Atomhawk and James, and our partnership with North East Art Collective changes every quarter, to showcase more artists’ work.

“However, it also fits our bleisure ethos because it can be used for leisure too.”

The bleisure theme is continued outside the Big Idea Space, with wall art - fashioned by Newcastle creative design studio Atomhawk - depicting a post-apocalyptic city sat close to vibrant works of the North East Art Collective.

“Newcastle deserves for everything to come back as it was post-COVID-19, because everyone here is so optimistic.“Andwe’ll continue adding our support, with our bleisure offer, to help make it happen.” by Meliá

The focus on art is extended to the hotel’s open living lounge, where Newcastle architect FaulknerBrowns has brought elements of the outside indoors.

They are matched by a giant mural - conceived by artist and Lines Behind founder James Dixon - which dominates a high wall next to a spiral staircase and pays homage to, among many things, favourite Newcastle sons Alan Shearer and Ant and Dec, the city’s Tyne Bridge and Metro system, and some of the local dialect.

“Every INNSiDE by Meliá hotel has one, and there isn’t anything like it elsewhere in Newcastle, certainly in a hotel.

Calum says: “This is a real feel-good hotel.

“We recently installed full-length wallpaper art in all our lift lobbies, for example, and we’re still looking to forge further connections, with the lynchpin being that they are local.”

Another unique element of the commercial offer is the Big Idea ColourfulSpace.and quirky, and with capacity for up to 20 people, the room takes business meetings to new levels, with sofas, spacious desks, writable walls and tables, digital whiteboards, table football, a SMEG fridge, Rubix Cubes, sweets jars and a dart board providing homefrom-home comfort while encouraging interactivity and creativity.Calumsays:

“And it comes with a fixed, integrated LCD projector and screen, scene-setting lights, digital signage and internal cloakroom space in each section.”

“It’s a bit more playful, and the perfect backdrop for a PR strategy day or a team building event.

Newcastle

“But we’re always looking at ways we can do more.

Hospitality_ Advertising feature_INNSiDE

Calum says: “Newcastle has an industrial past, and the hotel is designed to mimic that, with minimalist, straightline“Thedesign.trim on the front of the bar and reception desk, for example, is identical to the railings on the High Level Bridge, and the crosses on the bottoms of our downstairs networking tables take inspiration from the Tyne Bridge.” He adds: “We’ve got a beautiful space, with lots of natural light and the Quayside, and we’re highly ranked, which is testament to the team’s quality, pride and professionalism.

“Guests can use the fridge in there to chill their drinks for a night-in, or the space can be used ahead of a night out,” adds Calum, who arrived at INNSiDE by Meliá Newcastle after more than a decade with Hilton.

Protecting our future players

SportReport

The North East has a proud sporting history, with teams and players of bygone eras still fondly cherished by fans.But a number of those terrace heroes are not the people they used to be. Afflicted by dementia or other neurological diseases from years of contact sport and, in footballers’ cases, the effects of constant heading, their outlook is markedly different to the days when they thrilled the crowds on a Saturday afternoon. Here, Colin Young takes a look at the situation, and assesses why more goals must be set - and achieved - to ensure our players of the future stay fit and healthy long into retirement.

Words by Colin Young

As the lawsuits mount - with billions already paid out in compensation to former American football and ice hockey players in the US over the last five years - advances in science and research are increasingly showing the links between repeated heading, concussions and sub-concussion head injuries and long-term brain disease.

Getting ahead of the game

4The ‘Billion Pound Game’ will be played at Spennymoor Town’s Brewery Field this month. The name of the game is significant - and it’s not the amount the charities behind it would expect or hope to raise. It is estimated compensation to sportsmen and women who have suffered neurological diseases, plus funding for research and education, could rocket to £1 billion over the next 30 years. And unless action is taken now - and the subject taken more seriously by sport and the state - then that could just be scratching the surface. The friendly fundraiser between the charity foundation Team Solan and a Spennymoor XI (with some special guests) is the second adult game outlawing heading to take place at Brewery Field. The first ever was a year ago; a 5-5 draw between former players from Middlesbrough and the National League North club in front of 390 spectators. Played largely at walking pace, heading was allowed in the penalty area in the first-half before being banned completely for the second 45 minutes. It was never an intention to radically overhaul football’s laws overnight - and the second-half was challenging for players and public - but neither are these games, organised by brain charity Head for Change and the Solan Connor Fawcett Trust, a gimmick.

