Business Cornwall July/Aug 22 by Business Cornwall

CORNWALL'S PREMIER BUSINESS RESOURCE FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND OPINION

businesscornwall.co.uk

JULY / AUGUST 2022 | ISSUE 159 | £3.95

BETTER BUILDING

INTERVIEW WITH MELANIE OMIROU OF ACORN PROPERTY GROUP

BUSINESS SUPPORT

HELPING YOU TO GROW YOUR ORGANISATION

CORNWALL BUSINESS AWARDS

A CELEBRATION OF THE WINNERS

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JULY/AUGUST 2022

INSIDE FEATURES 10 CORNWALL BUSINESS AWARDS CELEBRATING THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST OF CORNWALL’S BUSINESSES

12 CEO INTERVIEW WE MEET MELANIE OMIROU, EXECUTIVE GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR AT ACORN PROPERTY GROUP

16 CARLYON BAY HOW COLLABORATION IS BRINGING A NEW VIBRANCY TO CARLYON BAY

18 BUSINESS SUPPORT YOU’RE NEVER ALONE. SPOTLIGHT ON THE SUPPORT AND HELP AVAILABLE TO CORNISH BUSINESSES

ISSUE 159

REGULARS 4 INCOMING THE JOY OF FACE TO FACE NETWORKING

6 BUSINESS NEWS KCS LAUNCHES NEW DIVISION

38 TOURISM NEWS NATIONAL TRIUMPH FOR MYLOR

39 CHAMBER NEWS CORNWALL CHAMBER CEO KIM CONCHIE

40 FOOD & DRINK ST EWE EGGS-PANSION

41 EDUCATION & TRAINING NEWS

42 CREATIVE & DIGITAL TECH RECRUITMENT CRISIS

43 FSB FEDERATION OF SMALL BUSINESSES

44 ON THE MOVE WHO’S GONE WHERE

45 EVENTS DIARY WHAT’S ON

46 CONNECTED WHAT’S GONE

48 THE LAST WORD ED HUGHES OF SHARP’S BREWERY

MANUFACTURING ACADEMY LAUNCHES

34 DIGITAL CONNECTIVITY THE CASE FOR GIGABIT BROADBAND

36 GREEN FUEL MITCHELL & WEBBER LEADING THE WAY IN FOSSIL-FREE OIL REPLACEMENT

PHOTO: BEN FOGLE AT THE CORNWALL BUSINESS AWARDS. SEE PAGE 10 FOR FULL STORY

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 1

ISSUE 159

JULY/AUGUST 2022

CORNWALL'S PREMIER BUSINESS RESOURCE FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND OPINION

businesscornwall.co.uk

JULY / AUGUST 2022 | ISSUE 159 | £3.95

BETTER BUILDING

INTERVIEW WITH MELANIE OMIROU OF ACORN PROPERTY GROUP

BUSINESS SUPPORT

HELPING YOU TO GROW YOUR ORGANISATION

CORNWALL BUSINESS AWARDS

A CELEBRATION OF THE WINNERS

07 9 772514

842001

9 772514

842001

ON THE COVER MELANIE OMIROU OF ACORN PROPERTY GROUP SEE PAGE 12

WELCOME

BY EDITOR NICK EYRIEY

Flaming June! Phew! What a month that was. Royal Cornwall, Festival of Business, Cornwall Business Awards. All three events had a real vibrancy about them, perhaps because we had missed them so much after a couple of years away. But a real vibrancy none the less. The Cornwall Business Fair, in particular, had a renewed energy and optimism about it.

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Nick Eyriey nick@businesscornwall.co.uk

June was, indeed, a great month to celebrate the best of Cornwall. However, it was truly disappointing to learn that the proposed Stadium for Cornwall project appears to be dead in the water.

PUBLISHER Toni Eyriey toni@businesscornwall.co.uk

After so many years of false starts and false hopes, the group behind the project – the Stadium for Cornwall CIC – said it would no longer be developing the scheme after the Council confirmed that it would not put it forward for Government levelling up funding after all.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Morveth Ward morveth@businesscornwall.co.uk ACCOUNT MANAGER Caroline Carter caroline@businesscornwall.co.uk DESIGN Ade Taylor design@businesscornwall.co.uk

Apparently, the Council and local MPs are reluctant to see funding go towards the stadium project at the expense of other projects. Planning permission for the scheme has, of course, long been secured, so I guess a flicker of hope remains that one day it might progress. But with it now, seemingly, requiring 100% private funding, this seems a long way off and not too many of us will be holding their breath. A shame, because the Stadium for Cornwall would have been a shining beacon for the Duchy and brought so many benefits. Across the border, Sandy Park in Exeter has shown what progressive thinking and ambition can achieve.

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Cornwall is the only county in the whole country not to have such a facility, which is, quite frankly, an embarrassment.

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No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied, stored in an electronic retrieval system or transmitted without the written permission of the publisher. Stringent efforts have been made by Business Cornwall magazine to ensure accuracy. However, due principally to the fact that data cannot always be verified, it is possible that some errors or omissions may occur. Business Cornwall magazine can not accept responsibility for such errors or omissions. Business Cornwall magazine accepts no responsibility for comments made by interviewees that may offend.

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INCOMING

THE CONVERSATION

The big question Face-to-face networking is back! Do you find this brings a real positive to your business, conversations, and connections? Jointheconversation /businesscornwall @biz_cornwall /businesscornwall/

businesscornwall.co.uk

4 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

THE CONVERSATION

TAMSIN POND TalentTide

As a new business which launched during the pandemic, we stepped into an incredibly interesting moment in time for networking. Today, people are more connected online than ever - but there’s no doubt that those in-person, face-toface interactions are the real deal when it comes to building personal connections. Getting back out there has been absolutely vital to our business development, and we’ve loved every minute of it.

BEN CLEMENTS Peaky Digital

It’s brilliant to be networking again inperson. Whilst online formats hold some advantages such as reducing travel time or perhaps being able to attend a greater number of events, at Peaky Digital we find face-to-face networking holds so much value. In person events feel as though they benefit from following a format that is less restricted than online alternatives. It’s great to be able to engage in flowing conversations, whether that be one-to-one or within a group of people.

ALISON OLIVER Bishop Fleming

There is no doubt video meetings have been both life and business savers over the peak of the pandemic and continue to be a very useful tool. They will retain their place in business contact of the future partly replacing phone calls. However, for me they do not and will not replace in person networking. Looking at the

numbers attending Cornwall Chamber’s business fair last week I know I am not alone. The ability to interact with large numbers of people in a short period of time is invaluable. The informal nature means not only do we discuss issues which you wouldn’t on a video meeting which helps bond with connections, but also face to face networking facilitates meeting new contacts that would never happen online in the same way.

KIRSTY DAVEY

INCOMING

CLAIRE MARTIN Perfect Sums

We are super excited that face-to-face networking is back. If feels like there is a real buzz in the networking community. Being able to put a face to a name of so many people we have connected with over the lockdown period has been priceless. We are looking forward to the opportunity to embrace more networking over the coming months.

Coodes

NICHOLA CAIN

In my view it is at the core of what we do. We are instructed on the basis that we are trusted and there is only so good a connection that you can make digitally. There is something you cannot replicate in the way that someone expresses themselves and makes you feel in person, with so much communication being through body language and just getting to look into the whites of someone’s eyes!

I value connection, so meeting people face to face again is important to me. I personally feel this helps to build and strengthen relationships and has a positive impact on my own wellbeing. We are social beings and for myself, as a person and as a leader, I value what these interactions give me, my business and community.

KATHERINE NISSEN Cornwall Rural Community Charity

We held an event in June – the Reconnection Tour – where 25 charities were able to get together, network and share their stories about how we’ve all been helping people and communities through incredibly difficult times. It was such a joy to get out from behind the computer screen and meet in person. We were able to be creative and build stronger relationships across the sector – we’re looking forward to keeping the conversations and great work going for the benefit of Cornwall’s residents.

Voice Communications

TAYLOR TRELOAR The Dash Group

It’s been great pleasure to get back out on the road and to finally put a face to a name. People buy from people after all; networking is an essential component to both growing a business and expanding your connections. I feel you get a better sense of how a conversation is progressing when face to face, through reading one’s non-verbal cues and body language. It also gives you the opportunity to showcase your personality, represent your brand and get your business noticed. Let’s go for a coffee, or pop in for a cream tea?

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 5

CORNWALL

BUSINESS NEWS

SPONSORED BY

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THE PLACE TO B2B The Cornwall Business Show celebrates its tenth anniversary this year.

GRIPSURE IS AN EXPORT CHAMPION

The show, which is set to take place at the Royal Cornwall Events Centre on October 6, has grown to become one of the leading B2B events on the calendar. Andrew Weaver, MD of show organiser Live Events South West (LESW), said: “To reach the ten-year milestone is a satisfying achievement and testament that the event

continues to be a great investment for those offering and looking for business to business services – it really is the place to b2b!” The show will again offer exhibitors the opportunity to host the popular masterclasses, while there will also be a quality café with lots of seating for attendees to mingle and network. “Last year’s event was a great success with people wishing to get back to face to face business, we expect that to grow even more this year,” Weaver added. “As always we offer a comprehensive all-inclusive stand package which is great value and accessible for all business sizes, and we continue to support start-ups and charities with special rates.”

Gripsure has been appointed an ‘Export Champion’ by the Department for International Trade (DIT). The St Austell-based non-slip decking manufacturer has been recognised as a successful exporter dedicated to helping British businesses sell their goods internationally. Since being founded by MD Mike Nicholson in 2004, Gripsure has grown to become one of the best-known decking brands in Europe, producing 250,000 linear metres of handcrafted decking boards in Cornwall every year. It has a wholly-owned French company and a manufacturing partner in Japan and is planning to establish its non-slip decking brand in 12 more countries. Nicholson said: “Being made an ‘Export Champion’ by the Department for International Trade is a real honour and this achievement is testament to all the hard work put in by the whole team to make Gripsure the successful business that it is today.

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KCS LAUNCHES NEW DIVISION

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KCS Print, Cornwall’s only roll label manufacturer, has launched its new digital label division.

Zoe Deadman, MD of KCS Print, said: “Root labels are proud to be the only digital label manufacturer in Cornwall. And I’m happy to share our expertise with companies that are looking to decrease their carbon footprint whilst increasing their shelf appeal.

Focused on sustainable label production, Root Sustainable Labels can now

“We intend to be the trusted go to labelling company for Cornish brands.”

MANAGING COMMERCIAL DEBTS

Luke Richards, who heads up Debtlink, a fixed-price debt recovery service at south west law firm, Stephens Scown, offers advice on managing cashflow and costs.

Luke has the day-to-day responsibility for Debtlink, processing debts up through to recovery or until they become contested, with experience recovering debts of all sizes and values.

6 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

BUSINESS NEWS

SPONSORED BY

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expense of other projects that might go for funding in future rounds of the Levelling Up programme.

NEWS IN BRIEF

“As a result of the council’s withdrawal, the Stadium for Cornwall CIC board has voted to cease co-developing the Stadium for Cornwall project in its former capacity. Truro and Penwith College will no longer be a key stakeholder in the project, which is a huge disappointment after 12 years of hard work from everyone involved.”

Bodmin Jail Hotel and Visitor Attraction won the Refurbishment/Revitalisation Project category at The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) 2022 regional awards. Featherbeds triumphed in the Residential Project category. ______________________________________

A Council spokesperson said: “Due to a change in the Levelling Up Fund criteria Cornwall Council has taken the decision not to submit a bid for the Stadium for Cornwall project on this occasion. “We had understood that submissions to the ‘culture’ strand of LUF were additional to the 6 Parliamentary constituency bids we are able to put forward under the rules. “However, this is not the case and we have taken the decision to focus on those constituency bids at this time.”

Trevena Cross Nurseries has been named the Best Independent Garden Centre in Cornwall. The ranking, compiled by David Wilson Homes, lists the Breage-based garden centre top of the crop ahead of St Austell Garden Centre and Carnon Downs Garden Centre. Trevena Cross scored an average 4.6 stars based on 976 reviews. ______________________________________ A £3.1 million grant fund to help SMEs in Cornwall to boost their productivity has been extended for another through to next March. Business Investment for Growth Productivity offers grants from £2.5k to £50k to qualifying businesses and can meet up to 45% of project costs for small businesses, and up to 35% for mediumsized businesses. ______________________________________ Citizens Advice Cornwall will be hosting its first ever ball this September. The Blue and White Ball will take place on September 23 at the Penventon Hotel, Redruth and will feature a three-course meal, magician, auction and dancing. Tickets are now on sale for the event at £55 per ticket or £500 for a table of 10. To book, email tamsin@ citizensadvicecornwall.org.uk ______________________________________

NATIONWIDE PRINT CLOSES The St Austell-based printing company, Nationwide Print, is shutting down. The business, which began life as H Hocking & Son in the mid-1930s and was named Environmental Company of the Year at the 2018 Printweek Awards, closes its doors for the final time on July 15. Citing the challenging trading conditions in the printing industry, owner Julian Hocking said he made the difficult decision following “an offer I couldn’t refuse” to lease the buildings that house Nationwide Print.

