unLTD. Connecting business across Sheffield City Region #69

DEC 2023 | ISSUE 69 | FREE UNLTDBUSINESS.COM

AND THE WINNER IS… UNLTD BUSINESS AWARDS CELEBRATES THE BEST IN THE REGION! AWARDS SPECIAL WHAT A NIGHT! FIND OUT WHO WON WHAT INSIDE

THE CURIOUS NOTHERNER THE BUSINESS MAKING A DIFFERENCE THROUGH LIFE COACHING

LISA POGSON ON BUILDING A SUCCESSFUL CAREER IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

PLUS… NEWS, INTERVIEWS, APPOINTMENTS, OPINION AND MORE…

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Contents

@UNLTDBUSINESS UNLTD BUSINESS UNLTDBUSINESS

EDITORIAL EDITOR Joe Food

ON THE COVER...

26: THE UNLTD BUSINESS AWARDS ‘23 The inaugural unLTD Business Awards headed to Peddler Warehouse last month, celebrating the best SMEs and micro-businesses from across the region. We revisit an incredible evening and bring you reaction from all the winners!

14: LIGHTBULB MOMENT In our monthly exploration of the stories behind South Yorkshire businesses, unLTD caught up with Steve Lenagh, the founder of The Curious Northerner – a provider of confidence and mindset coaching.

We delved into what motivated him to transition from a career in the police force to life coaching.

20: GAME ON (SUSTAINABLY) With the festive season serving as a peak time for buying and playing video games, Sumo’s Grace Johnson reflects on an important question: how frequently do we pause to reflect on the environmental footprint of our gaming experience, and what can we do to be more sustainable?

48: ON BRAND After being acquired earlier this year by a national taxi operator, we interviewed Arnie Singh, the original founder of City Taxis and the current Regional Managing Director at Veezu, to delve into life after the rebrand.

52: HAVE LUNCH WITH For this month’s business chat and chow-down, Ash Birch headed to Joni in the Botanical Gardens to meet Chris Burns, the founder of Sheffield-based recruitment firm Ardeta Search.

Joe@unltdbusiness.com

ONLINE EDITOR Ash Birch

Ash@unltdbusiness.com

COLUMN EDITOR Olivia Warburton

olivia@unltdbusiness.com

VIDEO CONTENT CREATOR Lizzy Capps lizzy@unltdbusiness.com

DESIGN Marc Barker ADVERTISING Phil Turner

phil@unltdbusiness.com 07979 498 034

Nick Hallam

nick@exposedmagazine.co.uk 07843 483536

FINANCE Lis Ellis accounts@ exposedmagazine.co.uk CONTRIBUTORS

AWARDS SEASON HAS ARRIVED!

Charlotte Cassells

The unLTD Business Awards held at Peddler Warehouse last month was the perfect way to cap off a buzzing 2023. We handed out 20 prizes in all – for a whole heap of SMEs from across a wide range of sectors – to celebrate their achievements in the last 12 months. So massive congrats to all nominees and winners and we hope you enjoy reading about who won what and what they had to say about it in our big awards special which starts on page 26.

Elsewhere we celebrate some somewhat younger high achievers – The Big Challenge runs every year and encourages school kids in years 7-9 to start their own enterprises – and on page 46 you can hear from some of the business that are involved and how it benefits them.

We also have lunch with Chris Burns of recruitment experts Ardeta Search on page 52 and hear from former policeman and pro footballer Steve Lenagh, AKA the Curious Northerner, about his reasons for starting up his mindset coaching business.

With lots of news, charity updates, appointments and general info from the region’s business community, it all makes for another packed edition of unLTD. See you in 2024.

Ryan Connolly Jo Davison Rachael Flintoft Ross Jarman Becca Morris Tim Renshaw Laura Stead Wendy Ward Jill White

unLTD is published monthly by Blind Mice Media Ltd Unit 1B Rialto, 2 Kelham Island Sq., Kelham Riverside, Sheffield S3 8SD The views contained herein are not necessarily those of Blind Mice Media Ltd 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 cannot take responsibility for contributors’ views or specific listings.

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5

HIRING AN ACCOUNTANCY OR FINANCE APPRENTICE? GET APPLYING FOR INCENTIVE FUNDING! Applications for the increased incentive payment for hiring a new apprentice are now open.

The team at First Intuition tell unLTD readers more.

Following the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s announcement in April, employers will receive £3,000 for eligible apprentices of any age who start employment from 1 April 2021 to 30 September 2021.

You can apply for incentive payments for these apprentices from 1 June 2021 to 30 November 2021.

The incentive payment is in addition to the £1,000 employers already receive for hiring an apprentice:

• Aged 16 to 18 or • Under 25 with an education, health, and care plan or who has been in the care of their local authority.

Apprentices will have an additional two months after the deadline of 30 September 2021 (until 30 November 2021) to start their training programme – this is to allow for probationary periods and sign-up processes to occur.

Furthermore, employers will also receive a National Insurance exemption if the apprentice is aged under 25 and a 95 per cent subsidy of the training costs (if not paying via the apprenticeship levy). Levy

paying employers can utilise their levy pots.

Applications for the increased incentive payment for hiring a new apprentice are now open.

Level 2, 3, 4 and 7 Apprenticeship schemes for the AAT, ACCA, CIMA, ICAEW,

CTA and ATT Qualifications are covered for the incentive payment.

If you are looking to recruit an apprentice into your Finance Team, then we can help.

Contact Sheffield@fi.co.uk for more info.

The Accountancy Employers Guide Trainees and new staff need as much support as possible to ease them into work over the next year.

The Accountancy Employers Guide provides links to relevant resources on trainee recruitment, onboarding, pre-start resources, employability skills, apprenticeship incentives, employer events, and hot topics.

The Accountancy Employers Guide is now available to access for free at www.firstintuition.co.uk/fihub/ accountancy-employers-guide/

AGENDA

FREELANCE SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER 1

IT’S NOT AS EASY AS IT SOUNDS

It involves a plethora of skills such as photography/ videography, copywriting, editing, analytical skills, marketing, community management, PR, design, sales, etc. While you don’t need to be the next Shakespeare, you do need to be able to write well, as you are responsible for representing your clients. And then you have to think about filing your own tax return and scaling your business on top of that!

2

EVERY CLIENT IS YOUR COLLEAGUE

Sure, you could just do your own thing, use stock images and AI to write generic captions. But better content and engagement comes from getting to know each of your clients properly, as though you’re part of their in-house team.

I try to chat with everyone involved with the business so I’m kept in the loop for any news or updates, and I regularly visit the venues I’m working with in person to capture my own content. Immersing myself into their world helps me understand their brand story, values and goals intimately. This connection allows me to tailor content that not only resonates with their audience but also aligns seamlessly with their brand.

3

YOU WORK EVEN WHEN YOU’RE ILL OR ON HOLIDAY

Being a freelancer means you get to decide when and how long you work for, which is great. But it also means that taking time off is not that straightforward, even when ill.

Understanding clients will allow you to take it easy for a couple of days, but it can be a tricky situation if you’re out of action for a longer period, as social media is something that needs to be regularly updated. I try to schedule content in advance when I know I’m going away, but part of being a social media

manager is keeping on top of comments and direct messages, so I’m often working whilst on holiday. It sounds inconvenient, but it’s well worth the trade for the freedom you get most of the time – work doesn’t feel like work when you’re sat on a sun lounger with a cocktail in hand!

4

THE ALGORITHM IS NOT YOUR FRIEND

5

ORGANISATION IS KEY

One day, your post might be a huge success and go viral; the next, you try the same strategy and it absolutely flops.

Staying updated on algorithm changes across various social media platforms can be useful, but it’s not the be-all and endall. It’s the unpredictable and constantly evolving rat race, and sometimes it’s not worth sacrificing creativity or authenticity for a few extra clicks. In my opinion, the ability to adapt, trend spot and experiment is more important.

Balancing multiple clients and keeping on top of numerous social media platforms whilst maintaining your own social (not media) life can be overwhelming. Things can get out of hand, and you might find yourself working from the moment you wake up until you go to sleep. Utilise tools/apps to schedule posts in advance, create reports and plan your content calendars. Also, sticking to a routine and developing self-discipline and practicing time management helps. This is probably my weakness, but nobody’s perfect, eh?

Kerre has been a freelance social media manager for 5+ years. Her niche is working with independent foodie businesses. She also runs her own business, Independent Sheffield, and a food blog on Instagram, @ theinsatiablefoodie.

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Agenda

SHEFFIELD CITY COUNCIL ADOPTS NEW FRAMEWORK TO BRING EVEN MORE MAJOR EVENTS TO THE CITY Following the success of the Women’s Euros and other major sporting events including British Swimming and European Para Table Tennis, Sheffield City Council’s Economic Development and Skills Committee voted to create a ‘proactive major events plan’ to bring more events to the city.

The events sector is a large contributor to the economy, with the Council having calculated that its major events programme from across 2022 was worth £25.6 million to the city’s economic success.

A study commissioned by The FA, UEFA and UK Sport found that as a host city of the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022, Sheffield benefited from an £8.3 million boost to the local economy.

Further analysis found that on the weekend of Sheffield’s opening fixture between the Netherlands and Sweden, city centre footfall increased by more than 10,000 and all of the city’s hotel rooms were fully booked.

Councillor Minesh Parekh, Labour lead for Economic Development, Culture and Skills, said: “Events are a cornerstone of our economic growth. The Council has a strong track record of bringing in some of the top events worldwide, including the Women’s Euros and Men’s

Rugby World Cup, as well as helping launch fantastic events like Tramlines.

“At a critical time for our hospitality sector, with businesses impacted by the pandemic and rising costs of fuel and inflation, we must do all we can to bolster footfall.

Hosting even more cultural, music and sporting events is one key way we can fill hotel rooms, bars and restaurant tables, and help our whole city thrive.

“Sheffield city centre is on the up – and we are ambitious to host major events, and

channel the benefits that brings back to our hospitality sector.”

At a committee meeting on 8th November, Cllr Parekh proposed the Committee look into how an even higher proportion of money from hosting events can be locked into the local economy and deliver benefits for local businesses.

At the same meeting, Councillors also took the decision to adopt a new Destination Management Plan, which looks to build a better and more productive visitor economy sector for the city.

Councillors also hope to increase the number of major conferences held in the city, with these already being associated with an estimated spend of £141.8m at local venues as of 2019.

Rotherham teen set for movie stardom, thanks to Wentworth Woodhouse Loui Goodinson dreamed of becoming an actor since childhood and now, with the help of Rotherham stately home Wentworth Woodhouse, the 19-yearold is now forging a TV and movie career on the other side of the camera.

Loui became a young filmmaker on the mansion’s first Young Creative Producers training programme in 2022, being one of ten local young people selected.

The scheme, run in conjunction with RMBC, aims to encourage young people to pursue opportunities in culture and the arts, ahead of the town becoming the 8

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first Children’s Capital of Culture in 2025.

Following his experience, Loui is now a freelance location assistant and has recently worked on the set of ITV’s Emmerdale and drama series The Bay. He said: “I’m determined to make this my career, and it’s all thanks to the Creative Producers programme.

“My mum told me about the programme and I knew I’d regret it for the rest of my life if I didn’t apply. I’d just gained a BTec Distinction in performing arts at Barnsley College, after wanting to be an actor from the age of six.

“The six-month programme taught me

things it would have taken three years at university to learn, like how to use a camera, the technical terminology, how to use lighting and sound and the editing process.

“It also dramatically improved my communication skills and made me much more

confident in expressing myself.”

Steve Ash, head of the Digital Volunteers Team at Wentworth Woodhouse, which runs the programme, said: “This was exactly the aim of the Children’s Capital of Culture project, to open people’s eyes to the career opportunities in the creative industries “Loui transformed himself, found his forte and grew in confidence and determination. We are so proud that he is taking everything he learned with us into his career.

“We hope to run more Creative Producer programmes before 2025.”

NIBS THREE UNITS REMAINING AT NEW SHEFFIELD CATALYST BUSINESS PARK Mirastar’s £60m industrial development Sheffield Catalyst is now complete. The scheme has already proved popular with just three units remaining, suitable for warehouse and distribution, general industrial and manufacturing.

NEW CONTRACTOR APPOINTED TO TRANSFORM CASTLEGATE

City Centre gift card gets a festive makeover The Sheffield City Centre Gift Card, managed by Sheffield Business Improvement District (BID), has received a ‘digital makeover’ in time for the crucial Christmas trading period.

To complement the physical card, Sheffield BID has introduced a digital version to lock more spend into the local area and support even more city-centre businesses.

The city centre gift card works in the same way as a store gift card but can be redeemed at a wide range of retailers, restaurants, leisure and entertainment venues across the city centre.

Where the physical cards need to be loaded in advance of being handed to their intended recipient, digital gift cards can be sent instantly, making them the perfect last-minute gifting solution.

Diane Jarvis, Head of Business Operations at Sheffield BID, said: “We’re really pleased to launch the digital version of our popular city centre gift card in time for Christmas 2023.

“Every card that is purchased is a statement of support for city centre businesses, and every penny that’s loaded onto one of our cards goes directly to supporting a business in the city centre or is ultimately reinvested in the wider city centre economy.

“It’s a genuine win-win for everyone, city centre businesses and visitors.”

The Sheffield City Centre Gift Card can be purchased via the Sheffield City Centre Gift Card website, www.sheffieldgiftcard. co.uk, and can be loaded with values between £10 and £500 with recipients having a minimum of 12 months to use the balance on their cards once they are activated.

A full list of businesses accepting the Sheffield City Centre Gift Card can also be found on the website.

Plans to transform the historic Catslegate areas in Sheffield city centre are a step closer to reality, with the appointment of lead contractor, Keltbray. Keltbray will deliver the regeneration project, turning the former Castle Market into a green public space, complete with revealing part of Sheffield’s medieval Castle, a new events area, the opening up of the River Sheaf and new artwork interpreting the site’s history.

FIELD RELOCATES TO PARK HILL Established Sheffield creative agency Field has relocated the iconic Park Hill redevelopment. The move signifies a pivotal moment in the agency’s history, embracing a space that embodies and inspires creativity. Field’s co-founders were focused on securing a space at Park Hill, not least because of the close proximity to key transport links, but also owing to its historical significance and architectural ingenuity.

MILLION-POUND GRANT AWARDED TO PARKWOOD SPRINGS Sheffield City Council’s plans for Parkwood Springs have been awarded more than £19 million as part of the latest round of investment from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund.

The plans will see Parkwood Springs transformed, further enhancing the Council’s ambition to create a Country Park in the city. The funding will allow for improvements such as a regional leisure destination on the site of the former ski slope, increasing active travel and public transport links and upgrading the paths and mountain bike trials, with a new bike hub and visitor centre.

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Agenda

Baby business now brighter than ever after repairing fire damage A much-loved Rotherham play space has reopened to families after it was wrecked in an arson attack last May. Bright Stars Play Space was opened by two teachers in 2021 as a sanctuary for new parents and their children, offering yoga classes, baby massage, sensory sessions and a much-needed place to relax.

The business and the families who frequent it were left heartbroken after a fire in an adjacent unit left toys, playmats and sensory items severely damaged.

Five months on, Bright Stars has been fully refurbished, with an updated comfy area downstairs for parents to enjoy coffee and cake, and for little ones to play.

Molly Doran, co-founder of Bright Stars Play Space, said: “It feels great to open bookings for our classes, invite everyone down and welcome people back.

“It is a busy time for us with sessions running, the play space downstairs open throughout the day and themed parties from Halloween up to Christmas.”

Caroline Austen, co-founder of Bright Stars Play Space, added: “We know how important the space is to people.

Yes, what we do is nice, relaxing, and creates some lovely memories for our families, but it is often more important than that.

It’s about mental health, creating a community, a place for parents to meet and create friendships and to talk without judgment.

It’s a perfect first outing for newborns.”

