KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSThe business NEWSpaper for Kir k lees9, November, 2010

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Themosttrustednewsbrandin thebusiness

TRACEY HOPKINS J ILL HAGUEHard work is paying off

Fu l l i n te r v i ew - Page 3UK’s top trading places

Co lumn - Page 5

FTSE 100-25 .39

5849.96An EXAMINER publication

Safety onthe roadsTWO firms in Kirkleesare hailing the successof a road safetyinitiative for schools.Marketing and brandingagency Fantastic Mediateamed up withhaulage firm BedfordsTransport – both basedin Birstall – to launchthe Beddy Campaign.The campaign includedcreating an interactivewebsite providing roadsafety lesson plans andgames for pupils andteachers.Over the past month,the average time spenton the website hasincreased by more than40% while page viewsare up by 60%.

Make it adouble!PROPERTY developerConroy Brook has wontwo top industry topawards.The Brockholes firmtook the plaudits forHousebuilder of theYear in thesmall-medium categoryand Best Design at theHousebuilder Awards2010 for its SomersbyCourt development.

Contrasting fortunes for law firmsYORKSHIRE law firms have reportedcontrasting fortunes in a new survey of thesector.

Figures from PricewaterhouseCoopersshowed that 50% of firms polled in theregion saw an increase in fee income ofbetween 6% and 10% during the past year– while the other half experienced declinesof between 1% and 5%.

Across the UK, most UK law firmsreported a fall in fee income – driven bydownward pressure on prices coupledwith a contraction in the internationallegal market.

The report said many firms had respon-ded to the fall in revenues resulting fromthe global economic downturn by cutting

costs and restructuring their businesses topreserve profitability.

Top 10 law firms were able to benefitmost from making these changes while anumber of niche practices had emergedamong mid-sized legal firms.

Profit per partner also declined, despitemany firms reducing partner numbers.

David Thurkettle, director and leader ofPwC’s professional partnerships advisorygroup in the North, said: “With a focus oncost reduction in 2010, it is not surprisingthat headcount reductions have beenmade by most firms.

“With the sustained market and finan-cial pressure, it is perhaps not surprisingthat the number of firms predicting mer-

gers as ‘fairly likely’ in the next two tothree years has risen from half of thosefirms in 2009 to 83% in 2010.

“Half of Yorkshire firms predict thatthey are ‘fairly likely’ to merge withanother firm in the next two to threeyears.”

Mr Thurkettle said the legal sector wasapproaching a “tipping point”.

He added: “There is ongoing pressureon firms in the mid-tier – including thosein Yorkshire – and it is inevitable that anumber will need to consider theirresponse to ongoing, difficult market con-ditions, client pricing pressures and newentrants to the market.” ■ MERGER TALK:

PWC’s David Thurkettle

Internet shoppinghelps village storeA VILLAGE newsagent is helpinghigh-tech online retailers get theirgoods to customers.

A t a t i m e w h e n m a n y“bricks-and-mortar” shops facefierce competition from onlineretailers, Roy Bowden, of DenbyDale News, is benefiting from theshopping revolution.

As well as delivering the papers,Roy is a collection point agent forParcel PickUp, an internet shop-ping network.

Instead of having deliveriesmade to shoppers’ homes, buyersordering online can ask for theirgoods to be delivered to the Wake-field Road shop, where they can beco l l ec t ed by the shopperswhenever it’s convenient.

The first delivery is free, afterwhich it costs £2 per delivery – or alittle more for goods worth morethan £100. Customers are sent atext and email the minute theirparcel arrives at the shop.

Ed Fraser, who set up theaward-winning Parcel PickUp ser-vice, said: “Internet shopping issuch a quick, convenient andcost-effective way to shop, but forall its advantages it’s the ‘last mile’

– getting purchases from the onlinestore in to our homes – which cancause internet shoppers stress.

“Having bought somethingonline, unless we can have itdelivered to work or have a trustedneighbour at home to take a deliv-ery for us, we have to wait aroundfor the courier company – or oth-erwise risk finding the dreadedpostcard on the doormat inform-ing us we have missed a delivery.“All too often, this can mean hav-ing to drive miles to the depot topick it up where it is not unknownaround Christmas time to have toqueue for up to two hours tocollect a missed delivery – some-times only to find it has been sentback to the retailer.”

Said Mr Sharp: “The ParcelPickUp service is such a simpleidea. We take on local, independ-ent shops as Collection PointAgents to take delivery on theinternet shopper’s behalf.

“We’re a ‘one stop shop’ for allinternet deliveries as the system isdesigned to incorporate anye-retailer using any courier serviceand pretty much any item pur-chased.

“Having successfully tested theconcept out myself as a CollectionPoint Agent from my home inBristol, I've launched ParcelPickUp across the UK and wenow have a number of agentsnationwide.

“It’s good to see small busi-nesses which might be underthreat from large supermarketsand chains have an extra ‘lifeline’of local business.”

Said Mr Sharp: “I am reallypleased to have the Bowens onboard. They have a great shop in agreat location for commuters trav-elling to Huddersfield, Wakefieldand Barnsley.”

Roy took over the shop in 2004.As well as providing a collectionpoint for internet goods, it alsooffers dry cleaning, top-ups and acash machine.

Shoppers can become a ParcelPickUp customer by visitingwww.parcelpickup.co.uk andregistering with any CollectionPoint Agent. Shops, pubs and taxibusinesses can register to becomean agent by visiting the websitewww.parcelpickup.co.uk orphoning 0117 2307787.

■ PASS THE PARCEL: Roy Bowden, ofDenby Dale News, collects a customer order

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS national Page 2

SHARE PRICESLocal shares

FTSE closed at

5849.96Down 25.39

HOUSEBUILDER Bovissaid it expects to sell agreater number of newhomes in 2011 off theback of an expansion insales outlets.

Bovis said it hoped toboost its average numberof sales outlets by 15%to 76 by next year, whichit said will help growvolumes year-on-year.

In its third quarterupdate, Bovis recorded1,900 homes reservedfor 2010 legal completionat an average sales priceof £160,000.

Prices were up on£154,600 last year andahead of Cityexpectations.

Bovis said it would beable to boost salesoutlets after a drive toacquire land withplanning consent saw itadd 1,381 plots sinceJuly 1, mostly in thesouth of England.

In the year to date, thegroup has acquired 3,255plots at a cost of £182m.Despite this, it still has£14m of net cash.

