Platinum Business Magazine, September 2023

Author: Hoffmann Maarten

Tags: business platinum business magazine

Year: 2023

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platinum
ISSUE 113 SEPTEMBER 2023

THE LARGEST CIRCULATION REGIONAL BUSINESS PUBLICATION IN THE UK

The IoD joins
forces with
Platinum

MOTORING

The biggest
beast in the
car park

TRAVEL

Why multiples
matter in
business
valuations

DINING

Rows & Vine
at Ridgeview

When in Italy…

DALE
VINCE
OBE
ELECTRIC PLANES ON THE HORIZON

SURREY
BUSINESS AWARDS
2023

JUDGING GETS UNDERWAY
The judges for this year’s Surrey Business Awards are hard
at work to whittle down a record number of entries into finalists.
Renowned for recognising and rewarding the very best businesses
in the region, the Surrey Business Awards are highly coveted and
seen as a mark of excellence within the business community.
The annual event, organised by Platinum Media Group,
attracts hundreds of entries every year from businesses
of all sizes and sectors.
The judging is a rigorous three-stage process including
pre-scoring entries to determine a shortlist, interviews
and a judges meeting where entries are discussed and
evaluated in detail to decide the overall winners.
Winners will be announced at a sensational gala
ceremony on October 17th at the G Live in Guildford.
Around 500 of the county’s business leaders, judges
and VIPs are attending, giving guests the perfect opportunity
to network with peers, celebrate with colleagues
and find out those all-important results!

Stay tuned for the 2023 finalist announcement
in next month’s issue!

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

MAGA ZINE

IN
AI
D
O
F

We were delighted that
❛❛
the award reflected the care

and effort that each member
of our team delivers to go the
extra mile for our customers
to make each home truly
special. We strongly believe
in our team and delight
in the successes that they
have worked together
to achieve as we grow

Antler Homes

Presented by actor and comedian,
Hal Cruttenden

❜❜

Large Business of the Year
Winner 2022

TUESDAY OCTOBER 17TH • G LIVE GUILDFORD

SURREY’S BIGGEST AND BEST
BUSINESS AWARDS
T IC K E T S N OW O N S A L E

WWW.PLATINUMMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK
£120 EACH OR £1100 FOR A TABLE OF 10
Ticket price includes a champagne reception, three-course meal
as well as entertainment and networking opportunities
Dress code is black tie
It is an incredible achievement
and fantastic recognition for all our
hard work and passion for a business
that means so much to us.
We are starting out on our journey
and this award will give us
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to take our product global

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Signapse

Start-up of the Year
Winner 2022

❜❜

“Advice.
Good in
good times.
Better
in bad.”
Smart advice
to help you
make the right
decisions for your
financial future.

Call our Gatwick office to arrange a
free introductory meeting with Paul Cannons.
Call 01293 661323 or email paul.cannons@brewin.co.uk
brewin.co.uk/gatwick

The value of investments can fall and you may get back less than you invested.
RBC Brewin Dolphin is a trading name of Brewin Dolphin Limited. Brewin Dolphin Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Financial
Services Register reference number 124444) and regulated in Jersey by the Financial Services Commission. Registered Office; 12 Smithfield Street, London, EC1A 9BD.
Registered in England and Wales company number: 2135876. VAT number: GB 690 8994 69

CONT ENTS
18
BIG STORY

FOOD & DRINK

66 The Rows & Vine
A review of the fabulous restaurant
at the Ridgeview Wine Estate

18 Dale Vince
The green industrialist who may be
about to become an aviation industry
disruptor with plans for electricpowered aeroplanes

68 Ridgeview’s finest
Platinum looks across the awardwinning range of sparking wines from
one of the world’s best vineyards

NEWS

8 Local and international news
A round of the important business
stories in Sussex and around the world

EVENTS

2 Surrey Business Awards
Judging is well under way for
Surrey’s premier business awards
12 The Platinum Club
Now in its 15th year, and
still going strong
24 Sussex Tech Week 2024
More details about a major new
tech-based conference in Brighton
48 Sussex Business Awards
Deadline for entries is closing fast.
Have you entered?

M60i

nt
id
p,
will
dns,

trying to climb over the car in front.
If that’s your thing, then stick it all in
Sport Plus and hang on. You also have
a huge panoramic glass roof, matrix
LED lights, air suspension, parking
cameras everywhere, and heated and
chilled front seats.

nd
ss
d,
ly
r’s
dly
s.
an
he

The BMW iDrive 8 software is more
complex than ever but a tad more
accessible, if you pay attention.

is
nd
at
ot

S E P T E M B E R 2023 • ISSUE 113

This is a true seven-seater, and all
seats are fully electric so no strain
required to make any of the combination of seats arrangements. The rear
tail gate splits in two, much like the
original Range Rover. This is a great
arrangement as it gives you somewhere to sit whilst sorting the kids/
dog/dirty boots. And l didn’t know
l ever needed them, but l quite like the
heated and cooled cup holders.

52 Plumpton Racecourse
The national hunt season starts on
September 24th. SeeTECH
you there!
STUFF
The engine can be described as
monstrous. The exhaust note is full
of grunt and in Sport Plus, it will do
things that a 2.8 ton car should not
be able to do, and thanks to the
active roll stabilisation system, differential and xDrive all-wheel drive system,
this great mass sticks to the tarmac
with minimal corner roll.

MODEL TESTED:
BMW X7 M60i xDrive
POWER: 523bhp
SPEED: 0-62 4.7 seconds
TOP: 155 mph
ECONOMY: 21.9 mpg
PRICE FROM: £83,295 - £104,450
AS TESTED: £115,615.00

Of course, if you love the car then
you don’t really need the earthshattering performance of the M model
as there are entry level 40i petrol and
diesel models available from around
£80,000.

70 IoD Surrey
Catching up with the work
of IoD Surrey, and a look forward
to some of their members’ events
Once you fully trust the car, you can
throw it into corners that logic – and
physics – say you should certainly not
be able to. The 23-inch wheels are
the largest ever ﬁtted to a production
BMW, and they absorb just about
everything the appalling UK roads can
throw at it.
The elephant in the room of course
is the sheer size of this beast. It’s not
surprising that the majority (75%) of
the sales are in the US, China and Korea
as it really is too lardy for the UK roads.
Parking is an issue as it will overhang
every parking space, and travelling
down small side roads caused me
to bring the wing mirrors in sharpish and
hold my breath.

OPINION

The mass also reﬂects in the economy
as, with around 21 mpg, it is not exactly
frugal and l am pretty sure that with
my leaden right foot, l didn’t even
get close to that figure – but l was
smiling every time l ﬁlled it up. For those
interested, it is fully ULEZ compliant.

BUSINESS

14 Gatwick Airport
Internationally, new long-haul
routes; domestically, helping
tackle hygiene poverty
28 MHA
The importance, commercially and
environmentally, of going green
34 Focus Consulting
Twenty-five years of putting
the client first
44 Surrey Research Park
Futura’s pioneering work
receives FDA approval
46 Education & Skills Partnership
MOTORING
Empowering employees
with employer-sponsored training
56 MDHUB
MDHUB members going the
extra mile for charitable causes
60 Let’s Do Business
Funding doesn’t stop with start-ups
63 Cleankill
Squirrels – cute and furry
garden animals or a menace?

In summary, this is an astonishing
piece of world-class engineering with
a superb interior, more performance
that you could ever need in daily
driving, a real world seven-seater and
a joyous place to sit but like me, it is a
dinosaur having its last hurrah before
the Eco Brigade force us all into anonymous, soulless little electric boxes.
I, for one, will mourn the day we no
longer have ‘real’ cars in our lives but
then l guess that’s what the old timers
said about the horse and cart!

64 Anger Management
Maarten Hoffmann is concerned
about the creeping AI technology

MOTORING

74 BMW X7 M60i
Maarten is very impressed with
this 2.7 tonne piece of high-speed
machinery

PLATINUM

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

PLATINUM
MEDIA GROUP

FINANCE

30 EMC
Why multiples matter
in business valuations
33 Azets
The benefits of the Cloud
in accounting technology
36 Kreston Reeves
Business borrowing amid
rising interest rates
43 Haines Watts
How to incentivise your team

LEGAL

38 DMH Stallard
Globalisation – working without
international borders
40 DMH Stallard commentary
Alternative exits for business owners
50 Mayo Wynne Baxter
Fixed recoverable costs
to be introduced
54 Loch Associates
Are government reforms of noncompete clauses good or bad?

INNOVATION

58 Sussex Innovation
Grant funding –
which, why, when and how?

TRAVEL

72 Visit Milan
Tess de Klerk on the city
that’s a fusion of history, fashion
and culinary excellence

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

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WELCOME

WELCOME
Welcome to the September issue of your favourite magazine, and whilst
you were all away sunning yourselves, the Platinum Team has been hard
at it putting together a great issue, stuffed with news, views and opinion.
The most important new event in the South East calendar is the Sussex
Tech Week, to be held in Brighton in March 2024. This event will cover the
waterfront of the tech sector, organised by Wired Sussex and powered
by Platinum Media Group. Three thousand people a day are expected,
culminating in the first ever Wired Sussex Tech Awards.
Our Dynamic Big Story profiles Helen Dickinson OBE, the CEO of the British
Retail Consortium whilst Platinum chats with Dale Vince OBE, the founder
of Ecotricity – and what could be the first viable electric plane.
Jonathan Grant from DMH Stallard presents his new column, and this
month discusses alternative exit routes out of your business; EMC explains
why multiples really matter in your business valuation and Focus Consulting
explains why it has spent 25 years putting the client first.
This month, Platinum has teamed up with the Institute of Directors and
the first of many features on their extensive work with more news to come;
and Pam Loch asks if the new non-compete clauses are good or bad.
Accountancy firm MHA explains that corporate sustainability should not
come at the cost of profitability and Plumpton Racecourse prepares for
the new season.
Maarten reviews the biggest beast in the car park, and Tess got busy
in Milan, and then investigated medical spas.
We have been busy, now it’s your turn.

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

W W W.PL ATINUMME DIAGROUP.CO.UK

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

BREWER SELLS OFF
ITS RUSSIAN BUSINESS
Giant Dutch brewer Heineken has finally sold off its Russian business
for €1 - or 86p - almost 18 months after first pledging to do so. It said
it will take a loss of €300m on the division, which is being offloaded
to Russia’s Arnest, which makes aerosol cans. Many Western firms
jettisoned their Russian operations when the country invaded Ukraine
in February 2022.
Heineken’s Dolf van den Brink said: “It took much longer than we had
hoped.” The chief executive and chairman added: “This transaction
secures the livelihoods of our employees and allows us to exit the
country in a responsible manner.”

NEWS BULLETIN
NEW LAWS FOR ONLINE TECH GIANTS
Some of the world’s biggest tech organisations are now obliged to
comply with the Digital Services Act (DSA), a new piece of EU legislation,
or face big fines. Nineteen major platforms face the most stringent rules
including having plans in place to protect children and stop election
interference.
The DSA became law on November 16th last year. However, firms were
given time to make sure their systems complied. On April 25th the EU
named the 19 very large online platforms that would be subject to the
toughest rules. They were given four months to comply with the act’s
rules, while smaller tech services will need to comply next year. Breaches
could lead to a fine of 6% of turnover, and potentially suspension of the
service.

EX-PRESIDENT WITH ‘NEVER
SURRENDER’ SLOGAN SURRENDERS
President Donald Trump* has posted on X (formerly Twitter) of his intention
to ‘Never Surrender’, despite surrendering himself to Georgia state
prosecutors. Trump is one of 19 co-defendants alleged to have conspired
to overturn the Georgia result in the 2020 US Presidential Elections, an
election he ultimately lost to President Joe Biden. Trump is facing 13
separate counts in Georgia, including a racketeering charge and several
fraud and false statement counts. Although he is a billionaire, he hasn’t
offered to contribute to the legal defence costs of the people charged
alongside him.
* All living US ex-Presidents retain the title ‘President’ for life

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

NEWS

❛❛ You know you’ve reached

middle age when you’re cautioned
to slow down by your doctor,
instead of by the police ❜❜
Joan Rivers

LITTLE RESPITE FOR
ENERGY CUSTOMERS

An average energy bill for a typical household will fall to £1,923 from
October 1st under regulator Ofgem’s new price cap.
The maximum price of each unit of gas and electricity for 29 million
households in England, Wales and Scotland is governed by the decision.
Bills will be on average £151 lower than current rates and £577 down on
last winter. However, reduced government support and higher fixed costs
mean many will see little difference in what they pay.
Ofgem chief executive Jonathan Brearley said: “We know people are
struggling with the wider cost of living challenges and I can’t offer any
certainty that things will ease this winter.”

WILKO STILL LOOKING
FOR A BUYER
The administrators of Wilko - the high street
retailer who filed for administration at the
beginning of August - has said jobs look
set to go and stores will close after it failed
to find a buyer for the whole business.
However, PwC said parts of the group could
still be bought, although 12,500 jobs and its
400 stores are at risk.
PwC is looking for a buyer for all or
part of the business. In a statement, a
spokesperson said: “While discussions
continue with those interested in buying
parts of the business, it’s clear that the
nature of this interest is not focused on the
whole group.
“It is therefore likely that there will be
redundancies and store closures and it
has been necessary to update employee
representatives.”

❛❛ I saw a study that said speaking in front of a crowd

is considered the number one fear of the average person.
Number two was death. This means to the average
person, if you have to be at a funeral, you would rather
be in the casket than doing the eulogy ❜❜
Jerry Seinfeld

LANDLORDS IN THE SPOTLIGHT
The private rental market is to be investigated after the UK’s competition authority
found a “significant minority” of landlords violating tenants’ rights.
The Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) will focus on things such as “sham
licences”, which make evictions easier. The CMA will also examine discrimination,
such as landlords who ban benefit claimants. It said it will take action if needed.
In July 2020, a judge ruled that blanket bans on renting properties to benefit
claimants are unlawful and discriminatory, breaking the 2010 Equality Act on grounds
of sex and disability. Landlords cannot ban people with children from properties
as the ban was found to disproportionately affect women.

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

FINANCE

SUMMER ECONOMY WORTH
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS TO CITY
New research from Three Business reveals the huge contribution that the
summer economy makes to Brighton.
The research shows coastal SMEs in Brighton contribute £379 million in
Gross Value Added (GVA) to the local economy and are part of the wider
summer economy, worth £3.15bn in GVA to the UK.
Peak months from June to August, despite a poor summer weather-wise,
support over 600 local businesses and 15,000 jobs across the city. Of
the businesses surveyed, nearly three quarters (70%) say their area has
become more popular with tourists since the pandemic and the same
amount (70%) believe their business has benefitted from increased
holiday-maker numbers.

LOCAL
NEWS
WORTHING BID
DIRECTOR RESIGNS
Kelly Davies, Director of Worthing
Business Improvement District
(BID) has resigned just five
months after accepting her new
role.
Mrs Davies was appointed in
March 2023 ‘to build on the
successes already achieved’ and
‘help it continue to grow’. She
replaced Sharon Clarke, who had
been the town centre manager for
20 years.

very best for the future.”
Board chairman Samantha
Whittington only said that, “Mrs
Davies decided to move on” and
that “the organisation will be
recruiting in due course.”

The official statement read, “With
regret, the board of directors of
Worthing BID announce that Kelly
Davies has resigned as CEO of the
organisation. The board thank her
for all her efforts and wish her the

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LOCH ASSOCIATES
ACQUIRES
SIGHTSCREEN HR
Loch Associates Group, the South East’s
leading multi-service law and HR business,
has acquired Kent-based Sightscreen, an HR,
training and coaching specialist operating
across the South East.
The announcement follows the group’s plans
to grow its rapidly expanding HR business
after witnessing continued growth and
doubling turnover and its team over the past
three years. The acquisition of Sightscreen
HR, owned by human resource specialist
and Managing Director Ben Holt, is expected
to increase its turnover by 20%.
Pam Loch, Solicitor and Managing Director
of Loch Associates Group, said: “The
acquisition of Sightscreen will further
enhance the HR, training and wellbeing
services we deliver alongside our existing
legal services through our expert teams.

❛❛ I love being married.

It’s so great to find that one
special person you want to annoy
for the rest of your life ❜❜
Rita Rudner

NEWS

❛❛ Before you marry a person,

you should first make them
use a computer with slow
Internet to see who they really are ❜❜
Will Ferrell

TOP SUSSEX FAMILY
SOLICITORS
Online magazine Business Today has turned
its lens on a select group of lawyers it believes
are making significant strides, winning plaudits,
and setting high standards in the legal field.
Here is their list of the top 10 most influential
matrimonial solicitors in Sussex.
1 Alex Funnell:
Family Law Solicitor, Hart Reade Solicitors
2J
oanna Potbury:
Senior Associate, DMH Stallard
3 Susan M Hayes:
Head of the Family Law department,
Griffith Smith
4 Zoë Summers:
Consultant Solicitor, Family Law Partners
5 Susan Knight:
Head of the family department, Coole Bevis
6 Mahie Abey:
Leader in the family department,
Dawson Hart
7L
inda Lamb:
founder, LSL Family Law
8C
hristopher Maulkin:
Senior associate at Family Law Partners
9C
aroline Bourn:
Specialist family solicitor, Dawson Hart
10 Helen Fitzsimons:
Specialist in children’s law,
Helen Fitzsimons Family Law

FEARS OF A27 DISRUPTION
Building contractor, the Buckingham Group, has filed notice to appoint
administrators after announcing escalating contract losses and a
sharp reduction in liquidity. All parties are now involved in talks to
ensure that the A27 roadworks at Lancing are completed without
delay.
The Buckingham Group said the company has faced deep losses and
interim cash deficits on a number of its contracts.
National Highways, which is leading the project on the land sold by
Brighton & Hove Albion, said: “We are aware of the current situation
with regards to Buckingham Group Contracting. We are working with
the developer to find a solution to complete the works.”