10 unLTDBUSINESS.COM

APPRENTICE WINNER HONOURED BY SHEFFIELD HALLAM UNIVERSITY Entrepreneur and winner of The Apprentice, Tim Campbell MBE, has received an honorary doctorate from Sheffield Hallam University in recognition of his contribution to business and enterprise.

Tim won series one of The Apprentice in 2005 and is the founder of his own social enterprise, Bright Ideas Trust, and co-author of one of Amazon’s Top 10 business books for 2010, What’s Your Bright Idea? He was awarded the MBE for Enterprise Culture in the 2012 New Year’s Honours List.

He said: “It’s an honour to be recognised by Sheffield Hallam, a university that works hard to promote social mobility by improving access to higher education for people from all backgrounds.

“I passionately believe that where you start in life should not determine your future and as one of the country’s most diverse universities, Sheffield Hallam is helping thousands of students each year to shape their futures.”

During the event, Tim discussed the ‘transformational impact The Apprentice had on his life’, overcoming imposter syndrome and issues with confidence and how to start out in business with limited resources and knowledge.

He added: “You just have to remember, if you don’t do it, somebody else will. So why shouldn’t it be you?”

Tim joined Zishi Cornerstone as Marketing Director in 2021 and has supported the company’s link with Sheffield Business School since then.

Zishi Cornerstone are an approved partner for the purposes of delivering financial markets teaching on two courses at Sheffield Business School.

Professor Conor Moss, Dean of the College of Business, Technology and Engineering at Sheffield Hallam University, said: “Tim’s journey has been anything but simple and straightforward. He has navigated challenges and obstacles along the way, but Tim persevered and now stands as an inspirational role model for our graduates.

“His life shows that you can find success if you take the knowledge and skills from your degree and go solve real problems. If you love what you do, spot issues you can fix, and seize opportunities when they come your way - you too can thrive just like Tim. He grasped every chance to grow and make a difference. And that drive and perseverance are what our graduates need to move forward in today’s world.”

South Yorkshire’s Thriving Food and Drink Manufacturing Sector Revealed: A Hidden Economic Powerhouse In a groundbreaking report commissioned by Sheffield Hallam University’s National Centre of Excellence for Food Engineering (NCEFE), the often-overlooked food and drink (F&D) manufacturing sector in South Yorkshire has emerged as a significant economic force, contributing a staggering £434 million to the local economy and sustaining 9,000 jobs across 170 businesses.

Despite its substantial impact, the F&D manufacturing sector has been overshadowed by the spotlight on high-tech industries in regional economic development strategies.

The report, unveiling a seven-year growth rate of 33%, surpassing digital, advanced manufacturing, low carbon, and health sectors, has ignited a call for greater attention and

strategic focus on this thriving industry.

The study underscores the untapped potential for further growth, with F&D manufacturing productivity in South Yorkshire currently at 40% for England. The productivity of workers in this sector rivals that of key targeted industries such as advanced manufacturing and digital, standing at an impressive £65,000 per worker.

The broader “agri-food” sector, encompassing agriculture, catering, retail, and wholesale, commands an astounding £1.58 billion in economic output and sustains 68,500 jobs in South Yorkshire alone, representing 11.6% of all employment in the region.

Moreover, the report identifies neighbouring regions with even more substantial concentrations of F&D manufacturing, suggesting the possibility

of developing critical mass and synergies across the wider region.

Amanda Johnston, Innovation Manager at NCEFE, emphasized the urgency for a strategic shift in focus, stating: “With high productivity, faster growth than peer sectors, and a substantial presence across the wider region, food and drink manufacturing warrants greater strategic focus locally.”

Johnston further highlighted the sector’s importance in the face of ongoing high food inflation, emphasizing the imperative to support and bolster this vital driver of jobs and growth in South Yorkshire.

NCEFE, situated in Attercliffe, has been at the forefront of driving innovation within the food industry since its inception in 2019. The centre’s vision is to achieve international recognition for excellence

in sustainable innovations for the global food system.

By addressing challenges such as productivity and sustainability, minimizing waste, reducing energy usage, and improving nutritional values, NCEFE aims to pave the way for the continued growth and success of the food and drink manufacturing sector.

The centre collaborates with leading regional, national, and international food and drink manufacturing businesses, including industry giants Nestle, Quorn, and Henderson’s Relish, on cutting-edge research and innovation projects. The partnerships are essential in propelling the sector forward and ensuring its resilience in the face of evolving challenges.

Find out more about NCEFE at www.shu. ac.uk/national-centreof-excellence-for-foodengineering

unLTDBUSINESS.COM 11

AGENDA

WELCOME NEWS FOR BUSINESS INVESTMENT AS THE CHANCELLOR FINALLY STARTS TO PLOT A ROUTE Doncaster Chamber has welcomed the Chancellor’s latest statement, applauding how it unveiled new measures to encourage business investment, to support SMEs and to help the UK transition to a modern, Net-Zero economy.

With inflation easing — albeit likely to remain high in the mid-term — and growth still sluggish, there was a palpable need to boost business confidence and support investment that will in turn promote recovery. In this respect, the Chamber network was at the forefront of lobbying for Government to back British business.

The Chancellor announced a number of business-friendly measure including the permanent retention of full expensing; a scheme

DONCASTER IS POISED TO BE AT THE CUTTING-EDGE OF HIGH TECHNOLOGY MANUFACTURING GROWTH, BOOSTED BY THE REOPENING OF OUR AIRPORT, SO WE URGE GOVERNMENT TO REMAIN COMMITTED TO FULLY SUPPORTING OUR AMBITIONS HERE. 12 unLTDBUSINESS.COM

that allows firms to offset capital investment against corporation tax, which is currently estimated to be worth £11bn per year. In addition to this, the statement also announced an extra £4.5bn funding to support green technology and manufacturing and £500m towards a network of innovation centres focused on building the UK’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities.

Elsewhere, changes in national insurance for the self-employed, simplified tax relief for R&D and the retention of business rate relief for the hospitality and retail sectors were also unveiled, in recognition of the hardship that is continuing to be felt post-pandemic (and that has been compounded by the cost of living crisis).

Speaking after Doncaster Chamber’s Annual General Meeting Chief Executive Dan Fell commented: “We welcome the positive announcements made by the Chancellor, which include measures that our businesses need and deserve in such difficult economic times.

Encouraging investment is crucial for sustainable growth and the additional funding to support the transition to Net-Zero and to embrace modern technology certainly helps alleviate some of

With Jill White of Andy Hanselman Consulting

the concerns felt by our business community following recent announcements.

“Nonetheless, concern remains in the private sector about the recent softening of the UK’s Net-Zero ambitions and timetable. Ambiguity and inconsistency are not conducive to developing business confidence and more consistent signaling from the Government is needed in this area.

He continued: “Closer to home, we also welcome the announcement that financial incentives for our South Yorkshire Investment Zone will be extended from 5 to 10 years. We congratulate regional and national government working together on this, as it shows it can be done. Doncaster is poised to be at the cuttingedge of high technology manufacturing growth, boosted by the reopening of our Airport, so we urge Government to remain committed to fully supporting our ambitions here.

“With all of that said, the Autumn Statement was filled with welcome news and we are pleased to see that the Chancellor has listened to the Chamber network and to the voice of business.

Nonetheless, it must be pointed out that the economy needn’t have been in such a fragile state after an unnecessarily tumultuous year, and that there are still a number of other problems that are long overdue for a solution. Government cannot afford to rest on its laurels then, and must develop upon yesterday’s welcome announcements to build some positive momentum and ensure we can fully restore the confidence that has been lost over recent years.”

Celebrations started early for us with the Higher Skills, Higher Growth end of programme event held at Bramall Lane on 1st November. It was good to hear of the many successes from the project which was a partnership initiative with Sheffield College and Sheffield Hallam University.

Continuing the celebratory theme, it was over to Gullivers at Rother Valley for the Northstar event hosted by the one and only Alex Gardner and led by John Barber and the Workwise team.

Moving further afield, we headed to London for the launch of Rwanda Business UK, this builds on our two trips there this year and could be very exciting for 2024 and beyond!

We dashed back for the Weston Park Cancer Charity ‘Posh Do’ - and very posh it was too! We sponsored a ‘Weston Park nurse for a day’ - what a great idea! It's a fab Christmas pressie idea if you’re a little bit stuck.

Another great present idea would be Archer Project CEO’s newly released book, 14 Nights. We attended Sheffield Cathedral to hear Tim’s recollections supplemented by other heart wrenching stories of homelessness. It’s a sobering but highly recommended read.

Beaujolais Nouveau arrived in Sheffield on 16th November and we were invited to partake by the team at Leonard Curtis. Andy had to drink my share as I was otherwise engaged at Ballet in Barnsley! The fabulously talented dancer Tala Lee Turton wowed us all! Just wonderful.

Next to the Bhayani HR and Law social event at Bramall Lane. It was so exciting to hear of future plans for women’s football there from newly appointed Head of Women’s Football, Aaron Little.

We ended the month in full-on festive style: Fire and Ice Ball at The Mercure, thanks Highlander team; Advance Celebration Awards at The Workstation, thanks Sheffield Council team; and the UnLTD Business Awards at Peddler Warehouse, thanks Phil and team. Oh, what a night! Oh, what a month!

Follow Jill at uk.linkedin.com/in/jilltywhite or find Andy Hanselman Consulting at andyhanselman.com. unLTDBUSINESS.COM 13

LIGHTBULB MOMENT:

STEVE LENAGH

For this month’s journey into the entrepreneurial stories behind South Yorkshire businesses, unLTD caught up with Steve Lenagh, founder of confidence and mindset coaching provider, The Curious Northerner, to discuss what inspired him to leave behind a life on the force…

Hi Steve. You started trading as The Curious Northerner around a year ago, can you tell us what led to you making the decision to change careers and set up your own business?

In a nutshell, it came out of a really horrific experience, which was my wife’s cancer diagnosis. The lightbulb moment was actually the diagnosis mixed with the thought, why do we wait for s**t to hit the fan before making changes?

That was a really big moment for me because, behind the scenes, I’d been training to do coaching and mentoring alongside my role in the Police Force, while feeling unhappy and unfulfilled in the police.

There was no clear date in mind though, it was like, I’ll do it sometime in the future. Essentially, I was postponing life. The lightbulb moment was, what if there isn’t a next year? What if there isn’t ten years’ time? Life is happening now.

It came like a flash; happiness isn’t in the future, it’s what you do today. The diagnosis made me realise how fragile life is, but it also made me look around me. I saw a lot of miserable people just making do with life, me being one of them.

I saw so much power for change, and from a horrendous situation, which I won’t make light of, something positive came from it.

I realised that I was not cut out for the police.

I was never a black and white thinker, I wasn’t all about rules, I wasn’t all about authority. I wanted to lift people up, to make them smile, to motivate and inspire.

I’ve built a career now based on helping others enhance their strengths and qualities, and to grow people and teams.

How did you find the process from having the inspiration to make a change to making that idea a reality?

The process was not as difficult as you might think. Again, it’s amazing how much clarity you find from something really tough happening.

Perspective is probably the best word I can think of. For the first time in my life, I focussed solely on what was important to me.

This process helped create my company name, The Curious Northerner, because I was curious about everything. What’s happening 14 unLTDBUSINESS.COM

here? What makes me happy? What makes me sad? How do I want my life to look and feel? I realised a lot of the things I would do on a day to day basis were things that didn’t make me happy.

Being curious was the starting point. And that’s something I demand everyone I work with to be.

It was a case of turning the mirror back on me.

I’ve spent a long time being driven by external influences, or lack of confidence, or the need to be validated by other people. That didn’t make me happy. It was actually all about me and finding out what’s important to me.

I see a world filled with people lacking confidence, clarity, self-belief, and motivation.

Wanting to help tackle these issues created the whole ethos of what I do.

You’d never been a self-employed before, what did you find challenging from a business perspective?

Everything! I had a real drive to prove myself and have autonomy but mixed in with no business experience. From professional football to the police, it’s go and kick that ball or go and speak to that person. It was one institution to another.

I’m still learning, and always will be. This year has been a massive learning curve. I think it’s really important to have a bit of humility and lean on people who are more knowledgeable. I’m starting to do that more now. Its ok not to know, and its ok to ask for help – that’s one of the rules I live by.

From doing the admin, or the finances, there are bits of the job that aren’t as enjoyable, but that’s life. It’s about minimising the things you don’t like, but it’s important to still do them.

I know what I’m good at. I know where my strengths are. But I also know that there’s a hell of a lot that I’m still learning.

What have been some of the best parts of setting up on your own?

Being me for the first time in my life. That sounds a bit profound but it’s true. I’m not a position on a football pitch. I’m not a collar number on a uniform, I’m me and that was really important.

It was my time. The Curious Northerner is just me. When I go to a networking event or even when I’m chatting with you now, I’m just me. linkedin.com/in/steve-lenagh

SEE IT BE IT:

AMBASSADOR SPOTLIGHT

Lightbulb Moment

NAME: RHIAN SCOTT EMPLOYER: RJS BUSINESS SUPPORT ROLE: HR CONSULTANT What motivated you to get involved in the SIBI Ambassador group?

After seeing some of the SIBI videos, I was motivated to find out more about the project and how I could get involved. The videos showed me how far Careers education had come and I know how much I would have loved to have had more access to understanding what number of amazing jobs there are out there.

I spend a lot of time prodding my children and saying ‘did you know you could get a job like that!’ The SIBI project allows me to do that to even more young people who we can hopefully inspire and support to become the best at what they want to be.

What have you enjoyed most about being involved in the campaign?

Getting to spend time in schools and seeing the difference it makes to the students and their confidence. I have conducted a number of mock interviews across different schools and it is really rewarding to be able to provide feedback and visibly see the pride students have that they have not only ‘got through it’ but actually done really well and have useful feedback to do better next time.

What are the benefits to your business / employer?

I am a sole trader and this campaign allows me to give back at times that are convenient to me. It has introduced me to a lot of brilliant people with equally brilliant businesses who I can network with and on a personal level I get to visit schools and see first-hand what they are offering students in terms of career education. Schools that my children may attend in the future.

Sheffield City Council’s See it Be it in Sheffield campaign aims to inspire the next generation by linking up schools and colleges with local employers to provide meaningful encounters and experiences of the workplace. You can find more information at sheffield.startprofile.com/page/ seeitbeit-employers or by following @SeeItBeIt_ Sheff on Twitter.

unLTDBUSINESS.COM 15

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Legal Matters NIKKI SPENCER, SENIOR SOLICITOR AT BANNER JONES

ESTATE PLANNING FOR BUSINESS OWNERS: 6 ESSENTIAL CONSIDERATIONS Estate planning for business owners is a critical process that includes planning for the transfer of your assets and the management of your business in the event of your retirement, death or incapacity. Here, Nikki Spencer, Senior Solicitor at Banner Jones, details the 6 essential considerations for business owners when it comes to estate planning...

Understand Your Assets and Liabilities Create a comprehensive inventory of your business and personal assets. These could include your business, property, investments, personal property, and more. Also, list your debts and liabilities.

Set Clear Goals Determine your objectives for estate planning. What are your priorities when it comes to the future of your business and your beneficiaries? Common goals include ensuring the business’s continuity, minimizing capital taxes, funding your lifestyle in retirement and providing for your loved ones.

Business Succession Planning If you own a business, you need a solid succession plan in place. This involves identifying and preparing the next generation of business leaders to ensure a smooth transition of the business’s ownership and management. Options can include gifting the business, selling the business, gradual handover or transfer of management before ownership.

death. Your professional adviser will consider the liability to inheritance tax on your death and advise how best to minimize the liability. Establish trusts, to provide for the efficient transfer of assets, privacy, and potential capital tax savings. Trusts can be used as a way of protecting your assets until the beneficiary is old enough to look after the money or business themselves.