The Lionesses’ glorious success in winning the Euro 2022 tournament on home soil this summer evoked memories of the last great England team to win a major trophy. Sadly, the majority of Sir Alf Ramsey’s 1966 World Cup winning team were not around to see former Sunderland striker and player of the tournament Beth Mead lead Sarina Wiegman’s side to glory. Most have succumbed to dementia or other neurological diseases in recent years, paying the ultimate price for success, and incapable of recalling any of it in their final years with their families.

Attitudes and training regimes are changing but, as Colin Young discovers, finding the balance between protecting the player and protecting the game and the pursuit of success is going to be difficult.

Football is not alone in failing to protect its players at every level for years. Every sport carries a risk of head and brain injury, but acceptance and education by governing bodies, administrators and coaches has been slow in coming.

As increasing medical evidence links English football’s greatest heroes’ brain illnesses with their exposure to repetitive heading and injuries, the Football Association, the Government and every national sporting body is being urged to take action.

The aim is to raise awareness and open the debate on what the game would look like if heading laws were changed to improve player safety. It comes as the Football Association (FA) starts to trial a ban on heading in games at under-12 level this season, with the aim of banning it completely in all football at under-12 and below next season, if it is deemed successful.

“For too long the sporting landscape has been too fragmented to properly address this issue and Government has delayed taking action, deferring to the numerous sporting bodies.

“We recommend it establishes a UKwide minimum standard definition for concussion that all sports must use and adapt.“Sport has a responsibility to ensure that our elite athletes are not allowed to trade their long-term health for shortterm sporting success.

“We recommend that Government uses its power to convene interested parties and establish a single research fund that will co-ordinate and fund research.

“We urge the Government to grasp the nettle, move past the concerns about how regulation may change sports, and take real and effective action.”

Last year, new guidelines recommended professional footballers in England should be limited to ten “higher force headers” a week in training. Dr Adam White, senior lecturer in sport and coaching sciences at Oxford Brookes University, described the trial as a “watershed moment” for football. Research into football and head trauma, led by Dr Willie Stewart, consultant neuropathologist at the Glasgow Brain Injury Research Group, has calculated that, due to headings, the probability of developing neurodegenerative illnesses for ex-footballers is up to three-and-ahalf times higher than that of the general population. And professional footballers are five times more likely to die from dementia than people of the same age range. It is now five years since former Newcastle United and England captain Alan Shearer met Dr Stewart as part of his BBC documentary into the subject, Dementia, Football and Me. The Match of the Day pundit met Dawn Astle, widow of former England and West Bromwich Albion striker Jeff Astle, who suffered from dementia and died at the age of 59 in 2002. At the inquest into his death, the coroner said the damage to Astle’s brain had been caused by years of heading a football.Theruling was industrial disease, so we knew something about this subject then, 15 years Shearer,ago.who had an MRI scan as part of the programme after a heading session, admitted he was unaware of the dangers of repetitive heading when he started his illustrious playing career at Southampton - even less so when he was first trying out at Cramlington and Wallsend Boys. He said: “I went into football knowing that at the end of my career I could probably expect to have some physical issues, which I do - I have dodgy knees, a dodgy back and dodgy ankles. “But what I never contemplated for a second back then was that there is a chance that heading the ball could affect my“Ifbrain.that is the case, then people need to be aware of it. There is help out there but more work is needed. “It is not just big-name England strikers and World Cup winners who are affected, it is everyone who has played the game, and I think it is important to give everyone a voice.”

CTE is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, which leads to dementia and related physical and cognitive symptoms such as memory problems, decline in thinking ability, confusion, aggression, depression and changes in personality. The risk and severity of CTE is caused primarily, not by one-hit concussions, but repeated sub-concussive impacts, which are of sufficient force to adversely affect the function of the brain cells but not cause symptoms of concussion. Football’s governing bodies have been asleep for too long over this issue, and were heavily criticised in last year’s scathing report by the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee into concussion in sport, which included Sunderland Central’s Labour MP Julie Elliott. The committee’s report and conclusions called on the Government to do more to recognise the issue and take a more proactive role in ensuring all sports are safeguarding participants at every level and age, and dealing with concussion properly and effectively. One of the key issues here is the changing and evolving science, but also a lack of knowledge among participants - and their parents in the case of young players - on the subject of concussions, sub-concussions and their long-term effects.Andwhile MPs have made a number of recommendations to implement standards, they noted, with some regret and alarm, that previous reports and subsequent recommendations have not beenAndimplemented.thathastochange.

