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energy keeping track of the

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shaped its activities, growth and direction.

“When you start a business in the utility sector, especially if you’ve got some experience, you usually have a plan,” said Mike. “But as the market evolves there has to be re-calibration and sometimes chucking everything out of the window and starting again.

“All these things happen in a dynamic fashion, but you have to adapt to those changes to stay in business.

“We were very lucky. Our fi rst two corporate customers – Bourne Leisure and Aviva – had massive environmental awareness in 2014 and still do today.

“Their interest drove us into an area where we had to learn quite quickly what had to be done to support behavioural change in buildings.

“Nowadays, every organisation above a certain size in the UK has a carbon target. These are set at board level, so have to be adhered to, and there are lots of opportunities where our data can be used either by consultants, developers or sales providers to build a business case for a project.

“We want to build our business in the UK and grow it here – there’s a lot to do.”

One of the parts of its business Utilidex hopes to expand is the ways it supports organisations to reduce their carbon emissions.

“I’m actually more optimistic now about climate change than I was eight months ago,” said Mike. “Sadly, that’s down to the rocketing energy prices. They will cause a dark winter where energy conservation becomes really important for fi nancial survival, be that for households or businesses.

“The impact of this will accelerate the process because it will force everybody’s hands and that should be a good thing for the planet.”

While Mike said there were no easy fi xes for businesses facing escalating bills, he said some would be in a position to take action.

“It’s a massive problem and will need to be addressed in a variety of ways,” he said. “One way for organisations to do that is to become both producers and consumers of energy as well as investing in batteries to help avoid peak rate tarriff s.

“Where fi rms have the capital, now would be a really good time to invest in wind or solar – and make their own energy. That’s the way industrials will need to go.

“It’s also good because it creates additionality as well – there’s one more solar panel or wind turbine generating power that can be used or fed back into the grid.” Go to utilidex.com for more details

how Third Space is encouraging Wharfers to make the most of the days they are spending in the office by embracing the facilities around them

by Jon Massey

There’s more to going into work than toiling at a desk or moaning about your employer in the office kitchen. It’s about coming to a different environment and being able to take advantage of facilities that simply don’t exist in the suburbs or the home counties.

Take Third Space in Canary Wharf, for example. Set over three floors, it boasts more than 100,000sq ft of training space including a climbing wall, swimming pool, boxing ring and pretty much every piece of exercise equipment you can call to mind.

Regular readers of Wharf Life will already be familiar with the hundreds of classes it offers every week, with everything from Yoga and Pilates through to the epic Yard WOD set in its purpose-built CrossFit-style training space.

The club recently launched its autumn campaign, offering memberships with no joining fee, encouraging Wharfers to see its extensive facilities as an extra benefit to heading into work, as more and more people transition back to regular commuting.

Elite personal trainer at Third Space Canary Wharf, Stephanie Whitehead, said the benefits to exercising this way were clear.

“Training at the gym is very different from training at home,” she said. “During lockdown, because I’m a trainer, I could be very resourceful and come up with great workouts using just one kettlebell and that would be great fun.

“But we don’t have to do that anymore. The difference here is, firstly, the environment. This isn’t working out on a mat on your kitchen floor. Here, you’re in amazing surroundings with people doing really cool things. You’re somewhere else and focused – you’re ready to train.

“Secondly, it’s all the equipment. You’re not limited by what you have at home. If you haven’t been in a gym for a while, that can seem overwhelming – which is why having the input of a personal trainer is really important.

“Suppose, for example, you’re coming into the office a few days each week. We can put a programme together for you that fits that, tailored to maximise what you get out of each specific visit. Each trainer will have a different style and a different

Third Space elite personal trainer Stephanie Whitehead says gym sessions can have multiple benefits for people’s physical and mental health

approach, but it’s our job to give you that clarity, structure and focus.

“It also prevents you just doing the things that you are good at, which can create imbalances in the body. My approach would be to work with a client on an all-round programme based on the number of days they are coming in to make sure all of their muscle groups are getting involved and we’re working on their whole body.

“For example, I’ll do strength training, but in terms of conditioning, I’ll always try to throw in bigger, full-movements like thrusters or squats. That way you get better results and the client developing a career on the gym floor.

That broad background means she is well-placed to understand the benefits training can have on her clients’ mental health as well as their physical state.

“A lot of my clients would say they have very stressful jobs – lawyers who work really long hours, or bankers who might deal with mistakes involving millions of pounds – really high levels of pressure to deal with,” said Stephanie.

“Firstly, coming to the gym is a distraction and, secondly, it’s a complete break with everyday life. I always say to people that

gets more bang for their buck. I’d say a minimum of three visits a week is a good idea because that is just enough to build habit and consistency and it’s achievable.”

Stephanie has worked in the industry for more than a decade and has been a trainer at the Canary Wharf club for eight years. She is also assistant fitness manager there, meaning she mentors new personal trainers as well as working directly with clients.

Having discovered a passion for fitness at university while studying psychology, she went on to compete in CrossFit before

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£0

There is currently no joining fee at Third Space

Third Space Canary Wharf is currently undergoing a series of upgrades with brand new free weights and pin-loaded machine areas recently unveiled. The club’s changing rooms and cardio vascular machine areas are also set to be refreshed in the coming months

ready and