Wills and Trusts Execute a Will to outline how you want your assets, including your business, to be distributed on your

Business LPA A Business LPA allows the person (the donor) to appoint an attorney who will

be able to make decisions and act for them if they were unable to make those decisions for themselves.

It can be used either temporarily if a business owner is on holiday or away for business, or permanently due to an accident or an illness meaning that they are no longer capable of acting. A business attorney must have the skills to carry out the role of the donor in a Business, and the donor should consider giving specific and detailed instructions on what powers their business attorney would hold.

Minimize Taxes Work with an experienced estate planning lawyer to employ strategies that can help minimize inheritance tax, such as annual gifting, charitable contributions, and valuation discounts.

Estate planning for business owners is a complex and evolving process. Consulting with legal and financial professionals who specialize in estate planning for business owners is highly recommended to ensure that your plan is both legally sound and tax efficient.

PLEASE CONTACT OUR SHEFFIELD OFFICE, 3RD FLOOR, LEOPOLD STREET, SHEFFIELD, S1 2GY PHONE 0333 200 2301 / WWW.BANNERJONES.CO.UK unLTDBUSINESS.COM 17

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Highlander

BY STEVE BROWN, MANAGING DIRECTOR AT HIGHLANDER

TOP TIPS AND TECH GIFTS As Christmas approaches, Managing Director at Highlander, Steve Brown, shares some gift advice from some of the company’s directors, along with a top 5 for the new year in terms of your business IT.

Systems Development Director John loves to travel, he also loves a bargain. He says these are perfect for someone who likes to keep out the noise of pesky family members on those flights… We’ve seen these as low at £50!

The geekiest present comes from Technical Director Chris. The Flipper Zero is described as a toy-like portable hacking tool, marketed to “geeks,” red team hackers and pen testers to expose vulnerabilities in the world around them, like a cybersecurity X-ray. Could be a starter for those wanting to get into the world of cyber security!

Sales Director Owen has two kids who love their fitness, and gadgets too.

They’re pushing him for an Apple Watch this year.

Choice of watch faces and straps, and able to link to their iPhones. Not cheap, so he’ll have to be on the sherry to authorise this one we reckon!

And finally, we’ve got to plug the Apple AirTags yet again. Commercial Director Ryan and the kids have a love affair for misplacing items. Stick these to them and the problem is solved!

One gadget that has caught the eye of Operations Director Peter has been sleep rings. Starting at £50, these can be insightful for those looking to improve their quality of sleep as they give feedback and advice on how to improve it. Some can be quite stylish too!

Before we know it, we’ll be welcoming in the new year.

It’s been an exciting 2023 at Highlander, with lots of activity in the technology sector that now requires plenty of thought into 2024.

WE HAVE 5 TOP TIPS FOR YOUR BUSINESSES IT TO HAVE READY FOR KICK OFF IN JANUARY. 1 Check the cloud….

Organisations are now acutely aware that the cloud isn’t a floating freebie.

Speak with your IT partner to check your licencing and focus on Microsoft and it’s Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) programme and New Commerce Experience (NCE).

2 Increase your cyber security Cybercrime continues to rise.

A check on your systems, process and passwords is something that should be high on the agenda. We say this so

much – it doesn’t need to cost the earth. Often awareness training and process tweaks can be the greatest forms of defence.

3 A year to be more agile?

Modern workplace is the buzz phrase. Getting there usually requires a partner who understands your business needs and designs a solution to meet these. Often the software and hardware is already there, it just needs deploying to give your staff a brilliant working experience.

4 Be world-class at serving your employees All of the tech in the world won’t guarantee employee satisfaction. Find a provider that provides quality staff to assist, and gives average callbacks of around 30 minutes, with over 90% resolution on first call. Time is money and happy users are more productive employees.

5 Create a strategic plan If you have 10 users or 1,000, having a vision and a plan for your IT is so important.

Aligning this to the goals of the organisation will ensure you are getting the most out of your technology.

All of the above requires one thing to start with: a discussion. If you would like to book in with one of our team of experts at Highlander, then do not hesitate to get in touch. steve.brown@highlanderuk. com www.highlanderuk.com

unLTDBUSINESS.COM 19

SUMO DIGITAL

WORDS: GRACE JOHNSON, APPRENTICE PROGRAMMER AT THE SUMO DIGITAL ACADEMY

The chill in the air. The John Lewis advert making us cry. Your neighbour Janine putting her Christmas tree up way too early... it can only mean one thing – the festive season is upon us.

As we settle into the season, millions of us will enjoy sitting down with our favourite video games and diving into immersive worlds, fantastic stories and thrilling multiplayer adventures… but how often do we consider the environmental impact of gaming?

I’m Grace – one of graduates of the Sumo Digital Academy, an apprenticeship programme creating new pathways into the games industry.

The Academy is part of Sumo Digital – a Sheffield-founded game developer which now has 17 studios all over the world.

At the Academy, we’ve been working on creating our own Green Game Jam – inspired by Playing for the Planet’s annual event to encourage game developers to think green. We’re incredibly proud to have created two eco-friendly titles (Biome Man – a Bomber Man inspired flower planting battle – and Plant It – a crazy golf game where players hit seeds across a course) as a result of our Green Game Jam, and it was a great exercise to get us all thinking about the environment and video games.

HARD TRUTHS IN HARDWARE The reality: All consoles and PCs include a number of components made of ‘critical elements’ – materials important to the hardware of modern technology which need to be mined, and then assembled in an intensive manufacturing process. These elements are predominantly made from rare earth minerals, the mining of which causes extensive environmental damage, require large amounts of power to process and is mostly carried out in developing nations ungoverned by employee regulations.

What can we do? This is not a situation unique to games consoles and PCs, these elements are used in the technology we use every single day, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to do our bit in making our use of tech more sustainable and eco-friendlier.

With the hottest new tech appearing on the market less than every decade, it’s important 20 unLTDBUSINESS.COM

that tech be disposed of correctly. Most games retailers offer a trade-in system where they will either ethically recycle or upcycle your old machine. If you’re carrying around cartloads of composing consoles, why not check out recycleyourelectricals.org.uk to take your first step into tech recycling.

POWERING UP The reality: We are all guilty of putting our tech into ‘rest mode’ rather than powering down – whether it’s for convenience or to constantly get the latest and greatest updates - but leaving your machine always prepped to activate can be a huge energy drain.

What can we do? In 2022, Xbox became the first ‘carbon-aware’ console by introducing its Energy Saver mode, which uses around 20 times less power than ‘standby’ or ‘rest’ mode when the console is not on or updating. They also released an update that schedules game installation and updates to happen at night when off-peak energy is activated, cheaper and more likely to come from renewable sources. Good for your bank balance, and the environment!

If you’re looking for ways to make your gameplay greener, consider powering down your machine when it’s not in use. The majority of tech now features a low-power or power-saving setting which can be an easy win when it comes to curbing your consumption.

SAVE OUR SOFTWARE The reality: The games industry has been making a progressive shift towards a digital future, and we’re seeing fewer boxed games on the shelves and more gamers relying on the network to download, install and update their games. While this shift is positive news for plastic waste, production and shipping emissions, it does mean we’re more reliant on data centres… which come with their own plethora of concerns!

• When you purchase a digital download of a game, two things happen: 1) your console and energy consumption gear up to ingest a huge amount of data, which can take a lot of time and require a lot of power, 2) somewhere, a server will kick into gear to provide you with the

data to download your game.

• Servers require colossal processing power and constant cooling – so not only do they drain huge amounts of energy from the data centres they reside in, but the fans needed to cool them down do too. These cooling fans are so powerful, that residents living in areas with data centres have reported a constant, lowpitched humming noise ranging between 55-85 decibels.

• What can we do? It’s good practice just to remain educated when it comes to data storage and transmission. Through education, we’ve seen some great changes come about in recent years – like data centres utilising their wasted thermal energy to hear up nearby swimming pools… cooler machines, warmer water for locals to splash around. It’s a win-win!

GREEN GAMES The reality: You like the games you like, and that is absolutely fine. Whether it’s hopping on with your mates for a round of Call of Duty, stepping into the immersive world of Balder’s Gate 3, taking a trip back in time with a retro experience like Zool: Redimensioned, or removing the pool ladder in The Sims (if you know, you know) we all have our favourites. But did you know there are countless games out there to inspire conversations about the environment?

Here are just some of my favourites: • Loddlenaut: An ocean clean-up adventure where you play as an interstellar custodian sent to clean up a polluted ocean planet. Pick up trash, explore the waters and take care of creatures!

• Alba: A Wildlife Adventure: Join Alba as she sets out to save her beautiful island and its wildlife, and maybe even start a revolution on the way.

• Garden Story: You play as a tiny plant working with the community to protect the village from a pollution infection by healing, growing, and planting.

• Terranil: An intricate environmental strategy game about transforming a barren wasteland into a thriving, balanced ecosystem.

• Coral Island: Be who you want and create the idyllic farm of your dreams, where you’ll tend crops, nurture animals, and build a bond with the natural world around you.

• Spilled! A relaxing & satisfying cosy game where you recycle, earn coins, upgrade your boat, and explore new areas with more waste and new challenges.

Sumo is proud to be constantly optimising its policies and processes to improve its environmental impact, including through its partnership with Playing for the Planet, optimising its energy usage in its offices, recycling its hardware, offsetting its travel and reviewing data storage and cloud infrastructure.

For more information one Sumo Group’s environmental initiatives and targets visit: sumogroupltd.com/esg/environmental

unLTDBUSINESS.COM 21

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VISUALISED IT

Visualised It hits 10 years Visualised It, a Sheffield-based Media Production Company, is gearing up to mark its 10th anniversary with a bang. As part of the celebration, the company is unveiling its brand-new website and introducing innovative marketing membership services.

Founder Joada Allen reflected on the journey, sharing with unLTD: “I’d like to say I came in like a wrecking ball, but it was more slow and steady. We’re immensely proud as Visualised It hits this major milestone, and we’re excited about the next chapter with our new website and membership services.”

Visualised It was established in 2013 with a dual purpose: creating captivating videos while actively supporting young individuals facing challenges in education.

The company’s foundation was rooted in a commitment to social responsibility. Originally focused on producing promotional videos and TV adverts, Visualised It has evolved over the years. The company now offers a comprehensive suite of services including web design, animation, social media marketing, and photography, all delivered with

an added touch of value.

“We’ve had the privilege of working with a diverse range of clients, from sole traders to Lamborghini press days. Our journey has been about more than just business; it’s been about making a positive impact,” Joada added.

Notably, Visualised It has remained steadfast in its commitment to supporting disadvantaged young people and adults out of work. Through a collaborative approach involving key stakeholders across South Yorkshire, the company ensures that individuals receive the support they need. Initiatives such as mental health sessions from Chilipep, financial guidance from Virgin Money, and resilience-building sessions from the British Red Cross underscore their holistic approach to community engagement.

One notable project is the DMC

weekly program, a collaborative effort with Barnsley Council designed to support 20 young adults who are not in education, employment, or training. The success of this alternative program is indicative of Visualised It’s dedication to making a tangible difference in the community.

Looking ahead, Visualised It is poised for further innovation with the introduction of Monthly Membership packages. Responding to client feedback, these flexible packages allow clients to allocate their time based on their evolving needs, providing control over services such as video production, photography, and social media content.

Joada expressed enthusiasm about the future, stating: “Collaboration is key to our ethos.

We’re actively seeking like-minded companies who share our passion for social responsibility. If you believe in giving young people opportunities to develop their skills, we’d love to hear from you.”

As Visualised It embarks on its next chapter, the company remains dedicated to its dual mission of delivering exceptional digital media services while leaving a positive and lasting impact on the community it serves. visualisedit.com @visualised_it_video_production

unLTDBUSINESS.COM 23

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CELEBRATING SOUTH YORKSHIRE TOGETHER The South Yorkshire business community came together on 30 November to make the very first unLTD Business Awards a huge success.

The glittering event, held at Peddler Warehouse in Sheffield and hosted by comedian and Chaser Paul Sinha, saw hundreds of people gather together to honour the companies and individuals making waves on the regional business scene.

Attendees had the opportunity to let their hair down in style and enjoyed a fun-packed night of entertainment, including live music, circus performers and mouth-watering food from Sheffield-based caterers PJ Taste.

There were more than 120 applications submitted in the run-up to the event, with each category whittled down to a shortlist of the three best entries and the overall winners announced on the night.

The awards themselves were judged by a number of high-profile businesspeople and experts from across the region, who said the quality of applications was extremely high and made for some close-run results.

Phil Turner, publisher of unLTD, added: “A huge well done to everyone shortlisted and of course, our fantastic winners. It was a wonderful evening celebrating the very best of South Yorkshire business, and in particular, the SMEs. “It was brilliant to see a collection of forwardthinking, innovative businesses rewarded for their hard work this year.”

Turn the page for interviews with all the winners on the night!

BEST HOSPITALITY OR NIGHTLIFE BUSINESS

CAWA COFFEE

How does it feel to be a winner tonight?

Shocked! We’re just a small business with two very humble co-founders who don’t seek the limelight. I’ve been involved with the business for the last five or six years and they just love employing local people, growing the business, and they’re very proud of what they do. So this is great!

Cawa Coffee have had a great couple of years, with a number of new premises opening across the region.

What’s the secret?

We’re very proud of our products. We want to stay as an artisan business so we can continue to make everything by hand. All our pastries are handmade by a really lovely team. The team in the bakery have been with us for about two or three years now and we pride ourselves on giving people a really good, high-quality product.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank tonight?

Really just a big thank you to all the staff. We employ 84 people now and we love them all.

26 unLTDBUSINESS.COM

BEST INDEPENDENT RETAILER

KITLOCKER.COM Congrats! How are you feeling?

Amazing. We’re nominated for a few awards tonight, which is fantastic, and we weren’t really expecting to win any of them, so this feels brilliant!

Tell us a bit about the business?

I set kitlocker.com up in with a good friend of mine about 18 years ago. We’re still rocking and rolling now, representing Sheffield, and clearly still doing the business!

Apart from this one, what other highlights has there been this year?

It’s been a very good year for us, good growth and lots of new customers. There’s been lots of cool stuff going on and you can expect more of the same from us next year!

BEST PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION COMPANY OF THE YEAR

REDBRIK ESTATE AGENTS Congrats! How does it feel for Redbrik to take home this award?

It’s absolutely amazing. There’s great strength tonight in terms of the companies we’re competing against. CODA are absolutely superb. Fourth Wall are another great company. And there are lots of other property firms in the Sheffield City Region that are doing great things. We’re really proud of what we’re doing, especially with the SecureMove initiative, and it’s been exciting for both us and the Sheffield City Region as a whole, which is leading across the UK. Tell us a bit about the SecureMove initative…

It’s a quite revolutionary initiative for the property sector. We have changed the way that the process works in terms of selling a home, so we’ve brought the entire legal process from the back-end to the frontend in-house, which has really helped our clients move quicker and in timeframes that are beneficial to them.

Hopefully, it will be adopted across the UK. What does the future hold for Redbrik?

I think with both Redbrik and SecureMove we’re looking to expand. We’re talking to other companies across the UK that are looking to take the SecureMove badge as it is and use that system and process across the UK for people to sell houses. But for Redbrik, we’re looking to add in different products and help our clients move forwards in lots of different ways, whether that be investments, sales, lettings or new homes. unLTDBUSINESS.COM 27

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BEST BUSINESS SUPPORT OR CONSULTANCY

ACTIONCOACH SHEFFIELD How did you find getting up to receive the award?

It was quite a nerve-racking experience, I must admit! It’s something that you think about beforehand, but once you’re actually up there it’s easy for your mind to go blank.

So, did you nail the speech?

No, absolutely not! I’m not sure four pints before getting up helped either!

