unLTD. Connecting business across Sheffield City Region #32

NOVEMBER 2020 | ISSUE 32 | FREE | UNLTDBUSINESS.COM

Connecting business across Sheffield City Region

OFFICE

HEROES FOCUS ON:

L A N O I T INTEPRONSTAAM-BERT EXIT A

After a difficult year, the search is on for all-round superstar employees as Glu Recruit’s annual ceremony turns the spotlight on the strength of the Sheffield City Region workforce!

OUTLOOK

SCR SKILLS BANK ● AWARD WINNING RE-BRANDS ● ALTERNATIVE WINTER EVENTS

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CONTENTS

22 COVER STORY: GLU RECRUIT LAUNCHES OFFICE HEROES SEARCH

36 RE-BRANDING SUCCESS FOR FISHTANK 42 SHEFFIELD CITY REGION – WORKING WIN

44 FOCUS ON: INTERNATIONAL 4

62 AFTER HOURS: ALTERNATE WINTER EVENTS unLTDBUSINESS.COM

CONTENTS

INSIDE...

6-9: News A round-up of news in the region, including law firms announcing merger, Climathon event to ‘bridge the digital divide’ and CBE award for Henry Boot Construction MD. 10-11: Appointments All the latest appointments from around the Sheffield City Region.

30-31: Skills Focus The Source Skills Academy throws expertise behind government Kickstart scheme.

41: SCR Skills Bank Distinction Doors benefit from Skills Bank boost.

43: SCR – Local COVID Restrictions SCR Mayor Dan Jarvis on managing your business through Tier 3 restrictions.

53: ScaleUp 360 Loro Crisps and Learn to Re-create benefit from tailored support.

54: Question Your Thinking Sheffield-based training provider, Whyy? Change on their 10 month journey of adapting and evolving to the current climate.

55: International Trade Forum The ITF share how they're helping SMEs on their export journey.

59: Launchpad How Launchpad have been 'instrumental' in the growth of Affinity 2020 CIC.

EVERYTHING ELSE: 13: The Diary 15: Financial Health 17: Entrepreneur Support 19: Evolving Technology 21: Legal Matters 33: Technology 61: Charities

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TIME TO SHINE The pandemic has thrown all sorts of challenges the way of just about every business across the Sheffield City Region in 2020.

This issue of unLTD has been written, designed and published against the backdrop of South Yorkshire being placed into Tier 3 of the latest round of local lockdowns.

There’s an important message from Sheffield City Region Mayor Dan Jarvis on page 43 where he talks readers through managing their business though local COVID restrictions, explaining: “South Yorkshire’s response is focused on finding the balance between both the health and economic challenges ahead.”

Times are tough for everyone and it is clear we are going to have to continue to adapt and adjust further. But as our editor Richard Fidler says in his column on page 13: “As we always do, businesses will work and fight their way through to survive. And in that regard, we’re all in this together.”

Throughout the last 30+ issues, unLTD has always been about celebrating and showcasing the Sheffield City Region business community – its strength and successes – and that will continue throughout the pandemic and beyond.

So it seems fitting that our cover stars this month are Glu Recruit’s Office Heroes as the recruitment firm teams up with unLTD to turn the spotlight on SCR employees who have proved to be moraleboosters, team players and all-round super stars during this difficult year.

Glu are taking their Office Heroes ceremony online to turn the spotlight on unsung superstar staff. You can find out how to nominate your top team members and find out more about the event – read our cover story from page 22.

Along with the prospect of a ‘no-deal’ Brexit and the uncertainties and impact of COVID-19, businesses that deal with Europe will have to follow a number of new rules from January 1 2021. Read our international Focus On feature from page 44 to hear from leading industry figures from sectors including legal, accountancy, data security, insurance, and international trade to find out more about those new rules – and to explore markets and potential opportunities beyond the EU, too.

UNLTD BUSINESS UNLTDBUSINESS EDITORIAL Richard Fidler richard@unltdbusiness.com Jill Theobald editorial@unltdbusiness.com General hello@unltdbusiness.com 0114 252 7781 ADVERTISING Dan Laver dan@unltdbusiness.com 07867 313995 Phil Turner phil@unltdbusiness.com 07979 498034 General advertising@unltdbusiness.com FINANCE Michael Johnson accounts@exposedmagazine.co.uk DESIGN Simon Waller, Simon Garlick and James Martin CONTRIBUTORS Matthew Ainscough Joe Bamford Chris Coates Jo Davison Allie Dransfield Mike Durham Sam Leeder

Jade March Sasha Mossman Bronte Saulle Raj Shah Ian Snow Helen Williams Ash Young

unLTD is published monthly by Blind Mice Media Ltd Unit 1B Rialto, 2 Kelham Island Square, Kelham Riverside Sheffield S3 8SD and HRM | PR & Creative Unit 1A Speedwell Works, Sidney Street, Sheffield S1 4RG The views contained herein are not necessarily those of Blind Mice Media Ltd and HRM and while every effort is made to ensure information throughout unLTD is correct, changes prior to distribution may take place which can affect the accuracy of copy, therefore Blind Mice Media Ltd and HRM cannot take responsibility for contributors’ views or specific listings.

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AGENDA NEWS

Boost for Barnsley business park as five new lettings secured Expanding businesses from West and South Yorkshire have agreed lettings bringing new jobs and economic growth to the £6.6m Nexus Business Park in Barnsley.

The new occupiers are wholesaler Sea Scooter UK Ltd, paving manufacturer KBI UK Ltd, adult education provider Really Neet Project UK Ltd, bespoke joinery firm SWJ Solutions Ltd and technology distributor Osborne Technologies.

The 15-unit development was speculatively built by developer and longterm investor Carnell Management Services (CMS) which was part funded with a £2.20m loan from the Sheffield City Region JESSICA Fund.

The new deals leave just three units of 3,000 – 3,500 sq ft available at Nexus, located immediately adjacent to J37 M1.

Cllr Tim Cheetham, Cabinet Spokesperson for Regeneration and Culture said: "We are delighted that this first-class development, supported by Sheffield City Region JESSICA funding, continues to attract inward investing and expanding local businesses."

Battery Dynamics, Total Safety, Mila Maintenance, Kyte, M&C Imports and World of Windows are among firms that have already made Nexus, which sits adjacent to J37 M1 and two miles from Barnsley town centre, their new home.

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L TO R: BELL & BUXTON’S CHARLES NEAL AND MATTHEW RODGERS, TREVOR IRONMONGER OF IRONMONGER CURTIS, AND BELL & BUXTON’S ALEX ROSS

SHEFFIELD LAW FIRMS ANNOUNCE MERGER Bell & Buxton Solicitors have announced a merger with Ironmonger Curtis Solicitors.

The incorporation of Ironmonger Curtis Solicitors into Bell & Buxton Solicitors will offer clients an extended range of legal advice in both commercial and private client arenas.

Bell & Buxton is an award-winning, Legal 500 recommended law firm which has been operating in Sheffield since 1875, providing a comprehensive range of legal services for individuals and businesses.

Ironmonger Curtis is a niche firm specialising in all aspects

of commercial law, including employment, litigation and commercial property and particular expertise in working with dental practices.

Alex Ross, Managing Partner at Bell & Buxton said: “This merger represents an important step for our expanding presence in Sheffield and we are delighted to have found the ideal partner in Ironmonger Curtis.”

“We have been looking to increase our commercial offering. We wanted to join with a firm whose business plan and culture was aligned to ours in allowing us to grow and best serve our client

base. We are pleased to welcome everybody from Ironmonger Curtis to join us and look forward to working together.”

Trevor Ironmonger, co-founder of Ironmonger Curtis added: “The merger consolidates our leading position in South Yorkshire and enables us to offer our clients a far wider range of business and personal legal services.

“We look forward to growing the new firm for the advantage of our clients and staff and are very excited about the opportunities the merger will enable.”

Chase Hardware announces management buyout Shorts recently teamed up with Bell & Buxton and HSBC UK to act as lead advisors, legal representatives, and funders on the management buy-out of architectural ironmongery and general hardware distributers, Chase Hardware Ltd. Existing Director James Thomas has taken full control following the acquisition of

100% of the share capital from long-term owner Robert Roebuck.

Andy Ryder, Corporate Finance Partner with Shorts comments: “It was a pleasure for myself and Adam Ames to advise James on completing the buy-out and we expect to see the business continue to go from strength to strength.”

James Thomas said:

“Although it was a rollercoaster ride to get the deal done during such a difficult time, the company proved to be robust enough to trade during the lockdown period.”

HSBC were advised by Duncan Shepherd of Wake Smith and Hawsons, and the vendors were advised by Joanna Dawson of Dawson Radford Solicitors.

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AGENDA

COMMUNITY PITCH RE-OPENS AT SHEFFIELD OLYMPIC LEGACY PARK Local sports and community groups are celebrating the re-opening of the 3G pitch at Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park after a six-month Covid closure.

Major sporting names in the city, including Sheffield FC and Sheffield Eagles, are being joined by community and league teams in making use of the pitch which will reopen on Monday 12 October.

The pitch is currently being operated by Leisure United, on behalf of Sheffield City Council, as an interim measure before Scarborough Group sign the lease for the pitch and other development sites on Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park.

Councillor Mary Lea, Cabinet Member for Culture, Parks and Leisure at Sheffield City Council, said: “I’m delighted that Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park facilities are reopening to the public

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CODA Bespoke has teamed up with rising property developer Ranveer Khela, of Koko Projects to create a luxury new home in popular suburb Fox Lane at Bradway.

THE 3G PITCH AT SHEFFIELD OLYMPIC LEGACY PARK

with Covid safety measures in place.”

The 3G pitch, which opened three years ago, provides a valued resource

and is also used by Oasis Academy Don Valley and UTC Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park for outdoor physical activity.

Sheffield anchor institutions call on Chancellor to support ambitious regional vision The University of Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam University and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals have submitted a joint proposal to government for an ambitious £316 million programme to ensure the post-Covid recovery and renewal of the Sheffield City Region.

The collaborative proposal, submitted to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, would generate thousands of highly-skilled employment opportunities.

This includes the creation of advanced R&D centres focusing on sustainable manufacturing, nuclear, gene

CODA Bespoke creates luxury home for startup developer

Programme to ensure the post-Covid recovery and renewal of the Sheffield City Region.

therapy, and cancer therapies; advanced skills programmes which include the creation of

1,500 new apprenticeships, SME support schemes, and advanced economy development.

The model will also look at investment in advanced medical technologies and vital Covid-19 recovery research.

Professor Sir Chris Husbands, Vice-Chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University, said: “Our proposal outlines a new model for economic and social transformation which could provide a blueprint for place-based policy - and I would urge the government to look closely at what we have put forwards.”

Sweet sales surprise for young entrepreneur Budding entrepreneur nineyear-old Isabella Rose Page has tasted sales success after mum Megan Twigg helped her start Sweetie Bs. Megan said: “We initially thought it would be selling sweets to families and friends during lockdown as a project for her to learn enterprise skills – but everyone got behind her, including strangers on Instagram who donated money so that Isabella could send sweets to NHS staff at Chesterfield Royal!”

Sheffield’s parks and green spaces recognised Sheffield has once again been recognised by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, with 13 green spaces raising a Green Flag Award - some for the 15th year running.

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AGENDA Peak Architects re-imagine contemporary living for a 19th century hunting lodge

Sheffield and Hope Valley based firm, Peak Architects, has received planning approval for a contemporary extension to a 19th Century Grade II listed property, Thickwood Lodge, set on the eastern edge of the Peak District National Park.

Originally constructed as a hunting lodge by the Duke of Rutland in the 19th century, the Lodge boasts a tower that was constructed as one of a pair and is near identical to its counterpart, White Edge Lodge.

WHITE EDGE LODGE

The proposals for this contemporary dwelling will see the lodge restored to its original glory having undergone a series of unsympathetic modifications and extensions in the 20th century.

The extension provides extended family accommodation with a large open plan family room, orientated to maximise daylight and panoramic views across the surrounding Peak District moorland to Sheffield and the wider South Yorkshire landscapes.

Peak Architects’ director, Paul Holden, said: “We are delighted with the outcome. The scheme challenged the planning and conservation officers’ initial expectations and it was through sheer perseverance and extensive collaboration with the Peak Parks Planning and Conservation Teams that this was approved.”

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Climathon event aims to ‘bridge the digital divide’ ‘Bridging the gap in the digital divide’ will be the main objective when a ‘Climathon’ event comes to Sheffield later this month.

The event, which will feature webinars on 10 and 12 November and a full virtual event day on 13 November, will include keynote presentations from environment, climate, engineering and digital innovation experts. It aims to raise awareness of issues surrounding electronic equipment reuse, recycling and disposal.

Climathon, an annual event held in hundreds of cities across the world, is a global movement and the culmination of a series of ‘Ideathon’ events aimed at getting people together to collaborate on forward-thinking ideas to tackle local climate challenges.

In Sheffield, it’s about educating communities about bridging the ‘digital divide’ and enhancing provision of electronic equipment by ‘turning electrical waste into practical tools for people who need them’.

Social enterprises, organisations, policy makers, schools and universities are

CLIMATHON EVENT COMING TO SHEFFIELD IN NOVEMBER

among those invited.

Confirmed keynote speakers include Dr Hywel Jones from Sheffield Hallam University, Professor Lenny Koh from the University of Sheffield, Robert Walker from Sheffield City Council and Chris Dymond of Sheffield Digital.

Hannah Byk, Climathon project manager and national programme account manager at BetterPoints, the organisation behind Sheffield’s Climathon, said: “We’re aiming to make a real difference in ensuring

that e-waste is correctly and efficiently disposed of, recycled or reused in the city and provided to those who need it most.

“We look forward to bringing Climathon to Sheffield, which is an extremely environmentallyaware city, to continue enhancing its commitment to further improving its environmental and social innovation.”

Visit https://climathon.climatekic.org/sheffield to register.

Yorkshire business membership organisation sees mentoring programme double since lockdown Connect Yorkshire, Yorkshire’s leading not-forprofit business membership organisation, has begun offering more mentoring sessions than ever before and helping to support local businesses through the pandemic.

Set up to support the business community, Connect Yorkshire helps ambitious business owners across the county grow their business through direct access to some of Yorkshire’s leading

entrepreneurs.

The Entrepreneurs in Residence offer support and advice through a range of programmes including 1-2-1 mentoring, masterclasses, training seminars and peer-topeer board groups.

Recently joining their Entrepreneurs in Residence is Mark Hammond, founder of Naughtone, designer and manufacturer of beautiful high-quality contract furniture and econ engineering director, Andrew Lupton.

Mark and Andrew will join leading businessmen and women from across the region including Bayford Group chief executive and serial entrepreneur, Jonathan Turner and CNG managing director, Jacqui Hall.

This year has also seen new partner Professional Energy Purchasing become a part of Connect Yorkshire.

PEP work with all major utility companies in the UK to leverage the best prices for gas, electricity, and water.

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AGENDA

CBE award ‘career pinnacle’ – Henry Boot Construction managing director The managing director of a leading Sheffield City Region-based construction firm has said that being appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List is ‘the pinnacle of his career’.

Simon Carr, managing director of Henry Boot Construction, has been recognised for his contribution to the construction sector and charitable causes during his 40-year career.

Simon joined Henry Boot Construction in 1988, progressing through the company to his current post as managing director.

Simon’s considerable career achievements and accolades include serving as a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (FRICS).

He also sits on the CBI Construction Council, is a board member and past National Chair of the National Federation of Builders (NFB) and is a board member and past president of the Yorkshire Builders Federation.

Simon said: “I’m thrilled

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Doncaster Chamber has signed the Armed Forces Covenant – a promise that those who serve or have served, and their families, are treated fairly and a commitment to support the employment of veterans of all ages and their service spouses and partners.

Top spot for solicitors in regional survey Sheffield law firm Wake Smith Solicitors has ranked in the top scoring firms in Yorkshire and The Humber region for client service in the Legal 500 Client Service Survey.

