Surrey Business Magazine - issue 70 by Platinum Business

SURREY

BUSINESS THE OFFICIAL SURREY CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE MAGAZINE

ISSUE 70

R&D Reforms MOTORING Bentley Bentayga Financing growth A guide to due diligence Unlock digital potential Funded skills support

DONALD TUSK POLAND’S PM FOR THE SECOND TIME

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@WWW.SURREY-CHAMBERS.CO.UK @WWW.SURREY-CHAMBERS.CO.UK

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ISSUE 70

26 BIG STORY

26 Donald Tusk Prime Minister of Poland With one of its neighbours invading another on a flimsy pre-text, Surrey Business Magazine ponders what’s next for Poland

SURREY CHAMBERS

11 Surrey Chamber News A round up of Surrey Chambers of Commerce members’ news 14 Surrey Chamber Events What’s on for Surrey Chambers members 17 Local Skills Improvement Fund Improvements to the programme announced as education and commerce collaborate more closely

NEWS

20 International news A round up of the important business stories from around the world

EVENTS

46 Sussex Business Awards Surrey Business Magazine focuses on some of the winners at the Sussex Business Awards 2023, and what the award means to them 66 Plumpton Racecourse A look ahead to the 2024 programme at one of Sussex’ finest sports venues

SUSSEX TECH WEEK 2024

36 The Sussex Tech Cluster Platinum Media Group is part of a group representing the county in Parliament for the future of UK Tech

PLATINUM MEDIA GROUP

CONT ENTS BUSINESS

INNOVATION

18 Surrey Business School Unlocking digital potential - the school launched a project to encourage local businesses to work with MSc students

40 Sussex Innovation How can small businesses finance for growth?

22 Gatwick Airport Expanded and enhanced, Gatwick Airport railway station has fully reopened. Plus, how Gatwick welcomes guide dogs

64 Hurstpierpoint College The balance of mixed gender education

32 MDHUB How MDHUB member Flare Audio became a disruptor in the sound technology field 69 Cleankill Cleankill strikes Gold to start the year off on a high

EDUCATION

OPINION

70 Anger Management Maarten Hoffmann – along with the rest of the UK – is utterly disgusted at the behaviour of the senior management of the Post Office

FINANCE

34 Kreston Reeves How will your business be impacted by further R&D reforms? 56 EMC Maximising value retention in company sales – a strategic guide to due diligence

LEGAL

42 DMH Stallard Data transfers at home and overseas – how to ensure safe passage 44 DMH Stallard commentary Relaxing controls on foreign investments 58 Loch Associates Are employees calling the shots now? 60 Mayo Wynne Baxter Cohabitation – is the current UK legislation in need of reform? 62 Womble Bond Dickinson The untapped scope for the south to become a major player in energy transition

72 TRAVEL

72 Lago di Bracciano Alan Wares chills out on the shores of this volcanic lake in the middle of the Lazio countryside

MOTORING

74 Bentley Bentayga Maarten Hoffmann, fearful of a high-end marque offering up an SUV, reveals its a car he could drive like The Kinks – all day and all of the night

All rights reserved. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. The publisher cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions relating to advertising or editorial. The publisher reserves the right to change or amend any competitions or prizes offered. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written consent from the publisher. No responsibility is taken for unsolicited materials or the return of these materials whilst in transit. Surrey Business Magazine is owned and published by Platinum Media Group Limited.

NEW YEAR, SAME CONCERNS Welcome to 2024. What could possibly challenge us this year? Facing a general election is likely to distract from the work needed to improve the economy and deliver support for businesses like you, who generate jobs, taxes and contribute so much to your local communities. We look forward to working with you this year to help you be the best you can by taking full advantage of any available support. To help us to influence this support we look forward to hearing from many of you on what would help you most.

LATEST ON THE ECONOMY

The easing inflation was positive news, with the latest data showing the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rate growing at 3.9% in November, a greater slowdown than expected. This was welcome confirmation that the headline rate of inflation is continuing to ease. However, prices are still rising from a very high base, following multiple economic shocks and core CPI remains stubborn at 5.1%. Persistent inflation and high interest rates are likely to remain a barrier to business growth for some time to come. Coupled with trade barriers with the EU and ongoing worker shortages, it’s not clear how large-scale growth

Persistent inflation and high interest ❛❛ rates are likely to remain a barrier to business growth for some time to come ❜❜

will be unlocked. We are representing businesses to policy makers urging the delivery of a clear, long-term plan for growth which sets out a vision for infrastructure, skills, and green innovation. We have been operating in an uncertain climate for too long, with policies constantly chopping and changing over the past few years. We need to see clear direction from decision makers, creating a roadmap for business that boosts confidence and investment.

SUPPORT FOR BUSINESSES

There is a lot of support available for businesses, but it does not always reach your ears. Skills Bootcamps are being rolled out in Surrey and Hampshire as part of the Government’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee, helping everyone gain skills for life. Skills Bootcamps empower individuals and employers to develop valuable, sectorspecific skills. Based on local employer demand, the Skills Bootcamps on offer provide a direct path to employment upon completion, with a guaranteed job interview at the end of each course for unemployed individuals. All courses are flexible and include a minimum of 60 hours of learning across a maximum 16-week period, providing learners with several positive outcomes no matter their circumstances. We are delighted to share that the courses are covering; Data analysis, Digital Marketing, Green skills retrofit, heat pumps and electric vehicles.

WELCOME LOCAL SKILLS IMPROVEMENT FUND

During the past year, Surrey Chambers of Commerce has led on significant research with businesses and other key stakeholders to identify and outline the skills priorities for the area to help businesses prosper. We now celebrate with colleges as they secure government funding to respond to the skills needs employers have, addressing their identified priorities.

advancements. Investments in this workstream will build on the successes of local digital clusters to capitalise on tech skills needed for a strong, low carbon, digital economy. Finally, responding to feedback from employers citing gaps in employability and professional skills, all fundamental to onboarding new employees and supporting their onward and future development, new courses are being developed to plug these gaps.

Significant investment in new equipment, facilities and business engagement activity is being planned. As well as investment in sector focussed projects within Createch, advanced manufacturing engineering and construction, there is also work going on to take advantage of digital

Through our Future Skills Hub, we are also complementing these investments with new resources and events aimed at businesses and providers to help bring them closer together and solve skills gaps: www.surrey-chambers.co.uk/ future-skills-hub

Louise Punter CEO Surrey Chamber of Commerce

Surrey Chambers of Commerce can be reached on 01483 735540, info@surrey-chambers.co.uk; @surreychambers on X (formerly Twitter); www.surrey-chambers.co.uk

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SURREYSurrey CHAMBERS COMMERCE Chambers ofOF commerce

EXECUTIVE PARTNERS EXECUTIVE PARTNERS & PATRONS & PATRONS Learn more about executive partner membership or patronage at www.surrey-chambers.co.uk

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@surreychambersofcommerce www.surrey-chambers.co.uk @surreychambers 01483 735540 www.surrey-chambers.com @surreychambersofcommerce @surreychambersofcommerce

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MULTIPLY PROGRAMME Designed for working people who want to improve their number skills SURREY CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE IS RUNNING A NUMBER OF SESSIONS TO HELP PEOPLE WHO MAY HAVE MISSED OUT ON SOME OF THE WELL-KNOWN NUMERACY CONUNDRUMS!!

If you or someone in your organisation would benefit from a refresher on all things mathematical, our courses are the ones to attend.

Do you sometimes get confused with percentages?

Are fractions confusing?

Does your budget at work or at home add up?

With or without VAT - does this tie you in knots?

P&L - What does that even mean?

What will be covered? Calculating Percentages Profit and Loss Basic accounting VAT Net and Gross Income Financial Analysis

Because of government funding via Surrey County Council we are able to run these courses at no cost to the business

We have 5 new locations. Find one that works best for you! TO BOOK ON: EMAIL NIAMH.LOOBY@SURREYBOOK NOW CHAMBERS.CO.UK OR CALL 01483735540

We are Surrey's largest not-forprofit business support and networking, organisation We act as a catalyst by connecting you to opportunities, skills, knowledge and valuable contacts. All of our services and products are directed by the business community for the business community. As a member, there are many marketing opportunities available to you, designed to help you maximise your membership

DON'T JUST JOIN JOIN IN! www.surrey-chambers.co.uk 01483 735540 Please email our Head of Membership for further details sarah.butcher@surrey-chambers.co.uk

NEW MEMBERS

Surrey Chambers of Commerce welcomes its latest member companies

When you join Surrey Chambers of Commerce, your company details automatically get listed on this page alongside fellow new members. What a fantastic way to let the Surrey Business community know you are out there and ready to get those all-important connections.

BULGARIAN WOMEN IN BUSINESS www.bgwomeninbusiness.co.uk 07715 586402 Visual Vibe Displays Ltd

HOLIDAY INN GUILDFORD

www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotels/gb/en/ guildford/guisu/hoteldetail 01483 784400

SRIPATH INNOVATIONS LTD https://sripathinnovations.com 02086 889645

MINERVA GLOBAL LIMITED http://www.minervaglobal.co.uk 01420 549600

VISUAL VIBE DISPLAYS LTD https://visualvibedisplays.co.uk 07368 88006

All new Chamber members are entitled to a one-off 50% discount for a company proﬁle within this magazine. Contact lesley@platinummediagroup.co.uk for more details

If you are looking to join Surrey Chambers, then please do get in touch: sarah.butcher@surrey-chambers.co.uk or call 01483 735540. We look forward to hearing from you! @surreychambersofcommerce @surreychambers @surreychambersofcommerce

www.surrey-chambers.co.uk 01483 735540 @surreychambersofcommerce

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CHAMBERS NE WS SOLARCYCLE SCOOPS AWARD FOR SMARTER TRANSPORT AT CREST BUSINESS AWARDS Solarcycle.UK was recently honoured with the prestigious Smarter Transport award at the Crest Business Awards held at WWF-UK’s Living Planet Building in Woking on November 26th, 2023. The award ceremony, a part of the Crest Business Awards Convention, celebrated sustainable solutions in various categories. Solarcycle.UK’s victory in the Smarter Transport category highlighted the company’s dedication to promoting sustainability through its innovative solar-powered e-bike chargers. The event, presented by Sustainability Leaders, Joanna Yarrow and Professor Lorenzo Fioramonti provided Solarcycle. UK a chance to showcase its cuttingedge solar e-bike charging technology – emphasising its contribution to helping organisations achieve their transport, environment, and employee well-being goals at an affordable monthly cost. On the company’s stand visitors were able to explore and discuss the e-bike charging solutions, and experience

RSM UK APPOINTS NEW ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR Leading audit, tax and consulting firm RSM UK has appointed David Dry as associate director to strengthen the firm’s risk and regulatory advisory team. Based in RSM’s London oﬃce, David has over 15 years’ experience advising large financial services, fintech and payment solutions companies on regulatory risk and compliance. He joins from leading global payment transfer company, WorldRemit, where he was director of compliance. Prior to this he was a

first-hand, the latest in off-grid e-bike metering software. This innovation in CO2 reporting calculates the reductions in employee’s carbon emissions, required in scope 3 reporting which is another 1st for Solarcycle in the UK. Recognising the potential of e-bikes as a transformative solution amid rising costs, traﬃc congestion, and concerns about employee well-being, Solarcycle.

UK pioneered the development of the UK’s first off-grid, solar-powered e-bike chargers. These chargers can be installed anywhere, irrespective of access to mains electricity. The Crest Business Awards event highlighted a prominent theme: businesses prioritising environmental and social well-being over profits are better positioned to thrive sustainably in the long run, especially in the face of current global uncertainties. Solarcycle founder Paul Stratford expressed his pride in receiving the Crest Business Awards prize. “This recognition really underscores my company’s ongoing commitment to revolutionise travel for the benefit of employees, organisations, and the planet”.

Joanna Yarrow presenting Paul Stratford, Founder of Solarcycle with the Smarter Transport Award, supported by NHS innovator and client Andrew Hyatt

Winners not only received the coveted plaque but also gained vouchers for CES and the Institute for Sustainability, enabling them to further innovate and develop their organisations.

manager at Deloitte, where he advised on financial crime, fraud prevention and risk and regulatory control for payment services clients.

David has spoken at a number of fintech industry and payment services bodies as well as ACAMS (Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists) panels. He holds an ICA (International Compliance Association) Diploma in Anti-Money Laundering and a CISI (Chartered Institute of Securities & Investment) level 6 Diploma in Investment Compliance. He also has held FCA approved persons positions in anti-money laundering and compliance in number of regulated firms.

David will provide advice and guidance to RSM’s payment services clients to ensure they meet the requirements of the PRA and FCA as well as global regulators. He has extensive experience in compliance strategy, financial crime prevention and due diligence. As the Consumer Duty comes into force, payment services firms increasingly need support in ensuring they meet the new regulations and improve their customer experience. David will also advise on fraud prevention, as the FCA clamps down in this area.

Surrey Chambers Golf Society

Whats Coming Up?

2024

Sponsorship Available

January

Tandridge Golf Club

Member rate: TBC

February

Sunningdale Golf Club

Hayling Island Golf Club

April

July

October

Member rate: TBC

West Hill Golf Club

Member rate: £100 +VAT

Coombe Hill Golf Club

Member rate: £180 +VAT

May

Member rate: £125 +VAT

Worplesdon Golf Club

Member rate:TBC

August

TBC

November

Hankley Common Golf Club

Member rate: TBC

Swinley Forest Golf Club

Member rate: TBC

March

SCGS MAJOR! The Addlington Golf Club

Member rate: £180 +VAT

Hindhead Golf Club

Member rate: £125 +VAT vs

June

September

TBC

December

New Zealand Golf Club

Member rate: TBC

Woking Golf Club

Member rate: TBC

Want to get involved? Email tara.wavre@surreychambers.co.uk to find out more

NEWS

CARVER COACHING WINS NATIONAL AWARD The best of the nation’s SMEs were celebrated at the 2023 National Business Awards on Friday December 1st at Wembley Stadium. The awards are the largest event of its kind in the county. Over 600 of the country’s leading business people gathered for the sell-out event. This year saw a recordbreaking number of nominations for each category, with hundreds of applicants whittled down to just 20 winners. Woking-based leadership and team development specialists, Carver Coaching Ltd, won the ‘Best Enterprising’ category for its work with corporates and frontline organisations across the last year. It partnered with organisations to support pivotal people and teams to excel at work.

The company offers one-to-one leadership coaching, facilitates strategy days and team interventions, along with designing and delivering impactful learning and development workshops focussed on a variety of topics ranging from coaching, communication, leadership, wellbeing, stress, resilience and change tolerance. Carver Coaching has completed numerous projects for a variety of

Lisa Carver, Founder and Managing Director of Carver Coaching winning at the 2023 National SME Awards

organisations in both the public and private sector organisations in the last five years. The team’s ability to design and deliver programmes which facilitate learning and change has been acknowledged and celebrated by being nominated, shortlisted and now winning this prestigious award. Commenting on this momentous occasion, Lisa Carver, Founder and Managing Director of Carver Coaching, expressed profound gratitude and excitement. “Winning at the 2023 National SME Awards is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and passion of our team. We are honoured to be recognised for our commitment to helping pivotal people, teams and organisations thrive and succeed. This achievement inspires us to continue our mission of making a positive impact on businesses in Surrey and beyond.”

’GREENING’ DATABASE LIBRARY LAUNCHED Surrey scientists are celebrating with colleagues around the world, after winning new funding for a ‘library of greening’ – a new database enabling towns and cities to learn from each other’s success developing green spaces, waterways and other sustainability initiatives.

over 500 members worldwide, offering information and support to implement projects such as parks, green roofs, canals or wetlands.

The RECLAIM Network Plus provides a one-stop-shop for towns and cities looking to mitigate the impacts of climate change and improve their resilience. It has

Professor Prashant Kumar, co-director of the Institute of Sustainability at Surrey University and principal investigator of the RECLAIM Network Plus, said,

Research already carried out across the Network suggests this greening can help the poorest urban communities the most.

“Deprived urban communities are often forgotten when discussing the effects of climate change. Our research has repeatedly shown that using green spaces, urban design, and waterways can make those areas more resilient to climate change, improve mental health, tackle social problems, and reduce health inequalities. “We are delighted to receive this additional funding, which will ensure everything we have learned is shared as widely as possible.” UK Research and Innovation has awarded a further £250,000 to the RECLAIM Network, allowing its activities to continue into 2025. The extra funding will help launch a new database that communities, policymakers and designers can access for inspiration, expand and exploit current research activities and deliver a further engagement event to bring more partners together and grow the network.

SURRE Y CHAMBERS E VENT CALENDAR JANUARY ONWARDS….

MEMBERS NETWORKING EVENING

ACCESSING UNTAPPED TALENT

Thursday January 25th | 18:00 – 20:00 The Hog’s Back Hotel, Farnham Our Members Networking Evenings are a monthly event where we invite our current members to join us to catch up on the happenings of the previous months business calendar. Running from 18:00 – 20:00, Members Networking Evenings are the perfect opportunity for an informal, relaxed gathering with members you already have relationships with and those you don’t.

Tuesday January 30th | 17:00 – 19:00 Login Lounge, Camberley We are delighted the All-Age Autism Strategy Employment workstream is supporting Surrey Chambers of Commerce to host three events this autumn aimed at employers. The events focus on raising awareness of the benefits of recruiting autistic and neurodiverse people and how to maximise their talent in the workplace. There will be stands with experts who can give individual advice on the support available in Surrey.

TRAINING WORKSHOP

SPEED NETWORKING WITH HAMPSHIRE & SUSSEX CHAMBERS

WAVERLEY

KICK-STARTING YOUR DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION JOURNEY

Tuesday February 6th | Event Time: 09:30 – 11:00 | Online Often businesses and leaders are tentative about how to progress further on DEI, without getting it ‘wrong’. This is where a strategic approach that can involve the entire team (as well as stakeholders and customers) can make all the difference. In this 90 minute interactive training session, Ali will introduce you to some of the key principles that underpin DEI and share with you a framework and some early ideas for taking your business to the next stage.

CAMBERLEY

Wednesday February 7th | 10:00 – 12:00 Lythe Hill Hotel, Haslemere Join us at the picturesque Lythe Hill Hotel, Haslemere, for the return of the unmissable cross-county speed networking session. This was so popular, we’ve got a bigger room! The union of the Sussex, Hampshire and Surrey Chambers of Commerce forges Speed Networking With The Neighbours. One of the UK’s most beloved networking events. SNWTN will bring together companies from all sectors and sizes to enable them to explore new opportunities.

MULTIPLY – REDHILL

MULTIPLY – CRANLEIGH

Tuesday February 13th | 09:00 – 17:00 Morr & Co - Redhill Surrey Chambers of Commerce is running a number of sessions to help people who may have missed out on some of the well-known numeracy conundrums. If you or someone in your organisation would benefit from a refresher on all things mathematical, our courses are the ones to attend. Because of government funding via Surrey County Council we are able to run these courses at no cost to the business over five different locations in Surrey.

Tuesday February 27th | 09:00 – 17:00 The Rutland Group Ltd, Cranleigh Surrey Chambers of Commerce is running a number of sessions to help people who may have missed out on some of the well-known numeracy conundrums. If you or someone in your organisation would benefit from a refresher on all things mathematical, our courses are the ones to attend. Because of government funding via Surrey County Council we are able to run these courses at no cost to the business over five different locations in Surrey.

MEMBERS NETWORKING EVENING

ACCESSING UNTAPPED TALENT

Thursday February 29th | 18:00 – 20:00 Runnymede Hotel Our Members Networking Evenings are a monthly event where we invite our current members to join us to catch up on the happenings of the previous months business calendar. Running from 18:00 – 20:00, Members Networking Evenings are the perfect opportunity for an informal, relaxed gathering with members you already have relationships with and those you don’t.

Wednesday March 6th | 08:00 – 10:00 Reigate Manor We are delighted the All-Age Autism Strategy Employment workstream is supporting Surrey Chambers of Commerce to host three events this autumn aimed at employers. The events focus on raising awareness of the benefits of recruiting autistic and neurodiverse people and how to maximise their talent in the workplace. There will be stands with experts who can give individual advice on the support available in Surrey.

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BUSINESS

Funded support of skills improvements announced Colleges and universities across Hampshire and Surrey are set to work together to better support the skills needs of the local economy and labour market with the introduction of the Local Skills Improvement Fund (LSIF). This project, funded by the Department for Education and supported by Surrey Chambers of Commerce, will focus on providing more training opportunities in priority skills areas identified by local businesses and employers in the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) report, published in 2023 by Surrey Chambers. The project will ensure local residents and businesses can access high-quality, technical education and training that meets future skills needs. Surrey Chambers’ members, and those engaged with the LSIP can help colleges and training providers with delivery of the project by working together and influencing what employers want to see within courses so that they can get the right skills being delivered for their business.

■ Digital: Recent reports have highlighted the seriousness of cyber security, the strengths of the local space and satellite sector, the opportunities of artificial intelligence and the impact of agri-tech on food security. Investments in this workstream will build on the successes of local digital clusters to capitalise on tech skills needed for a strong, low carbon, digital economy. ■ Employability and Professional skills: Feedback from employers cites gaps in employability and professional skills, all fundamental to onboarding new employees and supporting their onward and future development. New courses will help plug these gaps.

Louise Punter, Chief Executive at Surrey Chambers of Commerce said, “During the past year, Surrey Chambers of Commerce has led on significant research with businesses and other key stakeholders to identify and outline the skills priorities for the area to help businesses prosper. We now welcome the opportunity to work with the collaboration of colleges on this project to help address these priorities through signifi cant investment in, for example, new equipment, facilities and business engagement activity. “Through our Future Skills Hub, we are also complementing these investments with new resources and events aimed at businesses and providers to help bring them closer together and solve skills gaps: www.surrey-chambers.co.uk/ future-skills-hub

The project will help provide equipment and skills training needed in key sectors. It is in response to urgent calls from business for skills that are vital across the whole economy such as employability and professional skills. The project will focus on a number of skills areas, including: ■ CreaTech: Investments in two new, state-of-the-art media production spaces to help respond to skills needs following recent growth in the gaming and immersive technologies, and film and television sectors. ■ Advanced manufacturing, engineering, and construction: High value jobs in these sectors help us journey towards a low carbon economy. New facilities such as a Passive Low Carbon Technologies Centre, Welding and an Electronics workshops will help deliver the skills for these crucial jobs.

To find out more about the Local Skills Improvement Fund, including ways your business could engage and benefit, please contact jamie.mackay@enterprisem3.org.uk and laura.asbridge@sparsholtservices.ac.uk, Joint LSIF Project Managers. To find out more about the Local Skills Improvement Project, including ways your business could engage and benefit, please contact the LSIP team at lsip@surrey-chambers.co.uk.