Tell us about ActionCOACH? We work in Sheffield, Chesterfield and Worksop with 150 SMEs around the Sheffield City Region, supporting them in their growth and development. Nothing can really prepare you for running a business, but from a coaching perspective we’re helping people to implement great systems, get the right people in and build the right culture to thrive. I’m the guy at the front making terrible jokes; it’s the people behind the scenes that really makes the business work. I’d like to thank Emma, Gareth, Ed, Ed, Matt, Dan, Cheryl and Kia for all the work they do.

CREATIVE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

OPEN HOUSE PICTURES

Congrats, Open House! How does this feel?

It’s crazy. This is my third year doing this, and we didn’t think we’d ever win. We just enjoy being here, to be fair, but it’s great to go home with an award.

Tell us a bit about the business and what could’ve contributed to your win tonight?

We started five years ago with my best mate, Dan, who isn’t here tonight. He’s in Manchester on holiday, if you can call that a holiday. Anyway, so we trained as actors, made a little film together in 2018, and we then decided to give setting up our own video production company a go. We pretty much taught ourselves, worked our arses for five years and every day through lockdown, and now we’ve got an amazing team of videographers and editors behind us. We love them to bits.

Is there anyone from the team in particular you would like to thank?

Well, Dan’s not here, so let’s thank Dan. 28 unLTDBUSINESS.COM

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BEST MANUFACTURING COMPANY OF THE YEAR – SPONSORED BY MEPS

CORROSION RESISTANT MATERIALS LTD

First of all, is there anyone you’d like to thank for this award?

Absolutely. This is a huge team effort, we’re a group of 10 who’ve been trading for eight years now. The company owners, Lee and Chris, have been really supportive of the business and the direction that we’ve taken.

Tell us a bit about that direction and ethos?

It’s a family company, and we’ve currently got three generations working with us. That runs through everything we do; we want to keep that essence of it being about the people and the team as the main thing. We all come together and support each other.

What’s the best thing about working in the manufacturing industry?

The best thing is it’s a massive, important industry to be in. I don’t think people realise how huge it is today in South Yorkshire; I think we all have to play our part in shouting about the industry in this part of the world.

BEST RECRUITMENT OR HR BUSINESS

BHAYANI HR & EMPLOYMENT LAW Tell us a bit about the ethos at your company?

Our ethos is very much that we support people the best that we can with integrity and fairness.

We try to support our clients in whatever they want to do and guide them in the right way.

Can you give us any hints or tips about succeeding in the industry?

I think that comes back to integrity; you should always operate with that at the forefront because the decisions you make can affect people’s lives.

We take that very seriously.

And is there anyone in particular who you’d like to thank tonight?

Yes, we would like to thank Jay Bhayani, who unfortunately couldn’t be here tonight because she’s on holiday in Morrocco. But without her this would never have happened.

30 unLTDBUSINESS.COM

BEST TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS SPONSORED BY SHEFFIELD TECHNOLOGY PARKS

BEST MANUFACTURING COMPANY OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY MEPS

BEST TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS SPONSORED BY SHEFFIELD TECHNOLOGY PARKS

SIMODA This has crowned off a massive year for Simoda.

How does it feel?

Yeah, we’re buzzing. This is all about the team and the people in the business.

Tell us a bit more about the year you’ve had?

It’s been phenomenal. We’ve grown dramatically, going from a 2,500 sq.ft to a new 6,500 sq.ft office space. A number of great business opportunities have landed which has seen us working with global banks, so the growth has been incredible. But I’d just like to reiterate: this is all down to the team. They’ve been phenomenal.

Is it a case of more the same next year?

More of the same! Let’s continue to do what we’re doing. We must be doing something right!

FINANCE & ACCOUNTANCY COMPANY OF THE YEAR

GRAVITATE ACCOUNTING Well done to Gravitate! How did it feel to get on stage and accept this award?

I’m shaking a little bit, to be honest! I’m not really used to talking like that up on a stage, so it’s a bit nerve-racking. But it’s also very chilly, so let’s just blame the temperature instead!

What does this mean to you as a company?

It’s massive. I think this event in Sheffield is amazing and it’s a really great thing to be associated I think some awards can be too big and focus on the bigger companies at bit too much, but this one’s focusing on a lot of the smaller, hardworking businesses that we’re working with at the minute. It’s really good to be part of it.

What’s the industry like to work in across this region?

At the minute in Sheffield it’s buzzing. As mentioned, there are lots of new businesses coming through. But it's not just small businesses doing great work on a smaller scale; there are also massive businesses in Sheffield making a wider impact too. It’s a great place to be in business. unLTDBUSINESS.COM 31

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BEST NOT FOR PROFIT, CHARITY OR SOCIAL ENTERPRISE SPONSORED BY BAG IT DON’T BIN IT (BIDBI) IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

LEGAL COMPANY OF THE YEAR

TAYLOR EMMET Congratulations! Tell us a bit about the business…

We’re a long-established multi-purpose legal practice who’ve been trading for around 155 years now. It’s been a long journey and an interesting one in the last four or five years where we’ve modernised the firm and moved with changing times.

What’s at the crux of what you do as a business?

Hopefully, it’s offering a very strong, customercentric but still personable service. We like to see it as being built on traditional values but hopefully encompassing modern techniques and ways of working.

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

I think, ultimately, it’s that you’re helping a lot of people in difficult circumstances, offering advice that genuinely makes a difference to lives.

BEST NOT FOR PROFIT, CHARITY OR SOCIAL ENTERPRISE – SPONSORED BY BAG IT DON’T BIN IT (BIDBI)

GRIMM & CO

Congrats! How does it feel to win this award?

Absolutely overwhelming. I mean, my goodness, the competition was so tough – Sheffield Children’s Hospital are phenomenal and so are Paces! We work hard and make a lot of difference to a lot of children and young people, and now we’re working with teachers and families and foster carers too, and we know we make that impact because we see it every day and that feeds us every day.

Tell us a bit about what it’s like working for a charity like Grimm & Co? It’s very creative. It’s very special. It’s really exciting. Every day brings something completely different in terms of challenges, and it’s always very busy! We’re fast moving. I think it’s more of a business than people recognise because there are so many complexities to it and you’re regulated at every turn, but it’s so rewarding.

What does the future hold for you?

We’ve got plenty planned! We’re going to be opening our new Emporium of Stories in February, so keep an eye out for that. We’ll be hosting loads of wonderful events and activities. There’s the fabulous Apothecary to the Magical to enjoy, and the Feastery Café, plus all conferences, business and networking events. You can see everything we’re up to on social media (@grimmandco). unLTDBUSINESS.COM 33

INSPIRING THE FUTURE WORKFORCE SPONSORED BY SEE IT BE IT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

BIDBI (BAG IT DON’T BIN IT)

Congrats to the team at BIDBI! How does it feel to get this award?

We’re really thrilled. It’s a great event, the unLTD awards. It’s genuinely amazing and full of other SMEs that appreciate celebrating the business culture here in the region, so it’s great to be recognised. We’re genuinely humbled.

What’s it like to recognised as a leading figure for sustainable businesses across South Yorkshire?

It’s a great community to work in. There are so many great people and organisations, some we’ve got with us today as guests and others who are just a pleasure to be around. We work together and don’t see ourselves as competitors. There’s a lot of great work being done day in, day out.

What do you think is key to winning this award tonight?

I think it is key to look after your customers. A lot of the people we’ve talked to tonight, whether we’ve won business or retained business over the years, it all comes down to how you look after them. It’s not always difficult to win business; it’s difficult to retain business and look after people when things are hard or things don’t go to plan.

That’s what we pride ourselves on.

INSPIRING THE FUTURE WORKFORCE – SPONSORED BY SEE IT BE IT

VISUALISED IT What are the overriding emotions at winning this award?

We’re really chuffed! To be recognised for the social stuff we do is really important to us, so we’re very pleased with this award.

And does the fact that this is a local business awards, with winners decided by local judges, make it feel a bit sweeter?

Definitely. All of the young people we work with are from Rotherham, Barnsley, Doncaster and Sheffield, so what we do is about helping to provide opportunities for people in these areas, which in turn contributes to the local economy. Those values are important to us and we want to grow the provision so we can have an even bigger impact.

What is the best thing about the industry that you work in?

It’s a very creative job, and seeing those creative sparks coming from a young person is just a hugely inspiring thing to see.

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BEST COMPANY CULTURE

EVOLUTED Best company culture is an important one for staff.

What’s it like to work at Evoluted?

Evoluted is such an amazing place to work and it’s great to see it recognised with this award.

What do you think makes a good company culture?

I think in some places it can be more about what’s coming out of the company, but at Evoluted it’s more about what’s happening inside the company. We focus on what and who makes the company, which is very important.

What else has been a 2023 highlight for Evoluted?

We’ve been nominated for a fair few awards. One of our managing directors is actually at another awards ceremony today! But the company’s growing, getting bigger, we’ve had an office refurb, and there’s another big year coming up!

W E L C O M E A R E

T O

Y O U

R E A D Y ?

D I G I T A L S O C I A L

2 0 2 4

P R

M E D I A

B R A N D I N G S E O P U B L I C

R E L A T I O N S

C O P Y W R I T I N G L E A D A W A R D

G E N E R A T I O N S U B M I S S I O N S

G R A P H I C

D E S I G N

P O D C A S T I N G &

M U C H

M O R E

pr | marketing | design

chapterii.agency 0114 312 2075 hello@chapterii.agency

Unit 13D 92 Burton Road Neepsend, Sheffield S3 8BX

unLTDBUSINESS.COM 35

BEST MICRO BUSINESS SPONSORED BY SEVEN HILLS CREATIVE

BEST SMALL BUSINESS SPONSORED BY CHAPTER II

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

BEST MICRO BUSINESS – SPONSORED

BY SEVEN HILLS CREATIVE

ROCK & STAR LTD (AT THE MOWBRAY) Best Micro Business! Who would you like to thank for helping you to reach this point?

We’re just absolutely delighted and so happy to take it home for the team and our customers.

We’d really like to thank the team – in particular Lucy, Georgina, Emma, Lucy and Matt. We’d like to thank everyone who makes the business work the way it does!

What’s the trick to succeeding as a micro business in hospitality?

Hospitality is such a tough industry. We’ve made it work through sheer determination, great service, and amazing food served in incredible buildings.

That’s how we do it!

What’s next on the agenda for the business?

We’re opening a third venue next year, so it’s very exciting times and we’re looking forward to getting stuck into that!

BEST SMALL BUSINESS – SPONSORED

BY CHAPTER II

GRAVITATE ACCOUNTING

How does it feel picking this award up as a small business?

Amazing. It’s great to have an award celebrating small businesses; it can be a journey full of ups and downs and you never know what is coming next. It’s wonderful to have moments like these!

What’s it like working for Gravitate?

It’s mega. Honestly, I love doing what I do. We’ve got an amazing group, a team of 21 people who we chose to work with us, and I honestly wouldn’t pick anyone else to be there with us. They all have the same ethos as us, they all love it, and they just want to be the best for their clients.

Tell us a bit about that ethos?

I think it’s being there to support clients every step of the way, both finance and numbers-wise, but we also expand into advice and support that comes with other aspects of running a business.

We want to be that first port of call for businesses looking for support.

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BEST MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESS SPONSORED BY SIMODA

ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY ANDY HANSELMAN CONSULTING

BEST MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESS – SPONSORED BY SIMODA

STEPS REHABILITATION

How are you guys feeling right now?

Absolutely fantastic. It’s really nice to win an award here in Sheffield; it’s where we are based, employ over 170 people and have changed the lives of over 300 people who we’ve treated. It means a lot.

It sounds like an incredibly rewarding to job to be in!

It is, but we’re so busy all the time that sometimes you have to take a step back and think about what we’ve done. I think today was a good example: we showed our business video and one of the clients in the video walked for the first time with some of the therapists. It’s all about the clients and the difference we’re making to them and their families and carers. We’re a family business and have been going for six years. There were a lot of people who said it wouldn’t work, so it’s great to be standing here now.

What would you so to those people who told you it wasn’t going to work?

I don’t know! We’ve met some of them since and they’ve apologised, but I think we were just so sure that what we were doing was right and needed. There are people in that room tonight who supported us from the beginning and helped us through the tough times. They kept us going.

ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR – SPONSORED BY ANDY HANSELMAN CONSULTING

MIKE KENT – KITLOCKER.COM Well done, Mike! How does it feel and is there anyone you would like to thank?

Incredible, amazing stuff. Big thanks to Andy and Jill [Hanselman] and I’d like to give a shoutout to my business partner and co-founder, Tom Ward. I’d also like to thank our team at Kitlocker who’ve been fabulous.

What’s it like to work in the South Yorkshire business industry?

Really good! South Yorkshire’s a cool place and I’d like to say to any entrepreneurs starting out that it’s probably going to be a lot of hard work, but hopefully you’ll also have a lot of fun too!

Apart from tonight what has been the highlight of 2023 for you?

Honestly, there are too many too mention. But if I had to pick a highlight of 2023, for me, I’d like to say the incredible team we’ve got. We feel very fortunate to go to work with them every day. It’s a privilege. unLTDBUSINESS.COM 37

BEST BUSINESS START-UP SPONSORED BY BUSINESS SHEFFIELD

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

BEST BUSINESS START-UP – SPONSORED BY BUSINESS SHEFFIELD

REEF APP LTD Have you had a good evening so far?

It’s been very good, and winning this award feels nice as well! It’s the first business awards I’ve been to and the atmosphere is great.

Tell us a bit about your company?

We basically offer hotdesking in hospitality, helping people working from home to get out and help prevent any burnout or loneliness, which can be an all-toocommon experience. The idea is also to help the hospitality sector, which is still struggling from Covid, and hopefully help two separate markets to thrive.

When did you first have the idea to set up the company?

I got fed up of going to certain big coffee chains while working from my laptop. I often found they were busy, noisy and would get coffee guilt (where you have to buy a certain amount to be allowed to stay). The idea was to find more laptop-friendly places where hopefully you’re not going to get kicked out during a video call! It’s really taken off and I’m glad I went for it.

THE VEEZU AWARD FOR BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

CORROSION RESISTANT MATERIALS LTD A huge congrats to the team! How does it feel to win the big award tonight?

I’m shocked. You look at all the businesses in that room, all different types of businesses doing amazing work, and we didn’t think it would be us. We’ve just been enjoying the night but to get this is amazing! I’d like to dedicate this to the whole team; they’re all amazing people.

How does it feel to be at this event celebrating the best of South Yorkshire’s business community?

It’s great. A lot of them support us in what we do and South Yorkshire is such an amazing supply chain for us to tap in to. We work with as many local businesses as we can; we’re all about buying local, supporting local and, as the host mentioned handing out the award, supporting local schools and driving manufacturing in the area. We want to give back what we can to the community.

What does the future hold for the business?

I don’t know. I’m just going to go to the bar for now and have a few celebratory drinks!

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THE VEEZU AWARD FOR BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

The shortlist BEST NIGHTLIFE OR HOSPITALITY BUSINESS Cawa Coffee Cubana Rock & Star Ltd. @ The Mowbray Best Independent Retailer Flinn & Steel Ltd Kitlocker.com Patriot Games

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION COMPANY OF THE YEAR CODA Studios Fourth Wall Building Consultancy Ltd. Redbrik Estate Agents

Thank You BEST NOT FOR PROFIT, CHARITY OR SOCIAL ENTERPRISE – SPONSORED BY BAG IT DON’T BIN IT (BIDBI) The Children’s Hospital Charity Grimm & Co Paces

BEST BUSINESS START-UP – SPONSORED BY BUSINESS SHEFFIELD Ardeta Search Reef App Ltd. Vitae Resources

The unLTD Awards couldn’t have happened without the hard work of these wonderful individuals: All our sponsors – you are wonderful, enthusiastic supporters.

All our judges – thanks for dedicating your time and effort to make sure the awards were held to the utmost account!

BEST BUSINESS SUPPORT OR CONSULTANCY

BEST MICRO BUSINESS – SPONSORED BY SEVEN HILLS CREATIVE

A special thanks to Jen and the Chapter II team who provided a crucial sounding board throughout the process.

