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YOUR FACE HERE YOUR

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Businesswww.bristolpost.co.uk

Looking for a new job?Don’t miss our 8-pagesupplement – inside

FIND A NEW JOB

How Bristol companies aregiving back to the community...and why – pages 8&9

TAKING RESPONSIBILITY

Tesco chairman draws 250+for latest talk in executiveaddress series – page 7

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52014MAR

YOUR TURN INTHE SPOTLIGHTNominations are now open for this year’s BristolPost Business Awards. See pages 6&7. PlusWomen in Business Awards latest, page 5

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2 We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 5, 2014 3We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 5, 2014 w w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/businessw w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/business

� Peter Williams, founder of clothing chain Jack Wills, shared his experiences with would-be entrepreneurs

Star t-ups

Peter revealslearning is theway to successBUDDING entrepreneurs took in-spiration from Jack Wills clothingchain founder Peter Williams at anevent aimed at those thinking ofstarting a business.

Peter told them how he left behinda potentially high-flying City job atthe age of 23 to find fulfilment run-ning his own business.

He said one of the attributes anentrepreneur needed was willing-ness to learn.

He said: “You learn somethingevery day from everyone you meet. Iknew nothing about my industry, butI had an idea.”

He named the clothing chain,which has been a big hit with stu-dents, after his grandfather.

Peter was talking at a VirginStartUp Hothouse event, hosted atLeigh Court, the home of businesssupport and lobbying organisationBusiness West.

The day attracted people aged 18 toover 60 looking to set up their ownfirm, some taking along their chil-dren showing how some parents seegoing it alone as a flexible way toforge a living and care for children.

Proper ty

Re f u r b Demand for ‘t re n d y ’ off ices

THE conversion of a formerbrewery into “t re n dy ” of ficesis being touted as a furthersign of the improving com-mercial property market.

Developer Verve Properties, thefirm behind the Paintworks in BathRoad, is taking on the Brew House onTower Hill, close to Old Market andCabot Circus.

The firm thinks there’s a gap in themarket for funky workspace for thecreative sector and plans to redevelopthe four-storey period building, morerecently known as Company House,into 25,000 square foot of flexible work

space to fill it.Many of the original features had

been covered over and the site hadbecome somewhat run down, butVerve believes the character of the

building has potential.Tom Dugay, office agency specialist

at property consultant Alder King,said: “Last year we saw the return ofspeculative new build office devel-

opment, with schemes now underconstruction at 66 Queen Square and2 Glass Wharf in Bristol city centre,after a four year gap.

“We are now seeing the return ofspeculative office refurbishmentafter a similar period, as propertyowners and developers capitalise onthe pent-up demand for flexibles p a c e. ”

Of the Brew House scheme, headded: “Bristol’s growing creativeand cultural sector values space withch a r a c t e r.

“Ve r ve ’s aim with this scheme is tobring some trendy Shoreditch char-acter to the Bristol office market spe-cifically to appeal to this sector whichnow accounts for 12 per cent of allbusinesses in the city.”

Alder King and GVA have beenappointed agents on the scheme.

THE recent high windshave caused fences andeven walls to collapse inthe last few weeks andmany trees now need

management after being dam-aged, but property ownersshould be careful when rebuild-ing so they do not end up indisputes with neighbours.

Disputes over boundaries arecommon and tend to escalate,becoming time-consuming andvery expensive with legal feesand court appearances. But thatd o e s n’t need to be the case.

It is important to think care-fully about planned works andrepairs to replace storm dam-aged fences. Try to agree asimple way forward with neigh-bours before actually startingany works. Establish who ownsthe boundary or has respons-ibility to repair it.

Overhanging tree branches,roots or hedges are often thecause of disputes. Keep any on ornear the boundary regularlymaintained. Always discusswith your neighbour the extentof any pruning. Be aware of anyTree Preservation Orders.

Of course the key is preventinga dispute happening in the firstplace and researching as muchas you can from your deeds, landregistry or information in thelocal planning office.

Land owners should recordany historical structures such asremnants of previous fences andwalls with photographs. If pos-sible invite neighbours to be in-volved with this process so theycan agree with you the boundaryline as you re-mark it.

If you are repairing an existingboundary, agree with your neigh-bour what repairs are neededand if necessary use an inde-pendent surveyor’s opinion.

If handled well you won’t needto end up in court. If you need toinvolve a third party, start withsuggesting you both agree on oneindependent surveyor to be ap-pointed jointly by both parties totry and resolve the dispute.

This will keep costs down andalso will provide an objectiveposition you can both agree on.

It is important to adhere to theAccess to Neighbouring LandAct 1992, which permits accessfor repairs and upkeep only, notnew buildings or extensions. Al-ways consult your neighboursbefore starting any works.

Recent cases that have gone tocourt have awarded significantcompensation for harassment,nuisance, trespass, personal in-jury and repairs in situationswhere the neighbourly relation-ship has broken down.

The key is to, build a trustingrelationship and constructivedialogue with your neighbour.

Angus TaylorPartner0117 287 2101angus.taylor@brutonknowles.co.ukBruton Knowles

Knowing yourboundaries

Know how

Best deals - How the numbers stack upPetrol pricesCorporation tax

Employer NI rates

23 %

20 %Main rate

Small profitsrate – below

£300,000

13 . 8%Standard rate on

earnings above£148 per week

10 .4%Employees ins a l a r y - re l a t e d

pension schemeearning up £770 p/w

129 . 87 pUnleaded

137 .1 7 pDiesel

138 .36pSuperunleaded

71 .58pLPG

Source: PetrolPrices.com

Inflation (CPI)

1.9 %Weekly earnings

1.6 %Base interest rate

0.5 %Ave mortgage rate

3.99 %

Business currentaccounts

1.01%£10,000 deposit

0.05%£1 deposit

0.25%£1 deposit

State Bankof India

0.05%£500 deposit

Co-operativeBank

0.12%£1 deposit

Unity TrustBank

0.10%£25,000 deposit

Business savingsaccounts

1.49%£10,000 deposit

1.70%£10,000 deposit

State Bankof India

1.50%£5,000 deposit

1.25%£25,000 deposit

HanleyEconomicsBS

1.53%£1,000 deposit

Source: BusinessMoneyfacts -moneyfacts.co.uk

Allied IrishBank (GB)

Cambridge &CountiesBank

DarlingtonBS

S h a w b ro o kBank

Cambridge&Counties

1.45%£10,000 deposit

Bacon rolls for all asOvo Energy celebrates� A BRISTOL food business was ona roll thanks to the success ofanother local firm.

Ovo Energy, based in St ThomasStreet in the city centre, wascelebrating its 200,000th customer.

Managing director StephenFitzpatrick rewarded staff with freebreakfast, ordering 380 bacon rollsfrom nearby fresh fast food outletFriska.

The team were in from 6am tofulfil the order. On Twitter Friskaposted: “380 #baconbuns deliveredto our lovely friends @OvoEnergyCongrats on 200,000 customers.Literally a wall of bacon.”

Catering

� ‘A wall of bacon’ destined for staff at Ovo Energy

Gavin ThompsonAssistant Editor (Business)gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk

� TheB re wHouseonTo w e rHill

MORE than 500 delegates and 100businesses were at Ashton Gateyesterday making connectionsthat will hopefully lead to neworders and relationships.

The Bristol Business Exhibition, the reg-ular biggest event of its kind in the city,provides an opportunity for the owners ofbusinesses, from restaurants to hairdress-ers, to find the professional services theyneed, such as web design, social media,marketing, accountants, venues and more.

Organiser and show founder, Neil Kin-nerly, said the event had gone well.

“We ’ve had more people through thed o o r, ” he said. “I’ve gained some good leadsfor my business, so hopefully that will be thesame for everyone else, too. The feedbackhas been very positive.”

Exhibitors agreed. Henry Burgess, sales

director at Global ECM Solutions, said:“Today has gone well. There h ave n’t beenhuge numbers of people all day, but thepeople who have come have been good qual-i t y. ”

He added that the event was as muchabout brand awareness as making sales forhis firm.

That was a message echoed by SimonPage, sales manager at the Radisson Bluhotel in Broad Quay.

“It is mainly about brand awareness foru s, ” he said, but added: “Many of the ex-hibitors are businesses who will in stay inhotels for overnight stays or book meetings,so we probably get more business from theother exhibitors than the delegates.”

International balloonist Don Cameronwas guest speaker at the event, talking abouthow he started in businesses.

Daughter and Cameron Balloons director,Hannah Cameron, said the day had been“really useful”, with great networking op-portunities for the company.

The next exhibition takes place onSeptember 30.

Exhibition hailed a successas it brings ‘quality’ interestGavin ThompsonAssistant Editor (Business)gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk

N etwo r k i n g

� The exhibition at Ashton Gate Pics: Barbara Evripidou

� Back, from left, Tom Mundy, Ian Clarke, Ian Chambers; front: Dan Sartain and showorganiser and founder Neil Kinnerly BRBE20140304A-1

� Visitors at the show exhibitionBRBE20140304A-4

� Mel Booth, Hannah Cameron and DonCameron with the Bristol Lord MayorFarouk Choudhury BRBE20140304A-3

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2 We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 5, 2014 3We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 5, 2014 w w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/businessw w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/business

� Peter Williams, founder of clothing chain Jack Wills, shared his experiences with would-be entrepreneurs

Star t-ups

Peter revealslearning is theway to successBUDDING entrepreneurs took in-spiration from Jack Wills clothingchain founder Peter Williams at anevent aimed at those thinking ofstarting a business.

Peter told them how he left behinda potentially high-flying City job atthe age of 23 to find fulfilment run-ning his own business.

He said one of the attributes anentrepreneur needed was willing-ness to learn.

He said: “You learn somethingevery day from everyone you meet. Iknew nothing about my industry, butI had an idea.”

He named the clothing chain,which has been a big hit with stu-dents, after his grandfather.

Peter was talking at a VirginStartUp Hothouse event, hosted atLeigh Court, the home of businesssupport and lobbying organisationBusiness West.

The day attracted people aged 18 toover 60 looking to set up their ownfirm, some taking along their chil-dren showing how some parents seegoing it alone as a flexible way toforge a living and care for children.

Proper ty

Re f u r b Demand for ‘t re n d y ’ off ices

THE conversion of a formerbrewery into “t re n dy ” of ficesis being touted as a furthersign of the improving com-mercial property market.

Developer Verve Properties, thefirm behind the Paintworks in BathRoad, is taking on the Brew House onTower Hill, close to Old Market andCabot Circus.

The firm thinks there’s a gap in themarket for funky workspace for thecreative sector and plans to redevelopthe four-storey period building, morerecently known as Company House,into 25,000 square foot of flexible work

space to fill it.Many of the original features had

been covered over and the site hadbecome somewhat run down, butVerve believes the character of the

building has potential.Tom Dugay, office agency specialist

at property consultant Alder King,said: “Last year we saw the return ofspeculative new build office devel-

opment, with schemes now underconstruction at 66 Queen Square and2 Glass Wharf in Bristol city centre,after a four year gap.

“We are now seeing the return ofspeculative office refurbishmentafter a similar period, as propertyowners and developers capitalise onthe pent-up demand for flexibles p a c e. ”

Of the Brew House scheme, headded: “Bristol’s growing creativeand cultural sector values space withch a r a c t e r.

“Ve r ve ’s aim with this scheme is tobring some trendy Shoreditch char-acter to the Bristol office market spe-cifically to appeal to this sector whichnow accounts for 12 per cent of allbusinesses in the city.”

Alder King and GVA have beenappointed agents on the scheme.

THE recent high windshave caused fences andeven walls to collapse inthe last few weeks andmany trees now need

management after being dam-aged, but property ownersshould be careful when rebuild-ing so they do not end up indisputes with neighbours.

Disputes over boundaries arecommon and tend to escalate,becoming time-consuming andvery expensive with legal feesand court appearances. But thatd o e s n’t need to be the case.

It is important to think care-fully about planned works andrepairs to replace storm dam-aged fences. Try to agree asimple way forward with neigh-bours before actually startingany works. Establish who ownsthe boundary or has respons-ibility to repair it.

Overhanging tree branches,roots or hedges are often thecause of disputes. Keep any on ornear the boundary regularlymaintained. Always discusswith your neighbour the extentof any pruning. Be aware of anyTree Preservation Orders.

Of course the key is preventinga dispute happening in the firstplace and researching as muchas you can from your deeds, landregistry or information in thelocal planning office.

Land owners should recordany historical structures such asremnants of previous fences andwalls with photographs. If pos-sible invite neighbours to be in-volved with this process so theycan agree with you the boundaryline as you re-mark it.

If you are repairing an existingboundary, agree with your neigh-bour what repairs are neededand if necessary use an inde-pendent surveyor’s opinion.

If handled well you won’t needto end up in court. If you need toinvolve a third party, start withsuggesting you both agree on oneindependent surveyor to be ap-pointed jointly by both parties totry and resolve the dispute.

This will keep costs down andalso will provide an objectiveposition you can both agree on.

It is important to adhere to theAccess to Neighbouring LandAct 1992, which permits accessfor repairs and upkeep only, notnew buildings or extensions. Al-ways consult your neighboursbefore starting any works.