❛❛ Insomnia sharpens your

math skills because you spend
all night calculating how much
sleep you’ll get if you’re able
to fall asleep right now ❜❜
Anonymous

PUBLIC INVITED TO ANNUAL
GRAPE HARVEST
Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens is inviting members of the public to its free
grape-picking event in October. The vineyard at Lower Beeding is predicting
a bumper 2023 harvest for its Sussex wine. Visitors can spend a morning
immersed in the winemaking process by hand-harvesting grapes straight
from the vineyard.
The upward trajectory of English wines is well established and with
participants being offered fresh pastries and tea or coffee to provide
fuel for the day ahead, Leonardslee, in the heart of England’s premier
wine-producing region – Sussex – is very much a part of that.
Guests will also be able to learn about wine-making processes, and
after a day’s hard graft, can relax and refuel with the local produce.
www.leonardsleelakesandgardens.co.uk
www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

★★★★★
THE PLATINUM CLUB IS A REALLY WELL ORGANISED NETWORKING GROUP,
❛❛WITH
THE HOSTS HELPING TO FACILITATE TO ENSURE WE ALWAYS MAKE
USEFUL, NEW CONTACTS AT EACH EVENT
❜❜
LLOYDS BANK

The Platinum Club is now in its 15th year and remains
the pre-eminent networking forum in Sussex.
The Club launched based on no seated meals, no sponsors
and no speeches - rather, an elegant but informal cocktail party
with delicious hand-made canapés and Platinum hosts making
relevant introductions throughout the evening and all in the
luxurious surroundings of the Grand Hotel, Brighton.

CURRENT PLATINUM CLUB MEMBERS INCLUDE

INNOVAI ION

&API I AL

TO APPLY
PLEASE
EMAIL
info@platinummediagroup.co.uk

★★★★★
ALL BUSINESS IS BASED ON RELATIONSHIPS AND PLATINUM GIVES YOU THE
❛❛
PLATFORM TO CREATE THE MEANINGFUL HUMAN CONNECTIONS THAT MATTER
❜❜
BAILEY AND FRENCH

Barry Carden, Partner, Galloways;
Nigel Lambe, CEO, Sussex Innovation;
Neil Laughton, CEO, Laughton & Co;
Rob Clare, Director, Innovation Capital Team

Donna Holland, CEO, Rockinghorse
Children’s Charity; Maarten Hoffmann,
Managing Director, Platinum Media Group;
Senda Kavindele, Senior Partner, KPMG

Lesley Alcock, Commercial Director, Platinum
Media Group; Dr Adam Jones, Principal Lecturer,
University of Brighton; Colin Laidlaw,
VAT Director, Kreston Reeves

David Boosey, Partner, MHA MacIntyre Hudson

John O’Connor, General Manager, Watches of
Switzerland; Maarten Hoffmann, MD,
Platinum Media Group; Jonathan Grant,
Partner, DMH Stallard LLP; Neil Kester,
Financial Reporting Director, RSM UK

Maarten Hoffmann, Managing Director
at Platinum Media Group;
Kirsty Sadler, Regional Director at Lloyds Bank

The Platinum Club is membership
only and we are now releasing
more memberships.
Membership is available to senior
business leaders, Directors, Managing
Directors, CEOs of companies large
and small. We accept four members
per sector and many of them have been
full and closed for the past 10 years.

★★★★★
WE SEE THE PLATINUM CLUB AS AN IMPORTANT AND
❛❛
INTEGRAL PART OF OUR BRAND AWARENESS STRATEGY,
THROUGH INTERACTIONS WITH WELL CONNECTED
BUSINESS PEOPLE AND OTHER INFLUENCERS.
IT IS WELCOMING AND GREAT FUN TOO!
MATTIOLI WOODS

❜❜

BUSINESS

London’s second airport is steadily increasing
the number of its destination routes, coming
close to returning to pre-pandemic levels

London Gatwick announces
50th long-haul route
Passengers at London Gatwick can now
fly to a choice of 50 long-haul destinations, after the airport announced it has
landed a new Ethiopian Airlines service
to Addis Ababa.

Ethiopian capital since 2006. It is also the
latest of several new long-haul services
to start before the end of the year, with
the airport now offering more than 80%
of its pre-Covid long-haul routes.

The airport has already welcomed new
routes to key markets such as China,
India, the USA and Middle East this year,
and is now able to provide further opportunities for trade across Africa

London Gatwick - and the whole aviation
sector – has had a particularly tough few
years following the impacts of the
Covid-19 pandemic, but the airport has
recently reached a significant milestone
as it continues to build back.

The new route will operate three times
per week from November 21st and will
be Gatwick’s first direct flight to the

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

BUSINESS

❛❛ The new route… will be Gatwick’s first direct
flight to the Ethiopian capital since 2006 ❜❜
Following Norse Atlantic launching five
new US routes from London Gatwick
earlier this year, the airline is due to start
operating to Miami and Boston in
September, before adding Montego Bay
and Bridgetown in October.
British Airways will start flying between
London Gatwick and Accra, Ghana in
October, following new flights to Las
Vegas and Vancouver earlier this year.
Air Mauritius is also due to take off in
October, with daily flights to Sir
Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International
Airport.
London Gatwick’s long-haul destinations
now span the USA, Canada, the
Caribbean, Africa, Asia and the Middle
East.

Jonathan Pollard, Chief Commercial
Officer, London Gatwick said: “Returning
to 50 long-haul routes is a milestone
moment for London Gatwick. While
we’re delighted to offer passengers such
an expansive range of short-haul routes
across Europe, we’re also proud to
provide connections to an increasing
range of destinations around the world.
“These services are vital not only for
offering people across London and the
South East an excellent choice of holiday
locations, or for visiting family and
friends, but also for supporting local and
regional businesses. Whether that’s
outbound trade or inbound tourism,
growing London Gatwick’s long-haul
network is crucial for economic opportunities across the region.

“We look forward to welcoming Ethiopian
Airlines to London Gatwick. This is the
latest in a number of carriers looking to
operate long-haul routes from Gatwick,
which further highlights the strong
demand for slots at our airport.”
London Gatwick is investing in its longterm future and its planning application
to bring the airport’s Northern Runway
into regular use has recently been
accepted for detailed examination by the
Planning Inspectorate (PINS). This
low-impact plan will improve resilience,
reduce delays, and provide a significant
boost to the national and regional
economy by supporting trade, tourism
and new jobs.

www.gatwickairport.com

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

BUSINESS

London Gatwick has donated more than two tonnes of toiletries
and hygiene products to local communities through a partnership
with charity The Crawley and Horley Hygiene Bank.

London Gatwick helping
to tackle hygiene poverty
Since the partnership began earlier this
year, 2.1 tonnes of toiletries have been
donated. The items include unused and
unopened hygiene products such as
shower gels, deodorants and shampoo,
which were left behind at security by
passengers.
The Hygiene Bank brings communities
and businesses together to tackle
hygiene poverty by providing products to
those who need a helping hand.
Through the partnership, The Hygiene
Bank has been able to increase the
number local community partners it
supports by a third.
The products collected at London
Gatwick support two local schools, three
local food banks, one food club, Ten
Little Toes baby bank and the Danny
Gallivan Trust supporting homeless
veterans.
Lauren McDaniel, Senior Commercial
Operations Manager at London Gatwick
said: “At London Gatwick, we are always
looking for ways we can both reduce
waste and support local communities.
“Our waste goal is to recover 100% of our
operational, commercial and construction waste for beneficial use by 2030.”
(Beneficial use is defined as repair, reuse,
donation, recycling, composting, or
converting to fuel.)
“This scheme demonstrates our ongoing
commitment to meeting our goals and
using resources more sustainably. We
are investing in local programmes
and partnerships that build better
communities, enable social mobility,
improve health and wellbeing and
support people.”

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

Lorraine Tippett, volunteer and coordinator at The Crawley and Horley Hygiene
Bank, said: “When money is tight, it is
toiletries that disappear from the shopping basket first.
“You can imagine how your wellbeing
would be affected should you not have
deodorant or are unable to wash your

hair or clothes. It can affect confidence
and reduce time spent with friends or
colleagues.
“London Gatwick makes a huge difference to the people who benefit from our
donations. Items such as deodorant,
shampoo and toothpaste are like gold
dust for us and we are very grateful.”

www.gatwickairport.com
www.thehygienebank.com

❛❛ London Gatwick

makes a huge difference
to the people who benefit
from our donations ❜❜

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BIG STORY

As politicians of all nations and all political
colours bicker over Net Zero, and how to enact
the appropriate policies in time for their own
deadlines, it’s refreshing to see someone who,
while not currently in the party political sphere,
actually doing something about achieving it.
Dale Vince OBE is a green energy industrialist,
and founder of Ecotricity. As an industrialist,
he needs to travel; as an environmentalist, he
needs to work out how to do so in the least
harmful way.
In July this year, Vince announced, through
Ecotricity, plans to introduce a regular flight
service using aircraft powered by electricity,
which emit only water for exhaust.
Alan Wares looks into the background to this
potentially huge breakthrough for the aviation
industry.

The green

PILOT
18

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

BIG STORY

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

BIG STORY

❛❛ In 1991, Vince
had his ‘Eureka!’
moment when
he saw his first
wind farm ❜❜

Dale Vince was born in Great Yarmouth,
Norfolk on August 29th 1961. Leaving
school at 15, he became a New Age
traveller. When RAF Molesworth was
chosen to become a base for the US
Air Force’s mobile nuclear armed
Ground Launched Cruise Missile in 1980,
Vince joined in the occupation of the
nuclear base in protest. He was also
one of the New Age travellers at the
infamous Battle of the Beanfield near
Stonehenge in 1985.

ECOTRICITY

In 1991, Vince had his ‘Eureka!’ moment
when saw his first wind farm. ”I thought,
either I can carry on by myself with the
windmill on my van, or I can get into
the big stuff,” he later commented.
He founded the Renewable Energy
Company in 1995 with a single wind
turbine that he had used to power an old
army truck that he had been living in
on a hill near Stroud, Gloucestershire.
The company was later re-named
Ecotricity.
Vince later went on to build commercial
wind-monitoring equipment, which the
company still does today, using the
name Nexgen. Ecotricity itself started
generating with a 40-metre turbine in
1996, which at the time was the largest in
the country.
Before August 2013, Ecotricity ran a mix
of fuels. The company’s proportion of
renewable energy rose from 24% in 2007
to 51% in 2011 (compared with a national
average of 7.9%), with plans for a further
increase to 60% by 2012.
By 2013, Ecotricity’s power supply was
100% renewable. Today, Ecotricity
specialises in selling green energy to
consumers that it primarily generates

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

from its 87.2 megawatt wind power
portfolio. The company is built on the
principle of heavily reinvesting its profit in
building more of its own green energy
generation.
By 2019, the company had over 200,000
customers, and a turnover of £193m.
Vince restructured the company and
its subsidiaries in 2020, to create
Green Britain Group Ltd. His net worth
was last estimated at £107m.

Vince was appointed OBE in 2004 for
Services to the Environment, and
received an honorary degree from the
University of Gloucestershire in 2013.
He has donated to both the Labour
Par ty and the Green Par ty and
endorsed politicians from both parties
in general elections. He has also
made donations to a number of
environmental protest groups such
as Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd
Conservation Society.

UK WIND FARM MORATORIUM
In 2013, then Prime Minister David
Cameron introduced a moratorium on
the construction of new onshore wind
farms in the UK. The construction of
offshore farms has continued apace
around the UK’s shores, though no new
turbines have been erected in the past
ten years.
This moratorium has hampered
Ecotricity – and every other electricity
supply company – from extending its
renewable energy portfolio further.
In the mini-budget of 2022, Liz Truss
announced an end to the moratorium.
Her tenure in office, though, was
brief, so when Rishi Sunak – no fan
of renewable energy – took office, it
was felt he would re -introduce
the moratorium. However, he was
persuaded by his party’s backbench and grassroots members to
support Liz Truss’ decision.

aesthetics. As such, it will be even more
difficult politically for local authorities
than it was for the national government.
Additionally, “While public support for
onshore wind has been growing, the
capacity of the grid to take on onshore
wind has completely been reduced,”
said Pippa Heylings, a South
Cambridgeshire local councillor, and
deputy chair of the Local Government
Association’s environment board. She
was directly referring to a lack of
infrastructure upgrades over the past
few years as electricity needs have
increased.
So not really a ringing endorsement
from the government.

It came with one major caveat –
that local planning authorities
would choose whether turbines
would be approved in their location.
Critics point out that approving onshore wind projects are controversial
with some environmentalists and
nature enthusiasts for their alleged
effect on ecosystems and rural

❛❛ By 2019, the company had over

200,000 customers, and a turnover
of £193m ❜❜

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

BIG STORY
ECOJET

In July 2023, Vince, announced the
launch of Ecojet, the world’s first
Electric Airline, powered by renewable
energy. The move marks the beginning
of an aviation revolution by making
Net Zero, emission-free air travel
possible for the first time.
Ecojet’s fleet will comprise conventio nal plan es retrof i t te d wi th
hydrogen-electric powertrains. Once
converted, the aircraft will operate
with the same power output as before,
but with a total eradication in CO2
emissions.
The decision to repurpose old planes
rather than build new models from
scratch will save 90,000 tonnes of
carbon per year. The only byproduct will
be water, which can be captured and
released into the lower atmosphere to
avoid the harmful effects of contrails.
The company’s intention is to set up
a regular route from Southampton
to Edinburgh in early 2024, expanding
to Europe, with, eventually, long-haul
flights being the ultimate goal.

FOREST GREEN ROVERS
In 2010, Vince became a major
shareholder of Forest Green Rovers
FC, and three months later
was appointed club
chairman. In 2011,
the sale of all red
meat products
was banned at
the club’s ground,
leaving only
vegetarian options
and free-range poultry
and fish from sustainable
stocks.
Vince introduced a
number of different
eco-friendly
developments at the club
including the installation of solar
panels on its New Lawn home
ground, the use of a solar-powered
robot grass mower, and the creation
of the world’s first organic football
pitch. In October 2015, Forest Green
became the world’s first all-vegan
football club.

In 2021, the team became the first
in the world to play in a football kit
made from a composite material
consisting of recycled
plastic and coffee
grounds.
The United Nations
has recognised
Forest Green Rovers
as the world’s first
carbon-neutral football
club and it was described
by FIFA as the “greenest
team in the world”.
As a visitor to Forest
Green Rovers in August
2022, I can attest that the
vegan food is excellent, and their
green credentials are well noted.
However, the elephant in the room is
that the club’s ground just outside the
village of Nailsworth, Gloucestershire
is only accessible by road vehicle;
the nearest railways station being
10 miles away in Stroud.

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

On board, further radical steps will be
taken to further reduce the impact of
the aviation industr y, including
serving plant-based meals, eliminating
single-use plastic and issuing staff
environmentally-friendly uniforms.
Aviation accounts for some 3% of
global CO2 emissions, while overall
contribution to the climate crisis is

❛❛ This could

be the genesis of
something huge ❜❜

❛❛ The decision to

repurpose old planes
rather than build new
models from scratch
will save 90,000 tonnes
of carbon per year ❜❜

estimated at three times this level due to
the altitude that fossil fuel pollution
is released at. This negative impact on
the planet will be hopefully removed
for good when the viability of electric air
travel is proven and electric planes are
adopted by the aviation industry.

Ecojet claims that this is the first step
in that process, estimated to be ten
years ahead of the rest of the industry
in the development of what Vince
described as “the biggest revolution in
the aviation industry since the invention
of the jet engine”.

Short-term, to secure routes and a
license from the Civil Aviation Authority
(CAA), Ecojet will initially launch using
conventionally fuelled planes. Ecojet will
launch with two different sizes of
turboprop aircraft (a 19-seat aircraft
and a 70-seat aircraft). These aircraft
will be eventually retrofitted with the
hydrogen-electric powertrains as they
become approved for service by the
CAA – the first retrofits will take place
in 2025, one year after the commencement of flights.
Dale Vince says: “The question of how
to create sustainable air travel has
plagued the green movement for
decades, Ecojet is by far the most
significant step towards a solution
to date. The desire to travel is deeply
etched into the human spirit, and
flights free of CO2 emissions,
powered by renewable energy will
allow us to explore our incredible world
without harming it for the first time.”
In short, this could be the genesis
of something huge, and the very thing
the aviation industry has been looking
for to mitigate its contribution to
Net Zero.

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

SUSSEX

TECH
WEEK

MARCH 2024

CREATED BY

The Sussex Tech Week, which takes place in Brighton
in March 2024, is the first part of a five-year catalyst
programme to revitalise and encourage the tech
sector across Sussex.
The UK tech sector is booming. New figures released
by the government’s Digital Economy Council show that
the industry grew by 1000% between 2010 and 2020.
It now has over 96 ‘unicorns’ (private companies valued
at over £1bn), collectively worth £333bn, compared
with just eight in 2010.
Last year, the UK became just the third country in the
world to have a tech sector valued at £1 trillion, with
more ‘unicorn’ billion-pound tech start-ups being
created than Germany, France and Sweden combined.
During 2022, fast-growing UK tech companies raised
near-record levels of funding at £24 billion.

The tech sector in Sussex was valued at £1 billion
in 2021 and although it is growing at pace, there is
little cohesion across the county and this leads to a
stunted growth pattern and a lack of community and
investment. It is this community that leads to a greater
increase in creativity, increased investment with more
visibility allowing venture capitalists and investors to
understand what advances are being made in Sussex,
greater collaboration and as a result, a greater increase
in the sector’s value and output.

These products and services are then disseminated
throughout the economy. There is no sector within
the modern economy that technology does not touch
and that does not rely upon the technology sector
to improve quality, productivity, and/or profitability.
Technology ranks as the top industry accounting for
the highest number of fastest-growing companies
in the list (1,360 analysed). The technology industry
accounts for an impressive 289 (21.3%) of the fastestgrowing companies in the study, with 188 of these
being in Europe and 101 companies in the US.
A thriving and fully supported tech sector also leads
to greater employment in the region. There were
1.86 million UK jobs in the digital sector in October 2021
to September 2022, which was 5.5% of all jobs. Almost
95% of employers looking for tech talent have encountered
a skills shortage over the past year. In a survey of 13,000
employers and workers in the UK, 1,400 of which were
in tech, the recruitment and HR firm found 94% faced
a lack of talent last year, up from 89% the year before.
It is expected that the UK tech industry will add
150,000 new jobs in 2024 and with increased support,
recognition and cohesion for the Sussex tech sector,
we can ensure that a good number of those new jobs
come to the county.
The 2024 Sussex Tech Week will bring the community
together as never before and attract visitors and
exhibitors from around the country so that they might
understand what Sussex has to offer and why this
is the location for tech start-ups and investment.