8 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

“The pandemic gave us time to reflect on how we were doing and where we were heading,” he said. “Suffice to say that while the property side of our business is still growing fast, it’s getting harder to make a profit on printing. “Then, in March, I received an offer I couldn’t refuse to lease the buildings that house Nationwide Print. So, I had to put my head before my heart and make the difficult decision to remodel the business. From now on, that means giving up printing and focusing purely on property.”

Falmouth won a brace of awards at the Town and City Management Industry Award 2022. Falmouth Business Improvement District (BID) executive director, Richard Wilcox, was named UK Inspirational Leader of the Year, while the virtual Sea Shanty Festival was named Best Digital Project. ______________________________________ Raymond James Investment Services has opened a new branch in Cornwall. The new branch, which goes by the name ‘Raymond James, Truro’, offers bespoke localised investment services throughout the region. It is being headed up by branch principal Simon Burnett. ______________________________________ Truro-based digital music distributor RouteNote appears on a list of the UK’s 100-fastest growing companies. The inaugural Growth Index reveals the sectors that have flourished throughout the pandemic with arts and media emerging as the fastest-growing sector, closely followed by fintech and health.

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BUSINESS

AWARDS

Award The best and the brightest of local business were celebrated at the 2022 Cornwall Business Awards last month.

Winners With awards handed out across 15 categories ranging from Best Place to Work to the Rising Star Award recognising the future business leaders of Cornwall, winners represented a diverse range of sectors including Community Interest Companies and not-for-profits, those in manufacturing, marketing, tech, and many more. Broadcaster and adventurer Ben Fogle

WINNING BUSINESSES AND SPONSORS

Best Place to Work sponsored by the Skills Hub Ocean Housing Group

Beacon Inclusivity Award sponsored by The Beacon Project Active Plus

Business Finance Award sponsored by Cornwall Isles of Scilly Investment Fund Smile Together Dental CIC

Best Business with a Purpose sponsored by Corserv Boost Innovations Best Customer Experience sponsored by Talent Tide Pocketful of Stones Limited

Business Leader of the Year sponsored by Future Focus and Unlocking Potential Natalie Crouch of Peaky Digital Clean Growth Award sponsored by University of Exeter ARCO 2 Architecture

Best Family Business sponsored by St Austell Printing Company Mike Martin Window Systems

Employee of the Year sponsored by Truro and Penwith College Julie Belcher of ISO Spaces

Best New Business sponsored by Outset Cornwall Xigxag

Exporter of the Year sponsored by Business Cornwall Feritech Global

10 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

compered the ceremony at St Mellion Estate, handing out trophies to 14 businesses in 15 categories, with Mike Martin Window Systems returning to St Columb with two accolades Best Family Business and Growth Business of the Year. “We are absolutely chuffed,” said director James Martin. “I’m so proud to be carrying on the tradition of what my Dad started over 30

Growth Business of the Year sponsored by Access to Finance Mike Martin Window Systems Rising Star sponsored by Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership Jamie Murphy of Penzance Dry Dock Skills Brilliance Award sponsored by Cornwall College Business Training Pendennis Shipyard Third Sector Award sponsored by the Eden Project Coastline Housing People’s Choice Award sponsored by Watson Marlow Fluid Technology Solutions The Cornish Company

BUSINESS

AWARDS

years ago. We’re going from strength to strength and tonight is certainly the icing on the cake.” The hotly contested Exporter of the Year was awarded to Feritech Global, while Peaky Digital MD, Natalie Crouch, was named Business Leader of the Year. She said: “To be recognised amongst so many fantastic Cornish businesses is amazing We’ve come such a long way as a team the past few years, a team I couldn’t do anything without, and we certainly feel as if we are continuing to grow.” Stu Anderson, operations director for award organisers the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Growth and Skills Hub, paid tributed to all the night finalists. “A huge congratulations to all of the finalist businesses, and particularly to those who took home an award last night. “Everyone should be rightly proud of their achievements and it is these businesses that are putting Cornwall on the map, adding weight to the county’s burgeoning reputation for innovation, creativity and excellence.” BUSINESS CORNWALL | 11

MELANIE

OMIROU

Melanie

Omirou

12 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

MELANIE

OMIROU

We caught up with Melanie Omirou, executive group managing director for independent housebuilder Acorn Property Group. In its 27th year, Acorn has projects across the south west of the country, including a number of high profile developments completed and ongoing in Cornwall, under its Acorn Blue brand. What was your background before joining Acorn? Originally I worked as a London estate agent. And that was what sparked my interest in property. I then went to work for Credit Suisse bankin property equities. It was 20 years ago that I joined Acorn and I have progressed significantly. I started as a funding assistant, because of my job history, then I went on to head up the whole of the funding team and from there became involved in every aspect of the business. Eventually, I became the managing director of London and I’m now the executive group managing director. A perfect mix, through the estate agency, you had that passion for property and knowledge to combine with some banking experience. Because with developing, it’s one thing finding projects, but it’s another thing funding them. Entirely, a project can’t commence unless you have funds to purchase the site. So yes, it’s a very important part of our business. Of the projects you’ve worked on, which are you particularly proud of? I have many! One in Cornwall is The Dunes in Perranporth. Set right on the beach, these new homes replaced an old run down hotel

and transformed the appearance of the coastline. In addition to homes, it features a restaurant and coffee shop and has directly improved the local economy. Another coastal scheme but this time in South Wales is The Links. Set overlooking Rest Bay in Porthcawl, the scheme features the regeneration and conversion of a much-loved Victorian Grade II listed building. With links back to Florence Nightingale, the building was a purpose built convalescent home for the area’s industrial workers and miners. It was later used as a hospital in World Wars I & II. Left undeveloped and fading away for decades we are really proud to have been the ones to have given the building a new lease of life. In addition, we built a very sensitive extension that fits in seamlessly and adds to the accommodation offering.

London, SE1, Tower Bridge, London Bridge, Bermondsey area. We pretty much, along with a couple of other developers, helped regenerate the whole area. So, we’ve learned a lot along the way. And I feel that that’s something we really brought to the regions that we now work in.

Historically, Acorn really are regeneration specialists

It’s interesting you mention that it goes deeper than just building a nice property and for The Dunes it was quite a regenerative thing for the area as well. Historically, Acorn really are regeneration specialists. We started off in southeast

THE DUNES, PERRANPORTH

What sort of schemes do you specialise in?

One of the most exciting things about Acorn is that no two schemes are ever the same. Unlike many housebuilders, we don’t have standard house type designs and layouts. We look at each project on its own merits and are design and opportunity led. We are not targeted by the number of homes we build every year, instead our focus is on providing interesting, complementary and sustainable architecture within the local area. We have a really broad portfolio of sites from brownfield and greenfield sites set in urban, rural and coastal locations to contemporary new build projects and the sensitive conversion of existing and listed buildings. While we are residential-led, we have also successfully completed a number of mixed-use and commercial schemes.

THE LINKS, PORTHCAWL BUSINESS CORNWALL | 13

MELANIE

OMIROU

What is the split between residential and commercial? It’s predominantly residential, I’d say it’s probably about 10% or 15% commercial. And if there’s any employment being lost, depending on what the building was, we like to make sure that that employment is replaced, and hopefully make a more exciting place for people to work in. I can see that there’s a lot more considerations that you take into a development. It’s not just about looking at a site and thinking, oh, we can get 100 houses on there. It’s looking at a site and thinking, well, we could get 100 houses on that, but maybe it’d be better with 60 houses for an all-round better development... Absolutely, you’ve actually described something that we’ve done many,times where we’ve shrunk it exactly, like you say, just to make the units bigger and more appealing. We’re confident in our product and everybody expects good specification, light and airy, everything should have a view if it’s anywhere near the sea. Is that approach quite rare? Yes, because sometimes banks will say there was a planning permission for 100 units, why are you only building 75? Because they can’t necessarily understand, but the banks that know us very well know exactly why we’re doing it and know what we deliver. What are your main ongoing projects currently? One is in the Cotswolds and it’s an absolutely stunning site. There was an existing lake and we have dug up lots of gravel to create two new private lakes and 75 houses

on this site with 40 different house types. So, it’s a big job and every single house has to be thought about. There’s Cotswold village houses, your archetypal Cotswold stone houses, and some rural houses that back onto beautiful farmland and have beautiful green views. And they’re all scattered around beautiful listed buildings. And there’s three different forms of architecture there. So it’s a really good demonstration of what Acorn can do and construction is due to start early next year.

The pandemic has just exacerbated and accelerated the demand

Another one that we’re doing is Old County Hall in Truro. We are refurbishing the old town hall which has got huge windows, amazing high ceilings. And just like The Links of Porthcawl, we’re creating some new build homes at the back, but again, very sensitively, same roofline, seamlessly keeping the street scene if you like. The project has been submitted for planning, so hopefully construction will commence next year. We’ve talked about the evolution of your career at Acorn, but where did it start for Acorn itself?

Acorn was set up by the founders , undertaking refurbishments of flats in North London. They just took it from there, built up a small portfolio and a good track record when they were offered a building in Bermondsey. That was the first Acorn development site. And as I say, in SE1, pretty much every building you can see along Bermondsey Street is an Acorn building. I think it would have been 2005 when we started looking at our first site in Cornwall. With Cornwall, where do you think that interest came from? Back in the early 2000’s Stuart Brereton who now heads up our Cornish region Acorn

ASHTON FIELDS, COTSWOLDS. PRELIMINARY COMPUTER GENERATED IMAGE 14 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

Blue, originally worked in our London office. Regularly going back to Cornwall on the weekends to go surfing, he told us about a road leading to Fistral Beach where there was a tired B&B up for sale which he thought had development potential perfect for Acorn. What are the main challenges faced in the construction industry at the moment in the UK?

To be honest with you, I think our biggest downfall in the UK is a lack of training and good apprenticeships, because we were very reliant on a European workforce and we lost a lot of skilled labour from Brexit. And I really feel that there should be a focus on education. The British workforce is aging now in the construction industry, and they really need to push young people through. And then the second challenge is building really efficient, sustainable houses. But there are significant changes and criteria that needs to be met that come with building low carbon housing. It’s costly, and it takes a lot of management within our company to get that right. Are the rising costs having an impact? Whilst the rising costs will undoubtedly impact us in the future, we have been relatively protected from this so far due to the severe shortage in housing and rising values. We are aware this won’t last forever. What about the opportunities? For us, medium sized developments, mixed use schemes that provide employment, as well as aspirational priced housing, are the kinds of sites we’re looking for. An example

MELANIE

of that is the old M&S building in Falmouth, which we’re also involved in. There is a huge vacant building, which is going to provide houses, flats, and retail premises. I think that’s the way forward, something that’s going to improve things for everybody in the immediate area; local people, people looking for second homes and bringing good retail always helps an environment. The other positive which has helped us immensely is the improved road system down towards the bottom of the county. Because that’s meant that we can look for opportunities in places that we shied away from before. Improved infrastructure has opened some more doors for us.

What are your strengths as a business person?

How has the industry changed in recent years?

But is it difficult being a woman in a male dominated sector? And is it still male dominated?

The pandemic has just exacerbated and accelerated the demand to live in the south west, both for retirement, people at retirement age, genuine second homes. And by that I mean people that live there maybe four days a week but commute to Exeter, for example, or Bristol even, for the remaining part of the week. We are seeing a lot of that. What we found is that people were leaving London, and wanting housing in regions in commutable villages and towns where they work, or they were working from home and they wanted a garden and some workspace. Also, I think that because of the pandemic, specifically, they couldn’t travel abroad. So, all of a sudden, everyone was fighting to get down to somewhere near the sea and fell back in love with it. So many people I know said, “I haven’t been to Perranporth beach since I was 11 years old”. And people like that then want to buy a home there. Or people were moving, just completely selling up and relocating. So I think that’s been a significant change.

I would say in business that I’m very good at talking to people and much more importantly, listening to people. And by people, I mean, people that work with us in Acorn. We’re all a big team. I talk to peers in the industry as much as I possibly can, just to get a more rounded view of what’s going on. Importantly I’m always open to new ideas and initiatives. And as a company, we embrace change; we’ve never stayed stagnant. We move with the times, and that’s from internal staff through to what we build and where we build it. We are a modern company.