Recent cases that have gone tocourt have awarded significantcompensation for harassment,nuisance, trespass, personal in-jury and repairs in situationswhere the neighbourly relation-ship has broken down.

The key is to, build a trustingrelationship and constructivedialogue with your neighbour.

Angus TaylorPartner0117 287 2101angus.taylor@brutonknowles.co.ukBruton Knowles

Knowing yourboundaries

Know how

Best deals - How the numbers stack upPetrol pricesCorporation tax

Employer NI rates

23 %

20 %Main rate

Small profitsrate – below

£300,000

13 . 8%Standard rate on

earnings above£148 per week

10 .4%Employees ins a l a r y - re l a t e d

pension schemeearning up £770 p/w

129 . 87 pUnleaded

137 .1 7 pDiesel

138 .36pSuperunleaded

71 .58pLPG

Source: PetrolPrices.com

Inflation (CPI)

1.9 %Weekly earnings

1.6 %Base interest rate

0.5 %Ave mortgage rate

3.99 %

Business currentaccounts

1.01%£10,000 deposit

0.05%£1 deposit

0.25%£1 deposit

State Bankof India

0.05%£500 deposit

Co-operativeBank

0.12%£1 deposit

Unity TrustBank

0.10%£25,000 deposit

Business savingsaccounts

1.49%£10,000 deposit

1.70%£10,000 deposit

State Bankof India

1.50%£5,000 deposit

1.25%£25,000 deposit

HanleyEconomicsBS

1.53%£1,000 deposit

Source: BusinessMoneyfacts -moneyfacts.co.uk

Allied IrishBank (GB)

Cambridge &CountiesBank

DarlingtonBS

S h a w b ro o kBank

Cambridge&Counties

1.45%£10,000 deposit

Bacon rolls for all asOvo Energy celebrates� A BRISTOL food business was ona roll thanks to the success ofanother local firm.

Ovo Energy, based in St ThomasStreet in the city centre, wascelebrating its 200,000th customer.

Managing director StephenFitzpatrick rewarded staff with freebreakfast, ordering 380 bacon rollsfrom nearby fresh fast food outletFriska.

The team were in from 6am tofulfil the order. On Twitter Friskaposted: “380 #baconbuns deliveredto our lovely friends @OvoEnergyCongrats on 200,000 customers.Literally a wall of bacon.”

Catering

� ‘A wall of bacon’ destined for staff at Ovo Energy

Gavin ThompsonAssistant Editor (Business)gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk

� TheB re wHouseonTo w e rHill

MORE than 500 delegates and 100businesses were at Ashton Gateyesterday making connectionsthat will hopefully lead to neworders and relationships.

The Bristol Business Exhibition, the reg-ular biggest event of its kind in the city,provides an opportunity for the owners ofbusinesses, from restaurants to hairdress-ers, to find the professional services theyneed, such as web design, social media,marketing, accountants, venues and more.

Organiser and show founder, Neil Kin-nerly, said the event had gone well.

“We ’ve had more people through thed o o r, ” he said. “I’ve gained some good leadsfor my business, so hopefully that will be thesame for everyone else, too. The feedbackhas been very positive.”

Exhibitors agreed. Henry Burgess, sales

director at Global ECM Solutions, said:“Today has gone well. There h ave n’t beenhuge numbers of people all day, but thepeople who have come have been good qual-i t y. ”

He added that the event was as muchabout brand awareness as making sales forhis firm.

That was a message echoed by SimonPage, sales manager at the Radisson Bluhotel in Broad Quay.

“It is mainly about brand awareness foru s, ” he said, but added: “Many of the ex-hibitors are businesses who will in stay inhotels for overnight stays or book meetings,so we probably get more business from theother exhibitors than the delegates.”

International balloonist Don Cameronwas guest speaker at the event, talking abouthow he started in businesses.

Daughter and Cameron Balloons director,Hannah Cameron, said the day had been“really useful”, with great networking op-portunities for the company.

The next exhibition takes place onSeptember 30.

Exhibition hailed a successas it brings ‘quality’ interestGavin ThompsonAssistant Editor (Business)gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk

N etwo r k i n g

� The exhibition at Ashton Gate Pics: Barbara Evripidou

� Back, from left, Tom Mundy, Ian Clarke, Ian Chambers; front: Dan Sartain and showorganiser and founder Neil Kinnerly BRBE20140304A-1

� Visitors at the show exhibitionBRBE20140304A-4

� Mel Booth, Hannah Cameron and DonCameron with the Bristol Lord MayorFarouk Choudhury BRBE20140304A-3

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4 We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 5, 2014 5We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 5, 2014 w w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/businessw w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/business

S e r v i ces

BUSINESSES in the city whowant to support the localcurrency can now do sosimply by sending post ...and for less than it would

cost with Royal Mail.Docmail Local Post, the carbon-free

postal service operating in Bristoland Bath, is selling businesses theBristol Pound stamps for 34p, 30 percent less than the cost of a secondclass Royal Mail stamp.

Joe Broadway, postal services dir-ector of Docmail Local Post, said:“Our customers choose us becausewe are carbon free and because we

care about supporting local busi-n e s s e s.

“We want to reward and work withother local businesses who share ourcommitment to helping the local eco-nomy thrive.”

The firm delivers business mailaround the city in two days or underby bicycles and electric cars.

Since setting up in September 2011,the firm’s post men and womenhave delivered 500,000 letters toBristol and Bath.

On average its 14 cyclists eachcover 25 miles a day and deliver acombined total of 20,000 - 25,000 piecesof mail each month.

In addition to the new stamps, thefirm recently delivered directories ofbusinesses signed up to using theBristol Pound.

So far 1,500 copies have been prin-

ted by Blue Sax Publishing Ltd, anindependent small business that alsopublish The Spark, the UK’s largestethical quarterly.

It features businesses such as Bris-tol Sweet Mart (Indian sweet meatsand home-made foods), JeepersSweepers (traditional chimneysweeps), Small Street Espresso andBristol Ferry Boats.

Mike Lloyd-Jones is trade managerof the Bristol Pound, which currentlyhas 635 traders.

He said: “We are delighted to con-tinue the partnership with a dynamiclocal company providing a great ex-ample of the developed environment-al attitude resonating in Bristol.

“The directory is a strong state-ment for local business and we’reexcited to showcase what Bristol andthe Bristol Pound have to offer”

Eco n o my Support localfirms with cheap stamps

� Special delivery at Southville Deli

‘Big year ahead forcity property sector’� THE year ahead could seesignificant developments in Bristol’sproperty and constructionindustries, according to a leadingfigure in the city’s property sector.

Philip Morton, pictur ed, head ofoffice agency and development atCBRE Bristol, believes 2014 couldbe the year the city sheds its tag ofa city that struggles to get any majorprojects built.

The debate over the city’sapparent reluctance to back majordevelopments has been triggeredby the scrapping of arena plans,Bristol City’s Ashton Vale stadiumproposal and delays to BristolRovers’ bid for anew stadium.

But MrMortonbelieves thatthe nextone to twoyears willdemonstrateBristol is acity wheremajor projectscan get built.

He said: “In recent years, severalmajor schemes in Bristol havebecome bogged down in red-tapeor come to a complete halt followingopposition from campaigners.

“However, there are now realsigns that the city is about to get itslong-awaited indoor arena,something that will help to competewith the other major regional citiesin terms of attracting visitors andgenerating income.

“At the same time there is a verygood chance that Bristol Rovers willpush ahead with its plans to build anew stadium at the University of theWest of England’s campus inFrenchay. It should also beremembered that the proposal isjust one part of a much largerscheme that will include newhousing and improved amenities.”

The refurbishment of TempleMeads station is also on the cards.

Mr Morton credited the mayor andthe improving economy for thechange. “Given that the economyhas turned a corner and there aresigns that the market is comingback to life, there are plenty ofreasons to feel confident about thevarious schemes due to take placein Bristol. It helps that we have amayor who has become a championfor the city and is doing a great jobtalking to potential investors.”

P ro j e c ts

Bringing a taste of theexotic to beer sales� A NEW store has opened sellingcraft beers from around the world.

The Bottle Shop, based on theground floor entrance to the BeerEmporium Bar and Restaurant, KingStreet, stocks more than 400bottled beers from countriesincluding the UK, Belgium andGermany. But it also sells moreexotic beers from Iceland, NewZealand, Japan and more.

The store marked its opening bydonating £2,300 to the Brains Trust,through a donation from every saleof Liefmans Fruitesse beer and ahead shave event.

Ret a i l

Firm’s backing fordragonboat racers� A WHITCHURCH firm will be themain sponsor of the 2014 BristolDragonboat Festival.

Itec is a long-term supporter ofthe event, last year entering fiveteams in aid of St Peter’s Hospice,raising more than £6,000.

The event has taken place atBaltic Wharf for seven years and is afine spectacle with the large boatsracing down the river. Last year3,000 spectators watched. Itecemploys 60 people in its businesssupplying copiers and printers.

S p o n so rs h i pGavin ThompsonAssistant Editor (Business)gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk

OLIVIA Mills’ entry into thebusiness world was dramat-ic. Offered the chance to becentre stage general man-ager of a country manor

and events venue at the age of just 23,she jumped at it.

But perhaps it’s not surprising, forsomeone who in her spare time is aleading light on the amateur dra-matics scene.

Olivia, now 26, successfully builtthe events business at Old DownManor, Tockington, SouthG l o u c e s t e r s h i re.

And now she has taken on a newchallenge. While carrying on fourdays a week as events and salesmanager at the venue, she haslaunched her own business too.

“This is a really exciting year forme as my business starts its secondyear and I continue to grow Old DownEstate, a business that means somuch to me personally and profes-s i o n a l ly, ” she said.

Olivia is among the nominees forthe inaugural Bristol and BathWomen in Business Awards, in as-sociation with UWE Bristol, in thecategories of Woman of the Year andYoung Entrepreneur of the Year.

She was offered the general man-ager role at Old Down Manor in 2010,responsible for 30 staff and runningthe estate including the country park,farm shop, cafe and setting up therestaurant and venue business.

She had previously qualified with adegree in events management fromthe University of Gloucestershire andthen worked for Fosters Event Ca-tering in Bristol.

It was a big step up. Perhaps it was

her dazzling personality on stagewith Thornbury Musical TheatreGroup that won over the estate own-ers. Olivia’s performance as Belle inBeauty And The Beast saw hernominated for best actress at theRosebowl Awards for amateur pro-ductions in 2013.

Whatever the reason, the decisionproved fully justified as Olivia over-saw rapid growth, with weddings atthe venue rising from five in 2011 tomore than 60 booked in 2014.

After stepping aside from the gen-eral manager role, she continued asfirst sales and marketing and nowsales and events manager and startedher own business Host Event Man-agement in February last year.

She keeps her businesses separate,“when I’m at Old Down, I’m workingfor Old Down”, and is very proud ofboth.

“To see the business grow so rap-idly has been so rewarding and I lookforward to the future with greata n t i c i p at i o n , ” she said. “I am sopassionate about business and love tobe able to provide outstanding cus-tomer service.

“I have given 110 per cent to get OldDown Estate where it is today andfeel I have made a positive con-tribution to the community by help-ing local people enjoy visiting the

Bristol and Bath Women in Business Awards

Gavin ThompsonAssistant Editor (Business)gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk

The journalist helpingfirms do their own PR

FORMER regional journalistRin Hamburgh has made abusiness out of helping othersto promote their companies.The 34-year-old from Kings-

wood is in the running for YoungBusiness Woman of the Year in theBristol and Bath Business Awards.

She is co-founder of Inside Scoop,offering media training to small andmedium sized businesses throughworkshops or bespoke packages.

Having been a journalist for10 years, Rin says she knows whatmedia want from PR – and whatthey don’t.

But rather than start a PR busi-ness, she decided to teach businessowners to do it themselves.

Her philosophy is that the owner isthe best person to shout about theirbu s i n e s s.

“We ’re sort of trying to doourselves out of a job,” said Rin. “It’sabout teaching them to fish, not giv-ing them a fish.

“But we hope that they will be soexcited by what they learn that theywill tell other people and bring morebu s i n e s s. ”

� Woman of the Year, sponsoredby PPC� Young Entrepreneur of theYear, sponsored by bclearcommunications� Mentor of the Year, sponsoredby Lloyds Banking Group� Contribution to the CommunityAward, sponsored by SouthgateShopping Centre� Women in the WorkplaceAward, sponsored by CrestNicholson, for companies thatshow flexibility and adaptabilityto the employment of women� New Business of the Year,sponsored by HSBC CommercialBanking� Business of the Year,sponsored by City of BristolCollege� Award for Innovation,sponsored by Ashfords� Marketing Campaign of theYe a r� Female ApprenticeDevelopment Award, sponsoredby the West of England LocalEnterprise Partnership� Outstanding Contribution toBusiness in Bristol or Bath,sponsored by UWE Bristol� Overall sponsors UWE Bristol

Categories

Eve n ts Am-dram star is centrestage in business awards too

Business partner Jo Middleton is aprofessional blogger, who handlessocial media for some big clientsand shares her expertise with smallbu s i n e s s e s.

“Between us we are across allforms of media,” said Rin.

Their typical customer might be asmall firm that can’t afford to hire aPR professional or someone whosimply feels they aren’t getting valuefor money.