BUSINESS

By Jim Sears, Programme DirectorMSc Entrepreneurship & Innovation Management, Surrey Business School

UNLOCKING DIGITAL POTENTIAL The SEO team developed recommendations and implemented them to improved web traﬃc while the strategy team developed comprehensive documentation to help Andrew organise his digital marketing activity. Both teams received positive feedback from senior management “The Strategy document and Tactical Plan generated during the Digital Marketing Corporate Challenge will make a positive impact on our marketing activities. Very impressive.” (Andrew Cawthorne – Director of Business Development)

Surrey Satellite Technologies Ltd (SSTL),based in Surrey Research Park, has a long and storied history dating back to 1985 when it was spun off from the University of Surrey. Sir Martin Sweeting developed one of the first micro-satellites which has revolutionised the industry. More recently, I approached Andrew Greenhalgh, the director for marketing, about participating in the Surrey Business School MSc Corporate Challenge. This is a business-based project where MSc students put theory into practice by working with local businesses to support their digital marketing activity. Andrew was delighted at the opportunity. Like many SMEs, it lacks the resources to develop digital marketing suﬃ ciently, so he agreed to onboard

Surrey Business School ❛❛ MSc Corporate Challenge is a business-based project where MSc students work with local businesses to support their digital marketing activity

❜❜

two MSc student teams. The teams evaluated the existing digital marketing activity before focusing on specific tasks. One team, headed by Thomas Gadd, focused on website and SEO optimisation, while the other team headed by Lowri Maye focused on creating tactical and strategic marketing plans for the company.

“I was very encouraged to hear we have been part of the Digital Marketing corporate challenge programme. Our history began at the University, and it is right we continue to collaborate on such useful programmes.” (Professor Sir Martin Sweeting – SSTL Executive Chairman) Surrey Business School is now recruiting more local businesses and SMEs who might like to follow in the footsteps of Surrey Satellite to leverage the digital marketing talents of our MSc students.

To ﬁnd out more, please visit the website www.InnoMatters.co.uk where you can also register your interest.

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OPTIMISM GROWS IN UK COMMERCE Britain’s largest manufacturers believe the UK is increasing its competitiveness as a global hub for manufacturing, despite high energy costs, worker shortages and political instability holding back progress. The manufacturing trade body Make UK and the accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers said industry bosses were growing more confident about the sector’s prospects, but “headwinds of sustained economic challenges” still remained. Publishing the findings of a survey of more than 200 senior manufacturing executives, Make UK said a majority believed Britain was becoming a more competitive place to locate industrial production than 12 months ago. Stephen Phipson, the chief executive of Make UK, said: “We are now seeing some hope that conditions may be improving, but this must be cemented within a long-term industrial strategy.”

NEWS BULLETIN MINIMUM CORPORATE TAX RATE FOR EU MULTINATIONALS A minimum corporate tax rate of 15% on multinational companies came into force within the European Union on January 1st. The EU has for years tried to flex its muscles on corporate tax evasion by introducing a raft of new laws and lodging high-profile court cases against multinationals. However, some of its own member states, including Ireland, Luxembourg and Cyprus, have continued to allow high-profit companies to evade both taxes and scrutiny. Profit shifting worldwide has also remained high, causing losses worth billions of euros for the continent.Now, companies with revenues of at least €750 million active in any of the 27 EU states will face a minimum corporate tax rate of 15%.

NATWEST CHAIR’S CLAIMS ARE ‘OUT OF TOUCH’ The Chair of NatWest, Sir Howard Davies (right), has caused controversy by stating that it is “not that difficult” for people to get on the housing ladder. He acknowledged that people have always had to save for a deposit but admitted they had to save more today. Critics said his comments on the BBC’s Today programme were “astounding” and “out of touch with reality”. In North East England, where property prices are, on average, the UK’s lowest, the mean deposit for a first-time mortgage is £26,400, according to Zoopla. With the gap between house prices and average earnings widening over decades, saving enough money to put down initially is the biggest hurdle for those wishing to join the property ladder. The average for first-time buyers is now 32.

NEWS

❛❛ A company is known by the people it keeps. ❜❜ Will Rogers

EX-POST OFFICE BOSS HANDS BACK HER GONG Former Post Office CEO Paula Vennells has succumbed to unprecedented pressure to hand back her CBE over the Horizon computer scandal as the nation reeled in revulsion at the treatment of subpostmasters and postmistresses wrongly prosecuted for fraud. An online petition, hosted on 38 Degrees, has over one million signatories calling for her to be stripped of her honour. The petition, addressed to Sir Chris Wormald, Chair of the Forfeiture Committee, Cabinet Office also accuses Vennells of refusing to answer questions, and refusing to apologise for the cover-up, misery and trauma caused. The petition took off after ITV broadcast the drama, ‘Mr Bates vs The Post Office’. It is also believed to have prompted 50 new potential victims to approach lawyers to clear their names and get compensation.

UK SMEs PREPARE FOR NEW TRADING CHALLENGES The third year of the Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA) has seen several significant milestones that have changed some of the dynamics of the UK’s trading relationship with the EU. These include the introduction and phased implementation of the Windsor Framework, a welcome thawing of UK-EU relations thereafter, and the UK re-joining the Horizon Europe research and scientific co-operation programme, as well as Copernicus. A new survey by the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) of 733 businesses (of which, 97% are SMEs) shows the difficulties facing British firms in using the TCA have not eased. The BCC report also highlights a fresh set of challenges approaching as UK and EU regulations diverge, creating further headaches for traders on both sides of the Channel. Read the report here www.britishchambers. org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/BCC-Trade-and-CooperationAgreement-Three-Years-On.pdf

See ‘Anger Management’ – Page 58

PHOTO: IT V

❛❛ Wall Street is the only place

that people ride to in a Rolls Royce to get advice from those who take the subway. ❜❜ Warren Buffet

UK INSOLVENCIES SOAR IN 2023 While there is optimism for a better 2024, company insolvencies soared in 2023 as businesses struggled with inflation and the long-term impact of the Covid pandemic, new figures show. A total of 30,199 UK businesses were involved in some kind of insolvency action in 2023 – 52% higher than in 2021, according to Creditsafe, a global credit checking agency. Some of those insolvencies are likely to have been companies which would have failed earlier but were kept afloat by government help during the pandemic, according to Drew Fahiya, Creditsafe’s data director. “For the companies that were doing well, Covid really hurt them, but for the ones that were struggling anyway, it probably gave them a bit of breathing space to get them back where they needed to be,” he said.

BUSINESS

The new-look train station at London Gatwick opened to passengers in November, transforming the journey from train to plane, and giving passengers travelling between Brighton and London easier, faster, more reliable journeys

GATWICK AIRPORT STATION New look improves experience and accessibility for train passengers The revamped station provides a range of accessibility improvements. The new station concourse and widening of platforms will make the station easier to move around, particularly for those using wheelchairs, or with pushchairs or bulky luggage. Further improvements include five big new lifts, with braille and embossed control buttons, alongside eight new escalators. The special assistance point has been moved to the station entrance – a more convenient, visible and accessible location for passengers arriving at London Gatwick by train. From the special assistance point, passengers can get any help or support they need to travel through the airport. New hearing loops have also been introduced at the special assistance point, ticket retail desks and platform waiting shelters, providing increased access to information screens and announcements for D/deaf and hard of hearing passengers. The existing station concourse is also bigger and better than ever before, with new customer information systems, more ticket gates, a dedicated passenger assistance point enhancing the passenger experience, and helping people move through the station more quickly.

The new concourse will now act as the new entrance for people accessing the airport terminal, while the existing concourse will be for people exiting. The existing station concourse, station footbridges and the South Terminal linkspan have been refurbished and reconfigured to provide a seamless one-way system to the airport from the train station. Easier journeys from train to plane will benefit passengers across the wider network, helping keep trains running on time by removing the congestion and queuing on platforms that delay trains. Passengers travelling on the Brighton Main Line are already seeing the benefits of the project thanks to track upgrades that have helped reduce journey times between Brighton and London to one hour on some services. Jonathan Pollard, Chief Commercial Officer, London Gatwick, said: “From today, airport passengers travelling by train will have a dramatically improved experience as they pass through the bigger, better and brighter new station concourse. This fantastic new, fully accessible station concourse will encourage even more passengers to come to the airport using sustainable public transport.”

BUSINESS

GATWICK TO READING SERVICE DOUBLED

From December 10th, the Great Western Railway route between London Gatwick and Reading doubled in frequency, increasing from one to two services per hour, Monday to Saturday, with an hourly service operating on Sundays. The line stops at various key staff catchments, including Redhill, Reigate and Guildford, as well as providing connectivity to key tourist destinations in the Surrey Hills, like Denbies Wine Estate and Silent Pool distillery. Hannah Godfrey, Senior Surface Access Manager, London Gatwick said: “The increased train service between London Gatwick and Reading is fantastic news for passengers and staff, and something we felt important to invest in. More than 600 employees at the airport live directly along this route, making sustainable travel increasingly

❛❛ The existing station concourse,

station footbridges and the South Terminal linkspan have been reconfigured to provide a seamless one-way system to the airport from the train station

❜❜

easy and convenient for them and many others across the region. “Currently, more than 40% of passengers travel to and from London Gatwick by public transport, thanks to the fantastic connectivity to the airport. A train leaves Gatwick every four minutes – as frequent as the London Underground – and we continue to work closely with train operators to improve this even further, particularly with the increased capacity provided by our new station concourse, which opened in November.”

www.gatwickairport.com

BUSINESS

THE ‘AIRPAWT’ FOR EVERYONE

London Gatwick welcomes Guide Dogs UK London Gatwick welcomed some special visitors in November, as four puppies from Guide Dogs UK arrived at the airport for a training experience.

London Gatwick and Guide Dogs UK teamed up for the second time this year to provide trainee puppies – Louise, Lilly, Chip and Panache - with insight into the airport environment; a vital part of their preparations to become fully-fledged guide dogs. The dogs and their handlers were taken around the special assistance lounge, security and baggage reclaim areas, and on board an easyJet aircraft. The visit enabled the dogs to become more familiar with the busy airport environment and airport infrastructure, and provided important learning for airport staff in how they can better support guide dogs and passengers with sight loss. Anna-Ruth Cockerham, Accessibility Manager, London Gatwick said: “Since

2017, we have been hosting visits for Guide Dogs UK, which allow the puppies to get a head start on handling what might otherwise be an overwhelming experience.

“These visits not only provide the dogs with experience of an airport environment, but also importantly allow our colleagues to learn how we can better support them and their owners. “Going forward, London Gatwick and our par tners are committed to

continuing to improve the experiences of assistance dogs and the passengers they support, through airport-wide training and improved facilities.” Elli Cavazza, Puppy Development Advisor, Guide Dogs UK said: “The team at London Gatwick has been wonderfully welcoming to our puppies and puppy raisers, providing a great way to introduce them to a different environment at a young age. “This allows them to have the experience of a busy airport while they’re still in their early learning stages, meaning that the busy surroundings and unusual noises won’t be a surprise once they go on to become a working dog.”

www.gatwickairport.com

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BIG STORY

DONALD TUSK

THE LEADER AT EUROPE’S CROSSROADS For many in the second half of the 20th Century, Poland was seen as a grey, put-upon patsy of the Soviet Union. Its primary purpose, the one that most suited its eastern monolith of a neighbour, was to act as a buffer between the ‘Imperialist West’ and the ‘Great Bear’ in the east. Of course, Poland’s millennium-long history as an independent state is far more varied and colourful than that, and the country’s recent re-election of a former Prime Minister who had left to head a bigger playground – the European Council – and return as leader shows a confidence in its people believing in its leaders. Alan Wares looks at what’s next for Poland.

BIG STORY

15th 2023. Seats in the Sejm – the lower house – and the Senate, the upper house, were up for grabs. One of the central themes of the elections was a reactionary law, introduced by the populist Polish government of arbitrarily banning any politician, current or retrospective, from the Sejm if they had been seen to have had ties with Russia. What defined ‘close ties’ was a very fluid consideration. This law was seen as a direct attack on the opposition leader Donald Tusk who, in his previous capacity as Prime Minister until 2014, was accused of making Poland too reliant on Russian gas for its fuel. Assembly Room of the Polish Parliment, Warsaw Like most parliaments across Europe, Poland’s parliament is made up of many – far more than the UK’s parliament – splintered political parties. Single-party governments are rare, with negotiated coalitions, featuring parties who are largely able to work across issues, forming.

across parties on any given subject being robust enough to form a bond. Conversely, successful coalitions can also come about by the willingness of any given party to compromise their own policies away in order to keep another party, whose polices they really don’t like, out.

The strength of any coalition is often determined by the similarity in policies

The most recent parliamentary election in Poland took place on Sunday, October

❛❛ Thousands of Polish airmen eventually joined the RAF; 145 Poles fought in the Battle of Britain ❜❜

The law was heavily criticised by both the US and the EU as being anti-democratic. Right-wing Polish President Andrzej Duda watered down the laws in June 2023, but not before Poland’s major cities saw hundreds of thousands on the streets in protest at what was seen as such a draconian law. The 2023 elections, which operate through proportional representation, brought about a change in government and direction for Poland, although not without a certain amount of procrastination on the part of Duda. Andrzej Duda is the head of state in Poland, a role elected by common plebiscite which takes place every five years.

POLAND - THE CROSSROADS OF EUROPE Poland is named after the Polans tribe, the dominant group over the Celtic, Scythian, Germanic, Sarmatian, Baltic, Slavic and other tribes in the region. In the early 10th Century, the Polans formed a tribal federation and later a centralised monarchial state. In 966, ruler of the Polans, Mieszko I, accepted Christianity under the auspices of the Roman Church with the Baptism of Poland. It has been a largely Catholic country ever since. Like most of the continent, Poland’s hierarchies squabbled and fought with their European neighbours – usually between bickering houses and monarchs which cost the lives of anyone but the bickering houses and monarchs and the myriad wars – to the point that the map of Poland since its inception over 1,000 years ago has rarely remained constant.

Even in the 20th Century, with the advent of two World Wars, Poland was at the epicentre of everyone’s avaricious desires, and often the patsy for constant inter-monarchial feuding. The first to really take arms against the Europe-wide Nazi invasions, the Poles were quickly crushed. Subsequently, thousands of Polish airmen eventually joined the RAF; 145 Poles fought in the Battle of Britain. Soon after, their bravery, sometimes bordering on recklessness, was the talk of London. Meanwhile, take a look at the map of the country pre-1939, and post-1945. There is a large central belt which remained Poland. However, the USSR, in its lust for glory and global revolution, took the eastern, Slavic part of Poland, while Germany ceded lands to Poland in the west.

BIG STORY He has described his young life under communism as “so hopeless,” due to the boredom and monotony, with “no hope for anything to change.” His young self was a “typical hooligan” who often got into fights.

Poland President Andrzej Duda, who swore Tusk back into office in December 2023

DONALD TUSK

The next election is due on May 18th 2025. As such, for a head of republic, he is a political nominee, and a member of the right-wing populist Prawo i Sprawiedliwość (PiS – or ‘Law & Justice Party’). His party, led in the Sejm by the prime ministerial incumbent Mateusz Morawiecki, had also led the lower house since 2017.

Donald Tusk was born on April 22nd 1957 in Gdansk, Poland – a city with a wild, colourful history in its own right. His father, Donald Tusk Sr (1929–1972), was a carpenter whilst his mother, Ewa Tusk (1934–2009) was a nurse. He married Małgorzata Sochacka in 1978, and they have two children – Michał and Katarzyna. Tusk speaks four languages: Polish, Kashubian, German and English.

As a result of the election, the PiS lost its overall majority in the Sejm, although still came out with the highest number of seats. However, what was clear – certainly as a result of the political horse-trading before the election – was the reluctance of any party to form a coalition with Morawiecki.

Tusk describes himself as a Pole, Kashubian and European, although he also has German ancestry. Kashubia is a western Slavic region of Poland, with its own language, closely related to Polish.

Step forward Donald Tusk, former Prime Minister of Poland, and leader of the Platforma Obywatelska (PO – or ‘Civic Platform’). PO is a centrist, liberal party, formed in 2001, made up of former parties – including the AWS, the political wing of the Solidarity movement.

Tusk has talked of Gdansk as “a typical frontier town” with “many borders… between ethnicities”. Danzig – the German name for Gdansk – was part of the German empire from 1772 until 1945, when it was ceded back to the new Polish republic.

Tusk’s party came second in the popular vote, still well short of a majority, but was able to quickly form a coalition with Trzecia Droga (Third Way) and Lewica (The Left). This has left the newly-formed ‘Civic Coalition’ as the ruling collective.

PL ATFORMA OBY WATELSK A RP

All of this could have been done in a smooth, quick transition. However, President Duda, not wanting to see his PiS party lose power (by this time, a coalition had been formed, and the PiS was not in a position to form a government), delayed the transition in the forlorn hope of keeping Morawiecki in power. Eventually, both Duda and the Polish parliament swore Donald Tusk into power on December 11th 2023.

This, together with his Kashubian ethnic ancestry and multilingual family, meant that he grew up with an awareness that “nothing is simple in life or in history”, which informed his adult political view that it is “best to be immune to every kind of orthodoxy, of ideology and most importantly, nationalism”.

Tusk’s interest in politics came in his early 20s from watching clashes between striking workers and riot police when he was a teenager. Solidarity, the (at the time, illegal) Polish trade union movement, led by Lech Walesa, had formed in the shipyards of Gdansk. Tusk enrolled at the University of Gdansk to study history, and graduated in 1980. While studying, he was active in the Student Committee of Solidarity, a group that opposed Poland’s communist rule at the time. Tusk was one of the founders of the Liberal Democratic Congress (Kongres Liberalno-Demokratyczny – or KLD) which, in the 1991 elections won 37 seats in the Sejm. The KLD later merged with the Democratic Union to become the Freedom Union. He became deputy chairman of the new party, and was elected to the Senate (Poland’s upper parliamentary house) in the next election in 1997. In 2001, he co-founded Civic Platform, a party he leads today, and became deputy speaker in parliament after the party won seats in the year’s election. Tusk stood unsuccessfully for President of Poland in the 2005 election, but went on to lead the Civic Platform to victory at the 2007 parliamentary election, and was appointed prime minister. He led the party to a second victory in the 2011 election, becoming the first Polish prime minister to be re-elected since the fall of communism in 1989. In 2014, he left Polish politics to accept an appointment as President of the European Council, having been the longest-serving prime minister of the Third Polish Republic, which had been established 1989). He served this role until 2019, and although initially he remained in Brussels, he later returned to Polish politics in 2021, becoming leader of the Civic Platform for a second time.

Tusk with his wife, Małgorzata Tusk

BIG STORY PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL

Tusk succeeded Herman Van Rompuy as President of the European Council on December 1st 2014. After assuming office, Tusk worked to promote a unified European response to Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine. Tusk also made attempts to co-ordinate the EU’s response to the European migrant crisis, and warned illegal economic migrants not to come to Europe. As a fiercely pro-EU advocate, Tusk warned of dire consequences should the UK vote to leave the bloc. After the UK voted to leave, he pursued a hard line on the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union stating that the country’s only real alternative to a “hard Brexit” is “no Brexit”. On February 6th 2019, Tusk held talks with Irish Premier Leo Varadkar in Brussels to discuss Britain’s upcoming departure from the EU, stating that there was a “special place in Hell for those who promoted Brexit without even a sketch of a plan how to carry it out safely.” Tusk opened his statement by saying, “I know that still a very great number of people in the UK, and on the continent, as well as in Ireland, wish for a reversal of this decision. I have always been with you, with all my heart. “But the facts are unmistakable. At the moment, the pro-Brexit stance of the UK Prime Minister, and the Leader of the Opposition, rules out this question.

Brussels, November 2019: Charles Michel (left) assumes presidency of the European Council at a handover ceremony with the outgoing Tusk Today, there is no political force and no effective leadership for Remain. I say this without satisfaction, but you can’t argue with the facts.” It’s safe to say that, as a staunch proEuropean, he was a bit annoyed. On March 9th 2017, Tusk was re-elected for a second term to run until November 30th 2019. He received 27 of 28 votes (the UK had not left the EU by this point,

and still had voting rights); the one vote against him came from Beata Szydło, the Prime Minister of Poland. In protest at Tusk’s re-election, Szydło refused to sign the EU statement issued at the end of the council’s meeting, though other EU leaders spoke in favour of him; including Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte; German chancellor Angela Merkel; Jean-Claude Juncker the European Commission President. Such was his fervour to expand the EU, Tusk said that the EU should open accession talks with both Albania and North Macedonia. Tusk condemned the 2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria. He reprimanded Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for threatening to send millions of Syrian refugees to Europe and denounced the Turkish operation in northern Syria as destabilising the region, which he demanded to halt. Writing of his tenure as President of the European Council, LSE political scientist Sara Hagemann said “he set the tone for a liberal and progressive agenda at a time of significant threat from populist and pro-Russian voices in Europe.”

BIG STORY THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL The European Council is a collegiate body that defines the overall political direction and priorities of the European Union. The European Council is part of the executive of the European Union (EU), alongside the European Commission. It is composed of the heads of state or government of the EU member states, together with the President of the European Council, and the President of the European Commission. Established as an informal summit in 1975, the European Council was formalised as an institution in 2009 after the Treaty of Lisbon. The current President is former Belgium Prime Minister, Charles Michel. While the European Council has no legislative power, it is a strategic (and crisis-solving) body that provides the union with general political directions and priorities, and acts as a collective presidency. The European Commission is the sole initiator of legislation, though the European Council provides a guide to legislative policy.

❛❛ The immediate future of Poland,

given the make up of the newly elected government, looks more liberal, less populist than under the previous incumbents

❜❜

BACK IN POLAND

In July 2021, Donald Tusk returned to Warsaw, re-engaging actively in Polish politics as leader of Civic Platform. By May 2022, Tusk was among the leading choices among opposition figures for the potential future prime minister role, according to a public poll. During his campaign, Tusk advocated for enhanced LGBT rights – a bold move for an eastern European.

re-ignited by prime minister Morawiecki. It has meant Poland refusing to assist Ukraine militarily. Tusk, no fan of Russia, will seek to remedy this situation with its close ally as quickly as possible. The immediate future of Poland, given the make up of the newly elected

government, looks more liberal, less populist than under the previous incumbents. Tusk will almost certainly attempt to make Poland’s political and economic role in the EU a more central one but, while looking towards Europe, keeping an eye over its shoulder at the Great Bear to the east.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has left Europe generally, and Poland specifically, with a major problem on its doorstep

Poland’s cultural, political and geographical proximity to Ukraine puts it in a precarious, yet influential position as a result of the Russian invasion. Soon after the latest engagement started in February 2022, millions of refugees fled Ukraine, with the majority seeking sanctuary in Poland. According to the UN High Commission for Refugees as of May 13th 2022, there were 3.3m refugees in Poland. Unable to cope with the entire migration, much of western Europe has taken in those refugees. One diplomatic problem Tusk has inherited, which came to a head in September 2023, is a spat between Poland and Ukraine over grain; an issue which President Duda had sought to soothe over, but which was constantly

BUSINESS

MDHUB member Flare Audio is a disruptor in the sound technology sector. Millie Green talks to co-founder and co-CEO Davies Roberts about his work, and an exciting new product launch scheduled for 2024

FLARE AUDIO ON A SOUND FOOTING Davies Roberts is an inventor. Naturally, this meant he turned up an hour late to his interview. Full of apologies, he blamed sound technology company Flare’s latest project for his forgetfulness. Later on, he’d tell me he’d put this new device in his ears for the first time the day before, and had “had trouble concentrating since” because he was so excited by what he had heard. Flare began life 13 years ago as a high-end speaker designer and manufacturer working with artists like Skrillex, Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, and Mark Ronson. Since then, the company has evolved, producing commercial earbuds for a time before “the big switch” in 2019 brought about by their in-ear device Calmer. These

❛❛ We’re just

21 people in Lancing, and we’re going to need all the support we can get from MDHUB ❜❜

little buds, originally designed to improve the listening experience for music fans, had an unexpected benefit. During R&D, Davies discovered that they significantly reduce stress responses to annoying noises. All these changes have meant Flare’s tone of voice has evolved too as they learned to communicate with a new-found, noise-sensitive audience. Flare’s position as a sound company makes communication even more important for Davies. As he put it: “If, as a sound company, you’re not listening to what people are saying, and aren’t being sensitive to what people are saying, you’re not going to develop sound technology that’s meaningful to them.”