BUILDING services firm Rok hasappointed administrators in a movewhich puts about 3,800 jobs at risk.

Administrators from PwC said theywere looking for a buyer for theself-styled “nation’s local builder” afterit fell into difficulties in meeting its“financial obligations”.

Mike Jervis, joint administrator andpartner at PwC, said: “Employees willnaturally be concerned about their pos-ition, but they will continue to be paid ifthey attend work and perform theirduties as normal.”

The announcement comes justmonths after Rok revealed sizeablehalf-year losses and an independentreview by accountants BDO uncoveredserious failings at its plumbing, heatingand electrical business.

The group follows in the footsteps of

rival social housing firm Connaught,which entered administration inSeptember – leading to some 1,400redundancies.

Rob Hunt, Mike Jervis and JeremyWebb, of PwC, were appointed jointadministrators of Rok, which providesrepair and maintenance to schools,councils and housing associations.

They said further updates would begiven throughout the coming weeks.

It is understood PwC was also hiredin September to look at Rok’s accountsahead of refinancing talks with itslenders.

Chief executive Garvis Snook tookover the running of the firm in 2000,when it was known as Exeter BuildingContractors.

The company was losing money andhad a huge pension deficit, but by 2007

Mr Snook had turned it around and itwas on the brink of listing on theFTSE 250.

Mr Snook took Rok from a com-pany with a market value of £7m asEBC to £322m.

The company deals with a wide

range of services from general repairsto medium-sized construction and hassome 30 regional bases.

But the company was hit hard dur-ing the financial crisis, when it lostseveral private and public clients, andwas forced to cut some 750 jobs.

Bad weather conditions hit Rok andthe rest of the industry earlier in theyear and things worsened for the firmin April, when it said profitabilitywould be hit by a number of“under-performing” contracts in itsPHE arm.

The firm restructured the divisionand ended the troublesome contractsbefore appointing BDO to conduct thereview into the division.

The company had been hoping thata strong order book worth some£435m would pull it through.

ONLINE fashion retailer ASOS ishoping that a new feature enablingsmaller, independent designers to sellthrough its website will help it buildon a strong run of sales.

The company said the “ASOS Mar-ketplace” initiative – allowing smallboutiques to sell their fashionproducts to ASOS customers – shouldboost traffic to its site and drivefurther sales when it is launchedbefore Christmas.

It said another new feature, Fash-ion Finder, which allows customers tosearch for brands the company doesnot ordinarily sell, and a more rapid

expansion in overseas markets, willalso boost performance.

The company posted a 59% surge inpre-tax profits to £7m in the sixmonths to September 30, with a 50%rise in retail sales to £131m. UK retailsales were up by 26% to £82m.

International retail sales jumpedfrom £22.3m to £49m in the period,and now account for 37% of totalretail sales, up from 25% a year ago.

ASOS has launched French andGerman language websites followinga US site launch in September. It nowplans to launch further country-spe-cific websites at a faster pace.

New features for ASOS

Home runfor BovisRok collapse puts

3,800 jobs at risk

Carclo 214 -1Chapelthorpe 231/2Marshalls 107 +31/2National Grid 584 -61/2Weir Gp 1693 +25

TOURIST RATES

Tourists going abroad can expectthe following rates for sterling:Australia...................... 1.51 dollarsBangladesh................. 107.06 takaBrazil.............................. 2.42 realsCanada....................... 1.54 dollarsChina ............................. 9.62 yuanCzech Republic ...... 26.10 korunasDenmark....................... 8.19 kroneEuro............................... 1.10 euroHong Kong................ 11.87 dollarsHungary ................... 283.71 forintsIndia.......................... 62.94 rupeesJapan........................... 124.75 yenMexico ....................... 17.56 pesosNew Zealand .............. 1.90 dollarsNorway ......................... 8.91 kronePakistan.................. 129.76 rupeesPhilippines ................. 59.74 pesosSouth Africa................. 10.27 randSouth Korea.............. 1564.00 wonSri Lanka ................ 169.72 rupeesSweden....................... 10.24 kronaSwitzerland.................. 1.48 francsTaiwan ...................... 42.50 dollarsTurkey....................... 2.14 new liraUSA ............................ 1.54 dollars

SATELLITE broadcaster BSkyB hascelebrated a milestone by reachingits target of 10m television custom-ers before the end of this year.

Former chief executive JamesMurdoch set the long-term target inAugust, 2004, when subscriber num-bers were at 7.4m.

The broadcaster, which waslaunched in 1989, is now found in36% of households in the UK andIreland and reaches an estimated25m people.

It has extended its offerings inrecent years to cover high definitiontelevision, broadband, home phoneservices and 3D viewing.

The pay-TV firm’s growth hasbeen powered by its long-standingcoverage of English Premier Leaguefootball, while an estimated half ofits customers subscribe to its moviechannels.

Sky moved closer to its 10m targetin October by adding 96,000 sub-scribers in the first three months ofits financial year.

BSkyB has rebuffed a bid byRupert Murdoch’s News Corpora-tion to buy the 61% of the UK satel-lite broadcaster it does not alreadyown. Business Secretary VinceCable last week referred the plans toregulator Ofcom.

BSkyB hits customer landmark

NORTH AMERICANAmerican Express £27.13 -0.15Gannett 780.50 +8.98Hess Corp £43.34 +0.01Microsoft 1656.97 -5.57Motors Liquidation 46.44Wal-Mart Stores £33.83 -0.35

AEROSPACE & DEFENCEAvon Rbbr 171BAE Systems 342 +1/8Rolls-Royce Gp 607 +16

AIMBrady Plc 621/2 -2Dawson Intl 17/8Man Brnze 651/4 -23/4

AUTOMOBILES & PARTSG K N 1755/8 -13/4

BANKSBarclays 2855/8 -41/4HSBC 6891/8 +61/8Lloyds Banking Gp 685/8 -11/8Ryl Scotland 435/8 -13/8Stan Chart 1934 -16

BEVERAGESDiageo 1158 -3SABMiller £201/4 -1/8

CHEMICALSCroda 1500 +41Elementis 98 1153/4 +41/4Johnsn Mat 1962 +6

CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALSBalfour Beatty 2793/4 -23/4Costain 226 +243/4

