West & North Yorkshire Business Q1 2021 by West & North Yorkshire Business

West & North

Yorkshire

usiness PRODUCED & PUBLISHED BY WEST & NORTH YORKSHIRE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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CONNECTING, SUPPORTING & REPRESENTING BUSINESS IN THE REGION

Q1 2021

Up to 66% off † Business Breakdown Cover for Chamber members Service level

Roadside

Relay

Relay Plus

Home Start

Accident Management

Offer Price

Standard Price

Difference

Fleetwide 1

£87.49

£236.50

£149.01

Fleetwide 2

£78.69

£202.50

£123.81

Fleetwide 3

£64.74

£189.50

£124.76

Fleetwide 4

£55.94

£155.50

£99.56

Fleetwide 5

£47.27

£114.50

£67.23

Fleet Europe

£16.44

£44.50

£28.06

Minibus Rescue

£193.16

£316.50

£123.34

£174.32

£387.00

£212.68

Specialist 2

Specialist 4

£149.66

£306.50

£156.84

Specialist 5

£96.99

£202.50

£105.51

The table below gives you more details about the specific services which can be included within our Business Breakdown cover Roadside

Repair or recovery to the AA’s choice of appropriate local repairer.

Relay*

Transportation of vehicle, driver and up to 7 passengers to a UK mainland address if prompt local repair not possible.

Relay Plus*

Extended Relay service to include one of three alternative arrangements for driver and passengers; car hire, accommodation or public transport services.

Home Start

For breakdowns at or within ¼ mile of your home address.

Accident Management

Takes the hassle out of arranging repair, recovery and insurance claims after an accident or vandalism.

For more information, please contact your local Chamber of Commerce Direct Debit. To make life easier, you can now pay for your breakdown cover by Direct Debit. Based on Fleetwide 3 Standard rates for 3-6 vehicles. All the above prices are per vehicle per year, inclusive of IPT (Insurance Premium Tax). All prices are subject to change. Fleetwide cover does not apply to: specialist vehicles, ie: taxis, mini cabs, hire vehicles, ambulances, police vehicles, vehicles on tradeplates, minibuses, privately owned vehicles (unless used for business purposes), motorcycles and courier vehicles (all of which can be covered on Specialist rates as above), or any vehicles over 3.5 tonnes gvw. Terms and conditions apply. *Relay and Relay Plus services are not provided at or within ¼ mile of driver’s home address. Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Offer prices are only available while your Chamber membership is current. We reserve the right to review pricing at any time. Full terms and conditions available on request by calling 0800 55 11 88. Business Breakdown cover is provided by Automobile Association Developments Limited (trading as AA Breakdown Services). Relay Plus is underwritten by Acromas Insurance Company Limited. Acromas Insurance Company Limited is authorised and regulated by the Commissioner of Insurance, Financial Services Commission, Gibraltar, and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, United Kingdom. Acromas Insurance Company Limited is a member of the Association of British Insurers. Head Office: 57-63 Line Wall Road, Gibraltar. Registered Number 88716 (Gibraltar). UK brand address: Acromas Insurance Company Limited, Enbrook Park, Folkestone, Kent, CT20 3SE. Automobile Association Insurance Services Limited is an insurance intermediary authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered Office: Fanum House, Basing View, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 4EA. Registered in England and Wales number 2414212. †

BSF_BCC_0360 (0217)

West & North Yorkshire Business

WELCOME 3

Getting the blend right

We’ve been living with the pandemic for a year and have got used to virtual meetings, well almost. Our Chair, Nick Garthwaite, introduced a sign to use on calls saying, “You’re on mute”. We have learned to adopt ‘blended’ ways of working and probably do not expect to return completely to our old ways. The education sector is one that has seen enormous change with online learning and helping organisations to adapt to different ways of working. This issue features skills, training and contingency planning; topics that we believe will be of interest to members. Sandy Needham DL Chief Executive West & North Yorkshire Chamber

The Chamber has continued to share information on changing Covid measures, grants, work place testing and Brexit. Apart from the problems of the lock downs affecting so many businesses, Brexit is the current big issue. People prepared, as far as they could, but even the largest companies have been hit by regulation and procedures that are expensive and timeconsuming. The volume of calls for advice has been enormous. We are fortunate that plans for cultural celebrations in Bradford & Leeds, new business premises, hotels in York and a new terminal at the Leeds Bradford Airport are being progressed. The last Quarterly Economic Survey showed that our region was out-performing others. Michele Taylor, who joined as Head of Events in 2020, is hoping that she will finally be able to deliver annual dinners in York, Leeds and Bradford with face-to-face networking.

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17 PROFILE

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TWITTER @WNYChamber

20 PROFILE

46 CHAMBER

West & North Yorkshire Business is a quarterly business

22 EDUCATION

BRITISH CHAMBERS

RAISING THE BAR

EDITORIAL editor@yorkshire-business.co.uk

is comprised of a targeted audience of the major decision

White Rose Academies Trust

Denson Automotive

Nexus

Leeds Beckett University

24 EDUCATION

York St John University

University of Bradford’s School of Management

publication may be reproduced or used in any form of of the editorial team. West & North Yorkshire Business has taken all reasonable care to ensure that the information contained in this

28 SKILLS IVE

30 EDUCATION

University of York

magazine is accurate on the date of publication. This magazine is published by the West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce. Printed by Hart & Clough www.hartandclough.co.uk The Chamber group includes Chamber International, Business Enterprise Fund and West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce.

West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce British Chambers of Commerce Accredited

Trade agreements

40 INTERNATIONAL Case study

41 TRANSPORT

Leeds Bradford Airport

42 TRANSPORT

Response to strategy consultations

Housing and job growth

Lifelong learning

BAME Business Committee

26 EDUCATION

38 INTERNATIONAL

makers and senior executives across both the Yorkshire region and the wider UK business community.

News from across the region

Online networking

magazine produced by the West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce. The audience for this publication

News from Bradford, Leeds, York & North Yorkshire

BUSINESS SUPPORT AD:VENTURE Start Up

36 BREXIT

Report on the first 30 days

Reflections from Adam Marshall

Improve the social impact of your business

56 MEMBERSHIP

AA Breakdown Recovery

57 MEMBERSHIP

New Chamber members

SOCIAL MEDIA What you missed online

60 SPONSORSHIP

Chamber Annual Dinners

62 EVENTS

Upcoming events

West & North Yorkshire Business

CONTENTS 5

Finding finance for the future

Digital skills

39 Trade expert joins the team

Start-up support case study

46 New BAME business committee

Pledge to make a difference

West & North Yorkshire Business

BRADFORD NEWS

Is there light at the end of the tunnel? A mad, bad and sad 2020 is now well out of the way, although it is still too soon to begin breathing a sigh of relief for many businesses in Bradford. Many of our members are continuing to thrive, of course, despite the persistent uncertainty, but it is clear that virus-related issues are posing challenges for others. The Budget in March included various measures that will help the economy to get back on its feet, and the Chamber’s reaction is on the website, as well as several media comments. I must also mention the great work done by Bradford Council in getting those government grants out to our local businesses, without which some would no longer be with us, it is sad to say. At the last count, £46 million had gone through the local authority to help sustain the District economy and business community. As the vaccine continues to roll out, and testing levels step up a couple of gears, we will start daring to think about a ‘return to normal’ (yes, I accept the phrase is now over-used – including by me!). If, like me, you are one who prefers meeting people faceto-face with a cup of coffee in hand, rather than through the prism of a laptop or tablet, then that time cannot come soon enough. It remains crucial though – for the economy and the country’s health – that we have no more lockdowns. Fingers crossed! Despite the difficulties, I repeat again that there is much to be positive about. Many businesses are finding new markets and opportunities, recruiting staff, training and upskilling them, and producing fantastic goods and services. If you have a good news story to promote, don’t forget to tell us all about it – we will help you tell it to a wider audience. Suzanne Watson President Bradford Chamber

Removing barriers A £57,000 grant from Children In Need aims to open up new opportunities for asylum seeker, refugee and BAME background students at Bradford College. The funding has been offered through BBC Children in Need & Inspiring Futures to run the project with the college’s students of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). The project aims to boost language and employment skills and self-confidence for around 150 students aged 16-18 and 50 students aged 18-24. The classes taught in ESOL include refugees, asylum seekers and learners from BAME backgrounds, some of whom have experienced trauma, some live alone, and many of those with family members are the carers and translators for parents or siblings. The language barrier between ESOL students and their peers can add to feelings of isolation and exclusion from the workplace, which the project will support students to overcome. The project will fund a coach to support students to overcome specific barriers as well as helping them to develop skills, giving them the confidence to apply for jobs, take part in job interviews and succeed in the workplace. Cristina Nicolae, the Curriculum Team Leader for ESOL, said: “The project aims to reduce social exclusion and instil leadership skills in young people. They will also be supported to gain volunteering positions as well as become peer mentors for our student cohort in the following years.” The grant has been made possible by Inspiring Futures, a joint funding programme between BBC Children in Need and the Youth Futures Foundation. Inspiring Futures supports organisations working to improve employment outcomes for young people who face disadvantages. Craig Tupling, Vice Principal at Bradford College, said:“At Bradford College we believe everyone deserves support and opportunities to reach their goals and potential. We are thankful to Children in Need and the Youth Futures Foundation for their grant which enables us to continue to help people overcome disadvantage or lack of opportunities, and transform their lives.”

Reach for the sky University of Bradford MBA graduate Kailash Kalidoss has just earned himself a title that’s quite literally out of this world. The 35-year-old has just been named ‘Solar System Ambassador’ by none other than NASA.

mission discoveries through a variety of events that inspire their communities. Part of his new role will involve educating people about future planned space missions to the Moon and Mars, both in the US and across the world.

The Solar System Ambassadors (SSA) program from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory works with motivated volunteers across the nation to share NASA science and

Kailash now lives in the Bay Area in California, with his wife and ninemonth-old son. His new role with NASA is a voluntary position, which he does alongside his day job,

working as a medical systems engineer for a high-tech product design and manufacturing company. “My role will involve presenting events to different groups of people and talking about NASA’s planned missions, such as the Artemis programme, which plans to land the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024, before using that as a stepping stone to put humans on Mars.”

On the job learning

Celebrating a hero

Bradford’s City of Culture bid

Local hygiene chemicals manufacturer Christeyns UK has been giving some first hand advice and support to local students working on their City & Guilds Level 2 Diploma.

This is the moment a shocked care worker won a dream holiday to a Caribbean Island after a competition by a Bradford-based travel agency.

Bradford’s bid to become UK City of Culture 2025 has received a big boost with the unveiling of a major new partnership between the bid team and the University of Bradford.

Commercial Director Justin Kerslake, along with Stacey King, Zach Adams and Lucy Duckworth have been helping a group of Aspire-igen students with a project that goes towards their Business qualifications. Aspire-igen is a Yorkshire based social enterprise committed to changing lives for the better through learning and work. The brief was to create a new fabric conditioner for the spa market and students were given the technical, marketing and forecasting aspects they needed to consider. Business Tutor Fozia Ahmed explains: “At Aspire-igen we are all about real life experiences, and welcome employer interactions. Christeyns has been a long-standing supporter of our learners.”

Tyler Brown Travel, an independent travel agency which has a site at Bradford Chamber Business Park in Laisterdyke, gave away a fortnight holiday to Nevis after running a competition earlier this year. The firm’s Social Care Hero contest was launched in the summer to find that someone who had gone that extra mile throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Michelle Adamson, from Liverpool, was chosen as the winner and the Chief Executive of the company she works for surprised her with a visit to her home to tell her the great news.

University of Bradford Vice Chancellor Professor Shirley Congdon has hailed the potential for “millions of pounds of investment” to breathe new life into the city, and the University’s Chief Finance Officer, Stuart McKinnon-Evans said: “When you look at what major cultural designations have done for other cities, such as Liverpool and Hull, where it kick-started a huge renaissance and a boost in confidence among its people, I think it could be transformational for Bradford. However, even just the process of preparing for the bid will have a tremendously positive effect. Bradford has such a diverse offering in terms of its history, food and art, a wider cultural offering including theatre, TV, film, museums and music.“

West & North Yorkshire Business

LEEDS NEWS

Roadmap to recovery The first quarter of 2021 remains challenging for many of our members but with vaccine roll out and the announcement by the Prime Minister, setting out a roadmap to recovery we can, hopefully, see the next stage of the journey to economic recovery. In our conversations with Government we have made it clear that whilst there remains any kind of restrictions on companies’ economic activities commensurate financial support measures must remain in place. The first quarter of 2021 also sees consultations on transport from West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Leeds City Council. WYCA are asking the region to comment on proposals for a mass transit scheme, something the Chamber has advocated for many years. Leeds City Council’s plans integrate with these and add further elements including active travel and a focus on travel to and from the city centre. As we look towards the county’s first elected mayor in May, it will be important that these plans are ready to move into the delivery phase as quickly as possible. Continuing the theme of transport infrastructure, the Chamber welcomed the approval of plans to redevelop the terminal building at Leeds-Bradford Airport. This is long overdue and badly needed. The plans will see the development of the UK’s most sustainable airport terminal, improving the passenger experience and integrating with plans for a new parkway station being proposed close to the airport. The Chamber continues to represent businesses across the city with policy makers, ensuring concerns around Covid, Brexit, skills needs, infrastructure and other supporting measures are heard as we work collaboratively on economic recovery plans. The next quarter will be crucial and the need for a long term plan remains a vital component. Amanda Beresford President Leeds Chamber

Making an exhibition One of Yorkshire’s most popular art galleries is tackling the problems posed by Covid-19 – by staging a new exhibition outside. Sunny Bank Mills Gallery, an integral part of the historic Sunny Bank Mills complex in Farsley, near Leeds, is hosting the exhibition in Weavers Yard, the huge new development at the mills. Jane Kay, the director of the gallery explained: “The Gallery team has had to start rethinking how to reach audiences and promote artists at a time when no-one is able to physically visit the gallery. “The wide open space at Weavers Yard has given us the opportunity to continue to promote artists and culture in lockdown, whilst at the same time animating our outdoor spaces. Visitors can now walk round Weavers Yard, look at the art and enjoy a little lockdown exercise.” She added: “We are delighted to both support our local creative community and to provide local residents with a means of engaging in culture whilst our gallery is closed.” Jane has selected 15 pieces of art, with images provided by the artists printed at a scale and format to enable them to be displayed outside. “With this exhibition, in these chilly February days and in the grip of this global pandemic, we wanted to create a sense of warmth, hope and brightness as a contrast to what many people are experiencing,” said Jane. The artists featured are Katie Bennett-Rice, Julia Pomeroy, Jake Mullins and Jenny Beard, with two pieces by textile designer Vanessa Plews. In what is almost a separate exhibition, they are joined by Jack Gaunt whose photographs focus on domestic flies and bugs. “Our residency space is offered free to support emerging artists and give them space and time to create new work. There is a shortage of affordable space for artists in Leeds and we are delighted to be able to provide subsidised/free space where we can for artists who have previously exhibited with us.” This outside exhibition will run indefinitely.