The challenge of marketing sound technology is well met by Flare, which employs incredibly successful influence-led marketing to sell its products. Unlike other companies, however, Flare doesn’t pay people to make content. Instead, it seeks out genuine reviews and pays to use this content on its own socials. Flare wants to “encourage meaningful engagement whilst supporting the influencer community. Integrity and honesty is of huge importance to us.” This tactic has led to a single advert reaching over 100,000 likes and tens of thousands of comments, all related to how Calmer has helped real people to live less stressfully. Flare is a case study for doing marketing right, all by generating a community around its products. All this success has led to growth, including changes in Davies’ role as co-CEO and co-founder with his wife Naomi. Their careful teamwork, focussing in on the skills they are best at, has led the team to become what it is today. Davies defined this allocation of skills in a simple phrase: “if you don’t ace it, don’t own it.” Focus on what you’re good at, and hire people to fill in the gaps. As part of this growth, Flare has had to expand its team, but this experience wasn’t easy. Davies tracked the company’s growth with a slight grimace on his face, because it went “from three in a garage to 40 overnight, then down to 20 through redundancy. You’ve got to be really mindful about how all those relationships work

BUSINESS Being a disruptor is not just about memor y, though. Disruption has informed Davies’ approach to invention, challenging him to think critically when approaching huge problems in the sound tech industry. Taking the guesswork out of Flare’s technology, Davies broke down sound to a molecular level enabling him to develop and invent technologies that work to eliminate the irregularities in our ears, solving the long existing HRTF issue. In 2018, the World Health Organisation published documents revealing sound pollution as the second biggest killer after noise pollution due to the stress it adds to people’s lives. Davies explained this in more simple terms, “Everybody gets stressed by sound, but a lot of people blank it out.” Finding ways to reduce noise stress is not just a way to improve comfort: it will save lives. Russ McKenzie of nTrust (left) presenting Davies Roberts with The Disruptor Award together. Is your new hire going to drive the team forward at the expense of everybody else’s happiness?” After this tricky period, Flare spent time consolidating its core team of 21 employees, focussing its recruitment on character rather than purely skillsbased. This has led to a happier, more productive team whose skills compliment rather than grate against one another. As a small company, sometimes Davies felt like it was “us against the world,” but beginning to speak with other business owners at networking events and workshops opened up a world of support. This eventually led Davies and Naomi joining MDHUB at the beginning of 2023, attending workgroups, receiving coaching, and engaging MDHUB to work on a Strategy Team Day. “It was overwhelmingly good.” For Davies, MDHUB is “really valuable because you start to learn things you haven’t learned in isolation.” Having a space which is both communal and confidential helped Flare to bring its ideas to a wider audience for discussion, without the fear of public scrutiny. Another benefit of MDHUB’s groups is that, for Naomi and Davies, who are

both noise-sensitive people, there is an online option. In comparison to the buzz of networking events, Zoom sessions mean that Davies can “go into a room with ten or 20 people and enjoy it a lot more, talk with other people, absorb who they are and really listen to them without all the distractions in the room.” The whole MDHUB team has been impressed by Flare’s efforts, – so much so that by the end of the year, Davies had scooped up our Disruptor Award. Asked about what this meant for him, Davies said “to be recognised as a disruptor is humbling for me because I want to leave a mark. My drive is that I hope to leave something behind.”

This is where Flare’s new project, comes in. Davies explained more, “after 13 years of research, we will be announcing a new technology that is going to disrupt every sector involved with sound. This product is going to be affordable and will deliver gamechanging and disruptive audio quality for everyone.” With a March 2024 launch in the diary, Flare is bracing itself for what could be its busiest period yet. Davies, while “punch-drunk” by his invention, was apprehensive ahead of this big reveal. “We’re just 21 people in Lancing, and we’re going to need all the support we can get from MDHUB.” I can safely say from the whole MDHUB team that we’re behind Flare every step of the way, and can’t wait to see what this new era of sound technology brings.

www.ﬂareaudio.com www.mdhub.co.uk Email MDHUB Directors: Fiona Shafer: fiona@mdhub.co.uk or Phil Green: phil.green@mdhub.co.uk

FINANCE

In its Autumn Statement, the Government confirmed the merging of the Research and Development Expenditure Credit (RDEC) scheme for large companies, and the Research and Development (R&D) scheme for small companies. The new scheme will take effect for accounting periods beginning on or after April 1st 2024. Sam Jones, Corporate Tax Partner, at Kreston Reeves explains what this will mean for companies

HOW WILL YOUR BUSINESS BE IMPACTED BY FURTHER R&D REFORMS? WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE MERGED SCHEME?

The mechanics of the new merged scheme will be based on the RDEC scheme – i.e., an above-the-line credit, as opposed to the enhanced deduction offered by the SME scheme. The rate offered under the merged scheme will be implemented at the current RDEC rate of 20%. To encourage R&D work to be performed in the UK, rules were previously announced that relief will only be available on the costs where the subcontracted work is performed in the UK or where externally provided workers are paid through a UK payroll. These restrictions on relief for overseas

❛❛ SMEs have seen the R&D tax relief available reduce in value, and this announcement is no different ❜❜

expenditure will form part of the merged scheme and will continue as planned to be applicable for accounting periods beginning on or after April 1st 2024. Companies will welcome clarification on the eligibility of contracted-out R&D, with the decision maker being able to make the R&D claim. We are yet to analyse this change in any detail and questions remain about who can now claim and who will lose out. The more generous PAYE/NI cap applied to the current SME scheme will apply under the merged scheme (currently £20,000 plus 300% of the company’s total PAYE/NI liability).

HOW HAVE SMES BEEN IMPACTED BY CHANGES TO R&D RATES?

Historically, the SME scheme has been generous by international standards. The Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, has previously stated that he is concerned it is not working as it should be to encourage R&D – although perhaps he was just concerned that it was too expensive. SMEs have seen the R&D tax relief available reduce in value, and this announcement is no different. Let’s recap. For R&D expenditure up until April 1st 2023, a loss-making company could claim a tax credit worth up to 33.35p in every pound spent on qualifying R&D. But since April 1st 2023, this tax credit has been reduced to 18.6p in every pound spent on qualifying R&D – a reduction of approximately 44%. Under the merged scheme, the 20% above-the-line credit is taxable, therefore the effective tax saving is net of the Corporate Tax rate, being 25% for main rate taxpayers, and 19% for those within the small profits rate.

FINANCE

❛❛ The Government is adamant it wants

to continue to incentivise loss-making R&D intensive companies encouraging them to continue to claim under the SME scheme ❜❜ The RDEC is currently worth up to 15p in every pound spent on qualifying R&D and worth up 16.2p for a loss-making company.

R&D INTENSIVE COMPANIES

R&D incentives for SME companies have halved over the past couple of years, so is it still worth making a claim? The Government is adamant it wants to continue to incentivise loss-making R&D intensive companies encouraging them to continue to claim under the SME scheme. The Autumn Statement announced the S M E R & D i n te n s i t y t h re s h o l d announced previously in the Spring Budget will be reduced from 40% to

30% for accounting periods beginning on or after April 1st 2024. The R&D intensity threshold is calculated as qualifying R&D expenditure over the company’s total expenditure.

after April 1st 2024, form part of the new merged R&D scheme. We hope that these announcements are the final changes to the R&D landscape, so companies can assess what R&D looks like for them in the future and we look forward to analysing the detailed legislation when this is available.

This will mean that a loss-making R&D intensive SME company will not fall into the merged scheme but will continue to claim the enhanced deduction at 86%, and be able to claim the repayable tax credit from HMRC at 14.5%, an effective tax saving of 26.97p in every pound spent on qualifying R&D.

Companies will want to consider the impact of these changes now. If you would like to know more about R&D claims for your business, get in touch with Sam Jones:

Profit-making SMEs and non-R&D intensive loss - makers will, for accounting periods beginning on or

Email: enquiries@krestonreeves.com Call: 0330 124 1399 Visit: www.krestonreeves.com

The organisers of the all-new Sussex Tech Week – Platinum Media Group, Sussex Innovation and the University of Sussex represented the Sussex Tech Cluster on a visit to the Houses of Parliament on January 9th to join with all the UK’s other Tech Clusters for a meeting of the UK Tech Cluster Group (UKTCG). Maarten Hoffmann reports

THE SUSSEX TECH CLUSTER

Left to right: Iain McKenna, Ty Goddard, Nigel Lambe and Maarten Hoffmann

A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN

PLATINUM ME DIA GROUP

At the event for the launch of the UKTCG Ecosystems of Innovation report, we were welcomed by the host, Alex Davies-Jones MP and then heard speeches from Saqib Bhatti MP, Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy and Matt Rodda MP, the shadow Minster for AI & Intellectual Property detailing their commitment to the Tech sector across the UK. The UKTCG represents the digital economy at the grassroots level across the United Kingdom. The launch of the report in Parliament is the start of its annual engagement process exploring the policies, reforms and ambition that are needed to unlock the potential of tech for all businesses, people and places. Digital innovation has the potential to drive growth, productivity and inclusion across the length and breadth of the UK. But we need to make this a reality for all people, businesses and communities. UK-wide legislation and national programmes have a role to play but in the next Parliament, we must better mobilise partnerships at the grassroots. It is in UK tech ecosystems where firms start and scale, people grow their skills, and the relationships and value chains underpinning innovation across sectors can flourish.

Help tech drive success of devolution across UK nations and regions

In the last decade, digital policy has been dominated by a suite of centralised, top-down initiatives that have had patchy engagement with local tech communities and their partners. Too often, national tech policy has been developed with little regard to how place-based innovation does and can work. This impedes development of local network effects and innovation spill-overs. This is how businesses grow, people build careers and ‘places’ succeed. Grassroots institutions know how to effectively engage businesses, education partners and academic expertise. Science, Innovation and Technology policy must recognise that growth and opportunity are built through partnerships and do not occur in the abstract. Equally, skills policy is enhanced – and talent unlocked - for learners and businesses through close coordination with industry. The UKTCG can help Government and local leaders to design the right interventions for success. The organisation exists simply because the business base of our local economies feel we are needed. We work constructively with Whitehall and Westminster, but explicitly represent the whole of the UK outside London. In setting out ‘Four Big Ideas’ for the next Government to harness tech’s potential across the UK, we are ready to help ensure new technologies unlock the potential of every business, every person and every place. If we want our sector and our local communities to go far, then we need to go together.

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

FOR MORE INFORMATION: INFO@PLATINUMMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

We must better embed the benefits of ‘flagship’ Government R&D investments - by connecting and enhancing existing innovation activities within the region The report outlines ‘Four Big Ideas’ to transform our economy:

A GLOBALLY COMPETITIVE TECH TALENT PIPELINE IN EVERY REGION

We can ensure our economy drives social mobility and creates opportunity for all by developing an Apprenticeship Levy which works for SMEs; helping businesses to take on tech talent; improving Local Skills Improvement Plans; and better engaging grassroots industry in a fast-moving sector which needs better coordination between people, industry and education.

DRIVING DIGITAL INNOVATION AT THE FOUNDATIONS

We can ensure all businesses are able to understand and benefit from the opportunities which tech brings, through Cluster organisations taking on LEP Growth Hubs’ former role; co-designing a ‘Help to Grow’ successor delivered locally; and providing Leadership and Management support for tech SMEs. A UK innovation policy which gives every place a chance We can embed tech at the heart of regional development strategies by building and implementing ‘Distributed Innovation Programmes’ that design-in collaboration with ambitious companies – and by embedding the benefits of flagship national R&D programmes locally through engagement with Cluster Organisations.

MOBILISING ECOSYSTEMS TO HELP BUSINESSES TO START AND GROW

And finally, we can recognise that ‘place’ matters – by providing Tax Credit enhancements for innovation outside of the ‘Golden Triangle’; committing to an Annual Baseline report to support ecosystems; and introducing ‘Local Innovation Frameworks’ with clear KPIs to ensure publiclyfunded innovation partners understand and outline how they will drive regional economic development.

Government and local leadership should co-commission clear pathways for inclusive digital growth by raising awareness of what has worked for similar businesses and where to access support

Saqib Bhatti MP, Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy

SUSSEX

TECH WEEK The launch of the Sussex Tech Cluster takes place at the Sussex Tech Week event to be held at the Brighton Dome and Corn Exchange on June 3rd-5th 2024, and will see 2,000 visitors per day attend for three days of exciting events across two stages, a large exhibition and jobs fair in the Corn Exchange with over 120 stands, a funding room and so much more - all to be announced next month. For anyone even remotely connected to the Tech Sector, this is a not-to-be-missed annual event. Matt Rodda MP, the shadow Minister for AI & Intellectual Property

And don’t miss out on the first ever Sussex Tech Awards, with a stunning show on the final evening of the week in the 1,900 seater Concert Hall - a show like no other!

THE UKTCG REPORT HIGHLIGHTS n Making the Apprenticeship Levy work for tech SMEs By engaging them in Levy reform in the next Parliament and helping them create more opportunities for learners. n More responsive LSIPs with schools and colleges as partners So we build real-time employer demand into LSIPs and effectively engage and support our education community. n Drive social mobility by investing in our grassroots networks Which help places harness the benefits of bottom-up innovation, particularly in fast-moving and nuanced sectors like tech. n Co-design a Help to Grow successor which is delivered locally Building on what worked well in supporting rapid digital adoption during the COVID-19 pandemic.

n Driving more demand for tech talent in our SME base Through providing incentives for SMEs to take on new talent so we can match more learners from skills programmes to industry roles. n Growth Hubs’ prior role in supporting the tech industry should formally transfer, fully funded, to Cluster organisations Providing clear pathways for inclusive digital growth by offering our tech businesses the support they need to succeed. n Invest nationally in Leadership & Management training for tech SMEs. To help our entrepreneurs to grow, innovate and create jobs in our communities.

n Work with UKTCG and partners to build and implement ‘Distributed Innovation Programmes’ which design-in collaboration between anchor firms and local institutions, and ambitious tech companies These encourage regional innovation and business growth, based on mechanisms which have been proven to work in our clusters and which are ready for scaling up – playing a crucial role in delivering a successful place-based innovation policy. n Embed the benefits of ‘flagship’ R&D investments locally by connecting and enhancing existing innovation activities within the region So that new national programmes drive innovation spillovers through engaging tech SMEs and local assets.

n Grow new start-ups outside the ‘Golden Triangle’ with R&D Tax Credit enhancements and grant funding ‘runway’. n Commission an Annual Baseline Report To support tech ecosystems – working with cluster organisations to fuel innovation and shared learning UK-wide. n Introduce ‘Local Innovation Frameworks’ with clear KPIs agreed with publiclyfunded innovation partners To better articulate their offer to local SMEs. This should include a ‘Digital Ambition Statement’.

By Joseph Bradfield, Marketing Communications Advisor, Sussex Innovation

HOW CAN SMALL BUSINESSES FINANCE FOR GROWTH? In November, Sussex Innovation hosted Florence Hubert from the Bank of England to deliver the Bank’s regular monetary policy briefing for business owners. Following an off-the-record presentation looking at financial trends in the UK in 2023 and their impact on business, Florence joined a panel of experts for a discussion and Q&A on the challenge of financing growth. T he panel, chaired by S ussex Innovation’s Deputy CEO Claire Pasquill, included Florence alongside Tom Willis (CEO, Shoreham Port), Roderick Beer (MD, UK Business Angels Association) and Louise Chen (Senior Lecturer in Finance at the University of Sussex Business School).

Although parts of this discussion must be kept confidential, this article includes a few of the top tips that were shared in the room.

DON’T SEEK INVESTMENT IF YOU’RE NOT PREPARED TO RISK ANYTHING YOURSELF

Roderick Beer pointed out that most angel investors are looking for a partner to put as much on the line as they would be by handing over money. Although there is a sliding scale of risk depending on the assets of the business owner, any investor would ask serious questions about the commitment of an entrepreneur who has not put any of their own money into their business.

The only certainty for now is that the future ❛❛ remains uncertain. 2024 will see a General Election, and potentially a new government ❜❜

GRANT FUNDING ISN’T JUST ‘FREE MONEY’

Although grant funding doesn’t directly cost the founder or the business anything, it can often have restrictions and costs associated with it. Projects usually need to fit a specific brief, which may take the business in the wrong strategic direction and take significant time and resources to achieve.

WHERE WILL LENDERS GET SECURITY AGAINST YOUR LOAN?

Debt funding is an agreement to receive an immediate injection of capital and pay back a greater sum of money later. As such, there is significant risk involved if the business fails to meet its growth expectations. Start-up founders may consider offering a personal guarantee (i.e. a promise to repay the debt themselves if the business can’t), or could look into the British Business Bank’s Enterprise Finance Guarantee if they have insufficient funds to offer security against the loan.

INNOVATION

INVESTORS CAN OFFER MORE THAN MONEY IN EXCHANGE FOR EQUITY

Equity funding involves giving away part of the business, and usually some element of control over its strategy too. The most beneficial investment deals bring experience, expertise or contacts that are lacking within the business, but there is often an expectation that the business should already have some traction in the market.

CROWDFUNDING TAKES TIME, TRACTION AND LOTS OF MARKETING

Crowdfunding is not as simple as it may appear from the outside. It is hugely important to have plenty of customers lined up and willing to pay before launching a crowdfunding campaign, or it is extremely unlikely to succeed. Most campaigns fail if they don’t raise between 30-50% of funds in the first few days; that means you already need to know where this money is coming from before you launch.

DON’T RESTRICT THE NUMBER OF BANKS YOU TALK TO

Tom Willis shared his experiences of seeking a financial partnership for Shoreham Por t, and counselled against the common mistake of arranging meetings with a handful of banks. “A bank manager will always meet with you because that’s their job. It doesn’t mean that they will have any interest in your offer, and that means lots of wasted time and effort on your part.”

Most angel investors are looking for a partner ❛❛ to put as much on the line as they would be by handing over money ❜❜

Tom suggested that a better approach is to put together a very short presentation deck of two to three pages, outlining the financial argument for your business and what you are asking for, then distributing that document as far and wide as possible. That way, banks can decide whether they are interested before arranging a meeting.

NO-ONE KNOWS WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS FOR SMALL BUSINESS FINANCE

The only certainty for now is that the future remains uncertain. 2024 will see a General Election, and potentially a new government. The panel agreed that businesses can expect very little funding to be available in the two to three months leading up to election day – as lenders and funding bodies wait for new policies to be unveiled and brought into law, they are unlikely to risk being caught out by something unexpected. As frustrating as it may be, the only viable approach will be to “wait and see”.

If you’re seeking finance for your business, email Sussex Innovation’s research team at support@sinc.co.uk to find out more about the grant funding available for your sector, or apply to join the University of Sussex Business Angels investment network. www.sussexinnovation.co.uk/ uos-business-angels

LEGAL

By Debbie Venn, Partner, DMH Stallard LLP

DATA TRANSFERS HOME AND OVERSEAS

Ensuring safe passage Navigating the rules surrounding the transfer of personal data to different countries around the world can be complex. Multiple scenarios between controllers, processors and even entities within the same corporate group can throw up all kinds of questions.

WHAT DO I NEED TO DO?

Some points to consider: 1. Am I the data controller, or data processor?

2. Are data subjects aware about a potential data transfer and have they been provided with relevant details, or consents obtained (where required)? Check your privacy notices.

4. Have you undertaken due diligence on the data recipient in the other country, and is it safe to transfer? Are further measures needed to make the transfer securely?

3. Have I undertaken a transfer risk assessment, to assess the level of data protection in the proposed receiving country? If no, is there an adequacy decision or derogation covering that country?

5. Does your data processing/sharing agreement allow transfers to be made and if so, does this restrict transfers to another country? If allowed, what technical and organisation measures are in place to keep that data secure and what further mechanisms do you need to put in place? Once you have considered the above, look at the country that you will be making the data transfer to and what additional measures (if any) are required to make that transfer.

If transferring outside ❛❛ the UK, then you need to ensure that the recipient country has ‘adequate measures’ in place ❜❜ 42

LEGAL

If a data transfer is being made outside of the UK to a country where an adequacy decision is not in place, then additional measures are needed before the transfer happens. In the UK, this would be by way of the UK Information Commissioner’s Office’s (ICO) International Data Transfer Agreement (which includes a standard set of transfer terms). Alternatively, if the personal data being processed includes both UK and EU data subjects, we would usually recommend using the EU Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), with the UK applicable Addendum, so it can be covered under one agreement. Other laws in other countries may also need to be considered. If a US organisation is a signatory to the recently adopted EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF), then a data transfer to the US can take place without the need for additional measures, as it sets out standards that the US entity would have to comply with in order to receive that data. The UK has adopted the DPF (as from October 12th 2023), so if an entity is a signatory to the DPF, then a data transfer can take place from the UK under the DPF (and be deemed adequate), provided usual checks are completed (see list above).

SUMMARY

❛❛ If you’re ever unsure whether to make a transfer, always check and get advice where needed ❜❜ INTERNATIONAL DATA TRANSFERS – MECHANISMS

If transferring outside the UK, then you need to ensure that the recipient country has ‘adequate measures’ in place for keeping that personal data secure, in accordance with UK GDPR. The UK has adequacy decisions in place for various countries to allow for transfers to take place without further measures being needed. This will not replace the need to still have an appropriate data processing or sharing agreement in place; the international data transfer mechanisms are additional to this.

Following Brexit, the EU put an adequacy decision in place for the UK’s data transfer with the EU, so these can still happen freely (at the moment) without fur ther measures being needed. This may change if the UK data protection laws change significantly enough for the EU to withdraw its adequacy decision. We are monitoring the progress of the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill 2023-24 (which had its third reading on November 29th), in case the coming into force of this Bill has any impact on this.

Making data transfers outside of the UK will always need to be carefully considered, especially where the transfer requires additional measures to transfer in accordance with GDPR rules. If you’re ever unsure whether to make a transfer, always check and get advice where needed, including following any guidance from the UK ICO, to stay the right side of the law and the regulator!

Debbie Venn, Partner, DMH Stallard LLP www.dmhstallard.com

LEGAL

Corporate Commentary Welcome to this monthly series for business owners, where myself and my team aim to demystify the corporate market and highlight trends in a non-technical manner

Jonathan Grant Partner and Head of Corporate

Giedre Doig Corporate Senior Associate

RELAXING CONTROLS ON FOREIGN INVESTMENT NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERNS

The National Security and Investment Act 2021 (the “Act”) introduced screening powers for the UK government to scrutinise and potentially block acquisitions of UK business, on grounds of national security (the “NSI Regime”). Because the Act was widely drawn, a lot of M&A deals have been self-reported for clearance, slowing completion of those deals by a couple of months. The Act imposes an obligation to notify the government of any proposed acquisitions (of shares and voting rights) by any entity from any country (including the UK), if they carry out their activities in the UK and those activities fall within one of the 17 economic areas such as defence, energy, communications, artificial intelligence (AI), and quantum technologies (among others).

FACTS

According to the most recent Annual Report on the UK government website, 93% of notified acquisitions under the NSI regime have been cleared, with only 17 acquisitions subject to final orders. Responsible Cabinet Office Minister, Oliver Dowden, has said he prefers a ‘small garden, high fence’ approach, aimed at those transactions impacting national security.