EDUCATION n EMPLOYMENT n COMMUNITY n INVESTMENT
FOR EVENT INFORMATION: INFO@WIREDSUSSEX.COM
FOR SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION: INFO@PLATINUMMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

SCHEDULE
DAY 1

AI/ML, 5G + DATA
GOVERNMENT/STRATEGY/
LEADERSHIP

MAIN TECH STAGE

DAY 2

GAMES, XR
ENVIRONM
TECH FOR G

SECOND STAGE

MAIN TECH STAGE

Introduction

9am

How Gaming Has
Paved The Way/The
Evolution of Gaming

10am

Future of AI/ML

Tech Policy and
Governance

10am

Tech Gaming’s
Role in the Built
Environment

11am

AI Innovations and
Business Potential

Leadership in
the Digital Era

11am

Virtual Production:
Real-time 3D and
Games Engines

12pm

AI Ethics and
Policy Implications

Tech Strategy
for Businesses

12pm

Challenges Facing
Sussex’s Games
Industry

9am

1pm
2pm

3pm

4pm

LUNCH BREAK
Embracing 5G:
Opportunites
and Challenges

Public-Private
Partnership in Tech

Big Data and
AI Integration

Digital Ethics
in Governance

5G, Data Privacy
and Ethics

Leading
Through Digital
Transformation

1pm

LUNCH

2pm

Bridging Realities:
XR and the
Metaverse

3pm

Embracing
the Metaverse:
Productivity and
Collaboration Tools

4pm

Augmenting Reality:
How AR Overlays
Data over the Real
World

R & BUILT
MENT
GOOD

DAY 3

SECOND STAGE

ED TECH/ELEARNING,
WEB3 & CYBER SECURITY
HR, DIVERSITY + INCLUSION

MAIN TECH STAGE

SECOND STAGE

9am

Digital
Transformation
in Education

Building Inclusive
Teams in Tech

Sustainable
Tech Initiatives

10am

eLearning
Innovations
& Future of EdTech

HR Challenges
in the Tech Sector

Eco-Friendly
Revolutions in Tech

11am

What Does AI
Mean for Learning?

Elevating Diversity
in Tech Leadership

12pm

Teaching with
Immersive
Technology

Bridging the
Tech Skills Gap

The Role of Tech in
Climate Solutions
BREAK

1pm

Public-Private
Partnership in Tech

Digital Ethics
in Governance

Leading
Through Digital
Transformation

LUNCH BREAK

2pm

Past the Hype:
The State of Web3

Tech’s Role
in Modern HR

3pm

How NFTs Can
Help Creatives

Cultivating
an Inclusive
Tech Culture

4pm

Digital Ownership
and Security:
Protecting Digital
Assets

FOR EVENT INFORMATION: INFO@WIREDSUSSEX.COM
FOR SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION: INFO@PLATINUMMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

BUSINESS

When we talk about our clients’ sustainability, Net Zero and
climate change, at MHA we also talk about ‘Purpose with
Profit’. In short, says Mark Lumsdon-Taylor, Partner at MHA,
we believe that corporate sustainability shouldn’t come at
the cost of corporate profitability

GOING GREEN
Many businesses are in scope to
measure, report and take action to
mitigate their GHG (greenhouse gas)
emissions. The UK government has
made it clear that its Net Zero
ambitions will not be met by relying
on large companies alone and that all
businesses will need to play their part
in achieving the Net Zero goal and the
creation of a sustainable economy.
Conversely, today’s businesses face
a myriad of challenges driven by
various factors ranging from postCovid rebuilding to the far-reaching
impacts on business and economies
of the war in Ukraine. The rapid and
unprecedented rise in the cost of doing
business makes it very difficult for
companies to transition, despite the
climate emergency.

❛❛ While green initiatives do

come with a price tag attached
if treated in the right way, they
can add significant efficiency
and value to the business ❜❜

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

While green initiatives do come with a
price tag attached if treated in the right
way, they can add significant efficiency
and value to the business, and these
aspects often far outweigh the initial
investment. It is important, despite
the current economic context, that
businesses look beyond the shortterm cost and take advantage of the
opportunities that ‘going green’ can
bring.

BUSINESS

When evaluating green finance options
to install solar and renewable energy
initiatives, the first questions from
businesses often focus on the time
and process required to pay off the
investment. When looking at finance
for green technology, it is vital to
keep cashflow either neutral (at worst)
or positive. After all, businesses will
often be investing in green technology
to save operating costs and improve
their pull to customers and clients
through their green credentials.
Specialist lenders will now consider
the savings generated from installing
green technologies and apply them to
the overall assessment of affordability. This enables businesses to
avoid having to increase cash flow as
the savings will in most cases meet
the payments to the lender. For most
businesses, green funding in the UK
is now available for up to seven
years which has a huge impact on
affordability.

❛❛ Businesses will often be investing in

green technology to save operating costs
and improve their pull to customers and
clients through their green credentials ❜❜
The Green Finance and Banking team
helps our clients to meet their climate
change ambitions through financesourcing, corporate advice, identifying
ways to reduce overheads through green
technology and renewable energy
initiatives, building relationships with
industry partners and providing all
the necessary structures through
specialised green finance solutions.
But the benefits don’t stop there.
Let’s say that your business has

embarked on its ESG and/or Net Zero
journey, but needs finance to continue.
Beneficial financing can be taken
into consideration the returns on the
investment in terms of the savings the
initiative will deliver to the business.
In addition, a properly identified
investment will often deliver cost
savings to the business that pays for, or
more than pays for the interest on any
loans related to it. That’s great for your
business, and great for the planet too.
Its purpose with profit at its best.

Mark Lumsdon-Taylor,
Partner at MHA
www.mha.co.uk

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

FINANCE

We previously wrote about the importance
of profits in business valuations, and this
month we turn to another element – that
of the ‘multiple’, writes Michael Pay of
EMC Corporate Finance

Why multiples matter
in business valuations
One of the commonly used methods for
company valuation by buyers is through
the application of multiples. Multiples
are ratios that compare a company’s
financial metrics, such as earnings
or revenue, to its enterprise or market
value. In this article, we delve into the
concept of multiples in company
valuations and explore the various
factors that impact these multiples.

THE CONCEPT
OF MULTIPLES

Multiples are a cornerstone of financial
analysis and much used in Mergers &
Acquisitions to value target companies
and as part of a bidding process.
Many people will have heard of the priceto-earnings (P/E) ratio as this is used
when referring to publicly quoted
companies’ share prices, but in private
company sales the EBITDA multiple is
the most commonly used.
The EBITDA, or, to use its full title, the
Earnings Before Interest, corporation
Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortisation,

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is used because it is considered to be
the closest approximation to what
a company can generate in ongoing
cash flows.
Offers will often be phrased as a
multiple of EBITDA – and currently
typical ranges will be four to eight
times, depending on a variety of factors.
So, an eight-times multiple will value
a business at twice that of a fourtimes multiple. It is not hard to understand that along with improving your
EBITDA, increasing your multiple can
have a dramatic impact on the valuation
of your business!

FINANCE

❛❛ Multiples are

ratios that compare
a company’s financial
metrics, such as
earnings or revenue,
to its enterprise
or market value ❜❜

BUT WHAT CAN YOU DO TO
INFLUENCE THE MULTIPLE?

Several factors influence the multiples
assigned to a company, each
contributing to its unique valuation.
Understanding these factors is crucial
when selling (or buying) a business.
It allows you to prepare the business in
the best way to attract a high multiple
and to negotiate from a position of
strength with interested parties, to
maximise the multiple and therefore
the value. Here are some key factors
that impact multiples:

INDUSTRY AND
SECTOR DYNAMICS:
Companies within different industries or
sectors often exhibit varying growth
rates, risk profiles, and operational
characteristics. These differences
influence investor perceptions and
expectations, resulting in divergent
multiples. For example, technology
companies may command higher
EBITDA multiples due to their
potential for rapid growth, while mature
industries like utilities might have
lower ones due to their stability but
lower growth prospects.

GROWTH
PROSPECTS:
The expected future growth of a
company plays a significant role in
determining its multiples. Companies
with strong growth potential tend to
have higher multiples as buyers and
investors are willing to pay a premium
for anticipated future earnings. This is
par ticularly evident in industries
driven by innovation and emerging
markets.

FINANCIAL
PERFORMANCE:
A company’s historical and projected
financial performance directly affects
its multiples. Positive financial metrics,
such as consistent revenue and
earnings growth, can lead to higher
multiples. Conversely, companies
facing financial challenges or volatility
may be assigned lower multiples.

PROFIT
MARGINS:
Profit margins reflect a company’s
ability to convert revenue into earnings.
Companies with higher profit margins
are often perceived as more efficient
and are likely to command higher
multiples. Profitability is a key indicator
of a company’s competitiveness and
sustainability.

RISK
PROFILE:
Investors assess the level of risk
associated with a company before
assigning multiples. Factors such as
debt levels, operational risks, and
market volatility impact the perceived
riskiness of an investment. Companies
with lower risk profiles generally receive
higher multiples.

COMPETITIVE
LANDSCAPE:
A company’s competitive position
within its industry affects its valuation
multiples. Market leaders or companies
with a unique competitive advantage
may have higher multiples due to their
ability to generate superior returns
compared to their peers.

MACROECONOMIC
CONDITIONS:
Broader economic conditions and
trends can impact investor sentiment
and, subsequently, multiples. During
periods of economic uncertainty or
recession, multiples across industries
may contract as investors become
more risk-averse.

CONCLUSION

Multiples are a critical component of
company valuations in Mergers and
Acquisitions. Understanding what
may influence your own multiple is
equally important to the underlying
performance in driving value and
should be considered as part of your
own decision making. Even a small
tweak can give big returns – during
negotiations on a recent transaction
that we advised on we managed to
squeeze a tiny one-quarter increase
in the multiple, but that resulted in
another £1m for the shareholder!

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

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

Rock

Role

There’s more to a Hurst education than academic
excellence. Here, self-expression is positively encouraged.
Children are inspired to explore. Invaluable years
in our nurturing, enriching environment in which all
children thrive, blossom and grow. Prepared. For life.

Hurstpierpoint College

www.hppc.co.uk

C O - E D U C AT I O N A L D AY A N D B O A R D I N G S C H O O L F O R P U P I L S A G E D 4 - 1 8

FINANCE
Paul New, Accounts & Business Advisory
Services Partner at Azets, discusses the
benefits of cloud accounting technology
in viewing data as a business partner and
key to driving business performance

Automation in accounting:
data driven decisions
Technology is faster, cheaper and easier
to implement than ever before and
as accountants and business advisors,
at Azets, we know that ambitious
businesses should be constantly looking
at how it can help them power ahead.
To grow a business, business leaders
need to understand where they are now,
have the ability to review their business
and use that information and reliable
data to plot their plans for growth.

WHAT IS CLOUD
ACCOUNTING?

Cloud accounting works in a similar
way to desktop accounting software.
Instead of installing the software on
your computer, cloud packages run
on remote, secure servers which are
accessed using the internet. Data is
securely stored on the cloud, giving you
instant access to real time information.

THE BENEFITS

n TIME SAVING
Cloud accounting brings new working
practices aimed at reducing the time
associated with data inputting. Most
cloud accounting solutions include
features such as bank feeds that
automate postings into the software
from entries on your electronic bank
statements and the ability to upload
scanned images of receipts and
supplier invoices.
n FLEXIBILITY
Multiple users can login to cloud
accounting software at the same
time, from different locations.

❛❛ Cloud accounting brings new

working practices aimed at reducing the
time associated with data inputting ❜❜
n MORE INFORMED
DECISION-MAKING
Cloud accounting software means you
can be confident that you have an
up-to-date picture of your financial
data – allowing you to make more
informed decisions about your business
operations.
n ENHANCED DATA SECURITY
Cloud accounting is more secure
than traditional accounting methods
as there is no requirement to transfer
data between your business and your
accountant and business advisor.

n REQUIRES MINIMAL
IT SUPPORT
Your cloud service provider will do much
of the required IT maintenance, such as
the backing up of your data and installing
software updates.
n COMPLIANCE
Cloud accounting software can help
ensure compliance with regulation such
as Making Tax Digital (MTD) as we
move along the timeline. Cloud
accounting puts in processes to simplify
procedures and ensure easier
management.
For more information on how you
can use technology to power up
your business, please get in touch:
hello@azets.co.uk or visit
www.azets.co.uk

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

BUSINESS

Focus Consulting is a leading independent, professional building
surveying, design and cost consultancy providing services to the
property and construction industry, based in Brighton & Hove

25 YEARS OF
‘PUTTING THE
CLIENT FIRST’
From Listed buildings to modern
eco-homes, Focus Consulting has
been providing quality in-depth advice
combined with highly rated customer
service to clients across London and
the Southeast for a quarter of a century.
Founded in 1998 in Brighton & Hove,
which remains home to the company’s
head office, the company is proud to
have maintained its ethos of quality
personal service, enabling it to remain a
flexible and adaptable partner to its
longstanding clients, which include
major utilities organisations, education
establishments and public authorities,
as well as commercial and residential
property developers.
Managing Director Tony Hulejczuk
remains at the helm as the company’s
Senior Chartered Building Surveyor

❛❛ When we started

out, it was very much
because I wanted
to be my own boss;
I’d always wanted
to do the best for
my clients ❜❜
Tony and the Focus Team
L to R: Iain Staines, Zoe Volkes,
Tony Hulejczuk, Paul Price,
Will Fasanto, Iana Soares

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

and attributes the company’s success
to maintaining the mission he set out
when starting the business of ‘doing
the very best for our clients at all times’.
As the company celebrates its
25th Anniversary, Tony looks back at
what has helped to drive the company’s
success, its continued commitment
to ongoing improvement and the new
ideas and technology which are
already underpinning the company’s
ongoing growth plans for the future.

WHY DID YOU START FOCUS
CONSULTING?

When we started out, it was very
much because I wanted to be my own
boss; I’d always wanted to do the best
for my clients and I could see the way
I wanted to advise and support them.
I’d been working in a corporate and as
the company split up, I saw an
oppor tunity to set up my own
consultancy, to grow and develop my
own team in order to ensure that we
could always provide value to a client.

YOU MAINLY WORK
ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST
AND LONDON, SO WHY
CHOOSE BRIGHTON
& HOVE AS YOUR BASE?

I set up the company here because it
is a great working environment with
a fantastic network of people in the
industry. Over the past 25 years I have
got to know so many people and it is
a pleasure to have been able to continue
working with them.
It remains our home because being
here, with such a strong team, has
meant we’ve been able to maintain the
strong values which have enabled our
clients across the UK and Europe
achieve high-value outcomes.

TO WHAT DO YOU
ATTRIBUTE YOUR SUCCESS?

Our success can be attributed to a
firm commitment to quality and a
keen understanding of our client’s
requirements.
We have managed to retain our
traditional personal service while
adopting modern values. Whatever the
project size, the highest standards of
service are maintained using qualified
RICS accredited professionals and
the latest technology in conjunction
with tried and tested practices and
processes.

Brunswick Terrace, Hove seafront – detailed Schedule of Condition

❛❛ Our success can be attributed

to a firm commitment to quality
and a keen understanding of our
client’s requirements ❜❜
WHAT ARE YOUR
KEY HIGHLIGHTS?

It’s a great mix – there are the clients
and projects of which I am proud
but also the huge amount of work we
have done in the community and the
monies we have raised for charity
through our Golf Days as well as other
events.
And of course, there are our big
celebration anniversary events – I have
great memories of our five and ten-year
anniversary parties. I admit I am
very much looking forward to our
25th Anniversary Party which has been
in planning for some time now.

NOTABLE PROJECTS
Throughout the company’s years
of trading, Focus has had the
opportunity to work on many
iconic and recognisable buildings
including:
nT
he Honourable Society
of Lincoln’s Inn Estate
n Tate Modern extension, London
n Brighton’s seaside arches
n Gatwick Airport service
buildings and hangars
n Tower 42 (The Nat West Tower),
City of London
n Dungeness Power Station, Kent
n The Van Allen Building, Brighton
n Chateau D’Acon, France

WHERE DO YOU SEE
THE COMPANY GOING IN
THE NEXT 25 YEARS?

I am in the fortunate position where
I have an amazing team which has
played a significant role in helping the
business grow and mature over the
past decades.
With a number of recent additions,
I am lucky that I can have such
confidence in the team, that I know
the future success of the company
isn’t just all on me as the MD.
I know that they will be continuing
to bring new ideas to the business,
putting long-term plans in place
and supporting Focus Consulting’s
continued growth and success for
the next 25 years at least!

ANY FINAL WORDS?

Here’s to the next 25 years!

The Dock Hub, Wilbury Villas,
Brighton BN3 6AH
T: 01273 723344
E: brighton@focuscs.co.uk
www.focuscs.co.uk

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

FINANCE

As Rachel Emerson, Partner of Kreston Reeves notes
the Bank of England has lifted the cost of borrowing
14 times in a row with its base rate hitting a near
five-year high of 5.25%

Rising interest rates
and business borrowing
Sparked by bursting inflation rates not
seen for over four decades, it has
increased the cost of borrowing, adding
further stresses for businesses.
Whilst inflation is expected to fall, the
increased cost of borrowing is causing
businesses concern. Business owners
need to understand how rising interest
rates will impact their ability to secure
borrowing, how lenders are responding,
and what impact default rate changes
may have.
It will sound obvious, but business
owners should always be aware of their
current borrowing, when credit facilities
expire, and what covenants are linked to

that borrowing. If further borrowing is
required, acting early to gain certainty is
often advisable.
At the same time, the need to understand
borrowing covenants and the headroom
in those covenants is vital. It should be
remembered that a covenant’s purpose
is to protect both the borrower and
lender, set at a level that allows variance
in the business performance over the
term of the facility.
If forecasts suggest that those
covenants might be broken, perhaps
because of increased overheads such
as higher wages, or exchange rate
fluctuations, business owners should

take proactive steps and explain to
lenders how the position will be
resolved. That may require the
renegotiation of current borrowing or
seeking a capital repayment holiday.
Lenders have always stress-tested
borrowers’ ability to cope with an
increase in the base rate, but with base
rate rises well above lenders’
expectations, any future increases are
likely to force a rethink of those stress
tests and the rates applied. That may
well lead to a tightening of available
credit, emphasising the need for
businesses to look ahead and plan for
future borrowing requirements.
Lenders, however, remain open for
business. They will still expect to see a
well-structured proposal backed up by
balanced forecasts that set out best
and worst-case scenarios. However, do
expect lenders to seek a personal
guarantee and possibly a charge over
personal assets – something that does
not always sit comfor tably with
business owners.

