TopicUK Huddersfield Edition

Kirklees & Calderdale Edition June2015 1

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Local HeroesAllan Scholefield

HCIP Ltd

Wakefield Business Week COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO THE EVENT

European Award FOR RIPPONDEN FILM COMPANY

Big Screen Weekends COMING SOON TO HUDDERSFIELD

TopicUK KIRKLEES & CALDERDALE FREE BUSINESS COMMUNITY MAGAZINE

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We are so much more than just a printer...

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Ghost communicationsGraphic Design; Marketing; PR; Event Managment; Magazines; Branding

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Cover Image of Allan Scholefield - Courtesy Mark Flynn

13 1606FANTASTIC RESPONSETo TopicUK's second edition

SUPERFAST BROADBANDCan you keep it up?

A LITTLE TASTE OF THE MEDITERRANEANIn Halifax

SUMMARYCONTENTS &

18 31 40HARD WORK AND DETERMINATIONDrive growth business

MY CONFERENCE WAKEFIELDA full round up

THE BIG INTERVIEWNot a perfect start

PICK UP YOUR COPY

Music With Unity - We catch up with live music events happening at Unity Works and around the region

Cedar Court Hotel, Huddersfield

Holiday Inn, Brighouse

Eaton Smith Solicitors, Huddersfield

Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce

3M Business Centre, Huddersfield

The Castle Rooms, Halifax

Heritage Lofts, Huddersfield

Lockwood Park, Huddersfield

The John Smith's Stadium

Leeds Bradford International Airport

National Coal Mining Museum

Sainsburys Huddersfield

If you would like to stock copies, please

email [email protected] to arrange

The views expressed by the contributors are not necessarily those held by the publishers and therefore no responsibility can be held by the publisher for misinterpretation. Reproduction of this magazine without the express permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited. Whilst every care is taken in the production of this magazine, the publisher/editor cannot accept any responsibility for errors in articles, advertisements or programme schedules. To subscribe to this magazine, submit an article or press release please contact Gill Laidler on: 07711 539047 or email [email protected] Published byGhost Publishing Limited. Law pages are written by Ramsdens Solicitors and TopicUK is not responsible for any advice given.


EDITORGILL LAIDLER

CREATIVE DIRECTORROB BLACKWELL

LOCAL HEROESJAMES BEATTIE, SEE IT NOW SPORTS

THE ARTSMURRAY EDWARDS

LEGAL MATTERSSARAH CROWTHER, CHADWICK LAWRENCE

BEAUTY & WELLBEINGMAXINE STEAD, ALEXANDER HOUSE SPA

HEALTHPROHMS OF HUDDERSFIELD

FOOD & RESTAURANT REVIEWANTHONY HEGNEY, ASPARAGUS GREEN

RECRUITMENTNADIO GRANATA, STAFFLEX

SOCIAL MEDIASINEAD SOPALA, RAMSDENS SOLICITORS

BANKINGJONATHAN ROSTRON, SANTANDER

EDUCATIONDARRYL WIDEMAN, SILCOATES SCHOOL

MUSICDEAN FREEMAN - UNITY WORKS

SPORTSEAN JARVIS - HUDDERSFEILD TOWN FC

COMMERCIAL PROPERTYMARK HANSON,

HANSON CHARTERED SURVEYORS

TopicUK

Tel: 07711 539047 - [email protected] - www.topicuk.co.uk - Ghost Publishing Ltd - Suite 6 Unity Works Westgate Wakefield WF1 1EP

Follow the editor @topic_uk

If you would like to stock copies, call us on 07711 539047 or email the address below. Alternatively, to ensure you receive a regular copy, you can subscribe and receive your own copy direct by post for just £20 per annum. To subscribe email your details to

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EDITORS NOTES

It’s been an extremely busy time since our last issue, as we celebrated our second birthday in

Wakefield and of course, launched our second issue in Kirklees and Calderdale. We were delighted to see a huge number of companies turn up to support us and would like to thank everyone who contributed to the first issue with editorial and advertising. A big thank you goes to the John Smith’s Stadium and in particular to Jaine Binns for her support in getting the first issue off the ground.

I was also honoured to be nominated for a Yorkshire Woman of Achievement Award and as we

went to press, we found out we are shortlisted for a Wakefield Business Award! (read about this on page 6).

Speaking of Wakefield Business, we are delighted to be a partner on this years’ Business Week and Conference and hope to see you there where TopicUK will be exhibiting at the Conference on 24th June. The new edition will be out by then so you will be able to pick up your new copy which will feature all that is happening during the week.

It’s been almost 6 weeks since we moved into Unity Works and we are delighted that a number of visitors have popped in to see us and share their news. The place is a hive of activity with lots of events going on, so if you are organising something this summer, either for your business or a personal party, its well worth enquiring.

As TopicUK's popularity grows, don’t forget, if you can’t get hold of a physical copy of the magazine, you can visit the TopicUK website www.topicuk. co.uk and view our digital version

Gill Laidler

The views expressed by the contributors are not necessarily those held by the publishers and therefore no responsibility can be held by the publisher for misinterpretation. Reproduction of this magazine without the express permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited. Whilst every care is taken in the production of this magazine, the publisher/editor cannot accept any responsibility for errors in articles, advertisements or programme schedules. To subscribe to this magazine, submit an article or press release please contact Gill Laidler on: 07711 539047 or email [email protected] Published byGhost Publishing Limited. Law pages are written by Ramsdens Solicitors and TopicUK is not responsible for any advice given.

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Local Birstall based business, Water Compliance Solutions (WCS) has been awarded accreditation for its commitment to achieving excellence in

health and safety.

Safecontractor, which is a leading health and safety assessment accreditation scheme, recognises very high standards in health and safety management amongst UK contractors and the certification is held in high regard within the industry.

WCS specialise in water system assessment and take health and safety seriously. Currently employing four specialists and continuously employing five sub-contractors, WCS are principally involved in the public and private sector.

The company’s application for Safecontractor accreditation was motivated by their aim for a uniform standard of health and safety practice across the business.

Andy Hunt, Technical Manager at Water Compliance Solutions said, “We are actively committed to ensuring all of our work practices comply with up to date Health and Safety Law. Having already gained accreditation from Construction Line and CHAS, the Safe Contractor Accreditation is the final official seal of approval we wanted to enable us to show our existing and potential clients how seriously we take the health and safety of our working environment and the protection of our employees and those working alongside us.”

There are many benefits to gaining Safecontractor accreditation including enhancing a company’s ability to attract new contracts and its commitment to safety will be viewed positively by insurers when the company liability policy is up for renewal.

Safecontractor is applicable to most sectors although it is particularly relevant to food manufacture, property, facilities management, retail and leisure sectors, all of which are big users of contracted services.

•• News Round Up

When TopicUK launched the second issue in Kirklees and Calderdale in April at The John Smith’s Stadium, we did not expect to see so much support from local businesses, from Huddersfield and Halifax and of course Wakefield as we celebrated our second birthday in the district.

In addition, we also relaunched Close Up for Business magazine, the official publication of the Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce that TopicUK now publish on a bi-monthly basis, instead of the previous quarterly.

“We were delighted with the amount of support we received,” said TopicUK editor, Gill Laidler, “not just on the day but on the run-up as many businesses submitted their press releases and supported with advertising. We would like to extend a big thank you to all those companies.

“Going forward it is our intention to grow the magazine, offering more support and free publicity to businesses throughout Mid-Yorkshire.”

If you would like to know about any of our editions, submit an article, or take advantage of affordable advertising, contact Gill on 07711 539047 or email [email protected]

FANTASTIC RESPONSE TO TOPICUK’S SECOND ISSUE

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Board Director Tim Welton presents CloseUp

EXCELLENCE IN HEALTH AND

SAFETY


A Denby Dale based designer and childrenswear retailer is celebrating her fifth anniversary and year on year growth since the doors opened in 2010.

Your Children’s Wardrobe – which was established by Barnsley born business woman Amanda Evans – sells a wide range of classic childrenswear brands from the UK and beyond, with traditional designers including Maison Jean Bourget and Oilily sitting alongside up and coming brands such as ilovegorgeous.

Since its opening, the store has established a successful online presence and now services international customers as far away as Hawaii and Australia – and has enjoyed a consistent growth in sales over the last five years, despite the serious decline in the luxury childrenswear sector during the recession.

Amanda has also worked hard to raise the profile of the store using social media, which has led to an increased celebrity following and seen the business dress the children of famous faces including former Coronation Street actresses Katherine Kelly and Lucy-Jo Hudson.

To celebrate, staff and customers enjoyed a three day in-store celebratory event last week, where they enjoyed cupcakes, coffee and champagne as well as browsing the new summer collections from brands including IKKS and Absorba.

Commenting on the success Amanda said:“Seeing the business grow has been fantastic, and a vast amount of work has gone in to ensuring that we only stock the best collections from brands that our customers – and their children – want to shop.”

She continued: “I started the business in the midst of an economic downturn, but we’ve invested time and money into constantly growing our presence in the market, taking ourselves online and developing a loyal customer base that know they can come to us for a very personal service. We’re very family orientated, my mum helps me during the buying season and works regularly in the shop and my son Seth influences a lot of the collections for boys that we have introduced.”Amanda now plans to grow the business further over the next year, with an extended personal shopping service and new online platform all in the pipeline.

A Denby Dale based designer childrenswear retailer is celebrating its fifth anniversary and year on year growth since its doors opened in 2010.

APPOINTMENTS AT MANROCHEM

YOUR CHILDREN’S WARDROBE CELEBRATES 5 YEARS OF SUCCESS Manrochem Limited, the Huddersfield

based process and project engineering company, are delighted to announce the recent additions to their project engineering team.

Ian Walker, Tony Mackley (Project Managers) and Dan Haddock (Design and CAD Engineer) have joined the company in recent months and bring a wealth of experience to the existing Project Department.

Edward Jennings (Business Director) said; “This is part of the continuing planned growth of the company and further enhances the Manrochem portfolio, with an increased order book and client list, plus the prospects of continuing growth in the economy, exciting times are envisaged by myself and all my colleagues at the company”

Full information about the services Manrochem can offer can be found on www.manrochem.co.uk

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YORKSHIRE TALENTS COMBINE TO WIN PRESTIGIOUS EUROPEAN AWARDRainbow Trout Films of Ripponden has become the first UK firm to win a prestigious German Agency Award for their work on a local business website.

James Mellor, Director was contracted to create video animations for local business, Ocean Learning Ltd, also based in Ripponden.

Paul Kenny, MD of Ocean Learning said “When we relaunched our website we were looking for new ways to communicate our brand and our courses. We worked closely with Halifax based Prime Creative to create the new site and had the idea of using short animated films as a fresh and engaging way to communicate our message.”

“James, an experienced film-maker, worked really well with the team at Prime Creative and with local illustrator Kate Taylor to produce a series of short animations, that we thought captured the spirit of our business perfectly.”

The animations took the prize in the Film category of the German Agency Awards, which recognise creative excellence from all over Europe

James Mellor, Director of Rainbow Trout Films said “I entered the German Agency Award at the recommendation of a client I have worked with in Berlin, I thought it was a great way to showcase UK talent within the European arena. I am thrilled we were successful, and have been able to share this award with our partners on this project.”

“We are delighted that the awards highlight the wealth of talent available here in Calderdale” said Sue Fearnsides, Director at Prime Creative, James’s award demonstrates that our creative talents can compete with any in Europe.”


James Mellor - Director

TOPICUK EDITOR NOMINATED FOR YORKSHIRE AWARD

TopicUK Editor Gill Laidler was delighted recently to be nominated in the Yorkshire Women of

Achievement Awards business category for her part in work on TopicUK.