44 www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

The Act imposes ❛❛ an obligation to notify the

government of any proposed acquisitions (of shares and voting rights) by any entity from any country

❜❜

HOPES FOR REDUCTION OF RED TAPE

The Government announced the consultation earlier this month, with a view to fixing a level of proportionality. The hope is that the currently very wide range of businesses caught, will be narrowed, so that instead of all deals relating to AI being reported, the focus will be on certain “high-end” AI which may present a high risk to national security.

OPEN CONSULTATION

Feedback on the Consultation can be provided by going to: www.smartsurvey.co.uk/ s/NSIACallforEvidence We will report the outcome in due course.

If you would like to discuss any of these themes further, please get in touch with either: Jonathan Grant Partner and Head of Corporate Mobile: +44 (0)7912 087173 E: Jonathan.Grant@dmhstallard.com Giedre Doig Corporate Senior Associate Telephone: +44(0)20 7842 2374 E: Giedre.Doig@dmhstallard.com

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WINNER

MEDIUM BUSINESS OF THE YEAR SUSSEX BUSINESS AWARDS 2023

MYGETAWAYS.CO.UK

THE 36TH

SUSSEX BUSINESS AWARDS The Sussex Business Awards is the longest running such event in the UK. This year, we will celebrate the 36th year of the most prestigious awards event in the South East. In the following pages we celebrate the winners of the 2023 event, and look forward to this year’s event which takes place on December 5th 2024. There are many reasons to enter your business into business awards, such as:

The opportunity for the MD to sit down with the entry form and, in answering the questions, it can be the first time in many years that they have really looked at the business and understood the progress made, targets hit or missed and the direction of travel. Often, we are so busy that one is rarely forced to examine the business.

The firm’s employees can be greatly inspired and motivated by being part of an award-winning business. The event is a great opportunity to celebrate and recognise the power of the company and their contribution to its success.

Potential clients will always be drawn towards an award-winning company over those with no such success. Therefore, winning an award can be a game changer for any busin esses. Researc h s h ows tha t award-winning small businesses can see a 63% increase in income and a 39% growth in sales.

For startups, winning an award can help your company increase brand awareness and boost credibility. As your business scales, awards promote loyalty and trust, while providing a competitive edge.

A company’s success depends on its staff. Workforce retention can be an ongoing challenge. When candidates see that your company is ranked as an excellent place to work or that it has received diversity or technology accolades, you’ve made your business even more attractive to potential hires. Industry awards can be a valuable addition to your marketing arsenal. The free publicity an award-winning business receives can result in more business and new connections, helping validate what your company does and increasing your visibility in the marketplace. Entering awards is a no-brainer – everything to win and nothing to lose. Go to www.platinummediagroup.co.uk to learn about our full range of awards.

SUSSEX BUSINESS AWARDS

BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD

Sponsored by Ignata Finance

THE 2023 HIGHLY COMMENDED

BUSINESS GROWTH AWARD OG Kicks COMMUNITY HERO AWARD Russell Martin Foundation CREATIVE INDUSTRIES AWARD Search Seven INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR The English Soap Company SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Trapeze Media COMPANY OF THE YEAR Secret Linen Store

SUSSEX BUSINESS AWARDS

Winners of the ‘International Business of the Year’ at the Sussex Business Awards 2023, co-founders of Hyve, Jon Lucas and Jake Madders, spoke to Platinum about growing a global business and opening new offices in the USA and Germany

SUSSEX BUSINESS AWARDS – HYVE MANAGED HOSTING CAN YOU SHARE THE JOURNEY OF HYVE’S INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION AND WHAT INSPIRED IT?

JAKE: In the early days of Hyve, back when there were only a few employees, we dreamt of opening offices in other parts of the world. We always had a global vision for the company, but we did not have the money to do it, and we didn’t want to have investors to answer to, so we decided our growth had to be organic. We always had the USA and Australia in our sights, so we invested heavily in marketing for specific global locations in an attempt to gain business in those regions.

We considered several locations, but ❛❛ ultimately chose Berlin as the HQ. The city is similar to Brighton and is also a major IT hub in Europe ❜❜ 50

WHY THE USA AND GERMANY?

JON: The time for the USA’s Hyve office came when our client portfolio in the region had expanded to the point that we recognised the need for a local team to support these clients. During our frequent trips to the USA, we saw the potential of the country’s large and dynamic market. We felt that we could be an active and important part of it. JAKE: Brexit prompted us to open a European office to reassure clients in the UK and Europe that we can continue to service them seamlessly. As the largest economy in the EU, Germany was a clear choice. We considered several locations, including Frankfurt and Munich, but ultimately chose Berlin as the HQ. The city is similar to Brighton and is also a major IT hub in Europe. Another factor was that our former employee was relocating to Berlin and was happy to lead our operations there.

SUSSEX BUSINESS AWARDS DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR COMPANIES PLANNING TO EXPAND INTERNATIONALLY?

JON: My primary advice is to have an allocated budget, as global growth requires substantial financial resources. A dedicated budget will also give you the confidence to commit to the venture fully.

TELL US ABOUT THE CHALLENGES AND LESSONS YOU LEARNED FROM EXPANDING INTERNATIONALLY

JAKE: We actually started expanding internationally in 2017, with our first office in California. Motivated by our shared “American dream”, Jon and I wanted to replicate the Brighton office on the Pacific Coast. But our dream of settling in California did not come true. Los Angeles proved to be exceptionally costly, and hiring people was challenging. We also didn’t expect the Californian tax rates and the salary range to be so high. JON: After our setback in California, we dedicated more time to analysing the country’s business landscape and understanding its nuances. So far, Austin, a new emerging tech hub, has been a great fit for us. The time difference is manageable, the tax situation is favourable, and we are successfully building a community of like-minded people. JAKE: For Germany, the main challenge has been the language barrier. When we decided to branch out to the country, we assumed that English is widely used. However, all administrative, legal, and professional content is in German. So now, for our Berlin office, we’ve focused on hiring native speakers or those who are fluent in the language.

CAN YOU SHARE MORE ABOUT THE COMPANY’S ADAPTATION TO NEW MARKETS?

JON: We are still adjusting to these two new markets, as each region has unique characteristics. For instance, Germany is quite bureaucratic when it comes to starting a company and hiring employees. The German government is very strict when it comes to employment laws. We are currently in the process of understanding these crucial elements. JAKE: Although the markets in the UK and USA may appear similar, they have fundamental differences when viewed from the inside. The American market is much bigger and provides more opportunities. Initially, we found the business mentality quite contrasting there and had challenges recruiting people who shared our ethos. Now, we prioritise selecting like-minded members for our US office.

JAKE: Money alone won’t guarantee success. You must also prioritise the research of each market you plan to branch out to. When setting up an office in a new country, it’s crucial to understand the local market and try to operate like a local business. Hiring local people will help with this.

TELL US MORE ABOUT HYVE’S PLANS FOR THE FUTURE.

JA K E: The USA and Germany are two immediate priorities now. After laying the groundwork in these regions this year, we are prepared to take big actions in 2024. We are also considering expanding into Australia and the APAC region. But this is the long-term plan. Australia has always been a desired destination; however, we need more time to analyse and monitor the market. JO N: We had always dreamed of expanding Hyve globally, and we turned our dream into reality in 2023 by opening new offices in Austin and Berlin. Despite rapid growth, we also maintained the unique Hyve spirit and company ethos, which was also a great success. We look forward to the opportunities and experiences that 2024 will bring.

www.hyve.com

ADVERTISING FEATURE Transforming Overwhelming Data into Compelling Stories:

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Celebrating Innovation in Data Storytelling:

Insight Agents’ Journey to Excellence In the fast-paced landscape of data and analytics, Insight Agents has emerged as a beacon of innovation and excellence. Our recent shortlisting for the 2023 Sussex Business Awards ‘Innovation in Business’ award recognising our groundbreaking “Using Data Smarter” online course, is not just an accolade for us but a testament to the transformative power of data storytelling. At Insight Agents, we specialise in turning data into compelling narratives. Our work spans across diverse sectors — from global multinationals to academic institutions, aiding them in harnessing the true potential of data. Our approach is not just about handling numbers; it’s about weaving them into stories that resonate with and inspire an audience.

The real struggle lies not just in accessing this data, but in extracting meaningful narratives from it. For many organisations, the data is there, but the ability to weave it into a coherent, compelling story that resonates with stakeholders and drives decision-making is sorely lacking. This gap between data collection and storytelling is where potential insights fade into obscurity, leaving businesses and academics grappling with underutilised information that could otherwise be a goldmine of opportunity.

The essence of our methodology is encapsulated in founder Sam Knowles’ enlightening trilogy, which includes the award-winning “Narrative by Numbers”, the best-selling “How To Be Insightful”, and the critically-acclaimed “Asking Smarter Questions.” These works are not mere books; they are the blueprints of our data storytelling philosophy. Our “p” philosophy is simple yet profound: data storytelling is a crucial, albeit misunderstood, skill in today’s knowledge economy. This award shortlisting is not just an achievement for Insight Agents; it’s a recognition of the growing importance of data storytelling in shaping the future of business, academia, and beyond. We are proud to be at the forefront of this revolution, helping the world to not only understand data but to use it in creating narratives that drive real change and innovation.

To navigate through the overwhelming sea of data, we advocate for: 1. Asking Smarter Questions: We believe in reigniting the innate curiosity we all had as children. By asking insightful, targeted questions, we can uncover truly relevant data that helps make sense of complex scenarios. 2. Articulating Genuine Insights: We differentiate between mere data points and genuine insights. True insights answer the critical questions of “So what?” and “Now what?”, providing a deeper understanding and guiding informed decisions. 3. Building Persuasive Narratives: Our narratives are not just data-laden reports; they are stories that strike a balance between emotional appeal and rational justification. They respect the audience’s data tolerance and are crafted with empathy and humanity.

The Equation of Influence: Analytics + Storytelling At the heart of exceptional data storytelling lies the ability to distinguish between what is ‘good’ and what is ‘exceptional’. Imagine comparing two brand stories side by side. Can you spot the difference between a story that’s just ‘good’ and one that’s truly ‘exceptional’? This discernment is not always innate; it often requires a deeper understanding of the elements that make a story not only informative but also engaging and resonant.

The key to influential storytelling in the data-driven age can be encapsulated in a simple equation: Analytics + Storytelling = Influence. This equation, however, is easier said than executed. Integrating insightful data with a compelling narrative is a complex task. Many struggle to blend these seemingly opposite elements effectively. To address this challenge, we have systematically documented the entire process in our course, “Using Data Smarter”. This course is not just a collection of tips and tricks; it’s a comprehensive toolkit designed to guide you through the nuances of data storytelling.

Take the Next Steps If you’re ready to embark on this journey and transform the way you use data in storytelling, we invite you to scan the QR code provided. This will give you access to FREE resources that are integral to your development as a data storyteller. These resources, coupled with the insights from our course, will set you on a path to not just understand data storytelling, but to excel at it. In a world where data is abundant but insights are scarce, your ability to tell a story that bridges this gap is more important than ever. Let “Using Data Smarter” be your guide to mastering this essential skill.

Check out Using Data Smarter resources by scanning the QR code.

Exclusive UDS offer for readers SAVE 25%: Promo Code: INNOVATION Don’t forget to check out our Data Malarkey Podcast & YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@datamalarkey

Tamara Roberts of Ridgeview Wine Estate, has been named CEO of the Year at the highly contested 2023 Sussex Business Awards. The inspirational CEO has been a leading strength in her family’s international award-winning English sparkling wine journey, and a proud pioneering force in the English wine industry.

Ridgeview’s Tamara Roberts named CEO of the Year at the Sussex Business Awards Founded in 1995, Ridgeview Wine Estate was one of the first wineries devoted to the production of English sparkling wine, in what is now a thriving industry. At a glittering ceremony at The Grand Brighton, Tamara was commended by the judges, “The winner stood out as an exemplary leader, steering the company with vision, diligence and strategic action, and continues to be at the heart of the business with innovation driving the company towards a sustainable and profitable future. She is a firm believer in the well-being of the staff and implementing progressive strategies to ensure the team feels valued, included, and motivated.”

Tamara has overseen the growth ❛❛ of production in that time from 25,000 bottles per annum to 500,000 bottles ❜❜ 54

New for 2024, CEO of the Year was sponsored by Ignata Finance, and was am extremely hotly-contested category. It included Sussex business nominees Adam Stoud from Paxton, Bankim Chandra from Dotsquares, Carina Bauer from Imex Group and Richard Le e from Paula Rosa Manhattan; an array of fantastic flourishing Sussex businesses. Tamara commented, “Receiving the CEO of the Year award at the Sussex Business Awards is truly an honour and a testament to the collective efforts of our incredible team. Together we have created a wonderful culture in which we can embrace challenges as well as celebrate our successes. This award inspires us to continue strive for excellence in everything we do.”

SUSSEX BUSINESS AWARDS Tamara’s career began with obtaining a Degree in Law and Accountancy at King’s College London. She then completed her chartered accountancy qualification, working in the London financial services industry. In 2004, she took the decision to join Ridgeview to grow the family business, originally as General Manager and then promoted to CEO in 2014.

Receiving the CEO of the Year ❛❛ award at the Sussex Business Awards is truly an honour and a testament to the collective efforts of our incredible team ❜❜ Tamara Roberts

Tamara has overseen the growth of production in that time from 25,000 bottles per annum to 500,000 bottles, with plans to double sales over the next five years. She is responsible for the financial management of the Ridgeview, as well as setting and implementing the strategy across all other areas from grape to glass. Highly active in the English wine industry, Tamara was previously a director of the national bodies Wines GB, and the Wine & Spirits Trade Association. She is now a Governor of Plumpton College which specialises in training the English wine industry. She is also on the Business Advisory Board of Sussex University. In 2020, she became the first English wine professional to become President of the prestigious International Wine & Spirit Competition. Tamara is very respected within the local Sussex business community. As a testament to her experience, professionalism and reputation, she was awarded Sussex Businessperson of the Year at the 2018 Sussex Business Awards, and ‘The Dynamic Award’ at the Women in Business Dynamic Awards 2022. Sussex CEO of the Year is now testimony to her success at Ridgeview, and her respect in the wider Sussex business community.

With ambitious plans to double Ridgeview’s production, Tamara’s vision is to focus on quality and sustainability while increasing brand awareness for growth in sales, tourism and export, which currently sits at 15 countries around the globe. Under Tamara’s guidance, with her passion for sustainability, Ridgeview has recently been accredited as a B-Corp. It is one of only 25 wineries around the world to achieve this status. Tamara is passionate about creating Ridgeview as a wonderful and ethical place to work with respect of client, customer, and community relationships.

Tamara receives the award from Maarten Hoffmann, MD of Platinum Media Group, accompanied by her son, and third generation of the Ridgeview family, Owen Larder

In 2018, Ridgeview made history when it became the first English winery to gain the global accolade of ‘International Winemaker of the Year’ in the International Wine & Spirit Competition. Its award-winning sparkling wines can be found at number of quality restaurants, hotels and speciality resellers across the county, as well as direct from Ridgeview’s onsite shop, which is open seven days a week. Ridgeview’s acclaimed restaurant, the Rows & Vine, is open throughout the year for visitors to sip and savour stunning seasonal menus perfectly paired alongside its award-winning wines; the perfect, unique location for celebrations with friends, family and colleagues.

For more information: www.ridgeview.co.uk

FINANCE

By Michael Pay, EMC Corporate Finance

A STRATEGIC GUIDE TO DUE DILIGENCE

MAXIMISING VALUE RETENTION IN COMPANY SALES The process of selling a company is a complex and multi-faceted endeavour that requires meticulous planning and execution. One critical phase in this journey is the due diligence process, during which potential buyers scrutinise every aspect of the business. To ensure that the value built over the years is retained during a company sale, strategic considerations and proactive measures must be taken during due diligence.

WHAT IS “DUE DILIGENCE”?

Due diligence is a comprehensive examination of a company’s financial, operational, legal, and strategic aspects. Buyers conduct due diligence to assess the risks and opportunities associated with the acquisition, making it crucial for sellers to actively manage this process. Retaining value in a company sale involves addressing potential red flags, showcasing strengths, and positioning the business as a valuable and stable investment. In order to ensure a smooth process it is best to be prepared. Indeed, the fact that you are prepared will in itself demonstrate that your business is well run and enhance a buyers view of it.

DOCUMENTATION

One of the key elements in a successful due diligence process is having organised and thorough documentation. Sellers should proactively compile essential documents related to financial statements, contracts, intellectual

property, regulatory compliance, and any potential legal issues. This not only expedites the due diligence process but also presents the company in a positive light, instilling confidence in potential buyers.

FINANCE

❛❛ Due diligence

is a comprehensive examination of a company’s financial, operational, legal, and strategic aspects ❜❜

FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY

Financial transparency is paramount during due diligence. You will be expected to provide detailed financial analysis and projections as well as tax details. Although it is, of course, great to demonstrate consistent and healthy financial performance, it is not always possible. But you should at the very least be able to answer a comprehensive deep dive into your financial records, along with a clear understanding of financial drivers. Doing so can significantly enhances the perceived value of the company. This transparency builds trust and confidence in you which in turn increases the likelihood of a successful sale.

RISK MITIGATION

Identifying and addressing potential risks upfront is crucial in retaining value during a company sale. As a seller you should understand key risks before entering into negotiations, addressing issues such as legal liabilities, pending litigation, and compliance concerns. In recent years one of the biggest issues that we have seen is the use of tax mitigation schemes, that bar none, have all been unwound as part of the sales process. Proactively addressing these issues demonstrates a commitment to transparency and risk management, minimising the chances of surprises that could derail the sale.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY PROTECTION

For many companies, intellectual property (IP) is a significant driver of value. During due diligence, buyers often scrutinise the ownership, protection, and value of intellectual assets. You must ensure that all IP is properly documented, registered, and safeguarded if it is going to form a significant part of the value of your business.

EMPLOYEE RELATIONS AND KEY PERSONNEL

Similarly, the stability of supplier relationships and any associated risks should be addressed. A well-managed network of customer and supplier relationships enhances the perceived stability and sustainability of the business.

By proactively addressing these aspects via showcasing a positive company culture, employee satisfaction initiatives, and succession plans, you can make buyers comfortable that after you have received a big payday, their investment remains safe. However, be careful as to when you let employees know about a process as this could well unsettle them and derail the sale. If in doubt, wait until the ink is dry on the sale documents!

Successfully retaining value through a deal process requires a proactive and mostly collaborative approach during the due diligence process. By focusing on documentation, financial transparency, risk mitigation, intellectual pro p e r t y prote c tio n , e mploye e relations, and customer/supplier relationships, you can demonstrate that your business is an attractive investment.

The value of a company is closely tied to its human capital. During due diligence, potential buyers assess the quality of employee relations, talent retention, and the stability of key personnel.

CUSTOMER AND SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIPS

Maintaining strong relationships with customers and suppliers is integral to a company’s value. Sellers should be prepared to provide information on customer contracts, satisfaction levels, and retention strategies.

This not only maximises the value retained during the sale but also fosters a positive and collaborative relationship between buyers and sellers. In navigating the intricate landscape of due diligence, proactive preparation and a commitment to transparency are the keys to a successful and value-maximising company sale.

Michael Pay is co-founder of EMC Corporate Finance www.emcltd.co.uk

LEGAL

ARE EMPLOYEES CALLING THE SHOTS NOW? The dynamics of the employer-employee relationship have undergone a significant transformation in recent years, marked by a shift in employees increasingly calling the shots. The recent firing and re-hiring of Sam Altman, the Chief Executive of OpenAI, drew extensive media attention in November 2023, when employees threatened to leave in response to his departure. This highlighted the growing power of employees in influencing corporate decision-making. Whilst employees are becoming increasingly empowered, this could raise concerns about the challenge it can pose to the traditional workplace hierarchy and managing employees. So, has there been a seismic shift in the traditional relationship of ‘servant and master’ which underpins all contracts of employment? Pam Loch of Loch Associates Group unpicks this traditional dynamic

EMPLOYEES AS SERVANTS

The traditional employee-employer relationship positions employees as servants, bound by contracts stipulating their role and responsibilities, hours of work and payment for their personal service. Contracts of employment demand exclusivity, emphasising the subordinate nature of the employee, who is expected to devote their whole working time and attention to serve the needs of the employer. This underpins the hierarchical dynamic where employers hold significant control over the professional lives of employees.

EMPLOYEES AS MASTERS?: SAM ALTMAN AND OPEN AI

S a m A l t m a n’s d e p a r t u r e a n d s u b s e q u e n t re tu r n to O p e n A I exemplifies the changing power dynamics in the modern workplace. Altman was appointed as Chief Executive of OpenAI with a vision to lead the organisation to the forefront of AI innovation, whilst preserving the company’s position on ethical development. Altman’s ‘ability to corral support’ from his ‘ferocious ambition’ is labelled by The Financial Times as ‘The Sam Altman Effect’.

Under his leadership, OpenAI pursued groundbreaking projects, including the development of GPT-3, a language model used to generate humanlike text and comprehend complex language patterns. These systems are revolutionising the modern workplace and are being utilised to streamline processes such as recruitment – to source, screen, and interview candidates – in addition to providing round-theclock customer support. In November 2023, Altman was told he was being exited from OpenAI due to

a misalignment in strategy and failing to be ‘consistently candid in his communications’. The announcement shocked Silicon Valley, and uproar ensued as investors pushed for Altman’s return. Microsoft, a major investor in an OpenAI subsidiary, announced that it had hired Altman and OpenAI’s former President, Greg Brockman, to head up a new AI research unit. Over 600 of OpenAI’s employees signed a letter to the Board threatening to leave and join Microsoft’s research team unless Altman and Brockman were reinstated. The employees wrote: ‘We are unable to work for or with p e o ple that lac k c o mp ete n c e , judgement and care for our mission and employees’. OpenAI employees also began tweeting ‘OpenAI is nothing without its people’ with one AI researcher going as far to say that ‘Unless Sam and Greg are brought back, there will be no OpenAI left to govern’. OpenAI eventually responded, saying an agreement in principle had been reached for Altman’s return.

LEGAL AI, THE REAL FUTURE MASTER?

The integration of AI in the workplace introduces another dimension to the changing dynamics between employers and employees. As AI becomes more sophisticated, there is a concern that it may transition from being a subordinate tool to an autonomous master, with the potential for machines to operate beyond human control. The widespread use of AI in the workplace raises concerns regarding bias, discrimination in decision-making, failings in the accommodation for disabilities, and data privacy. The race for AI development also heightens concerns that safety testing efforts are outpaced by the competitive landscape, heightening the risk and potential consequences of creating systems that surpass their original programming, to become masters of their own decisions.

WHAT DO EMPLOYERS NEED TO CONSIDER?

STRIKING A BALANCE

The events that unfolded with Sam Altman and OpenAI reflect a shift fro m the traditional top - down decision-making model, illustrating the increasing impact of collective e mploye e voic es in c o r p o rate governance and management. The shifting dynamic from servant to master does not only involve a change in the balance of power, but also a shift to employees being given a voice to influence their employer’s decisions. This arguably can be seen with the impact of the #MeToo movement which has played an important role in reshaping the employer-employee relationship, giving voices to individuals to hold organisations accountable for fostering safe and inclusive work environments. This movement empowered employees to speak out against harassment and discrimination, compelling employers to reassess their internal policies and procedures, signalling a departure from the top - down approach to management.

