KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSThe business NEWSpaper for Kir k lees30, Apr i l , 2013

INSIDE

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An EXAMINER publication

Umph!AwardsA RECORD number ofstudents from schoolsand colleges acrossYorkshire will descendon Huddersfield thissummer for a majorbusiness competition.This year’s Umph!contest will take placeon July 2 at the JohnSmith’s Stadium –teams taking part inworkshop-stylesessions to tacklebusiness issuesthrown up at them bybusiness simulationsoftware SimVenture.Town chairman DeanHoyle and Jacob Hill,founder of The LazyCamper will also betaking part.

OnlineseminarA BIRSTALL-basedmarketing agency hasbeen invited to takepart in a leading globalconference one-commerce. RichardJones, head ofFantastic Media’smobile division,Fantastic Mobile, andDavid Ford, its head ofmobile media, willdeliver a seminar at thetwo-day CatalystEurope 2013, whichtakes in May. Majornames represented willinclude eBay, Amazonand Arvato .

AMANDA VIGAR

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uk Themosttrustednewsbrandin thebusiness

FTSE 100+31.606458.02

MARK YARWOOD

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Textile chiefs takemajor training roleTEXTILE chiefs in Huddersfield arecelebrating after landing a nationaltraining contract.

Huddersfield’s textile sector train-ing group – backed by dozens of firmsacross the town and based atDeighton’s Textile Centre of Excel-lence – is to spearhead a new NationalFashion and Textiles Group TrainingAssociation (GTA).

The GTA will support all forms oftraining activity undertaken by fash-ion and textiles businesses across Eng-land.

It will offer advice on qualifications,access to training providers, onlineinformation and training services,practical and financial support, helpwith leadership and managementdevelopment and help with schoollinks and apprentice recruitment.

The move was welcomed by Hud-dersfield MP Barry Sheerman, chair-man of the Skills Commission andco-chairman of the ParliamentaryManufacturing Group.

He attended a launch event withPaul Johnson, chairman of the textilecentre and managing director ofMoldgreen-based dyeing and finishingfirm WT Johnson & and Sons Ltd.

Also at the launch were Annie War-burton, head of partnerships at Creat-ive Skillset, the industry body whichsupports skills and training for peopleand businesses in the UK creativeindustries; and Jennie Holloway, dir-ector of London-based fashions man-ufacturer Fashion Enter.

Mr Sheerman said the textile centrewas a hub of innovation and newideas.

“Now it is going to be the nationalhub for innovation in manufacturing

and creating more entrepreneurs.”Mr Johnson said he was ecstatic that

textile employers in Huddersfield –who had been working to develop theindustry for the past 36 years as a localtrade training group – were now lead-ing a national drive to develop skillsneeded to drive the industry forward.

But he said: “We are aware of theresponsibility that comes with it.There are excellent opportunities. Weneed to keep the momentum build-ing.”

UK textiles face major challengessurrounding recruitment – includingan ageing workforce, a shortage ofskilled people to work with new tech-nologies, a need for improved leader-ship, management and business skills

to promote growth and a need toimprove the industry’s poor imageamong young people.

The employer-led GTA aims totackle those issues with initiatives suchas school visits to promote careers inthe sector, company visits, internships,work placements and apprenticeships,and a pre-apprenticeship programmeto match potential industry entrantswith companies for an initial periodprior to employment.

New diploma level courses will berun in subjects such as technical tex-tiles, clothing production, strategicmarketing, design development, sup-plier management and sourcing.

Bill Macbeth, textile centre man-aging director, said: “The growth of

the global market for top qualitygoods, the strength of the ‘Made in theUK’ brand, together with changes inoff-shore manufacturing conditions,are stimulating the renaissance of ourfashion and textiles manufacturingsector.

“If we are to capitalise on thisopportunity we must improve theskills of our workforce at all levels. Weneed to rebuild capacity in our com-panies and we need to increase thenumber of motivated young peoplejoining the sector and undertakinggood quality apprenticeships.

“Our new national GTA will enableus to respond more effectively to theskills needs of employers andlearners.”

■ INNOVATION: The new contract has been welcomed by (from left) Bill Macbeth, managing director of the TextileCentre of Excellence; textile centre chairman Paul Johnson; and Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman

Making connections

Tax rule change not as simply as it seemsSMALL unincorporated businesseswith a turnover of up to £77,000 arebeing allows to use a simpler taxsystem to calculate profits.

But Cleckheaton-based charteredaccountancy firm Clough and Com-pany warned that it might not be sostraightforward.

Partner Nigel Westman said: “TheGovernment wants to introduce cash

accounting proposals to make it easierfor the smallest businesses to calculatetheir taxable income as well as provid-ing them with more certainty over theirtax affairs.

“The cash basis is a simpler taxsystem that will allow small businessesthat opt into the scheme to be taxed ontheir receipts less payments of allow-able expenses, rather than being asked

to spend hours making accountingadjustments and other calculationsdesigned for larger or more complexbusinesses.

“However, it will not be appropriatefor every small business and the newrules are not quite as simple as theGovernment would have us believe.”

Mr Westman said: “Whilst theactual accounting treatment may be

simpler, it will still be necessary toabide by tax rules for the deductibilityof some expenses.

“There will also be transitional rulesfor existing businesses wishing to optinto the new system so it’s essentialthat small businesses, self employedindividuals or partnerships seek pro-fessional advice about whether theycan benefit from these changes.”

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS national Page 2

SHARE PRICES

Local shares

FTSE closed at

6458.02Up 31.60

TOURIST RATES

Tourists going abroad can expectthe following rates for sterling:Australia...................... 1.42 dollarsBangladesh................. 114.11 takaBrazil.............................. 2.77 realsCanada....................... 1.50 dollarsChina ............................. 8.55 yuanCzech Republic ...... 28.03 korunasDenmark....................... 8.43 kroneEuro............................... 1.13 euroHong Kong................ 11.43 dollarsHungary ................... 321.04 forintsIndia.......................... 74.26 rupeesJapan........................... 144.33 yenMexico ....................... 16.77 pesosNew Zealand .............. 1.70 dollarsNorway ......................... 8.63 kronePakistan.................. 143.89 rupeesPhilippines ................. 54.70 pesosSouth Africa ................. 13.19 randSouth Korea.............. 1497.00 wonSri Lanka ................ 185.76 rupeesSweden......................... 9.72 kronaSwitzerland.................. 1.39 francsTaiwan ...................... 40.07 dollarsTurkey....................... 2.62 new liraUSA ............................ 1.48 dollars

Carclo 413 -71/2Marshalls 1253/4 +11/2National Grid 817 +91/2Weir Gp £221/4 +1/4

City Link sold for just £1PARCEL delivery firm City Link hasbeen sold for £1 after its owner calledtime on five years of substantiallosses.