Rin still writes on a freelance basisfor publications including the G u a rd -ian and Psy chologies mag azine.

Olivia Mills

“To see the businessgrow so rapidly hasbeen so rewarding and Ilook forward to thefuture with greatanticipation

park and obtaining wonderfulmemories of their wedding oreve n t . ”

Her own firm, Host Event Man-agement, is also growing. Among itsupcoming events is a July Ball for the

new Harbourside Games, takingplace at the Bristol Hotel on June 7.

Regardless of the outcome of theWomen in Business Awards, Olivialooks set to be treading the boards inbusiness for a long time to come.

Rin Hamburgh

“ It’s about teachingthem to fish, not givingthem a fish. But we hopethey will be so excited bywhat they learn they willtell other people andbring more business.

Sign uphere forbusinessnews directto yourinboxevery day

� Bar manager Florean Hodgkinsonpresents the £2,300 cheque toTessa Martin of the Brains Trust

YOU will probably be familiarwith the most commonforms of business structures– sole traders, partnerships,limited liability partner-

ships, and limited companies.You may also be aware that dif-

ferent structures suit different pur-p o s e s.

However, it may surprise you tolearn that the way a business is struc-tured is often the fundamental dif-ference between the success andfailure of an enterprise.

As so often, this can be the result ofthe impact of tax on a business. Thedifferent types of business structurecan be split into two main camps.

Firstly, those where the owners aretaxed on the surpluses whether or notthey are distributed – this applies tosole traders, partnerships and lim-ited liability partnerships.

Many owners have felt the injustice

of leaving half the profits in the busi-ness to fund future growth (or in theinterests of simple prudence) yetbeing taxed on the whole amount.

The second camp comprises thosebusinesses which are taxed as anentity distinct from their owners,who decide how much they draw outand therefore how much personal tax

they pay. The most common busi-nesses in this camp are good oldlimited companies, but there are def-inite commercial and tax advantagesto a mutual structure, for example ac o - o p e r at ive.

Although little known, these arecertainly worth exploring.

It is not just short term tax con-siderations which are important.

The structure of a business affectsits robustness and longevity and howand when it can be handed down tofuture generations or sold to a thirdpar ty.

It also affects its growth potentialand ability to raise finance.

It may be that reading this you feelconcerned that you may currently bein the wrong structure.

D o n’t worry – the structure can bechanged (the earlier the better) andthere may in fact be significant oneoff tax benefits arising from the re-

structuring process. It is also a mis-take to think that you have to run thewhole business through the same en-t i t y.

It is fairly common to run a com-mercially risky trade through a dif-ferent company to that which holdsthe valuable assets, but there aremany more strategies to employ.

For instance, have you thought ofkeeping the intellectual property ofthe business outside the main trading

company and taking royalties in-stead of salary, thereby saving na-tional insurance, and protecting itfrom business failure?

Have you thought of forming aco-operative to supply the labour tothe business, thereby boosting theproductivity and take home pay ofyour team? The list is endless.

Having the wrong structure can bea glass ceiling that inhibits growth,increases tax and increases commer-cial risk.

The good news is that you don’thave to leave things as they are, withyou at the back of the queue and HMGovernment at the front.

If you attend to the structure ofyour business and put your familyfirst, you stand a good chance ofmaking it to the point where eco-nomies of scale and a larger businesspropel your family fortunes into analtogether different league.

Having the right structure can determine success or failure

Andrew FisherFCAExecutive directorAlanbrookes LtdAndr ewFisher@Alanbrookes.co.uk01934 863386

Know how

“Having the wrongstructure can be a glassceiling that inhibitsgrowth, increases taxand increasescommercial risk.”

EPB-E01-S3

EPB-

E01-

S3

4 We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 5, 2014 5We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 5, 2014 w w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/businessw w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/business

S e r v i ces

BUSINESSES in the city whowant to support the localcurrency can now do sosimply by sending post ...and for less than it would

cost with Royal Mail.Docmail Local Post, the carbon-free

postal service operating in Bristoland Bath, is selling businesses theBristol Pound stamps for 34p, 30 percent less than the cost of a secondclass Royal Mail stamp.

Joe Broadway, postal services dir-ector of Docmail Local Post, said:“Our customers choose us becausewe are carbon free and because we

care about supporting local busi-n e s s e s.

“We want to reward and work withother local businesses who share ourcommitment to helping the local eco-nomy thrive.”

The firm delivers business mailaround the city in two days or underby bicycles and electric cars.

Since setting up in September 2011,the firm’s post men and womenhave delivered 500,000 letters toBristol and Bath.

On average its 14 cyclists eachcover 25 miles a day and deliver acombined total of 20,000 - 25,000 piecesof mail each month.

In addition to the new stamps, thefirm recently delivered directories ofbusinesses signed up to using theBristol Pound.

So far 1,500 copies have been prin-

ted by Blue Sax Publishing Ltd, anindependent small business that alsopublish The Spark, the UK’s largestethical quarterly.

It features businesses such as Bris-tol Sweet Mart (Indian sweet meatsand home-made foods), JeepersSweepers (traditional chimneysweeps), Small Street Espresso andBristol Ferry Boats.

Mike Lloyd-Jones is trade managerof the Bristol Pound, which currentlyhas 635 traders.

He said: “We are delighted to con-tinue the partnership with a dynamiclocal company providing a great ex-ample of the developed environment-al attitude resonating in Bristol.

“The directory is a strong state-ment for local business and we’reexcited to showcase what Bristol andthe Bristol Pound have to offer”

Eco n o my Support localfirms with cheap stamps

� Special delivery at Southville Deli

‘Big year ahead forcity property sector’� THE year ahead could seesignificant developments in Bristol’sproperty and constructionindustries, according to a leadingfigure in the city’s property sector.

Philip Morton, pictur ed, head ofoffice agency and development atCBRE Bristol, believes 2014 couldbe the year the city sheds its tag ofa city that struggles to get any majorprojects built.

The debate over the city’sapparent reluctance to back majordevelopments has been triggeredby the scrapping of arena plans,Bristol City’s Ashton Vale stadiumproposal and delays to BristolRovers’ bid for anew stadium.

But MrMortonbelieves thatthe nextone to twoyears willdemonstrateBristol is acity wheremajor projectscan get built.

He said: “In recent years, severalmajor schemes in Bristol havebecome bogged down in red-tapeor come to a complete halt followingopposition from campaigners.

“However, there are now realsigns that the city is about to get itslong-awaited indoor arena,something that will help to competewith the other major regional citiesin terms of attracting visitors andgenerating income.

“At the same time there is a verygood chance that Bristol Rovers willpush ahead with its plans to build anew stadium at the University of theWest of England’s campus inFrenchay. It should also beremembered that the proposal isjust one part of a much largerscheme that will include newhousing and improved amenities.”

The refurbishment of TempleMeads station is also on the cards.

Mr Morton credited the mayor andthe improving economy for thechange. “Given that the economyhas turned a corner and there aresigns that the market is comingback to life, there are plenty ofreasons to feel confident about thevarious schemes due to take placein Bristol. It helps that we have amayor who has become a championfor the city and is doing a great jobtalking to potential investors.”

P ro j e c ts

Bringing a taste of theexotic to beer sales� A NEW store has opened sellingcraft beers from around the world.

The Bottle Shop, based on theground floor entrance to the BeerEmporium Bar and Restaurant, KingStreet, stocks more than 400bottled beers from countriesincluding the UK, Belgium andGermany. But it also sells moreexotic beers from Iceland, NewZealand, Japan and more.

The store marked its opening bydonating £2,300 to the Brains Trust,through a donation from every saleof Liefmans Fruitesse beer and ahead shave event.

Ret a i l

Firm’s backing fordragonboat racers� A WHITCHURCH firm will be themain sponsor of the 2014 BristolDragonboat Festival.

Itec is a long-term supporter ofthe event, last year entering fiveteams in aid of St Peter’s Hospice,raising more than £6,000.

The event has taken place atBaltic Wharf for seven years and is afine spectacle with the large boatsracing down the river. Last year3,000 spectators watched. Itecemploys 60 people in its businesssupplying copiers and printers.

S p o n so rs h i pGavin ThompsonAssistant Editor (Business)gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk

OLIVIA Mills’ entry into thebusiness world was dramat-ic. Offered the chance to becentre stage general man-ager of a country manor

and events venue at the age of just 23,she jumped at it.

But perhaps it’s not surprising, forsomeone who in her spare time is aleading light on the amateur dra-matics scene.

Olivia, now 26, successfully builtthe events business at Old DownManor, Tockington, SouthG l o u c e s t e r s h i re.

And now she has taken on a newchallenge. While carrying on fourdays a week as events and salesmanager at the venue, she haslaunched her own business too.

“This is a really exciting year forme as my business starts its secondyear and I continue to grow Old DownEstate, a business that means somuch to me personally and profes-s i o n a l ly, ” she said.

Olivia is among the nominees forthe inaugural Bristol and BathWomen in Business Awards, in as-sociation with UWE Bristol, in thecategories of Woman of the Year andYoung Entrepreneur of the Year.

She was offered the general man-ager role at Old Down Manor in 2010,responsible for 30 staff and runningthe estate including the country park,farm shop, cafe and setting up therestaurant and venue business.

She had previously qualified with adegree in events management fromthe University of Gloucestershire andthen worked for Fosters Event Ca-tering in Bristol.

It was a big step up. Perhaps it was

her dazzling personality on stagewith Thornbury Musical TheatreGroup that won over the estate own-ers. Olivia’s performance as Belle inBeauty And The Beast saw hernominated for best actress at theRosebowl Awards for amateur pro-ductions in 2013.

Whatever the reason, the decisionproved fully justified as Olivia over-saw rapid growth, with weddings atthe venue rising from five in 2011 tomore than 60 booked in 2014.

After stepping aside from the gen-eral manager role, she continued asfirst sales and marketing and nowsales and events manager and startedher own business Host Event Man-agement in February last year.

She keeps her businesses separate,“when I’m at Old Down, I’m workingfor Old Down”, and is very proud ofboth.

“To see the business grow so rap-idly has been so rewarding and I lookforward to the future with greata n t i c i p at i o n , ” she said. “I am sopassionate about business and love tobe able to provide outstanding cus-tomer service.

“I have given 110 per cent to get OldDown Estate where it is today andfeel I have made a positive con-tribution to the community by help-ing local people enjoy visiting the

Bristol and Bath Women in Business Awards

Gavin ThompsonAssistant Editor (Business)gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk

The journalist helpingfirms do their own PR

FORMER regional journalistRin Hamburgh has made abusiness out of helping othersto promote their companies.The 34-year-old from Kings-

wood is in the running for YoungBusiness Woman of the Year in theBristol and Bath Business Awards.

She is co-founder of Inside Scoop,offering media training to small andmedium sized businesses throughworkshops or bespoke packages.

Having been a journalist for10 years, Rin says she knows whatmedia want from PR – and whatthey don’t.

But rather than start a PR busi-ness, she decided to teach businessowners to do it themselves.

Her philosophy is that the owner isthe best person to shout about theirbu s i n e s s.

“We ’re sort of trying to doourselves out of a job,” said Rin. “It’sabout teaching them to fish, not giv-ing them a fish.

“But we hope that they will be soexcited by what they learn that theywill tell other people and bring morebu s i n e s s. ”

� Woman of the Year, sponsoredby PPC� Young Entrepreneur of theYear, sponsored by bclearcommunications� Mentor of the Year, sponsoredby Lloyds Banking Group� Contribution to the CommunityAward, sponsored by SouthgateShopping Centre� Women in the WorkplaceAward, sponsored by CrestNicholson, for companies thatshow flexibility and adaptabilityto the employment of women� New Business of the Year,sponsored by HSBC CommercialBanking� Business of the Year,sponsored by City of BristolCollege� Award for Innovation,sponsored by Ashfords� Marketing Campaign of theYe a r� Female ApprenticeDevelopment Award, sponsoredby the West of England LocalEnterprise Partnership� Outstanding Contribution toBusiness in Bristol or Bath,sponsored by UWE Bristol� Overall sponsors UWE Bristol

Categories

Eve n ts Am-dram star is centrestage in business awards too

Business partner Jo Middleton is aprofessional blogger, who handlessocial media for some big clientsand shares her expertise with smallbu s i n e s s e s.

“Between us we are across allforms of media,” said Rin.

Their typical customer might be asmall firm that can’t afford to hire aPR professional or someone whosimply feels they aren’t getting valuefor money.

Rin still writes on a freelance basisfor publications including the G u a rd -ian and Psy chologies mag azine.

Olivia Mills

“To see the businessgrow so rapidly hasbeen so rewarding and Ilook forward to thefuture with greatanticipation

park and obtaining wonderfulmemories of their wedding oreve n t . ”

Her own firm, Host Event Man-agement, is also growing. Among itsupcoming events is a July Ball for the

new Harbourside Games, takingplace at the Bristol Hotel on June 7.

Regardless of the outcome of theWomen in Business Awards, Olivialooks set to be treading the boards inbusiness for a long time to come.

Rin Hamburgh

“ It’s about teachingthem to fish, not givingthem a fish. But we hopethey will be so excited bywhat they learn they willtell other people andbring more business.