The event, which took place at Dock Hall, Leeds in May, was a glittering lunch attended by more than 700 guests including local celebrities and TV presenters.

“There were just 66 nominees from all over Yorkshire and it was a real honour to be amongst them. I was also delighted to learn that fellow TopicUK board director, Claire Young from School Speakers was also a nominee.” as we went to press, we were also notified that TopicUK has been shortlisted for the New Business of the Year in the forthcoming Wakefield Business Awards taking place during Business Week on 25th June.

“TopicUK are partners at Business Week alongside the Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce; Wakefield First and Brand Yorkshire, so being shortlisted for the award at the annual business dinner is extra special,” commented Gill. "Once again Claire Young’s School Speakers has also been shortlisted so we are keeping our fingers crossed for them.” Wakefield Business Week takes place w/c 22nd June with many events taking place at Unity Works, including the main conference on the 24th.


The new appointments will see Pennine Business Partners providing support in all three areas of their business - Marketing, HR and Health & Safety and the companies span across a range of industries from IT and Manufacturing to Travel & Tourism.

The majority of the new clients are based in West Yorkshire, with a few based further afield including Lincoln, Lancashire and Cumbria.

Some of the locally based clients include, Crosland Heath Golf Club, Geckops who focus on the provision of home improvements, refurbishment, modernisation and environmental grounds services, to the public and commercial sectors. Plus, Lindley

based firm, Crest IT. Other companies include Movesmaster Ltd – a fast growing commercial relocation company based in Leeds, Gleaming Fresh Clean - an established domestic & commercial cleaning company based in Wigan and the prestigious, Castle Hotel based in the heart of Lincoln.

Lynn Bradley, Pennine Business Partners’ HR Specialist said, “We are excited about working with such a variety of businesses and the next six months and beyond will see us delivering a whole host of services to our new clients including social media management, PR support, re-brands, Health & Safety assessments and HR guidance and management.”

TWENTY NEW CLIENTS FOR HUDDERSFIELD FIRMMany companies are reporting an upturn in business in 2015 and Pennine Business Partners’ is no exception, adding 20 new clients to their ranks in the last six months.

ORCHARD ENERGY SHORTLISTED FOR TELCA AWARD

Elland-based Orchard Energy has been recognised for its commitment to the wider energy industry by being shortlisted for The Energy Live Consultancy Awards (TELCA).

The national TELCA awards are in their third year and are designed to celebrate the achievements of energy consultants and brokers across the UK, attracting businesses of all sizes from the energy sector.Orchard Energy, which won the

Rising Star award in 2014, has been short listed for the Consumer Champion award, sponsored by Haven Power.

The company had to demonstrate how it works with the wider industry for the benefit of its customers, focusing on its processes, the communication methods it employs, as well as showcasing real life examples of how they successfully improved a customer’s situation and used the experience to enhance the industry.

The black tie awards ceremony will take place on Thursday 25 June at The Mermaid Theatre, near Blackfriars Bridge in London.

Established in 2004, Orchard Energy Ltd is a fast growing energy management company specialising in energy purchasing, bureau services, energy solutions and water

management for business across the UK.

Gareth Henderson, Orchard Energy’s group managing director, said: “The energy sector doesn’t stand still, so it’s important to stay ahead of the game. At Orchard, we have a proactive approach, constantly monitoring the markets, and have built up solid relationships with our suppliers. We communicate regularly with all our clients on new legislations and shifts in the market, and they trust us to help them make the right decisions.

“It’s a competitive market out there, so being shortlisted for the Consumer Champion award is testament to the hard work our teams put in to making sure our clients get up-to-date information and the best advice to make informed choices on their energy purchasing.”

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HUDDERSFIELD CONSULTANCY FORECASTS 80% GROWTH

The brainchild of data expert Mark Pullar, this niche consultancy was established in spring 2014, with the goal of connecting

clients’ business systems and driving sustainable growth through intelligent use of processes and customer information. Twenty seven projects have been secured in that time, spanning the team’s web development, customer relationship management (CRM) and data engineering skill-sets. All have arisen from word of mouth or referral recommendations, with clients situated as nearby as Huddersfield and Leeds, but as far afield as Cork in Ireland.

Located in the 3M Buckley Innovation Centre, AMS now has three consultants on board, and is looking for its fourth employee to oversee the company’s own day-to-day operations.

Founder Mark said of this first year: “We left well-paid jobs to make All My Systems work, but that commitment is already paying dividends.” A strict business focus is required to make

best use of the team’s consultancy time. AMS’s target customer base is therefore micro businesses through to organisations with typically 25 staff, with turnover of up to £6.5m and a keen eye on sustainable business growth. That said AMS has also already helped £30m businesses with their strategic development too. Mark explains: “Whether our clients are innovative and have recently expanded; or are drowning in spreadsheets, databases and paperwork and need to work smarter; they share that same desire to drive efficiencies with systems, processes and data.”

Mark has worked on content-driven projects for more than ten years. In the earlier stages of his career, when Content Management Systems were unheard of by many, he was responsible for building a 1,500 page internal website for the University of Huddersfield.

Briony Heyhoe-Pullar, Mark’s wife, is a fellow company director. Responsible for analysing projects – particularly web-based contracts – from the user’s perspective, Briony’s key focus is delivering customer service excellence.


Huddersfield-based All My Systems (AMS) is predicting 80% growth for the next financial year, after a successful 12 months in business.


MYcycle IS BACK!After the success of the inaugural MYcycle last year, Ramsdens have launched their charity cycle again for 2015, with a new route.

This year’s it will cover 60km (with some big climbs) and the team will be cycling and raising money for 2 local charities - the Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice and the Laura Crane Youth Cancer Trust.

The grand depart for this year’s cycle is at the Riverhead Pub in Marsden (Marsden being home to perfect cycling territory), combining the two most important things in any ride – fantastic roads and great food!

Events like this can only happen with the support from brilliant people and this year it is being supported by Ramsdens Solicitors LLP, the Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, Barclays, Huddersfield Star Wheelers and Ossett Brewery.

Entry to the cycle costs £15 (this includes snacks before you start, warm meal when you’ve finished and a finishers t-shirt).

This charity cycle is open to all and can be booked via British Cycling’s website www.britishcycling.org.uk.

Sinéad Sopala, Director of Marketing at Ramsdens says: “It’s going to be a tough challenge but it will be worthwhile as we’re raising money for fantastic local charities. The Tour de Yorkshire has inspired this event and long may it continue.”

Gary Lodge, President of Huddersfield Star Wheelers comments: “The Huddersfield Star Wheelers are proud to be helping out for the second year.. The course is excellent, tough but not too long so we hope that it will encourage all levels of cyclists to join in.

It’s a privilege to be raising funds for such great local causes and working in conjunction with some brilliant businesses and other organisations, I can’t wait until the 18th of July!”

For further information contact [email protected]. You can follow #MYcycle on Twitter @MidYorkshireNET and like us on Facebook to at https://www.facebook.com/cycle4charitywithMYcycle

Yorkshire firm flying aheadHuddersfield based leaflet Distribution Company, Mr Flyer has expanded by opening a new office in Leeds, due to huge demand.

Mr Flyer, one of Yorkshire’s leading direct mail firms was set up in January 2011 by Andrew Robinson at the youthful age of 24. Managing Director, Andrew, who lives in Marsh, Huddersfield now employs over 25 people who each share a passion for providing a reliable, expert distribution service.

Following the company’s year on year growth, Andrew chose to locate his second office in Leeds as opposed to neighbouring cities due to its excellent transport links and prime position within Yorkshire. The new location has allowed the business to offer additional leaflet distribution service in nearby cities, York and Harrogate. Andrew commented, “We decided to open a second office to meet the demands of our clients, the new offices allow us to serve our customers much more efficiently in this area.”

The new office has now created jobs for five members of staff with plans to employ a further four within the next three months. Andrew is a keen supporter of providing opportunities for young and unemployed people and he believes in rewarding staff for their hard work. Andrew added, “This approach has worked well for my team and I am proud to provide a reliable, quality service to our array of clients throughout Yorkshire.”

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A team of staff from Ramsdens Solicitors were joined by 40 other local business people sleeping rough supporting Simon on the Streets.

The sleep out took place at the John Smith's Stadium in Huddersfield and was the first sleep out in the town for the charity.

The team raised £582.50 and Sinéad Sopala, marketing director commented; “This is the second time the team have taken part in a #sleepwithSimon event, the first being the charity’s sleep out in Leeds last November. Whilst the

challenge was hard and very, very cold its nothing to the plight of the people the charity supports. Events

like this are important to raise much needed funds but also to highlight the struggle some people have in our very own community. Every little really does help!”

Simon On The Streets supports over 100 people across West Yorkshire who are either rough sleeping or at risk of rough sleeping and who don’t get any meaningful support anywhere else.

To find out more about the charity visit www.simononthestreets.co.uk. 07711 539047 or email [email protected]

RAMSDENS SLEEP OUT FOR CHARITY

Ramsdens team spend a night out in the fresh air

SEEITNOWSPORTS.COM SEE FAST GROWTHHuddersfield based sports events and corporate hospitality company seeitnowsports.com have completed a highly successful first year in business. The company have worked with an array sporting legends including Sugar Ray Leonard, Paul Merson, Frank Bruno, Peter Shilton and Bryan Robson (pictured with Managing Director James Beattie) amongst others, and are looking to secure more big name events in the coming months. The companies services range from Sporting Dinner promotions to providing bespoke event services for corporate clients wishing to entertain guests and clients including tickets for all the major sporting events, a day at the races, Spanish football weekends and Golf weekends.

Managing director, James Beattie said: “We are starting to see and feel a positive economic outlook and companies are becoming more confident in and seeing the value of, hospitality provision. Our clients also use event sponsorship opportunities to promote their brand in association with high quality events.”

As a company we are also very keen on our corporate social responsibilities and have raised in excess of 5K for local charities at our events and promotions.

Seeitnowsports have a number of high profile events in the pipeline for the coming 12 months, including an exclusive evening with Joe Calzaghe, the former boxing champion, which takes place in October.

“Getting Joe to come to Huddersfield in a quite a coup for us and the interest we have had from companies wishing to attend has been phenomenal. Hes the biggest name we will have worked with and is just the start of things to come as we grow”

Anyone interested this or other events should contact: [email protected] or check out the website for further details.

seeitnowsports.com


The roll-out of the programme has already begun and from April 1st 2015 small

businesses across the UK became eligible to apply for a £3,000 grant to upgrade to Superfast Broadband.

The new, quicker connection enables users to download large emails and files almost instantly and viewing multimedia and accessing streaming services online is much slicker than before.

However the installation and upgrade period hasn’t been completely smooth running with many people reporting no change in the speed of their connection or downloads. Michael Branford, Managing Director of Huddersfield based Crest IT Ltd supports many businesses with their IT needs and reports this is a common problem amongst companies who have recently upgraded to Superfast Broadband.

He says, “Superfast Broadband is something the public are very familiar with now and many businesses and homes have already upgraded. However, there is still an element of confusion and lack of knowledge when it comes to using Superfast Broadband effectively.”

He went on to add, “One of

the most common complaints people have after installing Superfast Broadband is that their computers are still very slow and this is caused by the PC itself, not the broadband connection. Computers need to be fit for the purpose that you need them – whether you use Sage, CAD, Design Software or simply Word, Excel and email it is important that your PC meets the recommended requirements for the programmes to perform correctly. Modern PC’s move forward very quickly and hardware gets better quicker – Superfast Broadband is great – but it is essential to remember that it is only part of the solution when seeking a speedy connection.”