West & North Yorkshire Business

Air conditioning company increases and invests A Yorkshire based air conditioning business has bucked the trend of 2020 with significant capital and headcount investment and a predicted end of year of forecast that shows continued and substantial growth. Airedale International, which manufactures from its world class centre of innovation in Leeds, is investing nearly £1m in new plant equipment that will further improve efficiency and support increased production. The state- of-the-art

manufacturing facility, which currently offers 24 hour production during the working week, is expanding its capacity in response to continued and sustained demand. With a predicted 5 year, 70% growth by March 2022, and with further significant investment planned in capital equipment and headcount over the forthcoming year, their UK manufacturing plant is busier than ever, building high quality, high efficiency air conditioning products that serve industries such as data

centres, healthcare, pharmaceutical and other commercial outlets. In a year that saw undeniable challenges, Airedale International has been tenacious with continuing its growth strategy. The safety of its team has been of utmost priority and as such the company reduced production volume in the spring, whilst Covid-safe procedures were implemented and physical workplace adjustments were made including a 3 shift work pattern with fewer people in the building.

Every cloud has a silver lining

Working in partnership

From couch to chorus

BCN Group, the managed IT, cloud and digital transformation specialist, has acquired Xicon Cloud. The acquisition allows BCN Group to strengthen its best-in-class capabilities in supporting business-critical applications in secure private cloud environments.

A new partnership between Leeds Beckett University and Bruntwood SciTech aims to boost the long-term sustainability, growth and success of businesses in the Leeds City Region.

Opera North continues its commitment to bring music and performance into the lives of people across the country with the launch of a suite of digital initiatives designed to promote wellbeing and aid learning during the current lockdown and beyond.

Xicon Cloud brings expertise and experience in public sector healthcare, being accredited to connect into and use the NHS’ Health and Social Care Network (HSCN), which complements BCN Group’s existing G-Cloud offering. The company has enjoyed strong organic growth in recent years. Simon Kelf, CEO of BCN Group, said: “The acquisition of Xicon Cloud significantly strengthens our cloud product and service offering and provides a tremendous opportunity for BCN Group to cement itself as a leading provider of cloud solutions. I have been very impressed by the skills and talents of the Xicon Cloud team, who will be a great addition to BCN Group.”

The collaboration will build a culture of innovation within start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through access to academic consultancy, student and graduate work placements, and the established expert business support services and mentoring provided by Leeds Beckett and Bruntwood SciTech – at Platform in Leeds city centre. Platform is Leeds’s ‘home of tech’ and is part of Bruntwood SciTech’s network of innovation districts. It is the base for over 100 digital and tech businesses, including start-ups, scale-ups, and large corporate organisations. Platform’s specialist Tech Hub offers a range of business support to new and early stage companies including access to finance, talent, partners and new markets.

With performance to an audience in person not possible under the current restrictions, the Company’s online offering includes programmes to keep children entertained and engaged with music in the home, alongside feel good initiatives for adults to raise spirits and encourage connection. The hugely successful singing workshops From Couch to Chorus return for a third time, with over 90 per cent of those who took part in the Festive Edition saying it had a significant impact on their wellbeing. Find out more about Opera North’s digital offerings including Little School of Music, Orchestral Academy Online and ONe-to-ONe.

West & North Yorkshire Business

YORK & NORTH YORKSHIRE NEWS

Rebuild and reorganise On your behalf the Chamber continues to work collaboratively with the local and county council partners, along with the York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership to advise on business conditions and the support needed to ensure a strong post-Covid recovery. Feedback from members via surveys and conversations has been particularly invaluable and helped the Chamber shape its response to Government interventions over the course of the pandemic. During the first quarter of 2021 we supported and made representation on a number of major developments, including York Central and redevelopment of the station frontage. We supported proposals for a new Roman Quarter in York which we were put forward for sites on Rougier Street, and we were disappointed that panel members rejected this scheme; we await to see if there will be a rethink of plans for this strategic site. Devolution proposals for York & North Yorkshire have been put forward to Government, which we have supported. In parallel with this, we have expressed our support also for local government reorganisation which would see the abolition of district authorities across North Yorkshire, being replaced by a single unitary authority. We feel this proposition will provide the least amount of disruption and bring the greatest amount of efficiencies. If approved, plans for both devolution and reorganisation could see the county elect its first mayor in 2022, to sit alongside devolved authorities in West Yorkshire, Manchester, Teesside and other parts of England. As part of the Government’s levelling up agenda, we feel strongly that a regional mayor will represent the region’s interests as we rebuild our economy. Finally, we continue to support businesses as they adapt to new trade procedures with the EU. Both of our region’s LEPs have made funds available to allow our international trade team to provide the bespoke support needed by firms across our region. If your business needs help then I would urge you to get in touch. Andrew Digwood President York & North Yorkshire Chamber

Pavers reduces footprint Pavers Holdings Ltd has become the first major UK shoe retailer to achieve both the Carbon Neutral International Certification and participation in the UN’s Climate Now Initiative, which invites organisations to work towards global climate neutrality by addressing their own carbon footprint. Pavers Holdings Ltd is primarily comprised of Pavers Shoes and Jones Bootmaker and is a family owned-and-run footwear retailer, founded in 1971 by Catherine Paver. Their aim is to profitably and sustainably deliver comfort, value and happiness to both their customers and colleagues. Working in partnership with One Carbon World, a global resource partner of the UN Climate Neutral Now Initiative, Pavers calculated and disclosed the businesses current carbon footprint and with their Foundation, they have directly funded to offset (or balance) all emissions through certified carbon credits purchased with the support of One Carbon World. Talking about the company’s initiative Jason Paver, Joint MD said: “One of our core values as a business is that we take our commitment to local communities, charities, and the environment seriously, and to support this we already donate a fixed percentage of our profits to our Charitable Foundation annually. But for a lot of our people, and for me personally, it is imperative that as a business we focus on doing everything we can to help support the long-term health of our environment. Becoming carbon neutral and signing up to the UN’s Climate Now initiative is a fantastic step forward for us, but it is just one of a number we will be taking in order to continue to reduce our environmental impact as much as possible. Whilst we remain hyper-aware of costs, given the global pandemic has closed all 170 of our shops, we are fortunate that the Pavers Foundation will be funding our carbon offset requirements for the next few years. I feel strongly this initiative is fulfilling what our colleagues and our communities want to see the business doing.”

New appointment strengthens Pearsons & Ward Solicitors Pearsons & Ward Solicitors are delighted to announce the appointment of experienced Paralegal Rachel Newsome to their Family Department.

Rachel is the latest appointment for Pearsons & Ward, now part of Ware & Kay Solicitors Ltd which also has offices in York & Wetherby. Rachel

will be based at the Malton office and serve clients across Ryedale and East Yorkshire. Rachel started her career in the legal profession in 1996 in West Yorkshire moving to Ryedale in 2009 before commencing work at Pearsons & Ward as a Paralegal in 2012, having completed the Central Law Training

Specialist Paralegal Qualification in Family Law. Rachel advises and has in-depth experience of the Divorce process, in relation to financial settlements including contested cases and in children cases. Rachel also advises couples on prenuptial, post-nuptial and cohabitation agreements.

Growth in healthcare

Two appointments at Rollits LLP

Innovation at UNTHA UK

Herida Healthcare acquires Select Medical as the business targets aggressive growth

Leading law firm Rollits LLP has announced the appointment of newlyqualified solicitor Harriet Kingston to a post in its dispute resolution department, and the recruitment of a new graduate into Harriet’s initial role with the practice.

Industrial shredder specialist UNTHA UK has revealed a number of team changes and plans for the year, as Managing Director, Marcus Brew, gears up to record £15m turnover by the end of 2021. The promotions, hires and product launches follow a landmark year for the business, which reached £10.5m revenues.

Privately owned pressure care and moving and handling manufacturer, Herida Healthcare has completed its first acquisitions with Select Medical Ltd & Select Medical Holdings Ltd. who manufacture, supply, clean and repair pressure relieving mattresses. Sean Spencer, Managing Director of Herida Healthcare, says the acquisition will bolster the service and repair requirements for Herida’s rapidly growing business: “Select has a wellrespected product offering and service capability. The 20-year-old business has built a very stable platform and the incredible synergies between the two businesses will offer a wider product range and value for money to our much-valued customers on both sides.

Harriet joined Rollits in 2017 after securing a distinction in her legal practice course at BPP Law School in Leeds, having already completed a BSc in Biomedical Science at the University of Hull and a Graduate Diploma in Law at the College of Law. Millie Bird, who progressed from Scarborough Sixth Form College to the University of Law in Leeds to complete a law degree in which she gained First Class Honours, followed by the LPC which she also passed with distinction, has now been appointed as a paralegal with the property team in York.

Communications professional, Katie Mallinson, has been appointed as Marketing Director, to build on the firm’s brand in the UK and overseas. Andy Nadin has moved into the position of Aftersales Manager, to reflect demand for spare parts, service and maintenance contracts, and used shredder refurbishments. Rob Andrews will then head up the engineering services team, while Ben Styles will become the division’s senior engineer.

West & North Yorkshire Business

WEST & NORTH YORKSHIRE NEWS

Common ground Checking over our three Presidents’ columns in this magazine, there are – as you’d expect – some crosscutting themes and issues covered.

Building better lives

Our three geographical areas, of Bradford, Leeds and York and North Yorkshire, all have distinct economic and business profiles, of course, but there are also areas of commonality that influence our progress and development.

Yorkshire Building Society has recently announced a new two-year £1 million charity partnership with Age UK to help support older people.

There is much interest in the devolution agenda, and whoever wins the race to become the mayor for West Yorkshire will be under pressure to deliver on behalf of the county. We will look to work closely with the incoming mayor at the earliest opportunity to ensure business issues are on the agenda. Devolution of powers, policies and budgets should be another piece in the jigsaw of levelling up and rebalancing the economy between North and South. The other common topics raised by the Presidents are the post-Covid recovery and the Brexit deal with the EU. Nothing is ‘clear cut’ yet in either area, but we may just be edging our way through the pandemic with a bit of luck. The issues thrown up by the EU-UK Trade & Co-operation Agreement continue to be a minefield for importers/ exporters, and our international team are working full-on to offer the best possible support to businesses to keep them as efficient and productive as possible. It was good to see the continued support in the Budget for businesses. Continuation of the furlough scheme is welcomed, but the big surprise was the innovative ‘super tax deduction’ for companies investing in new plant and machinery within the next two years. This and other initiatives should encourage businesses to release some of the pent-up demand for expansion. As always, we remain available and committed to supporting the region’s business community, providing high quality services and activities, and giving members a voice to influence decision-makers. Nick Garthwaite Chair of the Board West & North Yorkshire Chamber

The money raised by Yorkshire Building Society throughout the partnership will help Age UK launch a new programme called Building Better Lives, which will provide one-to-one support to help prevent more than 4,700 older people most in need from reaching financial crisis point. The programme will also allow both organisations to build better financial resilience in older people across the UK. The Building Better Lives programme will be delivered in communities by local Age UKs across the UK, and harness the expertise, experience and reach of both organisations to make a life-changing difference to some of the most vulnerable older people around the country. Currently 1.9 million older people in the UK are living in poverty and 40% of older people anticipate their quality of life to be poor or very poor in the next six months.* Mike Regnier, Chief Executive of Yorkshire Building Society, said: “Now more than ever, older people need a trusted place they can turn to for advice and support. The outbreak of coronavirus has intensified what was already a dire situation for thousands of vulnerable older people. This is why we are proud to have chosen Age UK as our next charity partner, and we are excited to work together to help ensure that all older people have someone to turn to in times of crisis. “Both our organisations will be working to strengthen the financial resilience of older people, as some later life situations can lead to financial difficulties and we will be extending support to help older people facing these challenges.” Steph Harland, Chief Executive of Age UK, said: “We are delighted to be chosen as Yorkshire Building Society’s new charity partner. The current pandemic is a period of great anxiety and uncertainty for everyone, but especially for older people.

West & North Yorkshire Business

Screen Yorkshire teams build bridges into TV and film industries Screen Yorkshire has launched a new group to build stronger and more proactive links between Bradford School of Art with other Yorkshire colleges and the booming TV and film sector. In a move welcomed by broadcasters based in the region, Screen Yorkshire has established a Connected Campus for Colleges group, whose chief aim is to make

the creative industries more accessible to young people from Yorkshire and Humber with a desire to enter the workforce. This new College group builds on the success of the original Connected Campus group, which has been running for two years and now involves ten of the region’s universities, working hand—in-hand with broadcasters, independent

production companies and skilled freelancers. The four founding members of the new College group are; Bradford School of Art at Bradford College, University Centre Leeds, Wakefield College and York College University Centre – all of which boast a wide range of courses related to TV and Film production.

Delivering expert legal advice

Expect to expand workforce

Soccer Manager funding round

One of the UK’s largest parcel delivery companies, Hermes, has been advised by Yorkshire law firm Schofield Sweeney on the acquisition of a new, purpose built 80,000 sq ft depot in Bolton. The team at Schofield Sweeney was led by partner Amraj Boparai, with support from construction partner Andrew Hurst.

Family run, logistics and warehousing business Expect Distribution has had a strong start to 2021, as it announces two new clients for its warehousing and distribution offering.

Soccer Manager – the UK-based online soccer management game – has secured a further £3m to support its continued growth in a funding round led by its existing investor Mercia.

The five-year contracts are with global pet pharmaceutical and healthcare manufacturer Beaphar, and multimillion pound Norwegian panelling business Fibo, creating an additional 11 jobs at Expect’s Bradford and Halifax sites. Expect will be hiring for warehouse operative, contract manager and team leader roles.