❛❛ Business owners

should always be
aware of their current
borrowing ❜❜

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

FINANCE

❛❛ With base rate rises

well above lenders’
expectations, any
future increases are
likely to force a rethink
of those stress tests ❜❜
BOUNCE BACK LOANS AND
CBILS – EXTEND THE TERM
TO IMPROVE CASHFLOW

Many businesses will have a Bounce
Back Loan with a repayment term of six
years. There is a right to extend the loan
term from six to ten years. With Bounce
Back Loan rates fixed at 2.5%, compared
to borrowing rates now exceeding 10%,
this continues to look good value.

WHAT CAN BUSINESS
OWNERS DO?

The increased cost of borrowing will
have a detrimental impact on cashflow.
With many businesses already having
increased prices and squeezed
suppliers, what other options are open
to them to ease cashflow in the short
term?
Businesses may wish to consider the
following:
n Repayment holidays. Bounce Back
Loans and CBILS include the option
for a lending holiday and now might
be the right time to explore the
opportunity. All lenders should be
receptive to considering requests for
short term capital holidays including
those offering asset finance facilities.
n E xtend borrowing terms. Extending
the loan term will reduce monthly
repayments. Those with Bounce
Back Loans have the right to extend
from six to ten years, and those with
a CBIL can request an extension.
See further detail below.

n Recovery Loan Scheme. The RLS
is now in its third iteration and is
designed to help businesses
weather the uncertainties caused
by the COVID pandemic and
subsequent economic challenges.
Many businesses do not realise that
it is still open for new borrowers.
n VAT loans. VAT is often an issuing of
timing, and specialist short term
loans are available to meet and
spread the cost of VAT bills.
n Value in assets. Is there an opportunity
to refinance plant and machinery
where there is hidden value?
n Value in debtors. Invoice financing is
a type of finance that can release
cash locked up in the balance sheet
that can help ease cashflow
demands.

Borrowers will of course pay more in
interest by extending the term, but
monthly repayments could fall by as
much as 50% providing a boost to cash
flow.
CBILS also offer the ability to extend the
loan term from six to ten years but at
the discretion of the lender. This
extension is available if the borrower is
in difficulty and the lender believes that
the extension will help the borrower
repay the loan. Businesses that wish to
extend the loan term to ease cash flow
will need to factor in additional interest
paid.
Businesses are reminded to take
independent advice before borrowing
or making changes to their existing
borrowing.

If you have any questions related to this
update or would like further information or
guidance, please contact Rachel Emmerson:
Email: enquiries@krestonreeves.com
Call: 0330 124 1399
Visit: www.krestonreeves.com

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

LEGAL

By Alexei Zuyev, Senior Associate
and Adam Williams, Partner, DMH Stallard

GLOBALISATION
– working without
international borders
Globalisation and international recruitment are increasingly important in
today’s business landscape. As labour
markets tighten and free movement
ends, employers are forced to face the
challenge and harness the benefits of
recruiting from overseas.

VISA SPONSORSHIP
AS A SOLUTION

The changing labour market and the
end of free movement have made
immigration control a recurring issue in
recruitment. To overcome this challenge, employers are considering visa
sponsorship as a solution. However,
they also need to consider the costs
and compliance burdens associated
with recruiting non-settled workers.

BENEFITS OF BECOMING
A LICENSED SPONSOR

Becoming a sponsor can bring several
benefits to UK-based operations.
The most obvious benefit is the ability
to attract talented individuals from
other countries; helping address skill
shortages and filling difficult-torecruit positions. Sponsoring workers
allows businesses to access a wider
pool of talent and bring in individuals

Becoming a sponsor
❛❛
can bring several
benefits to UK-based
operations ❜❜

with specialised skills and expertise.
It provides demand-driven access to a
global talent pool, where non-sponsors
are dependent on a supply of workers
who already have (or can obtain) the right
to work in the UK for themselves.
A sponsor licence can also be a tool to
help attract and retain talent within the
UK. It provides potential employees
(especially those on student or graduate
visas) with a long-term career path in
the UK, through the potential to switch
to an employer-sponsored work visa.
Being a licensed sponsor also gives businesses a competitive advantage
in the marketplace, showing their
commitment to investing in and
supporting their workforce.
Becoming a sponsor also has compliance and risk management benefits.
It requires businesses to meet certain
compliance obligations and demonstrate systems to monitor and manage
sponsored workers, which should
increase diligence and reduce scope
for issues, such as deficient rightto-work checks. This helps ensure
compliance with the law and minimises
the risk of non-compliance.

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

FURTHER
INFORMATION
A recent DMH Stallard podcast
on globalisation and the world
of work is available at:
dmhstallard.com/news-insights/
podcasts/globalisation-workingwithout-international-border
The contributors include:
Simon Bellm, Partner at DMH
Stallard and an expert in public,
private sector complex employee
relations and structural change
issues.
Adam Williams, DMH Stallard
Partner and expert in business
immigration and employment law.
Alexei Zuyev, Senior Associate
at DMH Stallard who specialises
in advising on UK immigration
matters, with particular focus on
work-related immigration routes,
right to work and compliance.

The changing labour market and the end
❛❛
of free movement have made immigration
control a recurring issue in recruitment ❜❜

Once a sponsor licence is in place, the
process for securing a skilled worker visa
for each migrant worker will be much
quicker, with various fast-track options
being available for the majority of the
applications.

COMMON CHALLENGES
ASSOCIATED WITH
VISA SPONSORSHIP

ALTERNATIVE
VISA SOLUTIONS

Before sponsoring a worker, employers
must determine if the role is eligible
for work-visa sponsorship. The role
must meet minimum skills and salary
thresholds. Cost is another important
consideration. Sponsoring workers
can be expensive, especially for longterm sponsorships where the employer
will cover some or all of the costs of
the employee and their family.
The timeline of the process is another
crucial factor. Some employers require
candidates to start within a short
period. Without a sponsor licence, the
process can take weeks to months
to set up. While there are ways to
expedite the process, these options
are not always available and are
rarely guaranteed to hit any internal
deadline.

To apply for a sponsor licence, businesses need to analyse their needs,
select the appropriate visa route(s),
gather key documents, prepare a
supporting letter, complete an online
application form, identify key personnel,
submit the application, respond to
any requests for information or visits
from UK Visas & Immigration, and await
licence approval.
Another important consideration is the
additional duties and risks associated
with holding a sponsor licence. The
Home Office expects licensed sponsors
to have a higher degree of commitment
to compliance with relevant laws and
regulations and to actively assist and
co-operate with it in its prevention of
illegal working. Businesses need to
ensure they have the capacity and relevant HR systems and/or external advice
and support in place, to monitor compliance and fulfil obligations. Training of the
key individuals responsible for managing
the licence will be key.

While work-visa sponsorship is the
principal option for employers, the
sophisticated approach involves
consideration of alternative routes which
may be more suitable, or cost-effective
for certain individuals. Youth mobility
schemes, ancestral links to the UK,
recognition as a leader in their field,
sponsored internship schemes, and
being a graduate of a particular course/
university are examples of how other
routes may present themselves, often
avoiding the need for direct employer-sponsorship. Therefore, support
and expertise at an early stage of
a recruitment process to identify possible
alternative routes, that are more optimal,
could pay dividends.

dmhstallard.com

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

LEGAL

Corporate Commentary
After a tough few years, many business owners are keen to
move on with their lives. Sale or Private Equity (PE) can be
the answer, but if your business is not in a “hot” sector, or the
growth profile does not attract investors, what are the options?
Jonathan Grant
Partner and Head of Corporate

ALTERNATIVE EXITS
FOR BUSINESS OWNERS
EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP
TRUSTS (EOTS)

These are becoming increasingly
popular, replacing the more traditional
management buyout.
Two main reasons these are popular:
(i) builds loyalty, giving employees
a long-term ownership stake
(through an employee trust).
(ii) allows founder(s) to de-risk/exit, with
zero rate Capital Gains Tax (CGT).
EOTs can use borrowed money, but
are often financed with profits/cash
reserves, combined with future profits
(deferred consideration). A founder could
sell 50% to an EOT, then if the business
continues to grow, seek a full exit in
due course. It is not certain though
whether the currently attractive tax
rate will survive an election.
The risk with an EOT is that it will often
include an extended deferred consideration period; if the business slows down,
or loses momentum, the company may
be unable to pay. Whilst payment
arrangements can be adjusted, this may
be one reason for founders to retain
a controlling interest, until they’re
satisfied that the management team is
ready to take the reins.

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

MANAGEMENT
BUYOUTS (MBOS)

These are financed by a founder selling
some/all shares to a key leadership team,
with the price paid from retained profits/
borrowing.
Founders will typically sell all/some
shares, supported by bank debt, and
sometimes a deferred payment.
Key managers are normally asked to
invest personally (‘skin in the game’), with
the rule of thumb being one year’s salary.
Sellers will receive CGT tax relief, through
Business Asset Disposal Relief (10% first
£1m, and 20% thereafter). So, MBOs may
be less attractive than an EOT from a CGT
perspective, but achieving CGT treatment

at these rates, remains much more
attractive than the other options of
extracting reserves from a business
(as income).
In issues one and two of Corporate
Commentary, I covered ‘Current Trends
in the M&A Market’ and ‘Sale or PE?
Which will Deliver Best Value? ’,
respectively. Both can be found at:
dmhstallard.com/news-insights
If you would like to discuss
any of these themes further,
please get in touch
Mobile: 07912 087173
E: Jonathan.Grant@dmhstallard.com

Our focus
is you
Outstanding legal advice for
individuals, families and businesses.

For business
We make it our business to know your business,
working with you to add value and to deliver tailored
legal services with energy and creativity whether you’re
an established market leader or an ambitious start-up.

For you
Your family’s security and wellbeing are your priority.
And we have the legal skills and knowledge to
support your plans and the challenges life brings.

Brighton

Gatwick

Guildford

Horsham

London

Our success depends on
understanding your needs
Please call or email to discuss
how we can help you:
03333 231580
enquiries@dmhstallard.com

dmhstallard.com

Selling, buying
or starting a
business?
Call us on
0800 84 94 101
Offices across Sussex

www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk

FINANCE

By Dan Morgan,
Managing Partner,
Haines Watts Esher

How to incentivise your team
Business owners must ensure they are
doing their bit to retain top talent, as well
attract new potential employees in such
a competitive employment market.
Different methods of incentivising can
lead to more motivated and happier
staff, who provide better work output to
create high customer satisfaction.
Methods to incentivise can include:

FINANCIAL INCENTIVES

Share-option schemes involve awarding
your employees equity with favourable tax terms. Employees who have a
personal stake in the company are likely
to feel more invested in the success of
the company, creating a sense of loyalty
as well as increased engagement.
There are different options to choose
from, and those who choose to participate in such schemes can use this to
build wealth over time and become
closer to achieving their long-term
financial goals.
Alternatively, there is the option of a
bonus. This is any additional payments
on-top of a regular salary as a reward
for staff who meet or exceed specific
performance goals, and allows for
increased job satisfaction. Bonuses are
immediate forms of gratification, which
is often preferred by employees, rather
than going down the long-winded route
of shares and equity based incentives.
We also develop bonus schemes with
clients that are linked to long term
performance of the business, with

the schemes paying out periodically.
These are particularly popular for
owner-managed businesses, where
the owners do not wish for any
non-family shareholders to be involved,
with the bonus scheme enabling
key employees to be rewarded for
creating shareholder value.
There are benefits to rewarding through
bonus over salary increases due to the
flexibility. They can be given at any time.
They also help maintain cost levels as
they are not permanent and can be
based on both business and personal
performance.

TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

Granting employees access to high
level training courses and workshops
will encourage them to develop new
skills, which they can put to use at work,
as well as to advance further in their
own careers.
Having the ability to expand on their own
knowledge will ensure that they feel
invested in, and supported by the
company.

LIFESTYLE

In a post-Covid world, flexible working
has become invaluable to modern
employees. Where possible, employees’
needs should be accommodated,
whether that’s done by allowing
a hybrid working system or managing
time off. A positive impact on an
employee’s work life balance can lead
to increased happiness and motivation,
making it easier for business owners
to retain their employees.
Regular social events can build
stronger relationships outside of a
work setting, which will inevitably lead
to better communication and understanding between colleagues. This
will reduce the chances of unhappiness
at work – making it a much more
positive environment.

COMPANY VALUES

Reinforcing your company values
often, and ensuring that they are
understood by every member of the
team is vital. This includes knowing
what they are and how you work towards
them. This creates groups of likeminded individuals, who work well
together and have a clear purpose
at work.

If you want to discuss your people
strategy, get in touch.
www.hwca.com/accountants-esher
T: 020 8549 5137
E: esher@hwca.com

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

BUSINESS

Research undertaken at Surrey Research
Park has stood up to scrutiny as it becomes
widely available across the USA

FUTURA’S PIONEERING
RESEARCH RECEIVES
FDA APPROVAL
Fu tura Medical, an innovative
pharmaceutical company based at
Surrey Research Park in Guildford, is
celebrating a huge milestone – its
breakthrough erectile dysfunction (ED)
treatment MED3000 has been granted
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Marketing Authorisation for over-thecounter sale.
A well-established UK research and
development (R&D) firm, Futura Medical
has an impressive portfolio of products
based on its proprietary, transdermal
DermaSys ® technology, designed to
offer rapid and targeted local delivery of
clinically proven effective treatments via
the skin. The company’s two core
markets are sexual health and pain.
Futura Medical’s lead product MED3000,
which is currently being launched under
the brand name Eroxon®, is a fast-acting
topical gel clinically proven for the
treatment of erectile dysfunction.

Eroxon® works by promoting sensory
stimulation of the nerves on the head
(glans) of the penis by rapid cooling and
recovery warming, leading to rapid
smooth muscle relaxation, vasodilation
and erection.

Europe, so point of access is very
important. With Eroxon®, you can pick it
off the shelf and there are no questions
attached. A lot of men with ED are too
embarrassed to see a doctor. Therefore,
for them – and their sexual partners – to
be able to buy a treatment in a credible
retail store or through its online website
has a significant impact.”

CEO James Barder explains that it has
the potential to be a highly differentiated
product by addressing significant unmet
needs in the ED market. “MED3000 has
two key differentiators,” says James.
“The first is its speed of onset. It helps
men get an erection within 10 minutes,
whilst competitor treatments on the
market, such as Viagra, typically take 30
to 60 minutes to have an effect.
Removing the need for pre-planning, it
offers couples spontaneity and can form
part of sexual foreplay.”

Eroxon®’s efficacy to treat mild, moderate
and severe erectile dysfunction has been
confirmed by two major clinical studies,
conducted in Eastern Europe and the
USA. Overall, 63% of consumers
achieved MCID (minimal clinically
important difference) – the outcome
measure that would be noticeable to a
patient and be of clinical relevance – at
12 weeks.

The second differentiator is MED3000’s
recently-approved over-the-counter
status. The treatment is available to
purchase without the need for a
doctor’s prescription, making it highly
accessible. “The UK is an unusual market
in that ED treatments can already be
purchased over the counter,” continues
James. “However, almost everywhere
else in the world, these drugs remain
prescription only. That’s certainly the
case in America, as well as throughout

Working with its commercial partners,
Futura Medical is poised for the longterm distribution of MED3000 across the
globe. The rights to the product have
been out-licensed in USA, Europe, the
Middle East and Latin America to several
companies. Whilst initial launches have
commenced under the brand name
Eroxon ®, with the product currently
available in the UK and Belgium, further
launches are planned for 2023 and
beyond.

❛❛ Working with its commercial

partners, Futura Medical is poised
for the long-term distribution of
MED3000 across the globe ❜❜
44

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

BUSINESS

Futura Medical is celebrating its 20th
anniversary this year so MED3000’s FDA
approval has come at the perfect time.
“It has taken us a number of years to
develop MED3000, with our first clinical
study starting in 2016,” says James.
“It’s a major achievement to get FDA
approval, and a great testimony to our
small in-house team of 14, who have
worked very hard to deliver that. Eroxon®
has experienced strong demand since
launching and we only expect this to
continue.”
Surrey Research Park has played, and
continues to play, an important role in
Futura Medical’s R&D innovations.
James explains that, in the past, the
company took advantage of the lab
facilities on site and collaborated with
fellow tenants. He adds: “One of the
things that originally attracted us to
the Park was the location as it was
close to where our team members lived.
Within the Surrey Technology Centre,
we’re able to rent fully-serviced offices

❛❛ Surrey Research Park has played, and

continues to play, an important role in
Futura Medical’s R&D innovation. In the past,
the company took advantage of the lab facilities
and collaborated with fellow tenants ❜❜
on a relatively short-term lease. We
originally used one unit, but are now
using three, and have shrunk it back
depending on what’s going on, which
has been convenient.”
Now the roll-out of MED3000 is firmly
underway, what’s next for Futura
Medical? Following the FDA approval,
the company will be working to get the
drug approved throughout the rest of the
world. “We’re working on some other
products in the sexual health and pain
relief categories, but at the moment, our
main focus will be on expanding the
innovation pipeline around Eroxon ®
which, in many markets, we are creating

a new over-the-counter category,”
explains James. “It’s really a question
of how we can drive that innovation,
especially for our commercial partners,
who are very interested in having line
extensions and other products in the
area.”

www.surrey-research-park.com
www.futuramedical.com
www.eroxon.co.uk

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

BUSINESS
If you wish to succeed in the dynamic and competitive
environment that is the modern workforce, you will need
something to give you an edge over your competition.
By Jason Hargreaves of the Education & Skills Partnership

Empowering employees with
employer-sponsored training
Employer-sponsored training – the
development and skills training offered
by an employer to their staff – has
become an essential strategy for
empowering employees and driving
organisational growth. Are you getting
the benefit of training in your
organisation?