Michael provides support and advice on a full range of IT issues and computer network services across a variety of businesses across Yorkshire and Lancashire. To find out more visit www.crest-it.co.uk and if you would like Michael’s advice you can contact him by email – [email protected]

For further information about the government funded scheme visit:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/super-connected-cities-programme-options-for-wireless-connectivity

SUPERFAST BROADBAND CAN YOU KEEP UP?Thousands of businesses across the Yorkshire region are set to benefit from Superfast Broadband thanks to the government funded Super Connected Cities Scheme.

RAMSDENS SLEEP OUT FOR CHARITY

Ramsdens team spend a night out in the fresh air

When it comes to electrical safety in the workplace, there’s more to consider than many realise. In this first monthly column Ti Installations provide ten tips to keep employees and premises safe, whilst staying on the right side of the law.

• Electrical equipment can deteriorate over time, so Portable Appliance Testing (PAT testing) ensures it remains fit for use. There are no rules for the most suitable testing intervals, but annual inspections are a good starting point.

• Fixed wires can deteriorate over time, so they should also be tested.

• With the increasing use of workplace gadgets, comes the need for multiple plug sockets. Additional sockets are cheap and easy to install, by a professional, so don’t be tempted to overload existing sockets with extension cables. If you do use extensions, opt for the long fused variety rather than cube extensions.

• Never use cheap, imported phone and laptop chargers which may contain sub-standard components that heighten the risk of fire. Stick to manufacturers’ official products.

• When replacing light bulbs, adhere to the specific wattage. If the bulb doesn’t fit or the wattage is too high, the fitting could melt, causing a fire hazard.

• Beware of old re-wireable fuse boards, common in older premises. They provide little protection from shocks and pose significant fire risks. At the very least appoint a qualified electrician to check your board with fixed wire testing, and consider a modern replacement.

• Fuses and circuit breakers will increase your electrical safety, but a Residual Current Device (RCD) will provide greater protection.

• To protect your premises in the event of an electrical fault, fit a smoke alarm. If unsure where to position the devices, ask an experienced electrician/fire safety expert.

• In larger commercial premises, fit a fire alarm. The system and its component parts – e.g. sounders, heat and smoke detectors – can be wired separately or installed on the same circuit. Ask for a site audit before you commit. Don’t be tempted to ‘DIY’. Always invest in the skills of an NICEIC-approved electrician.

Safety at Work

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Dear New GovernmentThe arts are one of the most important products of the human imagination, and as such they should be a great deal higher up your agenda than I suspect they are. As well as influencing our human physche, there are two other reasons why they should be at the very top.

First, post war British arts policy has failed, and second the way that arts funds are allocated is shockingly unfair. I know, I know. Amongst all the post-poll euphoria none of you gives a dam. There are no votes in the arts, and the public turn off at the sound of whining arts professionals demanding more “resources”.

Sometimes your distain is all too obvious. When it was suggested that Labour would cancel the Tory cuts to the arts, the Labour press team abruptly tweeted: “we won’t.”. As at least one commentator said at the time: “There is no hope in Westminster for the subsidised arts.” Then Labour tried to modify its cold dismissal with a Charter for Culture and the Creative Industries, published just a few weeks before the election. This had 20 principals, of which really only two were interesting. No.7 said arts funding should be “balanced equally across the country”; and No.17 said: “The National Lottery should be opened up to full transparency.” Let’s see why these two principals are so interesting and we’ll tell you what you must do about it.

Back in 1965 Jennie Lee was labour’s arts secretary. The Arts Council was 20 years old and had lost the radical edge embodied in the post war faith that “nothing was

too good for the working man”. The regions and local government were being cut out of the picture, and a policy of “few, but roses” was applied to arts subsidies. Lee set out to reverse this, especially the way funding went overwhelmingly to London, but she failed as did all her successors. The extent of this failure has been made explosively apparent by three authoritative documents that have emerged over the last couple of years.

The first is Robert Hewison’s book Cultural Capital: The Rise and Fall of Creative Britain, about cultural policy since 1977. The big message here is that the “nothing is too good for the working man” venture has not delivered a new audience for the arts. In spite of spending billions (thanks primarily to the Lottery) participation in the arts has flat-lined. Arts Council England (ACE) made much of a participation figure of 77%, but this included people who had “engaged” just once in the arts. In reality the figures showed that participation was stagnant, and it was still overwhelmingly the rich and educated who were turning up. Robert Hewison’s view is that this was because New Labour didn’t have faith in the arts themselves but saw them purely as a form of social and economic leverage. The arts exist on a different value scale – cultural value – but they simply created a straightjacket of expectations about who would do what and when – and it totally failed.

This was followed by utter indifference in the Coalition years. As a result the arts now only attract an audience of the rich and well educated, those in possession of “cultural capital”. Cultural Capital needs to be created in schools, but under the Coalition the arts have been progressively squeezed out of schools. At present we may have a reasonably flowering field but within a few years if this continues it could be a wasteland.

Murray Edwards - Executive Director Theatre Royal Wakefield

Theatre Royal Wakefield, Drury Lane, Wakefield WF1 2TE - www.theatreroyalwakefield.co.uk tel: 01924 211311 - [email protected]

•• The Arts


Wakefield Edition April 2015 15

The other two documents are reports by a trio of arts experts - Messrs Stark, Gordon & Powell - entitled Rebalancing our Cultural Capital and Policy for the Lottery, the Arts and Community in England. The authors believe we need a national strategy (you probably thought the government, being a government, had one – but it doesn’t). The second is that this strategy should address the complacency with which the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and ACE have accepted an unjustified and unfair bias towards London and away from the regions. The figures are jaw-dropping. Of the £450 million in direct funding from DCMS, the authors estimate that 90% goes to London. When this is combined with funding from ACE, the benefit per head of population is £68.99 in London as compared with £4.58 in the rest of England.

So, New Government, you must fix all this. Listen above all to Hewison’s main point: the arts don’t fit into your wonky calculus of finance, economics and politics. If the arts are judged that way they will die. Their justification is one of intrinsic value, they don’t need petty metrics to make their case. This does not mean that government has to pay; we may move from the European model of funding towards the American one, but it does mean that somebody must pay. Either we want a living country, or we want a wasteland of glass towers in habited by dead souls. You choose.

Murray Edwards Executive Director TRW

Theatre Royal Wakefield, Drury Lane, Wakefield WF1 2TE - www.theatreroyalwakefield.co.uk tel: 01924 211311 - [email protected]

16

A LITTLE TASTE OF THE MEDITERRANEAN IN HALIFAX

King Cross Main Street in Halifax is one of those streets that I don’t often find myself driving along, but every time I do I find something new or in this case think that it’s been too long since we have eaten there!

DiningOut

WRITTEN BY ANTHONY HEGNEY - ASPARAGUS GREEN CATERING

La Tavas who offer a range of traditional and contemporary dishes from across the Mediterranean, North Africa and the Middle East has occupied the set back from the payment shop for the past 19 years and is run by husband and wife, while Joanne runs the floor of the restaurant her husband Tony cooks all the food from the semi open plan kitchen at the rear of the restaurant.

On this occasion I dined with Glen as we both really enjoying a good dining out experience and of course love our food, from booking the table in the restaurant to leaving, Joanne was as ever attentive as you would expect from a family run restaurant.

On arrival parking the car was simple on the main road with no parking charges which these days I have to say is a massive benefit, then with a gentle stroll

down the high street we found ourselves at the restaurant door, with its very Mediterranean look from the exterior it almost gives you that feel that you should be abroad.

La Tavas is simply decorated whilst fitting with the countries it reflects with the authentic décor and simple but effective furniture, the background music is very fitting while unimposing.

After stepping inside Joanne took us to our table in the window which I have to say I really enjoy as we get to watch the world go by in between conversation and waiting a short while for our food to arrive at the table.

We were asked if we would like any drinks, I opted for a traditional beer from Greece a Mythos, while Glen who doesn’t drink went for the sparkling water with fresh lime.

Joanne gave us plenty of time to look over the menus while enjoying our drinks, she pointed out the special board that we could keep referring to as it was opposite our table on the wall.

I must say it took some time to make our choice with the huge selection that we had to choose from our maybe we are just indecisive!!

We had two menus to choose from, the fixed price menu or the A la carte along with the specials, I chose to mix mine I had the Chicken Pinchitos from the fixed price menu followed by the Lamb Tavas from the A la carte menu, while Glen went for the Starter off the A la carte and the main off the fixed price, he went for the Haloumi to start followed by the French farmhouse Chicken breast as a main course.

One thing that I regretted once we had ordered was not ordering the duo of dips to graze over while waiting for our starters, as you would expect all the food is cooked with fresh raw ingredients which does take a little more time.

Once our starters arrived, they were both well worth the wait, Glen's Haloumi cheese was served on a bed of roasted red peppers, beetroot & shallots and drizzled with olive oil, balsamic & honey dressing, the colour on the white crockery really stood out, with the deep red in the beetroot and the bright peppers really complimented the slightly tinged white of the Haloumi.

My Chicken Pinchitos arrived which was sat upon a warmed flatbread and served with a beetroot tzatziki & a chunky salsa all the flavours really complimented the chicken without them being overpowering bringing out the flavours.

While enjoying our starters Joanne came to check if everything was ok which in between mouthfuls we could confirm. On the table there was a small tent card promoting upcoming events and house special drinks, the next event being Tapas & Cocktails with live Spanish guitar on the 17th June. On the reverse there was the special cocktail of a Brandy sour at £4.95


La Tavas King Cross

Road Halifax

open 4 lunch times

and 5 evenings a

week

call for 01422 364747

www.latavas.co.uk

Once our starters were cleared I couldn’t help noticing the table that was sat behind us opted for the Greek board which consists of all the best that Greece has to offer, when this was brought to her table she couldn’t help but compliment it, I do have to say it looked pretty impressive, perfect for grazing over whilst sharing a bottle of wine from the wine list and chatting to friends, I certainly will be having one of these on my return visit.

Whilst waiting for our mains Joanne asked if we would like any more drinks, I opted for the glass of the Chilean Sauvignon Blanc while glen opted for a second mineral water, I have to say it’s great that Glen doesn’t drink as I then have a driver, not that I have too many.

After a short wait our mains arrived, mine was the Lamb Tavas named after the restaurant itself, a casserole of lamb. Potatoes & Tomatoes, flavored with cumin & lemon juice, the flavors in this and the tenderness of the lamb was simply stunning and the side of vegetables that complimented the dish were cooked to perfection, Glens was the French farmhouse chicken, cooked with onions, tarragon, thyme, Dijon mustard & white wine vinegar finished with crème fraiche and was served with Cyprus style potatoes & green beans, you could really taste the tarragon in the sauce which was full of flavor, the green beans really stood out against the white sauce that was drizzled over the large Chicken breast.

Once again we noticed that other diners that had arrived before us were starting to leave after finishing their meal, most of them I have to say were regulars who referred to Joanne by name and were all complimentary towards the food and service.

With about 40 seats downstairs there is enough space without all the tables being on top of each other, at the rear there is an open plan staircase which leads up to a small lounge with the toilets off, a perfect area if you are with a group of friends to enjoy pre dinner drinks or even coffee after your meal.

Once we had finished off our mains Joanne offered us the delights of the dessert menu, I opted for the simple but tasty Tia Maria Crème Brulee whilst Glen opted for the traditional Baklava which is a traditional middle eastern dish, both I have to say tasted fantastic, the Crème Brulee was creamy and smooth with the hint of tia Maria which was perfect and not too overpowering, the Baklava was perfect in presentation and flavor.