ELECTRICITYDrax Gp 3741/4 -27/8Intl Power 4293/8 +21/2

Scottish & SthrnEnergy

1122 -18

ELECTRONIC & ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENTLaird 1391/8 -41/8

EQUITY INVESTMENT INSTRUMENTSAlliance Trust 3563/4 +1

FIXED LINE TELECOM SERVICESBT Grp 1585/8 -31/4Cable & WirelessComm

501/2 +7/8

Cable & WirelessWwide

703/8 +7/8

Colt Group 1211/2KCOM 473/4 +1/4Talktalk Telecom 1331/4 -11/4

FOOD & DRUG RETAILERSMorrison W 2751/8 -2Sainsbury 3811/4 -27/8Tesco 4163/8 -31/4

FOOD PRODUCERSAB Food 1073 +2Nth Foods 46 +3/4Tate Lyle 530 +1Unilever 1901 -12Uniq 73/4 -1/8

GAS, WATER & MULTIUTILITIESCentrica 3333/4 -17/8National Grid 584 -61/2Pennon Grp 629 -10Severn 1419 -18United Utils 618 -10

GENERAL FINANCIAL3i Group 317 +1/8ICAP 4815/8 -37/8London StockExch 7481/2 -2Man Group 2931/8 +31/8Provident Financial 731 -9

Schroders 1580 -22Schroders NV 1252 -18

GENERAL INDUSTRIALSCooksn Grp 561 -3REXAM 3181/8 -3/8Smiths Grp 1223 -10

GENERAL RETAILERSAshley L 17Carphone Whse 3571/2 +153/4Dixons Retail 267/8 -1/8Home Retail 2101/4 -1/4Inchcape 3417/8 -25/8Kingfisher 2391/4 -13/8M & S 4131/4 +47/8Mothercare 527 -1/2Next £213/8WH Smith 4763/8 -2

HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SERVICESSmith Nph 587 -1/2

HOUSEHOLD GOODSAga Rangemaster 853/4 +3/4Barrat Dev 831/2 -11/4Persimmon 3631/4 +21/4Reckitt Benckiser £353/4 -1/4Taylor Wimpey 251/8 -1

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERINGCharter 710 -21/2I M I 839 +31/2

INDUSTRIAL METALSFerrexpo 3647/8 +4

INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORTATIONBBA Aviation 2075/8 +11/2Forth Ports 1329 -4

LIFE INSURANCEAviva 4183/4 +3/8Lgl & Gen 1031/4 -1/8

Old Mutual 1321/4 -5/8Prudential 6421/2 -51/2Resolution 2473/4 -43/4Standard Life 2323/8 -11/2

MEDIABSkyB 728 +8Chrysalis 1331/2 +31/2D Mail Tst 5651/2 -11/2ITV 711/2 +1/2Johnston Press 12 -1/2Pearson 9721/2 +1/2Reed Elsevier 536 +10STV Group 1031/4 -1Trinity Mirror 1051/4 +1/2Utd Business 6761/2 -1/2UTV 1381/4 -31/4WPP 7481/2 -61/2Yell Group 151/2 -1/2

MININGAnglo American £291/2 -3/4Antofagasta 1428 -3BHP Billiton £241/4 -1/4Eurasian NaturalRes

986 -51/2

Fresnillo 1410 -3Kazakhmys 1507 +10Lonmin 1869 +3Rio Tinto £431/4 -1/8VEDANTARESOURCES

£231/2 +1/4

Xstrata 1365 -20

MOBILE TELECOM SERVICESInmarsat 695 +20Vodafone Group 175 +11/8

NONLIFE INSURANCEAdmiral Grp 1680 -13RSA Insurance Gp 1311/2 -1/4

OIL & GAS PRODUCERS

BG 12781/2 -14BP 444 -23/8Cairn Energy 383 -21/2Royal Dutch Shell A £205/8 -1/4Royal Dutch Shell B £201/4 -1/8Total £347/8 -1/8Tullow Oil 1226 -25

OIL EQUIPMENT & SERVICESAMEC 1134 +10Petrofac 1523 -9Wood Group 4661/4 -35/8

PERSONAL GOODSBurberry Gp 1035 -4PHARMACEUTICALS & BIOTECHNOLOGY

Astrazeneca £303/4 -1/8Axis-Shield 265 +11/2GlaxoSmithK XD 8Shire 1497 -11

REAL ESTATEBrit Land 513 -5Captl Shop Cent 3883/8 -23/8DTZ Hldgs 45 +1Hamrsn 4267/8 -71/2Land Secs 693 +2SEGRO 3021/2 -11/4

SOFTWARE ETC SERVICESAutonomy Corp 1429Dimension Data 120 -1/4Invensys 3201/4 +63/4Logica 1297/8 -3/8Misys 297 +11/4Sage Group 2693/4 +21/8

SUPPORT SERVICESBunzl 731 +1Capita 7321/2 -71/2Davis ServiceGroup

4165/8 -51/4

De La Rue 645 -2Electrocomp 2561/2 -21/2Experian 737 -1/2G4S 2587/8 +3/4Hays 116 -1/4Homeserve 435 +11/4Menzies J 505 +1Rentokil 941/2Smiths News 116 -1/2Wolseley 1792 +8

IT HARDWAREARM Hldgs 351 +11/4Psion 93Spirent Comms 1543/4 -11/4

TOBACCOBr Am Tob £241/2Imperial Tobacco £201/2 -1/8

LEISURE & HOTELSBrit Airways 2791/4 -21/4

Carnival £271/2 -1/4Compass Grp 537 +131/2easyJet 4693/4 -23/4Enterprise Inns 117 -3/4FirstGroup 4065/8 +1/4Go-Ahead Gp 1346 -3Greene King 436 -15/8Intercontl Htls 1202 -9Ladbrokes 1361/8 +3/8Mitchells & Butlers 3473/4 -1/4Natl Express 2565/8 -3/4PartyGaming 2303/4 -1/4Rank Org 127 -1/2Stagecoach Group 222 -2TUI Travel 2081/4 -17/8Whitbread 1789

INDEXFTSE 100 5849.96 -25.39

INDEXFTSE 250 11047.64 -32.31

Shell saleROYAL Dutch Shell hasagreed to sell nearly athird of its stake inAustralia’s largestindependent gas and oilcompany, for about£2.1bn.

Shell said it was sellingits holding in WoodsidePetroleum as it prefers“direct interest in assetsand joint ventures, ratherthan indirect stakes”.