The committee said: “Over the past 20 years, neither the FA nor the Professional Footballers’ Association have fought hard enough or publicly enough to address this issue within the broader football community. “They are, however, only part of a broader failure to address the issue of acquired brain injury in sport.

“The problems faced by both football and rugby are common to a multitude of other sports, which do not have the same media attention or the same resources to apply to possible solutions.

84Report Sport Children aged 11 and under are already no longer taught to head during training in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, while FA guidelines for coaches also put limits on how much heading older children should do.

The medical and sporting worlds now recognise the increasing number of contact sport players developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

“One of the biggest problems is the apparent lack of clarity on who is responsible for driving change.

85 It was seeing first-hand the effects of CTE that moved Dr Judith Gates to become a co-founder of Head for Change, with the aim of supporting families, increasing research and submitting an application for dementia to be considered an industrial disease. Her husband Bill was a former Middlesbrough defender, the first £50-a-week British footballer, who played more than 300 games for the Teesside club before retiring at 30 and setting up a string of sports shops in the North East. He eventually built up 12 stores, sold the lot and moved to the Cayman Islands withManagedJudith. by Jack Charlton, Bill played with the likes of Nobby Stiles and Willie Maddren, who both died of degenerative brain conditions. He has been diagnosed with dementia and CTE and has donated his brain to research. Judith has carried out her own research for several years, and is hopeful of progress being made across all sports, with Government or some political help. Five years ago, Bill and Judith watched Alan Shearer’s documentary. Still healthy enough then, but crippled by headaches and only too well aware of the detached future ahead, one of English football’s most promising young players begged his wife never to give up. A year ago, she co-founded Head for Change in his honour, determined to help ensure families like theirs are not all made to suffer the consequences of such a devastating disease. Judith adds: “One of the features of that documentary was an interview with ex-players, suffering neurological conditions, who were asked if they would do it all again and have the same career, and the majority said yes. “Bill and I watched it and he said, quite unequivocally, no. “He said, ‘if I had known then what I know now, I would have stopped playing in a heartbeat. “We have both been very successful in our lives and careers, and Bill was able to retire in his early 40s and we lived in the Cayman Islands while I was able to continue to be an academic. “But our retirement together, everything we planned, all the things we worked for, have been taken away. “What price do you pay when someone doesn’t know where they are? “When he was diagnosed in 2017, he made me make two promises; to help him optimise the remainder of his life, and to work to protect future players and warn them of the “Metaphoricallydangers.speaking, Bill wants Head for Change to plant the tree of knowledge about the dangers of head impacts. “Those that follow can then benefit from the shade of this tree. “I want to shout a warning to the young players of today. “I want to tell them they are not indestructible. As they are now, so once was Bill. “I want to warn their families. Are they prepared for the long goodbye that may lie“Iahead?wantindependent research that informs a precautionary approach to sport.“But, most of all, I want thoughtful change from, and within, the sporting governing bodies. “Change that, by protecting the players and protecting the game, protects the future of both. “Research is needed, not just on causation but on diagnosis, treatments and“Thiseducation.isamajor issue facing all sports, not just football, and more has to be done to protect future players. “This is an epidemic, it must stop now. “We must all acknowledge the fragility of the brain, alongside its centrality in defining the person. “When you lose your brain, you lose your very self.” Report

Sport

86 Rezons to be cheerful www.rezonwear.comJudithFeatureMcMinnLinkedIn:Rezon

The links between sport and serious long-term brain injuries are becoming increasingly severe. And expensive. In this country, against a background of links between exfootballers, at all levels, and dementia and other similar diseases, a group of rugby players are preparing a court case against the world’s governing bodies. As science evolves, evidence mounts and case studies pile up, all sports are under scrutiny to do more and accept liability. In Annfield Plain, County Durham, meanwhile, a new company, led by Judith McMinn, has developed a product that could be a game-changer. Designed to lessen the impact of devastating, repeated trauma, the Halos could significantly reduce the headache facing the entire sporting world. Here, Colin Young meets the head of Rezon to find out more.