Sign uphere forbusinessnews directto yourinboxevery day

� Bar manager Florean Hodgkinsonpresents the £2,300 cheque toTessa Martin of the Brains Trust

YOU will probably be familiarwith the most commonforms of business structures– sole traders, partnerships,limited liability partner-

ships, and limited companies.You may also be aware that dif-

ferent structures suit different pur-p o s e s.

However, it may surprise you tolearn that the way a business is struc-tured is often the fundamental dif-ference between the success andfailure of an enterprise.

As so often, this can be the result ofthe impact of tax on a business. Thedifferent types of business structurecan be split into two main camps.

Firstly, those where the owners aretaxed on the surpluses whether or notthey are distributed – this applies tosole traders, partnerships and lim-ited liability partnerships.

Many owners have felt the injustice

of leaving half the profits in the busi-ness to fund future growth (or in theinterests of simple prudence) yetbeing taxed on the whole amount.

The second camp comprises thosebusinesses which are taxed as anentity distinct from their owners,who decide how much they draw outand therefore how much personal tax

they pay. The most common busi-nesses in this camp are good oldlimited companies, but there are def-inite commercial and tax advantagesto a mutual structure, for example ac o - o p e r at ive.

Although little known, these arecertainly worth exploring.

It is not just short term tax con-siderations which are important.

The structure of a business affectsits robustness and longevity and howand when it can be handed down tofuture generations or sold to a thirdpar ty.

It also affects its growth potentialand ability to raise finance.

It may be that reading this you feelconcerned that you may currently bein the wrong structure.

D o n’t worry – the structure can bechanged (the earlier the better) andthere may in fact be significant oneoff tax benefits arising from the re-

structuring process. It is also a mis-take to think that you have to run thewhole business through the same en-t i t y.

It is fairly common to run a com-mercially risky trade through a dif-ferent company to that which holdsthe valuable assets, but there aremany more strategies to employ.

For instance, have you thought ofkeeping the intellectual property ofthe business outside the main trading

company and taking royalties in-stead of salary, thereby saving na-tional insurance, and protecting itfrom business failure?

Have you thought of forming aco-operative to supply the labour tothe business, thereby boosting theproductivity and take home pay ofyour team? The list is endless.

Having the wrong structure can bea glass ceiling that inhibits growth,increases tax and increases commer-cial risk.

The good news is that you don’thave to leave things as they are, withyou at the back of the queue and HMGovernment at the front.

If you attend to the structure ofyour business and put your familyfirst, you stand a good chance ofmaking it to the point where eco-nomies of scale and a larger businesspropel your family fortunes into analtogether different league.

Having the right structure can determine success or failure

Andrew FisherFCAExecutive directorAlanbrookes LtdAndr ewFisher@Alanbrookes.co.uk01934 863386

Know how

“Having the wrongstructure can be a glassceiling that inhibitsgrowth, increases taxand increasescommercial risk.”

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6 We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 5, 2014 7We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 5, 2014 w w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/businessw w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/business

� BRJK20140226C-035_C

� BRJK20140226C-040_C

� BRJK20140226C-037_C

� BRJK20140226C-033_C

� BRJK20140226C-030_C

In pictures Bristol Post Business Awards 2014 launch

The categories� Business of the Year,sponsored by UWE� Young Entrepreneur of theYe a r� Lifetime Achievement Award,sponsored by Punter Southall� Retailer of the Year,sponsored by BroadmeadBristol BID� Customer Service Award,sponsored by BroadmeadBristol BID� Family Business of the Year� Innovator of the Year� Export Award� Marketing Campaign ofthe Year� Large Business of the Year,sponsored by Smith &Williamson� Best Creative/TechnologicalAward, sponsored by AshfordsSolicitors� Leisure & Tourism Businessof the Year, sponsored by QBE� Small Business of the Year� Start Up Business of the Year,sponsored by Jordans� Environmental BusinessAward, sponsored by BristolWa t e r� Contribution to theCommunity Award, sponsoredby Renishaw.

The sponsors COMPANY owners, managersand entrepreneurs turnedout to find out more aboutthe Bristol Post BusinessAwards last week.

The awards were officiallylaunched at the offices of Burges Sal-mon in the Temple Quarter Enter-prise Zone, near Temple Meadss t at i o n .

Griff Holland, joint winner of lastye a r ’s entrepreneur prize, sharedwith the audience a taste of his jour-ney founding Friska, the fresh fastfood takeaway and cafe.

Inspired to start his own business,Griff said that his first attempt, calledCrunch Foods, failed.

“Opening around the time of thecredit crunch, it was wasn’t a verygood name,” he joked.

But he said that despite losingabout £7,000 on the venture, it hadbeen the best thing to happen as helater met business partner Ed Brownand started Friska in VictoriaS t re e t .

On the benefits of winning lastyear, he said: “It gave us credibilitywith investors.

“It said someone else thinks this isa good business.”

Bristol Post editor Mike Nortongave a few tips on entering theawards, including entering early toimprove your chances of getting pub-licity and including profits and otherfacts and figures to support yourc a s e.

Other speakers on the night in-cluded Professor Jane Harrington,pro-vice chancellor and head of thebusiness faculty at the University ofthe West of England, which is theheadline sponsor of the awards.

While Bristol News & Media man-aging director Sarah Pullen re-minded everyone what a great nightthe awards are.

� Find out how to enter, buytickets or become a sponsor atw w w. b r i s t o l p o s t . c o . u k / b u s i n e s sawards.

� TESCO chairman Sir RichardBroadband drew a big crowd ofmore than 250 for the latest lecturein the Bristol DistinguishedExecutive Address series.

Sir Richard talked about the realityof corporate governance, based onhis experiences of how boards workand the difference between successand failure at that level.

Sir Richard told the Post b e f o rethe event: “Good value is deeplyrooted in the DNA of Tesco. Butthere was a time when it become alittle focused on the numbers, notthe customers.

“When talking about a bigorganisation with 300,000 peopleyou have to recognise that thebehaviour of every single one ofthose people is what’s going tomake you successful.”

The address series provides anetworking opportunity and thechance to hear from a high-levelexecutive.

The series is delivered by theBristol Business School at BristolUWE in partnership with ACCA,Bristol City Council, the Bristol Post,Business West, CBI, CMI, FSB, IoDand the West of England LEP.

The next event is on March 19,when Air Vice Marshal Julian Youngwill be talking about up-skilling atUWE Frenchay Campus, from 6pm.

The following night KPMGchairman Simon Collins will be atCity Hall to discuss how to makebusiness great again.

Distinguished Executive Address: Sir Richard Broadbent of Tesco

� Sir RichardB ro a d b e n t

( c e n t re ) ,chairman of

Tesco, at theDistinguished

ExecutiveAddress at the

M shedPhotographs:Michael Lloyd

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� Aaron Miller, Seyran Kaetenci and Beth Rowsell BRJK20140226C-061_C

� The crowd at the launch of the Bristol Post Business Awards Photographs: Jon Kent BRJK20140226C-046_C

� Keith Brock from Wessex Garages, Prof Jane Harrington from UWE andGriff Holland from Friska BRJK20140226C-002_C

� Neil Sherreard, James Kingston, Emma Barton and Sam FerrisBRJK20140226C-051_C

� Vanessa Moon, Samantha Bunn and Stephen Parsons BRJK20140226C-052_C

� Nicki Sampson, Simon Coy, Prof Nicholas O’regan and Paul SampsonBRJK20140226C-060_C

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6 We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 5, 2014 7We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 5, 2014 w w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/businessw w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/business

� BRJK20140226C-035_C

� BRJK20140226C-040_C

� BRJK20140226C-037_C

� BRJK20140226C-033_C

� BRJK20140226C-030_C

In pictures Bristol Post Business Awards 2014 launch

The categories� Business of the Year,sponsored by UWE� Young Entrepreneur of theYe a r� Lifetime Achievement Award,sponsored by Punter Southall� Retailer of the Year,sponsored by BroadmeadBristol BID� Customer Service Award,sponsored by BroadmeadBristol BID� Family Business of the Year� Innovator of the Year� Export Award� Marketing Campaign ofthe Year� Large Business of the Year,sponsored by Smith &Williamson� Best Creative/TechnologicalAward, sponsored by AshfordsSolicitors� Leisure & Tourism Businessof the Year, sponsored by QBE� Small Business of the Year� Start Up Business of the Year,sponsored by Jordans� Environmental BusinessAward, sponsored by BristolWa t e r� Contribution to theCommunity Award, sponsoredby Renishaw.

The sponsors COMPANY owners, managersand entrepreneurs turnedout to find out more aboutthe Bristol Post BusinessAwards last week.

The awards were officiallylaunched at the offices of Burges Sal-mon in the Temple Quarter Enter-prise Zone, near Temple Meadss t at i o n .

Griff Holland, joint winner of lastye a r ’s entrepreneur prize, sharedwith the audience a taste of his jour-ney founding Friska, the fresh fastfood takeaway and cafe.

Inspired to start his own business,Griff said that his first attempt, calledCrunch Foods, failed.

“Opening around the time of thecredit crunch, it was wasn’t a verygood name,” he joked.

But he said that despite losingabout £7,000 on the venture, it hadbeen the best thing to happen as helater met business partner Ed Brownand started Friska in VictoriaS t re e t .

On the benefits of winning lastyear, he said: “It gave us credibilitywith investors.

“It said someone else thinks this isa good business.”

Bristol Post editor Mike Nortongave a few tips on entering theawards, including entering early toimprove your chances of getting pub-licity and including profits and otherfacts and figures to support yourc a s e.

Other speakers on the night in-cluded Professor Jane Harrington,pro-vice chancellor and head of thebusiness faculty at the University ofthe West of England, which is theheadline sponsor of the awards.

While Bristol News & Media man-aging director Sarah Pullen re-minded everyone what a great nightthe awards are.

� Find out how to enter, buytickets or become a sponsor atw w w. b r i s t o l p o s t . c o . u k / b u s i n e s sawards.

� TESCO chairman Sir RichardBroadband drew a big crowd ofmore than 250 for the latest lecturein the Bristol DistinguishedExecutive Address series.

Sir Richard talked about the realityof corporate governance, based onhis experiences of how boards workand the difference between successand failure at that level.

Sir Richard told the Post b e f o rethe event: “Good value is deeplyrooted in the DNA of Tesco. Butthere was a time when it become alittle focused on the numbers, notthe customers.

“When talking about a bigorganisation with 300,000 peopleyou have to recognise that thebehaviour of every single one ofthose people is what’s going tomake you successful.”

The address series provides anetworking opportunity and thechance to hear from a high-levelexecutive.

The series is delivered by theBristol Business School at BristolUWE in partnership with ACCA,Bristol City Council, the Bristol Post,Business West, CBI, CMI, FSB, IoDand the West of England LEP.

The next event is on March 19,when Air Vice Marshal Julian Youngwill be talking about up-skilling atUWE Frenchay Campus, from 6pm.

The following night KPMGchairman Simon Collins will be atCity Hall to discuss how to makebusiness great again.

Distinguished Executive Address: Sir Richard Broadbent of Tesco

� Sir RichardB ro a d b e n t

( c e n t re ) ,chairman of

Tesco, at theDistinguished

ExecutiveAddress at the

M shedPhotographs:Michael Lloyd

BRML20140227F-005_C

� Aaron Miller, Seyran Kaetenci and Beth Rowsell BRJK20140226C-061_C

� The crowd at the launch of the Bristol Post Business Awards Photographs: Jon Kent BRJK20140226C-046_C

� Keith Brock from Wessex Garages, Prof Jane Harrington from UWE andGriff Holland from Friska BRJK20140226C-002_C

� Neil Sherreard, James Kingston, Emma Barton and Sam FerrisBRJK20140226C-051_C

� Vanessa Moon, Samantha Bunn and Stephen Parsons BRJK20140226C-052_C

� Nicki Sampson, Simon Coy, Prof Nicholas O’regan and Paul SampsonBRJK20140226C-060_C

� BRML2014 0227F-013_C

� BRML2014 0227F-010_C

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� AmyBullen andSimonRussellBRJK20140226C-049_C

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8 We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 5, 2014 9We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 5, 2014 w w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/businessw w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/business

PUBLIC trust in large busi-nesses has suffered a break-down caused by the bankingcrisis, a perceived focus onprofits ahead of customer

service and numerous tales of com-panies seen not to be paying their“fair share” in taxes.

Right on the front line is always thebuilding trade. More than any in-dustry, construction cannot hideaway, and how it builds trust with thepublic is vital.

Alan Hope, below, chief executiveof Bristol-based construction firmMidas Group, said: “The construc-tion business is played out in public.We do our work in local communities,schools, hospitals, shops and uni-versities, so maintaining high stand-a rd s throughout is imperative to us.”

These days companies such asMidas need policies coveringeverything from waste man-agement and carbon re-duction to training anddevelopment and envir-onmental protection.But it takes more.

Alan said: “T hegrowth of our business,which now employs over400 people across theSouth West, is due to thefact that we are at the heart ofthe community.

“We often work in built-up areas, orclose-knit communities, so commu-nicating with them throughout ourwork is very important.

“We run an annual community en-gagement week programme, supportlocal organisations, clubs and soci-eties, and employ local people wherewe can. That is critical to us becausewith the right project you can use abuild as a catalyst for employment,training and regeneration, and cre-ate a virtuous circle.