All in all we had a great evening with fantastic food, if you haven’t tried La Tavas I would certainly recommend, they have the two menus with the fixed price at 2 courses for £12.95 or 3 for £15.95 or the Al a carte wehre prices for starters start at £4.50 and go up to £6.00 and mains range from £9.25 and go up to £14.00 the wine list is well priced with house wine at £13.00 per bottle or if you're out celebrating a special occasion a bottle of prosecco is £19.95.

18

HCIP are a complete office solutions company specialising in delivering modern, high quality office projects.

The services HCIP provide include a bespoke design service which includes glass and joinery as well as high quality ceiling and wall designs & finishes. Some of the recent clients added to their portfolio include Barclays Bank, Pinset Mason and the NHS. Previous to HCIP’s inception, Allan worked for a number of companies involved in the commercial interior business, but after working for a business that merged with another in Leeds it was time to make the leap and make his own way. “Like many people you are either happy with your status and need a push, or you are forced into making the decision, for me it was a bit of both,” Allan told TopicUK.

As the owner of a young start-up myself, I was keen to learn Allan’s tips for starting out in business. “Keep your overheads low and manage your cash flow, but most importantly always be involved at every level until you have built up a team you can trust because the smallest details do make a difference.” Attention to detail is obviously a key aspect of Allan’s business philosophy and a key ingredient to success in his sector in the long term.

I quiz Allan on the best bits of business advice he has received.....he is keen not to come across as cynical, but the old adage of “trust no one” and “partnerships are the worst ships that ever sailed” are unfortunately the ones that come to his mind in such a competitive industry

As with all my “Local Heroes I’m keen to learn what Allan views as the key ingredients in the make-up of an individual such as himself who has been successful in business?

“Find something you enjoy doing and try to do it better. I feel privileged to be in this position but in truth it was sheer hard work and determination with failure

HARD WORK & DETERMINATION DRIVE HUDDERSFIELD INTERIORS GROWTH BUSINESS

Allan Scholefield is the owner and founder of HCIP Ltd (www. Huddersfieldinteriors.co.uk) and the subject of our latest “Local Hero” series.

•• Local Heroes

not an option, if you want it badly enough you can succeed.” Certainly common traits in succesful people in business!

The future for HCIP looks bright as the chat turns to the future growth of the company. Alan is working hard to build a team which can continue the year on year improvements in the company. We are looking to manage more work locally and move away from the London markets and develop relationships with local businesses.

Locally, we are not well known as most of our work has been limited to the big city developments including banks, law firms and solicitors.

WRITTEN BY JAMES BEATTIE - SEEITNOWSPORTS.COM


• Favourite food?

Anything my wife makes as she has a real passion for home cooked food

which is hard to beat.

• Favourite music/band?

I’ve always liked Paul Weller, but anything from classic to folk!

• Favourite Sport?

Golf but I like most sports & enjoy watching & coaching football

• Favourite holiday destination?

America, but in the UK, I always enjoy weekends in the lakes

• Guilty pleasure?

Scotch Whisky, hence the red nose!

Fact file:

The team at HCIP

20

Stafflex Recruitment and Food Festivals Limited are delighted to announce the launch of Big Screen Weekends, taking place in St Georges Square Huddersfield.

There will be a host of family films shown over two weekends: 26, 27 and 28 June and 21, 22 and 23 August.

Following on from the success of The Tour de France and Festival of Light, both shown to huge crowds on big screens in the square, Big Screen Weekends is the brainchild of Nadio Granata from Stafflex and Cathy Burger from Food Festivals.

“It was amazing to see all the people out in the square watching these events on the big screens,” Nadio told us, “this is when we came up with the idea of the Big Screen Weekends. As well as the films, there will be a selection of food stalls and of course a beer marquee

selling a selection of local beers, wines and spirits. We want families of all ages to come and join us and enjoy what will be an exciting couple of weekends.”

“A number of sponsors have helped us,” added Cathy, “without whom the event wouldn’t be happening. We would like to thank Delicious Media, Kirkwood Hospice, TopicUK, Huddersfield Daily Examner, Holmfirth Silents, Virtual Huddersfield and the Huddersfield Town Foundation.”

To find out more and view the films and showing times, visit the website at: www.bigscreenweekends.co.uk or follow on Twitter @bigscreenhudds or Facebook Big Screen Weekends.

BIG SCREEN WEEKENDScoming soon to Huddersfield

Manufactured Yorkshire offers funded apprenticeApprenticeships are a key part of manufacturing and to celebrate this year’s sell out Manufactured Yorkshire conference in Huddersfield on June 9 and 10, one lucky company will have a fully funded trainee for six months.

The scheme, backed by Kirklees College, is part of Manufactured Yorkshire’s commitment to its legacy to ensure that the energy and enthusiasm for manufacturing is continued in the next generation.

Conscious that the future stability of manufacturing is linked to its skills bank, Manufactured Yorkshire believes the investment will have benefits reaching far beyond the apprentice and the company who win their services for six months.

“Manufacturing is a sector that relies on skills and has a heritage of training for the next generation to take up the baton,” said Event Director Chrissie Slater. “Manufacturing companies love to take a recruit, train them and have them work alongside existing team members in the workplace inspiring them with a strong company ethos.

“We ran a similar competition two years ago and it was hugely popular and successful; inspiring companies who were not successful to take on their own apprentices. We hope this year to do the same and by investing in a six month apprentice ourselves will support one local company during the early days.

Heckmondwike based 600 UK won the apprentice in 2013. Managing Director, Mike Berry said: “We are proud to have worked so closely with Huddersfield Town Foundation and Manufactured Yorkshire and are really impressed with the level of young Yorkshire engineering talent. Luis Lowe joined 600UK 18 months ago as an engineering apprentice, where he has made a strong impact with us and we are fully confident that he will continue to do so in the future.”

Melanie Brook, Vice Principal (corporate services) of Kirklees College added: “From research, we know that apprentices are more loyal, they stay with the company longer and the employer gains a better return on staff investment. This is a real opportunity to mould and shape a young person whilst having the dual benefit of receiving bespoke training to meet the needs of their business.”

Companies can register through the website www.manufacturedyorkshire.com


www.eatonsmith.co.uk

Employee Management Skills WorkshopsAs mentioned earlier in the Patrons section Eaton Smith and The Personnel Partnership have joined forces and invite you to a series of practical and interactive workshops aimed at all managers with responsibility for

additional skills development. Each workshop will cost £49 plus VAT and will include refreshments and all training materials.

Workshop 1: Performance management23 June 2015 (9.30am – 12.30pm)This workshop will look at a strategic approach to

performance and to deal with issues at an early stage before they become unwieldy. We will look at what you might want in a performance management policy and give you lots of ideas to help you create your own or change your existing policy. We will also look at how performance management might lead to dismissal, and how it may be used to your favour in the Employment Tribunals.

Workshop 3: Running a disciplinary hearing10 November 2015 9.30am – 12.30pmThis workshop will look at all the practicalities of running a disciplinary hearing from making the arrangements, to interviewing the alleged wrong doer and ensuring that your paperwork is in order. It will also look at what could go wrong and how to keep control of the disciplinary hearing. We will consider, with case studies, what disciplinary sanctions should be imposed when and how an Employment Tribunal will review them. We will also look at the appeal process and dealing with the aftermath of a disciplinary hearing, including claims for unfair dismissal.

Workshop 4: Attendance management12 January 2016 9.30am – 12.30pmAbsence management can be a thorn in the side for employers. In this workshop we will look at how absence can be managed

is becoming an increasing problem for many businesses. We will use practical examples and case studies to look at both short term and long term absences, and what to do when you think an employee can no longer continue in their role. We will look at what you might want in an attendance management policy and give you the tools to create this.

Workshop 5: Restructures and Redundancy 8 March 2016 9.30am – 12.30pmThis workshop will take a strategic look at the factors to consider when re-structuring a department or a business, and how you might go about changing an employee’s job role and their terms and conditions. We will look at some practical case studies to help you work through a best practice approach to this often

Workshop 2: How to conduct an investigation8 September 2015 9.30am – 12.30pmIn this workshop we will focus on how to run an e�ective investigation to ensure that you get to the centre of an issue without absorbing too much management time, including taking witness statements, dealing with reluctant witnesses and preparing an investigation report. We will also look at the right to privacy and when covert surveillance may be used to your advantage.

Who are your speakers?Kate Booth from Eaton Smith – Kate is a Partner with Eaton Smith and an experienced solicitor specialising in employment law, with particular interest in business acquisitions (including the TUPE Regulations), restructures and discrimination issues. Kate has been dealing with employment law issues for many businesses in and around Kirklees and nationally for the last eight years and brings with her practical examples of what can and does go wrong in the workplace and how you might address this!Helen Straw from The Personnel Partnership - Helen is the Managing Director of The Personnel Partnership and is also a Chartered corporate member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Helen operates at a senior level, providing HR support and advice during times of company set up, business growth, major reorganisations and deals with complex employee issues. Group booking discount: if you book 3 or more workshops in one go or book 3 or more people into a particular workshop you will receive a discount of 10%.

Employee Management Skills Workshops

For deta i ls contact Kate or Ian at KateBooth@eatonsmi th .co .uk or Ian .Greenwood@eatonsmi th .co .uk

22

IT’S OK TO TAKE TIME OUT FOR YOUCreating balance in your life is important for your mind and body

The garden at Alexander House Spa in Huddersfield

Every day at Alexander House Spa I see people seeking balance, peace and space, seeking solace and tranquillity , seeking time for themselves. So why

don’t we regularly reward ourselves with these basic elements in life? Why do we feel guilty or selfish if we give ourselves time and space? Why is it OK for us to spend our lives caring for everyone else, nurturing the family, working hard, yet never giving ourselves time and space?

Think for a moment about who you are. A parent, wife, husband, carer, employer employee, housekeeper? You are an individual, you are YOU!

So often we put ourselves at the bottom of the list. We

put everyone else first, but sometimes you need to be the priority and it’s OK to do that. It’s not selfish or mean, it’s being kind - kind to yourself and others around you. If you think about it, none of us are much use to other people if we’re always tired, feeling rushed, regularly ill or stressed.

So every now and then, weekly at least, you should make time for yourself to nurture and do something that makes you feel good and worthy. When you do this regularly, you’ll begin to notice that you feel better about yourself and your life. You’ll feel more energised and enthusiastic and you’ll be able to fulfil all the roles that you have in your life. Your friends and family will see the changes and will enjoy your company more.

Maxine Stead - Proprietor ALEXANDRA HOUSE SPA


Santander has always had big ambitions in the SME market space, and over the last 6 years has moved from a relatively unknown bank, through a “challenger bank” position and ultimately to a major high street brand, providing banking for thousands of businesses across the UK.

To do this we have had to be innovative and offer a credible differentiator to the other banks – we realised that quality people, delivering an excellent customer experience through a local branch network was just the start. That’s why we worked with a panel of businesses to understand what really mattered to them, and together we designed Breakthrough - Santander’s programme of support to help ambitious businesses grow and prosper.

Businesses told us that there were five key areas that really mattered to them: Talent, International, Connections, Knowledge and Finance. We turned this into tangible ways we can support local businesses, whether you are a Santander customer or not.

Talent – We have a partnered with 76 Universities across the UK, and through this in 2014 we provided SME’s with access to 1500 interns, and in 2015 we have grown this to 2000. We fund £1500 to the cost of employing a graduate or undergraduate on a three month internship, which is match funded by the SME. Locally Huddersfield University, Leeds University, Sheffield University and York University are all partners to deliver this talent.International – If you think your business product or service

would be ideal for a market outside the UK then why not give it a try? In 2015 we are helping business access new Markets in Spain, Poland, Mexico, the USA, the UAE, India and China. In May our team took businesses to Spain and introduced them directly to new trading partners for their products.Connections – we can help you connect with other businesses through our programme of events. Year to date in Yorkshire we have already held four events specifically helping female business leaders and entrepreneurs do business. Our summit event in Leeds in April saw over 76 businesses get together and hear directly from speakers such as Myleen Klass and Microsoft.