Words by Colin Young Photography by Christopher Owens

She’s dedicated her life to find the answer.

“After the Good Friday Agreement, there was definitely a change within the community.“Itwasjust the sense of peace, in simple things like less stress when you did go to Belfast.

She has invented and patented the Rezon (pronounced Ree-zon) Halos; a head band designed to offer 60 per cent more protection from the rotational injuries which, over a prolonged period, are more damaging to the brain. The plan now is to work with all sports, to help make a short and long-term difference.

Her parents still live in the town having spent years, she says, dealing with the aftermath of The Troubles, as prominent employees at the local council.

88 4For more than 20 years, Judith McMinn has pondered one very simple question.Whydo we protect our shins and teeth in sport, but not our brain?

In years to come, Judith is convinced that head-worn protection - more importantly offering significant brain protection - will become as much a part of the everyday sporting apparel as shinpads, gloves or gum shields. A schoolfriend’s injuries suffered in a hockey match initiated Judith’s personal interest in this complex subject. And she has never stopped asking questions and seeking answers since.

“And surely now that question is even more valid? “You get a raft of answers - people tell you, ‘we don’t tackle with our brains’ - but that just underlines to me that we take the brain for granted.

“Growing up, we suffered, of course,” she“Oursays.town was bombed 19 times in 21 years, on both sides; car bombs, buildings.“There’s a great scene in Derry Girls, where the aunt has booked a hair appointment and she’s going mad because she won’t make it to the town because there’s a bomb and a bridge is closed.“That’s the way people talked.

“We know how the brain develops as a child and an adult, and now we know about repetitive hits and sub-concussive hits.

“And that made me ask, ‘what is there on the market that offers brain protection - not head protection?’

And now, after a career which included a stint with the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, Judith is using her own innovation and passion to protect men, women and children across the sporting world.

“Over the years, I have asked a lot of people - and I mean, I’ve asked lots and lots and lots of people - why do we not do more to protect ourselves?

“We forget it determines mood, thinking and processing ability.

“Of course, many, many, many people suffered in that, but it became normal.

“And there we are, there’s the gap.” Born and brought up in the small town of Dungannon, 50 miles west of Belfast, Judith is from the same generation as the Channel 4 comedy Derry Girls, which recently so wonderfully captured the days leading up to the Good Friday Agreement.

“Our heads are repairable - the brain is not. “Over the last couple of years, there’s been increasing interest, and a greater amount of press, around former footballers and rugby players who have developed chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

“It just became a news item that moved down the schedules.

“It didn’t all go away, but it did change and brought peaceful prosperity, investment, better jobs, better house prices and a sense of community and civic pride. “How could you have civic pride when someone blows the city up every year?” Like many students from the area, she

Judith says: “Rugby and hockey were the two sports that were played at the school I went to, and there was always a great focus on performing well. “And yet, we put all that in jeopardy.

89 www.rezonwear.comJudithFeatureMcMinnLinkedIn:Rezon

“It’s about CTE, caused by repetitive impacts to the head, not age-related dementia. “It’s about everyone who plays sport, not just professionals. “And it’s about protecting against brain injury, not managing it afterwards.” Already the subject of scores of multimillion-dollar law suits involving the NFL and NHL, it is widely accepted there is an association between CTE and repetitive

91 studied law at Dundee University - but regretted never studying dentistry - before working for Allied Irish Bank from offices in London and Dublin, and then as a consultant for Deloitte Touche.

Seven years ago, she was offered the opportunity to work with former Prime Minister and Sedgefield MP Tony Blairwho, of course, was one of the signatories of, and driving forces behind, the Good Friday Agreement. “I got a call one day to say Tony Blair was looking for a chief operating officer, and would I be interested?,” says Judith. “I said, ‘well, of course’, and eight interviews later, I found myself sitting in front of 28 Tony Blair associates. “And then I facilitated in bringing all of his entities - commercial, political and charity - under one roof, to make the Tony Blair Institute. “I left in 2018, when the job was done. “That was my brief. “It was a phenomenal time; exciting, really interesting, topical and working with really talented people. No two days were ever the same. “There was a global view, a global perspective, global insights and diversity of “Hethought.wasthoroughly engaging, energised, and I loved every single dayabsolutely loved it. “I didn’t join as a Tony Blair fan. “I obviously appreciated his role in the Good Friday Agreement - which I did say to “Buthim. that changed when I left. “I left a fan because I saw him working up close; the statesman, the diplomat, the thinker.“The depth of his thinking was well ahead of his time. And still is.”