Well, that’s the first thing I was going to say. I mean, particularly in Acorn, it’s definitely not where we are - we’re 50/50 male/female. And we don’t try and make that happen, it just happens, because we don’t define anybody’s skills by their gender. I have faced a few challenges as a woman, but I’ve never, ever let it affect me. And I just feel that if you do a good job, and you don’t define yourself as “a woman in a man’s world”, you’ll be respected. And that’s my experience, regardless of gender. I’ve always been respected and just treated as a business person, not a woman.

OMIROU

concentration on local housing. And something I did an article on recently is about YIMBYism, as opposed to NIMBYism. We’ve found is that a lot of young people are getting more involved in planning applications in their local area, and they are voting pro new homes and new jobs. There are still quite a lot of people that are complaining about the supply of local housing, but then actively stop every planning application that comes across their way. So I think young people have got to start sort of pushing that forward. And I really think that’s where we’re going. I really do. It’s got to happen, so it will, and we’ve got a much more open minded, younger generation coming through.

We embrace change; we’ve never stayed stagnant

Final question. How do you see the next five years? Busy, very busy, which is fantastic. I think one of our main aims for the next five years is trying to meet the demand across the sector. With serious

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CARLYON

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Bringing business to

Carlyon Bay

CEG, which manages the three beaches that make up Carlyon Bay, has turned the well-known destination into a hive of activity as part of its wider bid to create employment opportunities and support local commerce in the area. Growing from just two traders in 2016, Crinnis Beach is now home to 13 local, independent businesses - from food and drink outlets to outdoor activity providers - who have partnered with CEG to create a mini festival village.

The collaboration has brought new vibrancy to the beach

The collaboration has brought new vibrancy to the beach and has provided the businesses – many of which are in their infancy – a supportive new outlet to reach visitors and locals. Open for business from March to September, it has proved a huge success, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Bay over the last few years and providing an economic boost to the area.

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The village is just one of many community initiatives that have been put in place by CEG as part of their long-term investments in the area. In partnership with CEG, The Aspire Academy Trust has recently launched the Carlyon Bay Beach School to enrich the lives of children from 29 Cornish primary schools by welcoming them to learn in Carlyon Bay’s immersive outdoor environment. Jacky Swain, site manager at CEG, says: “Cornwall’s business community is key for us at CEG, which is why as part of our short and long-term plans for Carlyon Bay we are focusing on supporting local businesses and developing a destination that will help the area thrive for generations to come. “Our mini village of traders is a fantastic showcase of the many brilliant Cornish businesses we have on our doorstep. There’s such a

sense of camaraderie amongst our traders who want to see others succeed after a difficult few years for the hospitality industry.”

CORNISH CULTURE The local music and theatre scene has also been key in the creation of Carlyon Bay’s beach village. Throughout the summer, live music nights are taking place at Shoreside, with an eclectic mix of Cornish bands playing every Friday, and jazz nights taking place every other Sunday. The Bay is also set to become a theatre venue in the summer as it welcomes internationally renowned, Cornwall based theatre company Wildworks from 6th to 20th August. Currently in final rehearsals for I AM KEVIN, the group is getting ready to let audiences’ imaginations run wild on a journey of impossibility and rewrite the many stories that try to define us as part of its interactive, immersive performance.

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Leading up to the show’s opening, the Wildworks team have hosted a series of engaging events, workshops and drop-in sessions, welcoming people from all walks of Cornish life to help shape the performance. Emma Hogg, Wildworks’ executive director comments: “We’re so excited to be performing ‘I AM KEVIN’ at the beautiful Carlyon Bay. It is such an extraordinary Cornish setting for an immersive performance which will be both emotionally and physically moving. “As ever, engagement with local people and businesses is extremely close to our hearts and it’s been exciting to bed in and get to the beating heart of the community before we take to the stage.” BUSINESS BOOST Waverunners, an established Cornish business that also trades in Newquay, is hosting an outpost at Carlyon Bay, offering jet ski safaris, stand up paddleboard hire, kayak hire, and more. Pete Davis, owner, said: “Our partnership with CEG at Carlyon Bay has been fantastic for our business. The opportunity to provide activities from the south Cornwall coast allows us to trade whatever the Cornish weather throws at us, and we’ve loved being able to bond with other local activity providers like Sweat Cornwall and ELM Yoga. “There’s so much going on at Carlyon, and aside from the obvious business benefits there’s a real sense of community here. The opportunities given by the thriving pop-up village have grown exponentially over the last

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few years under CEG’s management and we can’t wait to see how these evolve further as more businesses get on board with this exciting regeneration project. “Carlyon is a truly worldclass destination, but it keeps Cornwall’s local businesses and people at its heart; a true asset to St Austell and Cornwall’s south coast.” Growing in size and popularity from last year, the pop-up village is part of CEG’s longer-term regeneration project for Carlyon Bay and the wider St Austell area, with CEG even looking into the possibility for overnight stays. Constantly evolving their vision for the beach as a trading enterprise, long-term investor CEG is always pleased to hear from local businesses who would like to get involved in working with them to further cultivate Carlyon Bay. For more information, visit https://www. carlyonbeach.com

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Growth

planning

Over the following 16 pages, we highlight some of the leading business support services and organisations that can help move your business forward.

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TALENTTIDE: SUPPORTING BUSINESSES - AND COMMUNITIES IN CORNWALL

Tackling the jobs market is no easy feat – no matter which side you’re on. Whether you’re going through the recruitment process as a candidate, or you’re a business looking for that perfect match, it can be a difficult industry to navigate on your own. And that’s where working with a recruitment consultancy that really knows its stuff can make the world of difference. Having someone in your corner who can give you that support to make the right decisions can provide the confidence you need to step in the right direction.

Today, our team of experts here at TalentTide offer an innovative and market-leading service to professional sectors (such as finance, technology and people management), to help businesses exceed their goals and take things to the next level. But our job doesn’t stop when we get candidates into the hot seat – we’re there, quite literally, every step of the way for both our recruiters and our candidates. Even beyond the recruitment stage, we’re on hand to make sure our clients feel supported as they take on a new adventure.

MORE THAN A BUSINESS But what truly makes TalentTide stand out from the crowd in Cornwall? Well, we’re not just committed to the people who walk through our doors – we’re also committed to supporting the local economy as a whole, with our income generation going back into the Cornish community. Through local businesses, projects and investment, we bring more money to Cornwall (and keep it here).

Why? Because, for us, it’s simple. It’s about helping businesses build retention and relationships, so they can tackle their targets with confidence.

Want to work with the TalentTide team? Call 01872 322823 or email info@talent-tide.co.uk to get started.

FUTURE-PROOF YOUR BUSINESS Now more than ever it’s essential that businesses have the tools they need to overcome challenges and identify new opportunities to ensure future success. Oxford Innovation Cornwall provides tailored business support and coaching for high growth businesses and ambitious startups in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The programme provides business owners with access to a highly experienced team of business coaches, who cover all areas of business including marketing, productivity, strategic planning, finance and leadership. As well as specialist one-to-one support, the team are delivering a series of new interactive workshops this autumn to help businesses become more resilient and achieve their growth ambitions. These bitesize sessions will focus on marketing channels, content

marketing, social media marketing, managing and leading your business in an inflationary economy, managing business finance and strategic planning. Designed and delivered by Oxford Innovation Advice, the programme is fully funded by the European Regional Development Fund so it is available at no cost to qualifying businesses. With over 30 years of experience in helping SMEs grow, Oxford Innovation Advice has been delivering successful business coaching programmes in Cornwall since 2009 and has supported over 5,400

businesses across the county. Gendall Design is just one local business the team has supported. A spokesperson for the company explains: “I can’t speak highly enough about Oxford Innovation Cornwall. Our lead coach both challenges and pushes. I feel like we are working towards something. He’s not giving us the answers, but he’s constantly pushing and helping drive that forward, which is brilliant.”

Find out more about the programme and meet the coaches at one of the free introductory sessions. Register now by visiting www.oxfordinnovationcornwall.co.uk or call 01872 300116.

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Shore up your bottom line by investing in your workforce

Boosting your

We have spoken about this many times previously, the benefits of skills development and training remain profoundly valuable to any business. It’s a drum that we’re very happy to continue beating, as it is something that the Skills Hub believes in deeply. Whether your business is big or small, to excel or to simply adapt to working in a post-COVID world, the management of a business’s human capital must be looked upon with the same rigour as its financial capital. Up-skilling, re-skilling, training, learning and development; call it what you will but investing in your team should be seen as a responsibility held by both employer and employee. The latest data shows that close to two-thirds of respondents from GetSmarter’s

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Skills The Future of Work Is Here report agree that upskilling or reskilling is the joint responsibility of the business and the employee.

In addition, a study from the Harvard Business Review showed that 97 percent of employees surveyed would learn new skills if given the opportunity to do so. If the hunger amongst your staff to better themselves – and ultimately your business – is there, it’s time to feed it. The Skills Hub can help do that, and more. Good things come in threes so here are a few key tips as to why you should be investing in your team via skills development. BENEFITTING YOUR BOTTOM LINE It remains incredibly difficult to argue against the fact effective skills development will lead

to financial benefits for your business. The financial benefits of staff training have been proven throughout years of business studies and through observation of how workplaces function. What happens when your staff undertake training to improve their skillset? Your team will become driven to do more for your business, rewarding the faith you have shown in them. Through effective training, there will be less waste, and fewer mistakes are made. And, through that investment and good faith shown, you will see less employee turnover. As we find ourselves amidst the Great Reshuffle — as employees explore new opportunities left, right and centre – shore up your bottom line by investing in your workforce.

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SOFTER SKILLS FOR THE WORKFORCE OF TOMORROW All employees should be provided with the motivation, the opportunity and the means to explore and supplement their existing expertise. Many businesses think of the word ‘training’ and automatically associate this with improving what we might best describe as ‘harder’ skills. Moving forward it will be softer skills such as empathy, creativity and emotional intelligence that will help people effectively adapt to our now many varied ways of working.

PRODUCTIVITY With the cost of doing business continuing to increase, accelerating productivity is something that many decision makers have front of mind. According to McKinsey and Company, an investment in skills development and training will yield an uplift in productivity levels to somewhere between 6 and 12 percent.

Increasing productivity is on the tip of many a business’s tongue

With the world constantly changing, workplaces and employees must demonstrate both adaptability and the want to actively learn in order to succeed.

As we enter the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the continued integration of new technologies into our working ways of life happens at pace, increasing productivity is on the tip of many a business’s tongue.

With the idea of the traditional 9-5 thrown out the window, and hybrid working now the norm for many, there are a few simple things you can do to keep productivity levels high.

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Here are just two: firstly, it is now the time to begin taking advantage of the plethora of affordable and simple tools on the market to automate many of your daily tasks. And secondly, start scheduling shorter meetings. How often do we find ourselves in a one-hour long meeting, knowing that it could have been completed in just 15 or 30 minutes? Contact the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Skills Hub; the independent and impartial specialists when it comes to all things skills, training and workforce development. We can equip you and your team with the skills needed to ensure that you’re ready to tackle whatever comes next.

Want to hear more about productivity, and boosting your skills to be equipped for the future of work? Join the Skills Hub on September 8 for an event looking at that, and more! To find out more visit www.ciosskillshub.com

According to a recent LinkedIn survey looking at learning and development, 74 percent of those leaders surveyed said that skills development has become a more strategic function at their organisation. What are you waiting for? Make it part of yours today.

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CHANGES AT COMPANIES HOUSE WRITTEN BY JOSH STEVENS, NEW PARTNER AT RRL company’s profit and loss information as being sensitive information. However, under these changes this information will now be publicly available. There are very significant changes on the horizon for the majority of limited companies, vastly increasing the amount of sensitive information available to the public at Companies House. Currently small companies (companies meeting two of: less than £10.2m annual turnover, £5.1m balance sheet value, and less than 50 employees) can take advantage of the ability to file filleted or abridged accounts – which reduces the detail in the accounts filed at Companies House by removing certain elements. One of the main elements being the profit and loss account. Many would think of a

A planned overhaul of filing requirements at Companies House, with a view to increasing transparency in annual filings, means that options to file shortened forms of accounts will no longer be available and all companies will have to file a profit and loss account as well as a balance sheet. Micro-entities (meeting two of: less than £632k annual turnover, £316k balance sheet value, and less than 10 employees) will retain the exemption from filing a directors’ report, but small companies now have to file one.

however, they are sizeable and will impact a huge number of businesses structured as limited companies. For some, these changes will impact whether shareholders want to continue trading as a limited company and be a further consideration for those that are considering trading as a limited company. Whilst there is no confirmed date for the introduction of these changes and it could be some time until these measures are introduced, we would encourage company directors and shareholders to discuss any potential implications with their accountant.