The tight recruitment market has played its part in changing the dynamic between employers and employees. It has empowered individuals to set the agenda for what their roles and their salaries should be. The power of collective employee voices in single organisations has been instrumental in bringing about fundamental change in organisations and their culture. Scottish brewer BrewDog is an example of this. The business felt compelled to carry out an extensive culture review, following claims from their workers that they were ‘burnt out, afraid and miserable’. This prompted an injection of £9 million to strengthen HR resources and improve salaries and benefits. However, we have to keep in mind that people are no longer the only decision-makers in the modern workplace…

The employer-employee relationship has undeniably shifted, with employees increasingly influencing decisions that were traditionally reserved for employers. The Sam Altman saga at OpenAI serves as a powerful example of this shif t , highlighting the empowerment of employees in shaping organisational leadership. As the work landscape continues to adapt to accommodate flexible working arrangements, the #MeToo movement reinforces the ability for employees to drive change. To add to this, the integration of AI in the workplace introduces an additional layer of complexity in managing bias and discrimination, and the implications of the shif t in the employeremployee dynamic extending beyond human interactions. As we navigate these changes, it is crucial to strike a balance which empowers employers to foster a culture of transparency, fairness and inclusivity, while ensuring the responsible integration and management of AI in the workplace.

Pam Loch, Solicitor and Managing Director of Loch Associates Group www.lochassociates.co.uk

COHABITATION Is the current UK legislation in need of reform? Although couples in cohabiting relationships form part of the fastest-growing family type, many people are still under the impression that a mythical status of ‘common law spouse’ or a ‘common law marriage’ exists. Grant Parker, Partner & Head of Family at Mayo Wynne Baxter puts that myth to bed As part of Resolution’s Campaign for Change, the Annual Awareness Week 2023 focused on the need for reform of the law relating to cohabitees. Resolution found one in five families cohabit in England and Wales. This represents an increase of 23% in the past decade. A concerning 46% mistakenly believe that cohabiting couples are protected by ‘common law marriage,’ yet there is no such legal status. Resolution is a membership organisation for family law professionals

committed to working in a constructive way, has a membership of over 6,500 family justice professionals, and is at the forefront of campaigning for reforms to the family justice system. All members of the Mayo Wynne Baxter family team are members of Resolution.

46% mistakenly believe that ❛❛ cohabiting couples are protected by ‘common law marriage,’ yet there is no such legal status

❜❜

LEGAL

Our analysis has revealed that four out of five of the largest comparison websites make reference to a ‘common law spouse’ status, perpetuating the myth that such a relationship status exists and putting people at huge financial risk. MoneySuperMarket, Go.Compare, Compare the Market and Quote Zone, which between them have an estimated 22 million visits each month, allow users to select that they are in a ‘common law’ relationship, despite no such status being recognised in law. A significant proportion of cohabiting couples incorrectly believe their positions are similar to married couples, allowing them to make similar financial claims on the breakdown of their relationship. When married couples separate, the law that applies requires matrimonial assets to be divided fairly. When unmarried couples separate, even if they have children together and despite the length of their relationship, they do not have the same rights as a married couple. There is a real risk that cohabitees could make financial decisions based on their belief in an entirely mythical status and, in doing so, expose themselves to financial insecurity and even litigation.

Although change is happening within family law, ❛❛ and the introduction of No-Fault Divorce is evidence change can happen, it happens slowly An additional consideration would be a Declaration of Trust which sets out how property is held and in what shares. If purchasing a property together as a cohabiting couple and in unequal shares, a Declaration of Trust can record each person’s contribution; this could include if any contribution was made – such as a loan by one party’s parents – to assist with the purchase, this would ensure the loan would be repaid if there was a breakdown and the property was sold. Although formalising the arrangement by entering into an agreement might be an uncomfor table thought, it is important to consider all eventualities and arrange legal protection if something was to go wrong. It is a bit like having insurance, you hope you will not have to use it, but it is there should the worst happen.

❜❜

Ideally, the law should reflect modern life and family lawyers have campaigned for a number of years for the reform of the legislation which applies to cohabitants in order to achieve at least basic rights on relationship breakdown. The Law Commission recommended reform of this law in 2007 and there has been no action taken since by the Government. Although change is happening within family law, and the introduction of No-Fault Divorce is evidence change can happen, it happens slowly and, until it does, cohabiting couples should be aware there is no such thing as a ‘common law spouse’ and protect themselves accordingly – especially in respect of property ownership, pension rights and maintenance payments.

Marriage is not for everyone, and cohabiting can provide a financially practical option for many couples, especially as we contend with the costof-living crisis. However, it is vital that legal protection is put in place in case a relationship ends. A Cohabitation Agreement, which sets out what will happen to joint and separate assets in the event of a breakdown in a relationship, should be the top priority for all unmarried couples planning to move in together. It is especially important to have this agreement in place if the house is in one party’s name only or if children are involved, as protecting your wealth will provide security and help safeguard their future.

Grant Parker, Partner & Head of Family at Mayo Wynne Baxter gparker@mayowynnebaxter.co.uk www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk

LEGAL There is untapped scope for the South to become a major player in the energy transition discussion, according to international law firm Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD). By Sebastian Briggs and Joanna Beattie-Edwards

WITHIN ITS SIGHTS energy transition in the South The firm’s annual energy transition report has highlighted the biggest threats and opportunities faced by energy and utility firms as they work to move towards net zero targets. Showcasing the views of key decision makers including CEOs, chief financial officers, legal counsel and investors, a clear picture has been painted as to what still needs to be done to encourage further growth in a local and international capacity. Sebastian Briggs from WBD’s energy team in Southampton said: “There is no doubt the South is a key part of the puzzle to accelerating the transition to net zero due in part to the major trade and commercial hubs in Southampton and Portsmouth which connect the region to the wider UK and global economy. The hundreds of thousands of large vessel movements in the region make a significant contribution to the South being amongst the top 10 carbon emitting zones in the UK, so there is

vast potential to make rapid and positive steps in the energy transition movement.” Many early steps such as the creation of the Solent Cluster, which WBD is a member of, and focuses on driving for ward decarbonisation across industry, transport, and households, has marked a promising beginning. But according to the report, further action may be needed from authorities to encourage investment. While 56% of respondents are wanting to strengthen commitments to energy transition strategies, common hurdles have included a lack of governmental clarity and overall cost against economic impact. Sebastian said: “Many businesses looking to lead on energy transition projects are struggling with the lack of clear guidance or support from the UK Government, and its watering down of its own net zero policies earlier in the year is being seen as

an example of failing to encourage investment. “Many clients are unsure of the changing landscape of the sector and what can be possible within the South when it comes to the transition process, and they’ve been turning to our expertise and long-standing history in green energy to help them navigate through the challenges. “For the South in particular, some much-needed clarity might be enough to encourage more support in funding vital developments in the region which will be of benefit to not just the South itself, but the wider country due to its role as a major connection hub for Europe and the rest of the world.” While the firm, which has a nationally-recognised energy team based in its Southampton office, continues to advise clients on a significant number of decarbonisation and energy generation projects, the survey has indicated there is growing interest towards new markets for energy generation. Examining solar PV, onshore and offshore wind, and carbon, capture, usage and storage (CCUS) markets, the report highlighted a range of technologies which may be ripe for growth and investment over the coming years.

❛❛ According to the

report, both executives and investors believe commercial-scale carbon capture is not so far out of reach ❜❜ 62

LEGAL

❛❛ WBD’s energy team works with some

of the UK’s largest energy developers, generators, suppliers, and authorities ❜❜ While biofuel topped the list overall, executives were particularly interested in the potential of CCUS, energy efficiency improvements and utility scale energy storage, while investors were more keen to focus on electric vehicles, CO2 pipelines, and green hydrogen. According to the repor t , both executives and investors believe commercial-scale carbon capture is not so far out of reach, with 70% of respondents believing it will be attainable by 2040. Jo Beattie-Edwards, also in WBD’s Southampton energy team, said: “We are already seeing great strides amongst our clients in the development of newer technologies in the energy transition process, which highlights a very encouraging step in the right direction. “Our Southampton team advised our longstanding client RES, the world’s

largest independent renewable energy company on its recent green hydrogen joint venture, HYRO, with Octopus Energy Generation. Green hydrogen will play a key role in the energy transition – as a zero carbon fuel it can help many sectors in the net zero journey. “HYRO is working with Kimberly-Clark, the parent company of household brands like Andrex ®, Kleenex ® and Huggies ®, to swap gas for green hydrogen at their factories in Kent and Wales, to reduce emissions and boost energy security. “We are seeing an appetite out there for these types of projects across the UK, and as the South continues to grow in interest for investors and businesses, there is a significant scope for the region to quickly catch-up with areas like the North East as a national leader of the energy transition conversation.”

WBD’s energy team works with some of the UK’s largest energy developers, generators, suppliers, and authorities, including The Crown Estate, RES, Centrica and RWE. The firm has international experience in all aspects of the energy transition process, from planning, property, financing, M& A commercial and regulatory matter, as well as advising on energy disputes. Embedded in the communities it operates in across its 32 offices, including global energy hubs such as Houston and Newcastle, the firm provides worldwide knowledge on a local and regional scale.

To read the full energy transition report, please visit WBD’s website www.womblebonddickinson.com/ uk/insights/articles-and-briefings/ 2024-energy-transition-outlooksurvey-report www.womblebonddickinson.com

EDUCATION Debate surrounding the benefits of single-sex versus coeducation is by no means new, yet recent years have seen a marked shift towards the latter in independent schools throughout the country. By Caty Jacques, Deputy Head Pastoral

THE BALANCE OF MIXED GENDER EDUCATION Founded in 1849 as a boys’ school, Hurst College committed to coeducation in 1995 and is now proud to have an almost 50:50 boy-girl split. In Years 9-12, pupils are placed into singlesex houses, and enjoy a real sense of camaraderie within this initial ‘micro-community’. Pupils feel welcome and comfortable within their house environments, and it is from this safe space that they encounter a large range of pupils of all genders through lessons, games, and various other activities. In this way, the Hurst community resembles far more the real-world society that our pupils will enter upon leaving the College, by which time they will have developed key skills in communication, teamwork, and mutual respect of all genders. Throughout the year, houses often pair up for social events and there are inter-house competitions—including House Music, House Film, and Spor ts Day – during which all pupils compete with each other, irrespective of gender. This healthy, respectful competition becomes a key part of everyday Hurst life, and our pupils work together to boost each other’s confidence, motivation, and self-esteem.

By the time pupils finish Lower Sixth (Year 12), they move into a fully coeducational house – St John’s – where they each have their own study bedroom. Whilst the whole building is split into single -sex corridors, Upper Sixth ( Year 13) students share a larger common room and study spaces, and also enjoy weekly bar nights. Students benefit hugely from this civilising, sensible preparation for university, as well as the mutual support they provide each other throughout the EPQ process, UCAS personal statements, and A-level exams.

Around the College corridors, you will see plenty of mixing amongst pupils of different houses and year groups. Throughout the Senior School, friendships cut across both houses and years, and it is within a sociable, co-educational school environment that every pupil grows up with an appreciation for the equality of all genders, as well as an understanding that many gender stereotypes are inaccurate and harmful. Our pupils work continuously to maintain an open, inclusive College culture, and carry these principles with them into the wider world beyond Hurst.

The Hurst community ❛❛ resembles far more the real-world society that our pupils will enter upon leaving the College ❜❜ www.hppc.co.uk

IS YOUR BUSINESS LOOKING TO DEVELOP A NEW IDEA? We can help you address your innovation challenges by connecting you to world-class expertise, technology and facilities. If you are a small or medium-sized business looking for solutions to develop your next product or service, we would like to help. Register your interest today and we’ll be in touch. Once we agree a way forward, we may be able to draw down funding to support any resulting collaborations. So, whether you’re just getting started or already have an idea that you’d like to develop, please email us at collaborate@sussex.ac.uk

EVENTS

As the pages turn on the exhilarating chapter that was 2023 at Plumpton Racecourse, the resounding theme was undeniably ‘community’

Plumpton Racecourse

2023 IN REVIEW Nestled against the picturesque backdrop of the South Downs, Plumpton continues to prove that we are not just a racing venue but the heartbeat of the community we serve. From the thunderous gallops on the track to the joyous cheers in the stands, every race at Plumpton was a celebration of shared excitement. Racegoers came together uniting under the banner of racing passion, to watch established stars showcase their prowess and emerging talent leave an indelible mark. 2023 was a stage for local stars to shine; jockeys and trainers from the community etched their names into the Plumpton history book, creating a narrative that resonated deeply with the local community. Our groundstaff team, Marcus, Craig, Mac, Lewis and Ross were named Champion Groundstaff Team of the Year at the Racecourse Groundstaff Awards, culminating another year of excellence, with the judges commenting on their proactive and forward-thinking attitude and their exceptional work on the track. This accolade not only recognises their dedication but also underscores Plumpton’s dedication to excellence despite being one of the the smallest tracks in the country. Beyond the track, the commitment to being the heart of the community was exemplified through our unwavering support for local causes. Collaborations with local charities for numerous charity racedays proved that horse racing is not just a sport, but a platform to make a positive difference. A local parking initiative helped alleviate a

village issue, we handed out sandwiches from our abandoned raceday to the local foodbank and a collaboration with Plumpton Colleges Horticulture and Winery departments has helped both students and the racecourse. 2023 saw innovation embraced, with the addition of Amazon Alexa screens in private boxes, to further enhance the raceday experience, as well as providing an interactive app alongside Britbet and Raceday Ready, bringing the thrill of the track directly into the palms of racegoers, creating a dynamic and engaging environment. We extend gratitude to every jockey, trainer, horse, and supporter who contributed to making 2023 a year to remember. Here’s to more thrilling races, unforgettable moments, and the enduring spirit of Plumpton in the year ahead.

The anticipation for the upcoming year is palpable; with new challenges, the unwavering passion of the Plumpton community, and the introduction of premierisation (meaning more prize money and an even more exciting racing experience), 2024 promises to be another thrilling chapter in the rich legacy of our small course. Here’s to more thrilling races and unforgettable moments.

Find out more at www.plumptonracecourse.co.uk

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PEST CONTROL

By Paul Bates, MD, Cleankill Pest Control

Cleankill strikes Gold to start the year off on a high Cleankill Pest Control has started 2024 with a bang after being awarded the Gold Investors in People accreditation for an incredible third time. No other pest control company in England has retained the Gold accreditation three times, and Cleankill joins an elite group of businesses that have achieved the treble. Paul Bates, Managing Director of Cleankill Pest Control, said: “This is a wonderful achievement for a small business and we are all absolutely thrilled. It is testament to everyone’s commitment to our organisation, our management practices and our dedication to continuous improvement. “Investors in People Gold sets us apart from our competitors and also helps us attract new staff. It’s worth all the effort that goes into preparing for the assessment.” Investors in People Practitioner Esther O’Halloran added: “Congratulations to everyone at Cleankill for retaining Gold. In my report, I highlighted many positive things about the company but especially the transparent values which are at the heart of Cleankill. Management is transparent on what it expect from people and how they should behave and conduct themselves, not only with clients but with each other. “The way people treat each other and talk at work with each other is important to building the family culture, and Cleankill should be really proud of this. Everyone is conscious of Cleankill’s values and they have helped create a culture where everyone is actively involved in making sure the values are upheld. In addition, everyone in Cleankill takes enormous pride and ownership of their work and is focused on continu-

ously delivering high standards of service and an ethical sales approach.” In 2018, Cleankill became the first pest control company in England to be certified ‘Gold’ by Investors in People, and in 2021, following another intensive audit, retained the Gold status. The latest assessment confirmed that Cleankill had again attained the coveted Gold standard. Paul Bates went on to say: “We have been told that we have improved greatly, and are very close to Platinum status. This is an incredible achievement when we have gone from 46 to 61 staff in three years - a 32% increase in staff numbers.” Cleankill had a challenging start to 2023 but, after stepping up marketing, achieved record months in July, August and October 2023. Cleankill then won the Pest Control industry Company of the Year Award beating several of the industry’s large national companies and also the British Pest Control Association’s Most Sustainable Company Award. Investors in People is an organisation that assesses how businesses are performing against a standardised framework that encompasses employee engagement and communication, organisational culture and ways of working. Cleankill customers benefit

from staff who are enthusiastic, very professional, always try to exceed customer expectations and are committed to their employer. Cleankill’s staff are highly trained and offer an exceptionally fast and efficient level of service. The company holds ISO9001, ISO14001 and Altius Elite Vendor accreditations. Cleankill is also fully accredited to the Safecontractor, Constructionline and Achilles Health and Safety schemes and aims to be recognised as a market leader for innovation and new pest control techniques. Cleankill Pest Control is a member of the British Pest Control Association. The company has been providing pest control for commercial customers for more than 25 years using the most up-to-date technology available and the latest techniques to keep premises pest free.

For expert advice and a free survey contact Cleankill Pest Control on 020 8668 5477. www.cleankill.co.uk

ANGER MANAGEMENT

THE CALLOUS HEART OF GOVERNMENT By Maarten Hoffmann DISCLAIMER: All views stated here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this publication

No doubt many of you will have seen the ITV programme Mr Bates vs the Post Office and the ensuing mass media coverage. It tells the heartbreaking story of the over 700 sub-postmasters who were prosecuted with great malice and spite by the Post Office over discrepancies in their accounts, most showing losses that the sub - postmasters were contractually due to repay, regardless of whether they were at fault or not. Most were locked out of their premises, and their homes, without delay and then prosecuted with such viciousness it defies belief. I will not recant the story but suffice to say millions of viewers are furious and, at last, the backlash has begun. A few questions: Why oh why does it take a television programme to wake people up to a scandal that has been in the newspapers for over 20 years? Does this tell us about the average Joe’s consumption of newspapers and world news? It leads me to believe that the internet, with its ‘let me choose what l want to read’ attitude is leading people into a world of total ignorance, where they have opinions about everything and knowledge of nothing. Former Post Office CEO and Anglican Priest, Paula Vennells

The Post Office CEO during this outrage, Paula Vennells, was awarded a CBE in 2019 for services to the Post Office. Just imagine how that must have stung these poor people when they found out. Despite repeated requests, she refused to surrender this pathetic ‘honour’until 1.2 million people signed a petition and she sheepishly returned the gong. The lack of self-awareness here is astounding as she obviously had zero intention of returning it based on honour or morality but was forced to by the baying mob. Just to add a disgusting post script to this, she was, during this entire outrage, an Anglican priest! So she would preach all the good moral things to her flock on a Sunday and then lie, cheat and collude from Monday to Friday in her job. That tells you as much about the two-faced, pious attitude of the church

as it does about this woman. I guess we should not be too surprised as the church covered up and lied about paedophile priests for generations, and are hoarding billions of pounds whilst preaching to us to give to starving children. With the government desperately trying to get ahead of public opinion (read that as they would have done sweet FA if the programme had not have roused the public), they are now trying to grab back the £2.2 million she received as a departure gift for the fine work she did in the job! The creator of the faulty Horizon computer system that led to this outrage, Fujitsu, which has been totally silent on the matter, allowed a back door to be created in the system, thus allowing the company, under orders from the Post Office, to change the accounts of any branch without the knowledge of the sub Postmaster. The company and the entire board of the Post Office then lied through their teeth for over 20 years about this, constantly denying it and using their corporate muscle to silence anyone who dared to claim they were wrong. They lied directly to the faces of the victims, they lied in all legal documents, they lied in court – for over 20 years. For the first ten years of the scandal, the Post Office was owned by the Royal Mail Group; the CEO of which at the time was one Adam Crozier – no doubt

PHOTO: IT V

ANGER MANAGEMENT

So many of our public servants lie, cheat and ❛❛ defraud with the sole aim of lining their own

pockets, grabbing a gong and retiring in splendour

❜❜

soon to be Lord Adam Crozier! There has been much asked about why he did not appear anywhere in the TV programme, not a mention, not a reference, even though he was Vennells’ boss during this time and could have stopped this outrage in its tracks at anytime he saw fit. Did he know what was going on? Of course he did, but perish the thought that anyone in this disgusting debacle should do the right thing if it might affect the share price or their bonuses. Vennells was paid an annual salary of £4.5 million and an annual bonus of £2.2 million. Crozier was paid a total of £3.5 million plus a £1.5 million bonus and a £1.2 million pension pot. So why was Crozier so obviously left out of the programme made for ITV by ITV Studios? Guess who the CEO of ITV and ITV Studios, on a salary package of £8.4 million was? Yes, you guessed it, one Adam Crozier. It all just stinks. Of the 700 falsely prosecuted victims, 60 are dead; four committed suicide; over 100 were forced into bankruptcy; many are now divorced due to the strain; many were jailed; over 100 had to move and find new schools for

The ultimate owner of the Post Office is, of course, the UK government which equally could have stepped in at any time but instead, just turned their backs on the matter as an inconvenience that will go away. So many of our public servants lie, cheat and defraud with the sole aim of lining their own pockets, grabbing a gong and retiring in splendour. They seem to care little about the individual, about fairness, and about right and wrong and it is absolutely stomach churning.

Former Royal Mail CEO, Adam Crozier their children due to bullying over their parents ‘crimes’; 120 were blackmailed by the Post Office and forced to sign non-disclosure agreements in return for a measly few quid, and all have had their lives shattered, their reputations destroyed and their futures wrecked. Sadly, this all points to the current world we live in where individuals do not matter. We are just numbers. It’s a world where overblown salaries are paid to inept people and always linked to share deals where they are motivated to do anything in their power to protect the brand, and the share price.

You think this is an isolated case? You could not be more wrong as many we will never learn about due to gagging orders but the next in line – the tainted blood scandal. 26,800 people infected with NHS blood that contained Hepatitis C and HIV. For three decades, successive governments – of all colours – refused a public enquiry until 2017, by which time over 2,500 had died. Finally, some measly compensation was paid which, if infected in 1970, comes out to £42 per day! In both cases the revolting, callous attitude is to string it out and hope they die then we won’t have to pay anything. If this doesn’t make you ashamed to be a human being, nothing will.

LAGO DI BRACCIANO If the locals who live around Lake Bracciano in Italy realised that someone in England was writing a travel review about their home, they may not be too happy about it. By Alan Wares Lago di Bracciano (bratch-e-arno) is a lake of volcanic origin in the Italian region of Lazio, about 20 miles north west of Rome. It is, in geometric terms, almost circular, and 5.3 miles in diameter. There was once a magma chamber which collapsed, and created the depressed area now occupied by the lake. The lake itself serves as a drinking water reservoir for the city of Rome, so the use of motorboats is forbidden, making Bracciano one of the cleanest lakes in Italy. Sailing, canoeing and swimming are the aquatic recreational activities of choice for the locals. The whole area is the epitome of the term ‘an unspoiled area’. It’s not a frequent destination spot by any means – even for Romans; most autostradas encourage you to go thundering past the area, north from Rome towards Florence, Siena and the rest of Tuscany.

AROUND THE LAKE

There are three main towns on the shores of the lake - Bracciano, Trevignano Romano and Anguillara Sabazia. The largest town, Bracciano, made the headlines in 2006 when Tom Cruise and Katy Holmes got married in Castello Orsini-Odescalchi di Bracciano. It’s an amazing setting, with views high over the lake. However, it did peeve the locals a bit; they quite like their tranquillity. Castello Orsini-Odescalchi di Bracciano

We, however, stayed with friends in Trevignano Romano; a town with fewer inhabitants than the other two main towns. It does not even have a train station, so if you wish to visit, a car is a necessity.