Knowledge – there is a lot that businesses can learn from other businesses, and we facilitate companies to learn from other local businesses and national iconic names. In May we took a dozen businesses to Autotrader for a masterclass in recruitment and retention – the businesses found it invaluable, particularly the session on how to recruit for under £100.

Funding – we provide a funding product, “Growth Capital”, that goes beyond normal bank funding, helping businesses achieve what would normally only be possible through private equity. To date we have provided over £100m of new debt facilities which has accelerated the growth plans of over 50 businesses UK wide.

We can help you achieve your business ambitions, talk to us today [email protected]

Over the last month I’ve taken on a new role as National Head of Santander’s Breakthrough programme, this month I’d like to tell you about what this delivers for SME’s in the UK.

ACHIEVING YOUR AMBITIONS

24

01484 432043Contact orJason Metcalfe Philip Deakin

83 Fitzwilliam Street

Huddersfield

HD1 5LG

www.hanson-cs.co.uk

Of interest to Developers, Investors andSpeculative Builders

Residential development opportunity in a well sought after village

Site area approximately 0.47 acres (0.19 hectares)

Planning permission implemented in perpetuity for 3 new build cottages and 2 conversions of the existingschool house and school hall

Well connected to major arterial routes and public transport links

EPC Rating: G (235)

Sat Nav: DN6 9BD

The FormerSchool House andSchool Hall, Cow LaneWomersley

FOR SALEN

WORKING INSYNC CELEBRATES SUCCESS OF FIRST YEAR A Huddersfield marketing and business development agency, Working Insync, is celebrating a successful first year with a string of new client wins.

Founded in June 2014 by business growth expert, Sarah Holbrook, Working Insync, has gone from strength

to strength over the last 12 months, and now boasts seven clients dotted across the North of England, four of which have been secured since January.

Working Insync offers the whole marketing package. Specialising in strategy, planning and management, it helps organisations from the outset to build a strategic plan to enable them to drive their businesses forward. It also offers a wealth of marketing services from web development, graphic design, events management, social media, PR and copywriting.

But it’s not all just about marketing, Working Insync also provides business

development consultancy for companies that want to generate results and positive outcomes, from tender research and writing, networking, telesales, and data sourcing.

Sarah Holbrook, director said: “We offer our clients a bespoke and flexible approach, whether it’s outsourced marketing management or short-term consultancy.

For us, it’s all about trust and we like to get under the skin of companies to better understand what it is they need to boost their business growth. “We’ve had a really busy first year and have exciting plans in the pipeline for the next 12 months. We are looking to increase our client portfolio and will also be investing in a dedicated telesales service”


•• Recruitment

Are you retired or looking to retire? Do you have spare time on your hands and are keen to keep yourself busy? How many people do you know who have reached a certain age in life when they are able to ‘wind down’ their career. Their children have grown up and ‘fled the nest’, the mortgage is paid off or certainly under control, their pension is kicking in, their health is good and they have time to kill.

Traditionally we would expect to be ‘retiring’ at 60 or 65 and not expecting to work ever again. But things are changing. For many different reasons, not least financial or health reasons, 60 is the new fifty and many of us still have a desire to work, albeit not at the same pace as before or indeed in the same industry we have been employed in.

The evidence is all too clear to ignore, keeping ‘busy’ can have all sorts of benefits both physical and mental … and financial too.

At Stafflex, we are seeing an increasing number of over fifties enquiring for part-time or short-term jobs. Often it’s just to see them through the winter months until the weather picks up and they resume their hobbies or holidays, sometimes it’s to raise a specific amount of cash for a one-off occasion or increasingly it is to top up the ever-decreasing pension contributions.

Whatever the reasons for flexible work, there is lots of it available and here are our top tips on how to make the most of the opportunities:

1. Your research

Make sure you are up to date on employment law. Rules and regulations that apply to you are unique to your financial position and may vary depending on the terms of your financial arrangements.

Additionally, flexible working includes a multitude of options that may or may not fit with your availability. Better information will lead to better decision making.

2. Update your profile Traditionally this would mean ‘update your CV’ ... but job opportunities come in many different guises and it’s no longer necessarily the case that you must supply a cv. You might want to use a stylish resume or a LinkedIn profile or simply a letter of introduction. Our new website actually enables you to ‘build’ your CV online. Whatever form you use, make sure it is up to date, factually correct and shows off your RELEVANT and most recent accomplishments appropriate for the roles you are seeking.

3. Prepare well

If you are reading this article, then you are very likely to be of an age that suggests it’s been some time since you last applied for a job. Get into shape, physically and mentally with exercises. Test your physical stamina by carrying out tasks similar to those you are applying for and get up to speed with the tools you may be required to use.

4. Talk to people

Get out and amongst the communities you are interested in working with. Familiarise yourself with what’s new and who’s recruiting or laying staff off.

5. Register for work

Most temporary employment requires you to be registered with an agency or directly with the employer. The sooner you get your details registered the sooner they will be in touch should an appropriate opportunity arise.

6. Be enterprising

Flexible working requires a certain amount of sacrifice. Look at the bigger picture and make yourself open to new ways of working should you be required to adapt.

Happy job hunting! For more information visit: www.Stafflex.co.uk E: [email protected] T: 07748118438

A GUIDE TO FLEXIBLE WORKINGNadio Granata - Stafflex Recruitment

A fabulous weekend is in store this August as St Georges Square will once again host the Huddersfield Food and Drink Festival.

In it’s 15th year, the festival takes place on Thursday 6 August through until Sunday 9, with over 100 fantastic stalls. Sample the delights of Food avenue with Crispy Duck, Riverford Organic Farm, Empire Brewery, jerk pork pies from Barringtons Deli, curries from Kabana and burgers from Exotic Burgers.

Take your cookery skills to the next level with demonstrations in association with Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food and test your chocolate knowledge with the Ministry of Chocolate!

In addition, there will be lots of free entertainment for the children with craft crazy workshops and face painting and

on Friday and Saturday from 6pm there will be live entertainment in the Festival of Dusk.

Brought to you by The Huddersfield Partnership and sponsored by John Smith’s Stadium, Heart 106-108, Virtual Huddersfield.com, HVM, Huddersfield Examiner, Heineken and Wilkinson Woodward Solicitors there is something for everyone including frinze events taking place from 18 July that includes a real ale and cocktail trail to name just one. For more information about the event visit: www.huddsfoodfest.or.uk

26

• Double fronted retail premises

• 67.98 sqm (731 sqft)

• Popular village centre

• Main shopping parade

• Rateable Value £6,500

• EPC Asset Rating: D

20 – 26 Peel Street, Marsden, Huddersfi eld, HD7 6BW

• Modern Single Storey Industrial Units

• Due for completion Summer 2015

• 240m (2,583ft) AND 300m (3,230ft)

• Good yard space and parking

• Recognised industrial location situated just off the main Leeds Road (A62)

Whitacre Street Industrial Estate, off Leeds Road, Huddersfi eld, HD2 1LY

• First Floor Offi ce Suite

• 214.26 sqm (2,306 sqft)

• Prominent main road position

• Finished to a modern specifi cation

• Good car parking

• Close proximity to junctons 26 & 27 of the M62 motorway network

1ST Floor, Colbeck House, Colbeck Row, Birstall, WF17 9NR

• Yard and Buildings

• Site Area 0.9 Acres

• Buildings 798.22sqm (8,592sqft)

• Freehold secure yard with buildings

• Part concrete surfaced

• Previous use as a scrap yard and waste transfer station

Colne Vale Works, Colne Vale Road, Milnsbridge, Huddersfi eld, HD3 4NY

Bramleys Commercial Commercial & Industrial Surveyors, Residential Estate Agents, Auctioneers & Property Management Consultants

14 St. George’s Square, Huddersfi eld HD1 1JF

01484 530361e: [email protected]/commercial

Offi ces at Mirfi eld, Heckmondwike,

Elland and Halifax

To Let

To Let

For Sale

To Let

BRAMLEYS COMMERCIAL CLOSE UP AD_190x115_080415.indd 1 27/05/2015 16:41

The communications and strategy consultancy is led by Stephen Naylor a former journalist and leader of press and communications for The Conservative Party in the North of England.

• Waverley was appointed to support the Yorkshire Jets who are one of only eight teams who play in the sport’s highest competition in the country, with games broadcast live on Sky Sports. Waverley’s objectives were: increase the profile of the Yorkshire Jets.

• ensure matches are publicised to encourage ticket sales.• improve the match day experience. • develop a brand and communications that encouraged

partnerships with companies and organisations• The audience was as broad as possible, promoting the

team and the sport across Yorkshire“Engaging with people who are already interested in netball – from school girls who are passionate about the sport to those

who may have loved it in the past but had ‘lapsed’ was key,” explained Stephen. “These were identified as the most likely to be able to be encouraged to come to see games, driving revenue for the franchise.” One of the priorities was to forge partnerships with key companies and organisations across Yorkshire who could assist with getting the message out. Waverley’s work with Jets also focused regionally on developing close relationships with key journalists from BBC Yorkshire, Yorkshire Post and Yorkshire Evening Post. This included introducing coaches, players and management to journalists and ensuring that they had the information which was required week-in week-out to be able to cover the Yorkshire Jets. There is also a weekly column from the Yorkshire Jets captain in the Yorkshire Evening Post, believed to be the first regular column from a female sports columnist the paper has ever featured.

PROMOTING SUPER LEAGUE NETBALL IN YORKSHIREChamber member Waverley Consultancy, has been appointed by Yorkshire’s Super league Netball team, Yorkshire Jets, to boost their marketing and communications.

•• Health

The key to good posture is training your body to sit, stand and walk in positions where the least strain is placed on supporting muscles and ligaments during weight-bearing activities.

The first step is to identify the cause of the issue. Common causes of posture include:

- Sticking your bottom out- Standing with a flat back- Leaning on one leg- Hunched back- Poking your chin out- Rounded shoulders- Sitting cross legged- Cradling your phone- Slouching in a chair

Once you have outlined the cause of the issue, the next step is to look at improving it.

Stand up straight

Stand up and look in a mirror. Check out which areas are preventing you from standing up straight. Are your shoulders slouched forward? Is your head down? Is your back bent? Straighten out whatever is slouching and observe the difference.

Your ears, shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles should make one straight line. Relax your shoulders and slightly bend your knees — you don’t want to look like a robot. If you’re standing for a long period of time, make sure to continue shifting your weight every so often.

Sit back, relax

We recommend that you use a high, firm chair with a high back. Make sure to sit with your hips as far back against the back of the chair as possible, and keep your knees at hip level (or a little lower).

If your back is not getting the support it needs from the back of the chair, or you find it difficult to stay against the back of the chair, then try placing a pillow or a towel to support your lower back.

Sleep tight

Always sleep on a firm mattress. Don’t sleep on your stomach. If you do, place a pillow under your waist.

Sleep on your back or side. If on your back, then you can place a small pillow under your knees and if on your side, then place a small pillow between your knees. This is not a must, but it may help you maintain a straight back.

Use a pillow for your head that keeps your head aligned (at the same level) with the rest of your body.

And finally stick to it!

If you require any further information or advice, we recommend that you speak with your doctor or occupational health nurse.