Many shareholders in limited companies have historically relied on the ability to file reduced information at Companies House. These changes have largely gone unnoticed,

RRL | Truro 01872 276116, Penzance 01736 339322 | post@rrlcornwall.co.uk | www.rrlcornwall.co.uk

ACCESS TO FINANCE FULLY FUNDED BUSINESS SUPPORT THAT ACHIEVES TANGIBLE RESULTS Does your business need help with a finance-related challenge or opportunity? The Access to Finance programme provides free and impartial support on all aspects of business finance for eligible small and medium sized businesses. The team of experienced business finance specialists can help with everything from writing a business plan and financial forecasting to identifying and applying for the right funding for your needs (eg grants, loans, equity, crowdfunding, debt funding, asset finance). As well as one-to-one tailored support to help established businesses achieve their ambitions, the team also delivers interactive workshops to provide start-ups with the practical knowledge and skills they need to build a robust financial model. An online video based-learning platform also provides 24/7 interactive content to support businesses.

Designed and delivered by Oxford Innovation Advice, the programme is fully-funded by the European Regional Development Fund so there is no cost to the business. The programme has supported over 2,380 businesses across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, helping local businesses raise over £36 million in the last five years. KCS Print in Launceston is just one of the businesses supported by the team. The family-run manufacturer of high-quality integrated label forms successfully secured

a series of grants to aid expansion after receiving one-to-one support. Zoe Deadman, MD of KCS Print, says: “Access to Finance provides a really personalised service. It is like having an in-house expert in your business. As an SME, we don’t have time to waste so any investment has to make a tangible difference. Access to Finance has probably been the easiest and most directly beneficial business support I’ve received in the last five years.”

Funded by:

For more information on Access to Finance, visit www.a2fcornwall.co.uk or call 01872 300386.

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Designed and delivered by:

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Payroll? Sorted.

Imagine the extra time you’d gain, and the stress you’d remove if you had a specialist team looking after your payroll each month. Staff would get paid the correct salary on time. HMRC would receive the correct information on time. But best of all it would create additional time for you to do other ‘stuff’. Happy days. For a free no-obligation discussion to find out how we make people happy, please get in touch.

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MORE CORNWALL INNOVATION CENTRE SUCCESS STORIES

IAIN BRUNT, FOUNDER OF AEGIS AND THE TECH PLATFORM CALLED ARRIVET (PHOTO BY: TOBY WELLER)

Aegis Veterinary Technology recently moved to Pool Innovation Centre from the Health and Wellbeing Innovation Centre at Treliske. The company, founded by Iain Brunt, offers tech solutions to the large animal veterinary sector. Aegis has developed a platform called ArriVet which provides accurate, artificial intelligence-enabled location information to keep clients up to date on where their vet is and when they will arrive. Iain said business was going well and Pool Innovation Centre was a great base for a new firm. “It works for businesses that are at the stage where they’re looking to grow,” said Iain. “The centre is a nice place to work and there are lots of people there who share the same ideals. “I’ve been to a couple of networking events recently that were really useful. I think there’s that feeling now that we want to get back into meeting and networking. People seem quite keen to do all of that here.” See aegis.vet; https://www.arrivet.app/

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Officegains Cornwall Innovation Centres are busier than ever as companies opt for a different model of working following the pandemic. The shockwaves from successive pandemic lockdowns and the use of Teams and Zoom meetings has led some to question whether we’d ever go back to the office. However, for Cornwall Innovation Centres the opposite has been the case with occupancy ahead of pre-pandemic levels across all three centres at Treliske, Penryn and Pool, as start-ups and established local firms move to join these vibrant business communities.

in demand for in-person training, networking and workshops has also seen the use of meeting and event rooms across all three centres increase. Matt Harrington, head of Cornwall Innovation Centres for the University of Plymouth, which manages the centres on behalf of Cornwall Council, said: “After two years of uncertainty and upheaval caused by the pandemic, the opportunity for teams and businesses to come together in a high-quality work environment to share ideas and meet like-minded people, has proved a real draw.

Existing customers thriving and new businesses arriving

Cornwall Innovation Centres have always been much more than managed workspaces and their success in nurturing entrepreneurship, inspiration and business growth is the result of providing a dynamic environment, promoting collaboration between firms and offering business support and advice. The centres are now home to a diverse range of 163 companies, embracing technology, creative media, environmental, wellbeing and many other sectors.

It’s not just about workspace though. A rise

“There’s no doubt the pandemic has changed working practices and introduced more flexibility but it has also showed us the value of collaborative working and of having the ability to separate home and work environments. It is fantastic to see that the centres are as busy as ever and to see our existing customers thriving and new

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businesses arriving to become part of our business community.” Cornwall Innovation Centres consist of three sites: Pool Innovation Centre, Tremough Innovation Centre at Penryn and the Health and Wellbeing Innovation Centre at Treliske. The Tremough Innovation Centre and the Health and Wellbeing Innovation Centre are now both running at 100% occupancy, while Pool Innovation Centre is 85% full. Some of the businesses based at the centres are lockdown start-ups, and the centres have seen a rise in businesses like these moving into professional settings as they become more successful and begin to grow. Matt Harrington added that Cornwall Innovation Centres’ team were keen to help all businesses develop, whether one person start-ups or firms employing teams of 20 or more. He said: “Despite rising costs and at a time when businesses have struggled, the centres have continued to provide a fair and affordable offering to help support our customers. “We know that the entrepreneurs and business owners who choose to base themselves here have the potential to grow and provide new jobs for Cornwall. As part of our role, we encourage businesses to reach their potential by providing support and advise on a range of topics, such as technical help, grant and funding information, as well as helping businesses to connect with each other.”

Research shows about half of Cornwall Innovation Centre businesses have collaborated at some time. This joint working often happens in the same building or across the three sites. The other key appeal is that businesses are not tied down to long-term tenancies and can move between the centres and beyond as they grow. Michele Ferron is the founder and owner of Once Upon a Tuesday, which sells modern calendars and planners for people who love design. Michele began her business at home during lockdown before moving into Tremough Innovation Centre and this year was one of five firms based across the three centres which achieved shortlisting in the Cornwall Business Awards. Michele said: “For a small, growing business like ours, Tremough Innovation Centre has been instrumental to our growth. “It has made the journey from a home office to a professional workspace very easy. The team here are incredibly helpful, the networking opportunities are plentiful, and the space itself is perfectly comfortable to work at.”

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MORE CORNWALL INNOVATION CENTRE SUCCESS STORIES

CORNISH LITHIUM’S LOGISTICS MANAGER NATHAN RUSDEN

Cornish Lithium is a highly innovative mineral exploration and development company focused on the environmentally sustainable extraction of lithium from geothermal waters and hard rock in the historic mining district of Cornwall. The company is headquartered in the Tremough Innovation Centre. Logistics Manager Nathan Rusden said he enjoyed working in such a prime location. He said: “I enjoy working at the Tremough Innovation Centre because you feel really connected with Falmouth, Penryn and the area’s natural beauty. The Centre itself has a real community feel to it, nestled within the university campus with its lovely environment of learning and positivity. “The Tremough Innovation Centre has great modern facilities too with a fantastic mix of Cornish companies at the cuttingedge of development and technology.” For more information on the range of services available to help your business, visit www.cornwallinnovation.co.uk

ONCE UPON A TUESDAY FOUNDER MICHELE FERRON

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PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST CORNWALL-BASED EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING PROJECT PEOPLE HUB IS HELPING LOCAL PEOPLE TO RETRAIN AND UPSKILL TO SUPPORT THEM IN THEIR CAREER OBJECTIVES.

Since the advent of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, workplaces across the globe have undergone massive upheaval, with workers experiencing job insecurity and having to navigate the seismic changes to traditional workplace practices as a result. With the rise of energy prices and the current cost of living crisis, people are facing an uncertain future, with many feeling the financial strain caused by these issues, facing redundancy, or feeling the need to switch careers after many years in their chosen sector.

offering people the opportunity to develop their skills, without having to be concerned about funding it themselves, means they will be able to boost their chances of stable employment during times of uncertainty.

The Skills for Growth programme offers tangible benefits for career development

Through funding received from the European Social Fund, People Hub has recently launched its Skills for Growth Programme, a fully-funded scheme that offers a wide variety of learning and personal development courses to give Cornish residents the opportunity to develop their existing skills, to learn new ones, and to improve their prospects. People Hub understands that we are currently living in a period of unusual difficulty - knowing this,

While the Skills for Growth programme offers tangible benefits for career development, it also offers attendees the opportunity to boost their confidence and self-esteem, further enhancing their likelihood of career progression, and giving them the ability to join sectors that they might otherwise not have considered prior to training.

The Skills for Growth programme offers training and development in multiple areas and sectors, including Tourism, Retail, Health and Education, and Construction. These fully-funded courses are also suitable for those who are employed but aiming to climb the career ladder, with classes focused on Leadership and Management training, Mediation Skills, Project Management and more.

There is a great deal of helpful training and support on hand for those who find themselves facing redundancy or who wish to move to a different field of work entirely due to the possibility of redundancies in their sector. Offering meaningful, accredited qualifications in growing and popular fields, the Skills for Growth programme provides hope in continuously changing times and is bolstered by tailored one-to-one support from People Hub’s friendly, dedicated team of Connectors. Participants will benefit from a Career Development Plan and be offered assistance throughout the entire process, from entering the Skills for Growth programme, to completion and the next steps into a new, exciting career. Whether that career is something a person has prior experience of, and they want to upskill, or something they’ve never tried before but are keen to retrain in, the People Hub Connectors will be there throughout their journey to point them in the right direction and ensure that the career ladder they’ve chosen is one they actually want to climb. People Hub is committed to ensuring that the Skills for Growth programme benefits attendees both long and shortterm, giving them the qualifications and abilities they need to move towards a role that will lessen their financial concerns and guarantee job satisfaction. If you have recently been made redundant, are currently out of work, or are employed and looking to progress, get in touch with the team at People Hub to discuss your options and which courses are available to you and would best suit your needs and long-term career goals. Whether you plan on upskilling, retraining or simply building on the skills you already have, People Hub are here to help you attain the accredited qualifications that could change your life.

Contact People Hub today at peoplehub.info, call 0333 015 0699 or email hello@peoplehub.info to find out more about the help and support on offer.

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BREAKTHROUGH BUSINESSES

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Unlocking 20 years in cornwall, helping people develop and businesses grow

Potential

The introduction of the Euro, the Golden Jubilee, the first camera phone, the Cornish language officially recognised by Government: a lot happened in 2002. Joining this line up of seminal moments was the introduction of a new business support project called Unlocking Cornish Potential.

In the intervening 20 years, Unlocking Potential has been at the forefront of delivering support services to thousands of businesses and individuals in Cornwall and the wider South West, building stronger more successful businesses, supporting a vibrant economy and creating thousands of graduate jobs.

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Like the businesses they support, Unlocking Potential hasn’t stood still. Listening carefully to what businesses need, looking hard at the market, and equally hard at themselves, to make sure their services continue to make the same kind of difference it’s always made. Today Unlocking Potential are still pioneering business growth through three European Regional Development Funded programmes, helping early stage businesses get established, working with more established businesses to focus on innovation, and helping all businesses with the vital, but tricky, process of digital transformation.

BREAKTHROUGH TURNS START-UPS INTO SUSTAINABLE, VIABLE BUSINESSES

There’s no single route a young business takes once it’s started, and the path to business success is rarely without some bumps and a few detours. But having joined thousands of young businesses on their journey, Breakthrough can help with the many early stage challenges they encounter and build up the confidence each owner needs to thrive. Even more than that, Breakthrough’s team of experts help business owners set their

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goals (and create the roadmap to achieve them) by digging into each entrepreneurs ambitions, skills, customers and resources. So many new-business owners benefit from Breakthrough’s highenergy and high-impact programme: from knowledge and support to honing ideas and clarifying thinking. Although nothing in business is certain, having friendly experts to help you analyse your business, customers, products, marketing and planning will maximise your chances of a long and successful journey.