TREVIGNANO ROMANO

The town’s lack of tourism is down to it largely being kept a secret – and the locals, somewhat selfishly, want to keep it that way. It is, however, more of a tourist destination town than Bracciano and Aguillara Sabazia, as it faces south on the north shore of the lake, enjoying a mild climate year-round. Trevignano Romano’s lakefront promenade, about a mile long and filled with shops and bistros, is one of the most pleasant places to spend time around Lake Bracciano. In fact, visiting here was less a holiday destination, more a mellow retreat for peaceful unwinding. There is a castle overlooking the town, built in 1200 by order of Pope Innocent III, though wars and subsequent earthquakes have reduced the structures to a state of poor repair.

TRAVEL

FOOD, DRINK AND MORE FOOD

Walking along the shoreline, it’s almost impossible not to stop at an ice cream parlour. Our favourite stopping off point – one of several – was Bar Sandro on the Via della Rena. There was an obscene number of home made ice cream and sorbets flavours, a madly hedonistic array of cream pastries and desserts, and superb chilled local wine – all served for you on the shore of the lake. Trevignano Romano on the shore of Lake Bracciano

You can explore most of the town in a few hours, but as this is a place where there is ‘nothing to do all day, and all day to do it in,’ revisiting the lakeside promenade was a very enticing, relaxing way of doing not much. Although two or three days here is plenty, we stayed for nine, taking in the scenery outside the town, including a night excursion into Rome. We also found relaxing by – and in – the lake to be a good idea. When we arrived, the area had just suffered 44ºC daytime heat. We thankfully escaped this and had to put up with mere 32ºC temperatures instead.

Once we’d had our afternoon fill of Prosecco, ice cream and bar snacks in the cooling shade of the plane trees on the lake’s shore, the next exercise was finding somewhere for an evening meal. We were recommended Osteria La Cantinella, occupying prime spot in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele III – the town’s main square.

❛❛ The town’s lack

of tourism is down to it largely being kept a secret – and the locals, somewhat selfishly, want to keep it that way ❜❜

This family-run restaurant serves classic Italian dishes* with all the customary flair and exuberance one would expect. The carbonara – a true Lazio dish – was off the scale, and the ice cream for dessert was, well… what do you think?

FURTHER AFIELD

Outside of the town, agriculture is rampant, with the surrounding countryside home to myriad olive trees, vineyards, tomato vines – anything to satisfy the larder of the most discerning foodie. The local wine is, naturally, wonderful, with the Cantine Capitani vineyard being the locals’ favourite. Tours and tastings are highly recommended. www.cantinecapitani.it Meanwhile, Rome is not too far away. Driving is a bad idea, so we suggest you head to Bracciano, and take the train for an hour’s journey through the Lazio countryside into the heart of the Eternal City.

GETTING THERE

There are many flights a day by many airlines from London Gatwick to Rome Fiumicino. Costs can be varied – anywhere between £200 and £400 return. We suggest hiring a car once you arrive in Italy.

ACCOMMODATION

GASTRONOMIC CAVEAT

* I say, ‘classic Italian dishes’. I had a conversation with our hosts about Italian parochialism when it comes to food. Whichever town, village, region or valley you go to, they are convinced that their way of cooking – the sauce, the pasta, the method – is the right way and only way. At least that is what I had thought. To my amazement, it was absolutely true. With this in mind, and with Roman cooking being the local speciality, I was so taken with how the carbonara was prepared, I’ve now taken to making guanciale – the bacon traditionally used in this dish, made from cured pig’s cheek – at home.

Luxury need not be your guide here. La Cupoletta Casa Vacanze - Magnolia, for example, in the town offers six nights in a double room for £1,130. And that’s as expensive as hotels get in high season. M e a nw h i l e , t h e r e a r e p l e n t y of two and three-star hotels to stay in, offering you change from £650 for a week’s stay, or entire holiday cabins are on offer if you wish to take your whole brood with you.

MOTORING

By Maarten Hoffmann, Platinum Motoring Editor

BENTLEY BENTAYGA A few years back, my heart sank at the inevitable news - premium manufacturers were all getting in on the booming SUV trend. “Please no, don’t do it,” I thought, “stick with what you do best and don’t jump on the tedious bandwagon…” I was to be sorely disappointed as now every single premium and supercar manufacturer has an SUV in their range, with the exception of McLaren – for

HARW OODS

now! Even Ferrari has just launched its Purosangue model. There are few l have not reviewed and, in the main, they have all made a pretty good fist of it – as long as we ignore the ugliest car on the market, the horrendous, vomit-inducing Rolls Royce Cullinan. But enough said about that barnacle. Therefore, it was with trepidation that the Bentley Bentayga landed on my

drive for review, as l dearly love the Bentley range and this SUV could throw a spanner in the works. My thoughts were positive, as the Bentayga made up almost half of all Bentley sales in the UK in 2019. Since its launch in 2015, it has sold very well. Here, l have the facelift version of that launch model, with over a thousand new parts – better looking after a slight facelift. A 20mm increase in the rear track greatly improves the Bentayga’s stance and tightens the handling. Bentley has also added cut-crystal to the headlights for even more sparkle and l have to say, on full beam these are some of the brightest and best headlights l have ever come across. They’re a little like the Jumbo Jet landing lights – they illuminate a huge range of roadway in front of you and on country roadsand on country roads, that’s really useful. This will never be a fleet-of-foot sports SUV due to its bulk but l was really impressed with its road presence, handling and sheer stance on the tarmac. There is endless, glorious power coming from the monster 542bhp W12 6-litre V12 twin-turbo engine and if

HA RWOO DS

you are slightly deranged (like me), you can go one better with the Speed model, delivering 626bhp and, as they say, if you have to ask about the miles per gallon, you can’t afford it! There are three power units available – this 6-litre W12 (shortly to be dropped), a twin-turbo 4-litre V8, a Hybrid 3-litre V6 and the mighty Speed. In my opinion, the 4-litre V8 is the one to go for. All offer four-wheel drive. The interior is gorgeous, hand-stitched leather seats, a beautiful Breitling clock, and Bentley has retained the classy silver pull knobs for the air vents; it’s a fabulous place to be, and Monaco and back would be a breeze.

I have the extended wheel base EWB with an extra 180mm of space that offers two luxurious seats in the back with legroom that goes on for ever, plus there’s a special place for the Champagne and two flute glasses but the regular model offers seven seats. The rear load space is cavernous. Bentley has done a great job with this car. It does everything you want, and always with great style and panache. There’s enough power that, no matter how many passengers you allow inside, it makes no different to the speed as there is plenty of power to overcome the extra weight and it is a joy to drive. In terms of competition (and l will not speak of the RR ugly duckling), l love the Lamborghini Urus, the Aston Martin DBX and the Range Rover but the first two miss the point as they are quite compact, and that really is not what you want from an SUV. The new Range Rover is sound but getting rather tired and long in the tooth now and the car park is stuffed with them. Therefore, the Bentayga sits in a class of its own in offering sheer luxury, acres of space and more power than you will

TECH STUFF MODEL TESTED: Bentayga W12 6-litre twin-turbo POWER: 600bhp SPEED: 0-62 - 4.5seconds TOP: 190 mph ECONOMY: 21 mpg PRICE FROM: £169,000 AS TESTED: £222,460

ever use. It starts at £164,000, which is reasonable for this standard of car. You can spec it up all the way past £300,000 if you really put your back into it. All in all, a great car that l could drive all day and all night.

• Bentley Hampshire Bramshaw New Forest SO43 7JF • Bentley Sussex London Road Pulborough RH20 1AR www.harwoods.co.uk/cars/bentley

The New All-Electric smart #1. Say hello to your convenient electromobility Fleet.

Picture is for illustration purposes only.

The smart #1 is an all-new generation of smart. With its surprisingly large cabin space, premium features and competitive TCO (Total Cost of Ownership), the smart #1 SUV is the perfect choice for your business. Leasing, warranty and maintenance costs up to 30,000 miles are included in the TCO. Plus, you’ll get three years of free maintenance and warranty with the Integrated Service Package – so there’s less for you to worry about already. The smart #1 could help to reduce your company’s CO2 footprint. And with a range of up to 273 miles (WLTP) and access to more than 360,000 charging points all across Europe, range anxiety is a thing of the past.

For more information, please scan the QR code or contact the team at Sandown smart on 0330 178 1801.

0330 178 1801 sandown-group.co.uk All pictures and illustrations are for information purposes only. Because of the production, colour differences of the ordered vehicle or equipments are possible. This means that deviations in the presentation, especially of the exterior and interior colours, cannot be ruled out. Optional extras and special equipments, that are displayed in images, are not automatically part of the offer. Delivered vehicles will be right-hand drive, even if left-hand drive is shown. All prices/rates include the value added tax (VAT) applicable at the time of delivery, unless otherwise stated. In particular, if you are logged in as a business customer, all prices/rates are always exclusive of VAT. The stated vehicle price is the On The Road price (including Delivery to your chosen smart agent, registration plates and new vehicle first registration fee). All price quotations refer to the prices/rates valid at the time of publication on the website. The details are non-binding, may vary by market and are subject to change without notice. The respective General Terms and Conditions of smart UK Automotive Ltd apply to all orders. The data on CO² emissions, electricity consumption and electric range were determined according to the prescribed measurement procedure and comply with Regulation (EU) 715/2007 as amended. The data do not refer to an individual vehicle and are not part of the offer, but serve solely for comparison purposes between different vehicle types. The values vary depending on the optional equipment selected. The ranges determined according to the standard WLTP cycle enable a comparison between manufacturers. They also include the measured range achieved through recuperation (energy recovery during braking). Individual driving style and behaviour, speed, acceleration behaviour, outside temperature, topography and the use of electric vehicles have an influence on the actual range and may reduce or even increase it under certain circumstances. The values were determined according to the prescribed EU measurement procedure. Depending on driving conditions, the value may deviate from the stated value. The charging time of the battery may vary depending on various conditions such as different ambient and battery temperatures, available power and other restrictions, as well as the use of the remote control function (e.g. remote controlled air conditioning, preheating of the vehicle, etc.). With a 7.4kW home wallbox you can charge from 10% to 80% SOC (State of Charge) in under 7.5 hours. Where a 22kW on-board charger is fitted, you can charge at this speed from 10% to 80% SOC in under 3 hours under optimal conditions. CAll interfaces of the vehicle and the app shown as well as all associated elements are still under development. In this respect, the content is solely for the purpose of showing the design and style. The actual functions and content are dependent on the products that ultimately appear on the market.

ISSUE #32

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR WOMEN

DYNAMIC FESTIVAL Early bird available

2024 Dynamic Awards are open

The new Surrey Network

Best ski resorts revealed

INs & OUTs of IP

Kathy Caton MBE THE SPIRIT OF BRIGHTON

CONTENTS

ISSUE 32

BIG STORY

The Spirit of Brighton

‘One of our own’, the founder of Brighton Gin, Kathy Caton, has been awarded an MBE in the King’s New Years Honours List. Here is her story

FEATURE

Surrey Research Park

The Surrey Women’s Entrepreneurship Network (SWEN) has been launched, marking a significant milestone in empowering women entrepreneurs

FEATURE

Intellectual copyright

If you have created something for you, your company, or a client, make sure you put all legal safeguards in place to protect your work

The fact that ‘attention seeking’ is still considered a slur says much about the role of women in public life, on every scale Laurie Penny

PLATINUM MEDIA GROUP

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25%

The increased likelihood of businesses with gender diverse executive teams having above average profitability

REGULARS EVENTS 2 The Dynamic Festival 2024 Announcing more keynote speakers at next year’s festival of business for women

News

8 Upfront: The top international news stories involving women in business 20 In The Right Direction: Good news stories from around the world

Feature

18 The Dynamic Awards 2024 The prestigious business awards for women returns for a third year in April

16 Creative Pod’s latest acquisition Crawley-based marketing agency, Creative Pod has taken over the Hove creative agency 2Upfront

Spotlight

23 Highlighting two female business leaders who ought to get more recognition that they currently receive

Health & Wellbeing

28 Give yourself better eye care as you see in the New Year

Further reading

30 Alison Grieve and Jenni Miller are leadership and team coaches, and co-authors of new book Leading Edge: Strategies for Developing & Sustaining High Performing Teams

Men still get a lot more opportunity. It is still a big part of the old boy network. They have more companies they can get money from Billie Jean King

Best ski resorts revealed

Tess de Klerk reveals the stats to help you choose your winter break

Art Scene

32 Kellie Miller discusses the works of Scottish ceramics artist Patricia Shone

Fine Dining

38 Fork in Lewes, focusing on traditional British cuisine

What’s On

40 A brief snapshot of art and culture across Sussex and Surrey

CONTACTS PUBLISHER: Maarten Hoffmann maarten@platinummediagroup.co.uk EDITOR: Tess de Klerk tess@platinummediagroup.co.uk MOTORING EDITOR: Fiona Shafer fionas@platinummediagroup.co.uk COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR: Lesley Alcock lesley@platinummediagroup.co.uk EVENTS DIRECTOR: Fiona Graves fiona@platinummediagroup.co.uk EVENTS MANAGER: Žaneta Bealing zaneta@platinummediagroup.co.uk HEAD OF DESIGN: Michelle Shakesby design@platinummediagroup.co.uk SUB EDITOR: Alan Wares alan@platinummediagroup.co.uk

WWW.PLATINUMMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

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EDITOR’S NOTE We have big plans for Dynamic in 2024; plans to bring you more business content and more opportunities to connect within the wider business community, with the fabulous Dynamic Awards and the all-new Dynamic Festival in April being two of the highlights we are very much looking forward to. We will, of course, continue to shine our light on the many women who contribute so much not only to business, but to our society as a whole – with their passion, vision and determination. With that, we give a big congratulatory shoutout to Kathy Caton, who has been made an MBE, in our Big Story this month. In Spotlight, we bring you the inspiring Emma Lane from Positive Momentum and Kirsty Wilson, partner at Knill James, who have both put their stamps on their respective industries. Plus, read all about the launch of the Surrey Women’s Entrepreneurs Network, a collaboration launched with the intent of empowering women in business. Our regular features include wisdom for better eye health in Health & Wellbeing, and statistics in Travel may be helpful when deciding where to go skiing this season. I hope that you enjoy this month’s Dynamic Magazine – we have enjoyed creating it for you.

Editor, Dynamic Magazine tess@platinummediagroup.co.uk

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MORE FIRMS OFFER MENOPAUSE SUPPORT A ﬂagship subject reported on many times in Dynamic; more senior women are starting to speak up about what can be a taboo experience of going through menopause. In a recent analysis of policies at more than 500 companies across the United States, 15% of employers said they offer or plan to offer menopause benefits in 2024. That’s up from just 4% in 2023. A growing number of employers are offering or planning to introduce specific menopause benefits for their staff, keen to reduce the $26.6 billion cost to the US economy each year related to employees managing menopause symptoms, including $1.8 billion due to lost productivity and billions more in health expenses.

UPFRONT THE LATEST BULLETINS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

DYNAMIC GONGS Among the many deserving recipients in the King’s New Year’s Honours List 2024, Dynamic Magazine wishes to focus on two women, familiar to this parish, for their awards. Kathy Caton, founder and Managing Director of Brighton Gin, received an MBE ‘for services to Trade and to the community in Brighton.’ Meanwhile, Rachel Watkyn, founder and Managing Director of Tiny Box Company in Uckfield has been awarded an OBE ‘for services to sustainability, to ethical business growth and to exports.’ See what happens when you’ve been featured in Spotlight over the past few months! All of us at Dynamic Magazine offer our heartiest congratulations on their well-deserved awards.

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You don’t have to be pretty. You don’t owe prettiness to anyone. Prettiness is not a rent you pay for occupying a space marked ‘female’ Erin McKean

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Kathy Caton MBE

Rachel Watkyn OBE

LACK OF WOMEN IN FTSE100 CEO TALENT POOL Research by the 25x25 initiative, a campaign group tackling the lack of UK female senior executives, found that women make up just 19% of FTSE100 divisional heads – the stepping stone position that 44% of FTSE CEOs previously held. This is indicative of a lack of women in positions from which FTSE100 CEOs are normally recruited. Currently, there are only nine female FTSE100 CEOs, (9%); substantially lower than 35% of MPs, and 42% of judges that are women. “Executive gender balance is a great indicator of how robust an organisation’s succession and talent planning is, because women account for almost half the working population,” said Tara Cemlyn-Jones, chief executive of 25x25.

LET’S DO HER BIZ PROGRAMME A ‘virtual’ women’s startup programme has returned to support aspiring female entrepreneurs in East Sussex and Kent. Her Biz is designed specifically to encourage more women to start a business. A spokesperson for Let’s Do Business Group, which is promoting the programme said: “To increase female entrepreneurship locally, we are offering women living in East Sussex and Kent a fantastic opportunity to come together to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to launch a successful business. The next rounds of the programme are on Friday, January 19th at 10am and Friday, February 9th at 12:30pm. www.letsdobusinessgroup.co.uk/events/her-biz-virtualworkshops-kylzz

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Our mission is to take The Spirit of Brighton to the world with a focus on sustainable and ethical production Kathy Caton MBE

SUSSEX NETWORKING CLUB LOOKING FOR NEW MEMBERS The Corporate Ladies Club (CLC), an initiative by West Sussexbased charity Dementia Support, is calling for local women in business to make networking their top New Year’s resolution, while helping to make workplaces more dementia friendly. Launched in Tangmere, West Sussex in April 2023, CLC was created to bring local businesswomen together for peer-to-peer support and inspiration, while raising funds for Dementia Support and educating businesses on the need to be dementia aware. Dianne Gill, Fundraising Relationships Manager at Dementia Support, said, “The feedback from our events has been consistently positive and we’d like to encourage more women in business to make networking a New Year’s resolution and sign up.“

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Of course I am not worried about intimidating men. The type of man who will be intimidated by me is exactly the type of man I have no interest in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

NEW CHAIR OF WOMEN’S BUSINESS COUNCIL Mary Mcleod, CEO of Business in the Community will lead the Women’s Business Council (WBC), a government body set up to empower women at work. Macleod was appointed as chair of the WBC by the Minister for Women and Equalities, Kemi Badenoch MP, and the Minister for Women, Maria Caulfield MP, and will lead a team of expert business leaders to enable women from all walks of life to thrive in the workplace.

Kemi Badenoch MP

Since its inception in 2012, the WBC has been instrumental in initiatives to help with the cost of childcare, offer more ﬂexibility in the workplace, and encourage women to start up their own businesses. The Council will look to make further progress on these key issues, whilst tackling a range of other barriers to women’s success.

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STORY BIG

Kathy Caton

THE SPIRIT OF BRIGHTON MBE Brighton Gin Founder and Managing Director Kathy Caton has been made an MBE in the King’s New Year Honours List 2024. Dynamic chronicles ‘one of our own’...

athy’s award is ‘for services to Trade, and to the Community in Brighton’. Everything about her and her product screams exactly what it says on the bottle - Brighton and gin. From the turquoise merchandising (picking up from the town’s iconic seafront railings colour), to the proud statement which can be read on every bottle (you’ll have to buy one if you want to know what it says), to the crafted love behind her favourite spirit. To Kathy Caton MBE, it all encapsulates ‘The Spirit of Brighton’. Kathy told Dynamic Magazine upon the announcement of the award, “I am absolutely blown away - and genuinely humbled - to have been put forward for the MBE. I’m particularly touched by the kind things that people have had to say about the role of Brighton Gin in the local community, championing diversity in the workplace, and our efforts to start a new industry for Brighton despite all the trials and challenges of recent years. “I’m really proud too that the citation recognises the radio

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and LGBTQ+ activism side of my life. It’s been quite overwhelming and I’m just getting my head around it! I’m going to mark the occasion with a hefty Seaside Strength Brighton Gin and Tonic (possibly two).” Her colleagues at Brighton Gin said, “What an achievement, and we are so happy for her to receive this amazing recognition – it’s been a very turbulent 12 years with Brighton Gin and Kathy has been tireless (despite being very tired), kind, engaged, resilient and strong-willed. We are honoured to work for such an inspiring person. “It’s been a particularly tough year for us and we are so grateful to still be here, and this is just a lovely way of ending 2023. Onwards now into 2024! PS. Thank you to the people who nominated Kathy, you know who you are.”

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STORY BIG

❛❛

We are over the moon that Kathy has been recognised for all the extraordinary work she has put in – not only to the Brighton Spirits Company but the wider community too. 2023 was a particularly challenging year, so it’s wonderful to celebrate such an achievement as we enter 2024. Here’s to a fantastic year ahead for everyone! Ellie Dobing, Director, Brighton Gin

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A MOMENT OF CLARITY

With the launch of Brighton Gin, Kathy’s ‘moment of clarity’ happened in 2011. “I went out for a morning run along Brighton seafront following a night of gin-drinking with friends – I knew that if I’d been drinking whisky or wine, I wouldn’t have been running! It was then that I had my lightbulb moment. Brighton needed its own gin! After all, gin is the one drink that lets you getaway with it and Brighton is the place that gets away with it on a frequent basis!” “I started working on the concept of Brighton Gin round my kitchen table in 2011. I told a few friends about my idea and they laughed, declaring; ‘if anyone was going to do it, it would be you’. It was those friends, one a laser physicist, that stayed up with me throughout the night, recipe tasting and experimenting in one small copper still on the kitchen stove.” Brighton Gin launched in 2013 and, as with many success stories, did so after what eventually became, “months of experimentation with different ingredients, combinations, distilling techniques and approaches and more than one or two accidents along the way – but we lived to tell the tale!” 12

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Arguably the company’s biggest breakthrough moment came very early on as the result of ambitious persuasion for Harvey Nichols to stock the products. Having such an esteemed retailer on board was only ever going to send Brighton Gin in one direction. The product, still following the same recipe, as well as the same ethical production values since its first days is nowadays near omnipresent around Sussex pubs, supermarkets regionally and, in many cases, nationally. Brighton Gin is also available in myriad shops and bars overseas including Australia, New Zealand, western Europe and other places the team are fond of visiting! In 2022, Kathy became a director of the Gin Guild, a trade body for gin distillers and distributors; something she considers an immense honour. Brighton Gin also supports LGBTQ+ charities, and releases an exclusive, limited edition version of its Gin for Pride each year. And, for every bottle sold, the company donates to the Rainbow Fund, a grant-giving organisation which fundraises for various LGBTQ+ and HIV+ groups throughout Brighton & Hove.

KATHY CATON IN HER OWN WORDS

A Brighton obsessive with a passion for good food, booze, arts, culture and community. When not making gin and/ or waxing lyrical about it, I can be found broadcasting and podcasting on all things LGBTQ+ on BBC Local Radio across the South and South East and nationwide on BBC Sounds. Occasionally an events compere, and more frequently a public speaker on gin, building an ethical business, women in business, the importance of community and the like!

❛❛ As the home of one of our largest oﬃces and regional energy tariﬀs, Brighton holds a special place in our hearts. We are thrilled, therefore, to be powering the distillation of Brighton Gin with locally sourced, 100% renewable energy – a fantastic homegrown business whose local, sustainable objectives truly align with ours Zoisa Walton, CEO, Octopus Energy for Business

I am very much indebted to ‘the Award-Winning Kathy Caton’ (as the bosses at RadioReverb teasingly insisted we call her) for the time she patiently spent teaching me how to organise and run a radio show, both as a presenter and a producer – often performing both tasks live on air!