The latest investment, which comes from Mercia’s own funds, the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund and the Government’s Future Fund, will allow it to grow its user base in the Middle East and Far East through local language translations, further develop its SM 2022 game which is due to launch this autumn, and relaunch its original multiplayer game, SM World, by creating new apps and adding new features.

Schofield Sweeney’s partner Amraj Boparai said: “The volumes which Hermes have experienced in the past 12 months have been incredibly high and this latest acquisition will underpin Hermes’ continued growth.” Commenting on the acquisition, Hermes’ Estates Manager, Deborah Faithfull, said “Amraj and his team provided an excellent, efficient service from the outset and ensured that what was a complex deal ran smoothly from start to finish.

Neil Rushworth, Managing Director for Expect Distribution said: “What better way to start the year than announcing not one, but two, new clients to add to our roster. This is testament to the Expect team and our warehousing and distribution offering, which continues to go from strength to strength.”

Soccer Manager has grown revenue by over 80% since the launch of ‘Soccer Manager 2021’. Its games are now played in 234 countries and have been downloaded by more than 50 million players, attracting more than one million active users each month.

West & North Yorkshire Business

14 EVENTS

Ann Gurnell Ideas Group @Anntg Great ideas an d inspired by pe business are ople, relations hi and connectio ns. Who know ps you might m eet, who you s who mig help and who might help yo ht u.

Lucy Pimblot t The Marketin g Optimist @MarketOpt imist

The Chambe r networking ev are well orga nised and faci ents litat they’re profes sional yet very ed, friendly and in cl some great bu usive. I’ve made si through the vi ness contacts rtual networki ng calls. Thanks for organising them.

Virtual network, for real businesses

David Janson s Focus Point C onsulting @djrecruiter

The Chambe rN meetings are etworking wel the participan l organised and ts useful inform always present ation that will likely lead to new bu siness.

Bob Watmor e York Apprent ic @CityofYork eship Hub

Everyone is ve ry always take aw supportive, and I ay new contac follow up on ts to ad for potential vice and guidance new apprentic es employment or upskilling ac hip York. ross

Louise Bond Keane Creativ e @Keane_Cre ative

Networking ha s always been successful ro ute to establis a hing and maintaini ng business relationships an networking op d the online po provided by th rtunities e Chamber ha been invaluab ve le stay connecte in ensuring we d challenging tim during these es.

Rebecca Low e Royal Armou ries @Royal_Arm ouries

The Chambe r’s sessions have Online Networking be during lockdo en invaluable w museum’s clos n. Despite the ure, I have continued to bu within our loca ild relationships l community, an business d developing th I look forward to es restrictions ar e further when e lifted!

Pauline King RFCA @RFCAYH_E E

Always a grea t way to start th week…. conn ect and reconn e ec discuss the sm all and big issu t, spark imagin es, atio potential colla ns and start borations. Networking is still as import ant as ever.

Naveen Sahn ey Garbutt & Ellio , tt @naveensahn ey

Chamber netw orking is an essential part of generating relationships with the busi ness community, he lping us gain an understandin g of their need s so we can provid e Chamber onlin the best service. e networking events are as effective as fa ce to face because th organises it in e Chamber a great way.

Sinead Myers Clockwise @workclockw ise

Clockwise Offi ces are proud members of the West & N orth Yorkshire Cha m support to ou ber, as providing r lo at the very co cal businesses is re We thorough of our purpose. ly the online ne enjoy attending tworking even ts. They provide a great oppo rtunity to meet and connect with a wide range of loca l SME’s.

Gareth Botto mley Autohorn @autohorn The Chambe r ne are an invaluab tworking events le way of incr ea our exposure within the loca sing business com l munity, the members all wish to collabo rate and through this grow thei r business and ours.

Online networ has gone fromking from the Chamber with the sessio necessity to noteworthy, informative anns described as friendly, d business focu ssed.

West & North Yorkshire Business

16 PROFILE

Online skills - BT Around a third of adults in the UK think more should be done to improve people's ability to use online technology, a survey by BT suggests.

The impact of the coronavirus pandemic risks worsening the digital divide, with some, particularly younger people, saying a lack of digital skills has impacted their mental health and wellbeing during the outbreak, according to a study by BT. The survey suggested the impact on people’s mental health and wellbeing due to barriers accessing technology has been experienced most by younger people. Around 40% of 16-24 year olds and 43% of 25-30 year olds said their wellbeing had been impacted due to a lack of digital skills or online access during lockdown, compared to 10% of over 55s.

During the pandemic, access to online services have become more important than ever, with millions working from home, video calls helping people keep in touch and internet shopping proving a lifeline for many. According to the survey, however, more than 15% of 16-24 year olds reported not being confident doing their weekly food shop online, and 20% said they weren’t sure they could pay their bills online.

Liz Needleman, BT Group regional lead for the North of England, said: “Now more than ever, we need to help improve digital literacy and access to technology, for everyone. While we don’t know for sure what the longterm impact of Covid-19 will be, both on working lives and society, our free Skills for Tomorrow programme is helping ensure people can have access to the right resources to learn vital skills to help them face the challenges of the future. Even small improvements can empower people with the confidence to order their groceries online or stay in touch with loved ones. We all have a part to play in ensuring everyone has access to the technology they need.” BT is encouraging people to visit BT Skills for Tomorrow which is giving 10 million people the skills they need to make the most of life in the digital world. It’s completely free and designed to help everyone – from school children and teachers, parents and families to businesses and job seekers – and anyone who needs support getting online to make the most of life.

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PROFILE 17

Empowering colleagues with their new ways of working Developing staff and ensuring a strong culture that nurtures employees and guarantees they feel valued and developed is something that we at the White Rose Academies Trust hold at the forefront of our work. The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the need for staff to be up-skilled, instantly, in an entirely new way of working. Whilst the Department for Education (DfE) provided advice and guidance to schools surrounding the delivery of remote learning, these changes had to be implemented almost overnight, allowing little time for a full needsanalysis of the workforce. As such, leaders looked outwardly for examples of good practice within the education sector to inform the drafting of a Trust wide Remote Learning Policy from which to establish a new framework for staff when working in the ‘new normal’. We have, more than ever, strived to provide professional learning

opportunities which span the needs of all colleagues, but which can be accessed in a way and time that best suits them, and without additional workload. In January we recognised an immediate need for a Remote Teaching CPD series which saw colleagues access a range of sessions aimed to support through the upskilling of technical skills and the sharing of practical strategies for virtual classrooms. We have been thrilled with the way in which colleagues have embraced new ways to access CPD throughout this time of Covid-19, and continue to respond to demand in terms of not only immediate training needs, but ongoing development of the individual, bespoke to their roles, goals and aspirations. Following on from our Remote Teaching CPD series, a collaborative Trust-wide Remote Learning Review was undertaken, using the DfE’s Remote Education Framework, to facilitate a reflection of our progress so far. A review team comprising of twenty five senior and middle leaders from across our four academies used focus groups and observation triads to reflect on the progress at each academy. This provided a valuable

opportunity for our leaders to view synchronous and asynchronous lessons and identify examples of best practice to draw upon in subsequent CPD within their own teams and academies. This invaluable review has led to the formation of working groups across the Trust and facilitated increased collaboration to ensure that continuous change and improvements are driven at the chalkface. But perhaps most importantly, this process has truly empowered our incredible colleagues who have nuanced their practice and become the real experts in remote learning and continue to drive progress within these dimensions of change. As John Kotter rightly says, “Transformation is a process not an event” – we have learnt more than ever that as challenging a time as it has been, we are experiencing a real wave of opportunity which in turn is influencing the educational landscape and leaving a lasting legacy. Rachel Hassall, Rachel Sharples & Nicola Widnall – Trust Vice Principals for the White Rose Academies Trust

Camper van specialist secures growth funding from NPIF and BEF Denson Automotive, a one-year-old camper conversion business has achieved £1 million turnover in the 12 months since January 2020. The Wetherby-based business has also secured a £100,000 loan from NPIF – BEF & FFE Microfinance backed by CBILS, managed by Business Enterprise Fund (BEF) & FFE and part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF) with an additional £100,000 invested directly by BEF. "It has been a roller-coaster year for Denson” commented MD Linden Kitson, who became the majority 80% shareholder in the business last year, “We became FCA accredited in just 10 months, and we’re frequently receiving upwards of 15 enquiries a day from customers. Covid-19 has created both huge opportunities and of course, supply chain problems over the last 12 months. "Securing the combined £200,000 of loans from NPIF and BEF backed by CBILS is a huge coup for us – it allows us to use the BEF loan to repay an existing Bounce Back Loan, increase our inhouse conversion capacity and capability, and expand the existing workshop to meet strong demand. The aim is for Denson to become the go-to name for affordable, quality camper conversions with inimitable design, and we’ve already taken on three new team members who have the skills to do just that, including Norman Hill, who comes to us from 18 years at Volvo. The plan is to employ at least five more technicians over the coming 12 months." Mark Iley, Investment Manager at BEF commented: “Denson Automotive provide an excellent product and service to discerning clients. It has huge growth potential through increased sales. The funding will help the business to achieve this while improving efficiency and control.” The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund project is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank.

West & North Yorkshire Business

FINANCE 19

Putting

the fun into funding

Key themes for economic recovery By Dr Martin Stow, Director, Nexus

West & North Yorkshire Business

EDUCATION 21 Resilience and resourcefulness have been the key themes for Nexus members and the wider business community throughout the challenges of the pandemic and as we look forward to recovery and growth beyond the COVID crisis. At the end of last year we gauged the opinions of start-ups across the region in our Business Barometer survey and, despite inevitable uncertainty about future plans, 71% were confident about business growth this year, with 96% of those businesses believing that innovation was the critical factor. The resulting report, which was published alongside guidance for the start-up community on the support, funding, networks and partnerships they can access, reflected the abundance of ambitious businesses across our region with the potential to boost the economy and shape the future. Many of those businesses have chosen to locate with us – both in terms of physical office and lab space – and as community members, giving them seamless access to the research expertise, talent and facilities at the University of Leeds, from their bases across the globe. Recent international additions to the Nexus community include India’s nanotechnology specialists MagGenome Technologies, who are developing ground-breaking technology for use in the life science, pharmaceutical, chemical and engineering industries and award-winning Israeli bio-technology company Betalin Therapeutics, who are developing revolutionary treatment for diabetes. Nexus and the University of Leeds, as an anchor institution, have been proudly continuing work in the region’s business economy, playing a leading role in developing dedicated and inclusive support for the most innovative new ventures through the interventions from the MIT REAP – the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program. The ide@ programme of support that has emerged from our involvement with MIT REAP has so far delivered LEAP, a mentorsupported e-learning course aimed at people with or without ideas wanting to explore starting their own business, and BUILD, an intensive programme enabling a cohort of diverse founders from across the region to accelerate their ideas for innovative new ventures that address societal challenges, to combine profit and purpose. Both initiatives are developed and delivered in collaboration with world-class research experts, successful entrepreneurs, business, finance and legal specialists from our regional ecosystem. That close collaboration and sense of community will continue to add to those key themes of resilience and resourcefulness, as the cornerstones of our region’s business strengths. Growing our base of innovation-driven entrepreneurs is critical to the growth of our local economy and I’m looking forward to welcoming many more member businesses to Nexus throughout the year. To find out more about working with Nexus visit nexusleeds.co.uk or contact hello@nexusleeds.co.uk

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22 EDUCATION

Supporting recovery, resilience and sustainability through expertise As an anchor institution in the Leeds City Region, Leeds Beckett University has been playing a key role in supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to adapt and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, and to build resilience for a sustainable future.

Academic experts within Leeds Business School have launched a series of freely available support programmes over the last year, including: The Small Business Leadership Programme

The Calderdale B2B Business Recovery Programme

The Place-based Economic Recovery Network

In collaboration with the Small Business Charter and a consortium of UK universities, the Small Business Leadership Programme launched in September 2020. Leeds Beckett has now delivered three cohorts of the programme to a total of 75 SMEs in our region.

In partnership with the Business Growth Team at Calderdale Council, Leeds Beckett has supported a pilot group of SMEs in Calderdale in exploring the challenges and opportunities of the current business climate, helping them to bounce back and thrive.

A team of Leeds Business School academics are contributing their research to the Place-based Economic Recovery Network (PERN) – a university network of experts in regional economic recovery supporting the West Yorkshire Combined Authority in designing, planning and implementing COVID-19 recovery efforts.

The free, practical course is delivered online over the course of 10 weeks. It is open to SME business leaders from any sector. Speaking about the programme, one participant commented: “As Paul was talking it was setting off little bulbs in my head. It was great timing because last week we were pitching for a job with a large popular retailer. I already had a draft proposal for the tender and I literally screwed it up and threw it in the bin. I sat down and went through Paul’s comments to structure the proposal. And it was transformed. We went from a proposal with all the standard boxes ticked to a really powerful document that I was so proud of. Watch this space!”

#WECAN In December 2020, Leeds Beckett launched the Women Empowered through Coaching and Networking (#WECAN) project. Backed by funding from the European Social Fund, this £1.7m new project aims to improve the outcomes for SMEs by boosting the skills and opportunities of women who are self-employed, or working for small businesses and social enterprises across the Leeds City Region.

For more information about Leeds Beckett University’s support for businesses, please contact Natalie Allen n.allen@leedsbeckett.ac.uk 07785 434021 or Kim Yallop k.e.yallop@leedsbeckett.ac.uk 07557 213 958.

MOD Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award York St John has become one of only a handful of universities to receive the MOD ERS Gold award which recognizes commitment to developing opportunities for members of the armed forces and reserves. The Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) encourages employers to support defence and inspire others to do the same. The scheme encompasses bronze, silver and gold awards for employer organisations that pledge, demonstrate or advocate support to defence and the armed forces community, and align their values with the Armed Forces Covenant.

Since then, Nick has successfully delivered the Military Human™ training to more than 3,500 staff from the NHS and other public bodies across England and Wales; some of which have been funded by the Armed Forces Covenant Trust fund.

With the support from the Reserve Forces & Cadets Association (RFCA) Yorkshire and Humber team, central to the award win is York St John University’s initiative the Military Human™ which supports and enables staff from a wide range of professions and community services to understand military culture and the complex transition to civilian life following time in the armed forces.

He said: “Being a veteran myself I am absolutely delighted to learn that our university has received the prestigious MOD ERS Gold Award. To be recognised in this way reflects the incredible hard work by our Continued Professional Development (CPD) team, HR in supporting our reservists, staff and students from the School of Science, Technology and Health and York Business School, student engagement staff and colleagues who are veterans themselves.