All of Unlocking Potential’s programmes prioritise planning: central to our support is the opportunity we give business-owners large and small to pause, analyse, audit performance, gain distance from the day-to-day, and cast their minds forwards, horizon scanning to imagine their business’s future. Unlocking Potential has been pioneering this kind of business foresight for many years, through the Future Focus programme. The programme underlines the lead we’re taking on embedding innovation in the businesses we work with, to prepare them for the future and help them stay ahead of the pack. Partnering with the University of Exeter for this programme brings a wealth of expertise, from right here in Cornwall. Coupled with this, Future Focus expands its horizon further afield; bringing some of the business world’s ‘rockstar’ keynote speakers (past rockstars have included Paul Lindley from Ella’s Kitchen, Dan Germain from Innocent and Holly Tucker from notonthehighstreet.com) to Cornwall to share inspiration and first-hand wisdom in the do’s and don’ts of innovating, how to spot a trend, to disrupt the norm, and adopt new thinking to what’s coming round the corner.

ROCK STAR KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

FUTURE FOCUS HORIZON SCANNING TO IMAGINE A BUSINESS’S FUTURE

Uber Trips take to the road, with business owners visiting world-class companies to learn from some of the best.

Cornwall’s high growth tech sector is Digital Transformation’s client xigxag, who have recently been ranked in the top ten of the UK’s tech start-ups by Tech Nation.

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION SUPPORTING CORNWALL’S TECH SECTOR BOOM

Digital Transformation (with it’s home at the FibreHub, Pool) work with non-digital as well as digital businesses supporting them on their journey to become digital-first businesses.

Those of us lucky enough to work with Cornish businesses have known for a while that change is in the air: businesses anticipating, disrupting and adapting, businesses moving away from old models, using next-level technology, organising themselves differently.

A wealth of expertise, from right here in Cornwall

We’ve seen this ourselves and encountered it in our programmes, not least Digital Transformation.

Now, thanks to a major report by Tech Southwest, we know this amounts to more than anecdotes. The boom in the tech sector – in the south-west generally, but Cornwall in particular – is a matter of statistical fact. One such company who are reflecting

By making meaningful connections, Digital Transformation ensures businesses in need of particular digital solutions are – thanks to the knowledge of the Digital Innovators – supported to work out where they’re up to, digitally, and what the viable options are to enable, develop and test new ideas. After 20 years supporting businesses in Cornwall we’ve seen some major changes in the world around us, and our services have evolved in response. However, the way we work has not – putting your business, your ambitions and your needs at the heart of everything we do. We unlock potential, let us help release yours. Find out more about Unlocking Potential by visiting www.unlocking-potential.co.uk and www.digital-cornwall.co.uk

Our expert-led Innovation & Future planning workshops help businesses innovate and grow by developing a really clear direction and action plan. Labs bring recognised experts together with small groups of business leaders to explore cutting-edge topics and

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OUTSET CORNWALL TEAM

A lasting

legacy

When Outset Cornwall first launched back in 2009, its mission was simple; to help and support people living in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to register as selfemployed or start their own business.

Mainstream support is more widely available, but not much of it focuses on supporting underrepresented groups in enterprise or enjoys the same legacy and reputation as Outset Cornwall.

Set up at a time when the UK was heading into a recession and economic uncertainty was rife, Outset offered a positive solution to many people who were being underrepresented and excluded from mainstream support.

Now a multi-award-winning programme, recognised both nationally and in Europe, during the last 13 years Outset Cornwall has provided a social, financial and economic return of over £27 million for the Cornish economy, helping over 2,500 people explore self-employment and more than 940 businesses get up and running, creating over 1,100 jobs.

Fast-forward to today, and although the causes may be vastly different, the situation is largely the same; the UK still faces economic and political uncertainty, as a result of the long-term effects of Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbated by growing fears over the current cost of living crisis.

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In virtually every industry sector in the county it’s likely you’ll come across a business that has been supported by Outset Cornwall.

Committed to having a positive impact on the Cornish economy

Ever tried the delicious cinnamon buns or hot almond croissants from Da Bara Bakery? Ben Hawkins first contacted Outset in 2011, looking for help with starting a business. Twelve years on, his business is still going strong, with two bakeries supplying awardwinning baked goods to wholesale customers across Cornwall, plus a café on The Roseland near Truro and, as a result of the pandemic, a flourishing online shop offering fresh bread, sweet treats and more. In the business world, Outset has supported many clients offering business to business and professional services. Take Sekoya Specialist Employment Services; founder Donna Negus approached Outset with her business idea back in 2010, because despite being excellent at HR and

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DONNA NEGUS FROM SEKOYA AT OUTSET 10 YEAR CELEBRATION EVENT

employment law, she felt she lacked the technical knowledge and skills she needed to successfully run a business. Thanks to Outset’s support back then, Donna’s business continues to grow and go from strength to strength twelve years later; she now employs a team of seven, works for clients both nationally and internationally, and has several multi-million-pound contracts under her belt. So there’s no denying the immense impact the project has had, and continues to have, as more people sign up to the programme to turn their dream of running their own business into a reality. “Outset has always been unique; we offer individuals the opportunity to explore different business ideas and see whether their skills and expertise make them suitable to run their own business, thereby building the person as well as their idea,” says Lee Hughes, deputy CEO of Outset Cornwall’s parent company, YTKO Ltd. “While we’ve continued to support underrepresented groups as we’ve always done, this time our remit has extended to those even further removed from the job market, through our additional Focus project strand, which targets specific geographic areas of the county. “As a result, we have even more capacity to “focus” on the person and their personal

development. By building their confidence, and growing and developing their knowledge and skills, our whole programme helps break down the often-self-perceived barriers that are stopping them from retraining, getting back to work or starting a business.”

“With less budget being spent on venues and physical resources, it meant we could apply to extend our project, which we’ve done successfully, so now instead of an end date of July 2022, we will be operational until December 2022.”

Covering the whole county, including the Isles of Scilly, the Outset Cornwall programme continues to help people retrain, return to work or start their own business, but, as with all European-funded projects, Outset is coming to an end.

“It’s possible that this will be the last time we’ll be able to secure funding, so our goal has been to make this the best version of Outset yet,” says Lee.

“When we relaunched in January 2020, the words “pandemic” and “lockdown” hadn’t become part of our everyday TIM FROM DA BARA BAKERY language! But just a few months later, we found ourselves in the first lockdown, working incredibly hard to pivot and change everything we would normally do face-to-face, so that we could continue doing what we do online and via phone, Skype and email,” says Lee.

What does the future hold for Outset Cornwall and the team behind it? Only time will tell, but it’s safe to say the plan is to keep building on the lasting legacy.

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 31

BUSINESS

SUPPORT

Want to be your own boss?

The business start-up experts

GRAND DAY OUT

Introducing a Catalyst Fund Grant earlier this year, offering clients the opportunity to apply for up to £1,250 in funding to help get their businesses up and running or continue trading and growing, plus entering the last six months of delivering sessions, means it’s going to be an incredibly busy time for the Outset team. And with a return to more face-to-face events happening across the county, Outset plans to provide clients with as many opportunities to grow and develop their businesses as possible, including exclusive networking events, competitions to win stands at Royal Cornwall Show and Cornwall Business Fair, plus trading at Outset Cornwall’s Grand Day Out event taking place in Truro in August. “As a team, we’re committed to reaching and supporting as many clients as we can over the next few months we have left. We’ve had so many individuals come to us with great business ideas over the last two and a half years, and we’d love to help them. We’re also committed to having a positive impact on the Cornish economy, by helping people start, run and grow robust, sustainable businesses that put money back into it,” says Lee. “Most of all, we’re committed to making a positive difference in our clients’ lives by helping, supporting and encouraging them to believe in themselves and achieve their goals; that will be Outset’s legacy.”

Attending Outset’s startup course gave me clear focus and direction.

#BeOutsetReady

Krissie Colton Me Clothing

Focus

Start

Run

Grow

Whatever your situation, we can help get you where you want to be NETWORKING SESSION-MAYOR

Call 01209 311063 or visit More information and details of upcomingwww.outset.org/cornwall sessions can be found at www.outset.org/cornwall orto by emailing cornwall@outset.org start your journey Outset Cornwall is funded by the European Regional Development Fund, HM Government and the Outset Foundation and will run until December 2022. It is being delivered by YTKO Ltd and Cornwall Neighbourhoods for Change.

Funded by

32 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

We are Sapience; your people and workplace culture experts With more than 15 years service to local businesses in Cornwall and beyond, we are your outsourced, in-house, resource for all of your people-management needs.

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BUSINESS CORNWALL | 33 31

DIGITAL

CONNECTIVITY

Are you

well connected?

Investment in gigabit broadband for Cornwall would deliver £615 million and an additional £111 million per year into the Cornish economy, according to an independent study commissioned by Wildanet, the Cornwallbased Alternative Network provider (Altnet). The report, Connecting Cornwall Demonstrating the Value of Improved Connectivity, was launched at an event in Parliament attended by Cornish and south west MPs and again highlighted during a key stakeholder event hosted by Wildanet at the Royal Cornwall Show, with keynote speaker Linda Taylor, Leader of Cornwall Council. Researched and produced by the policy institute, Curia, the report plots progress on the gigabit roll out and for the first time quantifies the impact of extending national

34 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

gigabit capable broadband across hard-toreach areas in Cornwall. It found the case for gigabit capable broadband is compelling and has been accelerated by the consequences of the Covid pandemic, with home working, video communications, remote services and direct retail operations creating an unprecedented demand. Broadband coverage in the south west has historically lagged behind national rollout schemes. With gigabit coverage currently at 46%, it is accepted that the nature of Cornwall’s geography will mean extending coverage will require further public investment. In 2020, the Government committed £5 billion to Project Gigabit, which uses public

procurement alongside the gigabit voucher scheme to roll out broadband to hard-toreach areas across the UK. Culture Secretary, Nadine Dorries, announced in May the scheme was moving forward, with bids invited for £36 million worth of contracts to bring fast connections to 19,000 homes and businesses in hard-to-reach areas of Cornwall, and followed this up with a visit to the Royal Cornwall Show, in June, to further champion the scheme. Liskeard-based Wildanet is investing £50 million rolling out fibre broadband to communities across Cornwall with work already completed in Liskeard and Dobwalls, currently under way in Torpoint, Callington and Launceston and shortly starting in Wadebridge, Bude and Pensilva.

DIGITAL

CONNECTIVITY

THE CASE FOR GIGABIT - key findings from the Connecting Cornwall report include: • While Cornwall enjoyed early success through the Superfast Broadband Programme it has now fallen behind, with just 46% of the county having gigabit capable coverage - compared to a UK average of 66%. • 62,000 people in the county have never used the internet • Digital connectivity would generate an economic impact amounting to £615 million GVA, with £111 million safeguarded year on year until 2030 for Cornwall’s economy • Gigabit capable broadband would also deliver savings of more than £220 per year to individual households at a time when home budgets are being hit by the cost-of-living crisis

Internet connectivity in Cornwall has been climbing the agenda with recent Government announcements on plans which would level up Cornwall’s connectivity with other parts of the UK and the release of new independent research showing the considerable social and economic benefits at stake. Wildanet CEO, Helen Wylde, discussed the importance of improved connectivity with Ms Dorries when the Digital Secretary spent time at the Wildanet stand during her Royal Cornwall visit. Helen says: “It was good to meet the Digital Secretary and we welcome the recent Government updates on next steps in Cornwall for targeted investment through its Project Gigabit scheme. “As our research shows, the impact of the pandemic has brought into sharp focus the need to improve connectivity across the country, especially in areas outside the commercial build of large broadband providers. Altnets, such as Wildanet, have been stepping up to provide these more complex connections to level up rural communities.

“In Cornwall, there are areas which have good digital connectivity but there are also large parts of the county, particularly in rural areas, which do not. That’s simply not acceptable; it is a barrier to social inclusion and business growth; and it is the reason Wildanet was formed and why our ethos is that no-one should be forgotten or left behind by the digital revolution because of where they live or the standard of service they receive. “I have witnessed first-hand the positive impact reliable local connections can have on individual residents, businesses, and the local economy. I am delighted we were able to commission research which provides a clear quantitative analysis of this impact, which I hope will reenergise efforts to increase connectivity, and provide new

industries with the confidence to invest in Cornwall and the south west.” Read more about these findings and view the report via the QR code below. At Wildanet, we’re all about supporting local businesses. If you’re looking to upgrade your business broadband, contact our local team today on 0800 0699906 or visit www.wildanet.com/business

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 35

GREEN

FUEL

Cornwall leading the way in

HVO push

A local oil supplier is calling for greater Government backing of fossil-free oil replacement as successful conversions grow and demand increases. With local and national targets for net zero carbon emissions drawing ever nearer, Mitchell & Webber’s nationally leading demonstration of the effectiveness of hydro-treated vegetable oil (HVO) is putting pressure on the Government to support the quickest and most accessible switch to a renewable, green fuel. For the estimated 1.7 million homes in the UK using oil-fired heating systems, the combination of the uncertainty of oil supplies and the Government’s plans to phase out many fossilfuel powered heating systems within the next decade means the pressure is on to find and implement alternative fuel sources.