Pest control and washrooms com-pany Rentokil Initial has offloadedthe division to restructuring specialistBetter Capital, even though it believesthe business has now turned thecorner.

City Link made losses of £31m in2011 and £26m last year, with the firstthree months of this year seeing areduced loss of £8.1m.

Despite the growth of internetshopping, City Link has been hit byweaker demand from higher margin

small business customers.Better Capital, whose other recent

investments have included fashionbusiness Jaeger and double-glazingfirm Everest, will invest £40m in CityLink in a bid to complete the turn-around.

Rentokil’s shares closed 0.65pdown at 96p as the company warnedof a £40m charge in relation to theCity Link sale.

Chief executive Alan Brown saidCity Link, which will continue to berun by its existing management team,had found a “very committedinvestor” in Better Capital.

NORTH AMERICANAmerican Express £43.87 +0.15Gannett 1309.29 -16.13Hess Corp £46.58 +0.77Microsoft £20.97 +0.45Motors Liquidation 48.40Wal-Mart Stores £50.67 -0.33

AEROSPACE & DEFENCEAvon Rbbr 4141/2 -5/8BAE Systems 379 +1/8Rolls-Royce 1130 -2

AIMBrady Plc 70

AUTOMOBILES & PARTSG K N 2743/4 +33/4

BANKSBarclays 2897/8 -3/4HSBC 7035/8 +33/4Lloyds Banking Gp 531/2 +5/8Ryl Scotland 294 -11/8Stan Chart 1636 +31/2

BEVERAGESDiageo 1957 +91/2SABMiller £347/8 +1/4

CHEMICALSCroda £241/2 -3/4Elementis 98 2631/4 +45/8Johnsn Mat £245/8 +1/8

CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALSBalfour Beatty 2227/8 -231/2Costain 277 -21/2

ELECTRICITY

Drax Gp 6141/2 -11/2SSE 1562 +12

ELECTRONIC & ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENTLaird 2147/8 +3/4

EQUITY INVESTMENT INSTRUMENTSAlliance Trust 4411/2 +15/8

FIXED LINE TELECOM SERVICESBT Grp 2807/8 -47/8Cable & WirelessComm

421/2 +1/4

Colt Group 115 -3KCOM 841/2 +1/4Talktalk Telecom 2511/4 -3/4

FOOD & DRUG RETAILERSMorrison W 2883/8 +21/8Sainsbury 3821/8 -3/4Tesco 3667/8

FOOD PRODUCERSAB Food 1937 +12Tate Lyle 850 -11/2Unilever £28 +3/8

GAS, WATER & MULTIUTILITIESCentrica 3795/8 +4National Grid 817 +91/2Pennon Grp 686 +2Severn 1818 +10United Utils 741 +81/2

GENERAL FINANCIAL3i Group 3381/4 +1/8ICAP 2901/4 +11/8London StockExch 1343 +33Man Group 1031/8 -13/8Provident Financial 1637 +26

Schroders £233/8 +1/2Schroders NV 1839 +42

GENERAL INDUSTRIALSREXAM 5131/2 +11/2Smiths Grp 1245 +8

GENERAL RETAILERSAshley L 281/2Carphone Whse 2033/4 +121/4Dixons Retail 363/8 -3/4Home Retail 1601/8 +15/8Inchcape 510 +31/2Kingfisher 3143/4 -11/8M & S 4131/4 -21/8Mothercare 302 -31/4Next £441/4 +1/8WH Smith 7401/2 -1/2

HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SERVICESSmith Nph 750 +6

HOUSEHOLD GOODSAga Rangemaster 787/8 -1/2Barrat Dev 3207/8 +27/8Persimmon 1097 +17Reckitt Benckiser £471/4 +5/8Taylor Wimpey 96

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERINGI M I 1243 +10

INDUSTRIAL METALSFerrexpo 1817/8 +23/8

INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORTATIONBBA Aviation 2503/8 -11/4

LIFE INSURANCEAviva 3083/8 -23/4

Lgl & Gen 1681/4 +3/4Old Mutual 2051/4 +11/8Prudential 1109 -11Resolution 2641/8 +25/8Standard Life 3851/2 -13/4

MEDIABSkyB 846 -41/2D Mail Tst 6961/2 +21/2HIBU 3/8ITV 1271/8 -7/8Johnston Press 153/8 -3/8Pearson 1150 +6Reed Elsevier 7611/2 -14STV Group 134 +1/2Trinity Mirror 90 -1Utd Business 7421/2 +281/2UTV 160 +10WPP 1060 -5

MININGAnglo American 1609 +3Antofagasta 910 -6BHP Billiton 1832 +161/2Eurasian NaturalRes

2743/4 +51/2

Fresnillo 1180 +27Kazakhmys 3581/4 +13/8Lonmin 2851/4 +5Rio Tinto £293/4 +1/8VEDANTARESOURCES

1215 -6

Xstrata 9895/8 +93/4MOBILE TELECOM SERVICES

Inmarsat 728 +3Vodafone Group 1967/8 -3/8

NONLIFE INSURANCE

Admiral Grp 1325 +3RSA Insurance Gp 1121/4 -3/4

OIL & GAS PRODUCERSBG 1083 +18BP 4563/4 +25/8Cairn Energy 2873/8 -15/8Royal Dutch Shell A £217/8 +1/4Royal Dutch Shell B £223/8 +1/4Total £321/4 +1/2Tullow Oil 1021 -10

OIL EQUIPMENT & SERVICESAMEC 1012 +3Petrofac 1330 -1Wood Gp(J) 797 -8

PERSONAL GOODS

Burberry Gp 1344 -6PHARMACEUTICALS & BIOTECHNOLOGY

Astrazeneca £335/8 +3/8GlaxoSmithK 31/2Shire £201/8 +1/4

REAL ESTATEBrit Land 601 +7Hamrsn 526 +8Intu Properties 3413/4 +67/8Land Secs 886 +91/2SEGRO 2647/8 -1/4

SOFTWARE ETC SERVICESInvensys 3643/4 +63/8Sage Group 3401/2 -1/4

SUPPORT SERVICESBerendsen 7781/2 -31/2Bunzl 1274 +8Capita 907 +21De La Rue 943 -4Electrocomp 2445/8 +1/2Experian 1153 +14G4S 3131/2 +11/4Hays 94 -3/8Homeserve 2063/4 +31/8Menzies J 724 +12Rentokil 96 -5/8Smiths News 184Wolseley £323/8