ActionCOACH Sheffield Ask Zoe Bhayani HR & Employment Law

Bhayani HR & Employment Law LensGo Visual Media Rock & Star Ltd. @ The Mowbray

Our fabulous event organiser, Danielle Gigg and her team.

CREATIVE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

BEST SMALL BUSINESS – SPONSORED BY CHAPTER II

10x Marketing Consultancy Ltd. CODA Studios Open House Pictures

BEST RECRUITMENT OR HR BUSINESS Andy File Associates Ltd. Benchmark Recruit Bhayani HR & Employment Law

MANUFACTURING COMPANY OF THE YEAR – SPONSORED BY MEPS INTERNATIONAL Corrosion Resistant Materials Ltd. GWE Romerworld

BEST TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS – SPONSORED BY SHEFFIELD TECHNOLOGY PARKS Envisionsoft Simoda Ltd. Resolve

FINANCE & ACCOUNTANCY COMPANY OF THE YEAR Gravitate Accounting SMH Group Legal Company of the Year CMP Legal SSB Law Taylor Emmet

40 unLTDBUSINESS.COM

Gravitate Accounting Flinn & Steel Ltd. Let’s Verbalise

BEST MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESS – SPONSORED BY SIMODA Crystal Clean Service Kitlocker.com STEPS Rehabilitation

INSPIRING THE FUTURE WORKFORCE – SPONSORED BY SEE IT BE IT

Naomi and the guys at Peddler Warehouse who hosted the night.

Paul Sinha, our hilarious host.

Our photography team of Rowan Williams and Ellie Grace.

Wentworth Pewter who made the awards.

Our caterers PJ Taste.

The Developer Academy Marriott Gibbs Rees Wallis Ltd. Visualised It

Website guru, Mark Rawson.

ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR – SPONSORED BY ANDY HANSELMAN CONSULTING

JUDGES

Joe Spriggs – Alder Bar Mike Kent – Kitlocker.com Stuart Turner – LensGo Visual Media Best Company Culture Evoluted Inclusive Consulting The SEO Works

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR BIDBI Romerworld Sheffield Action on Plastic

Everyone who entered.

Phil Turner, David Cross, Karen Staniforth, John Green, Lisa Pogson, Brendan Moffett, Jen Beal, Joe Rugg, Wendy Ward, Dan Laver, Floyd Peltier, Mark Rawson, Simon Biltcliffe, Cheryl Plant, Jill White, Simon Biltcliffe, Adam Bradley, James Marriot, Ian Leech, Richard Timms, Floyd Peltier, Dan Bumby, Graham Booth, Hannah Ellis.

unLTDBUSINESS.COM 41

LISA POGSON

Riding the Rollercoaster

The Managing Director of Airmaster, Lisa Pogson, is a much-admired face on the South Yorkshire business community. A trustee for Children’s Literary Charity Grimm and Co as well as a former President of Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber of Commerce, she works tirelessly, not just to make sure Airmaster continues to grow, but for a number of other causes that are close to her heart. We caught up with Lisa to find out how she made it to the top in a traditionally male-dominated industry and what obstacles she had to overcome.

How did you get involved in this industry?

So it started at 16. I began working as an apprentice in an architectural practice in Sheffield in 1985, working through various building/contracting type businesses (QS, Structural Engineers and a local SME Main Contractor). Then in the late 90s, due to the recession in the building industry, I ended up doing four years at Sheffield Hallam University as an administrator turned timetabler in the School of Computing and Management Sciences. It was a leap of faith going from a small business that had one computer for wages/payroll to a massive organisation like SHU. It blew my mind, as I’d got access to all these courses and learning; I had not left school with many GCSEs or anything, so had started going to night school, eventually doing an HND in Business Studies and then a Masters following that. I mean everyone thinks AI is this brand-new tool but I can remember the Computer and Management Science School at Hallam were teaching AI back then, 25 years ago!

You weren’t a natural academic, then?

God, no! I couldn’t wait to leave school but the people that I met at Hallam just opened my eyes to lots of things.

I enjoyed learning from the people around me and being able to apply it there and then. It’s not necessarily the tutor or the facilitator, it’s the people you meet. In fact, I still find that today and it’s why I love being a part of things like 3D Connect (Andy Hanselman Ltd’s monthly networking and personal development sessions),

Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber and Connect Yorkshire.

How did that lead to the opportunity at Airmaster?

Well, Airmaster was started 1992 by my brother-in-law, Richard Pogson.

He knew I had knowledge and interest in this industry, and he would ask me questions about tax, sub contracting etc. For a few years, I helped him sort things like the wages at the weekend as well as general support then in 1995 I said he needed to get someone in because the business was growing and I couldn’t carry on helping him in my spare time. He did bring someone in, his wife to be, but they got busier, so I kept helping with bits at the weekend and he paid me part time. Then in 2000, when I was working at the University and doing my Masters, he asked me to work full-time as Office Manager. It was very ‘old school construction’ in terms of attitude and internal processes at that time. Lots of HR things needed sorting, jloads of things around processes were needed.

It needed a bit more organising.

Anybody that knows me now laughs about that, but at the time, I was very focused, very organised, colour coded etc. Richard’s wife Sara worked with me and by this point Tony England had joined as Commercial Director, and was helping Richard run the business. I liked and respected him too and knew he’d help drive the business in the right direction; it was a great team, it grew quickly.

So why were you so organised then but not so much now? unLTDBUSINESS.COM 43

LISA POGSON Well, I became a mum! I was 39 and I wasn’t planning on having kids, to be honest. I was back at work within a few weeks which was probably not the best thing in hindsight, but at the time I needed to get back to work. My husband was a subcontractor so didn’t earn regular money and we needed my wage. I’ve always worked seven days a week from being 16, so the work didn’t worry me, but becoming a mum made me go: ‘Oh my God! I’m not a mum!’ It was the lack of sleep and fitting in a little one. I found it really hard to keep on top of everything – something has to give. It was extremely stressful. Work was busy. The 12 months after I had a baby was then the best and busiest time we’d ever had at Airmaster!

So how did you end up running the business?

Mark Staniland came and joined in 2007 and in 2008 we had the best year ever. Mark was a really sales-focused guy who had a real passion for what we were doing.

But long story short, in 2009 we were heading to the recession and crisis point, but we didn’t know it. We weren’t making as much money as we thought or capturing everything financially on the projects. It became really clear that some jobs we thought were coming in, were being stalled or put off, some people didn’t pay us quick enough, so it was a perfect storm. We could see we were going to run out of cash and we sat down with all the staff, as a team, through the proper process, and said: “We either have to make some redundancies or we do some short-time working. What do you want to do?”

The staff that were productive and out in the field mostly worked full time, while some people worked four days and others offered to work five days but only got paid for four. We talked to all the suppliers too and they were brilliant, giving us longer credit so we could trade through it. And we did. As soon as we had the money we paid back all of the staff that had ‘gifted’ hours. I feel that stood us in good stead for when we did the EOT [Employee Ownership Trust]. Eventually we put in put 44 unLTDBUSINESS.COM

in a cheeky offer for this disused pub and turned it into our office.

I even remortgaged my house to help pay for it! But it was a double dip recession, so I think that, as well as the move made Richard and Tony realise that they wanted to exit the business at some point in the future.

We had a growth coach involved from Business Link called Richard Lukey and when that ceased to exist, he put us in touch with John Barnett to help work out the best way of growing the business in a way to be able to facilitate an eventual slow stepping out of the business and then a buy out. We were £4m turnover at that point, so if we plotted it to get to £5m, £6m then £7m profitable turnover we could make it work. We made a plan and we smashed that target. Me and Mark became joint MD in 2016.

So do you think sometimes businesses fail just because they don’t have a focus or a plan like you had at this time?

Well, from my point of view, there are always things you can control and things you can’t.

We’re all winging it to some extent but I’m a firm believer in going with your gut and knowing your numbers. Andy, our FD, has our trust and secondly, he always aims to know the numbers. I’m a realistic optimist; sales-focussed people are brilliant, and it is what every business needs. It is important to be focused on all the numbers, what all the costs involved are but they’re not always in control of the end numbers. It is really important to keep focused and help that process. Gareth Campbell, our Ops Director is great at that.

So, we had this three year plan and did it in two years; we grew from £4m turnover to £7m. So it was like 'wow!' but what are we going to do now? W've smashed that target so what was next?

Richard and Tony did step out of the business for a while and we did well for a while, but then we had a really tough year in contracting and unfortunately Mark became very ill [Mark died in 2019 and it’s had a profound affect on Lisa] and so eventually, after looking at other options, the

EOT became the logical route.

The success of the business in the following few years meant we could start to afford to buy out the shareholders and trade successfully going forward and what helped lead to the EOT. You’ve mentioned that running the business feels like riding a rollercoaster. What are the ups and downs now?

It’s the cycles you go through.

Dealing with staff, cash and contracting, design, build and manufacturing on site; people have things happen in their lives and they need support. We

lives have on the team - it all creates that rollercoaster effect.

We are riding the highs and lows.

Sometimes it’s knowing when to get off, knowing when to say ‘I can’t control this.’ You could have the best six months ever but while everyone else is enjoying that, I’m thinking about what’s coming around the corner. I understand that can seem like a pessimistic view, but it is being aware of the ‘what-ifs?’ and having an eye on the big picture, wherever possible.

Is that part of the skill of being a leader… not getting too high in the highs and too low in the lows?

For me it is, yeah, absolutely.

Celebrating success is so important but you need to be always looking to the horizon and what’s coming around the corner. Things come left and right field (Covid for instance).

Celebrating success is what we want to do more of as a business, being proud of what we do.

You do stuff outside of your role at Airmaster, sitting on the board at Grimm and Co, you’re an ex Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber President, for example. Do you ever feel like you are too busy?

Probably, yes. I don’t know why but I’ve got to always be doing lots of things. I’m a people pleaser to some extent, but I am inherently interested in lots of things. It’s my researching mind!

lost two members of staff here and you get very attached emotionally. I know it can be a strength and a weakness of mine, but we really are like a family.

And like all families, it can feel dysfunctional sometimes!

Then there’s dealing with external pressures like inflation and the peaks and troughs of the economy. Construction and manufacturing is always at the forefront of that – the metals market goes up and down constantly. Energy bill rises have hit manufacturing businesses really hard. All those cycles economy, the effects of people’s

And I guess where education didn’t necessarily get the best out of you, you found value in employment. It must be important to you to be seen to be making a difference in the workplace?

I think that came right back from my first job/bosses and even my tutor at Rotherham College, Richard and Tony, all my colleagues now. Every day is a learning day. Lots of people have put their faith in me and trusted me to do a job so I feel grateful that I have had that chance and I want to pay that forward. I won an award recently for being a 'local hero' which someone else put me forward for and that really meant a lot, as it really

got to the heart of what makes me tick. I was overwhelmed and grateful for that.

You’re a female boss in a maledominated industry. I know it’s not something you particularly focus on, but does that mean you have had to adapt your leadership style.

Well, I’ve come across some pretty atrocious behaviour over the years from leaders in this industry - and not just from men!

I think sometimes some women have felt like they needed to live up to a certain stereotype and I’m not like that. I’ve probably seemed a bit too fluffy at times, but if someone needs an arm around their shoulder then I’m the sort of person who will do that. And it takes some time to develop your style, doesn’t it?

That comes with experience. I’ve seen younger folk more used to working under a more assertive style of leadership feel the need to mimic that. It is good to look at other leaders and role models.

Do you think your people skills are what make you a good leader?

I think I see a lot of strengths in people and seeing how they can develop and learn. But on the flip side, one of my weaknesses is that I have sometimes not dealt with things straight away and let them fester. I remember reading Richard Branson’s book years ago and he always prided himself on his people skills and getting on with his team but he could never deal with the hiring and firing. I can relate to that! I find that really difficult but I think, if they’re honest, a lot of leaders feel the same.

Thanks, Lisa.

Lisa Pogson was recently recognised at the National Federation of Builders Top 100 Influential Women in Construction Awards as the Local Hero – North East Award.

If you would like to know more about Airmaster’s air conditioning services, head to airmaster.uk.com.

unLTDBUSINESS.COM 45

THE BIG CHALLENGE

In its 17th consecutive year, the BiG Challenge is an annual enterprise competition facilitated through Sheffield City Council’s See It Be It in Sheffield Team, which aims to ignite entrepreneurial spirit, connecting young people and employers through an immersive enterprise experience.

46 unLTDBUSINESS.COM

Last year saw 188 teams enter from 19 Sheffield schools, with many re-entering this year to further develop their businesses.

Open to all Y7-Y9 students, the young people form their own teams and receive a start-up loan of £25 to design and develop their business. In addition to their teachers and home support networks, teams are mentored by volunteer Business Advisers from the Sheffield business community (you can hear from a selection of the advisors on these pages).

The Business Advisers are matched with a school, meeting regularly with the teams throughout the process to support and advise on developing their ideas.

The programme runs from September until February, during which selling opportunities at the Moor Market are offered to the teams and culminates in teams reflecting on their experience by completing a BiG Challenge Journal.

In addition to keeping any profits they make, teams are also competing to win a number of awards, sponsored by local businesses covering a range of categories including innovation, use of technology, visual media, and sustainability. The reflective journals are judged by the award sponsors, and shortlisted teams are invited to a ‘Dragons’ Den’ experience to pitch their ideas and decide the overall winner.

All winning teams in the different award categories are invited to an award ceremony and celebration event along with parents, award sponsors and special guests. Last year’s event was held at OEC Sheffield on 30th March 2023, with Kate Josephs CB, Chief Executive of Sheffield City Council, presenting the overall winning prize.

Winning teams receive workplace visits and experiences from the award sponsors which last year included a “curator experience” at the National Videogame Museum for the creativity award, and a behind the scenes visit to Sheffield Hallam University for winners of the HEPP award for aiming high.

Sheffield City Council’s See It Be It in Sheffield campaign brings to life the world of work by linking local businesses and employers with schools and colleges, providing young people with meaningful employer encounters and experiences of the workplace.

To find out more, head to bigchallenge.biz

Gaynor Carr, founder of print design business Smart Station Design Why did you decide to get involved with the competition?

I was previously involved in the I Know I Can Barnsley BiG Challenge as a business mentor back in 2012 and 2013, and thoroughly enjoyed seeing the student I was working with grow in confidence and build a highly successful business, which went on to win the overall Best Business award. I am always keen to encourage that kind of personal development so when I was invited to participate as a judge this year, I was very happy to agree.

What have been the benefits of being involved?

I always enjoy sharing what I’ve learnt from starting up and running my own successful design business, and I love to see students learn about the importance of presenting their products or services well, so they understand why branding can be so crucial in their own success. This really helps their confidence and development.

Robin Gibbons, Director of Sheffieldbased online tuition agency Latimer Tuition Why did you decide to get involved with the Big Challenge?

About a year ago, Harvey Morton, an associate of mine, recommended that I become involved with ‘See it Be it.

What have been the benefits of being involved?

I’m an extremely busy individual. To put it in perspective, I’m 22-year-old with 100% directorship, serving as the sole worker at Latimer. With a team of tutors and hundreds of clients on the books, flexible time is a rarity for me. However, when I do find a moment, I want to use it in the most worthwhile areas. I particularly enjoy the student encounters provided by SIBI. I believe I’ve successfully planted a seed in many students, conveying that being employed isn’t the only option; you’re more than capable of doing things yourself.

What have you learnt from working with the young people involved?

Young people often align their ambitions with pursuing a good job and stable employment.

While I recognise the value in this, I’ve come to realise that more efforts are needed to open up additional opportunities for students to be exposed to the world of self-employment, sole-trader roles, directorship, and the broader spectrum of work and business.

Chris Cain, Director of Yorkshire training provider First Institution Why did you decide to get involved with the competition?