“I firmly believe that no businesscan remain successful in the longterm without a strong ethical found-at i o n . ”

Kevin Fear, head of health, safetyand environmental strategy at theConstruction Industry TrainingBoard, agreed. “When it comes toconstruction, corporate responsibil-

ity manifests itself in a number ofw ay s, ” he said. “Construction pro-jects, whether a major infrastructureproject or a small housing develop-ment, are by their nature visual, aud-ible and they impact upon theenvironment around them.

“Corporate responsibility in con-struction is not only measuring andmitigating any immediate health,safety or environmental risks, it’salso looking at how the area aroundthe works can be enhanced, how youcan train and build up the local skillsbase and what other positive legacycan be created.

“As an example, CITB’s cli-ent-based approach is about workingwith the developers of constructionprojects in order to provide oppor-tunities for local people to train onthe site, which leaves the workforce of

that area more highly skilledand ready to take advantage

of any future opportunit-i e s. ”

Another way firmsbuild local ties isthrough community be-nefits associated withbig projects. For ex-

ample, housebuilderTaylor Wimpey’s develop-

ment of the former Cadburysite in Keynsham includes

building a new Fry Club and sportsfacilities. Often such things are writ-ten into the planning permission.

While builders work in public, theyare not the only ones under the spot-light. The credit crunch sparked acollapse in confidence in businessand for some companies the answerhas been to focus on corporate socialresponsibility or, in plain English,giving something back to the com-m u n i t y.

There is no doubt that, as Gov-ernment spending and servicesshrink, there is an opportunity forbusiness to fill the void.

Zoe Colosimo, chief operating of-ficer of Neighbourly, a social networkthat matches firms and communityprojects, said trust in business hadbeen so badly damaged firms had toact. “Business very much concen-trated on profits at the expense of

everything else such as the envir-onment, social impact and the eco-n o my, ” said Zoe.

“The focus was on short-term fin-ancial gain rather than looking at thelong-term needs of society. One way tobuild that trust with their consumeragain is to invest in the place wheretheir business operates.”

She said there was a growing trendfor companies – national giants suchas Unilever and local small busi-nesses – to get involved in their com-munities. And as local and centralgovernment spending was cut backand public services shrank to the coreessentials, there would be opportun-ities for business to do even more.

Zoe said: “Government funding isin rapid decline. There’s a huge gapbetween what was funded by localgovernment and what still needs to

happen and there is an opportunityfor companies to step up and fill it.”

Traditionally, giving somethingback has been about painting thecommunity centre, for example, orfundraising for a national charity.

“Those things are brilliant andshould continue,” said Zoe. “Butthere are local projects, too, that com-panies can support.”

One example is Westbury PrimarySchool in Bristol, which recentlyjoined neighbourly.com to raisemoney for books to stock its library.So far it has raised £3,000.

Charities and the public sector, itseems, are increasingly targetingbusiness for support.

The Bristol Old Vic recently cre-ated a business club to fund plans tobuild a new glass atrium. Commer-cial property firm Jones Lang LaS-

Focus on start-ups | Sponsored by THEME SPONSOR’S NAME HERE.

From banks to builders, more and more businesses arerecognising the need to give something back. GavinThompson looks at how and why corporate socialresponsibility is on the rise

� A TEAM from Lloyds Bankswapped their office suits foroveralls to help Hft, a learningdisabilities charity, to clear itsgarden and decorate itsBristol-based service.

Several staff from the LloydsBank Bristol mid markets officespent the day at the Hft building inMontpelier working in and aroundthe charity's grounds, clearingleaves and overgrown flower beds.

The team, who were joined by

volunteers from Bristol-based lawfirm Burges Salmon, also spenttime refreshing the paintwork inone of the communal areas.

Hft, a national charity thatsupports people with learningdisabilities, is a long-standing clientof the bank.

Its services range fromsupporting people to live in their

own homes, to residential anddomiciliary care as well as shortbreaks and day services.

Tom Lloyd-Jones, relationshipdirector at Lloyds BankCommercial Banking in Bristol,said: “It is important to us that wesupport our local community in away that is really going to benefitthem, and this work forms part ofour commitment to help the UKprosper by contributing positivelyto the communities we serve.

Bank team investing time in the communityCase study

� GIVING something back is notjust for big business, as VickyHarrison from Paper Village proves.

When Vicky set up an art and craftsupplies shop in 2010 she had cleargoals for the business.

“The shop would pay for itself, thecourses and workshops I run wouldgive me a wage and I would seekfunding and use any profits to runcommunity projects,” she said.

The reality isn’t quite there yet interms of Vicky’s wage. But despitethat she has delivered on thepromise to devote time tocommunity and charity projects.

She said: “People donate time,materials and do all kinds of thingsto support the projects and shop.

“My background is inorganisational and communitydevelopment in the voluntary sectorand I am an artist. I would say that Ispend about 50 hours working onshop-related things and a further 20or so hours per week volunteeringhours towards the projects.”

Projects include 500 Dresses,which sees volunteers makingdresses to send to children living inpoverty overseas.

People can get involved bydonating money for elastic, sewingsmall toys to go in the pockets ofdresses, cutting and embroideringpockets and of course, maked re s s e s .

“Why do I do it,” asked Vicky. “Idon’t want to live in a place wherenobody communicates with anyoneelse and are all shut away behindcomputer keyboards.

“I have a roof over my head andcan afford to eat and heat my house– other people can’t and I think we

We need to do what wecan to cut poverty gapCase study

� Above, young girls wearing dresses at school in The Gambia; below, VickyHarrison in her Paper Village

Corporate social responsibility

THE construction andwaste management sec-tors are closely linkedwhen it comes to costcontrol and this will be-

come even more apparent onApril 1 when HMRC raises thestandard rate of landfill tax by afurther £8 per tonne to £80 pert o n n e.

Landfill tax was introduced in1996 by the then EnvironmentMinister at a rate of £8 per tonne.It was introduced with the pur-pose of encouraging waste re-cycling and reducing the amountof waste sent to landfill.

It has been an effective tool inthis regard and has con-sequently been steadily in-creased over time owing to thelandfill tax escalator. Today,landfill tax stands at £72 pertonne for standard-rated activewaste and £2.50 per tonne forinactive lower-rated waste.

With the next increase loom-ing on April 1, construction com-panies must make sure they usewaste management contractorswho are actively investing inwaste recycling technology.

Those that do invest will beable to offer long-term pricingstability to their customers andthose that do not will continuallyhave to pass on full landfill taxi n c re a s e s.

The Chancellor, George Os-borne, has not yet provided clar-ity over the landfill tax escalatorbeyond April 1, 2014, other thanannouncing that “a floor will beput under the 2014 standard rateof £80 per tonne until 2020”. Thiseffectively means there is onlyone way for this tax to keep goingand many expect further in-creases towards £100 per tonne,as currently seen in severalEuropean countries.

However, as part as the Gov-er nment’s ‘Red Tape Challenge’to remove regulations that areeither ineffective or hold backgrowth, the Site Waste Manage-ment Plan Regulation 2008 wasscrapped last December.

Under this regulation, all con-struction projects in Englandworth over £300,000 were re-quired to have a SWMP in placebefore a project could com-m e n c e.

This move will help to reducetime and cost for many construc-tion projects, although some willstill require an SWMP in order tocomply with the BRE Environ-mental Assessment Method cer-tification, which is used to assessthe sustainability of buildings.

Alex MarlandDir ectorMcCarthy Marland01179 412555w w w. m c m - w a s t e . c o . u k

Landfill tax isgoing in onlyone direction

Expert eye

‘SUCCESS ONLY SUSTAINABLE WITH SOLID ETHICAL FOUNDATIONS’

alle is the first to sign up.And Bristol charity St Peter’s Hos-

pice has just appointed a corporatefundraiser to help it maximise thatsource of funding. EdwardSmith, right, joins havingpreviously been involvedin Bristol Zoo’s hugelysuccessful Wow! Goril-las campaign.

He said: “I aim to en-gage with local busi-nesses and enable thecompany and staff mem-bers to raise as muchfunds as they can.”

Avon Wildlife Trust is an-other organisation that benefitsfrom corporate support.

Folly Farm centre director, And-rew-Lund Yates, said: “With more andmore companies realising the im-

portance of the environment to theirbusiness, we are seeing an increasingamount of inquiries for corporatebookings. With a range of sustainable

features, including bio-massheating and rainwater har-

vesting, plus the fact thatall profits from the centreare gift-aided back toAvon Wildlife Trust, inorder to help protectlocal wildlife, we areproud to be able to help

businesses with their so-cial objectives by provid-

ing an inspiring conferencevenue and a venue that can be

booked with a clear conscience.”The Royal Mail is one company to

use the centre. Stamps and collect-ibles managing director, AndrewHammond, said he had been using

need to recognise this and dowhatever we can to reduce thepoverty gap.

“And I love to help nurturepeople’s creativity and I have a loveof teaching and sharing ideas.”

Vicky Harrison

“ I don’t want to live in aplace where nobodycommunicates withanyone else and are allshut away behindcomputer keyboards.

� Sam Nelson (left) andAmy Wilson of LloydsBank Commercial Bankinghelp clear the garden

the venue for executive team eventsfor years, and had seen the benefits.

“We often refer to plans developedhere as the Folly plans,” he said. “Myteam love the tranquillity and thespace it creates for them to think. Theenvironmental and CSR perspectiveswere not the primary drivers for us,but have become an integral part ofthe experience and, indeed, our reas-ons for coming back.”

But while more and more organ-isations are asking businesses forsupport, some firms are beginning totake a more sophisticated approachto giving back, offering professionalexpertise rather than money.

Phil Cotton, head of the Bristoloffice at big four accountants KPMG,said: “About 18 months ago we de-cided that we wanted to move awayfrom the digging and painting fencesapproach and bring some of our realskill sets to the benefit of these or-ganisations. For example, with Shel-ter we have seconded a member ofstaff to help them co-ordinate theirwhole programme around affordablehousing. We are helping charitieswith strategy, fundraising and logist-ics – the sort of things we sell to ourclients we are trying to bring to ourcharity work, too.”

KPMG’s focus is on education andsocial mobility and it is working withShelter and Action for Literacy.Among its programmes are work ex-perience placements for the home-less, often in the post room, printroom and catering.

Phil said KPMG did such workbecause “it’s the right thing to do” bu tsaid it was also expected by employ-ees and potential employees.

Despite the new approach, Philh a s n’t thrown out the paint brushesjust yet. “Our staff enjoy getting outand about in the fresh air so we stilldo that, we’re just trying to broadenwhat we can offer,” he said.

Phil admitted it was easier for a bigfirm such as KPMG to spare the timefor such projects, but smaller organ-isations did it, too.

He said: “It usually takes a pas-sionate leader or chief executive todrive it, but it does happen.”

There is demand for businesses, bigand small, to play an active role incommunities. And there is a growingdesire from business to do just that.But as the public sector shrinks, thenumber of worthy causes in needgrows. Whether business alone canfill that gap remains to be seen.

“We have worked closely with Hftfor many years. It is great to beable to help the charity in anotherway by decorating and tidying upthe gardens where some of thepeople we support live, and we’reproud to hear that the people Hftsupports are enjoying their news u r ro u n d i n g s . ”

Lucy Baxter, from Hft, added:“We really appreciate the timeinvested by Lloyds Bank andBurges Salmon to help freshen up

paintwork and remove the leavesfrom the garden.

“We work closely to supportpeople in Bristol and the wider areawith learning disabilities so thatthey have the opportunity to livethe life they want to, and thesupport of volunteers like this isvital to help our work continue.”

EPB-E01-S3

EPB-

E01-

S3

8 We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 5, 2014 9We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 5, 2014 w w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/businessw w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/business

PUBLIC trust in large busi-nesses has suffered a break-down caused by the bankingcrisis, a perceived focus onprofits ahead of customer

service and numerous tales of com-panies seen not to be paying their“fair share” in taxes.

Right on the front line is always thebuilding trade. More than any in-dustry, construction cannot hideaway, and how it builds trust with thepublic is vital.

Alan Hope, below, chief executiveof Bristol-based construction firmMidas Group, said: “The construc-tion business is played out in public.We do our work in local communities,schools, hospitals, shops and uni-versities, so maintaining high stand-a rd s throughout is imperative to us.”

These days companies such asMidas need policies coveringeverything from waste man-agement and carbon re-duction to training anddevelopment and envir-onmental protection.But it takes more.

Alan said: “T hegrowth of our business,which now employs over400 people across theSouth West, is due to thefact that we are at the heart ofthe community.

“We often work in built-up areas, orclose-knit communities, so commu-nicating with them throughout ourwork is very important.

“We run an annual community en-gagement week programme, supportlocal organisations, clubs and soci-eties, and employ local people wherewe can. That is critical to us becausewith the right project you can use abuild as a catalyst for employment,training and regeneration, and cre-ate a virtuous circle.

“I firmly believe that no businesscan remain successful in the longterm without a strong ethical found-at i o n . ”

Kevin Fear, head of health, safetyand environmental strategy at theConstruction Industry TrainingBoard, agreed. “When it comes toconstruction, corporate responsibil-

ity manifests itself in a number ofw ay s, ” he said. “Construction pro-jects, whether a major infrastructureproject or a small housing develop-ment, are by their nature visual, aud-ible and they impact upon theenvironment around them.