SIMON CARR, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF HENRY BOOT

and humbled to have received such an award, this is recognition not just for me

personally but for the wider team here at Henry Boot Construction.”

WINNING PERFORMANCE FOR SPORTS AGENCY European leading sports agency Full Time Group (FTG), based in Sheffield, has helped produce a winning performance for one of the top women’s football sides in the world.

FTG planned, arranged and hosted a significant eight-day training camp in readiness for the resumption of the Champions League and the start of the new domestic season for reigning champions Olympique Lyonnais.

Officials from the French team worked closely with FTG MD Danny Stones to

Doncaster Chamber supports Armed Forces

enable the camp held at the Hotel Remes Sport and Spa, near Poznan, Poland, to go ahead satisfying COVID-19 regulations.

Danny said: “We were delighted to work with Olympique Lyonnais. It meant we were able to help the team become focused and ready for Champions League final where they beat Wolfsburg and the and the start of the new domestic season in France, where they remain unbeaten.”

DANNY STONES, MD AT FTG

FTG has just launched a new website fulltimegroup.com.

Barbering apprentice styles his future Barnsley College apprentice, Dan Ogden, is celebrating after reaching the final of the first ever Concept Hair Apprentice of the Year competition.

FLWM duo shortlisted for national awards Jillian Thomas, MD of Future Life Wealth Management and financial planner Emma Baumback are on the shortlist of the Investment Week, Women in Investment Awards 2020.

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AGENDA APPOINTMENTS Sheffield’s MD Law boosts team MD Law has retained newly qualified solicitor David Scott and taken on another two trainees.

David joined the Broomhall-based firm in August 2018 as the company’s first trainee solicitor and during his two-year Training Contract gained experience in all of MD Law’s practice areas including insolvency, dispute resolution, construction and commercial transactions.

Now that David is a qualified solicitor, he will continue to strengthen the 11-strong team, working alongside colleagues including partners Matthew Dixon, Neil Kelly and Carl Jones with a focus on commercial work.

Zara Ahmed (25) and Josh Stilgoe (25) join the firm as new trainees having both studied law at the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University respectively.

JOSH STILGOE & ZARA AHMED

Founder and partner of MD Law Matthew Dixon said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have retained David. He is a dedicated individual and I have no doubt he will go on to have very successful career with us and contribute to the firm’s consistent delivery of high quality client service.

“We are also pleased to welcome Zara and Josh and wish them all the best with their training with MD Law.”

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SOUTH YORKSHIRE AGENCY EXPANDS WITH TWO NEW APPOINTMENTS HRM, the full-service Sheffield agency, has welcomed two new starters into the team following recent client wins and projected business growth.

With around 11 years’ of experience in graphic design and illustration, James Martin expands HRM’s creative team as junior graphic designer using talents honed producing marketing materials for a major UK print company.

Michael Durham spent two years interning at HRM whilst studying Journalism at the University of Sheffield, and returns as an account executive after gaining over a years’ industry experience working for a charity.

Michael said: “There’s a brilliant mix of old and new.

Coming back after the rebrand you can tell HRM has taken a

L TO R: JAMES MARTIN, MICHAEL DURHAM real step towards the future, but at the core you’ve still got the same fantastic team.”

Richard Fidler, chief executive of HRM, added: “Michael impressed us greatly during the significant time he spent with us and we didn’t hesitate to bring

him back, whilst James’ skills as a designer are already making an impact with our clients.”

HRM re-branded in 2019 as a full-service agency, and was ranked in the official 2020 Prolific North Top 50 PR Agencies.

Largest intake of new starters ever for BHP Accountants BHP Accountants, the leading accountancy firm in Yorkshire and Derbyshire, is welcoming 35 new starters, making it the largest intake ever for BHP. BHP has appointed 20 graduates, 11 trainees and four one-year placements. Many have already begun with BHP, whilst others are scheduled to join in January 2021.

Boosting its teams across Sheffield, Leeds, York, Cleckheaton and Chesterfield,

the 35 new starters will be joining all departments including Tax, Finance, Corporate Finance, Audit and Financial Planning.

Lisa Leighton, joint managing

partner, said: “Despite the challenges we have faced throughout 2020, we are committed to the future of the firm and we are delighted to be welcoming 35 new starters this year – the largest intake we have ever had.”

Louise Allen, head of HR, added: “Our new starters will be given the opportunity to thrive as individuals and we are excited to watch them flourish in their new careers.”

New marketing lead for Whyy? Change Whyy? Change, a training provider located in Sheffield, has recruited a new marketing lead.

Matthew Trueman came through Sheffield Hallam’s

Class of 2020 as an intern having recently graduated with a FirstClass Degree in IT with Business.

His new role will see him communicate the voice of the business and deliver upon the

growth strategy.

CEO Ray Byrne said: “Matt has demonstrated the talent and behaviours I want to see in the team. My job is to get out of his way.”

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Three Keebles LLP employees promoted to Partner UK top 200 full-service firm Keebles LLP has promoted three members of staff to Partner.

Bonita Wolfenden, Charlotte Harris and Carys Thompson have joined 17 other members of the team with Partner status at the firm.

Bonita heads up the residential property department and has achieved her third promotion since joining in 2016.

Charlotte is part of the commercial property team and has worked for the firm for five years.

Carys joined Keebles’ commercial team in 2017 and specialises in commercial arrangements and contracts.

Keebles Partner Paul Trudgill said: “Bonita, Charlotte

L TO R: CHARLOTTE HARRIS, PAUL TRUDGILL, BONITA WOLFENDEN AND CARYS THOMPSON.

and Carys are all talented individuals who have provided several years of fantastic service to our clients, so their promotion to become a Partner is richly deserved.

“As Partners, their skills and experience will prove

invaluable as we look to continue to progress all areas of the firm.”

With offices also in Doncaster and Leeds, Keebles is regarded as a key player by the Legal 500 and Chambers directories.

OVO Spaces appoints new business development executive

CHRIS WOOD JOINS OVO

Award-winning commercial interior design and fit-out specialist OVO Spaces has

appointed a new business development executive.

Chris Wood (26), joins the OVO team at the company’s headquarters in Sheffield’s historic Victoria Quays.

Chris was previously an apprentice in sales, marketing and social media with The Wow Academy andalso worked as a valuer and agent for the Doncaster offices of estate agents Reeds Rains.

“Chris has spent a number

of years in the residential property market, giving him a good grounding for moving into our area of business,” said OVO director Rebecca Knight.

“As well as a detailed knowledge and understanding of properties and the needs of our clients, he also has the sort of outgoing personality that makes him an ideal addition to the team as we look forward to further growth in the year ahead.”

Tech solutions company expands team Sheffield-based technical solutions firm The Curve has appointed senior solutions engineer Mark Marsh MBCS to the development team.

Joining the company with over 20 years’ experience,

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Mark will bring his expertise to deliver a wide range of services to clients in sectors including healthcare, retail and professional services.

The Curve has appointed Mark following a series of new client wins.

James Ridgway, CTO and co-founder said: “Mark will be a great addition to the team as he has a proven track record of working with and supporting a broad range of businesses and technical challenges.”

Commissioners join Sheffield’s Race Equality Commission The Sheffield Race Equality Commission has appointed 24 commissioners to join its board and lead the city’s inquiry into the nature, extent and causes of racism, racial disparities and how to tackle them.

The Commission, chaired

by Emeritus Professor Kevin Hylton, from Leeds Beckett University, was established earlier this year and will provide a non-partisan strategic assessment of these significant issues in the City.

Following an open call for local people to apply, the commissioners were drawn from elected representatives and communities in Sheffield and will offer their expertise throughout all areas of the Race Equality Commission, rather than represent specific interests.

Race equality commissioners appointed.

The commissioners include ex-professional footballer Winston Campbell, Yuen Fong Ling an Artist and Lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield Star editor Nancy Fielder and Queen’s Counsel Barrister Gul Nawaz Hussain.

Sheffield City Council’s interim chief executive Charlie Adan stepped down at October’s full council meeting following the appointment of Kate Josephs, who joins the organisation in January 2021 on a permanent contract. Interim measures will be taken with John Macilwraith, Executive Director for People Services, and Eugene Walker, Executive Director for Resources, to ensure strong leadership.

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Amazing in it’s time, outdated today.

Could this also be said of your Internet service?

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AGENDA

THE DIARY

BY RICHARD FIDLER

Our editor asks if our decision-makers are losing a little bit of their humanity

DOES ANYONE REALLY KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON? I know that is probably the most open-ended question of all time with answers ranging from ‘duh, we’re in a pandemic’ to ‘literally no clue’ but it would be good if there was someone out there that had a handle on the world right now.

We are being asked to believe so many different things that make no logical sense when compared against each other.

This column is being put together against the backdrop of South Yorkshire being placed into Tier 3 of the latest round of lockdowns affecting, mainly, the north of England.

The problem is it seems that the two parties with the biggest interest in scaring

people to submit to the restrictions are politicians and the mainstream media. And I don’t blame them, as they’re simply doing what they do.

Asking politicians not to play politics fundamentally misunderstands the whole point of their existence.

Power and control are the name of the game, so we can’t really criticise them for doing what comes as naturally to them as breathing.

It’s the same with the media – with some notable exceptions (and yes I am aware that having a column in a magazine makes me part of the fourth estate), parroting the COVID stats that are handed out is doing the politicians’ job for them.

But if it drives up clicks and

viewers, then who cares if the elderly are terrified about giving their grandchildren a cuddle?

During this period, I’m beginning to worry that the people who make the decisions on our behalf have lost a little bit of their humanity.

The very things that make life enjoyable such as seeing a smile, or passing the time of day with a stranger have all but been made illegal.

And now we’re in Tier 3 with the resultant damage to some businesses that that will do. The knock-on effect to many others will also be severe.

Support from central government, on the face of it, appears to be a pittance.

However, if you’re offered scraps on a take it or leave it basis then you have to take it.

I would have preferred for our local representatives to argue against being forced into any tier whatsoever.

There is no proof that any of the new restrictions will make a blind bit of difference and it’s also hard to trust the figures that are presented to us anyway.

Maybe that’s me being sceptical, but the decision makers haven’t got the best of track records during this pandemic, have they?

In the meantime, as we always do, businesses will work and fight their way through to survive. And in that regard, we’re all in this together.

Got views of your own? Let me know: richard@unltdbusiness.com LinkedIn: Richard Fidler

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A (VIRTUAL) CUP OF COFFEE AND A SECOND OPINION? We are living in troubled times. People are genuinely in fear for their lives. This month, I talk about the real value of a high-quality financial adviser.

ke he nt, 2* in 30

A volatile market Many would agree that the impact of COVID-19, like some previous pandemics and other world events, has led to well-publicised stock market volatility in the last few months. However, stock market volatility is arguably one of the most misunderstood concepts in investing. Simply put, volatility is the range of price change a security experiences over a given period of time.

Volatility in the stock market is often used as a gauge of fear in the market but volatility is healthy – without it, one would never make a return on one’s investment!

Human behaviour Stock prices primarily reflect investor beliefs about the value of a company. Changes in human behaviour and

e

must ark,

is going up. We can often think “everybody seems to be getting rich, except me!” Conversely, when investments are falling in value, return is declining and risk increasing, people can think “I don’t want to be the only one to lose money, so I’ll sell!”

Looking at these behavioural patterns further, during the period from 1990 (the year Nelson Mandela was released from prison, Margaret Thatcher resigned as PM and Milli Vanilli’s lip syncing scandal was in the news) to 2020, the S&P 500 (the stock market index that measures the stock performance of 500 large companies) returned circa 10% per annum and the average equity investor received only 5% return per annum. A difference of nearly 100%!!*** The real value of a high-quality financial planner In my view, 75% of the true value of a high quality financial planner lies in his or her skill in understanding and managing investor behaviour, even more

so in times of uncertainty, with only 25% being the creation of a plan and asset mix. I like to look at an adviser’s fee like an insurance premium to protect against the risk that one day you will have a (very) human impulse to cast the plan aside because of current events, whether they be disastrous or marvellous.

I have seen many difficult markets come and go and can certainly empathise with people who find the current environment troublesome and disturbing.

A high-quality financial planner would like to help, if they can, and to that end here’s what we offer – a cup of coffee and a second opinion. My contact details are below.

Raj Shah is founder of Blue Wealth capital and has been shortlisted for Financial Planner of the Year and Investment Adviser of the Year. www.bluewealthcapital.com raj@bluewealthcapital.com

*JP Morgan Guide to Markets 2020 (UK Q4). ** https://www.networks.nhs.uk/news/health-and-social-care-funding-explained. ***DALBAR’s annual Quantitative Analysis of Investor Behaviour (QAIB 2020)

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beliefs can cause the value of a company to change due to the market forces of supply and demand. Stock prices can change due to biased or emotional decision making (investor psychology). Emotion is running high right now.

There will always be people who don’t see the value of a financial planner and decide to go it alone. They are often the people who will ask a financial planner ‘why don’t I just DIY?’.

They can be inclined to think that beyond preparing the financial plan and the asset mix, unless we are constantly striving for ‘outperformance’ we aren’t delivering value.

A recent report by JP Morgan* shows us that between Jan and September 2020 almost £140bn moved out of equities into cash. To put that into context, £140bn is the annual cost of running the NHS!** Humans are wired to think that when an investment is rapidly rising in value its risk is declining and profit potential

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BY HELEN WILLIAMS

Our columnist on why positive thinking right now is NOT a falsehood or façade

CELEBRATE EVERY WIN Granted, right now doesn’t seem the appropriate time for celebrating or marking up many wins on the board.

It is probably the most challenging time that most of us have experienced in life and business, even if we did survive the 2008/09 recession.

This time it all just seems a lot more impactful due to the personal element of the emotional and mental effects it is having on us as individuals and our respective family, friends and colleagues.

Without continuing into what can quickly become a rabbit hole of doom, I wanted to encourage as much positive thinking as humanly possible.

There are some great things happening, some positive achievements, some great acts of kindness and spirit.

Let’s remember these and make all continuation and progress a recognised win for

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you and your business.

The idea of positive thinking is not a falsehood or façade, it isn’t about standing in a circle chanting daily affirmations and being completely oblivious to the realities of the world, but it is a proven tool to overcome stress and ensure the management of challenging scenarios.

Top tips to positive thinking: Heighten your awareness to the positive as opposed to the negative This does take practise and focus. It is always easier to notice the negative or the problem and then become fully consumed there. Start actively seeking the positive and take a new perspective where possible. This approach can often lead to critical thinking and throw up all

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different kinds of ideas and alternative routes.

Recognise successes and wins Every win is a win regardless of the size. How you measure success and winning is down to personal preference but remember not to always pin it on financial gain and tangible factors.

If there has been a particular display of resilience either by yourself or in your camp, celebrate it. If there has been consistent work ethic and positive attitude towards business tasks and continuation of operation, celebrate it. If you have seen improvement in your behaviour and thought processes due to conscious learning and living, celebrate it.

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Practise Gratitude What are you really appreciative of right now?

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All of the things that we often take for granted and sleepily don’t see, think or feel as we go about our daily lives. There is so much we can consider as ‘lacking’ right now, from loss of income to cancellations of family holidays and gatherings but what and who can we truly be thankful for? There are sure to be an infinite number of things, people or experiences that you can bring into your present mind and harness with positivity and joy.

Everything we do starts and ends with you – hence our core ethos of #youfirst – so don’t forget the old adage from Dr. Robert Schuller of ‘tough times never last, but tough people do’.

For more info about HEW please check us out helpingentrepreneurswin.com

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BY ASH YOUNG

Our tech expert on getting more click-savvy with Google Ads

TOP TIPS TO GET MORE OUT OF YOUR GOOGLE ADS BUDGET Many advertisers think Google Ads is a simple auction and position is down solely to your bid. It’s more complicated than that... your ads can show above your competitors whilst you’re paying less for a click than they are!