Written by Sandra Babbings of PROHMS Huddersfield. PROHMS is an established group of Health Professionals consisting of occupational health physicians, specialist practitioners, nurses, occupational health technicians & Physiotherapists

IS YOUR POSTURE AFFECTING YOUR JOB?Poor posture in the workplace is a major cause of back pain, workplace stress and can lead to repetitive strain injuries. This can result in poor employee health and low morale, which will ultimately lead onto reduced productivity, lost time, and higher business costs.

28

When Kris Johnson and Mark Copley joined forces in January 2014, their goal was clear.

They believed they’d identified a market gap – a need for a multi-skilled engineering firm that could offer electrical, security and audio installations to domestic and commercial customers. Their thinking was that one single trusted supplier, who could deliver the variety and quality of services provided by large contractors, for fees typically charged by smaller firms, would prove popular in the marketplace. And there’s no disputing it has.

Only 18 months later, and the firm is a popular name among households in the Kirklees and Calderdale area. But look to the commercial market and the brand has spread much further afield.

Ti has completed more than 50 national projects for high street brand Poundworld, for instance, and has a potential further 11 projects in the pipeline. The team is also approaching the final phase of a 26-week contract in Wokingham – their largest single project to date – having helped to transform a 3-storey redundant office building into residential apartments. Works have included full electrical wiring, and the installation of fire alarms, door entry systems, TV aerials and all external lighting.

The success of Ti’s first 12 months meant year-end turnover figures exceeded their initial predictions by 91% and their gross profit performance was 116% stronger than expected. But that’s not to say the directors haven’t invested in the business along the way.

Joint managing director Mark explains: “We’ve worked hard to put a number of internal processes and procedures in place, to grow the business in a best

practice manner. Unfortunately there are many less scrupulous companies in the CCTV, electrical and audio industries who will not invest in adequate training, try to save money by opting for lower quality kit, and cut corners to cut costs which can have devastating health and safety consequences. We didn’t want to be one of those firms.

“Not only did we want to build a reputable Yorkshire business that believes in doing things right, we wanted to help shape industry standards too.”

This may sound like a bold ambition but it does indeed seem that their desire to impart knowledge is being heard. Ti has provided authoritative electrical and security commentary to various national trade journals, in sectors including waste management, facilities management and retail. The directors have also secured a regular advice-led monthly column on Electrical Times, helping them shape the development of their fellow peers.

So what’s next for this fledgling business? In July, the team will find out if it has secured the Eaton Smith Business of the Year Award, having scooped Business of the Month recognition back in March. The hunt is also on for Ti’s next City & Guilds qualified electrician.

Ti Installations will be providing free electrical, security and audio advice for Topic UK readers in Kirklees and Calderdale, in a new monthly column. See page 13 for their first instalment.

for young, enthusiastic and relatively inexpensive labour and ‘experience’. The KC Works programme ensures that tomorrow’s young recruits are not only enthusiastic and highly motivated but they are also work-ready.

HUDDERSFIELD FIRM BECOMES NATIONAL BRAND IN 18 MONTHS

It’s been a whirlwind 18 months for Ti Installations, the Huddersfield-based electrical engineering company. But as they explain in an exclusive interview with Topic UK, a carefully considered business plan has been key to the multi-disciplined firm’s national expansion.


HUDDERSFIELD FIRM BECOMES NATIONAL BRAND IN 18 MONTHS

SHORTAGE OF COMMERCIAL PROPERTY

Despite the reported uncertainty due to the election and the continuing concern about the

In/Out Referendum, life goes on. To that extent the West Yorkshire market, heart of George Osborne’s Northern Powerhouse hasn’t blinked. It’s as though we let the children play and we get on with it, regardless of the noise they make. We are, after all, used to noise in the beer garden. True, we all want to know whether our future lies within or without Europe but Halifax and Huddersfield will still be here regardless of the result. Industrial development has been steady through the recession with supply of property equalling demand. However, a general lack of supply due to successive Governments’ policies of charging 100% business rates on all types of empty industrial and commercial property, with very few exceptions and after only a brief respite, has caused a shortfall now in supply as demand has increased following the end of the recession. Firms can only wait so long and if the correct supply is not available, we will lose out to other parts of the country and even other countries where planning policies are set up in favour of industry. Housing supply

and house prices get the headlines but without the correct supply of industrial land and buildings, there will not be the jobs to provide the finance for mortgages. I attended a lunch recently and very positive words were spoken by senior members of Kirklees Council in support of industry and development but the shortly to be introduced CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy) could seriously forestall development. More will be written about CIL, but essentially it is a development land tax but raised by individual local authorities rather than central government, to be set at a level by each authority for assisting in raising funds for local infrastructure. It is essentially a locally raised hypothecated tax. This is already achieved by Section 106 Agreements; legally binding but negotiated conditions on planning permissions whereby developers generally pay for dedicated elements of Council expenditure; typically low cost housing provision, education contribution, road improvements in the vicinity of the development etc. However, S106 Agreements are both negotiated and subject to a Viability Test. As each development has different characteristics and costs, so too does each S106 Agreement.

CIL, by contrast, is a scale charge set down by a local authority and non-negotiable. It is set before all costs are known and, so far as we yet know, will not be subject to a Viability Test.

CIL is not supposed to replace S106 but augment it. It is another tool in the box, but like all development control tools (the clue is in the word “control”) it is a negative influence/effect on all types of development.

All planning and development control, by its very nature, is a negative process but it needn’t be. Planning is part of the democratic process but there needs to be real leadership and a continuing positive rather than negative attitude towards development.

Care will need to be taken, therefore, in establishing a correct level for this levy if development and therefore industry is not to be frightened off.

There is enough noise in the beer garden. We don’t want to give any reasons to our wealth creators and providers of jobs to find a more appealing place to drink.limitations. The number of times we all need specialists are few and far between but when I need a decorator, I pick up

BY MARK HANSON - HANSON CHARTERED SURVEYORS

Hanson Chartered Surveyors was established in October 1989, by Mark Hanson FRICS to service the needs of clients expecting direct and uncomplicated advice

•• Property Matters

30

People always seem surprised when I tell them that the closed season period is one of the busiest for any employee at a football club!

I oversee Huddersfield Town’s business to business relationships and I can tell you that the closed season is one of the busiest times for our Partnerships team, as we sign up the 2015/16 commercial partners who support the club. We are aiming towards the magic number of 100 partners, after which we will close the door and make this the ‘Huddersfield 100’.

Our events continue throughout the summer, including a Golf Day, a visit to the Races on 31 July and not forgetting the 20 Year Reunion of Neil Warnock’s Promotion winning team on Friday 5

June at the Stadium.

Our Advertising Department is hard at work selling advertisements for the Club’s fixture posters, fixture cards and our match day programme, as well as advertising boards at PPG Canalside and the Stadium for the new season.

A key date for the calendar is Wednesday 17 June when our fixtures are released. Once these are announced, our planning takes another step forward. It tells us when our big local derbies will be and when our games against ex-Premiership opposition are. This naturally brings with it a lot of excitement from our fans, as we internally begin to piece together what themes and activities we will create around the fixtures, as well as plan our logistical requirements for travel, ticketing, accommodation, stewarding, and policing. It also gives real focus to our Corporate Hospitality and take up on this is proving really popular already, with a high retention rate of Boxes and White Rose Club and Partners Suite places.

If your business is interested in a partnership with our club, please get in touch with me. We will welcome new businesses to the club on Friday 10 July when our commercial team is putting together an event not to be missed – not going could mean not growing! Contact [email protected] to find out more.Sean Jarvis Commercial Director Huddersfield Town Football Club

WHAT DO YOU DO OVER THE SUMMER?One of the most common questions we are asked at Huddersfield Town is “what do you do over the summer?”

•• Sport


MY CONFERENCE WAKEFIELD24th JUNE 2015

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LEE JACKSON PowerPoint Surgery: How to create slides that make your pitches more, not less effective!09:40 – 10:00

Lee Jackson is an international speaker, PowerPoint surgeon, presentation coach and the author of nine books. Having worked in the voluntary, public and private sectors, he now works with businesses and within education to help people succeed in challenging times. In this funny and down to earth session Lee will wean you off bad slides forever. He will also teach you how good presentation slides can even work for you and help you stand out from the crowd. Using Lee’s simple techniques we can kill death by bullet-point once and for all!

DEBORAH OGDENPersonal Brand & Impact: What do people say about you?10:20 – 10:40 Deborah Ogden is a nationally respected speaker on personal branding and making a positive impact. Personal brand and reputation building are crucial to every modern professional whatever your role, seniority or sector. Deborah will cover the what and the why of personal brand, including key tools and techniques to ensure you make a positive impact.

NINA JOY Mind, Body and Business11:00 – 11:20With a background in financial services, Nina runs her own business as a professional speaker, author and coach, and is a regular media commentator. In 2012, Nina’s life changed dramatically when she was diagnosed with incurable breast cancer and was not expected to live more than a few months. Not one to accept the inevitable, she took control of the situation and is now not only surviving but thriving, against all expectations. Nina now works to inspire her audiences, workshop attendees and readers to achieve the impossible.

PANEL DISCUSSION11:30-12:30This discussion is a chance to hear from representatives within the region on their views on business within Wakefield. The floor will then be open to a question and answer session.The panel includes; Joanne Roney, Chief Executive Wakefield Council; Roger Marsh, Chairman of the LEP; Michael Carter, Chairman and Owner of Wakefield Trinity Wildcats; Dan Conboy, Co-founder Cognitive; Sam Wright, Principal Wakefield College; Adrian Spawforth, Wakefield Property Forum.

GARY KING Building the business you want and having your desired lifestyle.13:00 – 13:30Having spent more than 25 years in business, tackling just about every issue and opportunity you are likely to encounter, Gary King is perfectly placed to advise ambitious businesses with an appetite for growth. He asks the difficult questions, the ones no one else dares to ask – or the ones you don’t dare ask yourself. Attendees will leave with greater clarity of some of the growth challenges in their business, as well as a few growth tips that can be implemented immediately to overcome them.

JANET BEBB Social Media Crisis Management - Ready, Steady, Relax it’s under control13:45 – 14:15 Janet is a highly regarded local social media subject matter specialist with over 10 years’ experience in business and enterprise. Janet approaches social media marketing from three different angles; how it affects the business, how it benefits the customer and how it is embraced by staff. Janet ensures the online sentiment, tone and voice accurately reflects our customers’ brand. She will give tips on how to get your social media management under control.

•• Wakefield Business Week

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SPEAKER PROGRAMME

This year, we are delighted to have seven fantastic speaker sessions and a panel discussion running alongside the conference. These sessions are a great opportunity to hear from experienced professionals and learn something new.The sessions will be hosted by Lee Jackson, fellow of, and past-president of the Professional Speaking Association (PSA) in Yorkshire and a popular funny motivational speaker. He’ll be introducing the excellent list of speakers, keeping us to time and entertaining us throughout the day. You can tweet questions to him throughout the day at @leejackson.


NIGEL GREENWOOD The six things that all customers want a practical guide to delivering simply brilliant customer service 14:30 – 15:00 Nigel Greenwood has over 30 years’ experience in designing and delivering great customer experiences for all sizes and types of businesses - covering sales, marketing, product design, channel development, administration and retention. His forté is understanding business processes and how they impact customers. Nigel will be delivering a practical guide to customer service to deliver more sales, better customer satisfaction and loyalty and fewer complaints.

RICHARD NORMAN Marketing with Emotional Intelligence15:15 – 15:45Richard has 30 years’ experience starting, developing and selling numerous successful businesses and presently runs the business community of Brand Yorkshire. His key pointers to success are: developing and implementing a strategic business and marketing plan, together with developing his and his teams’ emotional intelligence. His presentation will illustrate how to get in front of new customers, through the use of emotional intelligence in your marketing. Richard will also share 10 other marketing methods, to help you develop your brand recognition and help you to find your dream new clients.