IT HARDWAREARM Hldgs 979Spirent Comms 1303/4 +5/8

TOBACCOBr Am Tob £357/8Imperial Tobacco £23 +1/4

LEISURE & HOTELS

Bwin.Party Digital 135 +23/4Carnival £231/2 +1/8Compass Grp 855 +131/2easyJet 1135Enterprise Inns 981/8 -13/4FirstGroup 2201/8 +13/8Go-Ahead Gp 1558 +12Greene King 7221/2 +8Intercontl Htls 1889 -2Intl Cons Airl 2745/8 -11/4Ladbrokes 191 -11/4Mitchells & Butlers 3413/8 +33/4Natl Express 1937/8 -3/8Rank Org 170 +33/8Stagecoach Group 3067/8 +3/8TUI Travel 3183/4 +3/4Whitbread £261/8 +3/8

INDEXFTSE 100 6458.02 +31.60

INDEXFTSE 250 13992.80 +17.82

LLOYDS Banking Group reduced itsexposure to struggling Spain byagreeing to sell its retail bankingoperations in the country.

The loss-making portfolio of mort-gages and deposits is to be sold toBanco Sabadell in return for a 1.8%stake in the Spanish bank worth£72m.

L loyds, wh ich wi l l upda teinvestors on current trading today,will take a loss of about £250m onthe disposal. Its Spanish corporatebanking operations are not includedin the deal.

The group said the sale was in linewith plans to rationalise its interna-tional presence and ensure the best

value for shareholders, including thetaxpayer through the Government’s39% stake.

The business being sold made aloss of £43m last year, driven by afurther increase in provisionsagainst bad loans. Total assetsworth more than £1.5bn will transferin the sale.

Lloyds was dealt a blow last weekwith the collapse of the planned saleof 632 UK branches to the Co-oper-ative Group. It will now seek to off-load the TSB-branded estatethrough a stock market flotation.

Bottom-line pre-tax profits for thefirst three months of this year areexpected to be £1.1bn.

Lloyds offloads Spanish division

BALFOUR Beatty wasforced to issue a £50mprofits warning for its UKconstruction business inthe latest sign of thegloom afflicting thesector.

Shares in theinternationalinfrastructure groupclosed 9, or 23p lower at222.9pafter the firmblamed “extremely tough”conditions.

In a sign of thedifficulties it is facing, thecompany said groupchief executive AndrewMcNaughton wouldpersonally take charge ofthe UK constructionbusiness.

Figures last weekshowed that while Britainescaped a triple-diprecession, constructionhad fallen back andremained well below itspre-crisis peak.

Balfour Beatty said itwas a “challengingenvironment in which towin and execute work”with market conditionsdeteriorating sharply inthe second half of lastyear.

It said the UKconstruction businesswas expected to deliver“significantly lowerprofits” from operationsthis year than expectedat the time of full-yearresults last month. It isthe second profitswarning in six months,with the last coming inNovember.

The firm has landed a£130m Crossrail contractand has worked on therevamp of London’sBlackfriars station andthe M25 road widening.

But it reported a “poorperformance” in its Ukregional construction armand said clients wereimposing “increasinglystringent conditions”.

ProfitswarningGreggs dented by

high street declineSANDWICH chain Greggs pointed tothe decline of the high street and tradi-tional shopping as it issued a warningthat profits would be short of Cityhopes.

Economic turmoil and the rise ofinternet sales were both blamed for thedwindling number of hungry con-sumers picking up products such aspasties and sausage rolls at stores intown centres and retail parks.

The chain, which has several shopsacross Kirklees and has tabled plans foranother at Huddersfield bus station,was badly hit by the freezing weather atthe start of the year.

But while performance has picked upsince then, it continues to be downyear-on-year, suggesting a widertrend.

Greggs said profits were unlikely tomeet City expectations of between£47.5m and £55.2m this year. Sharesclosed 39.8p lower at 422.7p.

Chief executive Roger Whiteside saidit was clear the continuing impact ofthe downturn was having an effect,coupled with food inflation.

Mr Whiteside said: “What we areseeing is fewer customers out shoppingand as a consequence food sales areunder pressure.

“There is a growing trend to shop onthe internet and that is restricting thenumber of people going shopping.

“Compounding that is that con-sumer income remains under pressureand people are trying to save money.”

The Newcastle-based company,which has 1,681 shops, is attempting totake pressure off its traditional highstreet locations with openings at work-places and at travel and leisure destina-tions.

This year it is to open 80 new storeswhile closing 30 others.

It said it was on course to refurbish250 sites after completing 59 so far this

year and planned to boost its offeringwith new products such as a “spicychicken fajita”.

In a trading update, Greggs saidlike-for-like sales in the 17 weeks to

April 27 were 4.4% lower, particularlyhit by the bad weather in January andMarch. But the most recent two weeksshowed figures still down, though by alower 1.5%.

The company said: “We do notexpect a significant improvement in thedifficult underlying market conditionsin the short term.

“Although we are only four monthsinto the year, we believe that profits forthe year are likely to be slightly belowthe lower end of the range of marketexpectations.”

Mr Whiteside said customers may besuffering from a compound effect ofthe economy “bumping along the bot-tom” for some time.

“Successive years of being underpressure have meant ultimatelysomething has to give and they arehaving to adjust their budgets accord-ingly.”

■ PRESSURE: Greggs chief RogerWhiteside cited difficult conditions

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS profile Page 3

MarkYarwood

BITC

HENRYK ZIENTEK

Role: Business ConnectorAge: 46Family: Married to Janicewith son Thomas, 12 andfrom a previous marriagedaughters Laura, 26, Cath-erine, 23, and Emma, 22Car: Ford CougarHolidays: Following theTour de FranceFirst job: Working on amarket garden in SouthManchesterBest thing about job:The variety of the roleWorst thing about job:I can’t think of anything Idon’t like about itBusiness tip: Just beyourself. Don’t pretend tobe something you’re not.Nine times out of 10 yourpersonality will be enoughto show people you havewhat it takes. Try to put ona veneer and people willsee right through you

Work: Promoting corpor-ate social responsibilitySite: HuddersfieldPhone: 07703 163886Email: mark.yarwood@halifax.co.ukWeb: www.bitc.org.uk

New tourof dutyfor MarkTHERE’S no disguisingMark Yarwood’s excitementthat the Tour de France iscoming to Huddersfield.