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS profile Page 3KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS profile Page 3

TraceyHopkins

HENRYK ZIENTEK

Role: Business develop-ment directorAge: 22Holidays: EgyptCar: Ford FiestaFirst job: Sales assistantat Toys R UsBest thing about job:Every day is different. I getto meet lots of people andlearn about so many differ-ent businessesWorst thing about job:Me and my Blackberry areinseparable – even on holi-dayBusiness tip: If you’reoutside your comfort zone,you’re in the right place!

Work: Specialist HR andemployment lawSite: CleckheatonEmployees: 10Phone: 01274 864999Email: tracey@howarthpartnersip.co.uk

The HowarthPartnership

TeamworksuitsTracey

TRACEY Hopkins enjoys achallenge.

It’s no wonder sherelishes her role asbusiness developmentdirector atCleckheaton-based TheHowarth Partnership.

Says Tracey: “From ayoung age, I was aconfident, independent andambitious child who gotstuck into any task I waspresented with and alwaysgave 100%.

“Aside from my dreamsof becoming a professionaldancer, I had alwaysaspired to become asuccessful businesswoman.”

She completed herA-levels – in business,finance, English languageand health and social care– at St John Fishers RCHigh School and SixthForm College in Dewsbury.

“I followed the naturalprocess and submittedapplications to a number ofuniversities,” she recalls.

“I subsequently trailedmy parents up and downthe country looking atuniversity facilities andattending interviews.

“I later received anunconditional offer atNottingham University,something I should havebeen extremely happy with– but something wasmissing.

“At the same time as Ihad received my universityoffer, I worked part-time asa customer service advisorand sales assistant at ToysR Us.”

It was while working thatTracey realised thatuniversity wasn’t for her.

She explains: “Workingin a business environmentgave me a real sense ofachievement and I wasenjoying earning my ownmoney – though,admittedly, my parentscontinued to give mepocket money!

“So I took the bold stepand respectfully rejectedmy university offer. All Ineeded now was anopportunity to test myselfin the business world.”

Her chance came inMay, 2006, when Traceysaw a job advertisement inthe local paper for atelephonist/typist positionat The HowarthPartnership Ltd.

“I did my research intothe company and was veryimpressed to find a smallfamily firm – only threeyears in business –providing a professionalHR and employment lawservice to some wellknown local organisationssuch as the GalpharmStadium.

“From the companywebsite it was obvious thatthe team were driven andpassionate about buildingan honest and successfulbusiness.

“This ethos appealed tome as it seemed to matchmy own characteristics. Iwas ambitious and drivenand knew I could developmy role within a smallcompany if I tried hardenough.

“So there I was, 17,suited and booted and

being interviewed by themanaging director of a locallaw firm.

“Thankfully, the interviewwent well and even backthen I wasn’t afraid ofputting my cards out on thetable!

“I told Andy I would onlyaccept the job on onecondition; and that was thatthe company afford me theopportunity to progress andbuild a career. It was thistype of attitude that Andyappreciated and the job was

mine! “Since she began working

for the firm 2006, thedirectors have firmly stuckto their promise of careerdevelopment – sponsoringTracey through HuddersfieldUniversity, where shestudied part-time for thepost graduate diploma inthe Chartered Institute ofPersonnel andDevelopment.

“I feel fortunate to havebeen given the opportunityto further develop my skills

■ ROUTE TO WORK: Tracey Hopkins has no regretsabout turning down an unconditional offer from NottinghamUniversity

set and have alwaysworked hard to repay thefaith the company has putin me,” says Tracey.

“Earlier this year, myhard work paid off and Iwas asked to join theboard of directors. Thiswas a huge honour for meand something I am veryproud of.”

Says Tracey: “Over theyears, the company hasgrown dramatically insize, depth, knowledge,expertise and now has aclient base of over 200local companies.

“With a fantastic teamon board and solidfoundations, the sky is thelimit for The HowarthPartnership and we willcontinue to grow anddevelop and look forwardto the challenges that willinevitably presentthemselves.

“I personally am excitedabout improving mybusiness acumen and amthoroughly enjoying myrole at The HowarthPartnership and the tasksthat I am faced with.

“I am always grateful ofthe opportunity I wasgiven at such a youngage and believe I havetaken the opportunity andrun with it and willcontinue to do so!”

Away from work, Traceyis spending her timeteaching her mother howto drive – and admits thisis possibly one of thebiggest challenges shehas ever been faced with!

Tracey also tries tomake time for the gymand is keen to start skiinglessons. She says: “I’mfed up with gettingsun-burn when travellingabroad for the summersun, so now I’m opting forcold winter holidays!”

Tracey also enjoysshopping and theatrebreaks with her partnerGary in places such as

London, Chester andLiverpool – andoccasionally Blackpool!

She’s also lookingforward to New Year inDisneyland Paris –although, landing herdream jobs suggestsshe’s already enjoyed afairytale ending

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KIRKLEES BUSINESSlocal Page 4

Neil Wilson is an employment lawyer at ChadwickLawrence Solicitors

EMPLOYER’SBRIEFNeil Wilson

Media Centreset to focus onenterprise

THEY don’t do things by halves atthe Media Centre in Huddersfield.So while the rest of the world will betaking seven days to celebrateGlobal Entrepreneurship Week, stafat the Media Centre’sNorthumberland Street premiseswill be staging events over atwo-week period.The Media Centre kicks things offnext Tuesday with a KnowledgeBacon Sandwich session from 9amto noon, asking: Is IntellectualProperty the New Currency forInnovative Businesses?Companies can join Europeanpatent, design and trade markattorney Paul Misselbrook for aninformal talk on intellectualproperty, its relevance to allbusinesses and how it can helpinnovative businesses thrive.A Knowledge Sandwich event,taking place from 12.30 to 1.30pmon Thursday, November 18, will lookat Business Development andMarketing.The session, led by Trevor Flannerywill help firms overcome the“switch-it-on/switch-it-off” approacto marketing.It will pick up on such issues as thepositioning of your proposition,communicating successfully to yoursix key audiences, the four coreelements on which to base yourmarketing strategy, the advantagesof cold-calling and raising yourprofile.Another Knowledge BaconSandwich, running from 9am tonoon on Friday, November 9, willlook at The Story ofEntrepreneurship.Paul Wilson, of Make Believe UK,will talk about the benefits ofsharing your entrepreneurship stor– and how to go about it.As part of National Freelancers Dayon Tuesday, November 23, the MediaCentre is holding a Jelly Day from9am to 5pm.Staff will throw open the doors tothe centre’s co-working space andprovide an opportunity forfreelancers, home workers,entrepreneurs, consultants and“laptop nomads” to share ideasover a coffee.Finally, an OpenCoffee event will beheld from 10am to noon onNovember 23 for anyone working inthe technology and digital sector –such as developers, programmers,investors and enthusiasts.All the above events are free andeveryone is welcome, but advancebooking for the KnowledgeSandwich events is essential.Contact the customer service teamon 01484 483010 or emailinfo@the-media-centre.co.ukFor more information about GlobalEntrepreneurship Week visitwww.gew.org.uk

Safety campaignon the right roadTWO businesses in Kirklees are hail-ing the success of a road safetyinitiative for schools.