PHOTO: BBC SUSSEX RADIO

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ON MY RADIO

It’s not just gin that Kathy is appreciated for in the city of Brighton & Hove, though. For over 15 years, she has worked in radio, initially in production at BBC Radio 4, then hosting radio programmes on BBC Sussex, BBC Surrey, BBC Sounds and RadioReverb 97.2FM, community radio for Brighton & Hove. Until recently, Kathy hosted her own programme on RadioReverb, the highly influential ‘Out In Brighton’ - a show whose title is a play on words, broadcasting what’s on and interviews within the LGBTQ+ scene in arguably England’s most tolerant and progressive city for gay rights. This show subsequently transferred to the BBC, and changed its name to ‘Out With Kathy,’ and is now available to listen to on the Sounds app. The Rainbow List (called the Pink List until 2014) is a list of the most influential openly LGBTQ+ individuals in the UK, published annually in The Independent on Sunday. The list recognises individuals in public life who are openly gay, but have since grown to “…honour those who have long and brave histories of standing up for equal rights” It’s a list Kathy has found herself on, on more than one occasion, especially in 2014, where she rose to No.45 on the list. Her ‘Out In Brighton’ show itself also won many awards, including at the National Diversity Awards. At the time of broadcast, it was Podomatic’s No.1 rated LGBTQ+ podcast with listeners in over 40 countries.

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Kathy has been a ﬁxture on the Brighton scene for many years with Brighton Gin but her work in so many other areas really makes a diﬀerence to so many people. Huge congrats on the honour Kathy, well deserved. Maarten Hoffmann, CEO, Platinum Media Group

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ON A PERSONAL NOTE

My co-presenter and I took over The Albion Roar, an hour-long, footballbased radio show in 2010, Kathy taught us how to use the equipment properly, how to conduct an interview, how to time each show, and everything else - all in a professional and patient manner I shall always appreciate. Kathy made it easy for us. When I saw her name on the honours list, I sent her the same message that I always did when I saw her collect yet another award “... the privilege is just in knowing you...!” Congratulations, Kathy Caton MBE! Alan Wares Platinum Magazine writer and presenter, RadioReverb

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I am absolutely thrilled that Kathy has been recognised. She is a brilliant businesswoman, a role model to many and a genuinely warm and kind person Nigel Lambe, CEO, Sussex Innovation

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IN OTHER WORDS

Kathy’s experience as a successful businessperson, combined with her time at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London, and her expertise as a radio presenter and interviewer has seen her move into business and motivational public speaking - a role she has taken to like a tonic to gin. All of us at Dynamic Magazine are thrilled for Kathy’s MBE award. It’s fully deserved, as Kathy is an amazing asset to the city, to the business community, and one of the finest people anyone could meet. Just the Damehood left to go then, Kathy! www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

BUSINES S

December 2023 saw the launch of the Surrey Women’s Entrepreneurship Network (SWEN), marking a significant milestone in empowering women entrepreneurs in the Surrey innovation ecosystem

INTRODUCING..

THE SURREY WOMEN’S ENTREPRENEURSHIP NETWORK The SWEN’s launch event, with a focus on Women in Sustainability and Social Impact, attracted a diverse audience of aspiring and established women entrepreneurs, plus a number of both men and women investors and other professionals with corporate experience. The event provided a platform for networking and inspiration, creating an environment where women said they felt “brave” and able to be their authentic selves. By bringing together like-minded individuals with a commitment to both supporting and pursuing women’s entrepreneurship, SWEN aims to narrow the gender gap in entrepreneurship and empower women to establish and scale successful ventures. At the vibrant launch event the audience listened to a keynote by Nathalie Hinds and Professor Monique Raats of the Institute for Sustainability on “Three Powerful Words,” hearing how the combination of women and networks in entrepreneurship can create great impact. Examples were given of women regionally and internationally achieving great things. Following on, panel discussions offered valuable insights and expertise on the challenges of raising finance within sustainability and social impact areas of business, the importance of women’s networks in improving opportunities

for women entrepreneurs and the value such networks can add to both women founders who are just starting out and those who are looking to grow. Panellists Susannah McClintock, investor with Clean Growth Fund; Alison Callwood, CEO and founder of tech start-up Sammi-Select; and Venture Capitalist at CPI Enterprises, Matthew McCann, discussed funding and investment in depth, sharing their tips about finding the right investor match and sourcing alternative funding opportunities such as public grants. Tobi Eyinade, Shelley ColemanMarsh and Fiona Sweny shared their personal journeys as women founders, highlighting their huge wealth of collective experience, some challenges of entrepreneurship and the importance of finding the male allies around you. The event was closed with inspiring words from Kathy Slack OBE, urging those in the room to continue to build on the momentum of the occasion and to ensure that they took action to spread to word of the network and help it grow. Attendees had the chance to connect with fellow entrepreneurs, potential mentors, and investors. Such connections will provide the beginnings of a strong support system fostering collaborations that can lead

SWEN aims to narrow the gender gap in entrepreneurship and empower women to establish and scale successful ventures

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to business growth and demystify the world of investment and fundraising. Kat Mack, co-founder of the SWEN says, “The launch event of the SWEN was a wonderful opportunity to spotlight some of the amazing players we already have in our innovation-focussed networks, and to place an open call to those who want to be part of a vibrant community that supports equity for women in the entrepreneurship space. “It’s important going forward that we, as a network, respond to the needs of our members and that we put in place measures to track growth and development within the community which will ensure effectiveness of our efforts to create an environment where women entrepreneurs thrive.”

FUTURE PLANS AND COMMITMENT

To further empower women entrepreneurs, SWEN plans to organise a series of workshops and skill-building sessions based on the findings of audience engagement and other research with women entrepreneurs locally. Sessions will cover a wide range of topics, including investor-readiness, marketing strategies, financial management, and leadership development. By equipping women with the necessary skills and knowledge, SWEN aims to enhance their chances of success in the competitive business landscape where women-led businesses are booming in number but still disproportionally under-funded by equity investment.

Director of Surrey Innovation District, Caroline Fleming, who oversees the Surrey Research Park and local innovation ecosystem says, “The launch of the Surrey Women’s Entrepreneurship Network has marked a significant stepchange in empowering women entrepreneurs in the Surrey community. “We know there is a huge amount of potential value that women-led businesses can add to the economy. Through the SWEN’s commitment to providing better access to information and support, we envisage our region will become a thriving hotspot for women’s entrepreneurship, with all the benefits to society that brings. As SWEN continues to expand its reach and impact, it is poised to play a pivotal role in driving the success of women entrepreneurs in Surrey and beyond.” You can find out more and join the SWEN at https://surrey-research-park.com/ surrey-womens-entrepreneurship-network

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BUSINES S

Award-winning marketing agency Creative Pod has acquired established design agency 2UpFront of Hove

Creative Pod’s

LATEST ACQUISITION

Megan Goober, Account Manager and Ian Highland, Creative Director will be joining Creative Pod

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Creative Pod has now taken on 2UpFront’s clientele, and has seen the addition of two talented professionals to its growing team; Ian Highland is joining Creative Pod as a Senior Designer, and Megan Godber as an Account Manager. Matt Turner, the CEO of Creative Pod, said, “This 2UpFront primarily focuses on providing digital design, acquisition marks a significant milestone in Creative Pod’s journey. In the last couple of years, we have progressed from print, and branding. Over 15 years, it has built a loyal being a small agency, to a medium-sized one. With this we client base, with household names, including the have seen continued growth and commitment from the team British Heart Foundation, The Salvation Army and the RSPCA. As part of this in delivering Michelin-star marketing merger, Creative Pod will now offer solutions to our clients in the Southeast an even more comprehensive range and beyond. We’re thrilled to welcome of services, covering all aspects of Meg and Ian to the team and look branding, design, marketing and forward to working with their client strategy under one roof and for a fi xed base” monthly fee. Creative Pod was established in 2006 Nick York, Founder and CEO of by Turner and, along with a growing 2UpFront, said: It’s been an absoteam, has been working hard to provide lute pleasure getting this deal over the full-service creative design, website and Nick York, 2UpFront founder line with Matt. I honestly don’t think marketing for a whole host of clients. I could have found a better and more Now an award-winning agency, Creative Pod specialises in everything from branding to digital plus suitable agency to look after my staff and clients, allowing me to enjoy pastures new. Thank you!”. social to PR and outreach, email marketing to SEO. The latest acquisition joins a string of successful mergers and acquisitions for Creative Pod, who acquired Huga Digital Marketing agency, in 2020 and invested in SEO agency, 427 and commercial fit-out company, Spacelink in 2020/21.

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It’s been an absolute pleasure getting this deal over the line with Matt

If you would like to work with Creative Pod and learn more about their services, please visit their website and get in touch www.creativepod.uk.com

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Creative Pod has been appointed as the digital marketing agency for the Dynamic Festival and Sussex Tech Week and we look forward to working with Matt and the team. Maarten Hoﬀmann, CEO, Platinum Media Group

Matt Turner CEO of Creative Pod

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NE WS

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Now that I’ve matured, I’ve realised that what’s really important is the work, not what people think of me Jane Lynch, Comedian

NATIONS ERADICATE DEBILITATING AND FATAL DISEASES In a hailed “monumental achievement,” Bangladesh became the first country to eradicate visceral leishmaniasis – a life-threatening illness caused by a parasite – as a public health concern. Adding to the roster of public health successes, Iraq joined the ranks as the 17th country to eliminate trachoma, the leading cause of infectious blindness globally. Belize was declared malaria-free by the World Health Organisation in July. Simultaneously, nations sanctioned a new malaria vaccine, believed to provide up to 80% protection against the disease. Experts anticipate that this vaccine could annually save thousands of lives, particularly those of children.

IN THE RIGHT

DIRECTION

As we start the New Year, we can look back on 2023 and be encouraged by much of what people achieved to make our planet a better place

AMAZON DEFORESTATION DECREASED The Brazilian government reported a 33.6% decrease in Amazon deforestation from January to June 2023. This decline took place during President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s first six months in oﬃce; Lula had vowed during his campaign to curb illegal logging and reverse the trend of environmental destruction. This was after four years of previous President Jair Bolsonaro’s escalating deforestation and environmental damage in the country. While 4,000 sq.km faced deforestation the first half of 2022, the same period in 2023 recorded a scaled-back threat of 2,650 sq.km.

BREAKTHROUGHS IN CANCER TREATMENT AND DIAGNOSIS In 2023, significant strides were made in cancer treatment. A groundbreaking cervical cancer treatment, using inexpensive existing drugs, was hailed as the most significant advancement in outcomes for this disease in over two decades. Scientists achieved a breakthrough in prostate cancer treatment, and England approved a drug proven to prevent breast cancer. Researchers at University College London developed a “cancertargeting guided missile” using ‘clink chemistry,’ emerging as a potential powerful tool against cancer in the future. Progress in cancer diagnosis was also evident, with a 10-minute MRI scan for prostate cancer proving more reliable than existing blood tests. Additionally, England’s mobile ‘lung trucks’ enhanced early lung cancer diagnosis in deprived communities.

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LOSS AND DAMAGE FUND APPROVED Although there were some disappointments at COP28, approval was granted for a historical loss and damage fund designed to aid vulnerable communities and developing countries grappling with the aftermath of climate disasters.

THE ‘HOLY GRAIL’ OF ENERGY DREW NEARER In 2023, the possibility of nearly limitless clean energy took a significant step forward as scientists achieved ‘ignition’ in nuclear fusion, producing more energy than inputted. Fusion involves harnessing the heat generated by merging atoms, distinct from fission’s atom splitting used in current nuclear power plants. Fusion carries no risk of a chain reaction meltdown and produces no hazardous radioactive waste. This marked the second successful ignition by scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. Dr. Robbie Scott from the UK’s Science and Technology Facilities Council, closely collaborating with the Livermore team, noted that repeating the experiment aﬃrmed an understanding of its underlying physics. He stated, “Now we can proceed to enhance it with the ultimate goal of generating electricity through fusion.”

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I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet Mohandas ‘Mahatma’ Gandhi

According to Reuters, the host nation UAE committed $100 million, with Germany matching the contribution, while Italy and France pledged over $108 million. The United Kingdom committed a minimum of $51 million. Notably, the United States and China, despite being the world’s largest emitters, provided comparatively smaller amounts, contributing $17.5 million and $10 million, respectively. The president of COP28, Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, remarked on the unprecedented speed at which the world collaborated to operationalise the fund within one year since it was agreed upon in Sharm El Sheikh.

A NEW ERA OF ALZHEIMER’S TREATMENT STARTED Two drugs, Donanemab and Lecanemab, brought cause for optimism as they were shown to decelerate Alzheimer’s progression by clearing amyloid protein accumulation in patients’ brains. While trials suggest a slowdown in cognitive decline, they fall short of fully arresting the disease. Although not a cure, these drugs slow disease progression, affording patients undergoing treatment valuable additional months of quality time with loved ones. The approval by the US Food & Drug Administration led Alzheimer’s Association President and CEO Joanne Pike, to comment, “This treatment gives people in the early stages more time to maintain their independence and do the things they love.” UK approval is expected in 2024. It will be a pivotal moment in addressing a condition projected to impact 1.7 million Britons by 2040. Dr. Susan Kohlhaas, Executive Director of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, stated, “We’re on the brink of a first generation of treatments for Alzheimer’s, deemed impossible a decade ago.” www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

Guiding you to a brighter future In a continually evolving world we help all generations embrace change through trusted advice, support and guidance. Our passion for continued improvement ensures that we work to understand your goals, support and advise you on your journey and help you to realise your ambitions. #GuidingYouToABrighterFuture For more than accountancy, business and wealth advice. Call: +44 (0)33 0124 1399 Email: enquiries@krestonreeves.com Visit: www.krestonreeves.com/shapingyourfuture

In our exclusive Spotlight feature, we highlight women who are doing good things in their community. They’re not always seen but we think they should be.

SPOTLIGH T Kirsty Wilson A trailblazing force in corporate finance, Kirsty Wilson embodies resilience, passion, and unwavering determination in this male-dominated sector Kirsty’s journey is more than just a list of achievements – it’s an inspirational narrative challenging the norm. Kirsty began her career as a chartered accountant with Vantis plc, and quickly developed a passion for corporate finance. Since joining Knill James in 2007, she has transformed its fledgling corporate finance team into a multi-award-winning department. Kirsty’s proudest achievement to date is her appointment as Knill James’s first female Corporate Finance Partner in 2022. Accolades like Corporate Finance Adviser of the Year and the Dynamic Financial Services Award in 2023 demonstrate that gender is no longer a determinant of excellence in this field. Reflecting on her success, Kirsty says, “I see these awards as a chance to raise the profile of women in the world of finance and increase opportunities for others.” Balancing the demands of a complex transaction with being a mother of two poses challenges. Kirsty acknowledges, “My children are my number one priority and there’s no denying it can be tough. When a deal is nearing completion, you sometimes have to pull all-nighters,

but Knill James has always believed in me and offered flexibility and support, enabling me to be committed to both my family and my career.” Looking forward, Kirsty is an enthusiastic advocate for breaking down barriers for women in corporate finance. She is the first female chair-designate of the UK200Group Corporate Finance Panel, and, by speaking at conferences and through her mentorship within Knill James, Kirsty is working to improve female representation in the corporate finance arena, both nationally and locally. As well as being a personal triumph, Kirsty’s story is a beacon of inspiration, challenging stereotypes and paving the way for others in a traditionally male-dominated landscape. www.knilljames.co.uk

Looking forward, Kirsty is an enthusiastic advocate for breaking down barriers for women in corporate ﬁnance www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

SPOTLIGHT

Emma Lane Emma is a proud partner at Positive Momentum, a business consultancy firm with B-Corp status

After over 20 years in banking, I have decided to turn my hand to consulting. My experience from working with many different businesses over the years has given me a very pragmatic view on how businesses can be successful. I’ve seen first hand how strongly run businesses thrive, and poorly-led businesses decline. It fascinates me how even household names, globally recognised brands, are unaware of the sigmoid curve and how to ride the wave of success, ensuring they are looking to the future, mindful of the headwinds. My experience of having financed countless growth projects, acquisition transactions, and general funding requirements gives me real life experience. For many years, I’ve been used to constructively challenging businesses and taking a no-nonsense approach to current issues, particularly supporting businesses through challenging times. I understand businesses’ day-to-day issues because I’ve lived them. I am not a career consultant – I have had a life! The business world is full of theorists and academics offering intelligently articulated ideas that seem as if they might resolve a multitude of problems. As a Positive Momentum Consultant, I absorb as many of these as possible, especially the stuff that has gained popularity, traction and maybe even delivered value in the real world of business. However, while we are not wedded to any of them, I will promise to apply a no-nonsense philtre to everything we do, and always remember how diﬃcult it is to run a business in the actual real world. Our job is to make our clients lives better not perfect. Nowadays, you can usually find me working with clients to help shape their strategy and make it work for them. For example, I am working with a local law firm who needed to focus on growth, but were having diﬃculty persuading the fee earners that business development was a necessary evil! 24

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You can usually find me working with clients to help shape their strategy and make it work for them This is achieved by working with clients who were having diﬃculty getting colleagues back into the oﬃce, really understanding what the benefits to that business were and making sure everyone was clear on the purpose. I am also assisting another client with their under performing B2B sales team. As a consultant associating with a business that has ‘Positive’ in its name is important to me. I am an optimist; I recognise when things aren’t going well and work with clients to make it better. I have extensive experience in delivering sales models, methodology and techniques into major corporations including Barclays and Lloyds, and I have direct experience in leading sales in such organisations. I use my own experience of leading successful sales organisations and understanding of the models, methods and techniques that can be adapted to meet client specific needs. Away from work, I have three active children, three very active horses, three even more active dogs and a wonderful husband who keeps us all grounded. We live in the countryside, and outdoors and nature mean the world to us. It means we can usually be found doing something energetic, whether that is riding, playing golf, rugby or open water swimming. www.positivemomentum.com

FE ATURE

Following the news of the expiration of the Mickey Mouse ‘Steamboat Willie’ copyright after 95 years, the early version of the character is set to soon be in the public domain and can be used by non-Disney creators. Protecting intellectual property (IP) should be a high priority for businesses and individuals who own IP, as the unauthorised use of its IP can be a serious threat to a company’s success, profitability and future. Pete Konieczko-Hansom, Head of IP law at Blacks Solicitors shares his advice on key ways businesses can protect their intellectual property.

INTELLECTUAL COPYRIGHT

UNLOCKING THE VALUE OF OUR IDEAS – WHAT REALLY IS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY?

In today’s dynamic, diverse and competitive business landscape, safeguarding your innovative ideas and creative assets is increasingly paramount. Many businesses’ largest and most valuable assets include things which are not physical, and instead are intangible – such as creations, concepts or ideas. This is intellectual property. But what actually is intellectual property and how can this be protected? Here are the four key types of protecting your personal or businesses intellectual property – and the importance of doing this.

WHAT IS IP?

Intellectual property encompasses a broad spectrum of intangible assets. This includes patents, trademarks, copyright and trade secrets. These IP rights provide creators and innovators within businesses with a legal framework to control, protect and monetise their ideas, products and services.

PATENT SERVICES

In a rapidly evolving technological landscape, securing patents and exploiting them commercially is vital for companies looking to safeguard and monetise their innovations and inventions. It’s recommended to contact an IP specialist to navigate the patent application process effectively.

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TRADEMARK REGISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT

Your brand, business or idea is a cornerstone of your business identity. Businesses are advised to seek professional advice to protect their portfolios against any possible infringements. This can be achieved in a number of ways including TradeMark applications and licences to ensure that you have control over how your brands are used and exploited.

Your creative work deserves recognition and protection. Copyright protects the authors of original works, including literacy, dramatic, musical and artistic work, from unauthorised use by third parties. IP specialists are able to assist copyright holders in protecting these works and potentially recover damages if this copyright is breached.

Intellectual property encompasses a broad spectrum of intangible assets. This includes patents, trademarks, copyright and trade secrets

TRADE SECRETS AND CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION PROTECTION

For businesses that rely on proprietary information, safeguarding trade secrets is paramount. To qualify as a trade secret, this information must be commercially valuable and be known only to a limited group of people. Trade secrets should be identified and protected to ensure that a business retains its competitive advantage. This can be achieved by the use of confidentiality/non-disclosure agreements and provisions in larger commercial contracts. Protecting IP should be a high priority for businesses and individuals who own IP as the unauthorised use of its IP can be a serious threat to a company’s success, profitability and future.

Safeguarding your innovative ideas and creative assets is increasingly paramount For more information on how to protect your personal or businesses Intellectual Property, please visit: www.lawblacks.com/business/intellectual-property-law

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WELLBEING

Eye health is not top of the list of popular wellbeing topics. Yet the vast majority of us will have eye issues during our lifetimes; some from a young age while others catch up with us as we get older. Here Tanya Borowski looks at common degenerative eye problems and what we can do about them BY TANYA BOROWSKI

Seeing clearly into the New Year PRESBYOPIA

There are changes that happen naturally to our eyes as we reach our 40s, and the first you’re likely to notice is diﬃculty reading close up material. This is called presbyopia, and occurs because the lens stops focusing light correctly on the retina. Presbyopia is not a disease. It is a natural part of ageing, and cannot be prevented. It is important to see an eye care specialist as soon as you notice that reading or other close-up tasks are harder than they used to be.

DRY EYE SYNDROME

As women enter the later stages of perimenopause and into menopause, they may experience ‘dry eye’ syndrome. Decreasing levels of oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone cumulatively have a detrimental effect on tiny glands called meibomian glands in the eyelid, which produce the oily part of our tears. Not producing enough of this substance can cause the eyes to feel dry and gritty. This can also cause blurred vision.

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+ DIET & LIFESTYLE INTERVENTIONS FOR DRY EYES

1 Omega-3 oils are vital for eye health. Firstly by helping to reduce inﬂammation of these glands, and also for healthy tear production and lubrication. Obtaining good levels of omega-3 through the diet can be achieved, by eating fish twice a week from the SMASH* grouping. Alternatively, you can take a high-quality supplement such as Bare Biology Pure Omega-3 Liquid. Flax seed, chia seed and walnuts are fantastic vegan sources for omegas. 2 Remember to blink! I’m not kidding, blinking releases a tear film made up of water, oil and mucus that covers and lubricates your eyes. Since the pandemic, we are all spending more time on a screen, and it’s a fact that chronic exposure to electronic screens causes reduced blinking rates. 3 Take regular breaks from your screen and devices. 4 Using preservative-free lubricating eye drops and applying warm compresses can also be helpful.

GLAUCOMA AND CATARACTS

Glaucoma is a disease that damages the optic nerve. The eye constantly makes a gel like substance – aqueous humor. As new aqueous flows into your eye, the same amount should drain out through an area called the drainage angle. This process keeps pressure in the eye (called intraocular pressure or IOP) stable. But if the drainage angle is not working properly, fluid builds up and pressure inside the eye rises, damaging the optic nerve. Menopause is associated with modest IOP elevations and as such it becomes vitally important to have regular check-ups with your optician, who will check your IOP and the health of the optic nerve. Cataracts are when the lens develops cloudy patches. There are environmental, lifestyle, health, and genetic factors that increase your risk of developing cataracts – or developing them sooner. These include smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, use of steroids, over-exposure to ultraviolet radiation (usually sunlight but also tanning beds and even light therapy lamps) and a family history of cataracts.