Each keyword you bid on is subject to Google’s Quality Score algorithm, determining the relevance of your keywords and PPC ads, and therefore how much a click will cost.

Three main factors determine your Quality Score (QS): ⚫ Expected click-through rate ⚫ Ad relevance ⚫ Landing page experience The score is between 1-10, and a high QS means Google deems that your ad and

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landing page are relevant and useful to the searcher.

Maximum CPC X Quality Score = Ad Rank.

Effectively, a higher QS means you pay less to maintain your position versus your next competitor.

Below are my top tips on how to improve your QS and make even more sales from your Google Ads budget: inclusion.

1 Keyword Include your keyword in

the headline, as a searcher’s eyes are drawn to the keyword they are looking for. It’s great to split test your headlines and choose the best one to run with.

The ad URL also draws attention, and while you can’t change your domain name, you can choose the ending of the URL. Including your keywords in the URL means

they’ll be highlighted in bold, helping to attract more clicks. page speed loading.

2 Fast When someone clicks

on a search result, they want this to load within a couple of seconds – this is key to a good user experience.

Check your page speed on Google’s PageSpeed Insights – this analyses your web page and generates suggestions to help make that page load faster.

Implementing these should help to improve your page speed and, therefore, your quality score. for mobile.

3 Optimise Google reviews

performance across all devices. Add all of the mobile-friendly extensions available to improve the user experience, for example: Click-to-text (CTR) extensions so it’s easy to contact you via mobile.

Call extensions – these can increase CTR by 4-5%.

Searchers can then call your business directly and connect with you instantly.

In fact, it’s best practice to use all the relevant ad extensions, so your ad takes up as much space as possible.

You can also use expanded text ads, which are designed for optimal performance on mobile. landing page.

4 Relevant Consider the best

landing page for your ads, so you direct traffic towards a good user experience and a short conversion path.

Your landing page should mirror the call-to-action in your ad and should be clear on the page. If your paid ad included an offer, display this prominently on your landing page, too.

For help with your paid Google Ads, contact Evoluted.

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BY MATTHEW AINSCOUGH, BELL & BUXTON INCORPORATING IRONMONGER CURTIS Our columnist with a rundown for employers on the new Job Support Scheme

THE JOB SUPPORT SCHEME – A GUIDE FOR EMPLOYERS The original Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (“furlough scheme”) is due to close on 31 October 2020. This will leave many struggling businesses with decisions to make about their employees.

However the government is not completely withdrawing its support, and on 24 September 2020, the Chancellor announced the Job Support Scheme (“JSS”). Then on 22 October 2020, the Chancellor announced a package of further economic measures to support businesses affected by the pandemic, including some changes to the JSS. The JSS will be available in the UK from 1 November 2020 and will run for six months until 30 April 2021. The aim is to safeguard viable jobs in businesses that are facing lower demand over winter due to the impact of COVID-19. The idea is that the government and the employer will share wage support for employees working reduced hours.

However, employers will need to contribute more than they did under the furlough scheme.

At the time of writing, the main points of the scheme are as follows: ⚫ Employees must work (and be paid by their employer

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for) at least 20% of their usual hours. ⚫ For the employee's remaining (unworked) hours, the government will pay up to 61.67% of the employee's normal wages, and the employer will contribute the other 5% of the unworked hours (rather than 33% as originally announced). The employee will not be paid for the remaining unworked hours. ⚫ The government grant will be capped at £1,541.75 a month. ⚫ The grant will not cover employer national insurance or pension contributions, which will remain payable by the employer. ⚫ To be eligible, employees must have been on their employer's PAYE payroll on or before 23 September 2020. They do not need to have been previously furloughed. ⚫ Employees will be able to "cycle on and off” the scheme and will not have to work the same pattern each month, but each “cycle” must cover at least seven days.

⚫ Employees cannot be made redundant or given notice of redundancy during the JSS period. ⚫ All small and medium-sized businesses can participate in the JSS. Larger businesses will only be eligible if their turnover has fallen during the pandemic and they do not pay dividends whilst using the scheme. ⚫ Employers who retain previously furloughed staff on shorter hours will be able to claim under both the JSS and the Jobs Retention Bonus. ⚫ The government grant can only be used as reimbursement for wage costs actually incurred so employers cannot defer payment to employees until they have received payment from the government. ⚫ The employer must have written agreement to the scheme from the employee.

The first iteration of the JSS did not provide support to businesses that are legally required to close their premises due to local or national COVID-19 restrictions, as the premise

of the scheme is that the employee is required to work one fifth of their normal hours.

However, on 9 October 2020, the Chancellor announced an extension to the JSS. The extension will also apply from 1 November 2020 and will help businesses that are legally required to close their premises as a direct result of local or national COVID-19 restrictions.

The end of the furlough scheme and the start of the JSS could create a “cliff-edge” for employers, as they will be forced to decide which jobs are sustainable in both the short-term and the long-term. Employers will also need to weigh up their ability to pay a proportion of unpaid hours against the potential costs of redundancy and other options, for example employers may prefer to agree reduced hours arrangements with employees without accessing the JSS, which could be a more cost-effective option for them.

We are able to provide advice and assistance with any of the issues identified in this article, please email: matthew.ainscough@ ironmongercurtis.com.

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COVER STORY

TIME TO SHINE: NOW MORE THAN EVER The pandemic has thrown all sorts of challenges the way of most businesses across the Sheffield City Region in 2020 as we adapt and adjust to the ‘new normal’ including remote working.

To bring a sense of ‘togetherness’ Glu Recruit are taking their Office Heroes ceremony online to turn the spotlight on employees who have proved to be morale-boosters, team players and all-round super stars during this difficult year. unLTD’s Sasha Mossman and Jill Theobald caught up with Glu MD Rob Shaw and a host of previous winners to find out why now is the time for SCR’s Office Heroes to shine “This year more than ever we believe our Office Heroes event is needed to help boost morale and to lift the spirits of businesses and individuals in the region.”

That’s the message from Glu Recruit MD Rob Shaw as, in conjunction with our magazine, they launch their annual search for the shining stars among the Sheffield City Region business community.

The Glu team have moved their Office Heroes event online during a year that has seen the business community severely impacted by COVID-19 and lockdown.

Now with South Yorkshire moving into Tier 3 restrictions, Rob and the team are even more keen to ensure the employees that have played their part in supporting companies and colleagues across the business community during the pandemic get their time in the – virtual – spotlight.

“Glu is a people-based business,” explains Rob. “A lot of our work is about helping

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companies find the right people but it’s also about helping them to hold on to them – with staff motivation and retention high on businesses' agenda, Office Heroes is a great platform to shout out about and celebrate the shining stars in business across the Sheffield City Region.

“Office Heroes has never been a business development tool for Glu. It is all about the business community and the individuals within it, keeping those people motivated and engaged and – it may sound cheesy – but it’s also about giving them that feeling of being loved and giving the office heroes community the opportunity to network with each other.

“As a region we’re great at celebrating success and growth from a business point of view and that’s fantastic. We often hear about the leaders in business, the MD or commercial director for example may be the ones quoted in the media or at other awards ceremonies

– and rightly so. Often, the actual people instrumental in winning those businesses that award don’t get a shout out or the opportunity to win an award themselves or take the spotlight.

“But Office Heroes is the other side of the coin – celebrating the internal people in businesses that are supporting the management team and others in the day to day running, and helping those businesses ultimately grow. It may not be growth this year, but someone who has helped motivationally or assisted the business through a very challenging time and who has really risen to the challenge.”

The team have been really pleased with the response in previous years from employers wanting to get involved – and believe it could in part be down to SMEs making up a large part of our business community.

“Sheffield City Region has a lot of SMEs and they tend to be the companies with fewer employees that have a

close-knit and family feel,” says Rob. “Because there’s fewer employees, managers are working more closely with their team and I think it perhaps stands out more when you have a real shining star. We’ve seen lots of previous nominations from this category of business.

“That’s not to discount larger corporations, the size of the business doesn’t matter. What matters is recognising those in your organisation and making time to do so. Office Heroes is as an extra way to help businesses support retention methods and help celebrate super star team members that they could just not do without.

“We always envisaged the ceremony itself to feel very ‘VIP’ like, warm and festive and we’ve traditionally held it at Leopold Hotel. It’s been a fantastic event to date which people have given great feedback on and a chance for managers to take their nominated Heroes out of the office to celebrate and recognise them.

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COVER STORY

This is still a very uncertain time and we must come together as a collective and celebrate success.

“We loved seeing how proud people looked and felt – they may not have been to an award ceremony before so for them to be able to get dressed up and be in the spotlight and meet their fellow finalists was a really big deal. Seeing all the businesses and individuals talking to each other was amazing – the feeling of happiness and pride and it didn’t matter if people won or not, they were so pleased to be there. It created a hub – a warm community feeling.”

And against a backdrop of a year that has seen the impact of COVID-19 keeping people apart, businesses and colleagues adapting to remote working, and further restrictions for South Yorkshire, Rob and the team feel the 2020 online ceremony is needed more than ever.

“A virtual event wouldn’t have been our first choice, of course, but we will ensure the purpose of Office Heroes is delivered properly and carefully and that the same feeling is created.

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“I had a conversation with an HR manager the other day who said from a business point of view on the back of the year they have had – like so many others – and morale not being where it would normally be, Office Heroes was exactly what they needed to do right now. Employees who are naturally social people are missing working together, shared lunchtimes and get-togethers and they were so happy the event was back to weave that thread of positivity through their organisation.

“This has been an incredibly tough year for many economically and there is the knock-on effect on employees’ mental health to consider, too. We know and appreciate many companies are facing difficulties, having to make redundancies or losing out on contracts. But we’d encourage them to not lose sight of the people that are continuing to help them weather the storm and have got them to this point

– because they are the ones who will get them to the next stage and the stage after that.

“Plus employees are battling their own worries, and looking for reassurance and support – so as well as keeping staff appraised of the company direction and how things are going, this is a way for employers to say: ‘thank you, we value and appreciate you and everything you do for the company’.”

The Glu team want Office Heroes to create a real legacy when it comes to company culture, too.

“This is a really good way to help employers supplement their efforts to support their teams – or even to kickstart a stronger company culture.

A positive, supportive and nurturing culture is absolutely key to running a successful business and attracting and retaining the right staff. If businesses don’t have that in place, use Office Heroes as a starting point, and then work with senior managers to

keep that momentum going throughout the year and regularly review and renew.

“Office Heroes has had such a positive impact on previous finalists and winners – it brought them together as a team and closer to their employer and their company.

It creates something really special.

“This is still a very uncertain time and we must come together as a collective and celebrate success. That doesn’t have to be winning a new account or doubling profits. It can be as pure and simple as saying: ‘We’ve got to where we are now as a company – and we couldn’t have done it without these people, our Office Heroes’.”

OVER TO PREVIOUS WINNERS FROM 2018 AND 2019 TO SHARE THE OFFICE HEROES MAGIC...

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COVER STORY

MATT SHERIDAN, BLUEBELL WOOD – OFFICE HERO WINNER 2019 “At the time of my nomination, my role in Bluebell Wood was corporate fundraiser, however I’m now the regional fundraiser. I was told by my colleagues the reason I was nominated is down to the fact that I try to be as upbeat as possible each day. It’s who I am as a person, as I like to see people laughing and having fun. I can admit to being a bit of a class clown – I just love being around people. That’s made lockdown quite hard over the past six months – working from home hasn’t really been the same as being around my team.

“Without sounding too clichéd, it was brilliant to win the Office Heroes award! For

me, as an individual, I’m not the sort of person who would want fame and fortune or anything like that – that’s why I work for a charity. Just to get that sort of recognition from my colleagues, without really expecting it, was an unbelievable feeling. It was great just to know they appreciated me and what I do.

“Another side of it is that Bluebell Wood as an organisation means a lot to me. I love the fact that, before lockdown, we could go down into the hospice and engage with the kids. Making the kids smile and laugh is the biggest part of the job for me. We had an event last year where we all dressed up as Baby Shark to do the dance for the kids, which they loved! I’m so happy to get stuck in and lift people up in my work.

RHYS OWEN, JIRAFFE ‑ 2019 NOMINEE "Being shortlisted for this award was the cherry on top of a fantastic first year doing a job I love.

You don't expect to even be nominated for these things, so it felt wonderful to be so appreciated and to share a special day with deserving fellow nominees.”

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Without sounding too clichéd, it was brilliant to win the Office Heroes award!

“I think the biggest part of the awards, for me, was the gratification of it and it was lovely that people were commenting saying things like I made them feel great every day and I contribute massively to the running of the organisation. As a winner, I just felt this amazing feeling of gratitude.

"The Office Heroes awards are so important, especially during the past few months when we’ve all been working from home and a lot of us have found things quite difficult – it’s fantastic to celebrate the people who’ve been able to support their colleagues through tough times.

“Just receiving recognition is so important – it’s easy to underestimate how amazing that can make a person feel.”

KIRSTEN JOHNSTON, JIRAFFE – NOMINATED RHYS OWEN "I nominated Rhys as our Office Hero as he’s such a positive, happy person and a great asset to our team which I think deserves some recognition. He is so hardworking and often goes above and beyond to help others and to think of ways to provide better customer service. We couldn’t do without him!"

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COVER STORY

JO REID, SOUTH YORKSHIRE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION – OFFICE HERO WINNER 2018 “Becoming the first ever Office Hero was a lovely surprise!

“My former colleague nominated me and I got into work to find all of these Post-it notes with these little messages from my team about all the things they appreciated about me and what I did in the office for them and the charity.

“But to be the first ever winner was lovely – you feel like you’re a special part of the team.

“We’re quite a small charity and I’d not been there that

long when I won. You feel appreciated and it’s a lovely acknowledgement to know people think so highly of you – my unofficial job title is ‘director of happiness!’

“I am an optimistic person, and I was always baking and bringing treats in for the team.

With us working from home since March we haven’t been able to do things like that but we have Zoom meetings and a weekly Zoom quiz and a catchup and are always thinking of fun ways to be together even though we’re apart!

“It’s a lovely little family I work with and it’s so important to keep that sense of team spirit

ALICE BRADSHAW, BHAYANI LAW – 2019 NOMINEE “When Jay announced she had nominated me I felt so valued as an employee but to then be shortlisted was an amazing achievement. It really is a great feeling knowing your hard work is appreciated.”

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To be the first ever winner was lovely – you feel like you’re a special part of the team.

and togetherness going and to adapt during this situation – now more than ever.

“Lockdown has proved that businesses can work remotely, and events can be moved online and I'm so pleased the Office Heroes ceremony will be going ahead as a virtual event, I think it’s a great idea.

“We’re all now very used to sitting at our laptops and seeing all those faces and that will help keep that sense of community going. I imagine the Office Heroes ceremony will be very successful and most importantly make people feel a real part of something which is really needed right now.”

JAY BHAYANI, BHAYANI LAW – NOMINATED ALICE BRADSHAW “I wanted to nominate Alice Bradshaw to show how much we value her hard work and loyalty. Alice was undertaking a digital marketing diploma and working through a full office refurbishment as well as managing our usual busy workload!”

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COVER STORY

TAMARIS IS PRESENTED WITH HER JOINT HIGHLY COMMENDED OFFICE HERO AWARD BY ROB SHAW

TAMARIS ROBERTS, BORN + RAISED – HIGHLY COMMENDED 2019

feedback. A colleague said: ‘everyone needs a Tamaris in their life!’ and others said things like ‘she’s a wonder woman’.