36 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

Scorrier-based oil supplier Mitchell & Webber is calling for the Government to support an industry-funded national project that aims to demonstrate that HVO is a swift, costeffective and sustainable alternative to oil. HVO is made from certified waste fats and oils, does not contribute to deforestation, and has been confirmed as sustainable by the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification. A simple, quick and cheap conversion to existing oil-fired boilers and systems means that millions of homes could reduce their net greenhouse gas CO2 emissions by 90% in comparison to oil. With the UK Government’s legally binding target of net-zero by 2050, and Cornwall Council’s own target of bringing the county to net-zero even earlier by 2030, Mitchell & Webber is calling on the Government to support the initiative to convert oil-fired properties over to this greener fuel. Mitchell & Webber is the first company in the

country to begin trialling the renewable fossilfree fuel for heating. Since 2020, its team has converted over 50 oil-fired appliances to HVO many in Kehelland, a village in west Cornwall. Properties include domestic homes, businesses, schools and even the local church. Mitchell & Webber director, John Weedon, says: “The owners of these types of buildings face particular challenges as they look to decarbonise their heating. With our HVO conversion, each home is estimated to save an average of around five metric tonnes of CO2 per home each year. “If all of the estimated 40,000 oil-fired properties in Cornwall made the switch, that would be a huge help towards meeting Cornwall’s net-zero target of 2030. The potential impact of this nationally is enormous and we’re really excited to be pushing this innovative and accessible solution forward.” David Biggs, a homeowner in Kehelland, says: “The speed and ease of the switch really

GREEN

FUEL

surprised me - once we made the decision, it was a quick job for Mitchell & Webber’s technicians to convert our current boiler, remove the fossil heating oil and now my house is kept warm by this new renewable fuel that really works well.” Ellie Watkins, headteacher at Kehelland School, adds: “We wanted to sign up to the trial straight away, and the support we’ve had from Mitchell & Webber has been fantastic from beginning to end. Because the school is 130 years old, it isn’t as efficient as more modern buildings, and it simply wouldn’t have been possible to re-insulate it to the level needed in order for other solutions to work. However, with HVO we’re able to push ahead with decarbonising our heating as far as we possibly can.” John is delighted that the trial has met with such positive feedback. “Many homes in Cornwall don’t have access to the gas grid, so oil-fired systems are very common here - and those homes need an accessible alternative solution as new Government regulations come into place.”

John adds: “We are aware from our customers that rural properties often present particular challenges when owners are looking to move to other renewable heating systems; for instance, they can be expensive and disruptive to re-insulate to the required standard to make other heating solutions viable, and the characteristics of construction itself often make it extremely difficult or costly to convert to other technologies.

The potential impact of this nationally is enormous

The UK Government is currently consulting on a range of policies and proposals that aim to bring the country to netzero carbon emissions. The Future Homes Standard requires that no newbuild homes will use gas boilers from 2025. The Heat and Buildings Strategy, which was published late last year, contains a proposal that will prevent homes currently using oil-fired systems from replacing them with fossil-fuel solutions from as early as 2026.

“We want customers to be able to keep their homes warm in the future, and we feel that placing the financial burden onto the consumer is unfair and unnecessary when the success of our trials over the last two years indicates that HVO has huge advantages over other heating systems for a wide range of properties.” The national demonstration of HVO is being supported by leading industry bodies and

organisations Oil Firing Technical Association (OFTEC) and UK and Ireland Fuel Distributors Association (UKIFDA) as part of the Future Fuel Ready campaign. “Now more than ever before, the combination of world events and climate crisis is forcing governments and consumers towards oil alternatives,” says John. “All our work since 2020 indicates that the Government needs to take HVO seriously as a sustainable and practical solution for property owners who want to, or will eventually be forced to, move away from oil.” Mitchell & Webber MD, Robert Weedon, confirms: “What we’re witnessing is the evolution of the industry, and at Mitchell & Webber we recognise that finding alternatives to oil is the responsible option for now and for future generations. That’s why we’re calling for greater government support for this initiative, which we believe can help millions of people in the UK immediately and significantly reduce their carbon emissions.”

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 37

TOURISM

NEWS

SPONSORED BY

www.visitcornwall.com

SAILING TO NATIONAL GLORY The Idle Rocks in St Mawes took Silver in the Small Hotel of the Year category, while Glynn Barton also received a Silver, for Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year. The winners were announced at a ceremony hosted by broadcaster and author Clare Balding at the Library of Birmingham.

Mylor Sailing & Powerboat School shone in last month’s VisitEngland Awards, scooping two Golds. Cornwall was nominated across five categories, making it the top equal county in England, having progressed from winning in the Cornwall and the south west awards before achieving national success. The sailing school triumphed in the Accessible & Inclusive Tourism Award and Experience of the Year categories, while Three Mile Beach was named England’s New Tourism Business of the Year.

The VisitEngland Awards for Excellence, running for more than 30 years, celebrate and champion innovation, quality and best practice across the industry recognising businesses and individuals who raise the bar of England’s tourism offer. Tourism Minister Nigel Huddleston said: “Our superb tourism businesses offer something for everyone and the sector is one we can be proud of. It is fantastic to see so many hardworking businesses of all sizes recognised for their gold-standard contribution to English tourism and I congratulate all the winners.”

GEMS BOOSTS SAS

Holiday home company Cornish Gems has presented environmental charity Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) with a donation of £3,326. Cornish Gems, which offers a portfolio of over 200 holiday properties in Cornwall, chose SAS as its 2021 Gems Charity of the Year – pledging its support to fundraise and drive awareness of the charity’s essential environmental and conservation work. The donation from Cornish Gems will directly support SAS’ campaign for clean water, an end to plastic pollution, action on climate change and conservation education in schools. The Gems Charity of the Year initiative began in 2018 and has so far raised over £17.5k for worthy causes, with donations being shared with the Cornwall Wildlife Trust, the Cornwall Air Ambulance, the RNLI – and now Surfer’s Against Sewage.

NEW OPERATOR FOR SCILLIES SERVICE A new operator will take over the operation of the Penzance Helicopters service to the Isles of Scilly this winter, replacing current operator Sloane Helicopters. The helicopter service flies year-round between Penzance and the islands of Tresco and St Mary’s on the Isles of Scilly and has been operated by Sloane Helicopters since it was launched in March 2020. The new operator – Surrey based Starspeed – will take over from November and is already working in close cooperation with Sloane to ensure a seamless transition for passengers and staff. Penzance Helicopters flies to Tresco and St Mary’s six days a week throughout the year, offering a 15-minute flight to the islands from a purpose-built heliport on the outskirts of Penzance. Since launching, the service has 38 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

carried over 50,000 passengers between Penzance and the Isles of Scilly, increasing travel capacity, resilience and ease to the islands. Dr Simon Mitchell, MD of Starspeed Ltd, said: “We’re extremely proud to bring our resources, knowledge and experience to this

important route between Penzance and the Isles of Scilly. “Our unrivalled reputation for safety, service and individual attention – as well as our professional and friendly culture – will help grow Penzance Helicopters to the benefit of the whole Isles of Scilly community.”

CHAMBER

SPONSORED BY

cornwallchamber.co.uk

NEWS

BACK IN BUSINESS! CORNWALL CHAMBER CEO KIM CONCHIE LOOKS BACK ON A TRULY MEMORABLE CORNWALL FESTIVAL OF BUSINESS AND AHEAD TO SUSTAINABILITY SEPTEMBER I’m still absolutely buzzing from a truly wonderful Festival week here in Cornwall and in particular a brilliant Business Fair. The atmosphere at Cornwall Business Fair was one of excitement, positivity and ambition and it was terrific to see so many people networking and arranging follow-up meetings. We need to keep the momentum going and hold onto that positivity. It can be difficult to generate ideas or troubleshoot when working alone remotely, so if you are, try and arrange a couple of face-to-face meetings a week to give you that space to be creative. At the Chamber, our foot remains firmly on the gas (or green alternative!) as we put the final touches to our plans for Sustainability September and our Planet C Conference, sponsored by Don’t Cry Wolf. We’re planning

a month of events all geared towards encouraging Cornwall’s business community to really get to grips with its role in helping the Duchy achieve its net zero ambitions. We’re privileged to have Green Works Consulting as our Project Partner for Sustainability September. They’re helping us navigate our way around this huge topic, and really deliver on providing appropriate information to support SMEs and micro businesses in Cornwall. When Cornwall is hailed as a leader in the green revolution, topics like lithium mining, geothermal energy and offshore wind usually follow. The majority of businesses in Cornwall aren’t involved in these projects or sectors; Sustainability September is all about giving every business in Cornwall - regardless of size, scale, budget or industry - practical tools to enable them to do their bit for sustainability. The plan is to ensure Cornwall takes ownership of the green agenda and every business plays it part. Sustainability September will feature Carbon Literacy Training for businesses – the aim is to train 300 businesses across Cornwall to be carbon literate by the end of the month. The foundation course – which will be CPD certified, is focused on enabling action,

WHY JOIN?

Cornwall Chamber of Commerce is an independent not-for-profit organisation accredited by the British Chambers of Commerce. We solely exist to represent businesses in Cornwall. Our events provide a platform for businesses to connect, create and make valuable business relationships. Membership to the Chamber starts from as little as £17 +VAT per month and provides you with the tools to promote your business. Get in touch today to have a chat about how we can support you and your business.

looking at what an individual business can do to support the green agenda, and why it’s relevant to them and their audience. We’ll also have a talk on the Future of Built Environment, a series of online sessions on Social Sustainability - looking at why a green agenda matters to everyone; beach cleans, an EV event, a BIG breakfast at Eden, and of course, our Planet C conference. The Planet C conference, on Wednesday September 28, will focus on the big net zero challenge, cutting through complexity to find out how we as small businesses can get there. We’ll also have case studies, panel sessions, and a choice of interactive workshops including things like Carbon Footprinting and Certifications (including Bcorp), and a guide to funding and grants. Lots to look forward to – I don’t want to wish the time away because we have the whole summer to enjoy first! Sponsorship and advertising opportunities are available for Sustainability September and we welcome ideas for additional events, offering businesses the chance to co-host or jointly organise with us. If you would like to be involved, please contact darren@cornwallchamber.co.uk

BUSINESS FAIR BUZZ “ What a fantastic day! In a world of Zoom and Teams it was so nice to get out and about and actually meet people ‘in person’. We had some fabulous conversations and came away with some great contacts and opportunities we would never have predicted beforehand. Thank you and already looking forward to the next one! The Wave Project “ I was so pleased to have the opportunity to network in person after such a long time. The atmosphere at the fair was so positive and people looked like they were really enjoying themselves. The venues for both the fair and breakfast were very classy and parking was easy. What more could we want?” Helen Willett, Coodes “ Just wanted to say what an amazing day!! The highs were the people, the vibe, the atmosphere, it was incredible.” Focus

Email: hello@cornwallchamber.co.uk Call: 01209 216006 Online: www.cornwallchamber.co.uk BUSINESS CORNWALL | 39

FOOD

& DRINK

GEOTHERMAL OPTIONS EXPLORED Rodda’s is exploring the possibility of harnessing geothermal energy on its land. The Scorrier-based dairy is working with mineral exploration company Cornish Lithium, to evaluate suitable sites on its land, where geothermal lithium production and geothermal heat could be investigated. Cornish Lithium will be responsible for designing and drilling a small research borehole. Once completed, it will test the borehole to demonstrate the viability of a commercial scale geothermal lithium and heat project. It

is envisaged that Rodda’s will be able to use the resulting renewable geothermal heat to potentially decarbonise production processes at its creamery, near Redruth. MD, Nicholas Rodda, said: “As the UK moves towards a greener economy, there is an increasing need to explore alternative and more sustainable energy alternatives. “We feel this exploration project could provide valuable information around using geothermal waters as a source of heat energy.”

SOLIDARITY IN THE PIPELINE A Cornish craft brewery has teamed up with a Ukrainian counterpart to produce a new brew to raise money for the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. Jonny Cooper, founder and chief brewer at St Agnes-based Pipeline Brewing Co, has pledged his support for the people of Ukraine by working with PZDK and Zen Breweries in Ukraine.