Nick Wood, Business Development Manager (Armed Forces and Uniformed Services), served in the Royal Navy in the Falklands in 1982, and subsequently launched the Veterans in Custody Support model in 2010 whilst serving in HM Prison Service, before joining the University in 2012.

“The Award resonates with one of the core values we work towards which is making a positive difference within our community and to engage with social and community issues to enhance people’s lives for the better. A significant and very proud day for York St John University.”

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EDUCATION 25

“The Award resonates with one of the core values we work towards which is making a positive difference within our community.”

Gold ERS awards are given to organisations that proactively advocate and support defence, communicating this commitment both to employees and the wider community. They should have established policies and examples of support, be positive to all service personnel during recruitment and be an exemplar within their market sector. Vice Chancellor of York St John University, Professor Karen Bryan, OBE, said: “I am extremely proud that the University has received this national accolade for our support for Britain’s armed forces. Advocacy and commitment to the armed forces community is evident at all levels within York St John. This is the result of more than five years work by the Continued Professional Development team alongside academic and professional service colleagues across the university. My hearty congratulations to all those involved and to the other gold award winners.” York St John has become only the 8th university in the UK to receive the ERS Gold award. Johnny Mercer, Minister for Defence People and Veterans said: “The breadth and diversity of the winners this year shows how business support for the Armed Forces continues to grow no matter the sector, company size or location. I am grateful for the positive attitude and flexible policies these organisations have adopted towards the defence community, which is testament to the fantastic contribution our serving personnel, veterans and their families can make to any organisation. I am delighted that so many companies are supporting our people and that, through this scheme, we can give them the public recognition they deserve.”

Associated YSJ staff projects: Dr Alison Laver-Fawcett is carrying out an evaluation of the MIND – Keeping Families in Mind project. The project offers a variety of talking therapies to adult relatives, parents, grandparents, siblings and partners who have been affected by their relative serving in the armed forces. Matthew Taylor (Director of Marketing, Student Recruitment and Admissions) and his team are developing a bespoke Armed Forces course portal which includes mapping of military qualifications through the APL (Acknowledgement of Prior Learning) process onto YSJ courses. Professor Matthew Reason and Professor Divine Charura have launched an Institute for Social Justice bursary funded PhD (Military Human: Arts, psychology and supporting the transition and wellbeing of military veterans). The bursary has attracted applicants who are interested in researching the potential and efficacy of arts-based approaches to supporting the psychological adjustment and emotional wellbeing of military veterans. Professor Lynne Gabriel (Director Counselling and Mental Health) and David Britten are developing a researchbased Veterans Coaching Service which will explore the effectiveness of coaching as part of the transition and adjustment of military service leavers. The project is in collaboration with numerous military charities, NHS, City of York Council and MOD services.

University awarded Small Business Charter status and praised for supporting businesses and students The University of Bradford’s School of Management has been granted Small Business Charter status for its outstanding work with local businesses and creating employment opportunities for students. The Small Business Charter is an award for the UK’s world-class business schools. It celebrates business schools that play an effective role in supporting small businesses, local economies and student entrepreneurship, and is only granted after rigorous assessment. Professor Sankar Sivarajah, Head of the School of Management, said he was thrilled by the news.

“We are absolutely delighted to gain the Small Business Charter award, which recognises our School and University’s efforts in supporting our students and local small businesses, entrepreneurs and positively contributing to the local economy. “We have a long-standing commitment working with businesses and entrepreneurs in the city and region and we want to continue to grow our support to them through our School’s Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) and new business and community engagement initiatives for the benefit of our students and local small business community.”

West & North Yorkshire Business

EDUCATION 27 Career Booster The assessment was completed online over the course of two days by the Chartered Association of Business Schools. Its panel commended the academic and professional support staff at the University of Bradford for assembling such a well organised visit. The report noted: “Business Schools have become more widely recognized for the role they play in stimulating growth in the economy [and to] connect to the SME community as well as promote enterprise within their own institutions. In assessing the School of Management, they examined its role in creating and running Knowledge Transfer Network events for SMEs and Career Booster programmes for students, both of which, it said act as a “two way street” benefiting both employers and students.

Investment in SMEs In 2017/18, the University of Bradford spent £6.5M with 436 small firms and £11.1m with 320 medium sized businesses in 2018/19, and was due to exceed that this year. It was also noted that during the pandemic alone, the University had increased its financial support to small businesses to take unemployed graduates on a 10-week paid internship. The University was also praised for its Graduate Entrepreneur Programme and the School’s overall strategy and mission to “develop a thriving, inclusive and socially engaged community through responsible management education and research.” Its Digital Health Enterprise Zone was cited for supporting specialist entrepreneurs and small business growth. The report concluded: “It is very clear the University of Bradford School of Management operates in a manner keeping with the requirements and ambitions of the Small Business Charter. The panel was particularly impressed with the university’s approach in keeping SMEs at the heart of the business.”

Vital part of local economy Anne Kiem OBE, Executive Director of the Small Business Charter and Chief Executive of the Chartered Association of Business Schools, said: “We congratulate the team at Bradford University School of Management for achieving the Small Business Charter Award. Their work in supporting student employability through placement and internship schemes such as the ‘SummerExperience@Bradford’ and ‘Opportunities Abroad’ is commendable. “It is fantastic that some of these internships were reserved for students from high deprivation areas, providing them with opportunities to gain valuable employability skills. Bradford’s School of Management is clearly a vital part of both the local economy and its community.” Dr David Spicer, Director of Business and Community Engagement in the Faculty of Management, Law & Social Sciences, said: “As a school we are incredibly proud of the great relationships we have with small businesses. Our students benefit greatly through the experiences, projects and opportunities these businesses provide and similarly we know businesses value the support offered by the School and University through our KTN and by working with us and our students.” He added: “We have some great plans to further extend this offer and will be launching a new space on campus for businesses and students to work in collaboratively for the new academic year.”

Awards haul The award is yet another trophy for a school which has already won global recognition for its work. University of Bradford School of Management has a globally recognised Triple Crown Accreditation from the Association of MBAs, EQUIS (European Foundation for Management Development accreditation) and AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business).

Why we need a ‘new normal’ when we talk about leadership skills, and how apprenticeships can help. Rosi Lister, Chief Executive Officer of Leeds-based training provider and not-for-profit IVE, explores how leadership skills must be re-evaluated in our changing times. As we emerge wide-eyed and blinking into a post Coronavirus world it is time to think about what our companies need in order to get back in the saddle and be ready to ride the next storm. Because like it or not, we now live in a world of uncertainty. Business leaders across the world now talk openly about the need for ‘future skills’ and about the merits of being adaptive rather than role specific in the

way we work. They talk about the importance of recruiting staff with the right attitude rather than a more limited aptitude in a certain career discipline. Future skills are those that allow you to think on your feet and pro-actively adapt to changing circumstances, they are about being resilient if things don’t go right the first time and they are about knowing how to find solutions to problems not yet imagined. In short, future skills are about being creative; the number one skill that LinkedIn have determined most companies need most. LinkedIn’s findings go on to say that “there is no stretch to say creativity is the single-

most important skill in the world for all business professionals today to master”. LinkedIn aren’t the only ones to proffer these ideas, similar findings have come from the World Economic Forum’s ‘Future of Jobs’ study and IBM’s global survey of 1500 CEO’s asking what they thought was the most crucial factor for future business success in recent years. This represents a paradigm shift in business management and leadership, and how better to begin that process than by up-skilling our future business leaders? Higher level

West & North Yorkshire Business

SKILLS 29 leadership apprenticeships are a great way to do this. The real time, solutionfocused context of work-based learning supported by relevant on and off the job methods of assessment is a powerful way to learn and a good investment for businesses of all sizes. Dispel the expectation that leadership training is about essays on management theory and instead introduce reflective logs and peer critiques which record and analyse how specific problems are solved in real time. Developing our senior, middle and emerging managers now, will ensure the process of developing creative thinking, problem solving and innovating teams across organisations can begin right away, just when we need it most. IVE have been training people for creative thinking for more than two decades, and we have worked in extremely diverse and often risk averse sectors including the military, so we have put that experience to good use.

Our Level 3 Team Leader/Supervisor and Level 5 Operations/Departmental Apprenticeship standards provide reassurance because they map across to the equivalent tried and tested CMI leadership diploma framework we are all familiar with, but what makes them unique is how we have successfully woven a golden thread of ‘Future Skills’ development through them. Alongside traditional modules on things like financial, project and staff management we introduce apprentices to: • Creative leadership and the creative process; • Embedding an innovation culture • Managing organisational change • Managing stakeholder relationships for innovative collaborations • Creative problem solving and innovation catalysts • Developing ‘Future Ready’ operational plans

Our programmes are ideal for emerging or established managers, as they develop the skills needed to foster an innovation culture, and to manage organisational change and stakeholder relationships. The quality of the programmes we’ve designed come down to our close relationships with employers, and having an understanding of what is needed by them at this time, so we’re glad to see the need for creativity stated in the forward by the Secretary of State for Education, The Rt Hon Gavin Williamson MP in the recent ‘Skills for Jobs’ white paper. We feel that endorses something we have always known.” If you’re ready to talk about nurturing a new breed of leaders we’d love to hear from you. Please drop me a line at rosi@weareive.org, or go to WeAreIVE.org/Apprenticeships to find out more.

West & North Yorkshire Business

30 EDUCATION At the University of York, we’re committed to ensuring that, as an anchor institution, we shape, influence and contribute to the pressing economic and social issues we face locally and nationally. Lord Kerslake made an important point when he argued: “The deep economic and social changes that are happening in Britain today have made the civic role of universities even more vital to the places they are located. Universities have an irreplaceable and unique role in helping their host communities thrive and their own success is bound up with the success of the places that gave birth to them”. But what does that mean in practise and how are we addressing the skills and training gap in order to build back better? The pandemic has had a devastating effect on jobs and skills with young people and small and micro businesses being disproportionately affected, further compounding the patterns of inequality in our cities and our regions. These challenges open up new opportunities for us to help people through change and revitalise our skills agenda, by working with our stakeholders and communities to develop skills and training opportunities for people of all ages in our region.

Building back better

Our approach Professor Kiran Trehan, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Partnership and Engagement

Thinking about the types of skills that will be required in the future, it is likely that, alongside communication skills, there will be a high demand for IT, digital and green skills, especially in construction, enterprise and e-commerce. Education, training and development has a vital role to play in the economic recovery process. This requires an integrated and holistic vision and strategy which puts enterprise skills and entrepreneurialism at the heart of innovation and growth. The work we are doing at the University of York with the YNY LEP, York City Council and partners across the city, creating new incubation spaces and developing a York accelerator is a great example of partnership in action. It is important that we do not lose sight of the entrepreneurial talent that exists in our region and in an effort to harness and develop this talent the University is launching two new initiatives: Firstly, the Institute for Enterprise and Leadership (IEL), which will provide a ‘one-stop shop’ for students, businesses, community organisations and policymakers/practitioners to access, and work with, the full range of the University’s offer to support enterprise development. The Institute will provide specialist training to SMEs to innovate and grow as well as supporting new start-ups and social enterprises. Secondly, we are launching plans for the York Guildhall to develop a hub for high growth businesses. The new spaces will enable the University to bring the support it offers to local business and enterprise into the heart of York, driving inclusive and sustainable growth in the city as it recovers from the pandemic. Within the Guildhall, we will provide flexible workspaces and business support for entrepreneurs and start-ups looking to locate, invest and grow in York. By working in close collaboration with partners including Make it York and the City of York Council, the University will offer opportunities for businesses to start, innovate and grow through incubator, accelerator and scale-up facilities. These two new initiatives will help foster a culture, which inspires entrepreneurial ambition, provides relevant skills training which is agile and responsive, and broadens our capacity to close the skills gaps. We all have an instrumental role to play in delivering economic and social prosperity, and in doing so we create a culture that makes the levelling up agenda everyone’s business.

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EDUCATION 31

University of York student internships successes with local businesses The University of York’s Student Internship Bureau, or SIB, has been offering businesses the opportunity to engage the talent, skills and enthusiasm of York students and graduates to tackle short to medium term projects of genuine value to the business for 15 years. Since September 2018, over 250 internship projects have been completed with businesses across the region. To facilitate these projects the SIB provides full support to the business by helping design appropriate projects and advertising and selecting the best candidates. This results in a hassle-free, efficient way of getting high quality students working on key projects. Furthermore, thanks to a generous gift from Santander Universities the SIB can provide a 50% subsidy to a number of internships within independently owned SMEs. Even during the restrictions of the last year, 32 University of York students and graduates undertook a diverse range of projects, working remotely on a virtual basis. The projects helped local employers to tackle business challenges, supporting many with building access to new, online markets. At the University’s annual ‘Intern of the Year’ event, a selection of these projects were celebrated and outstanding examples showcased. Leading the field for 2020 was Tara

Boyd, a Psychology student. Tara worked for eight weeks as a Digital Marketing Intern with Glawning, a glamping company based in Harrogate. Over the course of her internship Tara significantly increased online engagement with the brand through improving their search engine optimisation, creating professional video content and completing an audit of their social media channels. The event also recognised the exceptional support and opportunities that the host employers provided during what has undoubtedly been a very challenging and uncertain year for many businesses, with the announcement of “Employer of the Year”. After a competitive nomination process, led by the interns themselves, HeyMe, a local communications consultancy business was selected as the 2020 Employer winner after providing a well supported and highly rewarding experience for Communications and Social Media Intern, Callum Whitten. Businesses interested in engaging an intern for this summer, either to deliver a project at their premises or virtually, can learn more by contacting careers-placements@york.ac.uk or visit www.york.ac.uk/business/sib.

West & North Yorkshire Business

32 EDUCATION University support programmes for business A range of new support programmes, with a value of over £6.9 million, are now available to eligible businesses in the region. Applicant companies must be a Small Medium Enterprise (SME) with less than 249 employees and either a balance sheet of less than €43M [£38M approx.] or an annual turnover of less than €50M. These programmes are led by Calderdale College.

Specialist Skills Support Programme

Attracting and Retaining Graduates Programme

The Specialist Skills Support Programme will deliver a programme of support to York, North Yorkshire and East Riding-based eligible businesses and their employees. The Programme is part funded by the European Social Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020.