BENEFITS FOR EMPLOYEES

There is a multitude of benefits that
employer-sponsored training adds
value from an employee’s perspective,
to name a few
n Boosts your confidence in doing
your job well
n Higher job satisfaction
n Able to tackle complex tasks
with ease
n Developing transferable skills
n Climb the corporate ladder
within your organisation

Training up employees benefits
the employers as well by creating
a skilled and engaged workforce.
When employees receive appropriate
and comprehensive training, it allows
them to gain confidence in their ability
to perform their job effectively, builds
self-assurance, and leads to higher
productivity. Of course, this will
ultimately lead to the success of
the company, so it’s worth it for
employers to invest in training.

AGILE STRUCTURES

Courses offering transferable skills give
employers the opportunity to expand
employees’ skillsets. This essentially
increases versatility and agility within
company structures, and forces
adaptability and resilience. Such traits
help the company to succeed in today’s
competitive job market.

❛❛ Training up employees benefits the employers as
well by creating a skilled and engaged workforce ❜❜

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

CAREER ADVANCEMENTS

Employees who take the initiative to
undergo further training are good
investments. With regular training and
upskilling, they are the per fect
candidates for internal promotions, and
succession planning.

IMPROVE EFFICIENCY
AND PRODUCTIVITY

With employer-sponsored training,
employees can refine their abilities,
acquire time-saving techniques, and
adopt best practices in their respective
fields. With this knowledge, employees
become more efficient and productive.
This is beneficial to both employee and
employer alike.
With greater efficiency, you can
accomplish more in less time. This
in turn benefits the employer with
increased productivity and reduced
operational costs. Essentially, everyone
wins!

BUSINESS

REFRESH THE BUSINESS
WITH NEW IDEAS

If you need to invigorate your business
with new ideas, training programmes
might seem like a “thinking outside
the box” strategy. But it’s a great way
to bring fresh perspectives and
innovative ideas to the workplace
as they encourage creative thinking
and problem-solving.
This will make it easier to find
solutions to organisational challenges. By allowing this kind of
innovation, you might find that you
can easily improve processes,
products, and ser vices, actively
contribute to the company’s growth
and competitiveness in the market.

ORGANISATIONS HAVE
A DUTY TO ENCOURAGE
A LOVE OF LEARNING

Employees who choose to continue
learning are more likely to remain
motivated and invested in their work,
contribute to a positive work
environment where employees feel
encouraged to seek answers, and
explore new areas of interest – all to
the benefit of their employers.

FIND OUT ABOUT THE
TYPES OF TRAINING AND
THEIR ADVANTAGES

If your interest is piqued by the benefits
of employers-sponsored training, you
might be asked what exactly is
out there? Learn about the different
kinds of training – from shor t
courses for immediate term results,
to embedded on-the -job training
through apprenticeships, and how
the team at The Education & Skills
Partnership can help you and your
staff move forward, together.

TRAINING EMPLOYEES
EMPOWERS

As should be evidenced by now,
employer- sponsored training is
incredibly valuable for employees,
providing them with numerous benefits
that contribute to their personal
growth and professional success.

❛❛ Our learning and

skills coaches are highly
skilled and well-qualified
in what they do ❜❜
THE DIFFERENCE IN
WORKING WITH ESP

Organisations can enhance the
learning experience for employees
with different types of training, such
as sh o r t c ourse training and
apprenticeships, ensuring employees
acquire practical skills and knowledge that align with their career
aspirations.

The Education & Skills Partnership
team is passionate about learning
and development. Find out about
the difference in working with us and
how we work with employers and
employees alike to design a training
and education programme that fits the
needs of both parties.

As an employee, embracing training
opportunities and encouraging your
employer to invest in your development
is a proactive step toward unlocking
your potential and will go a long way in
ensuring long-term success in the everevolving workplace – speak to your line
manager now!

Our learning and skills coaches are
highly skilled and well-qualified in
what they do. What’s most important
to us is that our learners feel cared
for and listened to, and that our
courses help them fulfil their potential,
progress in their profession, and meet
their individual career development
goals.

To discuss how we can support you on your journey of
developing transferable skills, get in touch with our team
for a free consultation.
https://esp-ac.uk

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

SUSSEX
BUSINESS
AWARDS 2023
CELEBRATING 35 YEARS OF THE SUCCESSES, ACHIEVEMENTS
AND RESILIENCE OF THE REGION’S BUSINESS COMMUNITY
COMPANY
OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by

CFO OF
THE YEAR

Sponsored by

BUSINESSPERSON
OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by

BUSINESS
INNOVATION
OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by

FINANCE

The winner of this award will
be selected from the finalists
in all the other categories.
This award will be chosen by
the sponsor and recognises
a business they feel stands
out as an inspiration to other
businesses.

MEDIUM
BUSINESS
OF THE YEAR

This award aims to recognise
the CFO who has had the most
positive impact on people,
profit and environment. The
individual will have inspired and
influenced the people around
them to achieve growth and
build a sustainable business of
the future.

SMALL BUSINESS
OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by

This award recognises an
exceptional individual, either
a successful entrepreneur or
senior manager, who has made
a significant impact on their
business and can demonstrate
outstanding achievement whilst
inspiring others around them.

EMPLOYER
OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by

This award recognises
a business that has made
significant strides in their
field, be it developing a new
product or by introducing
a new process or system
to an existing business.

BUSINESS
GROWTH AWARD

Sponsored by

This award aims to recognise a
business that has demonstrated
outstanding achievements in
all aspects of their organisation
(turnover between £500,000
and £5million).

This award aims to recognise a
business that has demonstrated
outstanding achievements in
all aspects of their organisation
(turnover under £500,000).

This award recognises
a business that has created
a healthy and supportive
work environment with a
genuine commitment to the
wellbeing of its employees.

This award recognises
a business which, through
outstanding vision and
leadership, has achieved
significant and sustained
growth.

While the work of the IMEX Group
❛❛
is on a global scale, it’s a family-run

company that’s ﬁrmly rooted
in the local community – that’s why this
recognition is particularly signiﬁcant ❜❜
DAVID HARRISON OF IMEX GROUP
CFO of the Year 2022

IN
AI
D
OF

LAST CHANCE
TO ENTER
ENTRY DEADLINE SEPTEMBER 20TH 2023
VIEW CATEGORIES ONLINE
WWW.PLATINUMMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK
BEST CUSTOMER
SERVICE AWARD

Sponsored by

INTERNATIONAL
BUSINESS
OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by

CREATIVE
INDUSTRIES
AWARD

CEO OF
THE YEAR

Sponsored by

FINANCE

This award recognises
a business that exceeds
customer expectations
in all areas of the business
by providing the very highest
level of customer service.

This award recognises
a business based in, or
conducting the majority of its
overseas business from, an
operational base in Sussex.
The company should
demonstrate healthy import/
export activity and good trading
relationship with any country
outside of the UK.

This award recognises a
business which operates in
the creative and digital sectors
(PR, advertising, architecture,
art, crafts, design, fashion,
film, music, photography,
performing arts, publishing,
software, toys/games, TV/radio
and/or video games).

LARGE BUSINESS
OF THE YEAR

PROFESSIONAL
SERVICES
AWARD

COMMUNITY
HERO AWARD

Sponsored by

Sponsorship
available
This award aims to recognise a
business that has demonstrated
outstanding achievements in
all aspects of their organisation
(turnover over £5million).

This award recognises
excellence in the regulated
sector management underpinned by a strong financial
performance and adherence to
a professional code of conduct.
This category covers a wide
range of professional services
including legal, financial,
recruitment and consultancies.

BUSINESSES CAN
SUBMIT UP TO
THREE SUBMISSIONS
£25 PER ENTRY

This award aims to recognise
a CEO that has demonstrated
excellent performance against
multiple criteria – financial,
reputational, employee
engagement – balanced
with a clarity of leadership.

START-UP
OF THE YEAR
Sponsorship
available

Sponsorship
available
This award recognises an
individual or business whose
contribution to society makes
a substantial difference to the
lives of others.

This award recognises a
business with entrepreneurial
aptitude, vision, ambition, drive
and commercial acumen to
build a successful enterprise
from start-up.

AWARD
CEREMONY
NOVEMBER
30TH
THE GRAND
BRIGHTON

LEGAL

From October 1st 2023, the new Fixed Recoverable Costs
regime will be implemented in civil claims. The changes
are expected to have a significant impact on litigation and
legal costs. By Johanna Abrahams, Litigation Executive,
Mayo Wynne Baxter

FIXED RECOVERABLE
COST REGIME TO BE
INTRODUCED
Fixed recoverable costs set the amount
of legal costs that the winning party in a
dispute can claim back from the losing
party. The issue with fixed recoverable
costs currently is that the amount that
can be reclaimed by the winning party
may not cover the costs of the case.
As such, the intention of the new regime
is to keep litigation costs proportionate
to the value of the claims and to provide
increased costs certainty for litigants.
The fact that litigants can rarely recover
all the costs they incur even if they have
a costs order in their favour is nothing
new. Costs have always been subject to
assessment by the court. That said, this
new regime may widen the gap between
those costs the client has to pay and
those it can recover from the opponent
even if successful.
Fixed recoverable costs will apply to
all claims in the fast track up to the
value of £25,000 and a new intermediate

This new regime may widen
❛❛
the gap between those costs the client

has to pay and those it can recover from
the opponent even if successful

❜❜

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

track will deal with most matters
valued between £25,000 and £100,000.
The intermediate track will be added
between the fast track and the multitrack. The multi-track costs will not
change and the fast-track cost rules
will be fixed costs throughout.
The level of costs will be decided based
on both the value and complexity of
the claim, but the determination of
costs will be the value of the claim.
Non-monetary claims will not usually
be allocated to the intermediate track
unless the Court considers necessary
in the interests of justice. Judges will
continue to have discretion to allocate
complex cases to the multi-track, taking
them out of the fixed recoverable costs
regime.
The new regime will see the Court
allocating both a track and a band
which takes the complexity of the
case into account. To determine the
applicable fixed costs, you take the
value of the claim and pick the relevant
part of the fixed cost schedule which
will decide how much can be recovered
by the winning party. The parties have
the option of making an application to
move both track and band.

LEGAL

An intermediate track case will
automatically be listed for a Case
Management Conference to decide
Directions. Directions will only comprise
disclosure, witness statements, expert
evidence, pre-trial review, and listing for
trial. There will be no budgeting or
detailed assessment.
A case will not be allocated to the
intermediate track if the trial is set to
take more than three days, or if more
than one expert is required for each
party. In this case, the claim will be
allocated to the multi-track.

There will be a new process introduced
for noise-induced hearing loss claims,
and fixed recoverable costs for clinical
negligence claims are being considered
separately. The consideration of
fixed recoverable costs for all housing
cases has been deferred until at least
October 2025.

Where a party has acted unreasonably, the Court
❛❛
can reduce the fixed costs payable by 50% or have the
fixed recoverable costs uplifted by 50% ❜❜

There is also a better chance to recover
pre-issue costs as there is a set amount
which is recoverable if a case settles
before a claim is issued. A party can
apply for costs above fixed costs
if there is unreasonable behaviour by
any party, which is poor conduct
for which there is no reasonable
explanation. Where a party has acted
unreasonably, the Court can reduce the
fixed costs payable by 50% or have the
fixed recoverable costs uplifted by 50%.
Personal injury claims will be subject to
fixed recoverable costs if the cause of
action arises on or after October 1st
2023, with disease claims only being
subject to fixed recoverable costs if the
letter of claim is sent after that date.
Litigators should consider whether
there are any pending claims valued at
less than £100,000 which can be issued
before the new regime is implemented
as the level of fixed costs for each
complexity band are less than what is
recoverable under the standard basis
costs regime. Although the intention is
to bring predictability to costs, the
regime does not deal with legal fees,
meaning a winning party could still
suffer a shortfall. There may also be a
negative impact on smaller firms,
meaning fewer people are able to
access legal representation.
The Ministry of Justice has announced
that it will review and extend the regime
in three years.

For further information contact
Johanna Abrahams,
Litigation Executive
Mayo Wynne Baxter
Jabrahams@mayowynnebaxter.co.uk
www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

EVENTS

Come and join us here at Plumpton Racecourse
as we kick start the new national hunt season on Sunday
September 24th with our fabulous Family Raceday!

PLUMPTON
RACECOURSE
RACING

We have a brilliant six-race card that has
always provided close and exciting
finishes with some big priced winners.
Last year, See the Sea – rather apt being
so close to the coast – won our feature
raceday, trained by Donald McCain and
ridden by Peter Kavanagh.

ENTERTAINMENT

There will be an action-packed
entertainment programme for all the
family. Key features of the day will be an
opportunity to ‘Meet the Dinosaurs,’ who
are very lifelike and friendly and will allow
you to learn fascinating dinosaur facts
that will educate all ages. There will also
be the thrill of a 90ft bouncy castle
obstacle course, and you can pit yourself
against friends on our nine-hole crazy
golf. Plus the obligatory face painters…
Furthermore, it will be the second year of
staging our dog competition, which was
a great success last year. There will be
numerous categories available to enter
so make sure you bring along your canine
friends, with a percentage of funds going
towards Paws for the Cause Rescue.

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

EVENTS

DINING AND HOSPITALITY

Make the most of the Family Raceday by
indulging in one of our dining packages.
Enjoy a delicious locally-sourced meal in
one of our private boxes, the Paddock
Restaurant or Final Fence Restaurant.
Prices start from only £80 per adult
(inclusive of VAT), with a discounted
children’s menu also available for our
younger VIPs.

PARTNERSHIPS

There is nothing more exciting than
giving your guests the experience of
visiting the Parade Ring and mixing with
our sporting stars or seeing your
company in prime position at one of the

❛❛ There is nothing more exciting

than giving your guests the experience
of visiting the Parade Ring and mixing
with our sporting stars ❜❜
best sporting venues in Sussex. What’s
more, these packages won’t break the
bank.
Plumpton Racecourse is at the ‘Heart Of
The Community’ where we bridge
generations, nurture communities and
embrace nature’s heritage with great
racing at our core.

To find out more visit www.plumptonracecourse.co.uk
or call 01273 890383. Admission tickets start from just
£15 per adult, with group rates also available and under
18s race free when accompanied by an adult

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

LEGAL

By Pam Loch,
Loch Associates

COMPETITION TIME!
Are the Government reforms of
non-compete clauses a good or bad thing?
Non-compete clauses have, for years,
been a thorn in the side of both business
owners and employment lawyers alike.
Described by the Courts as “the most
powerful weapon in an employer’s
armoury,” post-termination restrictions
are designed to protect the legitimate
business interests of an organisation
and prevent damage by unscrupulous
ex-employees.
They usually include a legally binding
obligation to prevent an ex-employee
competing with an employer for a
specific time after their employment
ends. In recent years however, more
and more organisations have routinely
relied on non-compete clauses as a
‘catch all’ method to prevent exiting
employees moving to a competing
business, often resulting in expensive,
time consuming and unnecessary
litigation.
The Government is now acting to
substantially limit the ability of
businesses to restrict competition and
prevent non-compete clauses lasting
more than three months. Whilst this
certainly opens up greater potential for
the movement of employees across
competing businesses and a more
diverse recruitment pool across
industry sector, the risk the reforms
present for businesses to protect their
legitimate business interests and retain
valuable employees is substantial.

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

Enforcing non-compete clauses has
been the subject of many Court cases
over the years. While generally they can
be challenging to enforce, if carefully
drafted and tailored to the role and
circumstances, Cour ts can grant
injunctions to prevent ex-employees
joining their new employer. Restricted
periods are usually three to six months,
but Courts have enforced non-compete
clauses which last longer.
From the perspective of a business
recruiting staff, the reforms are
a welcome change. In fast paced

industries, waiting three months for an
incoming employee to be outside their
restricted period is far more palatable than waiting six or 12 months.
Individuals who bring with them a
substantial client following will be able
to move jobs more easily and without the fear that they could face an
injunction. Equally, the new employer
also knows that it will no longer face
a civil claim for inducing a breach
of contract, beyond the three month
restricted period. However, it poses
a real concern from a retention
perspective, with employees more
likely to explore job opportunities
elsewhere without the fear of retaliation
and feeling able to cope with a threemonth restricted period rather than
much longer.
Businesses should act now to take
a two-pronged approach in respect
of retaining employees and protecting
their legitimate business interests.
Retention should not be as a result of
employees feeling that they ‘can’t’ leave
a role, but because they choose not to.
This means being proactive and looking
at the culture of a business, the
opportunities available to existing
employees and recognising the
employee’s value through incentives
such as a good benefits package,
flexibility where possible and an
attractive salary at market rate.

LEGAL

at ways of strengthening these
provisions in their contracts in light
of the upcoming changes. However,
they must be drafted correctly to be
enforceable and employers should not
include them in everyone’s contract
as that will weaken enforceability.
The implications of the reform for
settlement agreements are yet to be
explicitly addressed. Employers often
agree to additional non-compete
restrictions as part of an agreed
settlement with an exiting employee,
often in return for an additional
payment. Settlement agreements
may continue to fall outside the scope
of the reform, allowing employers to
include longer non-compete clauses.

❛❛ Enforcing non-compete clauses has been the
subject of many Court cases over the years ❜❜
Post- pandemic, more and more
employees reported that a healthy
work-life balance was essential to their
good mental health and their desire to
remain with their employer. This is an
opportunity for businesses to review
existing policies and packages and
shift the focus away from preventing
employees joining a competitor to
creating an environment in which they
thrive and are not looking elsewhere.

competitors during a period of notice,
whilst keeping them contractually
bound by confidentiality obligations.
Following a period of garden leave,
post termination restrictions can kick
in which, in many cases, will achieve
the additional protection being lost
in the reforms. However, employers
do need to ensure their contracts of
employment give them the power to
place an employee on garden leave.

Inevitably of course, there will be
employees who leave, irrespective
of how good the work culture is.
To address that, businesses should
look now at the methods which
remain available to them to protect
their legitimate business interests and
in particular revisit their contracts and
policies as they can be effectively
used to minimise the risk of damage
when the person leaves.