First Intuition Yorkshire have worked with local schools for a number of years attending numerous careers fairs and we also run free Accountancy Academies to give students from Year 11 to 13 an insight into careers in the accounting sector. The Big Challenge is a fantastic opportunity to work with younger students from Year 7 and 8 to help advise and encourage on their business ideas and also to help them start to develop some of the key skills, for example teamwork that they will benefit from both now and going forward.

What have been the benefits of being involved?

It is extremely rewarding working with students who have such huge enthusiasm and willing to give up a lot of their free time.

It’s great to see both the students and their business’ develop week by week. Working with a younger generation also provides a great opportunity to understand what they see as being important to making a business successful. It is as much a learning opportunity for me as it is for them.

What have you learnt from working with the young people involved?

There have been some incredibly creative and innovative ideas developed with a can-do attitude, without fear and with a very much the sky is the limit outlook. Their enthusiasm and positivity is infectious and inspiring.

unLTDBUSINESS.COM 47

VEEZU

You may have noticed a change on the Sheffield roads recently. The familiar City Taxis logo, long a part of the fabric of the city, has recently been replaced by Veezu, following a buyout by the national taxi operator earlier in the year.

This month, we sat down for a chat with original City Taxis founder and current Veezu Regional Managing Director, Arnie Singh, to talk about life after the acquisition…

Hi Arnie. City Taxis was bought out by Veezu in February but continued to operate under the City Taxis name until September this year, was there always a plan to rebrand?

When Veezu buys a company, they try to leave it as is by keeping it pretty much business as usual Having said that, there was always a plan, at some point, to rebrand to Veezu. When we were acquired, there was no fixed dates on when that would happen.

There’s strategic value to rebranding the sub brands into Veezu because in the bigger picture, our competition is Uber and Bolt, so having a national brand may help us to compete with the big boys.

The theory being that the people who instinctively lean into Uber or Bolt, will hopefully have a relationship with Veezu because it’s a national brand and they might have used it before they get here?

Absolutely. If you go back to preUber days, we still had a very good relationship with the universities, for example. we would go along to freshers’ fairs to engage with students, who we would then adopt as customers.

That’s now shifted, because they’re probably already Uber customers in 48 unLTDBUSINESS.COM

their home city, so when they come to Sheffield, they just use Uber. That’s a difficult thing for us to compete with because our business as City Taxis pretty much only worked in South Yorkshire, whereas there is an opportunity now, as Veezu grows through its acquisitions, to create this national footprint.

We have definitely lost business to the fact that the Uber app is so mobile and can work in multiple locations. It’s taken a long time to get here, but we’re finally going to be able to compete on that level.

How much of the market share does Veezu currently have and what’s the goal going forward?

It’s still very small. We’ve got around 11,000 active cars and the UK industry is around 180,000. Our business plan is to drive to 15,000 private hire vehicles and then 30,000. There’s an opportunity for Veezu because the market is very fragmented. There are 1000s of operators and it’s a market that is consolidating and we want to be front runners in that.

There’s two or three other players that are also trying to consolidate the market but the good thing about Veezu is that they’ve become a very trusted buyer.

When we’re in these

conversations with other businesses, that is standing us in good stead.

Me being involved in that acquisition team also helps because I can say with confidence that once we agreed what the deal was, it’s worked out great.

It’s quite an exciting time to get involved in the business.

How has the rebrand gone down locally?

We’ve got two types of customers: we’ve got account customers and we’ve got our cash customers. With the account customers there’s no real issues. We’ve explained the rebrand, and businesses understand.

Then from a cash customer point of view, I saw some negative comments around it being another Sheffield brand that’s disappeared, and that’s because City Taxis has been around a long, long time and we can be proud of the job we did investing and building that business.

I think it’s important to get across that everybody that was involved in City Taxis is still here. It very much is business as usual, just with a new wrapper on it. Our team isn’t going anywhere. We’re just part of a bigger brand now.

We’ve always tried to be a big part of the community. We’ve tried to be there whenever we were

needed and, at the same time, I think our community has been there for us when we needed them. It’s always been a partnership and that will not change.

Whether it is with the football clubs, local charities, or theatres, Veezu will attempt to strengthen those partnerships.

How has your role changed personally?

From a personal point of view, I was ready for the next challenge in my career. We’d done a lot with City Taxis, getting it to a certain stage, and it was a case of, do we continue doing that in our local area, or do we

do we take the opportunity to get involved in a much bigger play?

I spoke to Nathan Bowles, who’s the CEO of Veezu and our businesses were quite aligned in our thinking and how we wanted to not only grow our business, but also our responsibilities as a business within the community. It felt like it was the right home for us to go.

It’s still early days, and it takes time to integrate a business like this into a group like Veezu but I think we’re now in a position where our staff feel as though they’re part of Veezu.

I would say it’s been a successful transition.

unLTDBUSINESS.COM 49

DL COMPANY

OFFICE UPDATES

A New and Elegant Focus Booth with great acoustic insulation and sophisticated features that make it one of the best there is.

In a post-lockdown world, the way we use office spaces has dramatically changed.

With that in mind, we spoke to Daniel Lowe, Managing Director of Sheffieldbased office refurb business The DL Company, to find out more about those changes and the ways you can kit out your office for hybrid working…

Working from home is no longer stigmatised in the way it once was. The myth that people can’t be trusted, or won’t work productively at home, was well and truly shattered by our collective experiences in 2020.

Coming out of lockdown, many office-based businesses switched to hybrid-style working patterns, where employees can choose to work from home or the office, as it suits. This has necessarily changed the way an office works as well as its functions for the business.

Office refurb and interior design business The DL Company have been kitting out office spaces since 1974 and are therefore at the forefront of realising these changes physically. Managing Director Daniel Lowe said: “Post Covid, we’ve seen accelerated change in the office market. People are asking, ‘what is an office now?’ and there is no right or wrong answer.

“It’s not about getting 200 bums on seats anymore.

It’s about providing an environment where people feel that they have choice of how to work, when to work, and who to work with.

“You’re not clasped by ball and chain to the desk; You’re allowed to move around the space and go with the flow.

A lot of the furniture that we’re installing is to provide that flow. It’s to encourage conversation, collaboration, 50 unLTDBUSINESS.COM

and social interaction, because people are using the office less frequently.

“It’s sometimes the only place work colleagues physically meet each other during the week, so you’re trying to create a warm and welcoming environment, where people don’t feel guilty for sitting on a comfy chair and having a chat or a meeting.”

Because of these changes in how the space is used, it’s important that the furniture reflects those changes.

Dan added: “The younger generation are used to having choice in a lot of things that weren’t available when I started in the world of work.

You’ve got to present people choice and allow them to be more of an individual within the organisation of a company. Furniture helps provide that choice.

“About five years ago, we did a refurb of an engineering firm in Sheffield, where we were trying to convince them to take a leap of faith into how offices are going to be in the future, not how it at that time. Having done that, and then having been back since, you can see how people are now using it.

“The furniture has changed the culture.

“For us, that change can be different ideas, different colours, different materials, all the things that make it more interesting than just a bank of desks.”

A Flexible and Open Workspace, giving choice for those that use it.

A Collaborative Booth, either inperson, or as a space for video calls.

Added capacity behind using high stools and tables for short term work.

If you want to learn more about how The DL Company could help reimagine your space head over to their website (thedlcompany.com) and check out some of the innovative furniture they offer above.

unLTDBUSINESS.COM 51

HAVE LUNCH WITH...

CHRIS BURNS

This month, unLTD’s Ash Birch heads to Joni in the Botanical Gardens to grab lunch with Chris Burns, the founder of Sheffield-based recruitment firm Ardeta Search, to find out about his first year in business, his route into recruitment, Ardeta’s expansion and plans for the future.

Hi Chris. Can you start by telling us a little bit about Ardeta Search?

Ardeta Search is a professional services-led recruitment agency where we support businesses across a range of divisions and the way we work is very much embedded with a client.

From Accountancy & Finance, Business Change & Transformation, Sales & Marketing, Tech, Legal & HR we focus on conversations around where our clients are looking to get to over the next 12 months and how we can help them along that journey. The way we approach working with businesses is initially very broad as for us it’s about working with businesses where we can really add value to them.

A particular focus for us is always around where businesses are going through change and transformation where typically they our service and expertise can really help during this period.

You’ve been going for a little over a year now. As a start-up, was there a temptation to try and get as much business as possible and be less selective?

When I started, it wasn’t a scattergun approach at all. It’s very targeted, looking for opportunities where we can genuinely help organisations with their talent attraction. Obviously, as the team grows, we will naturally be able to expand our offering but equally you’ve got to find the right balance.

I find that recruitment is all about storytelling. We’re in a really privileged position of working with some amazing businesses, with some captivating stories to tell.

In order to help that business, in terms of attracting talent, we need to know everything about their narrative, build the context around 52 unLTDBUSINESS.COM

their opportunity so we are in the best position possible at the search and selection phase of the process.

I am a storyteller and I’m telling that businesses’ story.

Building that trust, where someone gives you the green light to tell their story, is really important as we are an extension of that business in the job marketplace.

When working with clients we like to be proactive in terms of talent attraction even perhaps when they aren’t actively recruiting positions as our offering can, in certain circumstances, help our clients shape strategy .

What do you enjoy about the process?

I just love talking to people. I love finding out about different people’s skill sets. I always find it a massive learning curve when drawing that knowledge out and I genuinely find it interesting.

Also, I really get a kick out of seeing people progress through their careers and always strive to provide the best advice possible in any given situation which is always focussed on the long term picture.

Over the years, you see people develop and maybe you’ve helped them on that journey, or you’ve helped a business get through a significant period of challenge which I always take pride from.

Changing jobs is a big life moment, and that’s not lost on me.

How did you get into recruitment?

In my earlier years, I dedicated myself to football at a high level, but as it didn’t quite take off, I shifted my focus back to education.

Choosing law, I pursued my studies at the University of Sheffield, where I developed a deep passion for the subject. However, upon graduating

in 2008, I faced the challenge of entering the job market during a recession.

Opting to further my studies, I relocated to Newcastle, pursuing a master’s in economics and finance, followed by an LPC (Legal Practice Course). My professional journey started with a role in a commercial finance brokerage, followed by a stint at Finance Yorkshire, specialising in debt finance.

The intricate world of finance intrigued me, especially the blend of salesmanship and attention to detail to get the deal across the line.

Subsequently, I ventured into the realm of invoice finance, where I thrived in the intricacies of deal-making and building robust networks. This period laid the foundation for my eventual transition into recruitment. The initial nudge towards this field came from my sister, who, having secured a position post-graduation, encouraged me to explore the realm of recruitment.

Embracing the challenge, I established a significant desk for a large PLC agency in Sheffield, growing it from scratch over five years. Subsequently, I spent an additional four years honing my skills in a smaller agency. Eventually, driven by the desire to chart my own course, I decided to establish my own recruitment venture.

Reflecting on my journey, everything I’d done, even before I’d even started in recruitment, gave me some really strong tools going forward in the world I work in now – it felt natural when I started and still does.

How has the first year out on your own gone?

However confident you are that things will go well when you do

unLTDBUSINESS.COM 53

HAVE LUNCH WITH...

GET TO KNOW JONI

your own thing until you get your first client, send your first invoice, get your first invoice paid its all theory. Each one of those moments, by the way, were hugely watershed moments for me I’ll never forget, as I’m sure for any business owner will agree when they first take the plunge. Since then I’m pleased to say the business has performed strongly allowing me to expand quicker than anticipated hiring Carmela to focus on driving business in London and key European focal points.

What is it like working with family?

Honestly love working with family!

When I started, my wife Hannah helped me pull together all the back-office fundamentals to running a business and has a very strong background in marketing and sales which has been fantastic for Ardeta.

Now my sister is on board we were used to working together anyway as we had done previously.

Carmela and I are both very passionate about what we do. We both talk about work more than anything else if we get together for family events and start talking 54 unLTDBUSINESS.COM

about recruitment, we’ll just disappear for an hour or so. It’s probably boring for everyone else who’s not in that world, but we’ve always done it.

I’ve always had a really good relationship with Carmela, but that brother/sister dynamic doesn’t translate over into work. I wanted to get her on board as soon as possible as she is very good at what she does, I’ve just given her the tools and opportunity to go and do what she is passionate about.

What’s the plan going forward?

We’re looking to expand the team in Sheffield and are having lots of exploratory conversations with different people about that.

Expanding the team in London is also on the horizon as well, to be honest it’s all about having an agile approach to how we grow and of course about getting the right people on board. The opportunity and challenge wont be for everyone, but for those seeking something different and who are skilled and passionate about what they do, that is who I’m trying to attract to the business.

Now boasting three sites across Sheffield and a recently opened venue in Two Dales, Joni is firmly established as one of the go-to to café spots in our region, and judging by how busy the Botanical Gardens iteration is on a grey Monday afternoon, its reputation is well founded.

I arrive a little early for my meeting with Chris Burns, but I’m swiftly accommodated by the wait staff and led to a table in the bustling conservatory, attached to the historic main building.

It’s around 1pm and I’m already loaded with caffeine for the day, so while I wait, I order an Acai Kick smoothie, bursting with refreshing mango, blueberries, and earthier hits of acai.

When Chris arrives, he orders a flat white and we take a look through the menu, which is full of delicious-sounding brunch and lunch dishes like wild mushroom benedict and goat’s cheese and roast squash salad, as well as fresh sandwiches and croque monsieur.

Spoilt for choice, we actually both end up opting for the smashed avocado. We’re told there’ll be a slight wait on the food, due to a rush on the kitchen given the busy time of day, but this gives us plenty of time to discuss Chris’ recruitment journey and the food actually arrives ahead of schedule.

Their classic avo toast has been given a colourful makeover, with a spicy kick of siracha drizzled generously over the dish and occasionally pops of sweet and sour pomegranate seeds. It’s all served on hearty, toasted spelt and beetroot bread and doesn’t last long!

While we wait for the food, our photographer arrives and treats himself to a roast ham croque monsieur. Served up on sourdough bread, and oozing with cheese, it looks delicious, but I’m reliably informed the good quality ham is the star of the show here.

All three of us satisfied, Joni’s tasty food and bustling atmosphere proves to be a lovely way to spend a lunchtime, and the good news is you’re never that far away from one in Sheffield!

Start the New Year the right way…

THE CURIOUS NORTHERNER ‘GROWING INDIVIDUALS AND TEAMS’ • 1:1 coaching through to interactive team days • Mindset, Confidence, Motivation, Performance • DISC Licensed trainer/master of communication Contact me visit www.thecuriousnortherner.co.uk, call 07885 902913 email steven.lenagh@thecuriousnortherner.co.uk

DISC personality profiling expert (licenced trainer) | 1:1 coaching (certified/accredited) | Group training | Workshops | Presentations | Engaging and motivational speaking

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SIMODA

HOW SECURE IS THE PUBLIC CLOUD? In today’s data-driven world, businesses of all sizes are increasingly turning to cloud computing for its unparalleled scalability, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness. The public cloud, with its vast pool of shared resources, has emerged as a frontrunner in this digital transformation. However, amidst its many benefits, security remains a top concern for organizations considering cloud adoption.

WORDS: CHARLOTTE GARNER AND LEE WRAGG OF SIMODA

The Public Cloud Puzzle: A Shared Responsibility Picture the public cloud as a bustling digital marketplace, where businesses rent space and services to store and manage their data. Providing scalability, flexibility, and cost-efficiency. It’s like a supercharged storage system that allows companies to easily expand and contract their digital storage needs.

However, since it’s a shared space, there’s a bit of a security puzzle. It’s like entrusting your valuables to a community storage unit – while locks and surveillance are in place, each user must also secure their individual units.

In this shared environment, a single user’s negligence can inadvertently impact others. It’s like one tenant leaving their storage unit door unlocked, leaving the entire facility vulnerable. This shared responsibility model demands a meticulous approach to data protection.