The Attracting and Retaining Graduates Programme helps businesses who want to attract, employ, train and retain graduates within the business, by providing access to a ‘tool kit’ of materials that will give advice and guidance on writing job advertisements that will attract graduates, induction processes and development.

Ageing Workforce Programme

The business will be able to send graduate employees on a rolling programme of development days. The events will address soft skills gaps often identified as significant deficits for early career graduates by employers.

The Ageing Workforce Programme supports businesses with the issue of senior managers nearing retirement, resulting in a loss of skills and experience in the business.

Examples of training to be included: Negotiation Skills, Dealing with Conflict, Business appropriate communication, Commercial awareness.

The business will receive consultancy and coaching support to help develop an ageing Specialist Skills Plan.

Changing National and International Markets Programme

This plan details how they will: • Identify the crucial skills and experience which could be lost through retirement. • Develop the skills of lower and middle managers to enable them to step up to these roles in the future. • Put processes into place to prevent future skills gaps when current middle managers reach retirement age. • Mentor lower and middle managers to support them in gaining the experience needed.

The Changing National and International Markets Programme works with businesses to help them take advantage of opportunities presented by changing national and international markets. Delivery will take the form of action learning sets that specifically address: • How businesses establish and expand in new domestic and international markets. • How to develop new strategies and business models to drive performance and productivity. • The challenge of doing business in emerging markets.

For further information about any of these business support programmes, contact the University of York CPD Unit via cpd@york.ac.uk or on 01904 325145.

The Business

Scale Up Development Programme

The BSUDP is a £2.8 million programme that is part funded by the European Social Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020.

The Business Scale Up Development Programme is an ambitious Leadership and Management project that targets and supports SMEs who are looking to ‘Scale-Up’ and achieve growth. Having the right skills to manage a growing workforce is critical for businesses and the project offers coaching and skills development for leaders and managers that will help them achieve their business goals. Specialist Skills Providers offer expertise in a range of subjects including: Leadership & Management qualifications from levels 2 -5, Business growth, Business resilience, Change Management, Crisis Management, Reacting to change, Managing teams, Moving your business online, Succession planning and Business continuity.

West & North Yorkshire Business

34 BUSINESS SUPPORT

Sharing skills to start-up success National Safety Inspections (NSI) was the brainchild of former school friends Andy Stoner and Dan Coombe. The pair went their separate ways for ten years once they left school, but always kept in touch; with Dan being Andy’s best man. Dan was working in sales in Scotland and Andy was working in electrical testing in Leeds, when in 2017 a chance conversation led them to realise they had the perfect combination of skills to create a start-up, with Dan having extensive sales experience from medical sales to solar panels, and Andy having knowledge of electrical safety, and knowing few companies specialised purely in electrical testing. Dan says: “Out of the blue me and Andy spoke to each other about the idea of setting up and just offering testing, and then we just said, let’s do it. So, I moved back to Leeds. “We were ambitious to be national even as a start-up. That’s why we called ourselves National Safety Inspections, even though we were just in a little office in the city.” Initially the company worked for a few student letting agencies, but they knew that new laws coming in 2020 would lead to many more opportunities. The new rules meant every private landlord would have to have electrical checks on their properties every five years.

Project objectives One of the biggest issues with electrical testing and certification is the amount of paperwork, which is one reason most companies do it as a side-line only, concentrating on installation work for most of their income. But Andy and Dan saw the gap in the market and wanted to get ahead of the game before the new law came in. They knew they needed a bespoke CRM system to make the process efficient. They also wanted their engineers to be able to work easily while out in the field, so needed equipment, including tablets and laptops. And they needed a professional looking website with excellent SEO. They approached AD:VENTURE for growth grants and also for business development support.

Results NSI were successful in applying for two grants through the AD:VENTURE programme, one in March 2019 for £4,300 towards a CRM system, and one in February 2020 at just over £14,000 for website development, SEO and brochures, and for equipment including tablets and laptops for engineers, alarms for vans and testing kits.

During the first lockdown Andy was offered a place on Northern Max, an accelerator built around ten workshops, guiding the entrepreneur through from the ideas stage to being able to pitch to a panel of investors. Through Northern Max he was also given an expert mentor who helped the pair focus on growth plans. “Working with AD:VENTURE really helped us scale up,” says Dan. “Lockdown gave us a few weeks to think – we have 15 engineers but that’s not where we want to be, we want to scale up; so we thought let’s go for it.” The company ended 2020 with turnover predicted to hit £2.5m and 45 staff; 20 of whom work at the headquarters in Armley. Just before Christmas NSI took over another floor at its HQ to accommodate its growing team and support its expansion plans. NSI has engineers across Yorkshire, Lancashire, the North East, the Midlands, and down to Reading and Oxford, with plans to extend into the rest of England. They carry out 300 to 400 jobs a week. The company has won the ESTAS award for best in sector for "electrical services" in both 2019 and 2020. The ESTAS are the largest independent customer service feedback and awards platform for the residential property industry in the UK, and are considered the most prestigious awards in the industry, or the equivalent of the Oscars! In 2019 NSI was one of just three companies in the Leeds City Region singled out for a Special Recognition award in the Digital Enterprise Top 100 campaign. The award recognised investment in and, outstanding use of, technology.

Feedback The grants from AD:VENTURE had a ‘massive’ impact, say the pair. Dan says: “With the CRM we could only afford a really basic model rather than the version we got with the enhancements we needed. There’s no way on earth we could handle 300 to 400 jobs a week if we were using something like Excel rather than a bespoke CRM system.” Andy says going on Northern Max and having a mentor made him and Dan look at the business differently. “It made us change focus. Rather than working in the business, it got us to allocate more time to working on the business. We could have stopped at 15 staff, but we wanted it to be bigger. So, we took on someone to do business development and two more sales staff to start with,” says Andy. Dan adds: “When Andy had been on a workshop or seen the mentor he used to come back and say – have you thought of this or have you thought of that? “It gave us a different view, a different perspective. No-one told us what to do. It just made us think differently and spot different ideas, which was really valuable to us.”

West & North Yorkshire Business

36 BREXIT West & North Yorkshire Chamber comments on first 30 days of Trade & Cooperation Agreement New year, new regulations

VAT

Whilst international trade activities slowed during the height of the Covid crisis, the last quarter of 2020 did see increasing activity from our regional manufacturers according to the Chamber’s last economic report of the year. Much of this we attributed to supplying and stock piling ahead of what could have been a very damaging nodeal exit from the transition period, although overall trade was still below that seen 12 months previously.

We are picking up on issues around VAT payments with demands from EU businesses that UK traders have to deal with duty and VAT to be paid within the EU. In practical terms, this means that unless the UK trader can renegotiate with their customer to deal with import clearance, VAT and duty, they will need to apply for VAT and EORI registration, ‘establish’ a company in the same country as the import and find an agent to handle the import customs clearance. For some companies the cost burden may dampen their appetite and they decide to stop trading in the EU.

January got off to a relatively slow start as companies faced the prospect of further lockdowns whilst getting to grips with the new terms of trade agreed in late December.

Rules of Origin The new agreement ensures there are no tariffs or quotas on goods that qualify, however in order to qualify for tarifffree access, goods from Great Britain and the EU will need to meet Rules of Origin requirements. This is probably the single biggest issue raised with us by regional businesses and for many firms, especially those who have not traded beyond the EU, or through existing free trade agreements. Ensuring goods meet Rules of Origin can be burdensome and bureaucratic, but the cost of not getting this right can be disastrous both for reputation and financially. Goods qualify as being made in the UK or EU based on where the products or materials used in their production originate from and if firms can prove that significant ‘value’ has been added through the manufacturing process.

Transit Further challenges being faced by companies link to Transit documents which allow goods to travel through EU member states whilst duties and taxes are suspended until arrival at their final destination. Technically, without the use of a transit procedure, the import would be made on entry into the first member state for example via the Channel crossings into France where duty and VAT would be payable - these payments may be irrecoverable.

Advice and Guidance Whilst guidance exists on government websites, this is not the same as advice. The nature of the enquiries the Chamber is receiving often require a detailed, technical and bespoke response providing answers for their specific product, customer type or market.

The Future All of these issues ultimately adds extra, and in some cases unrecoverable, costs to business, creates delays at borders in turn potentially damaging customer relationships and in some cases causing stock right offs, especially on perishable goods. Whilst for many this is a very steep and expensive learning curve, I am sure, in time, firms will get to grips with new trade procedures. In the meantime we need to ensure that short term challenges do not put firms off from overseas trade in the future. As a Chamber we have always said that for firms with products which sell well in the UK, there will be a market for these overseas.

Chamber International Chamber International provides support for businesses looking to import from and export to markets around the world. Chamber International works with new and experienced importers and exporters providing trade documentation, training, market entry strategies and a range of other services to facilitate trade.

For those new to international trade the Chamber offers an entire outsourced export office service. For more information please visit www.wnychamber.co.uk and www.chamber-international.com/

What are trade agreements and what do they mean for your business? ‑‑

Britain’s decision to leave the EU has led to much talk about trade agreements, but what are they and why do they matter to your business? Globalisation means that, more than ever, manufacturers are using components and ingredients from all over the world so that a single machine, vehicle or even food, can be made in several different countries. This, and the fact that a growing number of businesses operate globally and have offices or factories around the world, mean that trade agreements are necessary to support the easy movement of goods between different territories. Trade agreements are negotiated to boost trade with specific countries by eliminating customs duties usually paid when goods, be they components, or finished items, are imported. However, to be eligible for this preferential tariff treatment, the goods must meet a number of ‘rules of origin’ so importing countries know exactly what they are allowing to cross their borders. Understanding the rules of origin, and how they affect their own products,allows exporters to issue the

necessary Proof of Origin, identifying precisely where goods have come from, to the importing business. This is required for different reasons, such as customs clearance, or payment using a Letter of Credit Understanding the rules of origin and the necessary certification, enables exporters to trade internationally more competitively and secure existing customers through the mutual benefits they confer, as well as attracting new ones. As a result, such businesses can develop their exports and grow their business. For most exporters, rules of origin are an additional cost to production and administration. Increased production costs may be due to having to source a more expensive component, or ingredient, to comply with the rules of origin in a given agreement, while administrative costs are likely to come from additional accounting systems, certification costs and hiring, or consulting, trade specialists who understand the rules of origin. In addition, the exporter also needs to be able to demonstrate and document that their goods originate and comply with different origin requirements. While these costs can add up, they need to be balanced against the very real benefits of fulfilling the rules of

origin, demonstrated by speed, ease and cost efficiency at the point of import. Understanding an applying the rules of origin also helps importers by enhancing their competitiveness and choice of suppliers. It also enables them to improve their planning by assessing the possibilities for tariff preferences before the actual importation and helping them take appropriate decisions about sourcing items, including cumulation options, where further processing or refinements can be carried out in the country of destination as easily as in the country where they originated. In many trade agreements the importer depends on the exporter for the accuracy of Proofs of Origin, but final liability for the correct calculation and payment of import duties lies with the importer. Trade agreements benefit both exporters and importers by eliminating customs duties and boosting trade, which is one reason why the British government has promised to agree more trade agreements with other countries after its departure from the EU. By Chamber International, Senior Associate, Mette Werdelin Azzam

West & North Yorkshire Business

INTERNATIONAL 39

World Customs Organization expert joins Chamber International An international expert in trade agreements and rules of origin has joined Chamber International, on an exclusive contract after working for the World Customs Organization (WCO) in Brussels.

As a senior associate of Chamber International, Ms Azzam will remain based in Brussels and will advise Chamber International and its clients throughout the UK on complex technical enquiries about rules of origin in trade agreements and provide rules of origin training, both of which face significant demand following the UK’s departure from the EU.

Former senior technical officer at the WCO, Ms Mette Werdelin Azzam (pictured), spent ten years with the global trade organization, an independent intergovernmental body which works to improve the efficiency of customs administrations.

Ms Azzam said: I’m delighted to join Chamber International, which has an excellent reputation in international trade. It is interesting to advise upon the practical issues that traders encounter when importing and exporting, to help them in the situation we find ourselves in after Brexit and to study all this from a business perspective.”

She was head of the WCO’s origin subdirectorate in the tariff and trade affairs directorate dealing with rules of origin and free trade agreements and is regarded as a world-leading expert in her field. After gaining a higher technical certificate in international business from a Paris business school, Ms Azzam graduated from the Danish Customs and Tax College in 2000 and worked in the Danish customs administration. Between 2005 and 2008, she was responsible for origin matters at the Danish customs headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark, and was then posted to Brussels as Danish customs attaché.

Chamber International director, Tim Bailey, says: “Attracting Mette is something of a coup for Chamber International. She brings an unrivalled depth of knowledge and understanding that will add real value for traders facing very complex origin issues after Brexit and it is great to welcome her to our very busy organisation.” Chamber International helps hundreds of new and experienced exporters throughout the UK with a wide range of specialist services to make exporting easier and more cost effective.

West & North Yorkshire Business

40 INTERNATIONAL

Major China success for historic Yorkshire textile business with help from Chamber International Sales worth more than £120,000 have been won in China during the last four months by a North Yorkshire textile industry supplier after help from Chamber International. Family business, Brooksbank Industries Ltd, Skipton, which manufactures wool combing machine accessories, mainly aprons and brushes, won 19 new orders, including from eight new customers,after help and advice from Chamber International’s China specialists, senior associate, Matthew Grandage, and Michelle Wang. The Chamber International team researched potential new sales agents in China so Brooksbank Industries could appoint a new partner in the country, its biggest overseas market. Brooksbank Industries sales and marketing executive, Alexander Field, says: “60 per cent of our exports go to China but we felt we could do better. We needed a new agent to expand our presence and improve our relationship with textile combing mills.

orders and create better relationships with our biggest customers, which are mainly near Shanghai, in the Suzho and Zhangjiagang region. “We aim to win new customers and provide an excellent service to existing ones to generate repeat sales and grow the business. Matthew and Michelle’s knowledge and help was invaluable. Matthew’s knowledge of Chinese business and culture was exceptional and both his and Michelle’s Mandarin skills massively benefited the entire process.” Chamber International also managed the design and creation of a new Chinese-language website, built by digital marketing specialists, Regroup China, to make Brooksbank Industries’ brand, product range, and new partnership with Shanghai-based AZ International, which imports highquality textile machinery and parts to China, more visible and informative for Chinese customers. Brooksbank Industries was founded in 1870 by Jonathan Brooksbank, great, great grandfather of current Brooksbank Industries’ managing director, Robert Brooksbank. The business initially made leather consumables for the textile industry before switching, more than 30 years ago, to synthetic aprons and brushes, which are important for the manufacturing of wool fabric for high-end clothing. The company has customers worldwide and also exports to Thailand, Spain, Poland, Czech Republic, and Uruguay.