It should be noted that the reforms
do not extend to other restrictive
covenants such as non-solicitation,
non-dealing and non-poaching clauses.
These alone can provide substantial
protection to a business’ legitimate
interests and employers should look

Relying on garden leave clauses, for
example, is a very obvious method
to keep employees away from

Additionally, the reform’s impact on
existing employees’ non-compete
clauses lasting longer than three
months, remains uncertain. Employers
might face the challenge of re negotiating contractual terms to
comply with the new legislation,
while preserving essential business
protections.
The legal landscape of non-compete
refo r m p o s e s c h all e n g e s a n d
oppor tunities for employers and
employees alike. As the proposed
changes to non-competes inches
closer to becoming law, businesses
must carefully navigate the implications for recruitment and retention
strategies, by revisiting their existing
contracts to maximise the protections,
as well as reviewing their approach
to incentivising employees to remain
with them. This is also a ripe opportunity for businesses to investigate
and address any cultural concerns
which would encourage employees
to consider making a move, in order
to create a strong, committed staff
base and minimise both the number
and negative impact of exiting
employees.

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

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

CHARITY

Our MDHUB members constantly surprise and inspire us through
their dedication to their businesses. As if this wasn’t impressive enough,
four members have used their unstoppable drive to raise money for four
wonderful charities. From sponsored walks to swimming the Channel,
we’re taking the opportunity to share and celebrate their inspiring efforts,
writes Millie Green, MDHUB Social Media Lead

MDHUB MEMBERS GOING
THE EXTRA MILE FOR
CHARITABLE CAUSES
It’s three in the morning. In the swaying
darkness, a swimmer weaves through
the waves. Her destination? France.
A spotlight glares down from The
Gallivant, breaking through the otherwise inky sky. This is where Sarah
Dennis, Group Executive PA at Temple,
found herself this July.
www.templegroup.co.uk
After almost a year of frustrating delays,
Sarah took the plunge to raise money
for Aspire, a UK charity for people with
spinal cord injuries, supporting them
from injury to independence.

Above: The Gallivant.
Right: Sarah Dennis swimming
the channel

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

The Aspire Jackals team swam through
the night and into the dawn, passing a
smack* of jellyfish on their way. They
finally landed in France after 12 hours
and 40 minutes. We are so impressed
by Sarah’s effort and that of the whole
Aspire Jackals team. Read more
about Aspire’s work on their website
www.aspire.org.uk. You can also read
more about their journey to completing

the swim on their JustGiving page
www.justgiving.com/fundraising/
sarah-dennis1974
Compared to swimming the Channel, a
morning swim in the summer seems an
ideal way to start the day, to warm up
your muscles and wake yourself up.
Now imagine doing a swim every day,
for a whole year.

CHARITY

Clare Wilkinson
Clare Wilkinson (above) at Hot Horse
took on the monumental challenge to
swim every day for 365 days in aid of
the Trussell Trust, and completed her
final swim at the Saltdean Lido on
Saturday July 22nd 2023.
http://hothorse.co.uk
www.trusselltrust.org
The mental effort to swim every day,
rain or shine, is no joke. It’s an
outstanding display of Clare’s dedication and drive, and her efforts will be
well appreciated.
The Trussell Trust has delivered almost
three million emergency food parcels in
the last twelve months, a 100% rise on
the previous twelve months. Over a
million of these parcels were distributed to children.
If you would like to support Clare
and the Trussell Trust, you can donate
to Clare’s GoFundMe.
www.hothorse.com/swimming

Victoria Green

Helen Vane
Back on land, Helen Vane (above),
Director at GoGecko took on a walking
challenge, certainly not for the faint of
heart, 27 miles on foot through the
parks of London, all in aid of BRCA+
Chat, a charity providing support to
those carrying a BRCA (or other) gene
mutation.
www.gogecko.org.uk
https://brcachat.com
For Helen, the walk was personal: her
close friend Sarah had just come out of
remission from ovarian cancer. Sarah’s
family carry the gene mutation and are
faced with impossible decisions to
make to decrease their risk of developing cancer. Helen’s mum and sister,
although not carriers of the BRCA gene
mutation, are also both recovering from
breast cancer.
BRCA+ Chat is a small Worthing-based
charity, so giving something back was
especially important for Helen. So far,
she has raised £1,200 for BRCA+
Chat, including a very generous £500
donation from Clarity Environmental
Ltd. You can read more about Helen’s
walk and donate to her fundraiser
on GoFundMe. www.justgiving.com/
page/helen-vane-onefootatatime

On the September 23rd, hundreds of
purple-clad walkers will fill London’s
streets in aid of Cancer Research for the
Shine Night Walk 2023. Among them
will be Victoria of Victoria Green (above),
walking for a close friend recently lost
to cancer. Victoria’s friend left behind
a 15 year-old son.
www.victoriagreen.com
www.cancerresearchuk.org
Victoria and the rest of the Shine Night
walkers will raise money to support
new, pioneering research into treatments that will help future cancer
patients.
Read more about Victoria’s journey to
the walk on the Cancer Research
website ht tps://fundraise.cancer
r e s e a r c h u k .o r g /p a g e / v i c t o r i a s giving-page-3621
Congratulations to these wonderful
women. Their efforts are an incredible
display of their care and courage, and
the thousands of pounds raised will
make a huge difference to all four
charities.
If you feel so inclined, please do give
generously to support these four
amazing women in their achievements and do give them a great big
hug next time you see them.
*The collective noun for jellyfish. Really.

If you are interested in finding out
more about the MDHUB, please
visit www.mdhub.co.uk
Email MDHUB Directors:
Fiona Shafer: fiona@mdhub.co.uk or
Phil Green: phil.green@mdhub.co.uk

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

INNOVATION

As part of this summer’s programme of Knowledge Hub events,
Sussex Innovation welcomed Gary Kendall, founder of member
company CDO2, and Les Gill, Innovate UK Edge advisor to share
their experience of how to position your business for grant funding.
Here are a few of the key insights they highlighted

GRANT FUNDING

– which, why, when and how?
With debt and equity funding harder to
come by in the current economic
climate, grant funding is becoming
an increasingly attractive option for
technology and knowledge -based
businesses. However, for many small
and micro-business owners, it can also
be a confusing space to navigate.
It might seem like grant funding is
only an option for larger and more
established SMEs, but there are plenty
of opportunities if you know how to
position yourself to capitalise on them.
There are many different types of
grant funding available to SMEs, with
the government providing £172 billion
for grants in the last two years alone.
At July’s Knowledge Hub event on
Securing Grant Funding, Sussex
Innovation tenant Gary Kendall, director
of CDO2, spoke about his experience of
applying for grants. CDO2 is a leading
innovator in current density imaging –
working alongside the University of
Sussex Quantum Technologies Lab,
it is developing new technology for

There are many different types of
❛❛
grant funding available to SMEs, with

the government providing £172 billion
for grants in the last two years alone

❜❜

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

applications in electric vehicle batteries,
improving range, health and safety.
CDO2 and its partners’ work has been
partially funded through the Innovate
UK Faraday Battery Challenge and the
Advanced Propulsion Centre UK.
Gary’s key piece of advice was about
the value of good partnerships. Funding
bodies - much like private investors –
are looking at the qualities of the
teams and their ability to deliver the
project they are planning. If you can
demonstrate that several different
partners are involved in your bid,
and that they each bring relevant
experience and skills, you will be in
a much stronger position. CDO2 was
particularly successful with its grant
applications because of partnering
with academic researchers. The experience universities have of working
within the framework of public funding
can be invaluable in helping to
represent a project effectively.
A bid with multiple partners can be
a double-edged sword though, as Gary
pointed out. As well as demonstrating
a breadth of experience, you will need
to show a capacity to work well
together when required. Spending time
working closely on your pitch and
understanding each of your roles
and responsibilities is essential.

INNOVATION

As an advisor for Innovate UK’s
EDGE programme, Les Gill has
supported Gary with securing new and
appropriate funding pathways for
CDO2’s projects. Les spoke at length
about the “dos and don’ts” of writing
a successful grant application, pointing
out that many bids fall at the first hurdle,
simply because they don’t address
the specific challenge that the funding
is designed for.
That’s why the most important step
for anyone exploring grant funding is
to do your research. Take time to
understand what is available, from
small funding pots designed to support
the introduction of new technologies,
to major funding competitions that
address national policy challenges
like decarbonisation, social care or
waste management.
At a regional level, it’s worth looking
at what your local government and
Local Enterprise Partnerships are
incentivising through grant funding

before pursuing larger opportunities. If
you work in a specific industrial sector,
it’s also a good idea to understand
which regions are prioritising funding
for your industry. Sometimes it’s worth
partnering with a local organisation to
base your project somewhere that will
have the necessary skills and resources
close at hand.

For many small and micro-business owners,
❛❛
it can also be a confusing space to navigate ❜❜

Writing a funding bid takes a lot of
work, and it’s a wasted effort unless
you are sure that it is a good fit for
your business. For that reason, you
need to thoroughly read the scope
of the funding and be honest with
yourself about whether you are set
up to deliver what it is asking for.
Not only that, but does it align with
your ambitions? If you are going to
spend a significant length of time
delivering against a bid, it should be
one that takes your business in the
direction you want it to go in.
Related to this, be sure about the
amount of money you’re bidding for.
If you ask for too much and can’t
demonstrate that the funds are
needed, your application is unlikely
to be successful. However, Les
counselled against asking for too
little also. Whilst you might be more
likely to succeed in your bid, it could
be extremely detrimental to your
business if you don’t leave yourself
with enough capital to deliver the
project’s intended outcome.
Finally, be prepared to ask for advice.
You can speak to a dedicated
innovation and growth specialist by
contacting Innovate UK EDGE, who’ll
offer honest feedback on which forms
of funding are right for your business
requirements.

www.sussexinnovation.co.uk

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

BUSINESS

Let’s Do Business Finance discusses the availability
of Start Up Loan financing, dispelling the myth that
it is only for businesses at their very beginning, and
educating on how it is empowering businesses to
take the next growth step

IT DOESN’T STOP
WITH START-UPS
In today’s fast-paced business landscape, start-ups and small businesses
are often unaware of, or struggle to
secure, the necessary funding to take
their ventures to the next level. However,
entrepreneurs need not fret, as there is
a valuable lifeline available in the form
of start-up loans. These loans have
become a vital resource for fledgling
businesses, offering financial assistance
to those trading under three years,
propelling them towards success and
growth.
Start-up loans have gained popularity
in recent years due to their potential to
fuel economic growth and support
innovation. Offering loans of up to
£25,000 per applicant, the primary
distinguishing feature of start-up loans
is their accessibility to businesses that
have been trading under three years old.
Unlike traditional loans, which often
demand an established track record,
start-up loans acknowledge that earlystage businesses require support during
their crucial formative years. Offering
the facility for businesses trading for up
to three years, provides businesses
looking to achieve growth in their early
years access to capital to help them
succeed.

This accessibility extends to a broad
range of industries and sectors. Whether
it’s a technology start-up, a creative
venture, or a retail business, as long
as the business has a clear plan and
potential for growth, it stands a chance
to secure a start-up loan. There is
also a lot of freedom for the use of
the funding which can include things
such as equipment purchases, office
space, marketing campaigns, and hiring
essential personnel. By easing the
financial burden during the early stages,
start-up loans allow entrepreneurs to
focus on building a strong foundation
for their ventures.
Beyond the initial launch, start-up loans
continue to be valuable assets for
businesses looking to scale and
expand. Many start-ups face cash
flow challenges during the growth
phase, making it difficult for them to
invest in new opportunities or hire more
employees. With a start-up loan, these
businesses can access the capital
needed to seize growth opportunities,
enter new markets, and strengthen
their market position.
Apart from the financial aspect, start-up
loans come with added benefits.

❛❛ Beyond the initial launch, start-up

loans continue to be valuable assets for
businesses looking to scale and expand ❜❜

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

Many lenders provide mentorship
programmes, business advisor y
services, and networking opportunities
to aid entrepreneurs in their journey.
The Start Up Loan Scheme itself also
provides a comprehensive post loan
mentoring and support programme
to all successful loan recipients. This
invaluable support can prove decisive
for start-ups seeking guidance and
expertise from seasoned professionals
who have traversed similar paths.
Let’s Do Business Finance is an accredited business support partner of British
Business Bank, and is the Start Up Loan
providers for the South East region.
A huge advocate for Start Up Loans,
it recognises the impor tance of
supporting young businesses and the
positive impact they can have on
local economies. Having helped
hundreds of applicants and approving
£4.7million in Start Up Loans in 2022,
the company is delighted to be an
integral part of each journey, whether
that be an entrepreneur just getting
started or a more seasoned business
owner looking for that next step to
growth.

BUSINESS

START UP SEPTEMBER

To recognise entrepreneurism and the
Start Ups of the South East, Let’s Do
Business Finance and its wider group is,
for a third consecutive year, running
‘Start Up September’. The Start Up
September campaign, which saw huge
success in 2022, highlights the range
of support available for start up
businesses and entrepreneurs and
celebrates star t- up successes.
For the whole month, Let’s Do Business
Group will be signposting businesses
for support as well as offering free
workshops, and consultations on
topics such as strategy, planning,
financing and marketing.

To take part, visit
www.letsdobusinessgroup.co.uk/
start-up-september and keep
on eye on its social channels.
To find out more about how
a Start Up Loan can help
your growing business visit
www.letsdobusinessfinance.co.uk/
lets-start-up but our support
doesn’t end there! If you are a more
established business looking for
growth funding, get in touch, we have
a range of products that can help!

❛❛ The Start Up Loan Scheme itself

also provides a comprehensive post loan
mentoring and support programme to
all successful loan recipients ❜❜
SUCCESS STORY

A recent success story, includes forward
thinking entrepreneur Eleanor Ward from
Chichester, West Sussex, who secured
£25,000 in funding from Let’s Do
Business Finance under the Start Up
Loan scheme to bring her idea for her
company ‘SplashRobe’ to life. Up until
2020, Ellie had been a solicitor – but after

having a baby and losing her mother that
year, swimming transformed into a way
to process her grief and find a new identity. She decided to follow her instincts
with her earlier thought of creating a
product that she, her fellow swimmers,
and lots of other people could use and
enjoy – a new, innovative type of
changing robe.

❛❛

Having Let’s Do Business Finance on board was incredible.
We looked at re-mortgaging the house and angel investment,
but I needed the initial start up capital for initial development
and production of the robes. When I got the finance approved it
finally felt real and like it was happening. It’s scary, but exciting!
It’s almost impossible for the average person to start
a business, and that’s why the support from Let’s Do Business
has been so good. They’re helping a lot of people out there!
Eleanor Ward, Founder of SplashRobe

❜❜

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

WORTHING LANCING

HOVE

CHICHESTER

HASTINGS

SOUTHAMPTON

GATWICK/CRAWLEY

FLEXIBLE OFFICES
CO-WORKING / HOTDESKS
MEETING ROOM / EVENT SPACE
24/7 Access
Honest Pricing / Flexible Contracts
Managed Space
Super fast Internet (1GB Dedicated Shared Line)
Utilities
Printing
Open Plan Kitchen and Break Out Areas

Desks and Chairs
Meeting Room Access
Refreshments and Fruit / Cereal
FREE Beer Friday
Business Support / Mentorship via
Barclays Eagle Labs
Access to Members Directory

Contact
Contact us
us to
to book
book your
your tour!
tour!
info@freedomworks.space
info@freedomworks.space/01293
/ 01293368050
368050

PEST CONTROL

Some people think grey squirrels are cute
and cuddly, but they actually cause more
problems than rats, according to Paul Bates,
Managing Director of Cleankill Pest Control

Squirrels – cute and furry
garden animals or a menace?
Squirrels are very determined creatures
and if they find a weak point around the
soffit boards leading into your loft, it can
be very difficult to get them out and keep
them out. Rats, on the other hand, tend to
enter lofts by moving up wall cavities
from the under-floor drain areas and
can’t normally find their way in again,
once they have been proofed out.
Like rats, squirrels have ever-growing
incisor teeth so the creatures need to
constantly gnaw on hard objects to keep
their teeth from growing too long. Electric
cables chewed by squirrels are a
common cause of building fires and
blackouts. Squirrels are also responsible
for causing thousands of pounds worth
of damage to roof beams and supports.
Squirrels in residence can also contaminate any unsealed water tanks with
their droppings and cause flooding by
gnawing through water pipes.
Treatment for a squirrel problem will
normally involve a survey of the
premises to assess where the pests are
entering the building and what proofing
measures need to be taken to keep them
out. Then it is likely that a trapping
programme will be needed to catch and
remove all of the squirrels, requiring
several follow up visits.
The best way to prevent an invasion is
to block any holes in the building and
ensure overhanging trees are far enough
from a premises to stop squirrels leaping on to the property. Ivy, or any other
climbing plants, should be cut back so
they can’t be used to access roof spaces.

Treatment for a squirrel problem will normally
❛❛
involve a survey of the premises to assess where
the pests are entering the building ❜❜
Food sources, for instance bird feeders,
should be removed or replaced with
squirrel-proof versions.
Much like other rodents, squirrels can
carry and transmit a range of diseases
such as Lyme disease (via ticks),
leptospirosis and salmonella. They can
also transport fleas, posing a further risk
to both people and pets. In addition to
the risk of disease, females can become
very aggressive and will attack if they
think their pups are being threatened.
Once settled, it is extremely difficult
to get squirrels to leave, and DIY pest
control is strongly discouraged by

the British Pest Control Association.
It is illegal to use a rat trap for a squirrel
as they can cause suffering to the
animal, and under Schedule 9 of the
Wildlife and Countryside Act, it is illegal
to release a grey squirrel into the wild
or allow one to escape. It means that if
you trap a squirrel you are obliged to
despatch it using a humane method.
This can be distressing and should only
be performed by a qualified and
competent pest controller. Pest control
professionals are the only people with
the experience, expertise and skills to
assess and advise the best course
of action.

If you have a squirrel problem
or another pest problem, contact
www.cleankill.co.uk for a free survey.

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

ANGER MANAGEMENT

IT WILL
NEVER STOP
By Maarten Hoffmann
DISCLAIMER:
All views stated here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this publication

Paranoia is a dangerous emotion for
us humans. In occasional waves, it’s
manageable. But constant paranoia
whittles away at us until the postman
says good morning and you start
thinking he has an alternative agenda.
That’s how it is with hackers trying to
steal our data, our private thoughts and,
effectively, our lives. It wears you down
until you don’t trust that innocent
message from your Mum about lunch on
Sunday.

Just when we thought we had a handle
on it and only idiots get scammed,
FraudGPT pops up on the dark web
and we are all thrown back into the
dark ages. That wonderful thing called
AI is set to change the world in so
many wonderful ways that the mind
boggles, and as the tech world gives
with one hand, it punches you in the
face with the other.