Marketing and branding agencyFantastic Media teamed up withhaulage firm Bedfords Transport –both based in Birstall – to launch theBeddy Campaign.

The campaign included setting upan eye-catching, interactive websiteand school visits – both of whichhave proved a hit with pupils andteachers.

Over the past month, the averagetime spent on the website hasincreased by more than 40% tonearly two minutes, while page viewsare up by 60%.

Some 74% of traffic is from newvisitors.

Postcards and e-newsletters sentout as part of the campaign causedspikes in visits to the website and anincrease in average daily visits.

A direct mail campaign aimed athead teachers at 2,000 primaryschools in the Yorkshire region,emphasised the teaching resourceshoused on the site – including lessonplans and activities which link roadsafety to the national curriculum.

The site can also be used at home

by parents with their children as afollow up on work done in class.

Games, puzzles and Beddy’s travelblog are designed to engage withchildren and build an understandingof road safety.

Fantastic and Bedfords decided tolaunch the scheme together afterhearing that 3,650 children areinvolved in road accidents each yearin the UK.

The initiative also has the backing

of Huddersfield-based national roadsafety charity Brake.

The charity said it welcomed theBeddy campaign as a “wonderfulroad safety initiative for children”.

■ TRUCK STOP: Staff from Birstall-based businesses Fantastic Media and Bedfords Transport staff with theBeddy campaign truck taking the road safety message to local schools

Getting disciplinary action rightTWO recent cases have high-

lighted the need for employ-ers to follow a detailed processwhen considering taking dis-ciplinary action and the reper-cussions of undertaking aninadequate investigation andunfair process.

For most businesses, the import-ant documents to consider whentaking disciplinary action are thecompany’s own internal disciplinaryprocedure and the ACAS Code ofPractice on disciplinary and griev-ance procedures. These will set outthe processes which need to be fol-lowed prior to taking any form ofdisciplinary action and the firststage is to carry out a detailed invest-igation.

The ACAS code requires a reas-onable investigation to be carriedout before a disciplinary hearing isheld. Such investigations ofteninvolve holding an investigatorymeeting with the employee and col-lating other evidence. Such evidencemay include, for example, witnessstatements, CCTV, emails, receiptsand other internal records.

In a recent case, a bus companywas at fault for carrying out an

inadequate investigation intoal leged employee theft . Theemployee concerned was arrestedafter her employer claimed she stolemoney by not declaring certain tak-ings gained from passengers. Theemployee was suspended from workimmediately and later resigned.Because the investigation was under-taken so quickly, the employer didnot realise that it had actually mis-calculated and in fact the employeehad overpaid sums to the companyso there was no theft. The employeehas now presented a constructivedismissal claim to the EmploymentTribunal and in light of the mistakesin the rushed investigation, she maywell succeed with her claim.

After investigating the issues theemployee must be notified by letterand invited to a disciplinary hearing.The ACAS Code states that if dis-missal is contemplated then thismust be communicated clearly to theemployee. Any evidence gatheredmust be sent with the invitation andsufficient notice must be given. Theemployee is entitled to be accom-panied by a work colleague or tradeunion representative and ideally theinvestigating officer should be keptseparate from the individual holdingthe disciplinary hearing.

In another recent case, anEmployment Tribunal has ruled thata dismissal was unfair where a barworker was dismissed by text mes-

sage. The employee did not turn upfor an evening shift because sheoverslept having worked 11 hoursthe day before. Her manager imme-diately sent her a text message stat-ing that she was sacked.

The Tribunal held that because ofthe distinct lack of procedure thathad been followed, the dismissal wasboth procedurally and substantivelyunfair. The employee has been awar-ded more than £14,000 which couldhave been avoided had the com-pany’s own disciplinary process andthe ACAS Code of Practice beenfollowed.

It is vital, therefore, that detailedand accurate investigations are car-ried out, employees have the oppor-tunity to answer any allegations andalso that a right of appeal is offeredonce the employer has reached adecision. Many findings of unfairdismissal are not made simplybecause of dismissal being dispro-portionate to the misconduct dis-played, but rather because a fairprocedure has not been adopted.Following the ACAS code and anyinternal procedure will protect abusiness much better if claims aremade in the Employment Tribunal.

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS local Page 5

BANKER’SBLOGJill Hague

Jill Hague is HSBC area commercialdirector for Calderdale and Kirklees

Skills funding is on the menuFOOD and drink employers in Kirklees canget funding to help drive up the skills oftheir workers.

Improve, the food and drink sector skillscouncil, has secured a project worth £4.2mbased on funding 50% of the cost of trainingemployees in the food and drink industry.Employers will match the remaining 50%.

The Joint Investment Programme, oper-ated by the Skills Funding Agency, isdesigned to bring together private and pub-lic investment in 50-50 match-funded plansto support training and skills developmentin areas key to economic recovery andfuture growth.

Food and drink manufacturing is viewedas vital to the Yorkshire economy.

It employs about 52,700 people across1,300 workplaces.

Major names include Batley-based Fox’sBiscuits and the Britvic-owned Pennine

Spring bottled water business at Birkby.Food and drink employers wanting to

take advantage of the matched funding foremployee training are being urged to get intouch with Improve’s sister organisation,the National Skills Academy for Food andDrink Manufacturing, which will beresponsible for delivery.

Liz Pattison, head of skills solutions forImprove and the National Skills Academyfor Food and Drink Manufacturing, said:“This is a unique opportunity for employersto seek financial support for key areas of

strategically important business activityand is the first step to getting greateremployer control of public funding forskills.