The Honley businessman– himself a keen cyclist –has seen the world’s mostspectacular cycle racefirst-hand and promiseslocal people that they willnot be disappointed whenthe sporting extravaganzacomes to town next year.

Mark, who has beenseconded from his job withLloyds Banking Group tobecome a full-timeBusiness Connectorworking with charities andsocial enterprises acrossKirklees, says: “I reallywant to get involved withthe Tour in some way”

The father of four says:“We’ve followed the Tour inSwitzerland, France andItaly in 2009.

“We had some greatexperiences along the wayand all I can say is that theTour is going to be quite aneye-opener for the peopleof Huddersfield who don’tfully understand just howbig an event it is.

“I can’t wait. It will beabsolutely fantastic.

“And it will be atremendous opportunity topromote the town and interms of encouraging morepeople to cycle.”

Mark’s enthusiasm forroad cycling remainsundimmed – despite anumber of nasty incidentswith other vehicles on localroads.

“I have had my left collarbone repaired twice and Ihave smashed my leftelbow in seven places,” hesays.

“There’s more metalplate than bone in mycollarbone now!

“It has left me moredetermined not to bebullied off the road,although I am feeling moremortal and I tend to be alittle more cautious.”

Mark’s son Thomas, 12,has also developed apassion for road cyclingand is also following hisfather’s footsteps byplaying football and cricket.

“I played football to adecent, semi-professionallevel,” says Mark. “Thomasplays junior football atHonley and for Honley HighSchool.

“He also plays cricket forHall Bower and the school.He’s doing all the things I

was doing at his age and atthis stage with thecross-over from football tocricket, I’m taking him tomatches several times aweek!.”

Mark is also enjoying hisnew job as a BusinessConnector, helping ThirdSector organisationsconnect with individualsfrom businesses to helpthem overcome issuesrelating to employment,education and enterprise.

Under the BusinessConnectors programme,run by Business in theCommunity, Mark has beenseconded from his job withthe bank for 12 months totake up the new role.

He has made keycontacts with organisationsincluding Kirklees Council,community groups andlocal business people.

“I’m effectively a freeresource for localcommunities to tap into,” hesays. “It’s a greatopportunity for me to givesomething back.

“I have spent a good partof my career managingprojects – small, mediumand large. I hope that I’mseen as a safe pair ofhands for the first year ofour three-year commitmentto Kirklees.

“I am delighted to be in aposition to do something forthe local community.

“I have lived in andaround Huddersfield for 14or 15 years, so I alreadyhave a feel for the area anda network of contacts.

“I aim to strengthen theconnections betweenbusinesses and charitiesbefore I hand over to mysuccessor after the firstyear.”

Mark recognises that anumber of organisationshave already been buildinglinks between business andthe Third Sector.

He says: “I don’t want tostep on the toes oforganisations already doingwhat needs to be done, butI want to find out the scopeof what’s alreadyhappening and providefurther help.

“I aim to understandwhat charitableorganisations need andmatch them up withbusinesses that can helpmeet those needs.”

Mark has also metanother Lloyds Banking

Group colleague, GarethEwing, who has been inpost as BusinessConnector for Calderdalefor several months.

Mark, who hails fromsouth Manchester, beganhis career in banking at theage of 17 when he joinedHalifax Building Society’sAltrincham branch.

“In terms of careerprogression, you werealways waiting for peopleabove you to move on,” hesays.

“We had a higherturnover of staff in Londonand the opportunity aroseto work in the capital forthree years.

“The society put me up ina flat and I worked in localbranches. So at the age of19 I was enjoying the brightlights of London.

“I worked at Kilburnbranch before getting myfirst management positionat Harrow.”

Mark and his first wifedecided they did not wanttheir children growing up inLondon and moved toBrighton, where Mark spentfive-and-a-half happy yearsduring the 1990s asassistant manager incharge of administration.

Later, he took a positionin Chatham, Kent, whichwas one of the “test areas”for a new computer systemafter the building societyconverted to become abank.

When the bank set up anew team to plan for the

national roll-out of the newsystem, which was basedin Huddersfield, Markmoved back north in 1998.

He was based inHuddersfield for less than ayear before the team wascentralised at the bank’sheadquarters in TrinityRoad, Halifax.

Since then, Mark hasbeen project manager on25 to 30 major projects,including ones relating tothe formation of IntelligentFinance in Edinburgh, theBank of Scotland deal andthe takeover of HBOS byLloyds Banking Group.

He says: “I never wantedto sit in one post for 15 or20 years and I haveenjoyed the stimulation ofmoving from completingone project to taking onanother that is morechallenging.

“A particular projectmight take 18 months totwo years – then you canmove onto somethingdifferent.

“Some projects cancover the wholeorganisation while othersare more focused on partsof the business.”

When the opportunity tobecome BusinessConnector for Kirkleescame up, Mark jumped atthe chance.

“I would have kickedmyself if I hadn’t given it ago,” he says.

“I have the time to devoteto it, I have been in andaround Huddersfield for thepast 15 years, so I havebuilt up a network ofcontacts and I am used tosetting my own diary.

“Talking to local charities,I have already met somereally inspirational people.

“I think it’s going to bequite an emotional journey,talking to people who aredoing so many selflessthings for theircommunities.

“That’s the stuff that ticksthe boxes for me.

“At the end of this firstyear, I will be able to lookback on it with a bit ofpride.”

■ LINK-UP: Mark Yarwood, of Lloys banking Grop, hasbeen seconded to Business in the COmmunity's BusinessConnectors programme

Who will be the nextBusiness of the Month?If you are proud of what your business has achieved;why not tell us about your success storyand you could be a winner of ourprestigious award.