OXIDATIVE STRESS AND MID-LIFE

The human body harbours within it an intricate and delicate balance between generating oxidants and producing antioxidants. As we age, our built-in antioxidant systems, many of which depend on oestrogen to work eﬃciently, become impaired. Any disruption in this checks-andbalances system can lead to harmful consequences, and the eye is a prominent target of oxidative stress as it is continuously exposed to various oxidative conditions, such as light exposure, smoke and various forms of pollutants.

Eat lutein and zeaxanthin, found in dark leafy greens, such as spinach and kale, egg yolk, corn, squash, avocado, and fruits like peaches MACULAR DEGENERATION

The macula is part of the retina at the back of the eye. It is responsible for our central vision, most of our colour vision and the fine detail of what we see. The macula houses powerful antioxidants from the carotenoid family, lutein, zeaxanthin, and meso-zeaxanthin. These carotenoids protect the retina against blue light and reactive oxygen species damage. In fact, they are often referred to as the macula’s shield.

+ DIET & LIFESTYLE INTERVENTIONS

FOR MACULAR DEGENERATION, CATARACTS AND GLAUCOMA 1 Consume enough omega-3 oils. 2 Eat lutein and zeaxanthin. Found in dark leafy greens, such as spinach and kale, egg yolk, corn, squash, avocado, and fruits like peaches. Since carotenoids are fat-soluble, eating these foods with dietary fat will help to increase their bioavailability. 3 The use of astaxanthin has been shown to reduce lens opaciﬁcation in cataracts. Astaxanthin is produced naturally in the freshwater microalgae, and best obtained in supplemental form. 4 Reduce exposure to blue light. By wearing UV blocking glasses or use a screensaver that internally adapts the blue light from screens to mimic the suns natural path (iris tech)

If your diet isn’t quite up to scratch, consider lutein, meso-zeaxanthin and astaxanthin in supplemental form – such as MacuGuard, available from The Supplement Hub. www.tanyaborowski.com * The acronym SMASH stands for salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines & herring - nutrient-rich fish, high in omega-3s and low in mercury. www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

RE VIE W

FURTHER READING… Alison Grieve and Jenni Miller are leadership and team coaches, and co-authors of new book Leading Edge: Strategies for Developing & Sustaining High Performing Teams Teamwork and collaboration have never been more essential for success. While individual contributions are important, it’s the collective effort of a team that often makes or breaks a project. Shifting an employee’s mindset from “me” to “we” is crucial for fostering a collaborative work environment. The book gives you five strategies to achieve this transformation:

Begin by defining a clear and compelling common reason that unites your team. This purpose should highlight how each team member’s role contributes to the larger organisational goals. When employees see the bigger picture and understand their part in it, they are more likely to prioritise team success over personal gain.

INTERDEPENDENCY OF ACCOUNTABILITIES IN TEAM RESULTS 2 CREATE

To encourage a “we” mindset, establish interdependencies among team members’ accountabilities. Each person’s responsibilities should rely on others’ contributions in some small way. When individuals understand that their success is intertwined with their colleagues’ success, they become more motivated to collaborate effectively.

BOUNCE BACK

RISE TOGETHER

Success. Innovation. Creativity. Growth. We all want these things at work - but the one thing they all have in common is that they involve failure. A fear of failure, or the inability to bounce back and learn from failures, is one of the biggest things that can hold us back in our professional development. So how do we learn how to fail well and develop our resilience? Wherever we work, and whatever role we deliver, we all have the power to change our thinking and our response to failure. Written by Business Psychologist Dr Susan Kahn, this book will show you how to embrace failure. Failing fast and learning how to be agile at work is a vital part of being a successful leader.

Maintaining the engagement and mental well-being of employees dealing with often challenging and demanding work situations is a business-critical skill for today’s leaders. Rise Together is a book that can help teams bond and become more resilient than ever. The book highlights the five essential comforts employers should provide for employees to survive through uncertainties. It also addresses ways to make your team members ﬂexible and productive. Furthermore, the author takes a psychological approach to explain that positively conditioning the brain is critical to building sound employees.

HOW TO FAIL FAST A ND BE RESILIENT AT WORK By Dr Susan Kahn Kogan Page (2019)

1 CREATE A COMMON REASON

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A LEADERS’ GUIDE TO THE SCIENCE BEHIND CREATING INNOVATIVE, ENGAGED AND RESILIENT EMPLOYEES By Dr Sam Mather Rethink Press (2021)

THAT YOUR TEAM ROUTINES BUILD A “WE” MINDSET 3 ENSURE

Team routines, such as meetings and project updates, are perfect opportunities to nurture a “we” mindset. Make sure these routines focus on collective achievements rather than individual accomplishments. Ask team members to share how their work contributes to team goals and celebrate milestones together. Over time, these rituals will strengthen the sense of unity within the team.

While individual contributions are important,it’s the collective effort of a team that often makes orbreaks a project

COLLABORATION IN TEAM RELATIONSHIPS 4 EXPECT

Set clear expectations for collaboration within your team. Communicate that teamwork, information sharing, and supporting colleagues are not just encouraged but required. Recognise and reward collaborative behaviour and address any instances of individualism that hinder the team’s progress. When collaboration is a core expectation, employees will align their efforts accordingly.

A SENSE OF BELONGING TO SUPPORT RESILIENCE 5 FOSTER

Building a strong team culture based on a common purpose and the interdependencies between team members creates a strong sense of belonging. Encourage team members to support each other in their day-to-day interactions.

WELLBEING AT WORK

THE PREPARED LEADER

Increasingly, leaders and managers must support mental health and cultivate resilience in employees – not just increase engagement and performance. Based on more than 100 million Gallup global interviews, Wellbeing at Work shows you how to do just that. Co-authored by Gallup’s CEO and its chief workplace scientist, Wellbeing at Work explores the five key elements of wellbeing – career, social, financial, physical, and community – and how organisations can help employees and teams thrive in those elements. The book also helps leaders get employees to use their innate talents and strengths to thrive in each of the wellbeing elements.

The next crisis might be here now, or it might be around the corner; two history-making experts in crisis leadership – James and Wooten – argue that the time to prepare is always. The Prepared Leader encapsulates more than two decades of the authors’ research to convey how it has positioned them to navigate through the distinct challenges of today and tomorrow. In their fast-reading and actionable book, James and Wooten provide tools and frameworks for addressing and learning from crises, as they provide insight into what you need to know to become a Prepared Leader.

HOW TO BUILD RESILIENT AND THRIVING TEAMS By Jim Clifton & Jim Harter Gallup Press (2021)

EMERGE FROM ANY CRISIS MORE RESILIENT THAN BEFORE By Erika H. James & Lynn Perry Wooten Wharton School Press (2022)

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SCENE ART

By KELLIE MILLER

WITH LAND, SKYE AND SEA THE WORKS OF PATRICIA SHONE

Erosion Bowl 26 ‘bright uplands’ Fired stoneware

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Her pieces are made by hand building, throwing, texturing, stretching, and carving. Colours are achieved using slips, oxides and glazes, but most of all, by the firing processes. She uses raku firings for soft earthenware blacks and greys, wood firing for warm earth tones and glazed stoneware, and saggar firing within the wood kiln for dark greys and glazed stoneware. These techniques give her a wide range of textures and densities of ceramic surface and body. They often create moody yet elegant vessels that mimic, and are an interpretation of human civilisation, such as bowls and bottles. Patricia Shone is a highly celebrated ceramic artist who has received numerous awards for her ceramic work. She won the prestigious Emmanuel Cooper Prize at Ceramic Art London 2019, resulting in works being selected for the Victoria & Albert Museum’s permanent collection. Her works can be viewed at Kellie Miller Arts, Brighton. Kellie Miller is an artist, curator, critic and gallery owner. www.kelliemillerarts.com

PHOTO: SHANNON TOFTS-KELLIE

Patricia Shone was born in Scotland and moved to south Devon as a child. She first encountered clay at school there. After studying ceramics in London, finances and a love of cooking led her to work as a chef in the UK and Italy. She returned to the country of her birth, drawn to the Isle of Skye, where she has been dedicated to ceramics for nearly three decades. The powerful landscape around the Isle of Skye has informed her ceramics. The surfaces of the land eroded by forces of climate and human intervention are the inspiration for the textures on her forms. The natural textures of clay are similar to the patterns of erosion and decay in the land’s geology. Patricia aims to achieve a tension between the spontaneous patterns of texture and the formality of a vessel form. She creates vessels, boxes, bowls and jars because they represent innately human vessels of containment. There is another tension there, too, between the natural and the human. Unsurprisingly, the ceramic chapters of her life have woven together her life experiences and environments and inspire the shapes and surfaces she produces. Patricia comments, “The natural textures produced by clay reflect the formation and erosion in the geology of the land. The techniques I use to make my pots encourage the development of these textures on the surface of a controlled and formal vessel. “It has taken many years for me to begin to understand this path in my work and that our scars from living can be seen mirrored in the scars on the land.” With an instantly recognisable style, Patricia’s work is a balance of bold texture, drama and grace, with many pieces fashioning strong, earthy, smoky exteriors and contrasting marbled interiors veined with thin cracks typical of the raku process.

Erosion bottles Stoneware

With an instantly recognisable style, Patricia’s work is a balance of bold texture, drama and grace

Erosion Jar Saggar ﬁred stoneware

Raku Fired ceramic www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

TR AVEL

STUMPED? Best ski resorts revealed BY TESS DE KLERK

Ski season is here. The slopes are calling, but it isn’t always a simple task choosing the right resort. Experienced skiers may prioritise the number of black runs while families with young children may be looking for nursery zones and fun slopes. Value for money is also top of the list for many this season. We therefore bring you the top five choices in five categories of ski resorts across Europe and North America. 34

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This analysis covered 50 ski resorts, using parameters that included: • The average cost of fl ights • Cost of ski hire • Cost of accommodation (for a three-night stay in a studio apartment, one-bedroom apartment or hotel suite) • Number of black, blue, and red runs, etc • Average annual snowfall (cm) • Number of bars • Number of ski schools

+ BEST SKI RESORT

FOR OVERALL VALUE

RANKING DESTINATION 1 Stubai Glacier 2 Espace San Bernardo 3 Kaprun 4 Livigno 5 Obertauern

RESORT(S) Stubai Glacier (Stubaier Gletscher) La Rosière/La Thuile Kitzsteinhorn/Maiskogel – Kaprun Livigno Obertauern

COUNTRY Austria France Austria Italy Austria

Due to the reasonable pricing and the abundance of amenities to cater for all age groups and interests, the Austrian ski resort Stubai Glacier came out on top. With 64.9km of slopes, 60 nearby bars, 24 ski schools and 401cm of snowfall each year. Austria’s Stubai Glacier also places first as the best ski resort for beginners, due to its 24 different ski schools and 22km of blue ski slopes. This is closely followed by another Austrian resort, Kaprun, which boasts 27 ski schools. Swiss resort Parsenn places third with an impressive 35 ski schools on hand to upskill beginners, in addition to 17.3km of blue ski slopes.

+ BEST SKI RESORT FOR ADVANCED

Life is like skiing. Just like skiing, the goal is not to get to the bottom of the hill. It’s to have a bunch of good runs before the sun sets Seth Godin

+ BEST SKI RESORT FOR BEGINNERS

RANKING DESTINATION RESORT(S) COUNTRY 1 Stubai Glacier Stubai Glacier Austria (Stubaier Gletscher) 2 Kaprun Kitzsteinhorn/ Austria Maiskogel – Kaprun 3 Parsenn Parsenn Switzerland (Davos Klosters) 4 Skicircus Skicircus Austria Saalbach Saalbach Hinterglemm Hinterglemm Fieberbrunn Fieberbrunn 5 Mammoth Mammoth USA Mountain Mountain

RANKING DESTINATION RESORT(S) COUNTRY 1 Espace La Rosière/ France San Bernardo La Thuile 2 Obertauern Obertauern Austria 3 Stubai Glacier Stubai Glacier Austria (Stubaier Gletscher) 4 Kaprun Kitzsteinhorn/ Austria Maiskogel Kaprun 5 Schladming Planai/ Austria Dachstein Hochwurzen/ Hauser Kaibling/ Reiteralm (4-Berge-Skischaukel)

Espace San Bernardo, a French-Italian destination, came out as the top choice for experienced skiers, and holds the second position in overall best value. Within the region’s resorts, there are an impressive 71km of challenging red ski slopes and 15km of black slopes for intermediate thrill seekers. The area enjoys an annual snowfall of 451cm. The resort is budget-friendly too, offering a ski pass day hire for £50. Following closely in second place is Austria’s Obertauern resort, featuring 35km of red slopes and an impressive annual snowfall of 482cm. Securing the third spot for advanced skiers is Stubai Glacier, providing 15km of red slopes and 27.9km of challenging black slopes.

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TR AVEL

+ BEST SKI RESORT FOR APRÈS SKI RANKING 1 2 3 4 5

DESTINATION Stubai Glacier Schladming Dachstein Espace San Bernardo Parsenn Obertauern

RESORT(S) Stubai Glacier (Stubaier Gletscher) Planai/Hochwurzen/Hauser/Kaibling/ Reiteralm (4-Berge-Skischaukel) La Rosière/ La Thuile Parsenn (Davos Klosters) Obertauern

COUNTRY Austria Austria France Switzerland Austria

Apres-ski is an integral part of the perfect winter sport holiday. For some, it’s as crucial as skiing and snowboarding itself. Once again, Stubai Glacier ranks top with 60 bars and restaurants in the area, coupled with great value for patrons. Schladming Dachstein in Austria, ranks as the second best destination for apres-ski, with 65 bars for visitors to enjoy. Espace San Bernardo in France, Parsenn in Switzerland and Obertauern in Austria also rank in the top five, with a sizeable 46 to 57 bars at these ski destinations.

❛❛

It’s better to go skiing and think of God, than go to church and think of sport Fridtjof Nansn, Nobel laureate and champion skier

+ BEST SKI RESORT FOR FAMILIES

RANKING DESTINATION RESORT(S) COUNTRY 1 Skicircus Saalbach Austria Saalbach Hinterglemm Hinterglemm Fieberbrunn Leogang Fieberbrunn 2 Stubai Glacier Stubai Glacier Austria (Stubaier Gletscher) 3 KitzSki Kitzbühel/ Austria Kirchberg 4 Kaprun Kitzsteinhorn/ Austria Maiskogel Kaprun 5 Parsenn Parsenn Switzerland (Davos Klosters)

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❛❛

Skiing is the next best thing to having wings Oprah Winfrey

When considering the most family-friendly ski resorts, the top spot goes to the Skicircus Saalbach-HinterglemmLeogang resort in Austria. This resort stands out by providing 140km of beginner-friendly blue slopes and an impressive 73 ski schools dedicated to helping young enthusiasts hone their skiing skills. Securing the second position is the Stubai Glacier in Austria, offering 22km of gentle blue slopes and a total of 24 ski schools. The Kitzski area in Austria, encompassing the resorts of Kitzbühel and Kirchberg, takes the third spot.

Visitors to these resorts can enjoy access to 102km of blue slopes, a diverse array of 55 ski schools, and a cost-effective ski hire day pass priced at $58. Also making it into the top five are Kitzsteinhorn and Maiskogel in Austria’s Kaprun, along with Switzerland’s Parsenn Resort. The town of Kaprun provides access to 29km of beginner-friendly blue slopes and hosts 27 ski schools. Meanwhile, Parsenn offers 17.3km of gentle blue slopes and boasts 35 schools for children, creating an ideal environment for building up their confidence in the snow. With 795cm of snowfall every year, coupled with a good number of ski schools and bars available, Mammoth Mountain in the US is the best ski resort destination for the best ski and snowboarding weather experience. Whistler Blackcomb in Canada ranks second, with 782cm of annual snowfall. Credit to MoneyTransfers.com for some of the statistics in this article

+ BEST SKI RESORT FOR SNOWFALL RANKING DESTINATION 1 Mammoth Mountain 2 Whistler Blackcomb 3 Espace San Bernardo 4 Stubai Glacier 5 Palisades Tahoe

RESORT(S) Mammoth Mountain Whistler Blackcomb La Rosière/La Thuile Stubaier Gletsher Palisades Tahoe

COUNTRY USA Canada France Austria USA

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DINE WINE

FORK LEWES

BY TESS DE KLERK Lewes is a lovely country town to visit, steeped in history. Visit the castle high above the medieval streets, and see how the Tudors and Elizabethans lived by visiting Anne of Cleves’ House, or simply meander and browse all the quirky independent stores and markets. After a day of exploring, you may want to stay for dinner since Lewes has a choice of places to dine. From well-knowns such as Côte or Bill’s – their original, flagship restaurant – to the charming Pelham Arms that serves great gastropub food, all created in-house. Not only do they cure their own meats and fish on-site but also brew their beer in their microbrewery downstairs! One of Lewes’ latest additions to the culinary scene is Fork, which is where we headed a couple of weeks before Christmas. Centrally located and easily accessible, this small neighbourhood restaurant prides itself on serving modern British cuisine based on seasonal produce sourced from local farmers and artisan producers. We arrived on a chilly evening, beckoned by the cosy atmosphere. I purposefully mention that we visited before Christmas as I assume it must have been the reason why the menus in front of us had no choice of red meat – nada, none. It did have a turkey though, which must have, given the season, taken the place of a lamb or venison dish on the menu. My husband grumbled that there could have been red meat instead of the duck dish as he skipped the starter (Fork’s dinner menu is a choice of either two courses – £47.50, or three – £57.50) and ordered the turkey with sage, onion and cranberry stuﬃng, potato rösti, herb infused carrot puree and sautéed sprouts. I, on the other hand, ordered the Sussex parsnip and chestnut velouté with truﬄe oil and rosemary croutons as my entree, which arrived promptly after our delectable little amuse-bouche bites but was, unfortunately not as tasty. It simply tasted of pureed parsnip, not a hint of

chestnut or truﬄe detectable. It was disappointing but my husband was meanwhile praising the Fork house bread and whipped butters. All wasn’t lost, therefore. Next arrived our mains, two gorgeous plates. I had chosen the South Coast supreme of hake accompanied by sprout and leek fricassee, roasted celeriac and pancetta cream sauce. While I can say that it was tasty, I unfortunately can’t say that it was fantastic. On the other hand, my husband thoroughly enjoyed his dish – and that is unusual given he isn’t normally partial to turkey. We would have ordered dessert but our seating time was coming to an end (seatings before 7:30 PM have a maximum of two hours but bookings after that time have their tables for as long as they like) so we skipped. The bill arrived. Over £150 for a starter, two mains plus a couple of glasses of wine felt steep. Oh, and the bread basket. The amuse-bouche was thankfully complimentary. Fork has had some good reviews and I would like to say that I would happily go back and try the menu again but at those prices, restaurants have to get it right the first time to get me back.

My husband thoroughly enjoyed his dish – and that is unusual given he isn’t normally partial to turkey

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Fork, 14 Station St, Lewes BN7 2DA www.fork-lewes.co.uk

Centrally located, this small neighbourhood restaurant prides itself on serving modern British cuisine

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BRIGHTON

THE SHINING LIGHTS OF SERVICE

Exploring its role as a hospital for wounded Indian soldiers during the First World War, Artist Chila Kumari Singh Burman MBE’s colourful neon sculptures draw on the spectacle of the Pavilion interiors, where Asian symbols and motifs intermingle with signs of British imperialism. Chila’s work often explores the cultural syntheses she experienced growing up in Britain. Royal Pavilion, Brighton Until January 28th, 2024 https://brightonmuseums.org.uk/ event/the-shining-lights-of-service

WHAT’S ON... A brief snapshot of art and culture in Sussex and Surrey

LEWES

ROBINSON CRUSOE This Winter, all members of the popular Lewes Drama Collective are joining to present a rip-roaring and unique traditional British pantomime adaptation of Robinson Crusoe at the popular All Saints Centre community venue in the historically significant town of Lewes in the South Downs National Park area of East Sussex... All Saints Centre, Lewes February 4th www.ticketsource.eu/ lewes-drama-collective/robinsoncrusoe-an-unforgettablepantomime-adventure/e-kdpymj

BEXHILL-ON-SEA

THE CIRCLE

Crossover dance music icon and platinum selling chart-topper Example touring the UK and Ireland celebrating all of his biggest hits and new tracks. Renowned for his monstrous live sets, fans can anticipate a high-octane show featuring all of his timeless hits like ‘Changed The Way You Kiss Me,’ ‘Kickstarts,’ ‘Stay Awake,’ ‘Say Nothing,’ and ‘We’ll Be Coming Back,’

Somerset Maugham’s sparky comedy of manners was first staged in 1921 and has remained a firm favourite with audiences ever since. This much-praised production from London’s Orange Tree Theatre is directed by Tom Littler. Jane Asherplays Lady Kitty, a society beauty who notoriously abandoned her stuffy husband, played by Clive Francis, and eloped with the handsome Lord Porteous (Nicholas Le Prevost).

De Law Warr Pavilion, Bexhill-on-Sea January 14th https://myticket.co.uk/gigs/examplebexhill-on-sea-2024-02-13-19-00

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CHICHESTER

EXAMPLE

Chichester Festival Theatre, Chichester January 30th - February 3rd www.cft.org.uk/events/the-circle

MODERN CALLIGRAPHY WORKSHOPS

RURAL SUSSEX GIRL WALK & TALK

NR BRIGHTON

HOVE

Join us for a relaxing morning in the Courtyard Café where you will be taken through a two-hour dip pen session by Helen Wallace. Learn everything from mark making, letter formation and numbers, whilst building your own unique hand lettering style.

Whether you have lived in the Sussex Countryside for as long as you can remember or you are new to the area, come and meet other Rural Sussex Girls for Walk and Talk. We are a group of kind, supportive and inclusive girls who are all here with the same thing in mind - to create some strong connections and quality friendships.

Jukebox 1264 presents an evening that sends us back to California in the 1960s and 70s as the hippies took over the Sunset Strip. A creative hub emerged in Laurel Canyon; an area overlooking Los Angeles in the Hollywood Hills. Some of those included members of The Byrds and The Doors as well as Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and Carole King.

LOWER BEEDING

Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens, Nr Horsham January 21st, February 2nd, March 31st www.leonardsleegardens.co.uk/ all-events/modern-calligraphy-workshops

Devil’s Dyke, Nr Brighton January 14th https://citygirlnetwork.com/ tickets/rural-sussex-girl-walk-and-talk

TAPESTRY: AN EVENING IN LAUREL CANYON

The Brunswick, Hove February 7th www.wegottickets.com/event/595604

WORTHING

FUNNY GIRLS Funny Girls... the longest-running all-girl comedy night in Brighton is now established in sunny Worthing! Join us upstairs at The Libertine Social for a fantastic Thursday night of fun featuring... With award-winning musical comedy from your host Hannah Brackenbury! The Libertine, Worthing January 25th www.visitbrighton.com/whats-on/ funny-girls-worthing-p2306651

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NOV/DEC 2022 #19

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR WOMEN

WHY YOU NEED A MENTOR

THE TRUTH ABOUT THE MENOPAUSE

Medically and personally

PREMIER WOMEN

Female political leaders across the globe

GIRL TORQUE

The all-new electric Fiat 500

SPOTLIGHT

Women in business making a difference

TRAVEL

The Highlights of the Highlands

NEURODIVERGENCE

Is it a superpower

THE UK’S ONLY MAGAZINE FOR WOMEN IN BUSINESS

ALL THE BUSINESS NEWS, VIEWS AND OPINION FROM ACROSS THE REGION

ESSENTIAL READING FOR ANY BUSINESS IN THE SOUTH EAST

PLATINUM MEDIA GROUP

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