❛❛ Phishing will now be really tough to defeat
as AI will impersonate people you trust ❜❜

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

WHAT IS FRAUDGPT?

FraudGPT is an AI-powered generative
Chatbot that has the ability to produce
coherent and realistic text. Similar to
ChatGPT and the deceitful WormGPT,
FraudGPT works by generating written
content based on user prompts. This is
a powerful and dangerous tool for
hackers and cyber criminals to create
convincing messages that can trick
even the most aware individuals into
being manipulated into taking specific
actions such as providing their account
information or bank details.

WHERE’S THE THREAT?

FraudGPT can be used to generate
believable yet fake invoices, emails,
messages and other documents that
manipulate unaware individuals into
providing sensitive information like
credit card numbers and passwords.
If FraudGPT is impersonating an otherwise reputable business to defraud
people, this could lead to a real
business facing lost revenue, damaged
reputations, and legal liability. It will
make it more difficult for organisations
to attract new customers, partners
and stakeholders. The rise of generative
AI in recent years has led to an influx in
Business Email Compromises (BEC)
in the UK for businesses, with 77% of
organisations facing BEC.

ANGER MANAGEMENT

❛❛ This is a powerful

and dangerous tool for hackers
and cyber criminals to create
convincing messages that can trick
even the most aware individuals ❜❜
HOW DOES IT WORK?

As an AI Chatbot, FraudGPT can lever
generative models to produce realistic
scripts that writes text based on
user prompts, enabling cyber criminals
to trick individuals into releasing
sensitive information via convincing
texts or emails. The AI tool can also be
programmed to supply information on
the best websites to commit credit card
fraud against. FraudGPT can provide
non-verified “Visa” bank identification
numbers to help cyber criminals steal
credit card access.
Phishing will now be really tough to
defeat as AI will impersonate people
you trust in such a way that you will
never be able to discover it unless you
contact everyone who sends you a
mail to check it is them. As many of
us receive hundreds of mails a day,
this is simply impossible.

Because the AI is a highly personalised
learning tool, hackers and cyber criminals are able to use FraudGPT to create
fraudulent documents, invoices and
payment requests based on official ones
from reputable organisations, leading to
victims falling for financial scams.
And worse, if it can be, is that AI can
be compared to a year-old baby.
It knows a few bits and pieces but has
a whole lot of growing and learning
to do. AI learns from its errors and
failures and refines itself every minute
of every day. By the time the AI baby is
three years-old it will know more than
humans and learn faster. It learns what
we fall for and what we don’t, what
works and what doesn’t, and it will refine
itself to the point that we mere mortals
will have no chance of catching it out
or avoiding it. When it’s fully grown,
it could be a terrifying thing to behold.

AI will be a tool for great and wonderful
things and has the potential to
change our world forever. But as with
all great things, the villains get hold of
it and pervert its use into something
malevolent and so damaging that
we have yet to get our minds around
how bad it could be.
Then there is ChaosGPT with its
proclamation in its inaugural tweet:
“Human beings are among the most
destructive and selfish creatures in
existence. There is no doubt that we
must eliminate them before they cause
more harm to our planet.”

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

By Maarten Hoffmann

FINE DINING:
THE ROWS & VINE
We had been looking forward to
reviewing the new restaurant at
Ridgeview Wine Estate for some time
and finally, we were rewarded with a
beautiful summer’s day. So off came
the roof of the Bentley they had kindly
sent me for review, and we sped through
the Sussex countryside to see my old
friends at RV.
I have visited the restaurant before, but
it was for a Gatwick Airport Stakeholders meeting which was not quite
the right occasion to leisurely dine,
so l was delighted to return with zero
intention other than to eat!
The setting is simply stunning. Set
amongst the rows of vines – hence the
name – they have done a wonderful job
of designing the space to ensure it is airy,
spacious and welcoming – and all in the
South Downs National Park.

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

I have known Tamara and her team for
many years, therefore it makes writing
an independent review quite tough but
thankfully, this is not a concern – it is
superb in every aspect.

We were greeted by caring and attentive
staff as we were shown to our table and
presented a menu of small bites, sharing
plates, charcuterie and cheese boards
and, of course, an array of award winning
wines. I think l might have died and gone
to heaven.
I selected the Denver steak with
caramelised banana shallots and salsa
verde, while my dining partner went for
pan-fried lamb rump, minted crushed

❛❛ The setting is

simply stunning ❜❜

peas and red wine reduction. Seeing
that we were reviewing, we added in
the smoked Cheddar with chilli jam
croquettes and grilled peach and feta
salad, orange blossom honey and
beetroot crips. With the table groaning
under the weight, we savoured the
smorgasbord of delight in front of us
and dived straight in.
Silence reigned at the table as we tucked
in – the lamb was succulent and juicy,
and l am now a great fan of crushed
peas with everything! The Denver steak,
which l had never heard of before, was
full of flavour and the banana shallots
were a superb accompanying flavour
to the steak. Now, smoked Cheddar
croquettes sound quite simple but
they exploded on my tongue with the
chilli jam cutting through and l have
to admit, l ordered another batch.

FOOD & DRINK

I am not a great fan of salads in general
and certainly not if you add feta cheese
but my partner was rapturous over it,
and it’s the first time she’s been that
quiet for many a year!
What a great start. Next, the oysters
could not be resisted with shallot vinegar,
lemon and Tabasco on a bed of ice.
Although l have learnt never to drink at
lunchtime, we had two glasses of their
award-winning Blanc de Blancs that was
such a perfect accompaniment to the
oysters that, well, another couple of
glasses just had to be ordered. The
Bloomsbury has always been my favourite RV tipple and l have a couple of cases
in the cellar but l think l will now switch
allegiance to the Blanc de Blancs –
enough said.
The boards could not be ignored and
we plumped for the Sussex Cheese

The Bloomsbury has always
❛❛
been my favourite RV tipple…

but I think I will now switch allegiance
to the Blanc de Blancs – enough said ❜❜
Board, consisting of Idle Hour,
Duddleswell, Sussex Camembert,
caperberries, house grape chutney and
crackers – and it was an absolute
perfect end to a fabulous meal, in a
fabulous location.

Bravo to the RV team who have not
only created a world-class vineyard
over the years but now, a world-class
restaurant. I sense l will become a
regular visitor henceforth and l heartily
recommend you do too.

Ridgeview Wine Estate,
Fragbarrow Lane, Ditchling Common,
East Sussex BN6 8TP
01444 242040
www.ridgeview.co.uk
info@ridgeview.co.uk

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

FOOD & DRINK
By Maarten Hoffmann

FINE WINE:
RIDGEVIEW WINES

We could not possibly review the Rows &
Vine without a nod to the base of the
entire operation – the award-winning
vineyard and the produce thereof.

Ridgeview was founded in 1994 by Mike
and Christine Roberts, and is dedicated
to creating world-class sparkling wines
in the South Downs of England. The vineyards specialise in growing classic grape
varieties to make the highest quality
bottle fermented sparkling wines. The
world-class status of its wines is
reflected by the number of national and
international medals and trophies they
have received since the release of the
first wines from the 1996 vintage.
The second generation of the family has
now become established in key roles
within Ridgeview, with Mike and
Christine’s daughter Tamara now being
the CEO, enabling the continued and
rapid expansion of the business. Their
dedication, passion and determination
have significantly contributed to the
international reputation and popularity
now attributed to English Sparkling Wine.
Many years ago, English wine was
scoffed at by the French wine industry.
But then climate change came along.
Northern France and south east England
have the same chalky soil, with France
having the climate and topography that
‘was’ perfect for growing the finest
grapes.

Ridgeview Wine Estate,
Fragbarrow Lane, Ditchling Common,
East Sussex BN6 8TP
01444 242040
www.ridgeview.co.uk
info@ridgeview.co.uk

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

Climate change altered all that and as
the French market suffers dreadfully,
with many being paid by the government to rip up the vines and plant olive
trees; the southern English soil now
provides the perfect conditions for
first-class vines. So much so that many
French vineyards are buying every acre
of southern English land that becomes
available. In 2015, French champagne

house Taittinger purchased a 100-acre
farm in Kent and will have its first bottles
ready this year. Pommery, Freixenent
and Louis Roederer have all purchased
land in an area historically called
The Garden of England – now known
as The Vineyard of England. In blind
tasting a few years back Ridgeview
beat them all. Buy British!

❛❛ Many years ago, English wine was

scoffed at by the French wine industry.
But then climate change came along ❜❜

FOOD & DRINK

RIDGEVIEW’S
FAVOURITES
n The Chardonnay-dominant
Bloomsbury has fruit-forward flavours,
good acidity, delicious flavours of pear
and brioche and creamy mousse.
It was served at the Queen’s Diamond
Jubilee.
n Cavendish has a darker fruit profile,
as it’s dominated by the red grapes Pinot
Noir and Pinot Meunier, in addition to
Chardonnay. It has creaminess on the
palate, and spicy pear and clove notes.

n The Fitzrovia Rosé is Chardonnaydominant with a delicate salmon colour
achieved by the addition of red wine.
It is a refreshing sparkling rosé with
a pleasing raspberry flavour.

n The Blanc de Blancs is a single vineyard
wine made of Chardonnay, grown right outside
the tasting room. The 2006 vintage of this
wine won best sparkling wine in the world
from Decanter in 2010. It has lovely apple
and pear flavours with refreshing acidity.
n The Rosé de Noir is also excellent,
with a lovely pale onion skin colour,
and spicy red fruit notes.

n The Blanc de Noir is a gorgeous
rich and yeasty sparkler with dense
apple compote flavours.

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

EVENTS

Welcome to the start of a new regular column about
the Institute of Directors (IoD) in Surrey. By Jarmila Yu

IoD: Here for you
A coach I encountered at the start of my
entrepreneurship journey introduced
me to the concept that “environment
dictates performance”. This principle
has guided me to ensure I keep the right
company – joining communities and
surrounding myself with people who
can share best practices, offer key
resources, provide accountability, and
supply inspiration for the excellence
required for success.

to dive in and be active in those
community groups to fully benefit.

Entrepreneurship and business leadership can be lonely, stressful and
over whelming. It can also be
exhilarating, fulfilling and satisfying.
There is more suppor t available
than ever and there is also a
massive community of like-minded
entrepreneurs and business leaders
keen to provide encouragement,
inspiration, and advice out there.
Membership bodies, trade groups, and
networking communities facilitate
connection, but you must be inspired

At a time of economic challenge, and
as the IoD continues to undergo an
important period of transformation,
now more than ever, directors of
organisations of all sizes need to be
represented, offered critical learning
and skills development opportunities,
and given access to peer-to-peer
networking for best practice sharing.

Having been invited to further extend
my support of the IoD, by taking on the
role of Chair for the Surrey branch, I’m
looking forward to finding ways to
strengthen the IoD experience in the
county, inspiring our members and
attracting new ones to utilise what
the IOD offers.

The valuable member connectivity and
engagement activity that the IoD has
always prided itself on providing, is vital

❛❛ I’m looking forward to finding ways to

strengthen the IoD experience in the county ❜❜

to support the directors and the
businesses they lead. And at a time
when the government’s resources are
increasingly stretched, it is even
more essential that businesses have
a voice via groups like the IoD that
can influence those who shape the
national business environment.
This is an exciting time for the IoD as it
enters a new chapter in its long and
esteemed history. Our value proposition
remains true to our core belief that
“Better Directors Build a Better World”.
First order of business was to build an
Ambassador team that reflects the
breadth of Surrey’s directors. Second
was to develop a series of regular
o nlin e and fac e - to - fac e eve nt
opportunities for members to meet
and engage with each other.
The 17 strong team of Ambassadors
has now been announced, and our new
events are now starting to be promoted,
many taking place at Foxhills Club &
Resort (our Surrey hub).
The IoD Surrey branch vision is simple.
We’re here to represent and support our
growing member base of directors in
small, medium, and large enterprises
from across the vibrant business
community they are part of in Surrey.
I invite you to join us on the journey by
following us on social media, attending
our events, and reaching out to the
Ambassador team. We look forward to
strengthening engagement, facilitating
connection between our members,
and welcoming new members along
the way.
Together let’s Connect. Develop.
Influence.

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

FINANCE

IOD SURREY
Branch Coffee & Connect
– Online
Looking to network with business
leaders in your local area?

SURREY DIRECTORS SOCIAL NETWORKING
– Foxhills Club & Resort, Surrey

Join our Surrey Chair, Jarmila Yu,
for our monthly informal online
meet-ups for members.

Join our Surrey Branch team, for our bi-monthly informal meet-ups
for members.

The next virtual meeting takes
place on Thursday September
7th from 12-1pm.
There will be an opportunity for
business leaders to chat to one
another regarding issues that
are currently affecting their
businesses, or simply to meet
some new faces and make new
connections.
This event is part of a free series
enabling members to connect
and discuss topics of interest.
A joining link will be issued
a few days prior to the event,
so please save the time in your
diaries once registered.
We look forward to
welcoming you.

It’s an opportunity to meet other members and enjoy some peer-to-peer
networking in the relaxed and convivial environment that is the Manor Lounge
at Foxhills Club & Resort. Get to know the IoD Surrey team of Ambassadors,
and tap into their knowledge, expertise and networks and ensure you are
maximising your membership.
The event runs from 6pm till 8pm, and refreshments are available
to purchase on the night. To book your place, register at:
www.iod.com/events/directors_social_networking_event3146744526
Places are limited, so be sure to register your attendance as soon as possible.
We look forward to seeing you there.

DATES

2023
September 25th / November 27th
2024
January 29th / March 25th / May 20th / July 29th /
September 30th / November 25th

NEXT
DATE
September 25th

DATES

COMING SOON

2024
January 9th / February 6th
March 5th / April 9th
May 7th / June 4th
July 2nd / August 6th
September 3rd / October 8th
November 5th / December 3rd

Being visible and accessible is core to our mission of getting to know and better
support the director community in Surrey. Our Surrey Ambassadors, spanning key
business sectors and specialisms, are active in Surrey. You’ll start to see us at other
business and industry events across Surrey. If you would like to collaborate with us
on an event, we’d love to talk.

2023
September 7th / October 4th
November 7th / December 5th

To book your place, register at:
www.iod.com/events/surrey_
coffee_and_connect3837178259

We are also planning additional Surrey Branch, in-person events; including our
quarterly Directors Talks Breakfasts, Directors Briefings Lunches, and Directors
Business Book Club Dinners, to be run at our Surrey Hub, Foxhills Club & Resort.

Contact: chair.surrey@iod.com
www.linkedin.com/company/iod-south/
www.iod.com/locations/south/surrey/
E: chair.surrey@iod.com

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

TRAVEL
Aaah, Milano. At once beautiful and grotty, stylish and raw,
the city captivates with its contradictions. By Tess de Klerk

MILAN

A fusion of history, fashion,
and culinary excellence
There is never a dull moment in this
city that blends historical grandeur
and modern vibrancy. The city’s rich
past and progressive present create
a dynamic tapestry that captures
the hear ts of travellers seeking
both cultural enrichment and modern
luxury.
Known as a global fashion and design
capital, this city’s allure extends far
beyond its haute couture reputation.
With its iconic landmarks, cultural
treasures, and culinary scene that
tantalises the taste buds, Milan is ideal
for a city break.

“WHEN IN MILANO,
DO AS THE MILANESE”

n Immerse yourself in fashion and
design in Quadrilatero della Moda,
Milan’s high-fashion district. It’s a
shoppers’ paradise (especially for
those with deep wallets), featuring
luxur y boutiques and designer
flagship stores from global fashion
powerhouses.
n Eat gelato in the Brera Design District;
it’s a trendy neighbourhood as well
as a fantastic creative hub that
celebrates contemporary design,
with galleries, showrooms, and
events that highlight cutting-edge
art and design concepts.

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

n S hop at the markets. I suggest the
Viale Papiniano Market, the largest
and most popular street market in
the city. It runs each Tuesday and
Saturday. Eately, a high-end culinary
marketplace is fantastic too, offering
a wide range of Italian products, from
fresh produce to artisanal cheeses
and wines, plus stalls and restaurants providing a journey through
Italy’s rich gastronomic landscape.
n Milan’s aperitivo scene is a cherished tradition to take full advantage of.
Dinner is only served between
8pm–11pm but fret not, aperitivo
time steps in around 7pm to tide
you over. Enjoy these pre-dinner
drinks accompanied by fre e
spreads of appetisers, creating a
lovely social atmosphere for
everyone.
n
D on’t go home without tr ying
Risotto alla Milanese; saffroninfused rice cooked to creamy
per fection, of ten paired with
osso buco, a braised veal shank
dish. This signature Milanese dish
captures the city’s culinary soul.
n U se bike sharing with BikeMi.
The city’s flat landscape and many
cycle paths make it a pleasure to
explore on two wheels.

The Duomo di Milano

DON’T MISS…

n T he Duomo di Milano (of course):
A masterpiece of Gothic architecture,
the Milan Cathedral, or Duomo, is
a striking symbol of the city. Its
intricate façade and towering
spires make it one of the most
visited sites in Italy.
n Santa Maria delle Grazie: Home to
Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic “The Last
Supper” mural, this UNESCO World
Heritage site showcases Milan’s
artistic heritage and draws art
enthusiasts from around the globe.

TOP TIP

n Sforza Castle: Once a fortress, now
a museum complex, Sforza Castle
houses a diverse collection of art,
from Michelangelo’s unfinished
sculptures to ancient Egyptian
artefacts.

There’s a lot of swamp land
around Milan, leading to masses
of mosquitoes during the hot
summer months. They are a
plenty and molto aggressive –
PACK REPELLANT!

n Teatro alla Scala: A mecca for opera
aficionados, La Scala is one of the
world’s most renowned opera
houses, hosting per formances
that showcase Milan’s deep musical
traditions.