“When I found out I was It was just lovely to know that nominated I was a bit in shock! people feel I’m approachable But honoured to be nominated and they can come to me and I by one of my team. At the time get the job done. It was such a I was office manager at Born surprise and I wasn’t expecting and Raised, and have since it, but it was so rewarding. been promoted to operations “People had been manager. nominated for all sorts of “What was really sweet reasons, so I was honoured to was that my colleague Claire be among them and to be Joint (Harper, company accountant) Highly Commended. went round the office and “It’s more important now asked everyone to write than ever to look after my something about me on a staff – people’s wellbeing has Post-It note and what I bring been a big part of my job and to the company and I have still I did a mental health first aid got all of them as it made me course last year. The role has quite emotional, it was lovely! developed since then so while “It’s really nice to feel I am still the go-to person for appreciated and to get that HR I also look after other areas

JOAN OSBORNE, HART SHAW – 2018 NOMINEE "All I can say is that I was very shocked and honoured to have been nominated for this award then when I learnt that I had been shortlisted I had to pinch myself."

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People had been nominated for all sorts of reasons, so I was honoured to be among them and to be Joint Highly Commended.

including IT, communications, facilities, and operating systems and processes.

“It’s great that Glu run this ceremony and it has grown year on year. But it’s even more important now that a lot of people are working remotely and we feel so separate, because it’s a way to show that staff are still integral to the business and are important and needed.

“It’s a chance to reward somebody publicly but also within your own company as a way of saying thank you and that they are appreciated. They might be the glue that binds that company because they are the person who always motivates and encourages the team and Office Heroes is a way to recognise that.”

JULIE SLOAN, HART SHAW – NOMINATED JOAN OSBORNE "Joan was nominated for her years of service which she always provides with a smile, her attributes and because all her colleagues and clients think she is amazing."

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COVER STORY

SUE BALL, BARNSLEY & ROTHERHAM CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – HIGHLY COMMENDED 2019

officer for the Chamber and have a very office-based role.

You do your job and I really enjoy my work, but you don’t know how people see and “I was absolutely stunned view you in your role until when I found out I’d been something like Office Heroes nominated as an Office Hero comes along. and thought it was wonderful!

“Some of the comments “I was then amazed looking from the team were that I was at the rest of the nominees, very approachable, and very they were such a good group of caring and that I was a mother people so to be on the shortlist figure which was just so lovely with them was lovely. To get to hear because you don’t think Highly Commended – I just of yourself in those terms – to felt so proud and honoured. hear that’s how you’re seen “I’ve been in an office makes you feel valued and environment all my working appreciated. life but had never experienced “People like myself in anything like this. administration roles are often “I’m membership support just happy to be beavering

SHAUNI EDMUNDS, DONCASTER PHARMACEUTICALS – 2019 NOMINEE “I felt immensely proud that my hard work had been recognised in a way that I would be nominated for such an inspirational award – for doing a job that I thoroughly enjoyed! The awards ceremony was fantastic and it was a joy to meet other nominators/nominees and the Glu team!”

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I was absolutely stunned when I found out I’d been nominated as an Office Hero and thought it was wonderful!

away in the background and we don’t tend to be the focus so to have an award like this was just wonderful.

“Rob and the Glu team did a brilliant job with the ceremony – you could see all the hard work they’d put into it and am so glad the ceremony will be going ahead online this year.

“With many of us working from home, you miss all the camaraderie of office life and that spirit of togetherness, so the awards are a great way for companies to recognise their team members who work hard and go above and beyond.

Office Heroes is a fantastic initiative and needed now more than ever.”

RACHAEL HILL, DONCASTER PHARMACEUTICALS – NOMINATED SHAUNI EDMUNDS "Shauni was nominated because she truly deserved the recognition for her outstanding performance in her role as production regulatory supervisor, she had been a huge support to myself and the business since she joined us and continues to be everyday.

She is really is an office hero!"

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COVER STORY BEAUTIFUL, CARING – LOVED BY EVERYONE WHO MET HER’ Very sadly, Office Heroes 2019 Finalist Maria Howarth of Castle Square Corporate Finance passed away earlier this year.

Director Steve Bell remembers how important Maria was to the team at Castle Square and their clients.

“Maria was a beautiful, caring and larger than life individual known and loved by everyone who met her.

“Maria has been an integral member of the Castle Square team since 2016. Her dedication to the firm and enthusiasm, energy and commitment made her an important factor in the firm’s continued success.

“On a personal level, we all remember Maria’s joy for life, her kindness and generosity, her support for the Blades, her willingness to go that extra step for anyone and most importantly her love and devotion to her 10-yearold daughter, Chloe.

“The office will be a much quieter place without you, Maria.

“So many of you who knew Maria through her role at Castle Square have already contacted us to ask about making donations and also if we were planning anything to remember Maria by.

“Having discussed the matter with Maria’s family, we have established a JustGiving page so that anyone who wishes can make a donation to a fund for Chloe, which will be given to her when she is older, or used if she needs anything before then.

“Rest in peace, Maria.”

Anyone who wishes to donate themselves, or on behalf of their business, can visit: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/maria-howarth-fundraising

THREE OF THIS YEAR'S JUDGES, L-R: JAY BHAYANI, JOADA ALLEN & DR SIMON BILTCLIFFE

PLEASE WELCOME… THE JUDGES! Glu MD Rob Shaw said: “In previous events, I was on the judging panel and hosted the ceremony. It was a lovely heart-warming experience reading the nominations from the employers about all the fantastic things their nominees had done for their business and their teams.

“But then standing up at the event to hand out the award, looking out at all these faces – I wanted them all to win, it was so difficult!

“I definitely prefer just having the host role, now! And am thrilled to announce an amazing line-up of judges from across the Sheffield City Region this year. We have leading

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business representatives from across different sectors and areas in South Yorkshire and I can think of no better group of industry figures and businesspeople to help us choose and crown our Office Hero 2020.”

THE JUDGES • Harry Gration – Look North presenter / Patron of Paces

GET INVOLVED – NOMINATE YOUR OFFICE HERO NOW! So, who has gone the extra mile for your business in this most difficult year – the hard workers, morale boosters, the all-round team players?

In 2020, this could be the person that has helped your teams tackle remote working, the person behind those Zoom meetings, or quite simply the person who has been at the other end of the phone offering emotional support.

There will be ten finalists, selected by the judges from the nominations, who will also choose the overall winner, highly commended finalists and special mentions. As ever, some fantastic prizes are also up for grabs!

• Jay Bhayani – Bhayani Law

So, if you think it’s about time that someone in your office deserves a little recognition, fill in the online form at www.glurecruit.co.uk/office-heroes-2020, or email the Glu team officeheroes@glurecruit.co.uk.

• Joada Allen – Visualised It Video Production

KEY DATES FOR YOUR DIARY:

• Dame Julie Kenny – Wentworth Woodhouse

• Toby Pochron – Freeths • Dr Simon Biltcliffe – Webmart

Friday 13 November, 4pm – deadline for entries Friday 20 November – shortlist announced Friday 4 December – virtual awards ceremony

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SKILLS

SKILLS FOCUS

SPONSORED

BY THE SOURCE SKILLS ACADEMY

KICKSTART THE FUTURES OF OUR YOUNG, URGES THE SOURCE The Source Skills Academy is vowing to give South Yorkshire’s unemployed youth a future by throwing its expertise behind the government’s £2billion Kickstart Scheme.

Kickstart encourages businesses to give six months work experience to 16 to 24-year-olds claiming Universal Credit, who are at risk of never getting on the career ladder.

The government pays 100% of their minimum wage up to 25 hours a week, plus N.I. and pension contributions, and gives companies a £1,500 grant towards the set-up support and training of each Kickstart recruit.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced the scheme in the mini-Budget amid fears the pandemic will force a million youngsters into long-term unemployment this year.

Any business can apply, but those offering less than 30 roles need to go through a gateway organisation such as The Source, which has been

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FACT FILE: • The government estimates Kickstart could generate 250,000 work experience placements, at a cost to the taxpayer of £2 billion • Companies interview their Kickstart applicants to find the right fit • Companies can choose to top up wages • The Source is offering its Kickstart recruits free training in 130 work-related subjects. Courses are online and fullyfunded via Skills Support for the Workforce approved by Job Centre Plus as a provider for South Yorkshire.

The Source is offering a unique package with cost-free induction training, plus free online training courses so Kickstart recruits can gain new qualifications during their placements.

“This means companies we work with can retain the £1,500 government grants. This is a crucial time for employers; we want to help them all we can,” said Dale Robinson, director of business development.

“We have secured additional funds which means we can provide induction and extra learning at no cost to employers.”

The Meadowhall Way-based academy is already working with 12 employers who want to recruit in November, and is preparing young candidates with pre-employment training.

"Since 2005 we have helped thousands of young people into work via traineeships and apprenticeships,” added Mr Robinson.

“We gained additional experience from our involvement in Opportunity Sheffield’s successful efforts to counteract unemployment in the 2008-12 financial crisis and as the pandemic crushes job prospects for education leavers, we implore businesses to Kickstart someone’s career.

“Young people grow immeasurably during work experience and bring many positives to the workplace.

Kickstart could be a lifeline for businesses too.”

There's no limit to the number of places firms can offer, but roles must be new and can't fill existing or planned vacancies. Applications can be made up to December 2021.

To speak to a member of the team, or to request a Microsoft Teams invite to a live Kickstart webinar The Source is staging on November 5, contact Kickstart@ thesourceacademy.co.uk

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SKILLS The Source Skills Academy in Sheffield is passionate about bringing out the best in people. It has been helping businesses to increase the talents of their teams since 2003 and is proud to sponsor Skills Focus, a monthly spotlight on training and apprenticeship news and funding to help you develop your staff.

WORK EXPERIENCE GOT ME MY CAREER The Source’s director of business development, Dale Robinson, knows the value of work experience well…

Back in the 80s, a six-month Youth Training Scheme got Dale his dream job in banking.

At 15 he wrote to every bank and building society in Sheffield to get a YTS placement and struck lucky with NatWest.

“I worked in every department, learned loads and got taken on after six months.

I spent 10 years with NatWest and it gave me the skills I have today,” said Dale.

“They recruited A level students and graduates - the YTS scheme gave me the chance to prove myself.”

DALE ROBINSON, DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AT THE SOURCE

KICKSTART WEBINAR - VIRTUALLY EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW Companies are urged to sign up to The Source’s Kickstart webinar for the expert view on the government’s £2 billion Kickstart scheme.

Three specialists from the Source will be explaining how the scheme will benefit local young people, and also help to boost recovery and

productivity for businesses affected by the pandemic.

The financial support available from the government, and the steps to getting onboard, will be set out during the virtual seminar on Thursday, 5 November from 9.00am-10.15am.

“We are ready to help employers of all sizes across the sectors to access Kickstart grants and offer one or more young people job placements,” said business development officer Vicki Easdon, who is leading the Source’s team of dedicated business advisers.

“Our live webinar will explain how to apply and choose the right young recruits.”

The Source is using its training and skills expertise to give additional support to Kickstart.

Its employability team will help young people who need to boost their confidence and skills before they go for interviews with employers.

Its work-based learning specialists will work with companies and their Kickstart recruits, matching them with online courses to expand skills and qualifications while they are on placement.

When the six months end, The Source will advise on government-funded apprenticeships or traineeships which could extend the bond that has developed between Kickstart employer and recruit.

FLEXIBLE OFFICE SPACE NOW AVAILABLE AT THE SOURCE The Source is providing COVID-19 compliant, highly flexible workspaces and meeting places to businesses at its site on Meadowhall Way. Offices can be set up for a sole trader and teams of up to 12 for a day, a week, a month or longer. Government hygiene and social distancing guidelines are adhered to throughout. Enquire on 0114 2635600 or at roombookings@thesourceacademy.co.uk

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TECHNOLOGY

LOOKING OUT FOR OTHERS WHILE WORKING REMOTELY With many businesses working remotely, Ian Snow, MD at CT, takes a look at the importance of maintaining your workforce’s mental health – and CT partners Champion Health share the signs to spot in employees and colleagues Over the past few months we have looked at what measures and processes business owners should consider to ensure business continuity and improve the security of their new hybrid working environment.

While it is imperative that this is a key priority, we are also looking to the health of our team and supporting any employees that may be struggling with uncertainty and change as a result of COVID-19.

We are aware as a business we need adapt and implement a range of measures to support employees experiencing poor mental health. We know we need to support employees to regain an effective work-life balance, address fears about return to work, right through to support for severe mental health conditions.

Through the work we have done we have previously done with Champion Health, we know that spotting the warning signs of mental health problems in our friends and colleagues is already pretty difficult. When we’re socially distancing and working remotely, this might feel nearly impossible – but there are things we can all look out for and pick up on.

Champion Health have highlighted four key areas in which you may notice changes in your friend or colleague, which include behaviour, emotions, thoughts/cognition and physical sensations.

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Your colleague’s actions (i.e. behaviour) Your colleague might have stopped replying to your messages, or maybe you’ve noticed they aren’t keeping up with their work. A slight change in behaviour is to be expected given the adjustment to lockdown, but keep an eye out for those who don’t seem to be adjusting well. We communicate a lot about how we feel through our actions.

1

What they are feeling (i.e. emotions) If your colleague feels able to talk to you and share their emotions directly, take time to listen without judgement and don’t try to solve the problem straight away.

Being there for them in that moment will be enough.

If your colleague isn’t as forthcoming, there are more subtle changes to look out for, such as appearing quieter or more irritable than usual.

2

to concentrate – all signs you might notice during a conversation or in a meeting.

How they feel it in 4 their body (i.e. physical

sensations) This is harder to tell from an outside perspective, but have they mentioned feeling more tired or run down than usual or they’re having trouble sleeping? These could all be signs their mental health is taking a toll on their physical health.

Noticing these difficulties in isolation doesn’t mean your colleague has a mental health problem.

Instead,

it can simply encourage us to start a conversation about mental wellbeing and check in with how they are feeling.

You never know, you might be the lifeline they’ve been waiting for.

At CT we ensure our employees take regular assessments and are involved with webinars the team at Champion Health recommend. We would strongly recommend Harry and his team to every business and so to explore warning signs further, and build confidence in supporting someone who is struggling, get in touch with Harry at Champion Health directly by emailing: harry.bliss@ championhealth.co.uk

How they are thinking (i.e. cognition) Mental health problems often affect the way we think. If your colleague is struggling, they might be more preoccupied by their thoughts, experiencing ‘brain fog’ and finding it difficult

3

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ADVERTORIAL

Access £2bn of funding from a provider you can trust Remember that first holiday without your parents? A week in Magaluf. A weekend on the Costas. The nights out with your mates. Walking up and down the endless line of bars figuring out where to go for your first fishbowl or pint of watered-down lager.

Of course, you do. You’ll also remember all of the people shouting at you with promises of 2-4-1 deals and free drinks.

They tell you their bar is amazing. You get suckered in. Once inside it’s dead, the drinks are overpriced, and you realise you have been conned.

Most of us might not have had a summer holiday this year but the same too-good-

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to-be-true deals are on offer as the government looks to give out £2bn of funding to help local companies create sixmonth work placements.

Confused? Carry on reading…

The £2bn Kickstart scheme is designed to create hundreds of thousands of six-month work placements for young people at risk of long-term unemployment. Funding for employers is available for 100 per cent of the relevant National Minimum Wage for 25 hours a week, plus associated employer National Insurance contributions and employer minimum automatic enrolment contributions.

There is also £1,500 per job placement available for setup costs, support and training.

Large companies, wanting to create more than 30 work placements, can apply for funding directly. However, smaller organisations, with fewer positions, need to use an intermediary organisation to make a funding application.

The challenge is who do you pick to be your intermediary.

Who do you trust? Some are offering all the help you need.

As long as they keep the £1,500 funding for themselves…

Thankfully there is a service you can trust. Sheffield Chamber and other leading support organisations have

come together to form the ‘The Sheffield Partnership for Jobs and Skills’.

We are leading the way, pooling our expertise and supporting Covid-19 business recovery by making it as easy as possible for local companies to apply for Kickstart funding.

We will manage the grant for you, but you decide how you spend your £1,500. You can spend it on your internal costs or pick from a whole range of support services that The Sheffield Partnership for Jobs and Skills provide.