For further details please contact:Ian Greenwood, Eaton Smith Solicitors,14 High Street, Huddersfield HD1 2HA

T: 01484 821389 E: iangreenwood@eatonsmith.co.uk

Business Of The Month Awards - Rewarding Success Since 1995

KIRKLEES BUSINESSlocal Page 4

Getting the dataBUSINESS leaders fthe power of data manasecure more leads and sales anetworking event in HudPaula Atherill, of WPCA Ltd,explained the value of gbusiness data at a 4NetwHuddersfield event aAspley. The event also supporKirkwood Hospice aselling cupcakes to rthe hospice’s Capital AFor further details aevents contact Helen Thelen@theimplementer .cowww.4networking.biz

Firm engineersR&D tax breakA HUDDERSFIELD company hassecured a victory ovLockwood-based DaSystems is among a nto recover money paid in tax to HMRevenue & Customs and inresearch and development.The firm, which is spearheading adrive to develop specialist gearoffshore wind turbinesresearch and development tax crspecialist Jumpstarcash.Jumpstart, which guides companiesthrough the complesubmitting claims to HMRwas experiencing significant grby recommendation frthroughout Britain.Jumpstart, founded fnow has 6.5% of the UK mark35% of the Scottish markThe firm said it was on courachieve UK market sharproportionate to Scotland by the endof this year and has alrembarked ahead of scstrategy to take its seroverseas.Managing director Brian Williamsonsaid: “It is notoriously difpenetrate existing markcompete for market sharexisting suppliers, who trhave come from the raccountancy profession.“However, the innovdemonstrably successful bmodel which has been pioneerJumpstart is achieving sucspectacular results thawe have helped are vshare the story of their g“This is bringing us a fbusiness.”David Brown, part of the £1.4bnClyde Blowers Capital Grpremier provider of high quality drisolutions for process aaround the globe.Daniel Orwin, group financeaccountant, said: “Wguidance on the legislawas not until Jumpstarwith us, that we had our eIt altered our mindset with itstechnical approach and gdifferent understanding on whaqualifies for R&D.“We had been viewing a csomething unique andgroundbreaking within the field as awhole but, in fact, wrealise that it was aadvances we had been making

SMEs face long wait fornew £300m funding pot

Starring roleat conferenceA BIRSTALL-based marketing agencyhas been invited to take part in a leadingglobal conference on e-commerce.

Richard Jones, head of FantasticMedia’s mobile division, FantasticMobile, will deliver a seminar alongwith David Ford, its head of mobilemedia at Catalyst Europe 2013, whichtakes place on May 28 and 29 at StPaul’s Hotel in London.

The two-day conference bringstogether some major names in onlineretail – including eBay, Amazon andArvato – to discuss the needs andexpectations of the online retail com-munity in 2013.

Mr Jones will deliver a seminar onwhy businesses need to ensure that theire-commerce websites are mobile-readyand strategies for increasing conversionto sales.

The focus of this year’s Catalyst con-ference will be “newcommerce” – theblurring of the margins between chan-nels and the intersection of e-com-merce, local, mobile and social – andhow retailers can manage this increas-ingly fragmented online universe.

Mr Jones co-founded FantasticMedia seven years ago with managingdirector Andy Hobson and helpedsome of the country’s leading retailers,such as Bonmarche and Card Factoryto develop their online and mobilee-commerce offerings.

Recently, he helped launch FantasticMobile, a specialist division of theagency, to ensure that clients efficientlyand profitably exploit the latest andmost exciting retail channel.

Mr Ford specialises in apps, motiongraphics, creative development andgraphic design and is responsible forcreating new innovative approaches tomobile development and fulfilment.

At the conference, they will discusswhy businesses need to be “mobile first,desktop second” and share proven tac-tics and strategies for increasingm-commerce conversion.

Said Mr Jones: “This year, we will seethe number of people visiting a websitefrom mobile devices becoming greaterthan those visiting from desktops.

“We spend on average 40 minutes perday on mobile websites and whilst weare doing this we have a 75% higher rateof engagement.

“This means more page views, andinteractions with your business, and anincreasingly likely chance of purchase.

“By not having a mobile website,companies are ignoring the require-ments of their customers. Our aim atCatalyst Europe is to discuss some ofthe ways businesses can stay ahead ofthe competition through exploiting thisnew channel.”

■ UPWARDLY MOBILE: Richard Jones, of Fantastic Media

Right connectionsUK companies are proving the ones tobeat in a competition designed to helpfirms improve their supply chains.Fresh Connection, an interactiveweb-based competition is run byspecialist consultancy SCALA, based atthe Media Centre in NorthumberlandStreet, Huddersfield. Its One Day andOnline events were a big success withMars, Cadbury/Kraft, Futurmaster,SpecSavers and Kimberly-Clarkemerging as the top teams.The Fresh Connection, supported byToyota Materials Handling, now movesonto the Global Rounds.

SMALL firms across Kirklees couldbenefit from a £300m lending boost– but they are in for a wait, it isclaimed.

News that small businesses havebeen handed a £300m lendingboost by the Government will bewelcomed by many SMES – but itwon’t be a quick fix, according to alocal tax specialist.

The money, the first of £1bnpromised by Business SecretaryVince Cable as part of the newBusiness Bank, is set to helpimprove access to finance for smallbusinesses.

Nick Brook (pictured), who runsTaxAssist Accountants inLockwood, said: “In a recent surveyof small businesses we conducted,we found that access to fundingwas a top priority.

“Whilst it is great news that thelong-awaited Business Bank isfinally getting off the ground, the

first loans won’t be made availableuntil the autumn at the earliest.”

The Business Bank will notdirectly lend to small businesses,but will bring together existing SMEfinance schemes, give advice onsuitable facilities and providecheap wholesale finance foralternative lenders.

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KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS local Page 5

THEBUSINESSBATTLEAXEAmanda Vigar

Amanda Vigar is managing partner at Holmfirth-based accountantsV&A Bell Brown LLP

Getting the datas found out about

ta management toe leads and sales at a

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alue of good qualityt a 4Networkingent at Table Table,

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helen@theimplementer .co.uk or visit.4networking.biz

Firm engineersR&D tax breakA HUDDERSFIELD company has

ver the taxman.ood-based David Brown Gear

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Wealthy investorsmust be welcomed

BRITAIN is open for business…or is it?

It certainly should be with unem-ployment rising and the economy in thedoldrums.

At a time when this country needsmore taxpayers and more wealth-pro-ducing, industry-investing people,we’ve managed to make rich foreignersfeel less welcome and it looks likethey’re taking their money elsewhere.The country needs that like a hole inthe head!

According to HM Revenue and Cus-toms’ own figures, the number ofnon-domiciled taxpayers has fallen by2,000 in a year. It may have somethingto do with the £30,000 annual non-domlevy they’re being asked to pay for theprivilege of putting their stake in theUK.

According to a Freedom of Informa-

tion request, the damning stats showthat the number of non-doms hasplummeted from 140,000 in 2008 to116,000 now. These are just the onesthat are paying the levy – so likely to beon the wealthy end of the spectrum!

This group of highly mobile, enorm-ously wealthy wealth producers is, notsurprisingly, also very well informed.And they have highly skilled people todo their sums for them – and they havedecided that the UK is not the propos-ition it once was – we’re not longer seenas a “light touch” tax and regulationeconomy.