Public cloud service providers invest heavily in security measures, implementing robust protocols, encryption, and compliance standards to protect user data. Despite these efforts, the shared nature of public cloud infrastructure raises valid concerns about the potential for data breaches and unauthorised access.

Other Options: Enter Simoda’s Private Cloud: 56 unLTDBUSINESS.COM

Simoda’s cloud-based firewall service or bring their own physical or virtual firewalls.”

This cloud-based firewall provides an extra layer of protection against cyberattacks, offering scalability, centralized management, and global reach. FWaaS is particularly beneficial for organizations with distributed networks or cloud-based applications.

If the public cloud is like a shared storage unit, Simoda’s Private Cloud is your own private haven – a dedicated, isolated environment for your data. It’s like having your own super-secure digital space where you have more control over who gets in and out.

With Simoda’s Private Cloud, you get the following benefits: • It’s All Yours: No sharing!

Simoda’s Private Cloud empowers organisations with granular control over their infrastructure. This level of customisation allows businesses to tailor security measures to their specific needs, ensuring a robust defence against potential threats.

• Lock and Key: You decide who gets access. It’s like having the master key to your digital kingdom.

With private cloud, data resides within a dedicated environment, mitigating the risk of unauthorized access. Simoda prioritizes

Striking the Balance: Public vs. Private Cloud

data sovereignty, providing clients with peace of mind knowing that their sensitive information is under their exclusive control.

• Room to Grow: Just like the public cloud, it can expand when you need more space, but without the worry of accidentally bumping into someone else’s stuff.

Our private cloud solution combines scalability with security. As your business expands, this infrastructure scales seamlessly to accommodate growing data needs, all while maintaining the highest standards of security.

While public clouds continue to transform the digital landscape, concerns about data security persist. Private Cloud emerges as a secure and reliable alternative, offering organisations the best of both worlds – the benefits of the cloud coupled with enhanced security and control. As the cloud computing landscape evolves, the choice between public and private clouds becomes more nuanced, with Simoda helping in providing tailored solutions for secure cloud services.

FWaaS: An Additional Layer of Defence

Simoda have recently been awarded Best Technology Business by UnLtd Business Magazine!

When talking about cloud security, Lee Wragg, Simoda’s Technology Solutions Director, shares his expertise across keeping cloud infrastructure extra secure through FWaaS (Firewall as a Service). “With FWaaS, customers can either use

Book a FREE consultation with Simoda’s Cloud experts to save up to 40% in cloud costs through Simoda Cloud.

To understand the benefits, read more here: www. simoda.co.uk/simoda-cloud

Putting You First, Always.

For All Your Legal Needs.

CALL OUR TEAM TODAY

Sheffield 0114 358 3134 Stocksbridge 0114 358 3134 Barnsley 01226 977 181 Filey 07764 679 166

www.bestsolicitorsonline.co.uk unLTDBUSINESS.COM 57

KELHAM BARBER

SHEAR EXCELLENCE Last month, Sheffield barbers Lawrence Wheen and Brendon Biggin packed their bags and made a trip halfway around the world to China, where they shared their skills and industry knowledge with aspiring barbers in Chengdu.

Lawrence, who opened the award-winning Kelham Barber in 2017, had built up an online rapport with the team at Butcher Barbershop, which is situated in the bustling Jinjiang District of China’s sixth most populous city. This connection led to an inviting cross-cultural experience, with Stephen, the owner of Butcher Barbershop, visiting Sheffield to experience a bit of UK barbering culture first-hand. Subsequently, plans were set in motion for a two-week exchange, during which the Kelham Barber team would conduct in-store training sessions and deliver insightful talks at a prominent barbering conference.

“The idea was essentially an exchange of barbering cultures and skills,” says 58 unLTDBUSINESS.COM

Lawrence. “Modern British barbering is held in high regard across the world, so it was amazing to travel to Chengdu and get the chance to share some of our insights

into the industry.”

As well as teaching the technical side of cutting hair, the duo was asked to give advice on setting up a business and how

to succeed in barbering.

“We spoke a lot about the importance of discipline and teamwork in running a shop,” says Brendon, who joined Kelham Barber at the start of 2022. “We work around the idea that the team is just as important as the quality of the haircut.

There’s a lot of talk out there about ‘good barber culture’ without anyone really defining what it is. We tried to share our thoughts on the effort and discipline involved to do well in this industry.”

Moving forward, Lawrence tells us that the idea is to continue building these types of partnerships across the globe. “We’ve made a tight friendship with the guys at Butcher, and moving forward we're looking to do this sort of thing in other countries too, taking Kelham Barber international to share barbering knowledge and skills across the globe.”

Keep up to date with all the latest goings on at Kelham Barber on their socials @ kelhambarber

Looking for a unique venue to host your event?

Manor Oaks House & The Discovery Centre offer an idyllic rural setting, only 5 mins from Sheffield City Centre. Providing distinctive and flexible spaces, with free car parking.

Available Monday to Saturday 10% discount on room hire to all new customers 389 Manor Lane Sheffield S2 1UL Tel: 0114 276 2828 E: hospitality@greenestate.org

www.greenestate.org.uk Part of

GREEN ESTATE Tell us about your business – sell yourself!

The Green Estate Community Interest Company specialises in growing places which are resilient, joyful for people and good for nature. We look after 21 buildings and 42 hectares of land providing a range of products and services. We host weddings, celebrations and corporate events in our beautiful venues and provide a unique heritage visitor and educational experience at Sheffield Manor Lodge. We offer meadows and resilience consultancy and maintenance landscaping services across Sheffield and the UK. Our Green Waste Recycling Services provide drop off for green waste and we turn this into PAS 100 Peat Free Compost and Specialist Soils. We also sell designer high impact meadow seed and turf mixes called Pictorial Meadows all across the UK and into the EU. This is our superstar product, which last year was used to fill the Tower of London Moat with flowers as part of the Superbloom Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

What sparked the idea for the company?

20-plus years ago, the landscape and heritage buildings in the Manor ward were derelict and abandoned. Seizing the opportunity of regeneration funding, Manor and Castle Development Trust and the Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust set up a small environment and heritage project seeking to invest in the assets and turn them into going concerns that had an impact on the local communities Over time, the team and activities continued to grow and in 2003, The Green Estate Community Interest Company was born!

60 unLTDBUSINESS.COM

What is the key ethos underpinning what you do?

Our mission is to grow engaging, adaptive and resilient urban places. We are aspirational for our local place and community, and this applies to everything we do, whether it is hosting a wedding or designing a meadow.

We are interested in innovation and pushing at the boundaries to make the world a more sustainable and resilient place.

We balance the desire for social impact with the need to generate income and all of our profits are invested into our people and our place.

How can people get involved?

People can invest in our products and services through hiring our venue, buying our meadow seeds and turf or volunteer with us. We are always on the lookout for new partnerships and collaborations!

Find out more about The Green Estate at www.greenestate.org. uk and www.pictorialmeadows. co.uk

Steel Cactus Ltd, Unit 8, President Buildings, Savile Street East, Sheffield, S4 7UQ Tel: 0114 287 0652 // info@steel-cactus.co.uk // www.steel-cactus.co.uk

5 MINUTES WITH

Martin Gowland

RECRUITMENT MANAGER AT ANDY FILE ASSOCIATES Tell us a bit about your background?

My background is in banking and finance. I spent 20 years at NatWest and HSBC, working in various roles from cashier right through to becoming a project manager.

I left the industry in 2007 as it was a bit too corporate and stiff; I felt it hadn’t changed with the times. I eventually got a job for Capita, working from home and outsourcing work to their operations in India and Poland. I stayed in that job for 15 to 16 years, moving from a business analyst to project manager to account manager, working in Krakov for three years, travelling to India with work, both of which were incredible experiences.

I was made redundant from that role in 2017, so I moved back to the UK and worked for another part of Capita, in Remediation Services, dealing with PPI claims for high street banks, where I eventually stepped in as head of the recruitment team and was later offered the job. I loved it.

What did you enjoy about recruitment?

It was completely different to what I was used to. I had a great, supportive team around me. It was difficult sometimes, but I genuinely loved the feeling of coming to work and getting people jobs.

I enjoyed developing the team and seeing members of that team going on to do really exciting things was a great feeling for me. I think having the autonomy to build a team that we were all proud of was something I thrived on. I did 62 unLTDBUSINESS.COM

that for five years, until the end of 2022.

When COVID-19 reared its head, my team was essentially disbanded and blended into existing operations. I was moved from my smaller team in remediation into wider group resourcing across the whole of Capita.

Again, it began to feel a bit too corporate, and I lost that sense of autonomy.

The office was closed for good, so we were asked to continue working from home even after the lockdown, and I began to realise that it just wasn’t working for me anymore.

How did the opportunity arise at Andy File Associates?

I kind of knew Andy already, in the sense that our kids went to the same rugby club and school together.

He contacted me within 24 hours of my CV going online. We met up, had a few conversations and it grew from there. He explained how it would be a different working environment moving from direct recruitment to agency recruitment, but he offered me a role here managing the team and I accepted.

What does your day-to-day role look like?

As a recruitment manager, I sit between our MD and the rest of the team. Before I came in, Andy would have to deal with much more of the day-to-day internal operations, which took him away from the business development side of the

company. Now I can look after the running of the team, making sure they have all the tools they need to do their job, checking all job adverts are posted and conform to our standards, and also looking at the data and overseeing the progress of job applications across the whole team. We do one-to-ones every fortnight with the staff, checking in on how they’re getting on and addressing any issues they may have. I also have my own recruitment desk to look after, so I’ll do some of the recruiting myself. That’s a small taster of job description!

What are the key challenges in the recruitment industry?

A key challenge is managing candidates. You can often be ghosted: they apply for jobs then disappear, or don’t turn up for interviews and you can’t get to the bottom of why. That can be difficult to deal with. There are more jobs out there than candidates.

It’s a candidate market; they’ve got a greater choice of jobs and have a wider set

of demands when it comes to the type of work culture they’re looking for, especially when it comes to things like working from home.

So, there’s a challenging situation of clients needing to move with the times in certain aspects as well, but also trying to keep tabs on candidates themselves.

On the flipside, what motivates you to do this role?

I think, after working as a small cog in a big machine previously and being unable to see my contributions, I’ve joined a business where it’s very transparent and I feel trusted to do my job, which is very refreshing. What gets me out of bed in the morning is being able to have a direct impact on the day-to-day running of a business.

For the recruitment of permanent, temporary or contract staff contact Andy Files Associates on 01709 717841. Head to www. andyfileassociates.com for more information.

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INTERIORS THAT INSPIRE,

BY PEOPLE YOU CAN TRUST...

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www.thedlcompany.com unLTDBUSINESS.COM 63

BUSINESS VILLAGE CASE STUDY

BASEGREEN ACADEMY LTD Shaping the future of education and training…

Basegreen Academy Ltd, founded in 2004, specialises in education and training services, focusing on prehospital care and professional development. The company had been dormant for several years but saw a revival in 2019 when CEO Matt Woodhead, came on board. Drawing inspiration from his work with a sister organisation, Matt spotted an opportunity for the company to begin offering training services within the group.

The journey began with a focus on pre-hospital care training, offering a range of first aid courses. But that was just the start. In early 2021, Pete Hardwick joined the team with a remit to grow the business in other areas of professional development.

Then, in November 2022, Tracy Fairfax joined as Operations Director for prehospital care with a similar remit to increase and expand that sector.

“We began offering training for blue light driving, then added apprenticeship delivery too. Today, we’re the go-to provider in South Yorkshire for ESFA1 apprenticeships in healthcare, professional services, and early years,” says Pete.

In the last year, Basegreen Academy began offering professional development training too. Additional services now include leadership and management training, and customer service assessment courses. These are available both commercially and via funding bodies such as ESF2 and SYMCA3 along with ESFA apprenticeship provision for pre-hospital care and

professional development.

Behind the scenes, there’s a team of 33 staff members, including paramedics and first-aiders. The company also draws from a pool of associates with diverse skills and expertise. This approach ensures the company can provide the skills and resources needed across the two sectors.

The pre-hospital care sector covers a mixture of B2B and B2C training. It consists of apprenticeships, driving courses, and commercial prehospital care training. But also includes providing medical support for sporting events, exhibitions, and film shoots.

Things work a little differently in the professional development sector. Here, organisations are often looking for a more consultative approach.

Pete explains: “Businesses will reach out to us with their potential training requirements or challenges. We always start with an organisational needs analysis. This looks at the business, its structures, and the culture. Then we’ll propose tailored solutions to address their problems. We use a solution-focused approach to find the best outcomes for our

clients.”

The broad range of services offered results in a diverse customer base. Within the pre-hospital care sector, clients include individuals seeking formal qualifications and skills training. But it extends much further, covering large institutions such as NHS trusts, private ambulance companies, and commercial organisations.

Professional development clients, on the other hand, are found in a variety of sectors.

The common denominator here is the need for management and leadership skills.

The Business Village offered a corporate environment for Basegreen Academy’s new services In July 2022, Basegreen Academy took a bold step, relocating from Sheffield to The Business Village in Barnsley. The move was driven by a desire to present a corporate image that aligned with new services being offered.

“Professional development and academic pre-hospital care training were new areas for us, so we wanted to present the right image. But we also needed to ensure the least risk with the roll out.

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The Business Village offered flexible contract terms and ticked lots of boxes. It’s proven to be a successful move for us.”

Pete says that The Business Village has been the perfect environment. It has a relaxed setting, with outdoor space, and access to the bistro. And the free parking and 24/7 access are ideal for training courses or when working unconventional hours.

The company still has a presence in Sheffield, but most operations are now in Barnsley. A mix of training and office space spans six rooms at The Business Village, all next to each other. This gives the team a self-contained feeling with the benefits of their own space.

Basegreen Academy has a clear vision for the future.

The overarching goal is to strengthen current services rather than diversifying. The team firmly believe that there’s untapped potential to expand the apprenticeship market, giving even more opportunities for growth.

As the company continues to grow, Pete is confident in the support offered by The Business Village.

“We have a good relationship with the management team and they’re always at the end of the phone. Whatever opportunity arises for us, we know they’ll do their best to help us achieve our aims and objectives. That’s nice to have.”

Website: basegreenacademy. co.uk Tel: 0114 212 5910 Email: hello@basegreen. co.uk

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www.austinfletcher.co.uk unLTDBUSINESS.COM 65 0114 213 8305 info@austinfletcher.co.uk

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IT’S AWARDS SEASON! Bradmarsh Business Park, S60 1BY

In December, businesses often receive deserved accolades and nominations for their year-long hard work. However, according to Becca Morris from Benchmark Recruit, it’s equally crucial for employers to use this time for introspection and celebrating the contributions of their staff.

Workshops & Offices

From

To Let

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END ON A HIGH

Regardless of whether your financial year-end falls in December or not, it’s crucial to conclude the year on a positive note and lay the groundwork for the upcoming year. I believe everyone should enter the Christmas break feeling good about themselves, having clarity about their positions and confidence in their goals for the coming year.

sq fton-site. Stepping away from effective than remaining

the usual work environment helps the crucial process of gaining perspective and reflecting on overall progress.

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Take this opportunity to evaluate your business’s overall progress. Step back and engage with your staff to discuss their achievements and areas for improvement this year. Ensure that it’s not only management discussing figures; involve the entire staff in a holistic conversation about various aspects of the company. Surveys can be beneficial, especially for larger businesses, utilising feedback as a foundation for growth in the coming year.

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them efficiently, addressing all aspects thoroughly, and seamlessly transition into ‘Christmas party mode,’ everyone can conclude by looking forward to a (hopefully) enjoyable social event. This way, after focusing on employees’ personal development, ensuring alignment, and discussing achievements, you can switch to a more festive atmosphere and collectively celebrate the accomplishments of the entire year.

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HOST YOUR OWN AWARDS PARTY!