NEW HOME FOR ST EWE St Ewe Free Range Eggs has secured a multi-million finance package from HSBC UK to support the build of a new distribution centre, allowing the business to significantly increase production. The company will use the finance to build out a new 50,000 sq ft packing and distribution centre, as well as a head office, increasing processing capacity by over 100%. The family business has been farming for

over 40 years, with CEO Rebecca Tonks’ father starting the farming business in 1967. Its freerange eggs are currently sold in all major supermarkets in the south west but the funding will enable it to significantly increase production from one million to ten million eggs per week and expand nationally. Tonks said: “It’s an extremely exciting time for St Ewe Free Range Eggs as we move into our brand-new offices and distribution centre, opening up opportunities to expand our business across the UK.”

LICENSEE OF THE YEAR

A BRITISH FIRST

This is the fourth time that a St Austell Brewery licensee has won the award in six years.

The annual SFWSC competition has been setting the standard for excellence since 2000 and is the largest spirits judging in the world - receiving thousands of submissions from elite producers globally.

Amanda and Nick Hemming of the Heron Inn in Malpas have been named the BII Licensee of the Year 2022.

The couple picked up their winner’s trophy in front of a colleagues and industry friends at this year’s BII Summer Event, hosted at the HAC Royal Artillery Gardens. “We are so proud of Nick and Amanda for this amazing achievement,” said Jim Sloan, head of St Austell tenanted pubs. “Four of our fantastic licensees have taken home this prestigious industry award in recent years and we could not be prouder.” 40 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

Colwith Farm Distillery’s Aval Dor Original Vodka has become first British vodka ever to win a Platinum Medal at The San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC).

Founder, Steve Dustow, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to be the first and only British vodka to win a Platinum Medal at the world’s most respected and influential spirits contest - it’s a significant milestone for us and one our whole team is immensely proud of.”

“Illia Godina, owner of PDZK Brewery, first reached out in mid-March, asking for help,” explained Cooper. “He was calling for support of Ukraine by spreading a message of alliance throughout the international brewing community, during the awful events happening throughout their country. Beer has always brought people together and that is exactly what this beer will do – it will give people the chance to show their support for Ukraine and toast to a better future.” The outcome was a pale ale named Solidarity. The label is designed using the colours of the Ukrainian flag and the beer was brewed in a small batch in St Agnes.

www.truro-penwith.ac.uk

EDUCATION &

SPONSORED BY

BACK TO THEIR ROOTS

ethical clothing company Frugi to host a photo shoot for its Back-to-School outerwear range in the Autumn/Winter ‘22 collection. About half of Frugi’s current creative team consists of Falmouth University photography alumni who returned to their roots for Frugi’s Autumn campaign.

Falmouth University teamed up with children’s

The Helston-based company based its entire shoot at Falmouth’s Fox Gardens – a

TRAINING

location renowned for its tropical plants, lush gardens, and whimsical pathways. Falmouth University BA Fashion Photography students Sinead Flanagan and Gee Frye were invited to assist on the shoot to experience a commercial shoot environment through Falmouth lecturer and mentor Jonathan Simms, a tutor for one of Frugi’s photography team.

CMG ACADEMY FORMED Manufacturing and engineering skills in Cornwall are getting a boost with the formation of a pre-16 manufacturing academy. The Cornwall Manufacturers Group (CMG) has partnered with the Cornwall College Group (TCCG) to address the skills gap in the sector, resulting in The CMG Academy. CMG chief executive, Jon Hurrell, said: “Currently, we have got a huge skills gap – hundreds of jobs available in manufacturing and we just can’t fill them.

“So, to solve that problem in the long term we have partnered with Cornwall College to try to get the younger people involved in manufacturing as earliest as possible so that they can get inspired, get involved with manufacturing and then become a manufacturer of the future.” The CMG Academy will help pupils from local schools to develop their skills in manufacturing and engineering, resulting in them gaining a Level 2 Diploma in Manufacturing & Engineering.

MADE IN CORNWALL Student entrepreneur Ben Penrose has already launched one successful clothing business and now his new spin off company Zen Beach is switching its production and manufacturing to Cornwall. Following the successful launch of Vintage Religion – an online sustainable clothing re-sale company – the Falmouth University student has launched another venture which is set to switch its entire production process to Cornwall after previously importing from China. After successfully securing an initial £2k investment in 2021 to help accelerate his

business Vintage Religion, with the help of fellow Falmouth University student creatives Penrose was able to establish robe challenger company Zen Beach. From Hampshire originally, the final year Business and Entrepreneurship student designed the simple fleece and towel-lined robes to appeal to surfers and swimmers who wanted to warm up after cold water activity but without breaking the bank.

The decision to switch production closer to home came to head last year, when the Suez Canal was blocked for six days following the grounding of a giant container ship, which saw Penrose’s shipping costs soar from £400 to over £3k within just four weeks.

APPRENTICESHIP AWARDS Truro & Penwith College has opened nominations for the 2022 Cornwall Apprenticeship Awards.

Sixteen categories are now up for grabs, with nominations being accepted on the college’s website. Any Cornwall-based apprentice or employer is eligible for nomination, regardless of their college or training provider, provided they have been involved in apprenticeship training since June 21 of last year. College principal Martin Tucker said: “Apprenticeships are a key part of Cornwall’s economic strategy to deliver a high-quality workforce and career opportunities. 2022 is an exciting time for apprenticeships at the college with recent multi-million-pound infrastructure investments aiding curriculum development and boosting future skills. “For apprenticeships to deliver economically they need to be of the highest quality. The Awards present a perfect opportunity to recognise that quality and we look forward to celebrating county-wide success on 18 November.” Nominations close on August 1. www.truro-penwith.ac.uk/caa

It was a night to celebrate for a teacher in Truro as he took home a prize at the Tes Schools Awards, one of the biggest nights in the UK education calendar which was held last month.

Jon Dean has transformed a traditional science department into a highly successful STEM faculty with STEM teaching embedded for all pupils, from 4 to 18 years old.

Jon Dean from Truro High School for Girls received the Subject Lead of the Year (Secondary) award, at a special ceremony held in London.

He said: “This is my 40th year of teaching. This award means a lot to me and the pupils I teach. My advice to other teachers is to be as inspiring as you can be.”

NATIONAL AWARD FOR TRURO TEACHER

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 41

CREATIVE

AND DIGITAL

SPONSORED BY

www.digitalpeninsula.org

TECH RECRUITMENT CRISIS TECHSTARS SHINE

Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly’s tech sector is creating some of the most sought-after jobs in the UK, according to a new report.

Local entrepreneurs, creatives, developers, and business experts joined forces at Cornwall’s first Techstars Start-up Weekend, hosted by Falmouth University’s venture studio, Launchpad.

The diverse range of business ideas included everything from how to link product designers with local manufacturers; a sustainable solution to luxury wooden wine boxes; an app that directly connects local fishermen with their consumers and a standardised certification of AI ethicality.

Over a packed three days, 25 ideas were pitched with the top seven chosen for development. Teams were formed, ideas product tested, validated, and honed at speed, culminating with a presentation night to a panel of judges with the winners crowned.

The winner, Your Home Finder, was on a mission to turn landlords away from the Airbnb model and consider long-term rents, demonstrating how the differential between a short term let and its associated costs was less advantageous as a business model than renting long term.

RURAL GIGABIT ROLLOUT

Nadine Dorries is calling on broadband firms to play their part in the biggest internet upgrade in British history by bidding for up to £36 million to rollout lightning-fast gigabit broadband in rural Cornwall. The Digital Secretary visited the opening day of the Royal Cornwall Show last month to champion the Government’s £5 billion broadband scheme. She told an event hosted by the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) that thousands of people in rural parts of Cornwall are a big step closer to getting 42 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

much faster broadband thanks to Project Gigabit - the biggest Government-funded broadband roll-out ever seen in the UK. She said: “Up and down the UK, we’re spending £5 billion to connect homes and businesses onto one of the fastest networks on the planet. “We have pinpointed 19,000 homes and businesses across Cornwall, in places that are hard to connect. And we’re inviting broadband companies to bid for £36 million worth of contracts to connect those communities.”

The first-ever Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Digital Skills Report, commissioned by the CIoS Digital Skills Partnership, reveals the top nine most in demand tech jobs available in the region. The report shows Cornwall is not all pasties and clotted cream, with 1,460 digital organisations driving the success of the tech sector, with a forecasted 17.9% growth by 2026. As well as shining a light on sector, the report also highlights the recruitment crisis facing the industry, with a growing shortage of software engineers, developers and programmers in the CIoS region despite the Cornish tech sector offering higher than the average UK wage for the positions. Councillor Louis Gardner, Portfolio holder for Economy at Cornwall Council, said: “This is the first time we’ve had this type of insightful regional data to better help us manage the widening digital skills gap in the CIoS region. “While there are already interventions in place, there is still a serious imbalance in the skills demanded versus the skill sets we have in the talent pipeline to overcome the current deficit. For that reason, this report is incredibly important to make sure we are working in the right way with the community and businesses to support them in getting the best workforce available to do the jobs they need.” Gary Coyle, head of local engagement, Local Digital Skills Partnership at The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), added: “The findings from the CIoS Digital Skills Report will help inform more impactful decision making when working with local employers to create a more effective plan to overcome the current digital skills gap challenges. “It is important that we all create digital skills interventions that not only work UK wide, but also work on a local level to support regional talent. Creating more tailored regional programmes will encourage the next generation of digital experts to train locally, stay local and continue the future success of Cornwall’s tech industry.”

NEWS

SPONSORED BY

#FSBCONNECT

FSB DISABILITY REPORT or health condition on a daily basis, and close to one in four (24%) of these business owners report suffering discrimination or negative treatment. In response to the findings, FSB is launching a 10-Point Plan for Disability and Entrepreneurship and a freely accessible resource hub on its website for small businesses.

Small businesses are urging the Government to “work with us to fix ‘utter injustice’ of poor disability employment”. More than a million small business owners and sole traders are managing disabilities or health conditions on a daily basis, with a sizeable share reporting that they have been subject to discrimination or negative treatment, according to a recent study from FSB. The new ‘Business Without Barriers’ report finds that more than half (51%) of small employers have employed someone they know to have a disability or health condition in the past three years. Amongst small business owners who themselves have a disability or health condition, the share of those who would employ people they know to have disabilities or health conditions is even greater (66%). Despite this, only 5% of small businesses have used the Government’s Access to Work scheme and fewer than one in ten (8%) disabled business owners have accessed local authority business support services – the share is half that of their non-disabled counterparts (16%). A quarter of small business owners across the UK are managing a disability

FSB Offer for Business Cornwall Magazine Readers at www.fsb.org.uk/join If you want to join FSB after reading this page then please quote BCM30 when you join and

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FSB’s disability, health, and wellbeing policy chair, Julian John, said: “This 10-Point Plan – and the host of other recommendations we have made across Whitehall departments – shows how Government and business can work together to bring more disabled people into workplaces to the benefit of individuals, local communities and the economy as a whole.” Louise Rubin, Head of Policy and Campaigns at Scope, said: “At Scope, we know that small businesses play a vital role in employing disabled people, as highlighted in this report. “But it is clear that many small businesses need better support from Government if they are to increase the number of disabled people that come into - and thrive in - their organisations.” Emma Mamo, Head of Workplace Wellbeing at Mind, added: “Employees with mental health problems face many barriers to accessing and staying in jobs suited to their individual skills and aspirations, and too often people fall out of work because they don’t get the support they need. “We welcome this FSB report, particularly the recommendations around extending the types of medical professionals who can provide fit notes when people need time off sick and making sure employees who’ve been off sick are offered phased returns to work.”

CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY Responding to publication of the Government’s planned measures around corporate accountability, Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) national chair, Martin McTague, said: “It’s good to see BEIS grasping the nettle on audit reform. As legislation is drawn up, the key to success will be making corporate Audit Committees directly responsible for reporting on payment and wider supply chain practice. “When we were the first group to flag the ramping up of unreasonable payment terms at Carillion, six months before the company collapsed, nothing was done. “In order for today’s measures to work, there must be inclusion of payment practices within Audit Committees’ remits. This reform would ensure a whole board awareness of payment practices. Without it, there will be more Carillions. “Improving transparency at big corporates whilst easing unnecessary reporting burdens for small businesses is the right direction of travel. “It’s now a case of making sure the resulting Bill is fit for purpose as the legislative vehicle needed to make a real difference to late payments. We look forward to working with the Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng to ensure it does.”

FREE BUSINESS WEBINARS With virtual meetings and working from home remaining popular, FSB continues to host a lot of daytime online events and webinars which we would remind all stakeholders are open, free and inclusive to non-members as well as FSB members. As not everyone can tune in live to such events, we are pleased to say we now have an ‘FSB On Demand’ service so that you can listen to a number of excellent webinars at a

time that suits you. There are plenty to choose from and you can learn about issues such as marketing, finance, green initiatives, social media, ESG, change management and more. It’s a great free service to businesses that aims to connect you to the advice and guidance you need, when you need it. To listen into any of our previous webinars – and see what other ones are coming up – please visit www.fsb.org.uk/skills-hub/on-demand BUSINESS CORNWALL | 43

PEOPLE

ON THE MOVE

A LANG BENNETTS WELCOME

HOWDY PARTNER! Chartered accountancy RRL has appointed Josh Stevens to its partner group.