Foreign investment is always import-ant to a successful economy and theneed to stay attractive to internationalmoney is imperative to our country’srecovery and growth.

The £30,000 annual tax levy onnon-doms who have been in the UK for

between seven and 12 years is nothelping us. The levy is only part of araft of other tax measures, introducedor being discussed, which are gainingus a reputation for being less welcom-ing to people with real spending powerthan we once were.

We need to keep access to investmentopen and easy. To do otherwise seemscontrary to the ideals of a free marketand at odds with our role as an interna-tional centre for investment and ideas.

These non-domicile taxpayers willcontinue to take to their luxurylaunches and abandon the good shipBritannia if they feel the weather is nolonger set fair. While they’re aboard,they will invest in the UK and createjobs. When they’re abroad, they willinvest their money abroad. Time for achange of tack!

Website winnerA GOLF retailer based inHuddersfield has won an award forits website.

Direct Golf UK landed its prize inthe ECMOD Awards – standing forEuropean Catalogue & Mail OrderDays.

The competition recognisesbusiness excellence fororganisations engaged indirect-to-customer retailing acrosstraditional and newly-emergingchannels.

The awards, recognised as the“Oscars” for all direct commercebusinesses, were held at ChelseaFC’s Stamford Bridge stadium.

Direct Golf outshone major retailnames including John Lewis, Argos,Lakeland and The White Companyto come out top in its category.

Commercial manager SteveLewis and website manager NeilRowett were on hand to accept theaward.

Direct Golf UK chairman andfounder John Andrew said: “We areabsolutely thrilled to win this award.It’s great to be recognised forhaving a best-in-class webpresence, not just in golf, but acrossa variety of retail sectors.

“We’ve worked hard over the past18 months to redevelop the site andcontinue to adopt and evolve ouroffering to the benefit of ourcustomers.”

The firm’s website –www.direct-golf.co.uk – wascompletely redeveloped andrelaunched in 2012 to include anonline TV channel, Direct Golf TV,and store in-store shopping.Improvements also included mobileand iPad applications.

The company saw a directincrease in sales and a record yearonline. The number of visits were upby 14% year-on-year, while uniquevisitor numbers also rose.

■ ON COURSE: Direct Golf UKcommercial manager Steve Lewis(right) and website manager NeilRowett (centre) accept the awardfrom Leighton Cuff, of categorysponsor i-Behaviour

Firms fail to planSMALL and medium-sized businesses inYorkshire are failing to make plans fortheir long-term future, according to asurvey by Lloyds TSB Commercial.Some 35% have made no plans for afterthe main directors or owners retire. Thatcompares with a national average of34%. Firms in London and Essex are theleast likely to have made post-departurearrangements at 43% compared with28% in the South West.The survey of almost 1,800 businessesalso revealed geographical differences intransition plans across the UK. Some28% of Yorkshire firms expect asuccession by family memberscompared with 34% each for Scottishand Welsh firms.

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KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS property Page 6

INFORMEDDEVELOPMENTMartin Thompson

Martin Thompson, is a partner in Commercial Property at Armitage Sykes in Huddersfield

Whose brightidea was that?

A NEW assault on the planning laws –which could make it easier for

developers to build blocks of flats andoffices – has been announced.

The Law Commission has begun consulta-tions, backed by ministers, which could lead tothe 100-year-old rights of light legislationbeing changed.

A right to light is an easement that providesthe landowner with a right to receive lightthrough defined openings in a building, usu-ally windows.

Given this, owners of neighbouring land areprevented from substantially interfering withthe access of light.

Neighbours can object to developments ifthe building threatens the amount of naturallight that is currently available.

The consultation by the Law Commissionon “rights to light” says that “uncertainty” inthe current legislation leaves builders vulner-able to legal action that can impact newprojects for long periods of time.

One of the more radical proposals in theconsultation is that the Lands Chamber of theUpper Tribunal has the power to extinguishrights to light that are obsolete or have nopractical benefit with payment of compensa-tion, if appropriate.

This together with the consultation’s recom-mendation to end the ability of residents toacquire rights to light by “long use” make the

consultation a far reaching proposal to assistdevelopers.

The Department for Communities andLocal Government “expressed an interest” inreforming the law after the High Courtordered partial demolition of a building inLeeds city centre which obstructed a neigh-bour’s daylight.

The case in September, 2010, which ismentioned in the consultation, led judges toorder the demolition of the top storeys of thenew building which were responsible for theloss of light.

The consultation also addresses the percep-tion that the current law encourages neigh-bours not to engage with developers at anearly stage in order to increase the sumclaimed in damages and introduces a new legalframework that will make it clearer whendamages can be paid instead of forcingdemolition or a halt to construction.

Prof Elizabeth Cooke, leading the moves forreform, said: “The Law Commission’s aim isto bring more clarity, certainty and transpar-ency into the law relating to rights to light, toreduce the scope for disputes and where theydo happen, make it simpler, easier and quickerfor landowners, developers and the courts toresolve them.”

The consultation is open until May 16,2013.

RICS reports boostfor property sectorCONSTRUCTION industry professionals inYorkshire have reported a rise in workloadsfor the first time since the end of 2007.

The latest construction market quarterlysurvey by the Royal Institution of CharteredSurveyors showed a net balance of plus 3%of chartered surveyors in the region reportingan increase in work.

The RICS said the positive result was anencouraging sign that the construction sectoris finally starting to stabilise.

The survey said more housing, industrialspace and public schemes were being builtacross the region – suggesting that some ofthe government initiatives were beginning tobreathe life back into parts of the region’sproperty sector.

However, infrastructure projects acrossYorkshire fell over the last four months andlittle improvement has now been seen in thesector since 2007 – despite attempts by thegovernment to stimulate the economythrough privately-funded infrastructureschemes.

RICS members remained cautious, sayingthey did not expect construction workloads or

employment to increase over the next 12months.

Rob Hindle, chairman of the RICSYorkshire and Humber regional board, said:“There still remains a lack of confidence inthe construction sector which is impactingupon the decision-making process.

“There also appears to be no rush to get tothe construction stage even with extremelycompetitive tender levels from contractors.These obstacles, along with the continuingdifficulty in obtaining finance, make it anongoing challenging time for the constructionindustry.”

RICS chief economist Simon Rubinsohnsaid: “Although it’s far too early to start talkingabout a recovery in the construction sector,the rise in output at the beginning of the yearis a little better news.