“Corporate responsibility in con-struction is not only measuring andmitigating any immediate health,safety or environmental risks, it’salso looking at how the area aroundthe works can be enhanced, how youcan train and build up the local skillsbase and what other positive legacycan be created.

“As an example, CITB’s cli-ent-based approach is about workingwith the developers of constructionprojects in order to provide oppor-tunities for local people to train onthe site, which leaves the workforce of

that area more highly skilledand ready to take advantage

of any future opportunit-i e s. ”

Another way firmsbuild local ties isthrough community be-nefits associated withbig projects. For ex-

ample, housebuilderTaylor Wimpey’s develop-

ment of the former Cadburysite in Keynsham includes

building a new Fry Club and sportsfacilities. Often such things are writ-ten into the planning permission.

While builders work in public, theyare not the only ones under the spot-light. The credit crunch sparked acollapse in confidence in businessand for some companies the answerhas been to focus on corporate socialresponsibility or, in plain English,giving something back to the com-m u n i t y.

There is no doubt that, as Gov-ernment spending and servicesshrink, there is an opportunity forbusiness to fill the void.

Zoe Colosimo, chief operating of-ficer of Neighbourly, a social networkthat matches firms and communityprojects, said trust in business hadbeen so badly damaged firms had toact. “Business very much concen-trated on profits at the expense of

everything else such as the envir-onment, social impact and the eco-n o my, ” said Zoe.

“The focus was on short-term fin-ancial gain rather than looking at thelong-term needs of society. One way tobuild that trust with their consumeragain is to invest in the place wheretheir business operates.”

She said there was a growing trendfor companies – national giants suchas Unilever and local small busi-nesses – to get involved in their com-munities. And as local and centralgovernment spending was cut backand public services shrank to the coreessentials, there would be opportun-ities for business to do even more.

Zoe said: “Government funding isin rapid decline. There’s a huge gapbetween what was funded by localgovernment and what still needs to

happen and there is an opportunityfor companies to step up and fill it.”

Traditionally, giving somethingback has been about painting thecommunity centre, for example, orfundraising for a national charity.

“Those things are brilliant andshould continue,” said Zoe. “Butthere are local projects, too, that com-panies can support.”

One example is Westbury PrimarySchool in Bristol, which recentlyjoined neighbourly.com to raisemoney for books to stock its library.So far it has raised £3,000.

Charities and the public sector, itseems, are increasingly targetingbusiness for support.

The Bristol Old Vic recently cre-ated a business club to fund plans tobuild a new glass atrium. Commer-cial property firm Jones Lang LaS-

Focus on start-ups | Sponsored by THEME SPONSOR’S NAME HERE.

From banks to builders, more and more businesses arerecognising the need to give something back. GavinThompson looks at how and why corporate socialresponsibility is on the rise

� A TEAM from Lloyds Bankswapped their office suits foroveralls to help Hft, a learningdisabilities charity, to clear itsgarden and decorate itsBristol-based service.

Several staff from the LloydsBank Bristol mid markets officespent the day at the Hft building inMontpelier working in and aroundthe charity's grounds, clearingleaves and overgrown flower beds.

The team, who were joined by

volunteers from Bristol-based lawfirm Burges Salmon, also spenttime refreshing the paintwork inone of the communal areas.

Hft, a national charity thatsupports people with learningdisabilities, is a long-standing clientof the bank.

Its services range fromsupporting people to live in their

own homes, to residential anddomiciliary care as well as shortbreaks and day services.

Tom Lloyd-Jones, relationshipdirector at Lloyds BankCommercial Banking in Bristol,said: “It is important to us that wesupport our local community in away that is really going to benefitthem, and this work forms part ofour commitment to help the UKprosper by contributing positivelyto the communities we serve.

Bank team investing time in the communityCase study

� GIVING something back is notjust for big business, as VickyHarrison from Paper Village proves.

When Vicky set up an art and craftsupplies shop in 2010 she had cleargoals for the business.

“The shop would pay for itself, thecourses and workshops I run wouldgive me a wage and I would seekfunding and use any profits to runcommunity projects,” she said.

The reality isn’t quite there yet interms of Vicky’s wage. But despitethat she has delivered on thepromise to devote time tocommunity and charity projects.

She said: “People donate time,materials and do all kinds of thingsto support the projects and shop.

“My background is inorganisational and communitydevelopment in the voluntary sectorand I am an artist. I would say that Ispend about 50 hours working onshop-related things and a further 20or so hours per week volunteeringhours towards the projects.”

Projects include 500 Dresses,which sees volunteers makingdresses to send to children living inpoverty overseas.

People can get involved bydonating money for elastic, sewingsmall toys to go in the pockets ofdresses, cutting and embroideringpockets and of course, maked re s s e s .

“Why do I do it,” asked Vicky. “Idon’t want to live in a place wherenobody communicates with anyoneelse and are all shut away behindcomputer keyboards.

“I have a roof over my head andcan afford to eat and heat my house– other people can’t and I think we

We need to do what wecan to cut poverty gapCase study

� Above, young girls wearing dresses at school in The Gambia; below, VickyHarrison in her Paper Village

Corporate social responsibility

THE construction andwaste management sec-tors are closely linkedwhen it comes to costcontrol and this will be-

come even more apparent onApril 1 when HMRC raises thestandard rate of landfill tax by afurther £8 per tonne to £80 pert o n n e.

Landfill tax was introduced in1996 by the then EnvironmentMinister at a rate of £8 per tonne.It was introduced with the pur-pose of encouraging waste re-cycling and reducing the amountof waste sent to landfill.

It has been an effective tool inthis regard and has con-sequently been steadily in-creased over time owing to thelandfill tax escalator. Today,landfill tax stands at £72 pertonne for standard-rated activewaste and £2.50 per tonne forinactive lower-rated waste.

With the next increase loom-ing on April 1, construction com-panies must make sure they usewaste management contractorswho are actively investing inwaste recycling technology.

Those that do invest will beable to offer long-term pricingstability to their customers andthose that do not will continuallyhave to pass on full landfill taxi n c re a s e s.

The Chancellor, George Os-borne, has not yet provided clar-ity over the landfill tax escalatorbeyond April 1, 2014, other thanannouncing that “a floor will beput under the 2014 standard rateof £80 per tonne until 2020”. Thiseffectively means there is onlyone way for this tax to keep goingand many expect further in-creases towards £100 per tonne,as currently seen in severalEuropean countries.

However, as part as the Gov-er nment’s ‘Red Tape Challenge’to remove regulations that areeither ineffective or hold backgrowth, the Site Waste Manage-ment Plan Regulation 2008 wasscrapped last December.

Under this regulation, all con-struction projects in Englandworth over £300,000 were re-quired to have a SWMP in placebefore a project could com-m e n c e.

This move will help to reducetime and cost for many construc-tion projects, although some willstill require an SWMP in order tocomply with the BRE Environ-mental Assessment Method cer-tification, which is used to assessthe sustainability of buildings.

Alex MarlandDir ectorMcCarthy Marland01179 412555w w w. m c m - w a s t e . c o . u k

Landfill tax isgoing in onlyone direction

Expert eye

‘SUCCESS ONLY SUSTAINABLE WITH SOLID ETHICAL FOUNDATIONS’

alle is the first to sign up.And Bristol charity St Peter’s Hos-

pice has just appointed a corporatefundraiser to help it maximise thatsource of funding. EdwardSmith, right, joins havingpreviously been involvedin Bristol Zoo’s hugelysuccessful Wow! Goril-las campaign.

He said: “I aim to en-gage with local busi-nesses and enable thecompany and staff mem-bers to raise as muchfunds as they can.”

Avon Wildlife Trust is an-other organisation that benefitsfrom corporate support.

Folly Farm centre director, And-rew-Lund Yates, said: “With more andmore companies realising the im-

portance of the environment to theirbusiness, we are seeing an increasingamount of inquiries for corporatebookings. With a range of sustainable

features, including bio-massheating and rainwater har-

vesting, plus the fact thatall profits from the centreare gift-aided back toAvon Wildlife Trust, inorder to help protectlocal wildlife, we areproud to be able to help

businesses with their so-cial objectives by provid-

ing an inspiring conferencevenue and a venue that can be

booked with a clear conscience.”The Royal Mail is one company to

use the centre. Stamps and collect-ibles managing director, AndrewHammond, said he had been using

need to recognise this and dowhatever we can to reduce thepoverty gap.

“And I love to help nurturepeople’s creativity and I have a loveof teaching and sharing ideas.”

Vicky Harrison

“ I don’t want to live in aplace where nobodycommunicates withanyone else and are allshut away behindcomputer keyboards.

� Sam Nelson (left) andAmy Wilson of LloydsBank Commercial Bankinghelp clear the garden

the venue for executive team eventsfor years, and had seen the benefits.

“We often refer to plans developedhere as the Folly plans,” he said. “Myteam love the tranquillity and thespace it creates for them to think. Theenvironmental and CSR perspectiveswere not the primary drivers for us,but have become an integral part ofthe experience and, indeed, our reas-ons for coming back.”

But while more and more organ-isations are asking businesses forsupport, some firms are beginning totake a more sophisticated approachto giving back, offering professionalexpertise rather than money.

Phil Cotton, head of the Bristoloffice at big four accountants KPMG,said: “About 18 months ago we de-cided that we wanted to move awayfrom the digging and painting fencesapproach and bring some of our realskill sets to the benefit of these or-ganisations. For example, with Shel-ter we have seconded a member ofstaff to help them co-ordinate theirwhole programme around affordablehousing. We are helping charitieswith strategy, fundraising and logist-ics – the sort of things we sell to ourclients we are trying to bring to ourcharity work, too.”

KPMG’s focus is on education andsocial mobility and it is working withShelter and Action for Literacy.Among its programmes are work ex-perience placements for the home-less, often in the post room, printroom and catering.

Phil said KPMG did such workbecause “it’s the right thing to do” bu tsaid it was also expected by employ-ees and potential employees.

Despite the new approach, Philh a s n’t thrown out the paint brushesjust yet. “Our staff enjoy getting outand about in the fresh air so we stilldo that, we’re just trying to broadenwhat we can offer,” he said.

Phil admitted it was easier for a bigfirm such as KPMG to spare the timefor such projects, but smaller organ-isations did it, too.

He said: “It usually takes a pas-sionate leader or chief executive todrive it, but it does happen.”

There is demand for businesses, bigand small, to play an active role incommunities. And there is a growingdesire from business to do just that.But as the public sector shrinks, thenumber of worthy causes in needgrows. Whether business alone canfill that gap remains to be seen.

“We have worked closely with Hftfor many years. It is great to beable to help the charity in anotherway by decorating and tidying upthe gardens where some of thepeople we support live, and we’reproud to hear that the people Hftsupports are enjoying their news u r ro u n d i n g s . ”

Lucy Baxter, from Hft, added:“We really appreciate the timeinvested by Lloyds Bank andBurges Salmon to help freshen up

paintwork and remove the leavesfrom the garden.

“We work closely to supportpeople in Bristol and the wider areawith learning disabilities so thatthey have the opportunity to livethe life they want to, and thesupport of volunteers like this isvital to help our work continue.”

EPB-E01-S3

EPB-

E01-

S3

10 We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 5, 2014 11We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 5, 2014 w w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/businessw w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/business

The Big Interview

FOR Simon Howes, recent fig-ures from the National Ap-prenticeship Service thatshow a surge in demand formanufacturing and engineer-

ing apprenticeships are extremelywe l c o m e.

As regional director for the Man-ufacturing Advisory Service (MAS),he plays a pivotal role in champi-oning manufacturing in the region.

But the figures also carry a par-ticular personal resonance.

As a teenager, Mr Howes’ i n t e re s tin manufacturing was sparked whenhis father bought him two motor-bikes for his 16th birthday. The onlydownside was that neither worked.

His challenge was to use the work-ing parts from both to build afully-functioning bike. For someonewho had grown uphelping his fatherto fix cars and whokept a toolboxunder his bed, hemanaged the taskwithout too muchdif ficulty.

The youngSimon was com-mitted to a careerin manufacturingand he secured anapprenticeship atthe Courtauldscellophane filmsplant in Bridg-w at e r.

As an appren-tice in a large pro-cess factory thatemployed around2,000 people, hespent time rotat-ing between dif-f e re n tdepartments togain exposure tovarious engineer-ing disciplines, in-cluding design,mechanical andelectrical main-tenance, electron-ics andm a ch i n i n g .

He said: “T heidea behind the ro-tation policy was that you found outwhat you liked and what you weregood at. For me this was electronics,and at the end of the first year I wasable to specialise in this field.”

The Courtaulds plant was made upof a number of different factories and,in the late 1980s, some began to besold off. One of these was the BFFNonwovens subsidiary, which beganinvesting in state-of-the-art textileequipment under new ownership.

Simon was employed as an elec-tronics technician with the companyafter his apprenticeship had finished.In 1993, following further re-organ-isation of the business, he was pro-moted to engineering manager of thefactory. He was just 25.