Statement YTL Kingston Unity Bee Social Bagden Hall Perry’sJaguar

WakefieldCollege

JolliffeCork

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Fasprint6

4NNetworking

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Maze8

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Arthur JGallagher

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New Car Deals39

15 14 12 11 10 913

BarnsleyCollege

Jordans’sSolictors

Santander Arthouse 9716 18 19 2017

JuicePersonnel

WakefieldManufacturing

Forum

25 23 22 2124

NorthernMedia

SpotFactoring UK Ltd

Leeds BeckettUni

StadaMedia

30 28 27 2629

Social Progress SFB Sanders Geeson

31 33 34 3532

FSB Ramsdens Creative Analysis

YorkshirePayments

GoMedia

38 37 1 2 336

Arriva4

Yorkshire

National Coal Mining Museum

First ChoiceRecruitment

Copiserv(Sponsor)

Eitex

Abzorb

TimeCommunications

HDPOccupational Therapy

SovereignHealth Care

Re: workOffice

Furniture

Wakefield2015

BU S I N E S S

W E E K

U N I T Y

H A L L

• Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce

• Wakefield First

• TopicUK

• Brand Yorkshire

• Unity Works

• Forget Me Not Children's Hospice

Unity Works Major Hall

Unity Works Minor Hall

34

� 09:00 – 12:00 Bellingham IT IT Workshop Unity Works Conference Room Three

� 10.00 – 12.00 Logistics the Gateway To the Future G-Park, Europort

� 14.00 - 16.00 Access the World A Guide to Exporting G-Park, Europort

� 19:00 till late Wakefield Business Awards Unity Works

FRIDAY 26th JUNE

� 10:00 – 12:00 Maze Creating Brand Ambassadors Unity Works: Conference Room Two

� 13:30 – 15:00 Bondholders BBQ Cooking Up A Vision For Wakefield

Wakefield First Bondholders will help to close an action packed Business Week 2015 with burgers and buns at a special informal BBQ networking event.Cooking up conversation about what’s next for #WorldclassWakey, Adrian Spawforth will also deliver the Wakefield Bondholders vision for the future of the district.The Bondholder BBQ will take place from 1:30pm at Merchant Gate offices, in Burgage Square (across from the Westgate Station). It costs just £10.00 per delegate and includes networking, lunch and a drink.Burgage Square, Merchant Gate MSCP, Westgate, WF1 2QN

� 17:00 – until late Wrap Party Join TopicUK and Unity Works for the Business Week Wrap Party, an event certainly not to be missed!

Share your experiences of the week with colleagues over a drink from the bar, listen to music and enjoy the best party in town!

Unity Works Cafe Bar

WAKEFIELD BUSINESSWEEK22nd - 26th JUNE EVENTS

MONDAY 22nd JUNE

� 09:30 –12:00 Unlocking Potential and Inspiring Growth - Wakefield's Place in the Leeds City Region The Kings Croft Hotel

� 13:00 – 16:00 WMDC Apprenticeships Unity Works: Major Hall

� 13:30 - 16:00 Your hired - The Next Generation How to increase sales, boost your profile and future proof your business. Unity Works: Major Hall

� 15:00 – 17:00 Carmel Harrison PR Communications Strategy Unity Works: Conference Room One

TUESDAY 23rd JUNE

� 08:00 – 10:00 Getting the best of Google AdWords Unity Works: Conference Room Two

� 08:30 – 10:00 Join Cognitiv the creative and digital online members group for informal networking for likeminded creatives Unity Works: Major Hall

� 10:00 – 14:00 F5 (Refresh) Your Digital & Creative Skills Unity Works

� 10:00 – 12:00 Sitting Pretty! HDP Occupational Therapist

Unity Works: Conference Room Three

� 13:00 – 14:00 Perfect Tribes (Judy Parsons) The Power of LinkedIn Unity Works: Conference Room One

WEDNESDAY 24th JUNE

� 08:00 – 10:00 4Networking Breakfast 4Networking provides a great start to MY Conference Wakefield.As part of the meeting, delegates receive three ten minute 1-2-1 appointments with people who you have chosen – a simple yet highly productive way to get to know people better and to explore mutual business opportunities.Unity Works: Cafe Bar

� 08:45 -16:00 MY Conference Wakefield 2015 Unity Works

� 16:00 – 18:00 MY Network drinks Join us at MY Network Wakefield for an informal drinks networking event. Just turn up and take advantage of this great opportunity to make some valuable new contacts in a relaxed setting and enjoy a drink on us! This event is sponsored by Copiserv and run in partnership with Barclays, CIM, First Choice, Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, Ramsdens Solicitors LLP, Statement and the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats. The Hop, Bank Street

THURSDAY 25th JUNE

� 08:00 – 09:30 Wakefield City Centre Partnership Forum Kay on 07825 061022

� 08:00 – 10:00 WMDC Retail & Nighttime Unity Works: Minor Hall

� 09:00 – 10:00 Simply JP Mind Reading for Business Unity Works: Conference Room Three

� 09:00 - 11:30 Finders Keepers 2 part interactive workshop - Grow your business by gaining and retaining customers National Coal Mining Museum

A full run down of whats happening during Wakefield Business Week


Yorkshire’s Legal People

Chadwick Lawrence delivers a comprehensive range of expert legal services to commercial and private clients. Our integrated approach allows us to manage your

business, personal and family affairs with seamless expertise.

For more information or to arrange an initial free consultation at any of our offices or your place of work please call:

01484 519999 or visit chadwicklawrence.co.uk

36

A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is a Court instrument which gives someone that you choose and you trust the legal authority to deal with your property and financial affairs and/or your health and welfare on your behalf, should you lose capacity. These individuals are referred to as your attorneys. It is advisable that you appoint two attorneys, usually on a joint and several basis, which means they can act together or independently. It is extremely important that you (the donor) ensure that you have adequate provisions in place so that if you require assistance, someone of your choosing will be in a position to act on your behalf if you lose mental or physical capacity in the future. Under a Property and Financial Affairs LPA your attorneys will be able to deal with your financial matters which includes dealing with your Bank Accounts, ISA’s/Investments, Benefits, Utility Bills, and the Sale or Rental of your property. You can of course put in guidance and restrictions in respect of what your attorneys can or cannot do. Your attorneys can assist you regardless of

whether or not you have lost mental capacity.

Under a registered Health and Welfare LPA your attorneys can make decisions in respect of your personal care, including decisions about where you should live, your day to day care and medical decisions. However, this LPA can only be used once you have lost capacity.

An LPA usually takes approximately 3 months to register and as part of the process we need a certificate provider to confirm you, the donor, have sufficient capacity to give us instructions, that you are not under any undue influence or duress and that you fully understand the nature and scope of the LPA.

We also need to give notice to a named individual who then has the opportunity to object to the OPG if they believe the LPA should not be registered for any reason. The most important aspect of a LPA is the fact that you cannot secure a LPA if you have lost mental capacity.

If an individual has lost mental capacity and someone needs to access their monies in order to discharge their liabilities, they will have to make an application to the Court of Protection for a Deputyship Order. This can be an expensive, long and drawn out procedure which requires the submission of yearly accounts and requires the Deputy to put insurance in place.

It is vitally important that if you are a business owner you have made the appropriate provisions to ensure your business continues to trade if you lose capacity. An LPA is a document that you should have in place to allow your chosen attorneys to continue to run the business on your behalf without having to make an application for a deputyship order or having to wind down the business itself.

DO I NEED A LASTING POWER OF ATTORNEY?

Each issue Chadwick Lawrence will share with our readers information to keep us all within the law. If you have a legal question, or need to know about a particular subject email [email protected] and we'll get Chadwick Lawrence to answer it for you.

Nosheen Bukhari at Chadwick Lawrence

•• Legal Matters


The route to compensation is not straightforward. Customers have 4 options to pursue a complaint for the mis-selling of Swaps:-

• An internal Complaint to the Bank;

• The FCA Review process;

• Financial Ombudsman Service;

• Litigation.

An internal complaint and the FCA Review are controlled by the banks. The Financial Ombudsman Service is swamped with claims and can only award compensation limited to £150,000. Litigation can be stressful and potentially expensive.

The FCA Review is drawing to a close but the complaints are not. Whilst the date for new submissions under the Review passed at the end of March 2014 we continue to receive instructions.Yorkshire Bank were not included within the FCA review and we continue to receive instructions from clients who have purchased Tailored Business Loans. The banks are rejecting consequential loss claims and clients who have previously been offered compensation arising out of regulatory breaches on the parts of banks are mystified as to why a consequential loss claim has been rejected.

It is reported that banks are working hard to re-build their reputations. As further instructions are received it is clear that there is little trust left in the banking system. The FCA Review is a process where customers are told that they do not need specialist advice. Throughout the process of dealing with claims arising from the sale of Swaps clients have raised repeated concerns

at the lack of transparency - How is an Independent Reviewer, instructed for and paid for by the banks, truly “independent”?

Challenges continue through the courts and we see more and more cases settled before they reach trial. Perhaps there is a shift in the way that the Judiciary approaches cases of this nature and the starting point in the mind of the Judges is no longer that the banks must have acted appropriately.

This perceived shift may be influenced by the further scandals hitting the headlines. Deutsche Bank were fined £227M by the FCA for LIBOR and EURIBOR failings. The FCA reported that Deutsche Banks failings were compounded by them repeatedly misleading the FCA. As recently as April 2015 Clydesdale Bank were fined £20,678,300.

Case law is developing and customers continue to challenge the compensation process. We are eagerly awaiting clarification on the question of Judicial Review of the assessment of an Independent Reviewer. We have seen

an increase of complaints across the area of financial mis-selling claims and have seen a focus on LIBOR, mortgage mis-selling, pension transfers, and the sale of investments. With the recent changes in Pension Law and the ability for consumers to get their hands on their pension pots I anticipate that we will see the number of financial services complaints increasing.

There is little certainty in this expanding area of law. The only thing that I can predict with certainty is that appears the Chadwick Lawrence Finance Litigation Team are going to get busier.

£12m Claimed & Counting Spotlight on Financial Mis-selling

The last 18 months have been busy within the Finance Litigation Team at Chadwick Lawrence. The mis-selling of Interest Rate Hedging Products (Swaps) has been a hot topic. Since the FSA (now FCA) found serious failings in the sale of complex derivative products we have assisted clients to recover more than £12M in compensation. That figure continues to grow.

38

A tasty recipe, brought together with a sweet zingy vinaigrette. Everything but the fish can be prepared ahead, so it’s a great one for dinner parties. Serves 4.

Ingredients:• 4 organic salmon fillets• 1lb new potatoes cut into small chunks• Zest & juice of 2 lemons • Baby spinach • Fine green beans • Thinly sliced red onion • Virgin olive oil • Salt & pepper • Juice of 1 orange • 1 tbspn castor sugar • 1⁄4 tspn sweet paprika • A handful of fresh mintMethod:

Preheat oven to 220°C / 425°C / Gas mark 7.

Toss the potatoes with olive oil, salt & pepper, & spread them onto a baking sheet. Roast in the oven for approx 25 mins or until cooked. Take them out of the oven & place in a large mixing bowl along with the lemon zest. Toss together then cover & set aside.

Blanch green beans in boiling water for about 5 minutes. Drain & run under cold water to cool & stop the cooking process. Spread the beans out to dry on kitchen paper. Now place green beans, onion & spinach in a new mixing bowl.

To make the vinaigrette, place 3 tablespoons of olive oil & the cider vinegar, lemon juice, orange juice, paprika, castor sugar & mint into a blender & blitz to combine. Pour this onto your potato mixture & toss with your hands just before you’re ready to serve.