Alternatively, you can use an intermediary but it should only get paid a maximum of £300 for processing your grant

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ADVERTORIAL

Developing young people of the future: Do schemes like Kickstart work?

application and managing payments.

Don’t be fooled by intermediaries telling you they can support you but only if you give them the £1,500 automatically. You might want to but that is your choice.

By working with Sheffield Chamber you get to decide.

You stay in control and you

can be reassured that all of the partners involved are not going to sell you the equivalent of watered-down lager.

For more information on the scheme and to get started, call 0114 201 8888 or email kickstart@scci.org.uk. A representative from the partnership will be in touch.

The Sheffield Partnership for Jobs and Skills is made up of:

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In short, the answer is yes, they can.

Jenna Selwood, operations manager at Sheffield Chamber, is testament to this.

Jenna started her career via a similar scheme to Kickstart in 2010, Jenna joined the Chamber on a six-month work placement, going on to be offered a full-time position as an administration assistant.

Over 10 years on, Jenna has developed and progressed in her role and now holds the position of operations manager, responsible for many of the Chamber’s daily operations including managing the main administration duties for the Kickstart scheme for the consortium.

Jenna said: “I am really pleased to be involved with the scheme on behalf of the Chamber, particularly as it is a similar initiative that began my career. I am proof that schemes like this can really work and with the right support and job development opportunities, candidates can grow and become a greaat asset to a business.

“The Kickstart scheme is a fantastic opportunity for businesses to really support our younger generation, which is more important than ever as young people are finding it difficult to access work due to the economic impact of Covid-19.

“Sheffield Chamber, along with all organisations in the partnership, are encouraging any business that can, to offer a placement (or placements). Provide young people a literal ‘Kickstart’ onto a career path and an opportunity to gain the much-needed confidence and experience to progress.”

The Kickstart scheme is not just an opportunity to develop and grow your workforce – it is an opportunity to support young people in our city to access employment.

Make a difference and provide a placement now.

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FEATURE

After winning a major industry award for their City Taxis marketing campaign, Ola Tambor and Gemma Curry from digital agency Fishtank share the secrets of success when it comes to re-branding – and tell unLTD’s Jill Theobald why now could actually be the best time for other companies to raise their profile “If we’re saying anything to the businesses out there it’s – embrace everything you’re doing, shout about it!”

A great quote to open any feature on marketing and re-branding, from Fishtank’s head of digital Ola Tambor, and not a bad motto for businesses as a general rule, either.

And as my chat with Ola and her colleague head of client services Gemma Curry continues, it turns out it could be worth bearing in mind during and despite the current pandemic, too.

But first we talk about how it turned out to be an award-winning theme for

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their recent campaign with City Taxis.

In fact, a big re-brand wasn’t initially on the cards – but the complete overhaul of the company’s visual identity and digital presence won them ‘B2C Campaign of the Year (under £50k)’ award at the Prolific North Awards, with judges commenting: “Not only did Fishtank deliver it (the campaign) beautifully with numbers to back it up, they did so by not settling with the old and going the extra mile of creating a new brand and other sub brands.”

“From the moment we came for the first meeting we felt inspired by City Taxis,”

CITY TAXIS’ WEBSITE RE-DESIGN says Ola. “It was supposed to be an introductory meeting, but we went in with a full brand proposition as we believed in it so strongly.”

“It was definitely something unusual for us,” agrees Gemma, “as we

wouldn’t normally do that in that type of scenario, but we just felt it was the right thing for them.”

“They are basically like a family,” says Ola. “They work well together and like to spend a lot of time together

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FEATURE

RE-BRANDING – THE TIME IS NOW Is a global pandemic the right time for a re-brand? Many business owners might have it pretty far down their To Do list, for sure.

“Nobody ever imagined we would be where we are now, and obviously for some businesses it has been really hard and they have taken financial hits and are continuing to,” explains Gemma.

“It depends on the industry – some are thriving at the moment and others are struggling so businesses might be thinking the last thing we want is a rebrand or a website. “But if businesses are looking at their goals then the longer-term gain of investment could mean that now actually IS the time.

“We have clients doing exactly that, looking at where they are now and where they want to be – they want to come out of the pandemic a step ahead from their competitors whatever market they are in, whether its retail or B2B, so now is an opportune time.

It is difficult, we appreciate, and it’s an expense as a business, but it’s also an investment in your future.”

Ola agrees.

“I think it is the perfect time from a client’s perspective for three reasons. They know that businesses can be more flexible with payment terms and with solutions – we can suggest available grants so that puts a bit more power on their side.

“You do have to keep branding awareness out there and if businesses are not as busy as they would perhaps ordinarily be, the most crucial people have that availability to get together and hone in on what their brand is all about.

“And thirdly user behaviour has changed through the pandemic – we see that in our e-commerce clients and how people are browsing websites and interacting with content. The market has changed, and the way people use products and content has, too.”

THE FISHTANK TEAM

– which is very similar to the Fishtank culture – and it was very much a partnership between us, never a superior/ inferior relationship dynamic when we worked together. It was a great experience as you could see they trusted in us, our skills and ideas.”

Described by Fishtank MD Damien Fisher as a ‘crown jewel of our work portfolio’, Gemma says the project was all about

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‘reintroducing the renowned South Yorkshire brand, City Taxis, and breathing life into their marketing with a new, vibrant identity. After learning about the wide scope of their activities, we knew we had to be very strategic.’

Among several objectives in that strategy were the re-brand and new website, a marketing strategy and roll out for City Taxi’s food delivery sub-brand City Grab

and assisting with strategy, roll-out and publicity of the Electric Vehicles initiative – successfully launched at last year’s Sheffield Business Awards.

“Being able to represent the versatility of the company by promoting innovative campaigns like their revolutionary Electric Vehicle project and highlighting their engagement in the local community helped us unearth

the culture of Team City,” says Gemma.

Adds Ola: “Helping them develop exciting brands like food and retail delivery app City Grab – which has raised over £58k for key workers and the NHS during COVID-19 – was amazing. That name came up in the very first meeting as they wanted to call it something separate to their brand entirely, but we explained it didn’t fit their

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M

Y

Y

Y

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WHATEVER THE JOURNEY

FEATURE identity. The City name was already there and Grab was about reaching out – you can grab anything! And they really bought into that idea.

“That’s one of the great things about City – you can see that one of their goals is to make Sheffield better which is awesome.”

Multiple elements had to come together for the strategy, ensuring there was no confusion for the loyal customer base, while Fishtank and City worked together to promote the new initiatives with campaign activities such as the guerrilla Electric

Hub launch event in the city centre.

“The level of integrated strategy and depth we created for this campaign was rewarded with such successful results and fantastic feedback from City’s community,” says Ola. And, of course, the award win.

Says Gemma: “The award is amazing in itself, but it also reinforces what we do, why we do it and our expertise and success.

This campaign has gone above and beyond and that is our focus going forward – our integrated and succinct

approach enables us to provide tailored solutions for our clients creating longstanding partnerships. We’re working on other creative marketing collateral for City and I can see us working together long into the future.

“They are going from strength to strength and they

have great objectives they want to achieve over the years and we are more than happy to support them on that journey – that is something we’re really proud of.”

CITY ELECTRIC LAUNCH, BRANDING DESIGNED BY FISHTANK

Amy Tingle, HR and business manager at City Taxis, said: “Working with Ola, Damien and the team at Fishtank has been an absolute breath of fresh air for us all.

“We first started our conversations around social media, and they have taken what was initially a small project to a whole new level which has been an amazing journey for City Taxis and City Grab.

“We are so proud of what we have created together and so pleased we decided to work with Fishtank. They have now become part of the team and they continue to help support us to build, grow and fulfil all the ideas and make them come to life exactly how we had envisioned them.”

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OLA TAMBOR, HEAD OF DIGITAL, FISHTANK

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e

SHEFFIELD CITY REGION

Distinction Doors in Tankersley, Barnsley, have benefited from help to support the training of 20 staff from the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership’s Skills Bank. HR director Helen Lovack shares the story so far...

“I met a Skills Bank skills adviser at a local HR networking event. She told me that phase two of Skills Bank was active, encouraged me to apply and helped me with my application.

“We successfully secured funding to train 20 members of staff in leadership and management, customer service and train the trainer.

We had just signed up for the leadership training at the beginning of lockdown, but we facilitated virtual one-toone training during this time.

“Now that the restrictions have been eased, we’re looking forward to working together as a team. We’re also planning training for more employees at different levels of our organisation.”

Distinction Doors is a large company in the Sheffield City Region, distributing doors across the UK. They are keen to invest in their staff and found the regional support through Skills Bank to help them do this.

For companies that need

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L TO R: HELEN LOVACK, MIKE LONG

more support to understand the issues and identify needs, the Growth Hub and Skills Bank Skills Advisors are a dedicated and free service to help all companies identify how they can access the help, support and funding that’s available. Businesses can access growth specialists, finance advisors, innovation advisors and skills advisors, all via the Growth Hub. Expert skills advisors can help businesses to submit their applications and advise what other business support is available.

Mike Long, trainer at Mike Long Associates, one of numerous Skills Bank approved training providers, has been working with Skills Bank since 2018 and is

encouraging more businesses to get involved while Skills Bank is still running.

“Employers need all the help they can get at the moment, and Skills Bank is a dynamic offer that is there to support and encourage them,” he said. “This is a great opportunity for organisations to stand back and look at how they can fire up their development and growth by making the most of the support that’s available.

“Employers should be looking very hard at what their development needs are, link these with their business development needs and use this information to develop a learning and development plan. They can then create training that’s tailored for

their business to make sure it supports their individual needs.”

Mike also revealed some insights into virtual training: “When we knew lockdown was imminent, we pulled out all the stops to get all the learners together for a top speed induction.

We gave them workbooks and hard copy handouts so that when we went into lockdown, learners had a tangible portfolio of training materials.

“We were nervous about virtual delivery, but we found solutions and kept the learners engaged. I met many pets and children, and even got offered a virtual cup of tea! I’m glad we’re back faceto-face now, but if we need to deliver virtually again, we’re fully prepared.”

Every business in Sheffield City Region can access highquality advice, training and funding to help them develop and grow. This includes online training programmes for businesses during the crisis and a rapid response service for businesses helping with the government’s Coronavirus strategy, such as producing protective personal equipment (PPE) or sanitisers.

Discover the range of services that are available to help your business and get in touch with advisors by visiting skillsbankscr.co.uk

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SHEFFIELD CITY REGION

,000 £500 FUNDING SECURED TO EXTEND EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT

A trail-blazing scheme which helps people stay in training and work has been extended to help the region’s fightback against the COVID-19 pandemic Working Win, which offers dedicated coaching and training to help people with health issues to stay in work for longer, is being extended until March 2021. A further 450 people will be supported during the extension.

Mayor Dan Jarvis welcomed the £500,000 funding boost, and called on the Government to back an ambitious scale-up of the scheme to help more people stay in work and help South Yorkshire build back better from COVID by responding to the needs of those affected.

In South Yorkshire, participants reported interviews and job offers being withdrawn, as well as increased mental and physical health problems. Working Win support will give people who are struggling with the confidence and support they need to return to work and help people to stay in work that matches their strengths and interests.

Sheffield City Region Mayor Dan Jarvis said: “More than 30,000 extra people applied for Universal Credit in South

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Yorkshire as the COVID pandemic hit our region. We must do everything we can to help people stay in or find work. Working Win is a crucial part of our Renewal Action Plan to support jobs and businesses in South Yorkshire and deliver a jobs-led recovery from COVID-19.

“Working Win shows the power of devolution and how, with the right resources and tools at our disposal, we can make a big difference to people’s lives, unlocking opportunities for workers and businesses.

“I warmly welcome this extension, but we should not limit our ambition. As part of the Comprehensive Spending Review, I’m calling on Government to back our South Yorkshire Works jobs and training programme, including a significant scale up of Working Win so we can build a stronger, greener and fairer

economy in our region.”

James Muir, Chair of the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “The Mayor and the LEP are working with business to address the immediate challenges presented by COVID, and we know that keeping people with health issues in work is a major challenge which has been magnified during the pandemic.

“Fifteen million days of work a year are lost due to stress, anxiety and depression alone.

This leads to businesses losing output and profits and causes reduced quality of life and damages career prospects for individuals. Working Win can help by supporting existing employees who are struggling or off sick due to a mental or physical health condition. This brings benefits to them, to businesses and to the wider community. I encourage

all affected individuals and employers to register for this invaluable support.”

Lisa Berry, Working Win participant, said: “Working Win helped me with a disclosure letter for my employer so they could see what was wrong and understand what changes were needed to make working life easier for me. I was also given advice on how to approach conversations at work. I wouldn’t have kept my job over the past two years without this help.”

The Working Win Healthled Employment Trial was a randomised control trial until October 2020, meaning people who took part were randomly placed into one of two research groups. One group received the new service, the other group were provided with information about existing services in their area. During the extension period up to 31 March 2021, everyone will be given Working Win support.

For more information or to register for support, visit https://sheffieldcityregion.org. uk/working-win/

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SHEFFIELD CITY REGION

MANAGING YOUR BUSINESS THROUGH

LOCAL COVID RESTRICTIONS Following discussions between Sheffield City Region Mayor Dan Jarvis, South Yorkshire council leaders, and Government, the whole of South Yorkshire entered the ‘Very High’ coronavirus alert level on October 24, with this due to be reviewed after 28 days Without action, the lives and livelihoods of people across the region would be at greater risk. South Yorkshire’s response is focused on finding the balance between both the health and economic challenges ahead. The package of support agreed with Government therefore aims to protect the NHS, jobs, businesses and lives. £11m of support will be used by local authorities to support public health measures such as Test and Trace to stop the spread of the virus.

A further £30m of support has also been agreed for businesses affected by these regulations, as well as their employees, with local flexibility on how that programme of support works. This is in addition to the Government’s localised job support scheme which will support 67 per cent of the wages, up to £2,100 a month, of workers whose workplaces have had to close due to new restrictions.

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Under the very high alert level, some businesses do unfortunately have to close.

These include pubs and bars, unless they are serving substantial meals, betting shops, adult gaming centres, casinos, soft play centres, and wedding receptions.

Mayor of the Sheffield City Region, Dan Jarvis, said: “We all recognise the gravity of the situation and have taken the responsible route to ensure we save lives and livelihoods, and protect our NHS.

More older people are contracting the virus. The number of people with COVID in our hospitals is rising, with no signs this will relent over the coming weeks. Inaction was not an option.

“We called on Government to offer a local lockdown lifeline for our local authorities and economy, and the new restrictions will be introduced alongside resources which mean we are better equipped to control the virus and limit some of the damage on jobs and businesses.

“It’s critical businesses in South Yorkshire follow the new restrictions as soon as they are in place. I want to thank businesses in the region for their perseverance.”

For information about managing your business through these local restrictions and the support that’s available locally visit www.scrgrowthhub.co.uk

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FOCUS ON

Back in our March issue this year and with the UK in the Brexit transitional period, we ran a feature where we caught up a number of business representatives to find out their views on our post-EU Sheffield City Region.

As we edge closer to January 1, next year, the UK leaving the EU single market and customs union and the end of the transition period will affect citizens and businesses, as well as travel to and from the EU – travel that is already facing restrictions due to the global pandemic.

Along with the prospect of a ‘no-deal’ Brexit and the uncertainties and impact of COVID-19, businesses that deal with Europe will have to follow a number of new rules from January 1 2021.

With our international focus in this month’s magazine, unLTD’s Joe Bamford, Mike Durham and Jill Theobald chatted to a number of leading industry figures from sectors including legal, accountancy, data security, insurance, and international trade to find out more about those new rules – and to explore the markets and wider potential opportunities beyond the EU and across the globe.

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NICK PATRICK, HEAD OF SHEFFIELD INTERNATIONAL TRADE CENTRE Back in the March issue of unLTD, I warned that

by August ‘companies all over the UK are going to be smelling the Brexit coffee and scrambling to HMRC and won’t be ready by the time January comes.’