“The programme is designed to supportemployers in moving into new markets andtaking up new technologies.

“It provides a mechanism for them todevelop and deliver programmes of trainingwhere workforce development is a key stepin taking advantage of those new marketopportunities and of new technologies.

“Research by Improve shows that the UKfood and drink industry needs to fill about45,000 higher level skill or professionaloccupations by 2017.

“Employers have identified that it is tech-nical, practical and job-specific skills whichneed to be improved most in the next two tothree years.”

Online systemreally adds upA FIRM ofaccountants inHuddersfield havegone all high-tech.Sheards, based atNew North Road, hasinvested in arevolutionary onlineaccounting softwareto help clientsmanage theirbook-keeping and accounts moreeasily – and keep a better track of theirfinancial position.Partner Richard Lay (pictured) saidSheards was now using onlineaccounting software system KashFlow,which enables accountants and theirclients to easily access their ownfinancial records whenever they haveaccess to the internet.Online accounting software enablesbusinesses to keep a constant eye ontheir company’s financial positionwithout having to install costly andbulky software direct onto theircomputers.The system means Sheards’ team ofaccountants can talk to clients andupdate records without having to waitfor clients to send in reams ofpaper-work.All the records held on the system arestored behind a state-of-the-artencryption system that prevents datafrom being accessed or passed onwithout the user’s permission.The package will now be used by thecompany’s network of accountants.

Trading tacticsfor the recoveryTHE UK is trading its way to recov-

ery, according to a report fromHSBC Commercial Banking.

Mapping the World’s Trade Connectionsis the first report that compiles how theworld is trading today, to help businessesunderstand where the opportunities may lietomorrow.

It finds that UK businesses are steppingup to the challenge laid before them bygovernment and trade officials and doingmore business overseas.

The report, which was undertaken forHSBC by Delta Economics, reveals that theUK currently accounts for 4% of worldtrade, with UK trade up 12% globally and31% to emerging economies in the first fourmonths of 2010.

This growth has been fuelled by busi-nesses trading with sub-Saharan Africa(+64%), developing Asia (+34%) and theMiddle East and North Africa (+25%).

The UK’s fastest growing partners forexports this year have actually been Chile,Senegal and Nigeria. This is due to UKcompanies taking advantage of opportunit-ies provided by the UK’s innovative manu-facturing and construction base to supportinfrastructure projects.

Over the course of the last 10 years, theimportance of trading with other countrieswithin Europe has continued to grow – withincreased importance on trade between theUK and emerging Europe with Luxem-bourg, Portugal, Slovenia, Latvia andRomania having the most significantincreases. On a global scale the UK’s fastestgrowing trade partners between 2000 and2009 have been: China –(260% increase);United Arab Emirates (130% increase); andIndia (45% increase).

The report finds companies which lookbeyond exporting products to exporting

skills, knowledge and the nation’s reputa-tion for quality, are those that will getahead.

UK companies often form part of aglobal supply chain in knowledge-intensiveprocesses and the UK is acknowledged tohave a real future in developing this expert-ise.

It predicts that the UK’s future opportun-ities abroad are likely to be underpinned bystrong creativity and its knowledge-intens-ive base both of which are embedded in thecountry’s economy.

Key sectors leading the UK’s drive totrade include pharmaceuticals, organicchemicals, petroleum oil and motor fuels.Much of the development in these areas isowed to the UK’s highly innovative manu-facturing sector that supplies both compon-ents and products to these industries acrossthe world.

The report also reveals that the UK’scompetitive advantage is improving in sec-tors as varied as printed publications (booksand magazines), alcoholic beverages, pre-cious and semi-precious stones, cosmetics,transport equipment and works of art.

Across Europe, the Mapping the World’sTrade Connections report reveals thatEurope will have a different role to play inthe future becoming known less as a con-sumer, and more as an innovator. It findsthat Europe’s renowned leadership in cut-ting edge research, its strength in high valuemanufacturing and design and its access toideas, innovations and networks, will see

thinking businesses in Europe trading onskills not products in the future.

It demonstrates where the key changes aretaking place, where new markets and sectorsare emerging across the world for Europeanbusinesses to trade with and where criticaldevelopments will be in the next five to 10years.

HSBC Commercial Banking and theexperts interviewed identified five key stepsthat European businesses looking to inter-nationalise must take.

Take time completing the right research.Success in a new country will depend on thelevel of research conducted at the outset.

Consider if the business is ready to tradeinternationally. Ask yourself when an inter-national move can best fit into your busi-ness’ overall strategy.

Mitigate the risks. Mapping, and there-fore mitigating the risks early is key.

Careful planning is required to ensurethat working capital facilities are in place atevery stage of the trade cycle and companiesshould engage with their bankers at an earlystage to determine the level and structure offacilities to finance their internationaltrade

Seek expert advice. The right advice willlead to the right decisions for your busi-ness.

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KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS property Page 6

Valley developerdoing the doublePROPERTY developer ConroyBrook has won two of the house-building industry’s top awards.

The Holme Valley firm tooktrophies for Housebuilder of theYear in the small-medium cat-egory and Best Design at theHousebuilder Awards 2010.

The design award recognisedBrockholes-based Conroy Brookfor its Somersby Court develop-ment at Almondbury.

The Housebuilder Awards wereestablished six years ago to hon-our the best of innovation andexcellence in the UK housebuild-ing industry.

This year’s awards ceremonywas hosted by BBC newsreaderHuw Edwards at the MillenniumMayfair London Hotel.

Conroy Brook was chosen froma final shortlist of seven high-pro-file schemes – including develop-m e n t s b y h o u s e b u i l d e r sPersimmon and Barratt – to winthe design prize.

Somersby Court is a luxurydevelopment of 30 exclusiveapartments designed by Hudders-field-based Acumen Designers &Architects.

Key design features that

impressed the judges were the 25fthigh contemporary curved glassbalconies with stainless steel bal-ustrades and a stunning entrancewindow.

As a winner of an individualcategory, Conroy Brook com-peted against all the award-win-ners to receive the main award ofthe evening, Housebuilder of theYear, in the small-medium house-builder category.

Chief executive Richard Con-roy said: “In terms of nationalrecognition for our work, it reallydoesn’t get any better than this.