“Matthew and Michelle provided a long list of potential agents. They then completed background checks on shortlisted businesses with further help on first contact and interviewing. This led to us appointing AZ International, which we would never have found without them.

Matthew Grandage says: “As a result of being hosted in Hong Kong, the new brooksbank.cn website gives users in China the fast page-opening speeds they expect from domestically-hosted sites, and which most foreign domains fall far short of, because of the throttling effect of China’s infamous ‘Great Firewall.’We are pleased that it is helping the company win such valuable orders.”

“Wool combing has been in recession for 18 months, worsened recently due to Covid-19 and, like many others, we have seen declining sales. Finding a new agent and developing a new sales strategy has allowed us to win new

Chamber International helps hundreds of new and experienced exporters throughout the UK with a wide range of specialist services to make exporting easier and more cost effective.

West & North Yorkshire Business

TRANSPORT 41

Chamber welcomes agreement in principal for investment at Leeds Bradford Airport Following a lengthy examination of plans to redevelop the terminal building and supporting infrastructure, the Chamber welcomes the decision by panel members to approve in principal the investment being made at Leeds Bradford Airport. Chamber director Gerald Jennings, who represented members at the hearing said, “This is the right decision by Leeds City Council and I would like to congratulate plans panel members and Council officers for the detailed, robust and intense scrutiny given to this application. It is important that as this application moves forward into construction, that all commitments to building the UK’s most efficient and sustainable airport terminal are met. “The ambition for Leeds and the wider city region to be the best location for business and inclusive economic growth will be boosted by this new infrastructure. For many years, our members and the wider business community have shared their frustrations that the airport does not meet their needs in terms of destinations served and quality of

“This development will bring the terminal close to the proposed new parkway station creating more integrated connectivity and more sustainable travel choices.” experience. Simply getting between the airport and our regional city centres is a challenge for business travellers and the arrival experience does little to sell the region as a place to invest. This development will bring the terminal close to the proposed new parkway station creating more

integrated connectivity whilst providing passengers and staff more sustainable travel choices. “We fully understand the need to reduce the region’s carbon emissions and we understand why many have voiced this concern in opposing airport redevelopment. As we have said previously, simply continuing with the existing infrastructure will not deliver the reductions needed, nor do we feel that it is acceptable to simply export our carbon footprint to other airports and make it their problem to deal with. “As we look to post-Covid recovery and as firms get to grips with new EU trade procedures, the economic shot in the arm that this investment will bring cannot be understated. Firms across our region will welcome the improved passenger experience, greater connectivity and integration with the wider transport network and we look forward to continuing discussions with LBA to ensure the business voice is considered as part of their strategic aims and objectives.”

West & North Yorkshire Business

42 TRANSPORT

Transport hub Importance of city centre to Leeds, Yorkshire and the UK: Amanda Beresford responds to Leeds City Council transport strategy consultation Leeds is a major UK and international hub for professional, financial and business services; and has been a centre for commercial activities for centuries. However, the Leeds economy is diverse and as well as remaining a large centre for manufacturing and engineering, the city has seen strong growth in health, education and digital technology. These industries include major employers with a large majority based in Leeds City Centre. It is not by chance that these industries have developed over time in the city centre. Known as agglomeration, this clustering effect of knowledge, networks and economies of scale have helped to drive the Leeds economy and in turn the wider city region. Their success relies, in part, on firm’s ability to attract and retain talent. The need for a large catchment area is vital in order to access skills, in turn this is boosted by great transport connectivity both in and beyond Leeds. Prior to Covid, Leeds was on a strong upwards growth trajectory, dominated by growth in the city centre and I believe that whilst Covid will undoubtedly change workplace practices, certainly in the short term, there will still remain demand for city centre activities. In 2020 the Chamber conducted research asking businesses about their future office requirements. The majority of firms

(68%) said they would need exactly the same amount of space as they had prior to Covid. 14% said they would probably need less space but nearly 20% expected to increase their space requirements. Business services is often a very people centric business and the Chamber believes that many will want to see a return to face to face contact and social interaction as restrictions begin to ease. Covid has clearly shown that for many in the business and professional services sectors, it is possible to work remotely, even if it wasn’t a universally adopted practice. I fully expect that this will remain a part of future working patterns, however we must remember what we have lost through a year of imposed isolation and that many have struggled to balance personal needs or the needs of family and children, especially during the latest lockdown, with the needs of their employers. We hear from our members about issues relating to staff development, especially more junior staff members. We have lost the informal mentoring and coaching, the sharing of firms cultures and values amongst new starters. We have lost the chance and overheard conversations; of the innovation and collaboration both within and between organisations. Our ability to build and develop client relationships, whilst not impossible, has been hampered. Most importantly, we have seen the increasing impact on wellbeing and mental health in the workplace. I know many firms will be hoping that the vaccine roll out allows a return to some kind of normality, free of start, stop, restart impositions by government. I know that many will acknowledge the challenges presented by climate change and the need to downgrade our reliance on the car if we to address this. Leeds city centre remains an attractive investment proposition now and into the future and the Chamber welcomes these plans to improve our public transport network. More sustainable travel modes and a better connected city centre will benefit all.

West & North Yorkshire Business

TRANSPORT 43

Making the right connections A vision for improved transport across West Yorkshire has been shared with businesses at a Chamber of Commerce event. West Yorkshire’s ‘Connectivity Infrastructure Plan’, which includes a new mass transit system, has been unveiled, and feedback is currently being received. Leeds Chamber’s Property Forum heard from West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) representatives about a 20-year investment programme that aims to attract more businesses, investment and visitors into the region’s towns and cities. The bold plan includes a more strategic bus network, better rail services and reducing carbon emissions, but the centrepiece of the vision is the latest proposal for a rail-based rapid transit system to help manage urban congestion. The plan also includes a technology and innovation review to help underpin the programme. After the event, Tim Waring, Chair of Leeds Chamber Property Forum, said: “Transport and connectivity remain key issues for many businesses and this is likely to continue into the future. The presentation was well-received and we look forward to working closely with WYCA to help deliver the plan and make West Yorkshire an even more attractive and exciting place in which to live, work and do business. WYCA’s Tom Gifford, who presented the plans to Chamber members, said afterwards: “We’ve had some good feedback from the business community, and some challenging questions on exactly how we plan to deliver the programme. We’ll now review that feedback and continue our engagement with the business community on a regular basis.”

You can find out more, and give feedback, about WYCA’s transport plans at www.yourvoice.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/connectivityplan

West & North Yorkshire Business

44 PLANNING

Uplift or drift? Property Forum debates housing and job growth

Businesses from Bradford and West Yorkshire heard about future land use planning at a recent Bradford Chamber Property Forum (BPF). The online event in March was part of a series of consultation exercises by Bradford Council on its review of the Local Plan, carried out every five years to re-assess demand and availability of land for housing and commercial development. Of particular interest to businesses in the property sector, Chamber events that discuss planning also attract those working in the property and construction supply chains. The event was opened by Cllr Alex Ross-Shaw, Executive Member for Regeneration, Planning & Transport, before senior Council planner Andrew Marshall set out the proposed allocations and distribution between housing and employment. This was followed by BPF Chair, Marianne McCallum, facilitating a question-and-answer session with Andrew, the Council’s Assistant Director for Planning, Julian Jackson, and two of the Forum’s Steering Group, Clive Brook and Steve McManus. Clive and Steve conveyed wider private sector concerns that the proposals are not ambitious enough, and skew future development plans towards the city centre instead of realising the full potential of the whole District. Failure to adhere to government advice to add 35% ‘urban uplift’ to housing need (applicable to the 20 largest UK cities) also raised concerns. For the Council’s part, they say the plan has to be realistic and achievable, and higher figures for employment sites and homes cannot be met without significant government funding to facilitate it. Marianne and the Steering Group are now in further discussions with senior Council officers and elected members on the issues raised from the meeting. The Steering Group is also looking for ‘new blood’ to come on-board and support the Chamber’s lobbying and representation in relation to property, regeneration, transport and planning. The group meets bimonthly (currently online). If interested, call 07827 318681 or email mike.cartwright@wnychamber.co.uk

West & North Yorkshire Business

SKILLS 45

Skills for jobs

Lifelong learning for growth Before the pandemic, access to skills was often cited as the biggest barrier to growth by firms, limiting their ability to grasp new opportunities, win new contracts, innovate and stay ahead of the competition. As we begin to move out of the crisis and into economic recovery, access to skilled people remains high on the business agenda. The Coronavirus pandemic has had a devastating impact on health and jobs and created substantial new challenges for employers in the management of people and workplaces. Furthermore, employers needing to recruit from outside the UK now face additional costs and complexity following the introduction of new immigration rules. And, as the net-zero imperative propels business towards a greener economy, firms face further challenges and opportunities requiring a wide range of new skills. The last twelve months have forced many firms to rethink their business models and operational processes, which in turn has shone a light on the need for new skills including the digitisation of traditional skills. Management, sales and marketing, customer service, collaboration and innovation have all been impacted and the need to adapt and develop employees will be a key challenge. The British Chambers of Commerce network have considered what business can do for itself to tackle skills shortages and looked for ideas and best practice within the UK and elsewhere. We examined the skills system from the perspective of the employer, the extent to which it can respond and flex to meet commercial and growth aspirations, and how policy makers can support business and incentivise investment in training. Whilst we concluded that policy change is needed, it’s clear that as employers we cannot look to others to solve our skills needs. The need for business to engage with the skills system and develop our own home-grown talent is now urgent. Many employers are demonstrating leadership in

this at a local and national level, including helping to design new courses and qualifications, offering apprenticeships and providing support and experience to those new to the world of work. But many more businesses need support to identify, articulate and plan for the skills needs of their adult workforce. In January, the government released long awaited plans which set out the ambition to place employers at the heart of future post-16 skills and education strategies, ensuring that training providers and colleges will be able to respond to the needs of industry. The Chamber welcomed this white paper, which acknowledges the importance of hearing from employers about their current and future skills needs. We know that many firms don’t have a skills strategy and many often struggle to articulate their needs in ways which inform training providers and so end up having to choose from what is ‘already on the shelf’. Acknowledgement too, was given in the white paper to the role Chambers of Commerce play in supporting their regional business communities and that there could be a bigger role in working with colleges, training providers, businesses and regional policy makers as we collectively look to rebuild our economy. The Chamber believes strongly that having a functioning and regional employer led post-16 skills and education system will help companies to develop the skills needed to grasp future opportunities, to adapt to new working practices and ultimately, to thrive in a postpandemic economy. Government plans to roll out the new programme beginning with a number of trail blazer programmes within defined geographies in England, most likely based on existing Local Enterprise Partnership geographies. At the time of writing, we await further information but the Chamber will seek to engage and ensure the voice of regional businesses is heard in future skills conversations.

West & North Yorkshire Business

46 BAME BUSINESS COMMITTEE

Meet the BAME Business Committee The Chamber has formed a new committee to connect, support and represent Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic businesses. Comprised of 15 members from a range of businesses, the BAME Business Committee Chair is Nasreen Karim and Vice Chair is Karl Oxford.

Nasreen Karim Platinum Partnership Solicitors

My business is called African and Caribbean Business Ventures.

Karl Oxford African and Caribbean Business Ventures

Saleem Kader Bombay Stores Group

The committee aims to inspire, improve and increase interaction of entrepreneurs and businesses with the Chamber, encouraging and enabling them to benefit from Chamber services and develop their businesses and surrounding communities. The committee aims to share their knowledge and experience to help business owners to showcase and celebrate success. The committee was formed at the end of 2020, possibly one of the most challenging years in business and is poised to help organisations with the challenges of recovering from the pandemic.

Yaseen Mohammed Y Property Ltd

I have run various brands from the city of Bradford for over 50 years and would like to promote, and enable equal opportunities, with members of the BAME community within the Chamber and other decision making organisations within the city and region.

I’m passionate about Bradford and keen to connect my significant network from the BAME business community to the Chamber and its various services. I’m confident that the BAME committee can act as the ideal conduit to make this happen!

I’m the director of Premier Housing, we specialise in commercial & residential property development & management.

Danny Malik

Chamber of Commerce

I am involved in the BAME committee because I think I can help the committee (and the Chamber) to increase the participation of BAME businesses within the wider business structures and services.

I have over 20 years’ experience in the property industry and run my own development consultancy.

Sandy Needham, Chief Executive of West & North Yorkshire Chamber said: “The Chamber supports all businesses and recognises there are particular issues affecting businesses in the BAME community. The committee was formed from the engagement and enthusiasm of its members and their desire to affect positive change in their community.“

Black Asian Minority Ethnic Business Committee Part of West & North Yorkshire

My interests and passion are all things business. I oversee multiple businesses alongside my law firm Platinum Partnership Solicitors. I have recently been appointed as a Director for West & North Yorkshire Chamber. I think it is key that influential BAME businesses act as go between in order to bridge the gap between the chamber and organisations that have been traditionally hard to reach.

Premier Housing

I’m involved with the BAME committee as I believe it is a vital vehicle to ensure & help with the full inclusion & representation of bame businesses & to help give them a voice where necessary.

Nasar Hussain itc.

Yvonne Hall Palm Cove Society

Director at itc. – we connect organisations nationwide to affordable, best of breed internet connectivity and telecoms services ensuring businesses are equipped for the UK digital upgrade. Working with the Chamber board will allow me to facilitate conversations, with my extensive network, in order to further enhance inclusivity and representation. I am the Managing Director of Palm Cove Society. Within our BAME Communities there are many unsupported entrepreneurs and small business owners. The BAME Committee has an exciting opportunity to share knowledge and experiences BAME entrepreneurs and business owners have to drive their businesses forward.

Asma Iqbal Chadwick Lawrence LLP

Sonia Najeeb Utility Savings

Director at Hillcrest Wealth Management, part of St. James’s Place Partnership a FTSE 100 company.

Luqman Rashid Hillcrest Wealth Management

Sherad Dewedi Shenward Chartered Accountants

I want to shorten the disconnect with the Chamber and the BAME business community. Encouraging members to join and being an advocate of the advantages, also bridging the gap of misunderstanding on both sides.