A Cornish accountancy firm has welcomed a new partner. After more than 12 years working as an equity partner at Creaseys in Tunbridge Wells, James Pearce is bringing his wealth of experience to Lang Bennetts. Pearce joins Becky Thomas, Daniel Orasnjak and Helen Hood as a partner, following the retirement of Colin Truscott and Jonathan Mashen who continue to act as consultants.

Having grown up in Mawnan Smith and attending Truro School, the move represents a return to home territory for Pearce. “Lang Bennetts is a well-established firm with an excellent reputation, and I’m excited to be part of the team,” he said.

Stevens joined RRL as an apprentice in 2012, successfully qualifying as a chartered accountant in 2017. Since qualification he has taken on an increasingly varied general practice role which has included acting for limited companies, sole traders and partnerships in a variety of sectors. Partner Mark Williams said: “Training and developing our staff is an important part of our culture. Josh has worked exceptionally hard to progress and further his career so quickly.”

BIG HITTER AT FOLK2FOLK HARBOUR LOOKS TO FUTURE

Launceston-based lender Folk2Folk has appointed experienced finance executive Gary Leitch as its new chief operating officer (COO). Leitch brings 34 years’ experience in the retail, SME and corporate markets, as well as extensive asset finance experience encompassing a series of senior appointments, including on the board at Lombard, and then at Paragon Bank.

Falmouth Harbour has appointed its first head of commercial operations.

NEW BID MANAGER

Holly Manvell is a qualified company secretary with a background in legal and business from small start-ups to listed companies. She is also an experienced yachtswoman who founded the global notfor-profit organisations Clean Sailors and Cleaner Marinas in the last two years.

He has most recently been managing fashion retail store, New Look, in Truro and previously spent five years at Newquay’s Dorothy Perkins store.

In her new role, Manvell’s strategic focus will be on longer-term growth for Falmouth Harbour - working closely with CEO Miles Carden to generate new, profitable, innovative business streams and projects. In addition to this important role, she will be tasked with improving customer services and the range of Harbour services. “Being able to support, promote and grow the wonderful potential we have here in Falmouth Harbour is truly exciting,” she said. “I am very much looking forward to bringing my experience to bear as a member of this team and to continuing Falmouth Harbour’s legacy locally, nationally and globally.” 44 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

Folk2Folk MD, Roy Warren, said: “I believe in bringing the right players onto the pitch at the right time, and Gary is the right person for Folk2Folk to bring in to play now.”

He also has extensive Business Improvement District experience having worked closely with Truro BID since its inception.

Newquay Business Improvement District (BID) has appointed a new manager. Mark Warren, who will take up his post on August 1, comes from a strong retail background with over 35 years of experience.

He said: “I am really pleased to have been appointed as the new Newquay BID manager. I want to make a real difference to the business community that I was once a part of. Having been on the other side, I know what the members want and need and can identify with them. In that sense, I bring a 360-degree perspective and I won’t be afraid to shake things up a little.”

UPCOMING

EVENTS

JULY/AUGUST

EVENTS 14 27

JULY 2022

INVISIBLE CARBON FOOTPRINT FibreHub, Pool

This Digital Transformation Marketplace event from Unlocking Potential is for businesses with an interest in its carbon footprint. unlocking-potential.co.uk

CORNWALL CHAMBER BIG BREAKFAST

Penventon Hotel, Redruth This month, Cornwall Chamber’s popular Big Breakfast networking event is co-hosted by Bishop Fleming, with speaker Louisa Fitzpatrick, the co-owner of Old Chapel Cellars Wine Merchants. cornwallchamber.co.uk

EARLY BIRD COFFEE CLUB

Cocktail Haus, Falmouth A free space for local businesses, start-ups, creatives and entrepreneurs to connect over good coffee. Kindly hosted by Solskinn Coffee and Cocktail Haus in Falmouth. eventbrite.co.uk

Your Partnerships is Cornwall’s largest networking group, with meetings up and down the Duchy Growing a business can be challenging. You want your business to be visible to the right people, so it’s important to know how and where to meet them. Your Partnerships is Cornwall’s largest networking group and it events enable you to connect with other members, gain referrals and build trusting relationships with customers and suppliers.

Your Partnerships, can help your business grow!

HEARTLANDS BUSINESS BREAKFAST

Red River Café, Heartlands Heartlands business networking breakfast is a great way to start the day with friendly, relaxed networking and good grub. Heartlandscornwall.com

long-lasting partnerships in Cornwall’s construction industry. eventbrite.co.uk

AUGUST 2022

KING NETWORKING

CORNWALL CHAMBER BIG BREAKFAST

SIMON VINCENT GUEST TALK Falmouth Launchpad, Penryn

Exploring extraordinary; why playing it safe with your marketing is the riskiest thing you can do. eventbrite.co.uk

CORNWALL CHAMBER LUNCH Hotel Vara, Truro

This month, Cornwall Chamber’s lunchtime networking event comes to the boutique Hotel Vara in Truro. cornwallchamber.co.uk

KERNOW CONSTRUCTION CLUB On The Boards, Truro

The Kernow Construction Club is a members-only group of professionals who are dedicated to raising standards and building

JULY 12 PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION Holiday Inn Express, Victoria

Ambassador: Latoya McDonald

13 WADEBRIDGE FORUM

The Pearl & Trawl, Wadebridge

14 WOMEN IN BUSINESS LUNCH Trenython Manor, Par

20 BUDE NETWORKING

Neetside Community Centre, Bude Ambassador: Edward Chapman

21 OPEN HOUSE CORNWALL Victoria Inn, Roche

Ambassador: David Brock

22 HAYLE BREAKFAST MEETING Brewers Fayre Loggans Moor Ambassador: Karen Looker

26 THE BIG LUNCH

Boringdon Park GC, Plympton

28 PLUME OF FEATHERS

Plume of Feathers, Mitchell

AUGUST 1 BREAKFAST NETWORKING IN CORNWALL Victoria Inn, Threemilestone Ambassador: Mike Bee

8 PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION Holiday Inn Express, Victoria

Victoria Inn, Threemilestone The Kernow Independent Networking Group gathers every fortnight at 7.45am on Wednesdays, at the Victoria Inn, Threemilestone, near Truro. We are also hosting via zoom for those unable to make the meeting in person. king-networking.co.uk

The Pig at Harlyn Bay

A brand new venue for this month’s Cornwall Chamber Big Breakfast – the Pig at Harlyn Bay, Padstow, one of Cornwall’s most historic houses dating back to the 15th century. cornwallchamber.co.uk

For further details of these and more networking events visit businesscornwall.co.uk To publicise your event for free, email news@businesscornwall.co.uk 17 BUDE NETWORKING

Neetside Community Centre, Bude Ambassador: Edward Chapman

18 OPEN HOUSE CORNWALL Victoria Inn, Roche

Ambassador: David Brock

25 PLUME OF FEATHERS

Plume of Feathers, Mitchell

26 HAYLE BREAKFAST MEETING Brewers Fayre Loggans Moor Ambassador: Karen Looker

Ambassador: Latoya McDonald

10 WADEBRIDGE FORUM

The Pearl & Trawl, Wadebridge

12 BREAKFAST NORWAY INN

Norway Inn, Perranarworthal

Ambassador: Gareth Looker

yourpartnerships.co.uk BUSINESS CORNWALL | 45

CONNECTED

CORNWALL

KAREN HURN (CORNWALL AIR AMBULANCE TRUST)

LOIS WILD (ST PETROCS) AND ABI WARD (CORNWALL TRADE & INVESTMENT)

ROYAL CORNWALL BREAKFAST Business Cornwall magazine hosted a special breakfast event at the Royal Cornwall Show

WARREN BENNET (TRE CONCEPTS), GARETH PRESTON (THOUGHT QUARTER) AND EWAN MCCLYMONT (BISHOP FLEMMING)

CAROLYN DANIEL (THE GREEN WASTE COMPANY), JAMES DANIEL (PRECISION GRAZING) AND MORVETH WARD (BUSINESS CORNWALL)

CAROLINE CARTER (BUSINES CORNWALL) AND MIKE TREBILCOCK (TANGO3)

JO NEALE (IDENNA), JOSH HOOLE (PEOPLE HUB) AND KIRSTY MILES-MUSGRAVE (GROWTH HUB)

ST EVAL CANDLE

EMPLOYEES CELEBRATING NEW BUILDING OPENING, WITH LORD LIEUTENANT & SARAH YOUNG-JAMIESON

GUESTS LISTENING TO SPEECH FROM IAN GREAVES, CEO AND LORD LIEUTENANT OF CORNWALL 46 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

St Eval hosted a grand opening of its new factory and received its 2021 Queen’s Award from The Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall.

SARAH YOUNG-JAMIESON CUTTING THE RIBBON WITH THE LORD LIEUTENANT & CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNCIL

IAN GREAVES WITH LORD LIEUTENANT OF CORNWALL IN THE ST. EVAL FACTORY

CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNCIL ADMIRING THE SCENT OF BAY & ROSEMARY, FROM ST. EVAL’S LOVE, HOPE & FREEDOM CANDLE

CONNECTED

JOE TURNBULL (BULL & WOLF)

CORNWALL

JONNY BRIGHT (MILLER COMMERCIAL)

ELLEN O’ROURKE (TOUCHBYTE) AND DARREN BUCKLEY (CORNWALL CHAMBER)

30 UNDER 30 JORDAN COOK (RESTORMEL KITCHEN)

SOPHIE CHAPMAN (STUDIO GORSE)

JAKE KENDALL (CORNISH LARDER) RECEIVES HIS CERTIFICATE FROM CHAMBER CEO KIM CONCHIE AND FLORENCE BATE

The winners of this year’s Cornwall’s 30 under 30 attended a special presentation ceremony at the Alverton Hotel in Truro.

THE ST PETROCS STAND

HELEN WYLDE (WILDANET)

CORNWALL BUSINESS FAIR

The Cornwall Business Fair, which this year was held at Falmouth University, was heralded as one of the busiest ever.

MILES CARDEN (FALMOUTH HARBOUR)

LAURA WHYTE (WHYFIELD)

THE CORNWALL MARINE NETWORK STAND

JEREMY SNELLER (TOUCHBYTE) BUSINESS CORNWALL | 47

THE LAST

WORD

ED HUGHES Sharp’s Brewery beer sommelier

WHAT IS YOUR BEST QUALITY?

HOW DO YOU LIKE TO RELAX?

I am very caring towards others.

Going for a walk with my kids on the beach is my happy time or listening to music with a refreshing pint of Doom Bar is also great for unwinding!

WHAT IS YOUR WORST QUALITY?

I must admit, I have a tendency to be a bit unorganised!

CAN MONEY BUY HAPPINESS?

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE BOOK?

The Hobbit.

Not true happiness but it has the ability to make things easier.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FILM?

Big Wednesday.

IF YOU COULD INVITE ANY TWO PEOPLE FOR DINNER, WHO WOULD THEY BE AND WHY WOULD YOU INVITE THEM?

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE RESTAURANT?

Oh, this is a tough one living in Cornwall and being surrounded by so much exceptional provenance and many amazing chefs but I’d have to say Paul Ainsworth at No. 6. The level of service, attention to detail and food is outstanding.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE BEST MOMENT IN YOUR CAREER?

I have/am having a wonderful career in a brilliant place so there have been many fantastic moments but if I had to select one it would either be my very first appearance on Saturday Kitchen or the release of the Sharp’s Brewery “Just Add Beer” cookbook that I wrote with Rachel Williams at the brewery.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE WORST MOMENT IN YOUR CAREER?

The first lockdown of the Covid-19 pandemic. It was so hard to see so many industries (especially hospitality) come to a standstill with an unknown future.

48 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

Stevie Wonder and David Attenborough, they’re both absolute legends - the storytelling that evening would be mind-blowing!

TELL ME A JOKE

Q: “What do you call cheese that doesn’t belong to you?” A: “Nacho Cheese”

WHAT’S THE GREATEST INVENTION EVER? Soap – so simple but effective.

WHAT WAS YOUR LUCKIEST BREAK?

Not getting the telesales job that I applied for at Sharp’s but then being offered the job in the shop at the brewery. That enabled me to get to know the business and ultimately led me to where I am now.

DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN THREE ADJECTIVES: Friendly, approachable, hard working.

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