As we’re now into November, the Brexit coffee smell must be overwhelming and the pot nearly boiling over for businesses – but my concern is that many still aren’t prepared and ready.

Sheffield Chamber is running a series of online Q&A sessions for Sheffield City Region (SCR) importers and exporters post EU transition period and so here I will outline a few key areas to consider.

While the Q&A sessions are very helpful for companies to understand how the UK leaving the EU Customs union and single market will affect them in general, each organisation, their products, values, customers and countries they sell to differ. To address these issues, we are running bespoke ‘End of Transition’ audits on companies which looks at their individual activities and calculates exactly what they need to do in preparation for themselves, their customers and their suppliers.

How do I export goods to the EU from January 1?

Firstly, International Commercial Terms (Incoterms) which are legally binding will be implemented and secondly declarations will have to be submitted to UK Customs for the export of the goods and the import into the country they are entering.

If an exporter to European customers and you deliver the goods to their warehouse on the continent, the Incoterm will change to a DDP term (delivered duty paid) and the exporter will have to submit

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the export declaration to UK Customs then submit the import declaration to the customs at the border point of import. You will need to pay VAT and duty and may not be able to reclaim VAT. Our recommendation is to speak to your European customers now and explain that from January deliveries to them will need to change to a DAP (delivered at place) Incoterm meaning that while you can still deliver to their warehouse, the buyer is responsible for the import declaration, and paying any duty and VAT. If your buyer has agreed to arrange the goods to be picked up from your UK warehouse, please do not use Ex Works, ensure the incoterm used is FCA (Free Carrier), in this way the exporter of record (you) must do the export declaration.

How do I import goods from the EU from January 1?

A very similar process, but the other way around. Explain to your suppliers from January if they are delivering to you in the UK, declarations will be needed, both for the export out of their country and the import here. The EU supplier will need to do the export declaration when the goods leave their country as well as the import declaration when the goods travel through UK customs , paying VAT and duty and will not be able to reclaim that so they will need to use DAP (delivered at place) Incoterm.

The UK importer will do the import declaration, pay the VAT and duty and claim back through quarterly VAT returns – you can read more about VAT and duty in the article later in this feature by BHP Accountants.

If you as the buyer have agreed that you will send your

were in the Customs Union any goods that came into the EU from outside Europe had to be declared at point of entry but could then have free circulation around Europe. But from January, we will be regarded as the rest of the world – anything we ship into Europe will need to be declared at the point of entry. vehicle to pick up the goods Businesses need to speak in Europe, then ensure the to the freight forwarders to incoterm used is FCA (Free confirm whether or not the Carrier), in this way the exporter freight forward will be able of record (your supplier) must to undertake the customs do the export declaration. declarations from January 1.

Currently around 55 million How will my relationship with import and export documents my EU customers change after are submitted to HMRC every January 1? year. Once declarations are For 47 years we’ve needed for all European trade, been able to export to, for by the end of 2021 that will example, Germany as if it was be in region of 300 million – a Birmingham or Cardiff. But startling statistic and a massive from January there will be amount of work for freight Customs procedures which forwarders who may have to will create disruption to your increase their administration European customers. I want staff numbers significantly to SCR exporters to understand accommodate. that impact and contact customers now. I am seriously How will Incoterms work with concerned if they don’t European trade? explain all of the above and If nothing is discussed with the difference in costs, come customers and suppliers, then mid-January once the European in January the Incoterms will customer receives deliveries automatically become DDP or and discovers they’ve got to pay Ex Works (EXW) – and neither more and there is increased of those will be suitable for paperwork involved, too, they European trade, unless you, will simply find a European your customers or suppliers are supplier and our businesses will aware of the responsibility and lose out. consequences.

Bear in mind, too – if your If you’re exporting (and customers only trade in Europe delivering) to customers they will know even less about in Europe, we recommend what’s going to happen to DAP instead of DDP. If you’re them than we do. This is a really picking the goods up from serious issue that I don’t think your EU supplier or if your EU all UK exporters have taken on customer is picking the goods board. up from your warehouse, we recommend FCA (Free Carrier) Can you explain what Customs instead of Ex Works (EXW).

Declarations means?

Sheffield Chamber of Goods that travel around the Commerce is an authorised world need to have customs Customs Intermediary and also control procedures, part an approved economic operator of which are the import or (AEO) – we have a fully trained export declarations. Anything team of Customs brokers so that leaves the UK must be we can handle the import and declared to Customs so you export declarations for any must complete the necessary company that wants to use us forms to clear the goods for as their broker. export. Import declarations are required as well and that’s For more information please where customs make their contact customs@scci.org.uk money – the duty. While we or call 0114 201 8888

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JAMES HOUSEMAN, SENIOR TAX MANAGER FOR BHP When it comes to Brexit there are many questions businesses have before we flip our office (or working from home) calendars over to January.

Regardless of what shape the Brexit deal has or hasn’t taken, to be prepared one of the key things to think about is exactly who should be doing what.

From January 1, if you or your supplier haven’t done your homework, your goods might end up stuck at the border whilst you’re arguing “that was your job"!

Supply chains can be complex with many variables to think about, with loading and collection, transportation, insurance, customs and VAT being just a few of them.

It’s often an area of confusion so the International Chamber of Commerce has come up with standardised terms (called Incoterms) to ensure clarity in this area.

It helps to think of a supply chain as having a sliding scale of responsibility between the supplier and customer.

As Sheffield International Trade Centre’s Nick Patrick references in his opening article, at one end of the scale you have ‘Ex Works’ where the customer does everything.

The manufacturer simply pushes the goods out of the door of their warehouse and legal title transfers to the customer meaning everything is down to them from that point onwards.

At the other end of the scale you have ‘Delivered Duty Paid’ where the seller is responsible for delivering the goods to the customer’s premises with all taxes paid.

However, because this is a sliding scale, there are a number middle ground Incoterms in between.

Therefore, your first question is to establish your supply chain

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Incoterms - i.e. who is doing what. With that established, you can begin thinking about duty and VAT. At the moment we’re in a single customs market with the EU, so there is no customs duty when buying or selling to the EU. VAT is payable, but the customer charges this to themselves (known as the reverse charge).

The UK will leave the customs union on January 1, meaning from that date, customs duty is likely to be payable on goods moving between the EU and the UK. How much duty depends on three factors: classification, valuation and origin.

Firstly classification - every tangible good is assigned a commodity code, an eight to ten digit number that determines the rate of duty.

Secondly, goods’ worth will be based on their invoice, and may need adjusting to include costs like royalties, commission and tooling. If you import your own goods, you may not have an invoice, and will have to consider how you’ll value them.

Finally, and this is where the government’s deal may come in to play, if we

agree a trade deal with the EU reduced rates, or zero duty may be applicable.

When it comes to VAT, if you’re a UK business buying goods Ex Works or selling goods Delivered Duty Paid, you’ll need to register for VAT in the EU to obtain an Economic Operators Registration and Identification Number (EORI).

This’ll lead to extra administration costs, and you may need

agents and representative to act on your behalf in third countries.

That’s clearly a lot to think about, but fortunately there are a number of reliefs and other tools available to you to minimise the adverse impacts. Thankfully there is lots of help out there to navigate this hazardous course, including ourselves who have a specialist Brexit team, so there’s no reason to tackle this on your own.

From January 1, if you or your supplier haven’t done your homework, your goods might end up stuck at the border whilst you’re arguing “that was your job"!

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CARYS THOMPSON, PARTNER AT KEEBLES LLP During a year in which uncertainty has been the only constant, Brexit is one of few sureties. However, the terms of any future UK-EU trade deal are far from concluded, with the EU Transition Period scheduled to come to an end on 31 December and the prospect of a no-deal Brexit at the end of 2020 still looming large.

The finer details of any arrangement with the EU will become clearer in the coming weeks, but there are issues which businesses should be considering and preparing for now.

could have critical implications for businesses supplying to customers that require goods with European origin.

Rules to establish the country of origin of imported and exported goods frequently help determine the rate of duty and customs conditions for those goods. Customers often require a particular country of origin for goods they are purchasing to meet their (or their customers’) requirements, to ensure qualification for lower or nil customs duties for onward supply.

Businesses need to be aware that

it is still uncertain whether goods produced wholly or substantially in the UK will lose their European origin status. This will almost certainly be the case if the UK leaves the EU with no-deal at the end of 2020.

Supply chain considerations If they have not done so already, businesses whose customers require European origin of the goods being supplied should now be considering their supply chains, their importing and

exporting procedures and production processes to determine any risks in this area. Expert advice should be taken to identify ways to minimise any possible adverse impact.

Defining the origin of goods can be complex, particularly goods whose production involves materials or components from more than one country.

At Keebles, we have strong links with the Sheffield International Trade Centre – mentioned earlier on in this feature – which specialise in advice on determining origin of goods and preparing businesses to ensure that they remain compliant with importing and exporting procedures and requirements.

What are the rules regarding country of origin for imports?

One area of uncertainty is the effects of Brexit on country of origin, something which

Defining the origin of goods can be complex, particularly goods whose production involves materials or components from more than one country.

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If a business or organisation in the EEA is sending you personal data, then it will still need to comply with EU data protection laws.

MATT BRUCE, CEO BRUCE AND BUTLER The GDPR is an EU Regulation and, in principle, it will no longer apply to the UK from the end of the transition period. However, if you operate inside the UK, you will need to comply with UK data protection law. This is the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018), which currently supplements and tailors the GDPR within the UK. The government has said that it intends to incorporate the GDPR into UK data protection law from the end of the transition period – so in practice there will be little change to the core data protection principles, rights and obligations found in the GDPR.

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Keeping personal data flowing If you are a UK business or organisation that already complies with the GDPR and has no contacts or customers in the European Economic Area (EEA), you do not need to do much more to prepare for data protection compliance at the end of the transition period.

If you are a UK business or organisation that receives personal data from contacts in the EEA, you need to take extra steps to ensure that the data can continue to flow at the end of the transition period.

The UK government has stated that transfers to the EEA will not be restricted. So if you send data from the UK to the EEA you will still be able to do so and you don’t need to take any additional steps.

If a business or organisation in the EEA is sending you personal data, then it will still need to comply with EU data protection laws. You will

need to take action with them so the data can continue to flow. For most businesses and organisations, SCCs (Standard Contractual Clauses) are the best way to keep data flowing to the UK. If you are a UK business or organisation with an office, branch or other established presence in the EEA, or if you have customers in the EEA, you will need to comply with both UK and EU data protection regulations at the end of the transition period.

In most cases you will also need to appoint a suitable representative in the EEA. This person will act as your local representative with individuals and data protection authorities in the EEA. You need to find a provider in the EEA who offers services as a GDPR representative – if you have one, this cannot be your Data Protection Officer (DPO).

.eu domain website From 1 January 2021, you’ll no longer be able to register or renew .eu domain names if your organisation, business or undertaking is established in the UK but not in the EU/ European Economic Area (EEA), or you live outside the EU/EEA and are not an EU/EEA citizen.

If you no longer meet the criteria, you should discuss with your local domain name registrar whether to transfer your internet presence to another top-level domain.

Examples include .com, .co.uk, .net or .org.

Your registrar will be able to offer advice on how to let your customers know that you’re moving or have moved to another domain, such as a holding page to redirect web traffic towards a new domain, or advice on how to update your search engine optimisation.

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To maximise our ability to do business in the growing Asian economies, I often say you ‘need to be in to win it’ – but against a backdrop of great upheaval in international air travel we need to consider how that is going to impact both ongoing operations and future business.

KILEY TAN, MOSAIC INTERNATIONAL The World Bank and IMF are predicting that by 2024 Asia will have four of the top five largest economies in the world.

One of the greatest economic changes in the last 20 years has been the ascendency of China, but the prediction here goes beyond that and may well see the focus shift away from the North Atlantic to the Asia-Pacific region.

We are also set to see considerable upheaval for the UK economy with the prospect of a ‘no-deal’ Brexit becoming an everincreasing possibility, the uncertainty of the pandemic and an unpredictable and increasingly protectionist United States.

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With all of the above in mind, planning is critical to success, and it is not too late to start considering the Asia-Pacific region, and more specifically South East Asia with markets including Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines.

Traditionally we have sourced from the countries nearest to us – the EU. But our trading relationship with the EU, while very important, is a red herring. Of course, Asia is not the only market but given the growth and GDP forecast, it needs to be on our radar.

To maximise our ability to do business in the growing Asian economies, I often say you ‘need to be in to win it’ – but against a backdrop of great upheaval in international air travel we need to consider how that is going to impact both ongoing operations and future business.

With air travel restrictions likely to continue for some time, logistics will be very important. So, you need a place that allows you quick accessibility, and fairly cost effective – markets like Malaysia and Singapore. The latter strategically located at the tip of the Straits of Malacca, one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.

For us in the Sheffield City Region we need to start thinking strategically – how do we access that economic growth in Asia? Do we start operations in those countries or have strategic partnerships with them? Look at the multinationals already there like Dyson, why did they move their HQ there? Because they anticipate the growth in that region and it’s cheaper to run operations there, with a skilled but relatively lower cost labour force and raw materials.

Why not target India, China

or Indonesia directly? Well, they are huge countries and the choice of your base there is staggering because of the scale. Singapore, however, is an island. Malaysia has two major commercial cities (and cheap land to expand).

Perhaps more importantly, English is widely spoken and the legal systems are similar to that in the UK. There are also a large population who speak Mandarin, Bahasa Indonesia and Tamil. With that in mind, most Western companies look at them as a natural match for entering Asia.

In the current pandemic, establishing and developing future business or maintaining existing relationships will be difficult without being able to physically travel to these locations. A lot of business in Asia is done over dinner – we love our food! So how do you to find and build rapport quickly beyond just breaking bread?

Now, more than ever, our region’s businesses need to have someone who knows the culture and the countries to be their ‘sherpa’ and that’s how I view Mosaic International – I can guide people through that journey avoiding mistakes. There’s a level of expectation in some UK businesses of how things are done, and while there are similarities, there are also cultural gaps which need to be bridged. These cultural gaps exist between the UK and the EU but they are much bigger when it comes to Asia.

People want to do business in Asia but while they might get a supplier overnight, in my experience that’s rare. It takes time for that trust to develop.

Our region’s businesses need to be looking to establish and develop these relationships with Asia now.

Because whether or not there is a Brexit deal – and I wish with every bone in my body we do get one –we need to have a paradigm shift because the growth markets are on the other side of the world.

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SAM LEEDER, ACTUS INSURANCE As the date we leave the EU gets ever closer, we are constantly being encouraged to be more outward looking, which as an island nation we have always been.

There is now more support than ever for companies looking to start their export journey, and if this is something you are considering you may also want to look into the impact on your insurance arrangements.

The type of insurance needed will vary slightly depending on whether you are sending products abroad, either directly to customers or through local distributors, or planning to open a local office or employ local people.

Exporting directly to local customers/distributors

1 Goods Insurance for goods

being sent around the world is catered for by the marine cargo insurance market and is based upon the total value of goods being sent during a 12-month period and the maximum value of all goods on any one vessel.

The way insurance is arranged will depend on the selling terms negotiated. But the cover can be included from the moment it leaves your factory right up until it hits your customer’s premises, including transport by rail, road, air or sea, temporary storage throughout the journey, and packing and unpacking at premises along the way if appropriate.

Freight forwarders sending your goods will be able to sell you some insurance cover.

Generally, we’d recommend purchasing your own insurance as you’ll remain in control of any claims and pay lower premiums overall.

2 Liabilities As in the UK, you have

a liability for any injury or

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damage caused by your products or services and to your employees.

You will need to ensure liability insurances you buy in the UK are with insurers who are comfortable with those same risks in other countries – this will vary greatly depending on where you are planning to export to.

Some countries, such as the USA and Canada, are deemed a much higher risk due to the likelihood of claims occurring and also the size of the damages awarded by their courts, so you will pay a much higher premium to export there than to any other country. This also restricts the number of insurers who can provide cover.

industries, it can be more difficult to get access to the local market without opening at least a sales office in that country. Alternatively, you may not want to use local distributors and prefer to tackle the sales yourselves.