HAVE THE RIGHT CONVERSATIONS Initiate the appropriate conversations. Discuss team goals, assess the personal and professional progress of individuals, inquire about their plans for the next 12 months, and explore how you, as an employer, can support them in reaching their objectives. This is the opportune moment to engage in discussions that provide insights into both career aspirations and personal life goals.

Such conversations can be so important, and employers stand to gain by

Let’s face it – nobody eagerly

Meeting Breakout anticipates appraisals.

However, if you can conduct rooms areas

investing additional effort in connecting with their staff.

CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES! When progress has been made or goals have been achieved, celebrate it!

Regardless of the size of your business, 360-degree feedback is crucial. Ensuring that employees recognize the significance of their dedicated efforts and are rewarded accordingly helps maintain high motivation levels for the approaching year.

STRUCTURE YOUR APPRAISALS PROPERLY (AND CONSIDER A CHANGE OF SETTING!) Of course, the nature of appraisals can change from industry to industry. Working in recruitment, I would begin with numbers, as that’s very important to the role, but then I’d move on to achievements and agreeing a plan for the year ahead. Then I’d go into 360-feedback and a concluding summary.

Speaking from personal experience, appraisals off-site prove to be more

Because why not?! We used to have the ‘Snow Globes’ at Benchmark each year.

We’d ask staff to vote on everything from ‘Consultant of the Year’ and ‘Best Client Experience’ to ‘Best Brewmaker’ and ‘Most Sassy’.

You’d be surprised at how competitive these could get (particularly when it comes to who made the best brew), but they were always plenty of fun and finished the year on a merry note! www.benchmarkrecruit. co.uk rebecca@benchmarkrecruit. co.uk 07714 771 600

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AUTUMN STATEMENT SCAN THE QR CODE TO DOWNLOAD OUR COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO ALL THE KEY ANNOUNCEMENTS MADE IN THE 2023 AUTUMN STATEMENT.

2023

The Autumn Statement 2023 delivered by the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt on Wednesday 22 November. Our summary boils his 110 different proposals down to a concise report of the key points.

The Autumn Statement had been initially trailed as focusing on the longer-term issues facing the country, but Mr Hunt decided to prioritise short-term tax cuts over maintaining future expenditure. The most headline-grabbing immediate moves were cuts to national insurance and placing the expensing of corporate investment onto a permanent basis.

Some of the rumoured changes, such as inheritance tax reform, did not appear, but there is still a chance – the Spring Budget is due to take place in March next year.

Some of the key announcements included: • A cut in the main rate of class 1 employee NICs from 12% to 10% taking effect from as soon as 6 January 2024. There will be a reduction in the main rate of class 4 selfemployed NICs from 9% to 8% from 6 April 2024 when class 2 NICs will be abolished.

• Making permanent the full expensing of investments by companies in qualifying plant and machinery so it will continue after April 2026.

• The continued freeze of the main income tax allowances and thresholds,

the main national insurance contributions thresholds and the inheritance tax nil rate bands for 2024/25.

• A full triple lock increase of 8.5% for 2024/25 for state pensions and pension credit. But universal credit and most other benefits will increase by just 6.7% in line with CPI inflation to September 2023.

• Freedom for investors

to make multiple subscriptions to ISAs of the same type each year from April 2024. Partial transfers of ISAs between providers will also be permitted.

• A 9.8% increase in the national living wage to £11.44 an hour.

and financial planning for the rest of the current tax year and beyond.

If you have any questions about how the Autumn Statement affects you, please get in touch with our Chartered Accountants on 0114 266 4432 or email info@smh.group

With a full Budget still likely in the Spring, there is much in this Autumn Statement on which to build your tax

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EMMAUS RECEIVES NEW FUNDING Homelessness charity Emmaus Sheffield is extending its training and development opportunities thanks to special Lottery grant support.

Emmaus Sheffield, based in Cadman Street, is the drug and alcohol free project that provides a home, support and work for formerly homeless people in the city.

Through its Social Enterprise programme it aims to provide meaningful work and enable the people it supports, known as companions, to eventually become self-supporting again.

The grant aid package is coming from the Government’s Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund, delivered by the National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK.

Grants support charities and community organisations in England at the frontline of dealing with the increase in the cost of living.

Emmaus Sheffield

Community Leader Lesley Morgan said: “The grant will allow us to invest in training and development opportunities for both companions and staff.

“This will enable our staff to support the companions in different ways, giving them the best options available to pursue their dreams.”

WESTON PARK’S SHINING STARS Leading South Yorkshire charity Weston Park Cancer Charity has announced its annual Christmas Star Appeal.

The appeal aims to not only raise money to fund vital services but to also encourage people to leave a message of thanks, in celebration or to remember someone special this festive season.

As well as the Christmas Star appeal, the charity is set to host a raft of other activities for the people of South Yorkshire and Derbyshire to get involved in to help raise money as well as to create some Christmas memories for those affected by cancer.

The charity is hosting its Sing Under the Stars event at Victoria Hall in Sheffield on Thursday 14 December from 6pm, with festive entertainment from the Sheffield Cancer Choir, The Rock Choir and a brass band.

People are also able to buy Weston Park Cancer Charity Christmas cards and merchandise on the charity’s online shop.

Weston Park Cancer Charity is also pleased to share that even Westie, the charity’s official mascot, has entered the festive season by donning his Christmas Pyjamas and is available for festive school visits.

Emma Clarke, CEO at Weston Park Cancer Charity, said: “We’re delighted to announce the launch of our annual 70 unLTDBUSINESS.COM

Christmas Star Appeal as well as a whole host of festive activities to help raise money and awareness.

“We know that families facing cancer around Christmas need our support more than ever and that’s why we urge our local community to give where they can, whether that be a monetary donation or time working as a volunteer.”

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WREN KITCHENS RAISES OVER £2,000 FOR THE SHEFFIELD CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL CHARITY National kitchen retailer Wren Kitchens has raised over £2,000 in support of The Children’s Hospital Charity in honour of two-year-old George who has received care at Sheffield Children’s.

In May this year, George was found to have a large tumour on his brain which needed major surgery to be removed.

His family spent time on the dedicated neurosciences ward and the high-dependency unit at Sheffield Children’s.

George is now receiving care in Leeds and has had 30 rounds of radiotherapy, with two more rounds of chemotherapy to go to hopefully remove of the remaining tumour.

A member of George’s family works for Wren Kitchens and when the team heard about his treatment, they organised the fundraising to give something back.

The team dubbed the event “George’s Day” and had cake sales throughout the office to raise money for The Children’s Hospital Charity, raising a total of £2,045.24 that will support Sheffield Children’s to continue offering life-saving care.

George’s mum, Holly, said: “The team go above and beyond every single day and does the utmost to make George feel happy, safe and comfortable which is hard when he is only two years old but somehow, they manage to keep that smile on his face, the fundraiser was organised just for us to give a little something back.”

Wendys christmas round-up Well – the last month of the year. A busy one for most of us and lots of data gathering to be done to round up 2023.

your organisation?

• Have you developed Staff? Leadership team members? Volunteers?

• Have you made a surplus or a deficit this calendar year?

• How have you helped • Have you thanked your your beneficiaries this staff, senior management year? team and volunteers and • How many people have celebrated your hard you helped? work yet? If not, forget • How have you helped the stats and go and do them? that. People come first • How has your and we all need to know organisation grown? that we are doing the • Have you increased best that we can and your reach for your that we are appreciated organisation? for what we do.

• Have you recruited staff/ trustees/directors and Here’s to 2024 and all it volunteers? brings in this crazy world.

• Have you strengthened your organisation with connections and referral Love and blessings from my home to all yours. partners?

• Have you increased your Wendy. funding streams into

If you need more help with this or any aspect of Business Planning/Funding Strategy, call me Wendy Ward, Let’s Save Consultancy Services, 0772 9481010. wendy@letssave.biz unLTDBUSINESS.COM 71

KINGSWOOD ALLOTTS STRENGTHENS SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM Leading South Yorkshire accountancy practice Kingswood Allotts has appointed accomplished tax specialist Luke James as their new Associate Director of Tax. In his role, Luke will head the company’s specialist tax and compliance division, overseeing the growth and development of the firm’s specialist department as well as delivering a comprehensive range of management services to clients across the UK. Luke is one of just a few individuals within the region who is qualified as both a chartered accountant and chartered tax adviser and has a particular interest in advising businesses on complex taxation matters.

Luke said: “Kingswood Allotts is a well-known and well-regarded accountancy practice that has been serving businesses and individuals across South Yorkshire for nearly a century.

“With many businesses facing increasingly complex and challenging rules, the need to access specialist

expertise has never been greater, and one of the things that has struck me about Kingswood Allotts is that it is a business that not only looks at the challenges its clients are currently facing but also looks ahead and helps them to prepare for the future by combining practical support alongside strategic advice. “ Tim Baum-Dixon, Chief Executive, Kingswood Allotts, said: “With future plans to overhaul more areas of the tax system set to bring about additional complexity, in his new role, Luke will help businesses to not only understand their responsibilities but, drawing on his wealth of knowledge and expertise, he will help more businesses to plan ahead.”

Pinelog welcomes new Production Manager Chesterfield-based timber lodge manufacturer Pinelog Limited have appointed a new Production Manager, Steve Betts.

He brings a wealth of experience in manufacturing, engineering and fabrication to Pinelog, one of the UK’s leading designers and manufacturers of luxury timber buildings.

Steve said: “I’m a process driven person, with years of experience in fine tuning production and developing teams’ skillsets. I’m excited to see how I can support Pinelog’s vision.

“I am delighted to now be working for a company with such high standards of design and production. The attention to detail is unrivalled.”

Steve’s appointment is just one of a number of new management 72 unLTDBUSINESS.COM

appointments Pinelog has created following its move to a new, larger site in Chesterfield this year.

Nick Grayson, Chairman of Pinelog Group, said: “Steve’s comprehensive background in production and management within a number of industries provides us with a springboard for further developing our own best in class processes.”

New leadership team poised to propel Buxton Brewery to new heights The Buxton Brewery Company have announced the appointment of three key executives, set to help drive the business to new horizons.

Rob Topham has assumed the role of Technical Director, overseeing production at the brewery’s Staden Lane brewing facility.

With an extensive background in brewing and production management at Fullers, Camden Town and most recently, ABI, Rob possesses a wealth of expertise and innovative strategies to optimise production processes and elevate efficiency.

John Hamilton has been announced as Area Manager, spearheading the management and operations of the brewery’s bar operating company, Axe Edge Bars Ltd. John possesses a proven track record in multi-venue management and business development gained at True North Brew Co, promising to bring dynamic leadership and an enhanced customer experience to our diverse range of bars.

Finally, Dominic Metcalfe has been appointed Managing Director, bringing a forward-thinking approach with a keen eye for strategic growth opportunities gained through experience at Adnams, Black Isle Brewery and Thornbridge.

Found of Buxton Brewer, Geoff Quinn said: “We are thrilled to welcome these talented individuals to our leadership team.

“We’re confident that their contributions will be instrumental in propelling our business to even greater success.”

All good things come in threes Whirlow Hall Farm Trust has welcomed three new members of staff, with Maria Watkins being appointed as Events Fundraiser, Heidi Heslop joining the education team and Martin Sambrook taking on the role of Senior Butcher.

Heidi, with a background in teaching Design and Technology in secondary schools, will be working with children who are disengaged from education due to a range of complex issues, supporting them whilst they carry out tasks on the Trust’s working farm helping reengage them.

She said: “I am thrilled to join the Whirlow Education Team. There is nothing better than seeing a child go from completely disengaged in education to seeing the results of their work on the farm, to reengaging with education again and moving on in a way that is positive for them.”

Maria studied Events

Management at university and worked part-time at Revolution Bars, working her way up to becoming their Sales and Events Manager, and joined Whirlow as the

Events Fundraiser.

She said: “I love animals so being on a real working farm is a perfect fit for me! I loved my time at Revolution, but I now want to make

a difference through my work and can’t wait to start raising money to support the work of our education programmes.”

Martin joins Whirlow after 39 years as a supermarket butcher and manager, arriving at an exciting time in the run-up to the busiest period of the year for the butchery.

He said: “I am delighted to join the Whirlow Hall Farm Trust team. It’s wonderful to come to work in this fantastic environment, and the meat quality is some of the best I’ve ever seen.”

Ben Davies, Whirlow’s Chief Executive said “I am very, very proud of the team we have at Whirlow and what they are achieving.

“They’ve each got terrific experience and will add a huge amount to their new departments, playing a vital role in helping the Trust support even more struggling youngsters in the future.”

MAJOR PROMOTIONS AT CODA STUDIOS CODA Studios, the company comprised of CODA Architecture and Code Bespoke, has announced two internal promotions, naming Josh Campbell as Associate Director and Dan Bull as Associate.

CODA Studios Director Abel Hinchliffe said: “The promotions for both Josh and Dan reflect our confidence in the future.

“Josh’s contribution to CODA has been and will continue to be transformative for us and Dan’s outstanding eye and passion for design have driven the continued growth of CODA Bespoke.

“These promotions reflect our appreciation of that, and all the other contributions Josh and Dan have made to the success of our

business.

“We are very much a Sheffield company, passionate about Sheffield and its potential to become an even more successful city, making better places and better neighbourhoods but at the same time we are also making our mark on a much larger canvas, not just across the north but in other parts of the country too.”

Beyond South Yorkshire, the CODA team has created major residential developments in Aylesbury, Luton and Bedford over the past year.

After battling a tumultuous time during the pandemic, the past 12 months for CODA have been strong, with these promotions representing the company’s success and growth.

unLTDBUSINESS.COM 73

THE FUTURE’S BRIGHT: SOUTH YORKSHIRE COLLEGES SECURE FUNDING TO NURTURE YOUNG TALENT In a significant stride towards advancing higher technical qualifications in South Yorkshire, a collaborative effort led

by Sheffield College has secured a substantial £1.3 million grant from the Department for Education’s Higher Technical Education Skills Injection Fund. The successful bid, which also involved Barnsley College, DN Colleges Group, RNN Group, and Sheffield Hallam University, is poised to fortify the region’s educational landscape and propel students toward successful, rewarding careers.

Expressing his elation, Andrew Hartley, Deputy Chief Executive of Sheffield College, emphasized the transformative impact this funding would have on the region’s educational infrastructure. “We are delighted to secure funding to provide more higherlevel technical training opportunities in key industries,” he said. “Higherlevel technical skills are vital for the careers of today and tomorrow, and to enable employers in our region to develop and grow.”

The grant will bolster the delivery of higher technical qualifications (HTQs), encompassing both new and existing Level 4 and 5 qualifications.

These qualifications span diverse sectors such as computing, construction, and health, with a phased implementation approach ensuring a comprehensive integration into South Yorkshire’s educational fabric.

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HTQs stand as a unique fusion of academic knowledge at a university level and practical, hands-on technical skills cultivated in real-world work environments.

Developed in collaboration with employers, these qualifications have garnered approval from the esteemed Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education, underlining their relevance and alignment with industry needs.

The consortium’s plan includes utilising the funds to procure state-of-theart technical equipment, revamping facilities, and raising awareness about HTQs among both employers and students. By

focusing on key sectors such as construction, creative and design, digital, engineering and manufacturing, as well as health and science, the initiative aims to foster growth in the regional economy and ensure a steady supply of skilled professionals.

This injection of funds not only signifies a boost to South Yorkshire’s educational landscape but also underscores a collaborative commitment to shaping a workforce equipped with the skills essential for the challenges of the future. As these higher technical qualifications take centre stage, South Yorkshire is poised to

witness a transformative shift in its educational narrative, creating a pathway for success and growth for generations to come.

The Sheffield College, a key player in this educational evolution, offers HTQs as part of its UC Sheffield university-level course offerings. As the initiative gains momentum, the College invites students and employers alike to explore the myriad opportunities presented by these qualifications.

To learn more about HTQs and the educational offerings at The Sheffield College, visit www.sheffcol. ac.uk.

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