Managing Partner at Shenward Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors. I became a part of the BAME committee as I recognise many BAME business owners are not aware of the help and support that is available to them. I want to raise awareness of the Chamber’s support system as well as engage business leaders to shape the wider local economic strategy.

Yorkshire Asian Business Association

The BAME business committee represents an exciting opportunity to engage organisations in our region.

I am a director at Utility Savings. Being a member of West & North Yorkshire Chamber allows my business to further enhance its growing network and being part of the BAME committee will allow me to engage businesses that have the desire to grow utilising the existing structure and reach of the Chamber of Commerce.

I am Managing Director at Quantuma Advisory.

Rehan Ahmed Quantuma Advisory

I want to see the BAME community have their proportional say in the business world. I want to be able to be in a position where the BAME business community are not seen as a BAME community but working with everyone as one community.

I launched Yorkshire Dama Cheese in 2014 and was nominated by former Prime Minister David Cameron as an International Women’s Day ambassador. Razan Alsous Yorkshire Dama Cheese

I am the MD of the Yorkshire Asian Business Association, Project Director Northern Asian Power list and COO Global Diversity Positive Action a charity established to work with vulnerable communities. Sharon Jandu

As a Yorkshire business and a member of the BAME community I am passionate about seeing BAME businesses thrive in these difficult times – a voice that integrates and collaborates businesses to help the economy prosper in the Yorkshire region is what inspired me to become a part of the BAME business committee.

Lincon Oakley MOBE

I am involved with other businesses, and be able to build up a good network which can be effective and useful to the businesses and the community.

My current role as a Development & Enterprise Director for MOBE enabled me to explore business links with voluntary and private business. My reasons for wanting to become a member of the Chamber is to support young BAME businesses in the local community, through mentoring and coaching. I have over forty years of business experience both in the private and public sector.

Restart, rebuild & renew

West & North Yorkshire Business

BRITISH CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE 49 Reflections from BCC Director General Adam Marshall My first day as part of the Chamber of Commerce network was a sunny day in July 2009, meeting with business leaders from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland at the St David’s Hotel in Cardiff Bay. At that time, the UK and the world were beginning a long and complex recovery from the global financial crisis. Now, nearly twelve years later, my time at the British Chambers of Commerce has come to an end. Once again, our Chamber business communities are working to restart, rebuild and renew in the wake of another world-changing period. It has been a huge privilege to be part of the unique and special Chamber family for more than a decade. Over the last five years, I have been lucky indeed to lead the work that we do together to effect change on behalf of our business communities. Together, we’ve influenced and changed government policy. We’ve spoken up for our communities, articulating the real-world interests of firms in every region and nation of the UK. We’ve built a stronger global network for British business, with Chambers and business groups now supporting two-way trade with over 70 countries worldwide. And as we begin life outside of the EU, Chambers have risen to the huge challenge of supporting traders and companies through a period of significant change.

We have seen our business communities come together in new and special ways. As geographic distance has become less of a barrier, levels of collaboration, the sharing of ideas, and joint working on common challenges and opportunities has increased dramatically. The indispensable role played by Chambers, as cornerstones of local and regional business and global trade, has grown even more important. In every conversation, the importance of community, of belonging, and of coming together to support the places where we live and work has shone through. Many in our communities are suffering, from businesses who have faced closure or a collapse in demand, through to individuals who have lost their livelihoods or experienced physical or mental health challenges. Chambers see and feel this acutely – and have been hugely influential in securing greater support for both businesses and their employees.

Once again, our Chamber business communities are working to restart, rebuild and renew in the wake of another worldchanging period.

Our international trade teams, and our new ChamberCustoms service, have delivered advice, training and brokerage to thousands of businesses as they adapt to new trading conditions – and we have continued to push both the UK Government and our European partners to solve the practical, real-world issues facing firms and to build a stable long-term relationship. Over the past year, the Coronavirus pandemic has also impacted the way Chambers work, just as it has so many other businesses around the world. Yet, as we have faced the same economic uncertainty as companies of every size and sector, our network of accredited Chambers has also grown stronger.

The recent UK Budget has reinforced the success of our approach, and shown how we as a Chamber Network can influence Government thinking so that as many businesses as possible can keep going until the economy fully reopens. We have also seen significant movement on the training and skills challenges that the pandemic has only accentuated. Chambers across Britain are at the forefront of supporting young people into work, and there is great hope that a locally based approach to skills training with substantial Chamber involvement will finally emerge. We are not out of the woods yet, and significant challenges remain.

Yet the eternal optimist in me sees innovation and progress as well, though we may still be too close to that change to be able to see it and label it as such. But it is undoubtedly happening. Companies, and the people that sit behind every firm and every brand, are rising to the occasion, supporting each other and their people. And they are coming together, through Chambers of Commerce, to find pragmatic solutions to the issues that we face, collectively, in business. As I come to the end of my time with the BCC, I know these civic business communities will lead the way and will be heavily involved as we work to restart, rebuild and renew. Long may that continue.

Learning to learn online Learning online

National Literacy Trust

Whilst periods of lockdown and local restriction tiers are something we have all become accustomed to for almost a year, the closure of our school gates has been one of the most painful consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic , particularly for those students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Clearly, it is right to close our schools in order to protect the NHS and reduce the spread of the virus, however it leaves some children and families in a difficult position to home-educate, with schools again switching to online learning.

During the first lockdown, the National Literacy Trust were able to support over 300,000 children and young people with printed writing materials and books and over 500,000 with access to high quality digital literacy resources. Here at Provident, we were able to print and deliver resource packs to local foodbanks who then provided copies to digitally excluded families .

The education partners we support have worked hard during these difficult times to ensure disadvantaged students and vulnerable families get the help they need.

By Cathy Prior Social Impact Programme Manager Provident Financial

This need has continued with each lockdown. We know that 1 in 11 children won’t have a book at home. Many families still can’t access online learning; 30% of low income households have bad or no broadband connection. Alongside this, it’s now well understood that lockdown impacts negatively on wellbeing, with the third lockdown expected to be particularly hard.

To support literacy and wellbeing in disadvantaged communities during this lockdown, the charity continues to focus on three key areas: 1

Delivering high quality programme content for teachers through literacytrust.org.uk

2 Providing reading resources and activities for parents through wordsforlife.org.uk. 3 Giving digitally excluded children and young people printed resources to support their learning, distributed through their Hubs (including Bradford) and partnerships. Once again, we’ll be helping with the printing of packs to reach as many local Bradford families as possible. In addition, we’re working with the charity to find ways to support young people virtually through the Words for Work programme which provides them with the communication skills they’ll need for the workplace.

West & North Yorkshire Business

RAISING THE BAR 51

Social Mobility Business Partnership (SMBP) During the summer, some of our colleagues played virtual hosts to Year 11 students in Bradford as part of a Work Insights Week organised by SMBP. SMBP is a charity which provides an innovative programme bringing together large corporate organisations and professional sports clubs to remove barriers, develop skills and provide experiences to sixth form and college students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The programme helps build aspirations and inspire them to pursue a career in a profession which they may not have previously considered. Usually our event is held in our Bradford head office, but due to school closures and lockdown restrictions the event was delivered online. Colleagues volunteered to deliver presentations and workshops on a range of legal and professional topics to inspire the young people who attended.

School-Home Support There are many barriers that can prevent a child from getting to school in a morning. This can be because of personal struggles they may have, or perhaps financial, psychological or other challenges the parent or guardian may have. School-Home Support is a charity which places practitioners into schools across the country to work with children and families who need support the most. We provide funding for a practitioner at One In A Million Free School and there are several practitioners working in the Holme Wood area of Bradford. During lockdowns, the charity has seen demand for their services more than quadruple but have continued delivering vital support to families facing issues such as domestic violence and food poverty. They’ve also helped out with delivering digital devices to those without access and we were able to partner them up with National Literacy Trust to provide literacy resource packs to these families.

In the lead-up to Christmas, our colleagues took part in a gift-giving appeal which meant that disadvantaged children across the UK woke up to gifts on Christmas morning. “As an SHS practitioner working in a secondary school in Bradford, I see how the added pressure of Christmas impacts the families I work with. Christmas isn’t always a happy time for families and even more so this year. I’m working with young people and their families who have had significant bereavements, parents who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic, living in poverty and suffering from poor mental health. These gifts will make a big difference and take away some of the pressures parents and carers feel around this time of the year.” – SHS practitioner. We’re continuing to work with all our partners through these difficult times and have been flexible with our funding to allow them to adapt the programmes to work for the less privileged young people and families they support."

West & North Yorkshire Business

52 RAISING THE BAR

Make a pledge to make a difference What is your pledge?

In 2021, the Chamber is asking organisations to take part in its Raising the Bar Pledge Campaign. The campaign has been developed to encourage businesses to think about their social impact and the positive influence they have.

Make your commitment to managing your social impact by making a Pledge. Pledges may relate to the community and environment, e.g. fundraising, volunteering, food bank donations or litter picking, or to the economy and environment e.g. using less paper, greener ways of working, offering professional skills free of charge or travel. All Pledges will be shared and promoted online to highlight the excellent work you and your business is doing, encouraging others to follow your lead.

Make your Pledge online to make a difference

What is Raising the Bar? Raising the Bar is the social impact initiative run by West & North Yorkshire Chamber. It aims to measure, connect and celebrate the good deeds by businesses and their employees who do work to benefit their local Community, Education, Economy and Envirnoment.

Stories We publish your activities and share on our website and social media.

Awards Annual social impact awards.

Benchmarking A measurement tool to measure your businesses social impact contributions.

Opportunities Connecting organisations with people and resources.

Pledge Make a pledge to make a difference.

Opportunities to get involved Governors for acadamies

Support diversity in Leeds

Donate surplus IT equipment

At Wellspring we believe that outstanding schools are built on the firm foundations of outstanding leadership, enabled by effective governance with robust oversight and assurance.

If your business is looking to form a partnership with a charity that supports diversity in Leeds, then Leeds Mencap would love to be considered.

A scheme has been launched by West Yorkshire Learning Providers (WYLP) to help young learners who are less able to access the digital equipment they needed to do well at school.

We are currently looking for Governors for academies across North, South and West Yorkshire and welcome volunteers from a variety of backgrounds who can offer skills and experience in areas ranging from Safeguarding and SEND through to Health & Safety, IT and Finance. We can offer comprehensive support and guidance for anybody new to school Governance. If you want to work with, and – more importantly – contribute to a culture like this, we would love to hear from you.

By partnering with Leeds Mencap, your business, your employees, suppliers and customers can play a vital role in helping children and young people with learning disabilities across Leeds find independence and learn new skills. The fundraising team at Leeds Mencap will put together a plan for you so that your team are engaged and motivated and work with you so that our partnership is recognised locally. They have loads of ideas of fundraising events, challenges or at work activities that you can get involved with.

WYLP are appealing for local businesses to consider donating surplus IT equipment to help young people. All donated equipment is being wiped clean to comply with data protection and other security regulation. Two collections hubs are currently available for dropping off equipment – the WYLP’s office at Bradford Chamber Business Park, BD4 8BX and the Kirkgate Centre in Bradford.

View all the current opportunities at www.raising-the-bar.org.uk/opportunities

West & North Yorkshire Business

54 RAISING THE BAR CASE STUDIES

Tackling plastic pollution

Pro bono website helps save a family business

1.8 tonnes of rubbish, comprising 809 Kg of plastic waste was removed from a 10-mile stretch of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal in one of the country’s biggest canal clean-ups.

Intellistart® a marketing agency specialising in marketing services for professionals, businesses and start-ups, announced that after witnessing a tweet from a woman who appealed for the support of her father’s car repair business, took immediate action to provide support.

Almost 300 colleagues from Asda House took time out to make a difference and help tackle the plastic pollution crisis, supported by Canal & River Trust, the charity that looks after the historic waterway.

Jim’s business had received its first enquiry through the website we created for them within days of making it live.

Bicycles, traffic cones, spare tyres, safes, men’s underpants, shoes and even the inside of a fridge, were among the hundreds of items removed by volunteers, with many taking the opportunity to get afloat on the water by canoe and boat. Rubbish and plastic waste collected over five days by Asda and Canal & River Trust was taken to a nearby responsible waste disposal company in Leeds. Maltings Organic Treatment Ltd weighed the rubbish daily and the company also recycled the plastic items collected from the canal into a bench. Colleagues originally predicted that the amount of plastic collected throughout the week would be enough to make one bench, however the 809 Kgs found on the litter pick actually equates to nine whole benches.

Harley told Intellistart that Jim couldn’t believe it, that he kept saying “That’s going to be mine? That’s going to be my website?” and later informed us that BBC radio has been in contact and asked, “I hope you don’t mind me mentioning that Intellistart created a website for us for free?” This radio conversation ended up as an article on the BBC titled “I saved dad’s business with a single tweet” The tweet read: “This is my Dad. His car mechanic garage of 35+ years is in crisis due to the ongoing pandemic. If it keeps going this way, it isn’t likely it will survive.” Of the company’s recent support for small businesses, Intellistart Director Joel Cortez said: “It was a tweet that strung some chords, I don’t believe that there is enough support for businesses that are currently struggling by no fault of their own. I am happy that we can provide support even if it crosses country lines!” To provide this momentous support, Intellistart reached out to Harley Walsh and gained the approval of their plans: • After deciding, based on its corporate social responsibility, that the website, branding, and hosting works would greatly benefit the car mechanic garage. Intellistart waived all costs to Jim’s business. • By providing these services, Intellistart will be able to provide support and help keep a business from collapsing.

Supporting mental and physical wellbeing

Helping turn a vision into reality

As Covid-19 related mental health issues continue to spiral, a Batley based charity that offers free training sessions to help promote physical and mental wellbeing will benefit from the generosity of a Bradford Garden Centre’s customers and staff this year.

During lockdown, Rance Booth Smith Architects have been helping a local charity visualise the conversion of their Leyland Tiger bus into a hygiene and laundrette facility. The bus is currently having mechanical repairs and undergoing exterior refurbishment works prior to internal changes.