From an insurance

perspective this is achievable, but certainly worth talking to a broker with expertise in this area.

Every country has their own laws around insurance, particularly in respect of employers’ liability legislation which can make arranging cover tricky. In the USA this can be more complicated as legislation varies from state to state.

3 People Travelling on business

overseas can pose much greater risks to you and your people than in the UK. The risks vary greatly depending on the countries you are exporting to and include: ⚫ Theft or robbery ⚫ Accidental damage or loss of business property ⚫ Personal injury ⚫ Kidnap and ransom All of these risks can be insured against with appropriate insurers, but cover can be difficult to obtain when travelling to high risk countries – and most insurers will not provide cover if you are travelling against Foreign Office advice.

Opening a local office or employing local people In certain countries and

There is now more support than ever for companies looking to start their export journey, and if this is something you are considering you may also want to look into the impact on your insurance arrangements.

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Southeast Asia.

If not, why not?

Business Opportunity Introductions Agents, Distributors & Joint Venture Partners Investment Opportunities Troubleshooting Cultural Training Market Entry Guidance Business Set Up kiley.tan@mosaicint.co.uk

07885 784783

www.mosaicint.co.uk

CUSTOMS & SUPPLY CHAIN SPECIALISTS Brightfinch aims to deliver hands on consultancy and training support to business looking to optimise their customs and international trade procedures.

We specialise in Authorised Economic Operator, Customs Warehousing, Customs Declarations, Inward and Outward Processing, Excise Regimes, Import tax reliefs and Brexit planning.

TRAI N I N G | AU THORI SATI ONS | CONSULTANCY | COM P LIANCE & AUD IT ING | BREXIT P LANNING We offer an initial free telephone consultation to ensure we are in a position to assist your business.

0114 321 0165 brightfinch.com

Connect with us

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INTERNATIONAL FOCUS ON

The ScaleUp 360 programme provides tailored support to entrepreneurs and start-ups with the ambition and potential to scale up their business. unLTD spoke to Loro Crisps and Learn to Re-create, two businesses who, with ScaleUp 360 support, are reaching out across the world Loro Crisps After meeting in Sheffield while studying, Natalia Welch and Daniela Orrego decided to bring a healthier alternative to traditional potato crisps from their home country Colombia with Loro’s vegan and glutenfree crisps made from the plantain fruit.

Daniela told unLTD: “Since the beginning of our journey we have been working closely with the Department of International Trade (DIT). Early this year, we visited Dubai as part of the Northern Powerhouse Trade Mission and were able to approach international stockists, securing our first export deal.

DIT organised meetings for us and we are launching with Spinneys and Choithrams grocery delivery in the UAE in November this year.”

Natalia and Daniela have participated in several meet the buyer events organised by DIT and met a Japanese buyer. They will launch their crisps in Japan in April next year.

Daniela added: “It has been challenging as we have had to adapt our product and recipe to be able to comply with these specific market requirements.

“We have always been

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THE WIDE RANGE OF LORO CRISP FLAVOURS

worldly and aware of the size of the market worldwide.

Our product is originally from Colombia, we are a British brand, we are very diverse and interested in exploring the opportunities for our products reaching as many markets and people as possible.

“The opportunities in the international market for us are

IN THE LEARN TO RE-CREATE STUDIO

essential because the interest for British brands and interesting products is growing. We want to actively explore and make the most of this as an opportunity.”

Learn to Re-create Learn to Re-create provides fashion and textiles product manufacture training to individuals at home and

overseas. Their training enables participants to set-up a business, to progress to further learning, take up an apprenticeship position or volunteer.

Olusola McKenzie said: “We are delivering a project working in collaboration with partners in Sweden and Portugal.

“We have designed an online course titled ‘Fashion Production and Creative Enterprise (FPCE)’ which trains learners from all project countries in garment and textile production and enterprise development.

“It is important to identify good partners when considering new markets. It is also important that businesses complete a due diligence exercise which involves getting to know the country, the people’s culture and their business approach as this will guide both parties’ expectations.”

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QUESTION YOUR THINKING

THEPAINOFCHANGE Sheffield-based training provider, Whyy? Change, reveals their 10-month journey of the pain they went through when COVID-19 struck – and how they were able to change This is our year Having entered 2020 with securing our long-held status on the Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers (RoATP) we went seeking new opportunities for our apprenticeship and commercial offering. February saw our training centre fill up with our latest intake of new apprentices and we signed our first Skills Bank deal. Business was on the up, and you can probably guess what happened next…

You don’t survive without action Change is difficult, even for a company with change in the title, but circumstances meant this change couldn’t be avoided. Do we give up? Do we keep moving forward? And how do we keep moving?

In truth, it’s all about the fundamentals. Challenge everything, plan a roadmap, manage the cash-flow, negotiate with everyone, and look after your wellbeing.

CEO Ray Byrne said: “This was a time of lockdown and being able to visit the office, even with all the power turned off, created the space to focus on solving the business problems.

This really saved my mental health.”

Surviving, but what now?

It’s late April and we are feeling calm in the storm. The plan is on track, but where to go?

Do we stick? Or do we pivot?

You do both but first you take a ‘sledge-hammer’ to every resource and ask: a) Is the current website fit for purpose? b) How do we increase our revenue? c) Is the training centre an asset or an anchor? d) How do we find the talent needed?

All terrific questions, but really, they all follow on from the question of questions. If you believe, are you willing to commit? Well we are, we did and we will.

Whyy? 2.0 is born It’s July, and we have committed to a new website and invested in a new hybrid classroom setup, where Ray can still partake in his love of whiteboards and Post-it notes – while engaging with the learners via a high-powered webcam and a giant screen through Zoom. Two interns

joined us who will be focused on our communication strategy. Investment in making Whyy? HQ COVID-secure was a priority and we welcomed back our learners.

What comes next We enter September at pace.

In July, we couldn’t foresee making the internship position permanent, but when you work with exceptional talent you find a way. Welcome to the team, Matt Trueman.

(Read more about Matt’s appointment on page 10). We also concluded the partnership agreement with Bureau Veritas to deliver all their Quality HSE training programme.

That brings us to today.

Our story isn’t unique. It isn’t spectacular, but it is real. We look forward to introducing the team and their journey.

By the time this edition of unLTD magazine hits the street, our new website should be live, check it out - whyychange.com.

We welcome any feedback, so get in touch!

We’ve also been awarded the competitive tender by Skills Bank to deliver Lean6 - Yellow Belt training to businesses in the Sheffield City Region with savings of over £750 per learner.

RAY BYRNE CEO AT WHYY? CHANGE

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The region talks about there being too few opportunities to fulfil their potential, ‘whyy’ not join us on the Skills Bank funded course on problem solving? Give us a call 0114 400 0077

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INTERNATIONAL ADVERTORIAL

For any small or medium sized business, starting to export from scratch can seem overwhelming. A group of Sheffield City Region MDs set up the International Trade Forum in 2005 and here the ITF’s Peter Edwards and Alastair Morris share how the forum is helping local firms including manufacturer Lidsters Lidsters is a family-owned cutting tool manufacturer operating in a purpose-built factory at Killamarsh. By investing in state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment, they have become one of the largest and foremost drill manufacturers in the UK. To expand their business further and keep pace with international competitors they realised the need to grow their export sales.

For SMEs, starting from scratch to try and export to a country they have never even been to can seem insurmountable. Even accessing the help available can be a time-consuming and overwhelming task.

There are so many different things on offer from multiple government and commercial organisations that it can be hard to know what is relevant.

Furthermore, there is no spare capacity from the day-to-day running of the business.

For that reason, a group of managing directors in the Sheffield City Region formed the International Trade Forum (ITF) in 2005. They recognised that they could help each other by pooling their collective knowledge about international markets.

When an opportunity in a new market arises, or a great potential is spotted, members of the forum have a readymade network of similar sized businesses, some of whom have already trodden the same road.

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RICHARD AND SARAH LIDSTER ATTENDING METALEX IN BANGKOK

The group runs run regular events for its members, focused on specific markets with the most potential. They give an overview of the market, highlight common pitfalls and opportunities and signpost the relevant contacts and support bodies.

Having attended an ITF event focusing on South East Asia in 2019, Lidsters took the opportunity to exhibit overseas for the very first time with the aim of raising

their profile in the region and finding a suitable distributor of their products. They joined an ITF-led trade visit to Metalex in Bangkok, Thailand and exhibited on the Made in Sheffield stand. Metalex is the largest machine tool and metalworking exhibition in the ASEAN region.

Exhibiting overseas for the first time was somewhat daunting, so the support that fellow members of the ITF gave was especially useful

in the areas of promotional materials relevant to the exhibition and advice regarding key areas to focus on in relation to providing congruent information for potential customers.

While in Bangkok they attended an event organised by the British Chamber of Commerce and met with representatives of companies who were working in the region. As a result of attending the exhibition, Lidsters identified two potential distributors in Thailand and a further distributor in New Zealand. Interest in distributing Lidster's products was also expressed by companies in China, Korea and UAE. Because the ITF is run by its own members, they decide where to focus, depending on their own business opportunities. The specific type of support that is needed by a business can be sought from amongst the other members and their networks, such as introductions to suitable distributors or guidance on where to get help.

Even when travel was restricted during lockdown, the group adapted its service and promoted innovative ways to develop export strategies remotely, such as virtual trade missions and online one-toone meetings. They were also able to help members with the in-depth application process for the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise for International Trade.

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ADVERTORIAL

TRADING POST-BREXIT Businesses looking to trade internationally need guidance, now more than ever with Brexit looming. Brightfinch’s Claire Dalton gives unLTD’s Chris Coates an overview of the challenges faced by manufacturers and wholesalers when importing and exporting – and shares the solutions available to trading efficiently and minimising import taxes If a business is importing or exporting goods, what does it need to have in place?

“Businesses will need an EORI number, and the correct commercial documentation such as a commercial invoice

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and packing list. An EORI number is a unique ID code used by customs authorities to identify a trader for customs purposes.

“In order for goods to cross the border, a customs

declaration, which details goods being imported and exported, must be submitted.

Completing one is complex and requires software to access the HMRC IT system, so many traders appoint an

agent to do it on their behalf.

When importing goods, after the customs declaration has been cleared any import VAT or customs duty must be accounted for before the goods can be released from customs

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ADVERTORIAL control. When exporting, an export customs declaration must be completed and receive clearance before the goods can leave the UK.” What challenges do manufacturers face when trading goods?

“When manufacturers are importing materials they use to make products, they will have to pay the import taxes mentioned above before they can access those goods. However, once they have used the materials to make products which they may potentially re-export, it is difficult to get a refund on those import taxes.

“In this scenario, we help clients implement Inward Processing. It allows traders to avoid paying customs duty or import VAT on those materials if they are processed and re-exported within an agreed timeframe, typically three to 12 months.

This means that if the manufacturer re-exports those goods, no customs duty or import VAT is ever paid.

“If the processed goods are being sold in the UK, the trader will have to pay the customs duty and import VAT when they are cleared to home use. However, there are still tax saving opportunities as we can often base this calculation on the new commodity code following processing, which may have a lower duty rate.

“Inward Processing must be applied for and requires accurate record-keeping and regular reporting to HMRC, which is where we can help manufacturers wanting to use it to make sure they are following the regulations correctly.

“Manufacturers must also keep up to date with new trade agreements and provide the evidence required for their overseas customers to claim reduced import duty upon arrival at the destination country. We help clients obtain approved and registered exporter status, minimising the paperwork required and ensuring the landed cost of their goods is competitive in overseas markets.”

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HOLLY TONGE, LEFT AND CLAIRE DALTON OF BRIGHTFINCH

What options are available for wholesalers and the retail industry?

“To avoid paying customs duty and import VAT, wholesalers and retailers can take advantage of Customs Warehousing. This means that goods can be stored in a customs approved warehouse in order to delay paying those import taxes, and there is no time limit for the storage of the goods. Unlike inward processing, goods stored in a customs warehouse are subject to limited forms of handling. However, it gives wholesalers and retailers time to decide if the goods will be sold in the UK or re-exported.

If sold in the UK, they are cleared to home use and import taxes are accounted for. However, if they are subsequently sold outside the UK, a re-export from customs control discharges the import tax liability so no import tax is ever paid.

“The unlimited storage time period of Customs Warehousing improves cash flow for traders as they can delay or avoid paying import taxes, and it means that stock is readily available for distribution without decisions about where it is going to be exported to needing to be made within a time limit.

“The same record-keeping, reporting and application requirements apply as with Inward Processing, so we work with wholesalers and retailers to set up and manage Customs Warehousing for them.”

Are these solutions available to traders post-Brexit?

“When we leave the EU, and regardless of whether we reach a trade deal, the regulations which currently apply to countries outside the EU will come into effect for all EU member states meaning that customs declarations will be required for goods in the UK and the EU. If no trade deal is reached, duty and import VAT must be paid by UK and EU importers.

“If traders who currently only trade within the EU are worried about the future, Inward Processing and Customs Warehousing are two options they may not be aware of.

“Despite the uncertainty over a trade deal, it still pays to plan as far ahead as possible for post-Brexit trading. We can support businesses who are assessing their options and help them establish what solutions are available to them to minimise the financial impact of Brexit on their trading.”

Are there any new facilities being introduced to help traders post-Brexit?

“From January 2021, Postponed VAT Accounting is being introduced by the UK Government so the import VAT no longer needs to be accounted for at the time of import, and can instead be offset during their normal VAT return.

“There are also phased controls for UK imports, the most significant being that a UK import customs declaration can be deferred for up to six months, providing the trader or agent holds the correct authorisation to permit this.

In addition, goods subject to import health or plant controls will not apply to most movements until April, with only full controls imposed by the UK Government from July 2021.”

About Brightfinch Brightfinch was established in 2018 by Holly Tonge, who was already well established in the supply chain consulting industry.

Brightfinch aims to deliver a refreshing approach to businesses looking for hands on assistance with customs authorisations, compliance and training.

The company operates nationwide from offices in Sheffield and Crewe, and works closely with the Institute of Export and the Chamber of Commerce.

As a small consultancy, the firm offers personal service while being supported by a wide network of associates in order to find the best solutions for your business.

Brightfinch offers a free initial telephone consultation to find out what your business needs are and how they can assist you.

To set up a consultation, contact the Sheffield office on 0114 3210165.

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ADVERTORIAL ADVERTORIAL

MOVING THE BENCHMARK RECRUITMENT CONSULTANCY ANNOUNCES PROMOTION AND NEW HQ During a period of significant growth for the Sheffield recruitment consultancy, Benchmark has promoted Rebecca Morris to MD. Here the team share with unLTD their exciting growth plans – including opening the doors to a new HQ!

THE BENCHMARK TEAM, L TO R: ELLIE LANGLEY, LOUISA HARRISON-WALKER, REBECCA MORRIS, LEE HARTLE

Benchmark has announced a promotion and a new office space as part of continued growth plans for the Sheffield recruitment consultancy.

After seven years with the company, Benchmark has promoted Rebecca Morris to the role of managing director.

Becca joined Benchmark as a trainee consultant, and her talent and passion for recruitment has led to her building a driven team and taking the company into its ambitious next phase.

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Louisa Harrison-Walker, founder of Benchmark, has moved into a Chair role where she will continue to advise on overall business strategy.

Louisa will be balancing this with her interim directorship at Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and other community civic roles.

Here is what she had to say about the changes: “I’m so proud of the way the team has developed over the years.

I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to continue to support and develop them as

individuals whilst giving them a stake in the business and a key position in the driving seat going forward.”

As part of the company’s next phase, Benchmark have also announced a new residency within newly refurbished Wizu Workspace at 32 Eyre Street.