For the fish, preheat oven to 220°C / 425°C / Gas mark 7 again. Season the salmon on both sides. Heat a frying pan & put in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When it starts to smoke, add the salmon & let it cook until a nice brown crust has formed (usually 3-4 minutes). Carefully turn the fish & place it in the oven to finish cooking (usually 5 or 6 minutes more, but take care not to overcook & make it dry).

Serve as illustrated with potatoes on the bottom, salmon resting on top & crowned with a handful of the dressed greens. Drizzle some of the vinaigrette over & around the fish. Serve immediately.

R E S T A U R A N T

Eric is an accomplished and enthusiastic chef and proprietor of this award

winning fine dining restaurant. Menus are crafted with flair and imagination and all ingredients are sourced locally whenever possible.

This issue Eric has supplied us with this amazing salmon dish and as usual, we have asked a member of the Huddersfield business community to make the dish and let us know how they got on.

This issue, agreeing to take part is Veronica Mullins, a Partner based at Ramsdens Solicitors Halifax office who deals with all aspects of Private Client work.

For those of you who would like to have a go at making the dish for yourself, we have listed the full recipe and all the ingredients you will need.

If you would like to take part in a future wining and dining feature, drop us a line at [email protected] or ring Gill on 07711 539047.

Eric in the Kitchen

••Wining & Dining

ERIC’S SEARED SALMON, LEMON ROASTED POTATOES, BABY SPINACH & GREEN BEANS

Welcome to our regular wining and dining feature where each issue we team up with Eric’s Restaurant in Huddersfield to bring you a recipe to try.


ERIC’S SEARED SALMON, LEMON ROASTED POTATOES, BABY SPINACH & GREEN BEANS

Firstly, I’d like to start by thanking the guys at TopicUK for inviting me to contribute to the magazine. A closet wannabe best selling author combined with my previous 20 years as chef, I couldn’t resist the opportunity of trying out a new dish, some fine wine and writing all about it too!

To say that my Osso Buco (pronounced: osso – book – o, meaning ‘bone with a hole) dish resembled anything that Eric’s makes is to liken Blackpool Tower to Eifel Tower, or even Emley Moor Mask.

Let me explain...

Traditional Osso Buco, in my experience, is a Milanese casserole of veal shanks, gently braised with finely chopped fresh vegetables, rosemary, garlic and bay leaf with some chopped Italian tomatoes and a splash of vino rosso.

However, what I actually made was a greasy veal stew with pork knuckle!

I had totally ignored the fact that veal shank has now become something of a rarity in the UK and on the morning that I was to attempt my culinary feat, I failed at the first hurdle by not being able to locate the core ingredient! My favourite butcher, Richard Williams of Mitchells on Station Street in Huddersfield, could not get me the four shanks I required without a few days’ notice. Panic beginning to set in, I zoomed up to those nice people at Bolster Moor Farm Shop with 20 minutes to go before Saturday closing time, explaining my challenge like some demented male equivalent of Anika Rice (without the notable rear). To my eternal gratitude they provided me with the ‘nearest thing’ to veal shank, ie four veal loins and some pork bones oozing with marrow.

Somewhat relieved, I headed home to do the easy bit

…. finely chopping the veg, sautéed with some fresh rosemary, home-grown bay leaf and wild garlic. I duly removed the veg, and sealed the veal loins in the hot pan with a fine coating of flour. Once sealed, I chucked in 1/3 bottle of valpolicella and helped myself to a large glass to ease the stress ala Keith Floyd!

I then threw the veg back in, with the marrow bones, a tin of finely chopped pomodoro from the fields near Castelnuovo Bocca D’ada (I promised my aunty I’d mention the old place back home!), some big chunky peeled carrots and covered with a light chicken stock, a handful of lentils to thicken the sauce and the rest of the red wine (minus one small refill!).

In the meantime, I boiled some maris piper spuds, seasoned with coarse salt and pepper and far too much butter to be good for you, and prepared some crispy spring greens. In a few minutes I had the gremolata finely chopped and ready to serve.

I cooked the veal/pork for 2 hours in a thick bottomed pan on a low heat with a solid lid on top.

And so, to the tasting …

The veal was tender, succulent and full of flavour. With a sprinkling of the gremolata it became tangy and almost Morrocan in flavour. The mashed potatoes were an excellent accompaniment as were the greens. Unfortunately, however, the pork bone marrow, though undoubtably a great provider of flavour, was also really quite greasy which rendered (excuse the pun) the whole dish somewhat disappointing.

So, my advice to anybody reading this … if you fancy some Osso Buco leave it to the experts and get yourself booked in to Eric’s at Lindley!

MY OSSO BUCO HAD MORE HOLES IN IT THAN I’D BARGAINED FOR!BY NADIO GRANATA -MARKETING DIRECTOR . WWW.STAFFLEX.CO.UK

40

Growing up on a council estate in Wolverhampton, which was voted the fifth worst city in the world

by the Lonely Planet Guide, James left his local comprehensive school with no GCSE’s. “I was written off by my teachers as all I wanted to do was cause mischief and make people laugh,” he told us. “But the one thing I was interested in was gadgets and how they worked, perfect at that time as it was the 1990’s and the mobile phone boom.”

At 16, James saw a Saturday job advertised in a mobile phone shop. “I managed to get an interview but I never dressed smart and the whole interview was a shambles, but I was a local lad who knew everyone in town, keen and the store manager could see that I had banter and personality, so offered me the job!” James started a few weeks later on £7,000pa before commission.

“I was just a lackey as there were more experienced sales advisors there who had been in the industry for years, but I was delighted to be there and have a brain like a sponge, so I learned quickly. In the four years I worked there, I worked hard and rose through various positions eventually becoming store manager and senior sales advisor, breaking lots of sales records. I also learned a valuable lesson about people. The manager used to judge whether someone would buy from their appearance but on one occasion

he told me to get rid of a customer who went on to purchase a mobile phone on a two-year contract with insurance, earning me a very nice commission!”

At the age of 20, James took a job with BSkyB selling packages within their store, completely smashing all the targets set by the company, simply by being able to interact with people and not judge them.

Then came a change of direction that took him into the payments industry and the start of his ambition to become self employed. I had a real ‘can-do’ attitude and freelanced for a number of different payment providers for many years.

After meeting and marrying his wife Julie, the couple moved to Northowram at a time when James was feeling the pinch! “I had spent everything I had earned, was in negative equity with my property and had no savings, but a visit to my local pub was the start of networking and the start of Yorkshire Payments.”

James began making contacts through business networking groups in Halifax and he never looked back!

James started his one-man business from an office at the rear of a printers merchants with just a desk, laptop and a telephone line. However, with the backing of a silent partner, the business now occupies well presented offices and

provides card processing services for sole traders, SME’s and large companies.

“We now employ 16 staff covering administration, sales, finance and IT,” said James, “and I head up the business with my co-directors Marc Greenwood, formerly of Lloyds Banking Group, who handles operational matters, and Mark Prince, whose forte is strategy and finance.

“We are licensed directly with Visa and Mastercard and compete with the likes of HSBC and Barclays as well as a number of other independents based in London. “We can’t compete with them in terms of marketing budgets. We don’t have a branch on every street corner to advertise our services. But we are pro-active, and ethical. It’s all about service. Everything is in-house and there’s no shipping things out to foreign call centres. We believe our brand will grow further, we currently have two apprentices and will recruit a third shortly.”

James is proud of the firm’s Yorkshire roots. “Yorkshire itself is a brand,” he says. “It’s not just a region. The Yorkshire economy grew more than the whole of the French economy last year and I’m so proud that my business is based here.”

Among the good causes Yorkshire Payments tries to support is the homeless charity Simon on the Streets. James and members of staff took part in a sleep out in front of the John Smith’s Stadium to raise awareness of the plight of homeless people recently and told us: “there are people who may have had a good education, but they have had a bit of bad luck or drugs have taken over their lives,” he says. “We shouldn’t write them off.”

The Chamber

BigInterview

NOT A PERFECT START FOR SUCCESSFUL BRIGHOUSE FIRM

By his own admission, Managing Director of Brighouse based Yorkshire Payments, James Howard had a less-than-perfect start in life.


� Holidays: The family will be going to France this summer. James also enjoys camping at Flamborough Head with a group of friends.

� First job: I was a pot washer at Dunstall racecourse, Wolverhampton to raise enough money to buy a video recorder.

� Best thing about the job? Working with the team. James loves going into the office and hearing what everyone’s been up to. He loves winning new customers and managing existing customers because he’s still a salesman by trade!`

� Worst thing about the job? Paperwork and industry politics

� Business tip: Never judge a book by its cover. Just because someone wears a Primark coat doesn’t mean they’ve no money to spend – and If someone’s wearing an Alex McQueen shirt, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve masses of cash.

Phone: 01422 323785 Email: [email protected] Web: www.yorkshirepayments.comand

FACT FILE:

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I can honestly say that, after my many years of promoting live music in Wakefield, the city has never had it so

good when it comes to venues.

I’m very proud to be working at Unity Works, but it is my work with Long Division that gives me the privilege of working directly with so many of them.

If you’ve not heard of Long Division Festival, it takes place in Wakefield City Centre and over the last 4 years we’ve used all kinds of places as venues; The Town Hall, Old Drury Lane Library and even the old Mustangs nightclub, which was quite strange.

Photo credits : John Jowett

MUSIC CORNERWITH UNITY WORKS

Welcome to our brand new regular feature about what our region has to offer music lovers. Dean Freeman from Unity Works who is responsible for organising music festivals and bringing live bands to the region will regularly update us with what’s happening in the music industry.

But for our fifth year we are spoilt for choice. A Long Division ticket on June 13th gets you access to over 70 bands playing across two stages at Unity Works, two stages at The Hop, the Theatre Royal, The Orangery, Westgate Chapel and Players.

Nationally renowned bands like British Sea Power and Ash play alongside the local area’s best upcoming talent and people travel from all over the country to enjoy live music in Wakefield. I once bumped into a man from Lincoln who told me his weekend at Long Division was his actual holiday that year.

This is why I work in Live Events; because I believe they can show our city in the best possible light whilst helping local businesses thrive. The point is that as many people benefit as possible but in a city like Wakefield I sometimes feel it is hard to explain that in a way so people ‘get it’.

It was especially hard at the beginning, because no-one had seen anything like this in the city centre. I tried to persuade local restaurants to work with us; feed a couple of our bands in exchange for free advertising to hundreds (and these days, thousands) of people. But they all

felt it was too much of a risk and so instead Subway received all our visitors’ custom.

That is a shame because we bring so many new people to the city. Unity Works does the same thing. It’s a little sad perhaps, but I love looking through all the postcode data we collect and see where people have visited from. I feel confident that once they journey here, their opinion of the place is changed forever. Getting them to make that first journey is the absolute trick I’ve been trying to master for ten years and it’s something that becomes easier if we work together.

The change in Wakefield since 2011 has been considerable, not least for the music venues that have appeared but also for this growing air of joint partnership. I’m proud of Long Division’s record of bringing around 450 bands and 7500 people to the city, using 25 venues and generating around £150,000 for the city economy. That’s not ticket sales and the money we make, but secondary spend in the city with other businesses.

For that reason alone, I dearly hope that other businesses see the worth in this kind of enterprise. Unlike some in the entertainment industry, I didn’t create this festival to make money. It was for a greater good, and that’s probably why I feel so at home at Unity Works. But the flip-side is that these things can only run on goodwill for so long.

There are interesting times ahead for Long Division, but even more so for Wakefield.

TopicUK Huddersfield Edition

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