“The government’s attempts to stimulatethe market seem now to be having someimpact, but there are still significantchallenges to be overcome. In particular, theavailability of finance and planning-relatedissues continue to present obstacles todevelopment.”

Retirement homes builderacquires two more sitesA BUILDER of retirement homes hasacquired two new sites in West Yorkshire.McCarthy & Stone, which has adevelopment at Sykes Court in Lindley,has completed deals for sites at Belle VueMills in Skipton and at Shadwell in Leeds.The former textile mill at Skipton alreadyhas planning approval for 35 “later living”apartments. A consultation is under wayto secure planning approval for 60 “openmarket “assisted living” apartments atthe site in Leeds.Richard Watson, director at ColliersInternational in West Yorkshire said hewas delighted to have worked withMcCarthy & Stone securing the sites,

adding: “They are two well-placedstrategic sites in locations that have beensought after by the company for manyyears.”McCarthy & Stone is the most recogniseddeveloper of privately-owned retirementproperty in the UK. Over the past 30years, it has built 45,000 apartmentsnationwide.Chris Watson, regional land director atMcCarthy & Stone, said: “McCarthy &Stone has been delighted with the level ofprofessionalism and client servicereceived from Colliers International whilstacquiring these exciting opportunities.”

■ RETIRINGTYPE: McCarthyand Stone’sSykes Court inLindley. Theretirement homesspecialist hasacquired twofurther sites inYorkshire,described as“well-placedstrategic sites inlocations thathave been soughtafter by thecompany for manyyears”

FOR SALEUnit 15Cartwright CourtBradley Business Park, Huddersfield, HD2 1GN1Modern office investment opportunity1 472.86m2 (5,090 sq ft)1 Income of £56,044 PAX rising to £64,050 PAX1 Strong national covenantJoint Agents: Hanson Chartered SurveyorsPrice: Offers invited in the region of £675,000

FOR SALELand atClough RoadSlaithwaite, Huddersfield, HD7 5DB1 Residential development site1 0.88 Hectares (2.18 Acres) approx1 Existing planning consent for 74 apartment units1Would suit alternative residential scheme (STP)Price: On Application

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS property Page 7Price rise likelyfor arable land Urgent call for

changes to EPRLEVYING rates on empty proper-ties is stifling economic growth andhindering town centre regenera-tion, according to Yorkshire’schartered surveyors.

The Royal Inst i tut ion ofChartered Surveyors has repeatedits call for the government to takeaction on EPR after its extensivesurvey of members revealed thebusiness tax on vacant buildings issignificantly harming the UK eco-nomic recovery.

Chartered surveyors acrossYorkshire contributed to the RICSresearch, which provides updatedevidence on the affect of EPR onthe high street and the widerimpact on development, invest-ment and growth.

Among the findings, 92% viewedEPR as a barrier to town centreregeneration while 89% felt thepolicy was restricting overall eco-nomic growth.

A similar proportion said it wasa significant deterrent to speculat-ive building.

The findings support researchfrom the TaxPayers Alliance whichrevealed a massive £1.1bn was paidlast year in business rates on emptyproperties in the UK between2009-10 and 2011-12.

RICS said the government mustlook at this issue again if it isserious about supporting smallbusinesses on the high street,adding: “We have yet to see anycommitment from government ondefining the exemption for newbu i l d t h at t h e C h a n c e l l o rannounced in the Autumn State-ment.

It wants the Treasury to increaseexemption from EPR for retailspace from three to six months,increase exemption for office andindustrial space from six to 12months and remove all refurbish-ment, renovation or retrofittingprojects from the business rate listuntil completion.

Claire Paraskeva, senior directorat agency GVA, said: “It is clearfrom the RICS research that busi-

ness rates on vacant premises is notonly constraining investment in theconstruction of new developments,but also acting as a major barrier tospeculative building.

“We understand the need forgovernment to generate tax rev-enue in the ongoing tough eco-nomic climate.

“However, the significant rev-enue of empty property rates versusbusiness growth is now unsustain-able.

“This is money that could beinvested into hugely beneficialproperty-led growth, which allregions – not just Yorkshire andHumber – desperately need to seeover the next couple of years.”

RICS chief economist SimonRubinshon said: “Increasing theempty property rates exemptionperiod for retail, office and indus-trial space will help take the breakoff speculative development andprovide a badly needed boost to thewider economy which will certainlyhelp our struggling high streets.”

■ BOOST: Simon Rubinsohn,chief economist at RICS

PRIME arablefarmland is set toincrease in price,according to figures.The latestAgricultural LandIndicator fromproperty agentsCarter Jonas said theprice of prime arableland was forecast torose by 5% by the end of 2013 – withYorkshire remaining a hot spot forgrowth..Demand for lower quality land fell in2012 – and this decline is forecast tocontinue over the next 12 months.Values of secondary arable land areexpected to fall by 5% to 10%.Tom Whitehead (pictured), seniorassociate with Carter Jonas inYorkshire, said: “This is significantlybelow the unprecedented priceincreases witnessed between2009-2011, when prime agriculturalland values almost doubled.“It is now evident that upwardpressure on land prices has abateddue to current difficulties facing theindustry – yet speculation over apotential price bubble should betreated with caution.“Most importantly, it is the ‘safehaven’ status of British agriculturalland – which is almost on a par withthe prime central London residentialproperty market – along with thecontinuing favourable taxation regime,which will continue to drive demandfor this asset class.”

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KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS Movers and shakers Page 8

Conference call-upHIGH-PROFILE speakers have been lined up for amajor conference.The fourth annual Eco-Fair will be held onThursday, May 9, at Elland Road, Leeds.Delegates attending include many from Kirkleesbusinesses.Speakers will include Jo Daniels, deliverymanager for Marks and Spencer; JulianWalker-Palin, head of corporate sustainability atASDA; Chas Maloney, marketing director ofRicoh; and Gregory Barker, Minister for ClimateChange.A Q&A panel discussion will feature RichardFlint, chief executive of Yorkshire Water; and NickTovey, director of Wardell Armstrong. Seminarswill cover topics including waste, renewableenergy, travel and land use.Go to www.eco-fair.co.uk

Jennie Russell

Fantastic MediaBIRSTALL-basedmarketing agencyFantastic Media hasappointed Jennie Russellas a new accountexecutive.

Ms Russell (pictured)joins the agency’s clientservices departmentwhere she will beresponsible for managinga range of accounts, including Huddersfield’sJohn Smith Stadium, Netherton-basednationwide pallet distributor The Pink Link,waste management and disposal services firmWaste Care and Cool Head Warm Heart – acampaign to raise the profile of scalp coolingtreatment for cancer patients.