Staff at Tong Garden Centre in Bradford have announced that ‘Luke’s Lads’ and sister charity, ‘Butterflies’ will be their Charity of the Year for 2021, following a unanimous staff vote. Through a series of fund-raising events and collection boxes at the tills, the team at Tong hopes to raise £10,000 for the charity that provides free circuit and support sessions to encourage young people and adults to talk about their feelings. Luke’s Lads was established in 2018 after local man Luke Naylor committed suicide following a battle with mental health and depression. It was set up by his best friend, Elliot Gorman and his mother, Rachel Walmsley with the support of Luke’s family: “Our aim for this group is to give people a safe place to express their feelings, get active and help promote physical and mental wellbeing. For someone like myself, who has experienced mental health issues, this is something I am committed to and passionate about.”

Once complete, the project aims to provide showering and toilet facilities, offer a fresh pair of clothes and even deliver haircuts to the homeless population of Bradford. Small social and counselling spaces offer environments to help support the mental health and wellbeing needs of its users. The charity is looking to create a replicable strategy to develop a fleet of buses which could offer help and support to the whole region.

“I hope that by sharing my experience, it will give at least one person the confidence, with support, to confront how they are feeling, not bottle things up and know that it’s OK not to be OK.” “Male suicide is the biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK, with many men suffering in silence when they experience feelings of sadness, loneliness or anxiety.

Improve your social impact Visit raising-the-bar.org.uk for all the latest stories, opportunities and pledges

Up to

67% discount

for Chamber members • Fleet size 1 to 500 vehicles • Vehicles under 3.5 tonne GVW (gross vehicle weight) • Vehicles used for business purposes • Any adjustments / renewal at prevailing discounted rates

Make the most of your membership, call 08455 240 240 or email info@wnychamber.co.uk

West & North Yorkshire Business

NEW MEMBERS 57

Welcome to our new Chamber members BRADFORD CHAMBER

LEEDS CHAMBER

YORK & NORTH YORKSHIRE CHAMBER

ADG Print & Design

Acorn Analytical Serviced Limited

A Little Dram Ltd

Aireworth Property Sourcing Ltd

Angus And Angus (Leeds) Ltd

AT MC SQUARED LTD

AK Accountants

ARDPark Ltd

Auditel

AMAFHH Investments Ltd

Bespoke Integrity Solutions

Business HorsePower

Bermar Building Co Ltd

Bradley JP Productions

Black on Board Ltd Cavendish Care Products

Brand Ambition

Duncan McDougall t/a Caledon Consulting Elliem Ltd

Clockwork Eye Video Productions

www.countyplanning.co.uk

Corinthian Benefits

www.db-commercial.co.uk

Creataire

www. discoverdoublebass.com

Dowson Food Machinery ltd

www. dnabusinessengineering.co.uk

www.adgprint.co.uk

www.aireworthproperty.co.uk www.ak-accountants.uk amafhhinvestments.com

www.bermarbuilding.co.uk

www.cavendishcareproducts.co.uk www.clockworkeye.co.uk/ corinthianbenefits.co.uk/ http://creataire.co.uk/

www..acorn-as.com

www.stlukesbradfordaprtments.com www.ardpark.co.uk www.bespokeintegritysolution.com www.bradleyjpproductions.co.uk www.brand-ambition.com

County Planning Ltd DB Commercial Finance Ltd Discover Double Bass Ltd DNA Business Engineering Ltd

Durabella Design A Deck Ltd

FIMEX DIRECT LTD Galtec Solutions Ltd

Durapol Limited

Gamechanger Consulting Limited

Enexus Energy

Going Live TV Ltd

Exhibit4u Ltd

Intellistart Limited

Hangfast Ltd

Maggie’s

Heat and Cool Air Conditioning Limited

Paragon Hospitality Consultants

Hope for Tomorrow

Proteus Equipment Ltd

Horton & Armitage Limited

Quantum Credit Hire Solutions Limited

Ideal Extraction Ltd

Rhomb Associates Ltd

J B Langley Planning & Design Studio Ltd

Road Skills

Jinnah Restaurant Metro Bank

Shandell petfoods

Mortgage Advice Bureau

www.stateraconsulting.co.uk

Northern Escalator Installations Ltd

www.systems-excellence.co.uk

Premier Housing (Bradford) Ltd

www.thecitycleaners.com

Primal Cut Ltd

www.uxglobal.co.uk

Steadfast Manufacturing & Storage Ltd

www.ware247.co.uk

Taison Contract Lighting Ltd

www.wsccl.co.uk

www.taison.group

Yamato Scale Dataweigh (UK) Ltd

The HR Dept Leeds Threads Menswear

www.yamatoscale.co.uk

YOUR Property Services (Leeds) Ltd

dowsonfoodmachinery.com www.durabella.com/ www.durapol.co.uk

www.enexusenergy.co.uk www.exhibit4u.co.uk www.hangfastadventure.com www.heatandcoolaircon.co.uk

www.hopefortomorrow.org.uk www.hortonarmitage.co.uk www.idealextraction.co.uk www.jblangley.co.uk

www.metrobankonline.co.uk www.mortgageadvicebureau.com/bingley www.northerninstallations.co.uk www.premier-housing.co.uk www.primalcut.co.uk

www.steadfastworks.com

www.threadsmenswear.co.uk

Y Property Ltd

www.galtec.com

www.thegameplanuk.com www.goinglive.tv

www.intellistart.co.uk

www.maggies.org/our-centres/maggies-leeds/ www.paragon-hospitality.com/ proteusequipment.com www.qchs.co.uk

www.rhomb.co.uk

www.roadskills.biz www.shandelldogs.com

Statera Consulting Limited Systems Excellence Ltd The City Cleaners UX GLOBAL LIMITED Ware247 Ltd

Wetherby Shade Card Co Ltd

www.yourpropertyservices.uk

www.alittledram.com

www.atmcsquared.com www.auditel.co.uk

www.businesshorsepower.com

www.elliem.co.uk

Frozen In Time Limited www.freezedriers.com

Garden Weddings Yorkshire Ltd www.garden-weddings.co.uk

Harrowells Solicitors www.harrowells.co.uk

Jacaranda Venues

www.jacaranda-venues.co.uk

Lynn Marshall Emotional Health Therapies & Training www.lynnmarshall.co.uk

MHA Communities Harrogate

www.mha.org.uk/communities/near-me/harrogate/

NORTH STAR ENGINEERS www.northstar.engineer

Olivedon Limited trading as Gradintelligence www.gradintel.com

Pasta Italia Ltd

www.freefromitaly.co.uk

Potes Smart Homes www.potes.co.uk

Rocoil Limited www.rocoil.co.uk

Sedamyl UK Ltd www.sedalcol.com

SH-AIR Aviation Ltd www.sh-air.co.uk

Skipbridge Country Weddings Ltd www.skipbridgecountryweddings.co.uk

Solv Cooperative Limited www.solv.coop

Sorrell Building Contractors www.sorrellconstruction.co.uk

t plus ltd

www.teaplusdrinks.com

The Mindful Steps

www.facebook.com/themindfulsteps

York City Knights

www.yorkcityknights.com

Berrisford Lewis T/A Berrisford Lewis

West & North Yorkshire Business

58 SOCIAL

What you missed online The Chamber has seen great activity across all social media platforms in the past several months. The selected posts below are examples of some of the valuable information and discussions shared by the Chamber and our members on a daily basis. We would love to know your thoughts on this quarter’s magazine and your local Chamber. What would you like to know more about or see more of in the future? Did any articles stand out to you? Get involved with the regional business discussion on Twitter by tagging us @WNYChamber and mentioning #YorkshireBusiness.

Our profiles Twitter @WNYChamber

LinkedIn West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce

Facebook West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce

West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce British Chambers of Commerce Accredited

CHAMBER ANNUAL DINNERS The highlights of the region’s business calendar Celebrating the success of business communities in Leeds, Bradford and York & North Yorkshire, the three black tie annual dinners are attended by VIP, dignitories, councillors, leaders and local businesses. • Network with business people, create and maintain connections. • Entertain your customers. • Reward your employees.

SPONSORSHIP PACKAGES

Choose the right package to suit your needs and budget, with opportuites to raise profile for all business sizes. • Packages are on a first come / first served basis To avoid disappointment book your sponsorship package for 2021 early as availability is limited and we wouldn’t want you to miss this great opportunity to raise your company profile at these prestigious events. Email Michele Taylor to discuss these opportunities events@wnychamber.co.uk

MENU PACKAGE

Company Name and Logo in the Menu / Programme Company name on the Annual Dinner Website

INVESTMENT: £250.00

TABLE CENTREPIECE PACKAGE INVESTMENT: £400.00

MUSIC PACKAGE INVESTMENT: £500.00

ENTERTAINMENT PACKAGE INVESTMENT: £750.00

WINE PACKAGE INVESTMENT: £750.00

VIP DRINKS RECEPTION PACKAGE INVESTMENT: £900.00

EXECUTIVE SPONSOR PACKAGE* INVESTMENT: £2,500.00

Company name and logo on the table Centrepiece Company name on the Annual Dinner Website Company name in each guest’s Event Programme

Company name and logo above the Music Area Company name on the Annual Dinner Website Company name in each guest’s Event Programme

Company name and logo on the Stage Company name on the Annual Dinner Website Company name on the Rolling Billboard Company name in each guest’s Event Programme

Company name and logo on each Table Company name on the Annual Dinner Website Company name on the Rolling Billboard Company name in each guest’s Event Programme

Company name and logo in the Drinks Reception Area Company name on the Annual Dinner Website Company name on the Rolling Billboard Company name mentioned in the sponsorship Roll Call Company name in each guest’s Event Programme

Company name and logo displayed in the room Prominently Company name on the Annual Dinner Website Company name on the Rolling Billboard Company name mentioned in the sponsorship Roll Call Company name in each guest’s Event Programme Company name mentioned in pre and post event Press Releases Company tagged in pre and post event Social Media Company name and logo included in Chamber Magazine Feature * Three packages available

West & North Yorkshire Business

62 EVENTS Learning Lunch: 6 May 2021 Putting People at the Heart of your Business In order to drive engagement and productivity you must put your people at the heart of your business.

Networking with Confidence 14 April 2021 Love it or hate it, networking is an important part of business and personal growth… but are you really making the best impression? While 95% of people agree that better business relationships are built through face-to-face meetings, online networking is set to be part of our business lives for months and years to come. And for some of us, a screen brings an additional barrier to communication. What really matters is how you feel when networking. And this comes from how you prepare and how you interact. While there’s no 'one size fits all' when it comes to how we network (after all, this is about your personality and showcasing your experience), it's important to feel confident and comfortable with how you interact with others. Bradford Chamber President Suzanne Watson is also managing director of Approach PR and has networked to grow her business and her contacts for more than 20 years. Through relatable and practical hints and tips, Suzanne will delve into tactics to help you feel prepared, confident and able to successfully communicate not only what you do, but importantly, who you are. In this one-hour session, we will explore:

In this 60 minute session, Phil Marsland - Founder of Blue Tree Consulting, will ask you to take a look at how you are doing this. He will show that this starts with your self awareness, in particular of the actions that you are taking and their impact. He will explore the alignment of your actions with the larger organisational purpose, and how this impacts not only on relationships in your team, but also on expectations of HR and the broader impact on organisational well being.

Learning Lunch: 11 May 2021 Communicating through Change and Adversity We have seen a significant amount of change and adversity the last 12 months and how we manage our own transition though change, whilst helpings others is key to success. This online session explores how to communicate for buy-in and develop a communication strategy and approach to support and embed change. We will also explore: • The complexities of communication • Emotional response to change • Planning for change • Kotter’s 8 step change model • Importance of communication plan

Learning Lunch: 18 May 2021 How to Improve your Tender Win Rate Over £800 billion is awarded through public sector tendering each year. Because of the prizes available, tendering is highly competitive and requires an all or nothing approach. We’ll share the secrets to our over 90% world-class win rate. You’ll leave with a range of tips and skills that can be implemented immediately on your next bid, including: • Making the bid / no bid decision

• Pitching techniques

• Using the evaluation criteria to plan, write, and review your responses

• Body language and your surroundings

• Identifying and showcasing your win themes

• Your introduction and opening initial conversations

• How to structure concise, high-scoring responses

• What next? How do you follow up with your business connections? There will also be a Q&A opportunity with your speaker, Suzanne Watson, so please bring your questions along to the session or email events@wnychamber.co.uk

• Using feedback and competitor information • Golden Rules of bid writing

View all upcoming events at wnychamber.co.uk/events

Afordable health cover that puts my staf frst and works harder to keep them healthy... Works for me. westfeldhealth.com

Your membership of The British Chambers of Commerce gives you access to innovative, afordable health cover with an exclusive range of benefts. Together, we’ve developed the Chamber Primary Health Plan that will work harder to make your staf feel more valued and motivated, and encourage them to be more proactive about their health.

The plan helps policyholders to access essential healthcare, diagnosis and treatment, provides money back towards selected medical expenses, and can be combined with our hospital treatment insurance to provide truly continuous cover. As a leading provider of corporate health insurance, nobody works harder to keep your employees at their ft and healthy best than Westfeld Health.

To discover the full benefts of harder working health cover, contact us now.

08455 240 240 wnychamber.co.uk/healthcare-chamber-primaryhealth-plan

NEWLY COMPLETED QUALITY OFFICES IN A HERITAGE AREA Set your business up to thrive with our newly refurbished, contemporary serviced office space situated in the centrally located and historic area of Little Germany. • ‘Easy in, easy out’ monthly terms with no requirement for a long lease • Competitive rents from as little as £275 per month • High specification and environmental standards including BREEAM accreditation • Secure environment and reception services • Landlord’s services and membership of the Chamber included • Fibre broadband provided • Access to meeting rooms • Member services and support staff on site • DDA compliant, accessible building

“A huge advantage of

serviced oﬃce space is the access to meeting rooms for client meetings.” Sean Pearson Twenty Twenty Films

For enquiries and information on how we can help you get the right business premises contact Andrew Robertson, Property Director.

T 01274 667266 M 07827 318671 E andrew.robertson@wnychamber.co.uk

Chamber Hub, Devere House, Vicar Lane, Little Germany, Bradford BD1 5AH West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce British Chambers of Commerce Accredited

West & North Yorkshire Business Q1 2021

Articles inside

BRITISH CHAMBERS

SPONSORSHIP

RAISING THE BAR

SKILLS

PROFILE

News from across the region

York & North Yorkshire

EDUCATION

EDUCATION

SKILLS

EDUCATION

BUSINESS SUPPORT

EDUCATION

PROFILE

FINANCE