Judith’s post-Blair years saw her spend more time in the North East, where she continued to work as a freelance consultant and, in between regular work in London, fell in love with the area. And when she was house-bound near Gateshead by COVID-19 restrictions, Judith used the spare time to hone her interest in creating a device which would significantly reduce brain injuries.

“Firstly, I had to understand the problem,” she says. “To know the problem is to know the“Isolution.spentweeks working in research and, remember, I have been asking the question for 25 years. “And the problem is rotational forces, not linear “Rotationalforces.forces come from angles causing the brain to rotate and damage cell tissue, whereas linear forces are straight line forces. “So, therefore, I needed to identify something that would reduce rotational forces.“What is in the market is mainly helmets and scrum caps. “Are they reducing linear impact or rotational impact? “A hard helmet works for skull protection, but increases the force to the brain, and a scrum cap works only for surface cuts, lacerations and cauliflower ears. “On the home page of the Rezon website, I deliberately chose six key points to set the record straight on brain injuries.

“Because it is about every head impact in every sport, not just heading a football.

“It’s about every brain injury, not just concussion.“It’sabout reducing rotational forces to the brain.

“Do you know, it was exactly three years,” she says. “I did it just to see how long it would take. “After months of research, I started off with designs and playing with materials.

England’s 2003 World Cup-winning hooker Steve Thompson, former All Blacks prop Carl Hayman and ex-Wales captain Ryan Jones are among nine former professional and semiprofessional players suing World Rugby, the Rugby Football Union and the Welsh Rugby Union. The group, all diagnosed with earlyonset dementia and other irreversible neurological impairments, argue the sport’s governing bodies were negligent and failed to take reasonable action to protect players from permanent injury caused by repetitive concussive and subconcussive blows. Unable to settle out of court, the case looks destined to go to trial.

She worked with leading global experts in biomechanics, neuroscience and medical leaders in the detection, diagnosis and provision of the latest treatments for conditions affecting the brain.She says she started the clock when she first sat down at her laptop and started her research.

www.rezonwear.comJudithFeatureMcMinnLinkedIn:Rezon

head92Elsewhere,trauma.

Premier League stars Wayne Rooney and Raul Jimenez have famously worn headguards after returning from significant head injuries - a fractured skull in Wolves striker Jimenez’s case - but, unlike Rezon’s Halos, neither product is actually legal under CE rules in the UK. Judith started designing the Rezon head band at her kitchen table, moulding plasticine before creating a product with Yorkshire-based manufacturers.

“The biggest challenge was finding a manufacturer, but we worked together on design and sent it to Sheffield Hallam University for testing, which was very successful. “When we sent it to Virginia Tech, we got a five-star rating. “It’s a form of PPE, so requires European testing, and we got that last October. “I have some frustration with people who talk about brain injury, but do not have a solution. “Now, I’m not saying our solution is THE solution, but talking about a problem does not make it go away or solve it. “Solving a problem is bringing something to the table to see whether it works. “All I’m doing is giving people a choice to empower themselves. “It’s about protecting your performance, because the only performance you need comes from your brain.“Itis designed to reduce rotational forces and also reduces linear forces, and it does that through a layered construct, which means that when the force hits the band, nine layers inside move over each other, creating a zig-zag, so when they come through, the rotational forces are reduced by 61 per cent.

“It has a textured silicone grip, so it stays in place and fits every head shape and hairstyle, and it’s deliberately light, so there is zero distraction.

“Thirty years ago, people did not wear sunscreen, and 20 years ago, people didn’t have a carbon monoxide detector in the “Nowhouse.those things are part and parcel of everyday life.

“Fair play to every woman who’s made it possible; we now have half a million more women every week doing exercise than ten years ago, and the success of the Lionesses and the women’s hockey team will inspire young girls who can see they can do these things. “But women are the greater risk. “We’ve known for 20 years that there’s a difference between men and women and concussion, and yet everything is built and designed for an athletic man, which is crazy.” But she remains full of hope.

“MRI scans are getting more and more sophisticated, and will be able to see the brain in a way we’ve never seen before in people who are alive,” adds Judith.