Becca said: “I am delighted to be working with such an amazing and dedicated team and thrilled to be taking Benchmark into its next chapter as we move to our new home and strengthen our

relationships with clients and candidates.

“I look forward to improving on our already excellent service which will continue to be our top priority as we support local businesses and candidates to strengthen the economy through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.”

For more information about Benchmark visit benchmarkrecruit.co.uk or call the new office number 0114 4339 056.

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ADVERTORIAL LAUNCHPAD

AFFINITY 2020 CIC Charlotte Elliott, CEO of Affinity 2020 CIC, shares her team’s mission to support care experienced young people locally through sustainable growth and collaboration – and how Launchpad has been ‘instrumental’ in the rapid development of the organisation Tell us about your company?

Affinity 2020 CIC works with care experienced young people in Rotherham. Affinity 2020 was created by three experienced educational leaders, who want to tackle the gaps in support for care experienced people.

When did you first decide to start up on your own and what inspired you?

As both a dyslexic person and a foster sister, I understand the challenges traditional schooling can present.

Barbra Crawshaw is a trained foster carer and special educational needs leader from one of the most disadvantaged areas in Rotherham and knows how opportunities can change lives. Sam Kirtly is an educational leader who as a young child secured a top scholarship to an independent school, which helped launch her own educational journey out of disadvantage.

Our collective experiences inspired us to conceive Affinity 2020 in September 2019, with an appetite to support care experienced young people locally. To date, we have collaborated with 15 partners and worked with more than 120 young people through our different projects. COVID has not blocked our work in supporting young people. We are very proud to have secured

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provide £1000 of cultural and leadership opportunities for care experienced young people in Rotherham, by 2030. We wish to grow sustainably, keeping at the heart of our work collaboration not competition with all local and national partners.

CHARLOTTE ELLIOTT, CEO OF AFFINITY 2020 CIC

over £41,000 in funding for our work to date.

How has Launchpad helped you?

Launchpad has been instrumental in the rapid development of the organisation from concept to reality. The workshops that are on offer from Launchpad really supported us in drilling down and creating our business model, which is rooted in social change.

Each unit was specifically tailored around growing a new business. Our business coach

Julia Millea is exceptional – her knowledge of developing business concepts into the startup stage demonstrates true excellence. One-to-one support from Julia helped us shape our products and services, which has continued as we are growing.

Julia is skilled in business coaching truly understanding how to work with innovators.

I would recommend the programme to anyone who has a concept they want to explore.

What are your hopes and aims for the business?

Our audacious goal is to

Launchpad advisor Julia Millea said: “It’s been a pleasure working with the Affinity 2020 team and it’s no surprise to see them making such a promising start. They’ve worked hard to turn their initial ideas into a unique offer, making the most of the broad range of free specialist support available through the Launchpad programme.

“Starting and growing a business is not easy and that’s why the Launchpad programme was created. Part funded by the European Regional Development Fund and our partners means there is no cost to the entrepreneur, so we can get straight to work on turning those dreams into reality.

“Stop dreaming and do it. Contact us for information now on 03330 00 00 39 or email growthhub@ sheffieldcityregion.org.uk.”

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ADVERTORIAL

OUR LOCKDOWN HERO, CAPTAIN TOBIAS

RAISED £150,000!

David Vernon-Edwards, director of The Children's Hospital Charity, shares how lockdown hero Tobias Weller’s ‘remarkable determination and generosity of spirit’ in his marathons has touched the hearts of people around the world

Back in April when everything changed, when only key workers went to work and the rest remained at home and we were encouraged to go out once a day for exercise, nine-year-old Tobias Weller decided to use his daily exercise to make a big difference.

Tobias has cerebral palsy and autism and before he started his challenge could only manage 50 metres with his walker, but he was soon able to cover 750 metres a day and his determination captured the hearts of the nation.

Over the past seven months Tobias has completed two marathons, walking (and running!) the length of his street, cheered on by his friends and neighbours.

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He has become a media sensation and has been interviewed on news channels across the country, even making an appearance on ITV’s This Morning with Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes!

Tobias initially set out to raise £500 to be split between The Children’s Hospital Charity and Paces school. But, thanks to his incredible efforts, cheeky personality and inspirational challenge he has raised a whopping £150,000 in total.

David VernonEdwards, director of The Children's Hospital Charity

added: “Tobias’ remarkable determination and generosity of spirit in completing his two lockdown marathons has touched the hearts and inspired people not only in Sheffield, but across the country and around the world.

Being joined by our charity patron and Olympic Gold medallist Jessica Ennis-Hill for

the final stretch of his second marathon was a fitting finale for his summer of hard work.

"We're very proud of him and all the staff at Sheffield Children's, whose excellent care continues to help children like Tobias to pursue their dreams every day. The £150,000 raised for Paces School and the hospital is a phenomenal achievement and we're so thankful to everyone who has supported the effort over the last six months.”

If Tobias’ incredible story has inspired you to do your own fundraising for Sheffield Children’s Hospital please contact The Children’s Hospital Charity by emailing fundraising@tchc.org.uk or call 0114 321 2470.

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CHARITIES

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO TACKLE LONELINESS AFTER COVID RESTRICTIONS A Sheffield charity providing support to isolated older people has been forced to pause its flagship antiloneliness service, due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Sheffield Churches Council for Community Care (SCCCC) still needs volunteers to provide remote support to help the thousands of older people now facing a long winter alone.

SCCCC will still be taking referrals for those needing additional support at home, as well as its Hospital to Home, and A&E to Home schemes which will continue

to run as normal.

CEO Mark Storey said: “It is with a heavy heart we need to pause our Good Neighbours Scheme once more, but the priority remains to keep our service users and volunteers safe.

“We also, like previously, still need to deliver our key services and reduce isolation and loneliness in our older community. Whilst our telephone service isn’t the same as face-to-face visits, a friendly phone call and pen pal letters and cards should provide a welcome comfort in these ever-changing times.

SHEFFIELD CHURCHES COUNCIL PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR OLDER PEOPLE

“We will restart our service once the government and local authority deems it is

safe. But in the meantime, we are still here for support for those who need it.”

Make Your Mark UK to team up with Mums In Need as Charity of the Year a tough job for the judging panel. We wanted to choose a

Make Your Mark UK has chosen Sheffield-based charity Mums In Need as the consultancy’s charity of the year.

Mums In Need (MIN) works on confronting coercive control by supporting mums and their children who have left emotionally or mentally

abusive relationships who are looking to rebuild their lives.

Make Your Mark UK is a training, coaching and consultancy helping businesses and charities to be better.

Mark Smith of Make Your Mark UK said: “We had a great response to our call out for nominations which made it

MARK SMITH

small charity where we could really help make a difference.”

Laura Riley, founder and CEO of Mums In Need said: “This really is amazing. We haven’t ever been nominated as a charity of the year before and so we are absolutely delighted to work with Make Your Mark UK.”

Barnsley College joins forces to build a brighter future Barnsley College and Barnsley Sixth Form College are joining forces with charity Chilypep to make a brighter future for the community by donating the colour from the front of new course guides to raise awareness of both mental health and mindfulness.

Chilypep promote the rights, wellbeing and opportunities of all young people across South Yorkshire.

Emma Manser, participation project worker, said: “We put the children and young people we work for at the

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heart of everything we do.

We have had the privilege to work with staff and students from Barnsley College over the

last five years thanks to our funding from Barnsley Clinical Commissioning Group.”

Yiannis Koursis, Principal

and Chief Executive at Barnsley College, added: “We believe good health and wellbeing is essential for anyone to achieve their goals. We have a dedicated and award-winning team of people who make sure students are supported to lead healthy and happy lives.

“Our aim is to make a brighter future for our community. We have taken a small step by donating the colour from the front cover of our course guides to raise awareness of both mental health and mindfulness.”

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AFTER HOURS

ALTERNATIVE WINTER

WANDERINGS This year has not been the easiest, and the opportunity to celebrate Christmas as fully as we can and get out and about – or online – for events during the winter months, despite the current circumstances, is one that few will turn down. unLTD’s Allie Dransfield, Sasha Mossman and Jill Theobald spoke to a number of organisations to see how they will be welcoming guests and customers in a COVID safe way as the year draws to a close

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AFTER HOURS

LIGHT SHOW CREATED BY LUXMURALIS ARTISTIC COLLABORATION (2019)

SHEFFIELD CATHEDRAL Although this winter seems to be a particularly tough one, there will still plenty of opportunities to celebrate the festive period in the Sheffield City Region.

Starting December 1, the Christmas Tree Festival is a chance to visit the Cathedral with your loved ones from your household (within goverment COVID guidelines), to see a range of different Christmas trees, lovingly decorated by local charities, schools and businesses.

In the spirit of giving, the trees will all be sponsored by local businesses – including unLTD! Visitors can vote for their favourite decorated tree, in which two winners will be chosen from the not-for-profit and corporate

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sponsors. The winners of the not-for-profit category will receive a cash prize, and the corporate winner will receive a donation to a charity of their choice.

The festival will take the current situation into great consideration, with social distancing and the usual COVID restrictions to apply for the duration of the events.

Ben Rossi, development manager at the Cathedral, said: “For us, we see the festival as something for the local community – from businesses and non-profits to schools and the general public. It’s an excuse to come together in a place of reflection and tranquility and it’s an opportunity to spend time on yourself.

“It’s the first year the Cathedral has hosted a festival like this, and provided this

year goes well, we’re hoping to make it an annual tradition.

We want to bring Christmas joy and cheer to people’s lives, especially after the year we’ve all had. By all getting involved, we’re aiming to kickstart the New Year with a bit of positivity.”

The Cathedral is giving businesses who’ve chosen to sponsor a tree the chance to send a message to the visitors.

Ben continued: “A lot of these businesses are already opting to use this opportunity to send a prayer, or a message of hope to the people of Sheffield.”

“Sponsoring a tree is a fantastic way for the business community to get involved in something that means they can ‘give back’ to Sheffield.

We’d love to get as many trees sponsored as we can before

Christmas – our target would be to have around 30 taken by members of the local community. There’s been lots of interest. We’re received pledges of support for nearly half the trees already.”

For every tree, there’ll be a small donation made in the business’ name to the Sheffield Children’s Hospital Charity.

Once the event has finished, the Cathedral aims to dispose of the trees in an environmentally conscious way, by having them chipped so they can be re-used elsewhere in the future.

Renting a tree costs £250 for corporate businesses and £75 for not-for-profits (including schools). Please email Ben Rossi if you are interested in taking part: ben.rossi@ sheffield-cathedral.org.uk

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Christmas Tree Festival December 2020

For more information visit www.sheffieldcathedral.org

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AFTER HOURS FRENCHGATE SHOPPING CENTRE Christmas 2020 is just around the corner – however at Frenchgate Shopping Centre in Doncaster planning starts months ahead of the big day.

Karen Staniforth, assistant general manager at Frenchgate said: “As soon as Father Christmas starts to put his feet up and the decorations are put away we are busy analysing our stats from the festive period.

“The planning then begins just as the first daffodils of Spring are making an appearance and when the sun comes out in early summer we are all ready to go with the plans in place.

“This year however, things have been different to say the least. Forward planning whilst in the midst of a global pandemic and with rules changing so frequently, has made it increasingly hard to make plans.

“As we all know Christmas in the retail sector is big business,

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indeed the three months leading up to 25 December are often referred to as the ‘golden quarter’ – as a large part of a retailer’s annual sales and profits occurs in these three months before the big day.

“With the majority of retailers having had to close their doors throughout the national lockdown period, many will be reliant on the forthcoming festive period in order to survive.

“Over the recent months we have worked tirelessly as a Centre to implement all the measures required in order to keep our customers and staff safe. We have even introduced our very own COVID Codes of Conduct which we ask customers to adhere to while they are in the Centre.

“We are all aware that we must wear a mask while we shop and adhere to social distancing measures and I

I know times are tough and we may all be spending less this year, but let’s ensure we still get out there and support our local high street and independent retailers – they really do need it this year more than ever.

fully acknowledge that things feel a little different out when you are shopping on your local high street or in a shopping centre, but we must support our retailers or we risk losing them.

Retail is Britain’s largest private sector employer, employing more than 3 million people – that accounts for 10 per cent of UK employment. In addition to this figure are the seasonal jobs that the festive period brings to the sector.

“While online shopping may be convenient, we strive to deliver a multi-sensory Christmas shopping experience at Frenchgate. By physically going into stores you will see more of what they have to offer and could find a gift or treat for yourself that you would have never discovered online.

The Christmas music, festive lights displays and a wave to Santa in his Grotto all add to the experience as well. Indeed, with the further measures that have been introduced retail therapy may be the only leisure break we get.

“Despite working in retail, I still absolutely love going Christmas shopping and finding that perfect gift for the most difficult person on my list to buy for – we’ve all got one, haven’t we?! With Christmas shopping this year we are all going to have to be a bit more organised.

“I know times are tough and we may all be spending less this year, but let’s ensure we still get out there and support our local high street and independent retailers – they really do need it this year more than ever.”

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AFTER HOURS SHEFFIELD DIGITAL FESTIVAL The Sheffield Digital Festival is happening between November 16-22 and will showcase the city region’s creative and digital industries through a range of virtual events and experiences.

Originally planned for May this year, the Festival was moved to autumn and the format was reshaped in order to be ‘lockdown proof’. So, whatever local restrictions South Yorkshire is under during the week of the event, all experiences are accessible to everyone either outdoors or from the comfort of home.

The Festival does however have a distinct theme of exploration and discovery, with the aim of encouraging people to rediscover everything our city and region has to offer, through a digital medium.

Festival partners, Field and Sheffield Digital, are doing this in two ways. There is an Augmented Reality (AR) App. People can download and use this while making their way along ‘trails’ in Sheffield and Barnsley, to discover exclusive digital content at specific venues.

You won’t have to go into the venues and if COVID-19 measures prevent you from visiting the physical locations, content will be made available on the Sheffield Digital Festival website.

There is also a busy calendar of virtual Festival ‘fringe’ events, hosted by different individuals and companies from Sheffield City Region’s digital industries. This includes webinars, workshops and live Twitter Q&As, which can all be found on the Festival calendar: sheffielddigitalfestival.com/ events.

Sheffield Digital director Mel Kanarek, explains: “COVID-19 has brought the need for digital technologies into sharp focus, and members of Sheffield Digital have been integral to helping many companies and communities adapt and survive. The Festival will showcase what our digital industries can do, but also Sheffield City Region and the amazing museums, exhibitions, colleges and universities that we have.

“We are aligned with the ‘Make Yourself at Home’ initiative and share the ambition of getting our city and surrounding towns moving again, while maintaining the habits and solutions that are keeping us safe. The Festival will enable exploration and discovery for everyone – whether you choose to stay home or to get

out and about in a safe way using the App, you can see what our creative and digital industries have to offer.”

The Festival has attracted support from sponsors including The Sheffield College, and technology and engineering consultancy, BJSS. Barnsley’s new innovation campus, The Seam – which brings together the two Digital Media Centres and Barnsley College’s Digital Innovation Hub – is headline sponsor.

Get involved Check out sheffielddigitalfestival. com to discover what virtual events are happening and follow the Festival on social media with the hashtag: #sheffielddigitalfestival to stay up to date and to download the App when it is launched.

SOME OF THE SPEAKERS AT THE 2019 'MAIN EVENT'

SHOWROOM Lesley Ellerby, Showroom assistant marketing manager said: “Christmas is about enjoying great food, drink and entertainment in the company of your loved ones. During such extraordinary times, it means much more today to celebrate the festive period with those closest to you.

“This year, we’ve adapted our usual Christmas offering to a smaller more intimate affair to allow your household or support

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bubble to enjoy a delicious festive meal prepared by us.

“Our four-course Christmas menu will be available throughout December and will served in our friendly Showroom Café Bar. Take a look at our menu – www.showroomworkstation .org.uk/xmas-2020 “To complete your outing, we will be screening a Christmas film programme to help you escape and get into the festive spirit. Films to be announced soon!”

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