He remained in the role until 1996,when he was head-hunted by a firmlooking to build a new factory inSaudi Arabia to supply materials tothe region’s childcare product man-uf acturers.

to complete the course… just!”In 2010, Mr Howes was appointed

director for the region and given theresponsibility for further enhancingthe MAS service through the additionof EU funding to expand the offer andreach to a wider audience.

Further developments in January2012 saw MAS re-launched as a na-tional service, with Mr Howes ap-pointed onto the management board.He is now responsible for ensuringthat the service is delivered and de-

‘MANUFACTURING CAN MAKEAs National Apprenticeship Week continues, Rupert Janischmeets the man tasked with championing manufacturing in theregion, who began his own career as a factory apprentice

Mr Howes said: “The opportunitywas too good to refuse and I becameresponsible for commissioning theproject as operations director. Afterfour years, the factory was fully op-erational and I had essentially ful-filled the role. My wife and I wantedour two children to be raised in theUK and so we decided to comeh o m e. ”

On returning to the UK, Mr Howesdecided to invest in his education andhe studied for a year-long fellowshipin manufacturing management atCranfield University.

Upon completion, he took a po-sition on the board at Bioquell Med-ical, in Weston-super-Mare. Thecompany manufactured medical andlab equipment and Mr Howes helpedconsolidate the operation.

Following this,he joined MAS atits launch in 2002as the first manu-facturing adviserfor the West of Eng-land. His initialfocus was primar-ily on lean manu-facturing, but aftera couple of years hewas keen tobroaden the sup-port available tomanuf acturers.

“We wanted totake MAS beyondits original focuson operational ef-ficiency on theshop floor into theb o a rd ro o m , ” hesaid. “We created apioneering stra-tegic managementprog ramme,which encourageddirectors to take abu s i n e s s - w i d eview of theirstrategy, identify-ing potential forgrowth backed bysolid plans to de-velop manufactur-ing capacity andc ap ab i l i t y. ”

This approachmeant that MAS was well placed toprovide much-needed support forbusinesses when the downturn beganto bite in 2008.

“We were able to help companies toconsolidate and look at their risks.We placed strong emphasis on en-suring that businesses retained keyskilled people so that they would beable to meet demand once growthretur ned,” he said.

It was in 2008 that Channel 4 ap-proached the MAS team. Producersworking on Scrapheap Challengewere looking for volunteers to takepart in the show and Mr Howes andtwo colleagues jumped at thech a n c e.

He said: “It was a fantastic op-portunity and great fun to do. Webuilt a water-powered car using anold Jaguar and two run-downPeugeots. It was great fun and I stillc a n’t quite believe it actually worked.While we didn’t win, we did manage

Business diary

Email your business events togavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk.Events are sometimescancelled without us beingnotified so please check withorganisers before travelling.

FSB Bristol branch networkingevent: Free for membersnetworking, 9.30am-11.30am,Wednesday, March 5,9.30am-11.30am, 1 Friay TempleQuay BS1 6EA. Register atw w w. f s b . o rg . u k .

We d n e s d a y @ 6 : Institute ofDirectors informal networking atthe Radisson Blu Hotel 6-8pm,Wednesday, March 5. Nonmembers welcome. Free but toregister call 0117 3707785 oremail iod.southwest@iod.com

The Set.Social: Monthlyinformal networking night at TheSet, a collaboration club at BathRoad Studios. Taking place onthe first Wednesday of everymonth, aims to bring togetherlike-minded people in the Southof Bristol to Meet. Think. Createover drinks and canapés. From6pm.

Bristol Chamber of Commercenetworking breakfast: Liaisewith like minded people andenjoy a full English breakfast inthe contemporary setting ofGoldbrick House.7.30am-9.30am, Thursday,March 6. £11 members, £20non-members. Contactevents@businesswest.co.uk.

City of Bristol College Partnersin Business breakfast:Networking event focus onNational Apprenticeship Week.7.30am to 10am, Thursday,March 6, at City of BristolCollege, St George’s Road.Email partnersinbusiness@cityofbristol.ac.uk.

The South West FairtradeBusiness Awards The awardsrecognise businesses in theregion that use and promoteFairtrade. At City Hall onThursday March 6, 12-2pm,sponsored by the Co-operativeMembership. Details and tickets:h t t p : / / s w f t b u s i n e s s a w a rd s .eventbrite.co.uk.

Fairtrade FortnightInternational Women’s DayCelebration: Film, panel debateand live music at the M shed,7.30pm to 10pm, Saturday,March 8.

Ready for business workshop:Introductory workshops foranyone who is exploring theconcept of self-employment orstarting a business at LeighCourt, Abbots Leigh, BS8 3RA,10am-4pm, Tuesday, March 11.Contact readyforbusiness@businesswest.co.uk.

Reduce your energyconsumption seminar:ContinuingP ro f e s s i o n a l / P e r s o n a lDevelopment (CPD) seminar onvoltage optimisation. Tuesday,March 11, Engineer’s House,Clifton Down.

Advice clinics: One hour clinicswith Business West forambitious managing directorswho want to focus on thechallenges of growth. LeighCourt, Abbots Leigh, onWednesday, March 12. Emaili n f o @ g ro w t h s o u t h w e s t . c o . u k .

My downtimeWhat’s your perfectweekend? A quiet Fridaynight unwinding with mywife, on Saturday gettingthe toolbox out forhobbies or chores, andon Sunday driving myold Land Rover to one ofour fantastic beachesand letting Elsa, ourblack Labrador have along run.What’s yourfavouritebook, film orTV show? Book - TheGoal; TV show -Scrapheap Challenge(below).What are your hobbies (ifany)? My Land Rover is 50years old this year. I pridemyself on doing every job on

her myself and have neverneeded anyone else tokeep her on the road. Ialso play the

saxophone for fun(when everyone

else has goneout).

MAJOR PROGRESS IN YEARS AHEAD’You wake up at? 7am. Or 5.30amif I’m going to LondonWhat do you have for breakfast?Cornflakes and orange juiceWhat time do you start work?Sometime between 7.30am and8amWhat happens in your typicalworking day? No typical day!What time do you go home?Usually by 6pm, unless I’m inLondonDo you take work home/attendevening functions? Yes, I havean office at home and often workthere, although I try to limit this toleave time for family, friends andhobbies.

My working day

Simon Howes

“ Family businesses arethe backbone of thenation’s economy – theyare our unsung heroes –and they make a massivecontribution to our GDP.

the MAS team does every day inhelping businesses operate and growin more traditional supply chains,such as aerospace, defence, marine,food and drink and others that aredominant in the region.

“The UK’s offshore wind market isestimated to be worth more than£100 billion over the next 20 years andthe nuclear power station planned forHinkley Point in Somerset will havean overall construction value of£16bn,” said Mr Howes. “There arenumerous opportunities for SouthWest manufacturers to supply thesesectors and we are working hard toensure local firms are well placed totake full advantage of this.

“Many businesses in the region areactively seeking to bring their pro-duction back to the UK.

“This is due to a combination offorces, including a strong and build-ing economy, competitive corpora-tion tax rates, a good regulatoryenvironment, strong legal frame-works and a dynamic labour market.MAS has recently launched a newReshore UK service to help compan-ies specifically in this area.”

Name: Simon HowesAge: 46Place of birth: Ta u n t o nSchool: SydenhamComprehensive (now knownas Bridgwater CollegeAcademy)First job: Te c h n i c i a napprentice, Courtaulds(Bridgwater)Hero or inspiration:Manufacturing businessowners who have stuck withthe industry through repeatedeconomic shocks, timeswhen manufacturing wasbeing written off bymany, andwho stillhave thedrive,c re a t i v i t yandtenacityto keeppushingand totakeadvantage ofthe revitalisationof manufacturing in the UK.

Vital statistics

veloped in line with the changingneeds of industry on both a nationaland local level.

Mr Howes is keen to ensure thatlocal businesses are well placed tocapitalise on the new growth nowreturning to the sector, with partic-ular focus on reshoring manufactur-ing to the UK, and in exploitinggrowth in new areas of investment,such as nuclear and offshore windpower generation.

This is in addition to the work that

MAS advisers see around 1,000South West companies each year andMr Howes is committed to continuingto engage with businesses and adaptthe service for future needs.

He said: “It would be fair to say thatin the last 11 years most firms haverecognised the need to continuallylook at new ways of working anddevelop fresh ideas.

“I have noticed more opennessamong businesses to receiving andembracing external input to help fueltheir growth and the most open arealso the most successful.

“The tenacity, diversity and cre-ativity of manufacturers in the SouthWest never ceases to amaze me and Ihave a great deal of confidence inthem.

“The region is a real hub for man-ufacturing and, by focusing on thesuccess of this key sector and withlong-term support from the currentand future governments, the media,educators and opinion leaders, wecan make serious progress in theyears ahead.”

VIDEO VIEW

bristolpost.co.uk/business

Good timesare ahead forBristol man-u fa c t u re rs,s aysSimon…Watch thevideo to findout more

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10 We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 5, 2014 11We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 5, 2014 w w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/businessw w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/business

The Big Interview

FOR Simon Howes, recent fig-ures from the National Ap-prenticeship Service thatshow a surge in demand formanufacturing and engineer-

ing apprenticeships are extremelywe l c o m e.

As regional director for the Man-ufacturing Advisory Service (MAS),he plays a pivotal role in champi-oning manufacturing in the region.

But the figures also carry a par-ticular personal resonance.

As a teenager, Mr Howes’ i n t e re s tin manufacturing was sparked whenhis father bought him two motor-bikes for his 16th birthday. The onlydownside was that neither worked.

His challenge was to use the work-ing parts from both to build afully-functioning bike. For someonewho had grown uphelping his fatherto fix cars and whokept a toolboxunder his bed, hemanaged the taskwithout too muchdif ficulty.

The youngSimon was com-mitted to a careerin manufacturingand he secured anapprenticeship atthe Courtauldscellophane filmsplant in Bridg-w at e r.

As an appren-tice in a large pro-cess factory thatemployed around2,000 people, hespent time rotat-ing between dif-f e re n tdepartments togain exposure tovarious engineer-ing disciplines, in-cluding design,mechanical andelectrical main-tenance, electron-ics andm a ch i n i n g .

He said: “T heidea behind the ro-tation policy was that you found outwhat you liked and what you weregood at. For me this was electronics,and at the end of the first year I wasable to specialise in this field.”

The Courtaulds plant was made upof a number of different factories and,in the late 1980s, some began to besold off. One of these was the BFFNonwovens subsidiary, which beganinvesting in state-of-the-art textileequipment under new ownership.

Simon was employed as an elec-tronics technician with the companyafter his apprenticeship had finished.In 1993, following further re-organ-isation of the business, he was pro-moted to engineering manager of thefactory. He was just 25.

He remained in the role until 1996,when he was head-hunted by a firmlooking to build a new factory inSaudi Arabia to supply materials tothe region’s childcare product man-uf acturers.

to complete the course… just!”In 2010, Mr Howes was appointed

director for the region and given theresponsibility for further enhancingthe MAS service through the additionof EU funding to expand the offer andreach to a wider audience.

Further developments in January2012 saw MAS re-launched as a na-tional service, with Mr Howes ap-pointed onto the management board.He is now responsible for ensuringthat the service is delivered and de-

‘MANUFACTURING CAN MAKEAs National Apprenticeship Week continues, Rupert Janischmeets the man tasked with championing manufacturing in theregion, who began his own career as a factory apprentice

Mr Howes said: “The opportunitywas too good to refuse and I becameresponsible for commissioning theproject as operations director. Afterfour years, the factory was fully op-erational and I had essentially ful-filled the role. My wife and I wantedour two children to be raised in theUK and so we decided to comeh o m e. ”

On returning to the UK, Mr Howesdecided to invest in his education andhe studied for a year-long fellowshipin manufacturing management atCranfield University.

Upon completion, he took a po-sition on the board at Bioquell Med-ical, in Weston-super-Mare. Thecompany manufactured medical andlab equipment and Mr Howes helpedconsolidate the operation.

Following this,he joined MAS atits launch in 2002as the first manu-facturing adviserfor the West of Eng-land. His initialfocus was primar-ily on lean manu-facturing, but aftera couple of years hewas keen tobroaden the sup-port available tomanuf acturers.

“We wanted totake MAS beyondits original focuson operational ef-ficiency on theshop floor into theb o a rd ro o m , ” hesaid. “We created apioneering stra-tegic managementprog ramme,which encourageddirectors to take abu s i n e s s - w i d eview of theirstrategy, identify-ing potential forgrowth backed bysolid plans to de-velop manufactur-ing capacity andc ap ab i l i t y. ”

This approachmeant that MAS was well placed toprovide much-needed support forbusinesses when the downturn beganto bite in 2008.

“We were able to help companies toconsolidate and look at their risks.We placed strong emphasis on en-suring that businesses retained keyskilled people so that they would beable to meet demand once growthretur ned,” he said.

It was in 2008 that Channel 4 ap-proached the MAS team. Producersworking on Scrapheap Challengewere looking for volunteers to takepart in the show and Mr Howes andtwo colleagues jumped at thech a n c e.

He said: “It was a fantastic op-portunity and great fun to do. Webuilt a water-powered car using anold Jaguar and two run-downPeugeots. It was great fun and I stillc a n’t quite believe it actually worked.While we didn’t win, we did manage

Business diary

Email your business events togavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk.Events are sometimescancelled without us beingnotified so please check withorganisers before travelling.