“To have been selected from ashortlist of the country’s finestand long-established housebuild-ers to win the small-mediumHousebuilder of the Year award isincredible.

“We take an immense amountof pride in what we do and aredelighted to have been awardedBest Design for Somersby Court.National awards such as thesegive us the opportunity to showthe rest of the country that York-shire is home to leading designand quality of residential accom-modation.”

■ AMONG THE BEST: Richard Conroy (second right) and Jason Brook (second left),of Conroy Brook, collects the Housebuilder of the Year award from John Pryer (right),of award sponsor British Gypsum, and awards host Huw Edwards

Cleckheaton plot is a star lotA PLOT of developmentland in Cleckheaton soldfor more than double itsguide price at a propertyauction.The land off Bridon Wayclose to Bradford Roadand Cleckheaton towncentre reached £101,000off a guide price of£50,000 plus at theauction organised byproperty agent Eddisons.The site, which wasoffered on theinstructions of BarrattHomes, has planningconsent for the erectionof 11 houses.Tony Webber (pictured),of Eddisons, said: ‘Thefact that planning

consent is already inplace certainly makes thesite more attractive. Thiswas reflected in the levelof interest which in turn

drove the price up.”Other highlights includeda vacant commercialproperty in Dewsburytown centre which soldfor £125,000. The MarketHouse on Church Streetis a two-storey formeroffice premises and hadbeen offered on theinstructions of the LPAreceivers at a guide priceof £90,000 to 100,000.Buyers at the two-daysale held in Leeds andManchester snapped up83 of the 116 lots offeredto generate totalproceeds of £5.7m.Mr Webber said: “Thiswas our best auction ofthe year so far. There was

strong bidding on themajority of lots as buyersreacted favourably to therealistic pricing.“Prices have fallensteadily throughout theyear and have nowreached a level wherebuyers feel that there isreal value to be had,without the need forsignificant externalfunding.”The final two-day sale ofthe year takes place at2.30pm on December 7 atThe Fairways Lodge andLeisure Club, Prestwich,Manchester, and at noonon December 9 at LeedsUnited Football Club,Elland Road, Leeds.

Retailers lead demand for industrial spaceRETAILERS looking for top-gradeaccommodation have helped to drivedemand for industrial space in York-shire, says a survey.

ASDA, Amazon and Scotts MiracleGroup collectively took 840,000sq ftof space in South Yorkshire whilePoundland secured 205,000sq ft inWest Yorkshire as take-up increased

by 27% during the third quarter of theyear.

Nationally, take-up of industrialspace declined for the third quarter ina row, according to DTZ’s latestResearch UK Property Times Indus-trial market report.

The report revealed that take-up ofgrade A and B stock outweighed the

release of space back to the market,with activity largely driven by demandfrom retailers looking to take space toservice new business streams orexpand their online retail offering.

The shortage of grade A space insome locations meant attentionswitching to good quality grade Bstock – availability in the latter having

been reduced by 3% in the thirdquarter.

The shortage also meant that manyoccupiers were having to be flexibleabout location while a number optedfor design and build.

The Yorkshire market continued tooutperform the rest of the UK interms of take-up, said the report.

Still in thedumpsDEMAND for commercialproperty continues todecline in Yorkshire, saysa survey by the RoyalInstitution of CharteredSurveyors.

Occupier demand fellfor the first time in 12months – with the netbalance falling to minus 5from plus 12. Demand fellacross all sectors, butindustrial space showedthe greatest decline,falling to minus 9 – thelowest level since thesecond quarter of 2009.

Chartered surveyorsreport that concerns overthe economy haveprompted a more cautiousattitude from firms whenmaking investmentdecisions, which has hada big impact on themarket.

Supply to the marketcontinued to increase atroughly the same pace asthe last three months.

Yorkshire and Humbersaw the biggest rises,while availability broadlystabilised in London andthe south.

Office space increasedat the greatest pace – with38% more charteredsurveyors reporting a risethan a fall in availability,down from 47% moreduring the previous threemonths.

As the market becomesincreasingly challenging,inducement from landlordsto secure a letting pickedup in all regions.

In Yorkshire andHumber, 15% moresurveyors reported anincrease rather thandecrease in the value ofinducements offered bylandlords. The officesector saw the mostinducements.

Development startscontinue to decline in theregion – with 38% moresurveyors reporting a fallrather than a rise in starts.

Eddisonseddisons.comContact onJonathan O’Connor 01484 533151

Prince of Wales Works,Armytage Road, Brighouse

2,584 m² (27,810 ft²)

Detached warehouse/industrial propertyClose to junction 25 of the M62on popular estate

TO LET/FOR SALE

St Thomas’ Road,Huddersfield, HD11,522 m² - 3,516 m²(16,385 ft² - 37,849 ft²)

Substantial leisure premises adjacent toGrosvenor Casino and Mecca Bingo

TO LET

Suitable for a variety of uses

Offices

Folly Hall, WaterfrontQuarter, Huddersfield186 m2 (2,000 sq ft)Last remainingoffice suite

To LeT Immediately available

High quality office suite within hugelysuccessful new development withparking within walking distance ofHuddersfield town centre

For more information contact Alec Michaelon 07717 870 320 or email alec@michaelsteel.co.uk

www.michaelsteel.co.uk

Offices

High quality refurbished officespace with parking within walkingdistance of HuddersfieldTown Centre.

17 Old Leeds Road,off Leeds Road,Huddersfield46 m2 – 218 m2

(503 sq ft – 2,350 sq ft)

To LeT Immediately Available

Offices

Modern ground floor openplan office suite with parkingstrategically located for M1.

Wakefield Road,Clayton West,Huddersfield126 m2 (1,354 sq ft)

To LeT immediately available

Industrial

Recently re-built industrial unitsbenefitting from large serviceyard and strategic location forJunctions 38 and 39 of the M1.

Victoria Court,off Wakefield Road,Clayton West8,000 – 16,000 sq ftwill split

To LeT

Industrial

Modern single storey warehouse/industrial unit with good siteloading and parking.Well located for M1.

Barncliffe Business Park,Shelley, Huddersfield62 m2 – 678 m2

(667 – 7,298 sq ft)

To LeT Flexible Terms

Industrial

Part Providence Mill,Wormald Street,Heckmondwike5,721 sq ft – 32,024 sq ft+ adjacent compound(up to 1.73 acres)

To LeT Flexible Terms

Cost effective industrial space withadjacent compound capable ofbeing let from 0.5 acres upwards.