“And the reason it doesn’t come to the top of your head is because there’s six to 13 per cent of overhead impacts across all sports and that overhead creates a linear, not a rotational, force.” From the Rezon base at Annfield Plain, near Stanley, County Durham, Judith now faces her biggest challenge; convincing the sporting world her product can make a difference, and finding a balance which protects the sport and the player. Participants and teams in sports across the UK, US, Hong Kong, Australia, Ireland, France and Germany have already started to wear the head band, including in Premier League and EFL academies, the Championship and rugby union’sUptakePremiership.ispromising in hockey, real tennis and women’s lacrosse too. But Judith knows it won’t be easy. It is a complex and evolving subject, and the data is constantly being updated, sadly, in some cases, when it is too late. But the lawsuits are mounting up as more evidence of sports’ ignorance of the consequences of repeated subconcussion injuries emerges. And, even as she watched England’s women clinch the Euros and hockey gold at the Commonwealth Games - not to mention the glut of medals for the Home Nations’ female athletes and sporting heroes - Judith can foresee an unwanted legacy from the successes.

“Once people start to understand the risk, and particularly the risk to kids, attitudes will change. “I’m not looking at this in 2022; I’m in 2032.”

Capital developments like BIOS, our Net Zero Industry Innovation Centre and the NHC are the university’s response to the ‘levelling-up’ agenda; these strategic projects will deliver the workforce of the future and address significant challenges that face society today, such as the climate emergency and the need to modernise health and social care.

With its new laboratories, BIOS will transform and further modernise the learning experience for students, in disciplines such as imaging, anatomy, microbiology and chemistry.

Our school of health and life sciences has an excellent reputation as a leading provider of training to the healthcare sector, and BIOS will allow us to develop and further grow this provision.

The overarching intention is to enable the university to work in partnership with the healthcare sector to ensure our learning and skills provision meets their workforce development priorities.

To date, we’ve invested £275 million as part of our Campus Masterplan, with further developments in the pipeline.

Not only does this ensure we are able to deliver a world-class student and learning experience, but it also underlines our commitment to acting as an agent for economic regeneration in the Tees Valley and beyond.

Teesside is a global university, rooted in the Tees Valley.Arecent economic impact survey shows that, in the period 2020/2021, as a university, we contributed £229 million gross value added to the economy of the North East and Tees Valley.

Closing this month’s issue of North East Times Magazine, Professor Paul Croney, Teesside University vice-chancellor and chief executive, talks about the institution’s recently-announced £35 million BIOS science and medical building, which he says will deliver a unique learning experience while helping the healthcare sector meet future challenges.

4What is the BIOS building, and how will it complement the university’s existing health and life sciences provision?

We will always ensure our work benefits the communities we serve. Each of our capital projects has social value targets; we work with our contractors to prioritise local spend and job creation.

The specialist equipment will enable new and interactive forms of learning, which replicate modern healthcare settings.

Our ambitious developments also act as a magnet for further inward investment and economic regeneration, not to mention the economic impact of the many thousands of students who come to Teesside to study.

Expansion of our health and life sciences facilities has been part of our campus masterplan since before the pandemic. However, COVID-19 placed a much greater emphasis on the need for the higher education sector to respond at pace to the changing needs and priorities of the healthcare sector.

94ProfessorPaulCroney The Last WordFeature

4To what extent has the need for the facility been influenced by the global pandemic?

4BIOS forms part of a wider university masterplan that includes the £13.1 million Net Zero Industry Innovation Centre. What do these investments say about the institution’s commitment to delivering revolutionary change across national industry, while putting Teesside at its heart?

This includes a clinical skills floor with an innovative immersion suite for digital teaching and a purposebuilt operating department practice suite to support the development of these key workers.

Throughout the pandemic, we worked tirelessly with healthcare partners to develop flexible training solutions to meet the unprecedented challenges they were encountering.

Much as our National Horizons Centre (NHC) was instrumental in enabling us to pivot quickly to developing training for the vaccine manufacturing workforce, BIOS will give us the ability to meet the future learning needs of frontline healthcare workers.

BIOS will give us extra capacity to develop similar agile responses to industry needs, ranging from short CPD courses through to postgraduate qualifications.

Furthermore, the enhanced earning potential of our graduates means our combined human capital totals £1.34 billion.

@TeessideUniwww.tees.ac.uk