FSB Bristol branch networkingevent: Free for membersnetworking, 9.30am-11.30am,Wednesday, March 5,9.30am-11.30am, 1 Friay TempleQuay BS1 6EA. Register atw w w. f s b . o rg . u k .

We d n e s d a y @ 6 : Institute ofDirectors informal networking atthe Radisson Blu Hotel 6-8pm,Wednesday, March 5. Nonmembers welcome. Free but toregister call 0117 3707785 oremail iod.southwest@iod.com

The Set.Social: Monthlyinformal networking night at TheSet, a collaboration club at BathRoad Studios. Taking place onthe first Wednesday of everymonth, aims to bring togetherlike-minded people in the Southof Bristol to Meet. Think. Createover drinks and canapés. From6pm.

Bristol Chamber of Commercenetworking breakfast: Liaisewith like minded people andenjoy a full English breakfast inthe contemporary setting ofGoldbrick House.7.30am-9.30am, Thursday,March 6. £11 members, £20non-members. Contactevents@businesswest.co.uk.

City of Bristol College Partnersin Business breakfast:Networking event focus onNational Apprenticeship Week.7.30am to 10am, Thursday,March 6, at City of BristolCollege, St George’s Road.Email partnersinbusiness@cityofbristol.ac.uk.

The South West FairtradeBusiness Awards The awardsrecognise businesses in theregion that use and promoteFairtrade. At City Hall onThursday March 6, 12-2pm,sponsored by the Co-operativeMembership. Details and tickets:h t t p : / / s w f t b u s i n e s s a w a rd s .eventbrite.co.uk.

Fairtrade FortnightInternational Women’s DayCelebration: Film, panel debateand live music at the M shed,7.30pm to 10pm, Saturday,March 8.

Ready for business workshop:Introductory workshops foranyone who is exploring theconcept of self-employment orstarting a business at LeighCourt, Abbots Leigh, BS8 3RA,10am-4pm, Tuesday, March 11.Contact readyforbusiness@businesswest.co.uk.

Reduce your energyconsumption seminar:ContinuingP ro f e s s i o n a l / P e r s o n a lDevelopment (CPD) seminar onvoltage optimisation. Tuesday,March 11, Engineer’s House,Clifton Down.

Advice clinics: One hour clinicswith Business West forambitious managing directorswho want to focus on thechallenges of growth. LeighCourt, Abbots Leigh, onWednesday, March 12. Emaili n f o @ g ro w t h s o u t h w e s t . c o . u k .

My downtimeWhat’s your perfectweekend? A quiet Fridaynight unwinding with mywife, on Saturday gettingthe toolbox out forhobbies or chores, andon Sunday driving myold Land Rover to one ofour fantastic beachesand letting Elsa, ourblack Labrador have along run.What’s yourfavouritebook, film orTV show? Book - TheGoal; TV show -Scrapheap Challenge(below).What are your hobbies (ifany)? My Land Rover is 50years old this year. I pridemyself on doing every job on

her myself and have neverneeded anyone else tokeep her on the road. Ialso play the

saxophone for fun(when everyone

else has goneout).

MAJOR PROGRESS IN YEARS AHEAD’You wake up at? 7am. Or 5.30amif I’m going to LondonWhat do you have for breakfast?Cornflakes and orange juiceWhat time do you start work?Sometime between 7.30am and8amWhat happens in your typicalworking day? No typical day!What time do you go home?Usually by 6pm, unless I’m inLondonDo you take work home/attendevening functions? Yes, I havean office at home and often workthere, although I try to limit this toleave time for family, friends andhobbies.

My working day

Simon Howes

“ Family businesses arethe backbone of thenation’s economy – theyare our unsung heroes –and they make a massivecontribution to our GDP.

the MAS team does every day inhelping businesses operate and growin more traditional supply chains,such as aerospace, defence, marine,food and drink and others that aredominant in the region.

“The UK’s offshore wind market isestimated to be worth more than£100 billion over the next 20 years andthe nuclear power station planned forHinkley Point in Somerset will havean overall construction value of£16bn,” said Mr Howes. “There arenumerous opportunities for SouthWest manufacturers to supply thesesectors and we are working hard toensure local firms are well placed totake full advantage of this.

“Many businesses in the region areactively seeking to bring their pro-duction back to the UK.

“This is due to a combination offorces, including a strong and build-ing economy, competitive corpora-tion tax rates, a good regulatoryenvironment, strong legal frame-works and a dynamic labour market.MAS has recently launched a newReshore UK service to help compan-ies specifically in this area.”

Name: Simon HowesAge: 46Place of birth: Ta u n t o nSchool: SydenhamComprehensive (now knownas Bridgwater CollegeAcademy)First job: Te c h n i c i a napprentice, Courtaulds(Bridgwater)Hero or inspiration:Manufacturing businessowners who have stuck withthe industry through repeatedeconomic shocks, timeswhen manufacturing wasbeing written off bymany, andwho stillhave thedrive,c re a t i v i t yandtenacityto keeppushingand totakeadvantage ofthe revitalisationof manufacturing in the UK.

Vital statistics

veloped in line with the changingneeds of industry on both a nationaland local level.

Mr Howes is keen to ensure thatlocal businesses are well placed tocapitalise on the new growth nowreturning to the sector, with partic-ular focus on reshoring manufactur-ing to the UK, and in exploitinggrowth in new areas of investment,such as nuclear and offshore windpower generation.

This is in addition to the work that

MAS advisers see around 1,000South West companies each year andMr Howes is committed to continuingto engage with businesses and adaptthe service for future needs.

He said: “It would be fair to say thatin the last 11 years most firms haverecognised the need to continuallylook at new ways of working anddevelop fresh ideas.

“I have noticed more opennessamong businesses to receiving andembracing external input to help fueltheir growth and the most open arealso the most successful.

“The tenacity, diversity and cre-ativity of manufacturers in the SouthWest never ceases to amaze me and Ihave a great deal of confidence inthem.

“The region is a real hub for man-ufacturing and, by focusing on thesuccess of this key sector and withlong-term support from the currentand future governments, the media,educators and opinion leaders, wecan make serious progress in theyears ahead.”

VIDEO VIEW

bristolpost.co.uk/business

Good timesare ahead forBristol man-u fa c t u re rs,s aysSimon…Watch thevideo to findout more

EPB-

E01-

S3

12 We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 5, 2014w w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/business

� BIBBY Financial Services,which has an office in BradleyStoke, has appointed HelenWheeler as managing directorof its construction financebusiness as it celebrates its10th year of providing fundingin the sector.

Helen, who has 17 years’experience in the invoicefinance market, will lead thecompany’s expansion in theconstruction sector.

She said: “As the first invoicefinancier to offer specialistfinance to the sector in 2004,we’re well placed to increasemuch needed support toconstruction businesses and tohelp them take advantage ofimproving conditions.”

Movers & shake-upsUp and comingThe future of businessThe latest appointments news. Sendyour news to business@b-nm.co.uk

� GROWING demand foroutsourced HR services hasfuelled the expansion of theBristol-based HR consultingteam at Smith & Williamson.

The firm’s latest recruits areJane Baalam, a pay and rewardspecialist with extensiveexperience in the housing andsocial care sector, who joinsfrom the Sanctuary Group, andAli Bevan-Howlett, an employeerelations specialist, who joinsthe firm from insurance giantAllianz plc.

Rachel Stone, partner andhead of HR consulting, said:“This is an exciting time for theteam, both in terms of itsexpansion and our increasedcapacity to support our clientsas they take advantage ofeconomic recovery.”

� THE Bristol Property AgentsAssociation has appointedJeremy Richards, head ofJones Lang LaSalle’s Bristoloffice, as its new president.

The association has alsoannounced its chosen charitiesfor 2014 – Bristol-based PennyBrohn Cancer Care, whichhelps people with cancer to livewell, and Transplant Sport,which encourages active andhealthy lifestyle for transplantrecipients as well as promotingorgan donation.

Jeremy replaces outgoingpresident Andrew Main, head ofoffice at Savills.

Engineering

AHANHAM teenager has star-ted a career at a Bris-tol-based engineering firmafter excelling during hiswork experience placement.

Harry Braywood, 19, secured apermanent full-time role as a com-puter-aided design (CAD) trainee en-gineer at Space Engineering aftersenior staff felt that they could notafford to let his advanced skill-setg o.

While looking for work after leav-ing school, Harry sought advice fromt2 group’s Bristol-based Apprentice-ship Academy.

The Academy, which is dedicated tohelping young people find workand apprenticeships, reviewed hisqualifications and skills and helpedhim look for practical work exper-ience opportunities to boost his CV.

The training provider found a va-cancy with Space Engineering, whichhas headquarters in Pioneer Park inBrislington, and mentored Harry ininterview preparation and tech-niques, employability skills andconfidence building.

Harry began his placement withthe company back in June whenSpace Engineering’s managementteam were so impressed with hisskills that they offered him asix-month trial contract.

Now in his new permanent role,Harry will support the engineeringprocess at Space Engineering bydesigning parts to build refrigerationunits found within supermarkets andthe wider retail, industrial and publics e c t o r s.

He said: “I’ve always been a keendesigner, having been drawing since Ican remember, and have developed aninterest in engineering as I’ve goto l d e r.

“When I arrived at the t2 Appren-ticeship Academy, the team workedhard to find an opportunity for me tomarry the two together, and whenthey found Space Engineering, Ijumped at the chance.

“Now I’ve landed a permanent

Apprenticeships Harry’s skills winfull-time role at end of placement

Search for best business ideas at universityDave Jarman, head of enterprise

education at the University of Bristol,said: “Now in their thirteenth year,the awards are hugely popular andhelp to attract and showcase some ofthe most unique and original talentand ideas from across the university.

“Throughout the competition weprovide educational events, oppor-tunities for feedback and support,and the chance to meet all kinds ofuseful contacts, which ensures thateveryone who takes part benefitsfrom the experience somehow.

“The mentoring support is an im-portant part of the prize, as we’veseen for ourselves the benefits that amentoring partnership can bring tobusinesses, which is why we are in-volved in a number of similar ini-tiatives to support our students intheir ventures.”

Up to 10 finalists will be offeredLloyds Banking Group mentorships,with mentees having access to ex-tensive help and support.

STUDENTS are set to compete for thetitle of best new enterprise at theUniversity of Bristol.

The award, alongside business sup-port and cash prizes, is up for grabs inthe competition organised by the uni-versity and supported by LloydsBanking Group.

Open for competitors now, the NewEnterprise Competition (NEC) is theu n ive r s i t y ’s flagship business chal-lenge to find the best original idea fora self-sustaining firm.

The contest, which is open to stu-dents, staff and alumni who havegraduated within the past five years,includes both commercial and socialenterprises at every level from con-ceptual ideas to businesses in theirfirst year of trading.

The annual event has a total prizepot of around £35,000, with the bestentrants winning cash awards in ad-dition to legal support and specialistenterprise mentoring packages tohelp support their growth.

Apprentice decorators’ contestand decorating, covering wallpaper-ing, stencilling, waterborne glosses,and special effects.

Liz Redwood, head of the BusinessEnterprise Centre at Weston College,said: “We always find that the Ap-prentice of the Year competition isvery professionally organised andour students are keen to participateand compete against students fromother regional training organisa-tions. They benefit tremendouslyfrom the experience of taking part,working towards timescales andquality standards within a compet-itive yet friendly atmosphere.”

Prizes will include £1,000 cash forthe winner, alongside a generous se-lection of products and tools fromsupplier sponsors.

Heat winners will collect £100worth of Dulux Decorator Centresvouchers and receive a certificateand a goody bag full of decoratingmaterials donated by the company’ss u p p l i e r s.

A HEAT of a national competition foryoung painters and decorators willtake place at Weston College in earlyAp r i l .

Entries closed last week for the 2014Dulux Decorator Centres’ Ap p re n t i c eof the Year competition.

One of the heats takes place inWeston College, with winners goingthrough to a grand final in Durhamin June.

The competition, which is in itsseventh year, provides a challengingand rewarding experience forstudents and apprentice collegelear ners.

This year, the competition is em-bracing a wider age group to includethose between 17 and 27 years of agewho are studying full or part-time oneither a recognised NVQ or SVQ leveltwo or three painting and decoratingc o u r s e.

Competitors will be tasked with aseries of practical applications, com-prising various elements of painting

� Harry Braywood, who has become a CAD trainee engineer at Space Engineering Photo: Freia Turland

Ed u c a t i o n Ed u c a t i o n

full-time job in a role that I love and Ic o u l d n’t be happier.”

Dave Marr, director of business de-velopment and human resources at t2group, said: “We are thrilled withHar ry’s progress.

“He has shown the commitmentand endeavour to achieve success byattending a work experience place-ment. Having mentored him to im-prove his communication and skillsin the workplace, we were delighted

to find him a placement that suitedhim so well. At t2 group, we specialisein offering the support and trainingto help young people secure mean-ingful work with employers, helpingthem learn practical, on-the-jobskills, while also boosting their the-oretical knowledge. Harry has gonethe extra mile to secure a start to hisdream career, and we look forward toseeing him progress over the next fewye a r s. ”

Rupert JanischBusiness@b-nm.co.uk