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS Movers and shakers Page 8

It’s a creditable performance

ONLINE accounting software company LiquidAccounts has added to its credentials.

The Longwood-based business has gainedaccreditation to the Institute of CharteredAccountants of England and Wales to add toits recent accreditation to the Institute ofCertified Bookkeepers and review in theICAEW guide to online accounting.

Marketing director Lisa Kendrick said: “Wehave been working towards accreditation forsome time and are proud that our softwarehas been approved almost simultaneously byboth prestigious organisations.

“We felt it was important to have oursoftware checked and tested by the industry’sgoverning bodies so that accountants andbookkeepers have an objective review of oursoftware that they can trust. The good newsis that both organisations gave up the thumbs

up!”The ICAEW review rated Liquid Accounts’

software as a “strong user-friendly systemthat is well supported” while the ICB said thefirm had “the potential to make life mucheasier for a bookkeeping practice and itsclients”.

Liquid Account’s award-winning softwarewas evaluated by an approved assessor fromindependent chartered accountants BakerTilly. The accreditation lasts for three years.

Matt Holmes, managing director of LiquidAccounts, said: “We are pleased to havegained accreditation and such positivereviews.”

As part of the ICAEW accreditationprocess, Liquid Accounts had to complete a95-page detailed questionnaire investigatingevery aspect of its software.

SCR EnvelopesRichard Pennie

PRINTING specialist SCREnvelopes has appointedRichard Pennie as businessdevelopment director.

Mr Pennie (pictured), wholives at Clayton West and has26 years experience in theindustry, joins the Leeds-basedcompany from Great NorthernEnvelopes, where he was keyaccount sales director. In hisnew role, he will responsible for developing keyaccounts with blue chip clients.

The appointment follows SCR’s merger withLancashire printers Tower Supplies, owned byEurope’s largest specialist envelope printingcompany, De Vroede, which has increased thebusiness by 50%.

SCR, established 10 years ago, is a £10mturnover company with more than 60 staff. It hasits main site in Leeds with two satellite offices inthe north-west and the south-east.

SkiptonFinancial

Warwick Busfield

SKIPTON Financial Serviceshas appointed WarwickBusfield as its new whole ofmarket financial adviser forHalifax and Huddersfield,specialising in investments andinheritance tax planning.

Mr Busfield (pictured) willwork alongside Jonathan Fox,who also covers theHuddersfield area.

Mr Busfield, who lives in Birstall, has 23years’ experience in financial services. Awayfrom work, he enjoys football, walking andtravelling.

FinanceYorkshire

Alex McWhirter

FINANCE Yorkshire hasappointed Alex McWhirter(pictured) as acting chiefexecutive.

Mr McWhirter is currentlyassistant director of business atYorkshire Forward. He is beingseconded to Finance Yorkshirefor three days a week. He willcontinue to work for YorkshireForward in his present capacity.

The board also announcesthe appointment of Simon Hill, director ofbusiness at Yorkshire Forward, to the board as anon-executive director.

Finance Yorkshire provides funding in the formof seedcorn, loan and equity linked to investmentranging from £15,000 to £2m to help small andmedium-sized businesses grow and develop.

The project has attracted £30m investmentfrom the European Regional Development Fundalong with £15m from Yorkshire Forward and£45m match funding from the EuropeanInvestment Bank.

Mr McWhirter has been assistant director ofbusiness at Yorkshire Forward since 2001.Previously, he worked at Scottish Enterprise, themain economic development agency forScotland, and with Scottish Trade International,the international trade development agency inScotland, from 1989 until 2001.

A professional engineer, he spent 11 yearsworking in engineering in various locationsworldwide prior to working in the public sector.

Clear route formotor dealersA FAMILY-OWNED car dealershiphas been recognised for its drivingambition.

Hepworth Honda has won the Busi-ness of the Month Award run byHuddersfield law firm Eaton Smith inassociation with the Mid YorkshireChamber of Commerce and BusinessLink Yorkshire.

The franchise was originally boughtin 1980 as a source of used cars inKirkburton.

In 1984, it moved to purpose-builtpremises on Queen Street South inHuddersfield before moving again fiveyears later to its current premises onLeeds Road.

One of the oldest dealers in theHonda network, Hepworth Hondahas been family-owned throughoutand employs more than 45 people inKirklees and Calderdale.

Half of its staff have been with thebusiness for more than 10 years andsome have been with the firm for itsentire 30 years.

As a further contribution to thearea, the dealership has raised morethan £30,000 for local charities in thelast four years alone.

Stephen Brighton, managing director,said: “It is wonderful to see the hard work ofour staff over a long number of yearsrecognised this way. I believe it is genuine

customer satisfaction that has guaranteedour success over the past 30 years. We haveevolved along with the Honda brand and arein a good position to do so in the future.”

■ LIQUID ASSETS: The board of directors at Liquid Accounts (from left) Lisa Kendrick,Richard Doyle, Matt Holmes, Jon Wright, Denis Kaye and Curtis Wright

■ DRIVING AMBITION: Deborah Melluish (centre), of Eaton Smith, presents the awardto Stephen Brighton (third right), of Hepworth Honda with colleagues Paul Walsh (secondright) and Leonardo Cappelluto (right) watched by (from left) Antonia Alcock, of the MidYorkshire Chamber of Commerce; Lisa Blackburn, of Cornerstone Estate Agents;Heather Guile, of UKTI; and Philippa Coultish, of Business Link

BrownmeetsBlackWORKERS at a leadingmanufacturing companyhave been given a lesson onteamwork and leadershipfrom Huddersfield Townperformance coach SteveBlack.

Employees from DavidBrown Gear Systemsgathered at the GalpharmStadium to hear Steve, who– as well as keeping theplayers physically fit – isalso responsible for themental wellbeing andmotivational side of theTown squad.

Steve is regarded as oneof Europe’s leadingmotivational speakers andhas delivered talks to suchcompanies as GNER andABN AMRO.

The event furthers abudding partnershipbetween Huddersfield Townand Lockwood-based DavidBrown following on from asuccessful Go KartChallenge staged earlier thisyear.

Town commercial directorSean Jarvis said: “Steve is aworld-renownedmotivational speaker and itwas brilliant to see him inaction. I think it gaveeveryone an insight into theskills he brings to our firstteam squad.”