Ms Russell, who gained a first class honoursdegree in hospitality business management atSheffield Hallam University, also has experiencein marketing, social media, sales and events.

After completing her studies, she took twoyears out and travelled extensively, spendingmost of her time in New Zealand and Australia.

Fantastic Media managing director AndyHobson said: “Jennie is a welcome addition toour expanding team and has come on board atan exciting time following a series of recentaccount wins. I believe her experience will addsignificant value for our clients.”

Currying favour in the DalesDEWSBURY-based food and cookerycompany Curry Cuisine will bring a taste ofregional India to North Yorkshire this weekend.

Curry Cuisine is taking part in the two-dayDales Festival of Food and Drink, which getsunder way on Saturday in the heart ofWensleydale.

Company founder Prett Tejura will beencouraging foodies to ditch tiresome tikkasand boring baltis for dishes from more diverseareas of India.

As well as providing outside “street food”catering for the event, Curry Cuisine will alsoshowcase its award-winning range ofpremium, traditionally handcrafted chutneysand pickles; Scrummees fruit sauces and itsnewly-launched Scrummees jams, includingRaspberry and Black Pepper, Plum andCinnamon, Kiwi and Lime and Strawberry andCardamon varieties.

Prett will also join local chefs in the Theatre

Marquee on Sunday to provide tuition and alive cookery demonstration on how to createreal Indian food from regions such as Goan,Keralan and Northern India.

Said Prett: “It’s our mission to encouragefoodies to tantalise the tastebuds, discover thedelights of different regions of India and todispel the myth that cooking authentic Indianfood is difficult, whilst at the same timeencouraging curry lovers to try somethingdifferent.”

Curry Cuisine, which also has premises atTingley, has diversified from its origins as acookery school to create its own range ofhandmade chutneys, pickles, spice mixes,dessert sauces and jams for both the Indianand mainstream markets.

Its products can be found in food and farmshops such as Fodder in Harrogate andsupermarkets, including ASDA nationally andSainsbury’s in the region.

Linda Harrison

EEFMANUFACTURERS’ organisation EEF hasappointed specialist manufacturing consultantLinda Harrison to head its new manufacturinggrowth unit covering Yorkshire.

The new unit aims to help manufacturingcompanies in Yorkshire to grow by improvingtheir efficiency and effectiveness.

The service is focused on thosemanufacturers that cannot gain ManufacturingAdvisory Service funding due to their size orconnections with a larger group – although theteam will also deliver MAS-funded offerings.

Ms Harrison joins EEF’s business servicesteam and will advise member and non-membercompanies to help them improve productivity,quality and delivery in a wide range ofmanufacturing sectors.

She has 20 years’ experience in leadershipand production and operations management.Ms Harrison was also previously a part-timelecturer in production and operationsmanagement at the University of Teesside.

Andrew Tuscher, EEF regional director for theNorth East, said: “I am delighted to have such askilled lean practitioner and trainer as Linda inour office. Every manufacturing company canbe more efficient in some way and Linda cancertainly help EEF members and non-memberson their continuous improvement journey.”

■ COOKING: Prett Tejura, ofCurry Cuisine in Dewsbury

Umph! Awardsreturn to townA RECORD number of students fromschools and colleges across Yorkshire willdescend on Huddersfield this summer for amajor business competition.

This year’s Umph! contest will take placeon July 2 at the John Smith’s Stadium – withfour-strong teams of 16 to 19-year-oldstaking part in workshop-style sessions totackle business issues thrown at them bybusiness simulation software SimVenture.

Huddersfield Town chairman DeanHoyle and Jacob Hill, founder of The LazyCamper festivals essentials business, will beamong entrepreneurs working closely withthe students and giving them the benefit oftheir business knowledge and experience.

Umph! is the brainchild of financialadviser Grant Thornton and forms part ofthe firm’s Educate to Innovate programme,which aims to encourage entrepreneurshipin students and forge links between businessand education in the region.

Now in its third year, the competition isopen to teams of budding young entrepren-eurs, representing their school, sixth formor FE college.

Twenty-six teams of students will takepart in the contest in Huddersfield – withthe winning team and creator of the mostsuccessful virtual business being awarded atrophy.

Each member of the winning team willalso receive their own iPad.

Helena Taylor, who was named most

enterprising individual at Umph! last year,said: “It was fantastic to meet all theentrepreneurs in person and I learned a lot.Most importantly, perhaps, the event hasgiven me the ambition to set up and run myown business, which I hope to do oneday.”

Sandra O’Neill, head of business devel-opment at Grant Thornton, said: “There isa growing national emphasis on forgingstronger links between education and busi-ness, which is the focus of Umph!

“The competition gives students a valu-able opportunity to meet and questionentrepreneurs about what a career in busi-ness is really like and it is this kind of

interaction that often provides the spark ofinspiration and is generally unavailable aspart of academic studies.”

Alan Archer, business initiatives managerat Kirklees Council, which is also involvedin Umph!, said: “Events like this play anessential role in the local economy byhelping young people understand what acareer in business is all about, as well asshowing them how their own entrepreneur-ial skills could be developed in a meaningfulway.”

Also supporting Umph! are HuddersfieldTown, SimVenture, Birstall-based FantasticMedia and Huddersfield University.

■ STUDENT POWER: Helena Taylor was judged most enterprising student at lastyear’s Umph! Awards while Town’s Dean Hoyle (centre) and Lazy Camper’s Jacob Hill,will speak af this year’s event

Alec takes his guardCRICKETING legend AlecStewart visits Kirklees nextmonth in his role as anambassador for YorkshireBank.

The former England captainand wicket keeper (picturedright) will meet an invitedaudience of business people ata business breakfast onWednesday, May 15, at theCedar Court Hotel, Ainley Top.

The visit has been organisedby Yorkshire Bank’s West

Yorkshire Business and PrivateBanking Centre in Bradford.

The ex-Surrey player –whose international careerhighs included scoring twocenturies in Bridgetown in1993-1994 and leadingEngland to their first major testwin for 12 years, against SouthAfrica – will discuss his careeras a professional cricketer andconduct a questions andanswers session.

Andy Davidson, head of

Yorkshire Bank’s WestYorkshire Business and PrivateBanking Centre, which coversKirklees, said: “We’re gratefulthat Alec Stewart is giving uptime in his busy schedule tomeet and talk to local businesspeople. There are manysimilarities between captaininga successful sports side andrunning a successful businessand we are sure that theaudience will be very interestedin what he has to say.”