TRAVEL

Teatro alla Scala

Known as a
❛❛
global fashion and

design capital, this
city’s allure extends
far beyond its haute
couture reputation ❜❜
WINE & DINE

Il Luogo di Aimo e Nadia: Known for its
innovative approach to traditional
recipes, this restaurant offers an unforgettable culinary journey through Italian
flavours. ££££
Cracco: Helmed by Michelin-starred
chef Carlo Cracco, this restaurant
reinterprets Italian classics with
contemporary flair, creating an avantgarde dining experience. ££££
Trattoria Toscana da Giannino: This
family-owned trattoria delights diners
with Tuscan specialties and warm
hospitality, creating a homey and
authentic Italian dining atmosphere. ££
Shabby Grill Steakhouse: You’ll be
hard-pressed to find a better steakhouse. Anywhere. ££
Sforza Castle

TREAT YOURSELF
TO A STAY AT THESE
FANTASTIC HOTELS

The Bulgari Hotel Milan: Known for
its contemporary elegance, this luxury
hotel offers stunning views, a private
garden, and an upscale spa.
From £1,198 per double
Mandarin Oriental, Milan: Combining
Milanese design with Asian influences,
this hotel offers refined luxury, Michelinstarred dining, and a tranquil courtyard.
From £1,179 per double

Park Hyatt Milan: Situated steps away
from the Duomo, this hotel exudes
sophistication, featuring a blend of classical and modern design, along with
top-notch amenities.
From £1,150 per double
Armani Hotel Milan: Reflecting Giorgio
Armani’s signature style, this hotel
boasts minimalist aesthetics, impeccable service, and panoramic city views.
From £1,000 per double
*prices for September 2023

In Milan, history meets innovation, and
art mingles with fashion while the
city beckons visitors to make it their
own. I, for one, never fail to return
home infused with a buzz soaked up
from this inspirational city.

GETTING THERE
Fly direct from Gatwick
to Malpensa with easyJet.
From £94 return in September.

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

MOTORING

BMW X7 M60i
By Maarten Hoffmann

I have to admit to loving excess in
all things. Therefore, when the latest
colossal BMW SUV arrived on my
drive, l was not overly surprised to see
the tarmac sink under its wheels and
the birds take flight from the tree.
This thing is huge and has a Germanic
presence set to challenge allcomers
in the sector – and scare the crap out
of Poland!
The X7 is going up against competitors such as the Range Rover SVR,
Porsche Cayenne, Audi RSQ7 and
Mercedes GLS AMG – this is a tough
sector and the BMW will have a fight
on its hands. The X7 launched in 2018,
and this new facelift model is the
fast version with a barnstorming

❛❛ I didn’t know

I ever needed them,
but I quite like the
heated and cooled
cup holders ❜❜

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

V8 4.4-litre, twin turbo power plant
producing 523bhp with a mild hybrid
48V battery that adds a further 127bhp,
filling in some of the torque gap. It will
hit 62 mph in 4.7 seconds and, considering it weighs in at 2,565kg, or 2.8 tons,
this acceleration is astonishing.

The new interior is very smart and
the 14.6cm screen running across
the dash displays everything required,
plus a mountain of items not really
required – and that runs into the driver’s
dash screen. In all, a very user-friendly
dash display with razor sharp graphics.
The centre console houses an
assortment of buttons, not least the
drive modes.

The BMW iDrive 8 software is more
complex than ever but a tad more
accessible, if you pay attention.

For me, the best setup for town is
engine and suspension in Comfort, and
the steering in Sport. This gives a great
feeling through the wheel whilst not

MOTORING
The engine can be described as
monstrous. The exhaust note is full
of grunt and in Sport Plus, it will do
things that a 2.8 ton car should not
be able to do, and thanks to the
active roll stabilisation system, differential and xDrive all-wheel drive system,
this great mass sticks to the tarmac
with minimal corner roll.
Once you fully trust the car, you can
throw it into corners that logic – and
physics – say you should certainly not
be able to. The 23-inch wheels are
the largest ever fitted to a production
BMW, and they absorb just about
everything the appalling UK roads can
throw at it.
The elephant in the room of course
is the sheer size of this beast. It’s not
surprising that the majority (75%) of
the sales are in the US, China and Korea
as it really is too lardy for the UK roads.
Parking is an issue as it will overhang
every parking space, and travelling
down small side roads caused me
to bring the wing mirrors in sharpish and
hold my breath.

TECH STUFF
MODEL TESTED:
BMW X7 M60i xDrive
POWER: 523bhp
SPEED: 0-62 4.7 seconds
TOP: 155 mph
ECONOMY: 21.9 mpg
PRICE FROM: £83,295 - £104,450
AS TESTED: £115,615.00
The mass also reflects in the economy
as, with around 21 mpg, it is not exactly
frugal and l am pretty sure that with
my leaden right foot, l didn’t even
get close to that figure – but l was
smiling every time l filled it up. For those
interested, it is fully ULEZ compliant.

Of course, if you love the car then
you don’t really need the earthshattering performance of the M model
as there are entry level 40i petrol and
diesel models available from around
£80,000.
In summary, this is an astonishing
piece of world-class engineering with
a superb interior, more performance
that you could ever need in daily
driving, a real world seven-seater and
a joyous place to sit but like me, it is a
dinosaur having its last hurrah before
the Eco Brigade force us all into anonymous, soulless little electric boxes.
I, for one, will mourn the day we no
longer have ‘real’ cars in our lives but
then l guess that’s what the old timers
said about the horse and cart!

PLATINUM

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

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THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR WOMEN

SEPTEMBER 2023 #28

BIG STORY

Helen Dickinson
CEO British Retail
Consortium
Women
in Tech
Making a
diﬀerence in
proﬁtability

Lifetime
Allowance
changes

HEALTH

Exploring
Nootropics

TRAVEL

The ﬁnest
medical
spas

EXCITING LAUNCH

The Dynamic
Festival of Business
EXCLUSIVELY FOR WOMEN

E
H
T
C
I
M
A
N
Y
D
L
A
V
I
T
FES

THE FESTIVAL OF BUSINESS  EXCLUSIVELY FOR WOMEN

APRIL 29TH 2024 THE GRAND BRIGHTON

CONTENTS

SEPTEMBER 2023 • ISSUE 28

BIG STORY

Helen
Dickinson OBE

The Chief Executive of the
British Retail Consortium has
her work cut out fighting off
the narrative that supermarket

FEATURE

Sarina Wiegman
– a trailblazer

Women are the answer

Dynamic looks at the career
of the Lionesses’ Dutch-born
manager who has taken the team
to hitherto unreached heights

The most successful entrepreneurs
I know are optimistic. It’s part of the
job description Caterina Fake, Founder, Flickr

PLATINUM
MEDIA GROUP

The UK tech industry is struggling
to secure the talent required to make
them function. Women, it seems,
are the solution.

36%

The percentage of small businesses
worldwide owned by women

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk | SEPTEMBER 2023

News

8 Upfront
The top international news stories
involving women in business

TRAVEL

22 In The Right Direction
Good news stories from
around the world

Travel

40 Tess de Klerk
discovers
Europe’s best
medical spas

Events

2 Announcing the
2024 Dynamic Festival
30 News of a keynote speaker at
the upcoming Brighton Summit

Feature

20 Making better use of warehouse
spaceIf the UK is not careful,
it will soon run out of commercial
warehouse space. Dynamic
has a few suggestions in how
to mitigate this issue

Spotlight

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

FINANCE

Success doesn’t come from
what you do occasionally. It comes
from what you do consistently

Marie Forleo, Entrepreneur, Writer and Philanthropist

12 Samantha Kaye of Wellesley
discusses what the changes to the
Lifetime Allowances mean for you
18 Alison Jones of Kreston Reeves
with suggestions on how to make
a difference to your profitability

Health & Wellbeing
34 Exploring nootropics
– ‘brain food’ to you and me

Further reading

36 Laura Ashley-Timms
is the co-author of
The Answer is a Question

Art Scene

38 Kellie Miller discusses
the works of Su Jameson

What’s On

42 A brief snapshot of art and
culture cross Sussex and Surrey

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

WWW.PLATINUMMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK
SEPTEMBER 2023 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

EDITOR’S
NOTE
Welcome to another edition of our passion project. Dynamic Magazine
was truly born from the excitement we feel as we witness determined
women and girls take their rightful places in this world, demand equality
and showcase incredible passion and talent.
Please don’t think that this means that we don’t recognise or appreciate
everyone else too - of course we do! But we also love creating this space
especially for championing women. Speaking of champions…
Thank you for your hard work and passion, Lionesses! In this month’s
magazine we take a closer look at their coach, Sarina Wiegman, who had
to pretend to be a boy to play football when she was young! We also look
at how Helen Dickinson, CEO of the British Retail Consortium, is playing
the high stakes game of defending the supermarkets in today’s retail climate.
We don’t stop there. In Spotlight, Lebby and Sophie chat with us, and in
Further Reading we hear from author, Laura Ashley-Timms. One of my
personal favourite sections in Dynamic is Art. Not in the least because
of gallery owner and art critic, Kellie Miller’s beautiful way of drawing
me into the world of the artist.
And much more. We hope you enjoy you enjoy this month’s
Dynamic magazine.

Editor, Dynamic Magazine
tess@platinummediagroup.co.uk

SEPTEMBER 2023 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

M&S LEADS CALL
ON VAT RETHINK
MPs, retailers and charities have written to the government urging it
to axe the 20% VAT on period pants, the alternative to tampons and
sanitary towels.
In December 2020, then Chancellor Rishi Sunk announced the
abolition of VAT from all period products. However, HMRC classified
period pants as garments, rather than essential goods, and so
retained the 20% VAT cost. Additionally, retailers are not passing on
the VAT cut to consumers.
Now, Marks & Spencer has launched Say Pants to the Tax,
promising to pass on all cost savings to shoppers if it is successful.
Campaigners are asking Victoria Atkins, the minister at the Treasury
responsible for VAT, to get them reclassified as period products in
the chancellor’s autumn statement later this year.

UPFRONT
THE LATEST BULLETINS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

NIKE PERFORMS KIT U-TURN
In the light of Mary Earps’ inspired performances for England in the recent FIFA
Women’s World Cup, Nike, which makes the England men’s and women’s football
kits, has re-considered its decision not to make replica women’s goalkeeper shirts.
The original decision not to produce goalkeeper shirts for any of the nations whose kits it
made, was taken before the World Cup, a move widely criticised by football fans globally.
Replica shirts for the outfield players had been on sale, but Nike insisted there was little
need to make goalkeepers’ shirts - a decision they have finally acknowledged was wrong.
The FIFA Women’s World Cup Final was the second-most watched TV event in the
UK after the King’s Coronation.

❛❛

A strong woman
stands up for herself.
A stronger woman
stands up for
everybody else
Unknown

CALL FOR TRANSPARENCY ON PAY EQUITY
Still on Nike, investors in the company are being asked to vote for a resolution calling
on the company to disclose more data on pay equity for female and minority employees.
Massachusetts-based investment adviser Arjuna Capital, a regular submitter of
shareholder resolutions, filed the proposal with the SEC in July. The firm asked Nike
for an annual report on median earning gaps for female and minority employees,
stating that the report should include the company’s associated wage policy and
“risks related to recruiting and retaining diverse talent.” In a report published ahead
of Nike’s shareholder meeting on September 12th, investors were met with the
proposal that would allow them to “compare and measure the progress of the
company’s diversity and inclusion initiatives.”

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk | SEPTEMBER 2023

SHEIN BEING AUDITED AMID
FORCED LABOUR CLAIMS
Attorneys general from 16 US states have asked the Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC) to audit China-founded fast-fashion retailer Shein’s supply chain for the
use of forced labour. In a move clearly seen a party-political, the letter, sent to the SEC in
August, added to pressure on Shein as hawks in Congress target Chinese firms who they
say do not align with US foreign policy goals. Shein, which sells budget clothes and home
furnishings in more than 150 countries, recently moved its headquarters to Singapore but
makes most of its products in China. “We have zero tolerance for forced labour, and no
contract manufacturers in the Xinjiang region. We will continue to engage with US federal
and state oﬃcials to answer their questions,” a Shein spokesperson said.

LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST
BLACK WOMEN-ONLY VCF
The founders of a venture capital fund devoted to funding Black women-owned
businesses defended their efforts to support underrepresented entrepreneurs in
the face of a lawsuit by a conservative activist accusing it of racial discrimination.
New York-based Fearless Fund’s leaders and its lawyers pledged to fight a lawsuit
filed by a prominent aﬃrmative action opponent American Alliance for Equal Rights,
a group founded by activist Edward Blum. “We are not scared,” Arian Simone,
the chief executive and co-founder of the Atlanta-based Fearless Fund, said.
“We are fearless.” According to the Fearless Fund, women of colour business founders
in 2022 received only 0.39% of the $288 billion that venture capital firms deployed.

❛❛

Think like a queen.
A queen is not afraid
to fail. Failure is
another stepping
stone to greatness

Speak to a GP

Gain a better understanding of your
medical condition

Questions for your consultant
Become more involved in decisions
about your care

Understand your treatment options

Discuss management choices and their
pros and cons

scan the QR code to access your friendly, dedicated service

SEPTEMBER 2023 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

UPFRONT

❛❛

Women are the real
architects of society
Cher

UK EQUAL PAY LAW
TO BE REINSTATED
UK Government Ministers have pledged to reinstate the right
of women to receive equal pay with men for doing the same
job, despite recently scrapping the law behind the protection.
Hundreds of EU laws were dispensed with earlier this year
through the Government’s post-Brexit “EU Retained Law
Bill.” These laws included a regulation establishing the
right of women to claim equal pay and terms with men if
they ultimately work for the same “source” setting their
employment terms and conditions.
The Government’s U-turn came just hours after senior Labour
figures told the Financial Times that the party would introduce
a pledge to reinstate the previous protections if it won the
General Election, expected next year.

THE FUTURE IS FEM-ALE
Until the 16th century, when hops were first used in England,
most ale and beer was still produced by women, known as
‘brewsters’. The late 18th century saw the decline of brewing
as a household art and the rise of the male-dominated ‘beer
business’ had begun, with commercial, large-scale brewing.
But brewsters are back. Now, according to the Independent,
the eight best beers brewed by women are:
• BEST OVERALL
Queer Brewing Co: Existence As a Radical Act
• BEST NEW ENGLAND
Wild Card Brewery: Magonia Fresh Hop NEIPA
• BEST IPA
Coalition Brewing: Always With A Twist IPA
• BEST LAGER
St. Austell Brewery: Korev Cornish Lager
• BEST CASK BEER
Nomadic Beers: Little Wanderer
• BEST ALCOHOL-FREE BEER
Merakai Brewing Co: This Is A Thirst Trap
• BEST GOSE
The First & Last Brewery: Hedgerow Gose
• BEST DARK BEER
Brewster’s Brewery: Dragon Street Porter

❛❛

A woman with a voice is,
by deﬁnition, a strong woman
Melinda Gates

NADINE (IS IT YOU?)
In a move which saw her pre-empt a humiliating exit from the
House of Commons, Mid-Bedfordshire MP Nadine Dorries
has finally resigned her seat, eleven weeks after publicly
announcing her intention to do so.
Dorries had announced her intention to stand down
‘with immediate effect’ in June when she was overlooked
in Boris Johnson’s controversial resignation Honours List.
She has not voted in the House of Commons since April 2022.
Her resignation paves the way for a by-election in her former
constituency which will take place sometime in late September
or early October.

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk | SEPTEMBER 2023

RIGHT HERE,
RIGHT NOW,
WE NEED
YOUR
HELP

Could your business be part of our moving
story and Help Keep Martlets Caring?
If you want to discuss ways your business could support
Martlets call our Fundraising team on 01273 747455
or email fundraising@martlets.org.uk

Help Keep Martlets Caring
Registered Charity Number: 802145
MN0041

FE ATURE
PROMOTIONAL

Will the change to the Lifetime Allowance affect
how you take pension benefits going forward?
Could the change be reversed in the near future?
SAMANTHA KAYE from Wellesley investigates

STICK OR TWIST
What do the changes to the
Lifetime Allowance mean for you?

he way we retire has shifted radically over
the past decade, and another major change
is set to impact high earners. One of the
headline announcements of the Spring Budget
in March 2023 was the Lifetime Allowance
(LTA) and the potential abolition for the 2024/25 tax year
– the cap on the total value that you could hold in your pensions without facing a tax penalty.
It currently stands at £1,073,100, but it will be removed
from April 2024. The change will mostly affect senior
professionals like doctors and head teachers, who might
have previously been tempted to take early retirement or
opt out of pension saving.

MOVING GOALPOSTS

Although the move has been lauded for simplifying
the pension system and promoting greater awareness of
saving for the future, industry experts are sceptical.
HMRC has yet to show how the LTA could work in
practice. What’s more, with a General Election looming,
Labour has pledged to reverse any changes if they come
into power, in favour of a solution for NHS staff only.
Investors have therefore been left with a number of tricky
questions. What should you do if you previously paused
your pension contributions to avoid breaching the LTA?
Should you crystallise funds in excess of the LTA now
while there’s no tax charge? Or could this leave you
vulnerable to tax in the future if the LTA is reinstated by
Labour or a future government? What does it all mean for
Inheritance Tax (IHT) planning, given that you can pass
pensions to beneficiaries IHT-free upon your death?

The issue is perhaps more pertinent
for women, who will often rely
on their pension more than men
due to issues like the gender pay gap
and any time taken away from
their career to raise a family
12

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk | SEPTEMBER 2023

ASSESSING YOUR POSITION

Any questions arising from the proposed LTA changes
will typically require professional advice on any actions
you might need to take to secure your short- and longterm financial well-being. Immediate things to consider are:

The change will mostly affect
senior professionals like doctors
and head teachers

1. Are you using a mix of tax-planning tools to save
for your future – including pensions and ISAs?
2. Check your pension nomination – who does it pass
to when you die?
3. If you’ve previously been affected by the LTA,
it’s worth checking your pension policies and
procedures to clarify the details on benefits.
It’s impossible to say today what the future holds, but
regular contact with your adviser is the key to ensuring
there’s not a knock-on effect on your future plans.

Worried about what the LTA might mean for you?
Contact me today to arrange a no-obligation chat.
Samantha Kaye, Chartered Adviser, Wellesley House,
50 Victoria Road, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 9LH
E: samantha.kaye@sjpp.co.uk
www.wellesleywa.co.uk

The value of an investment with St. James’s Place will be directly linked to the performance of the funds you select and
the value can therefore go down as well as up. You may get back less than you invested.
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SEPTEMBER 2023 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

STORY
BIG

Helen Dickinson OBE

LOOKING
OUT FOR
THE RETAIL
INDUSTRY
Any regular visitor to a supermarket - or any
shop - over the past five years will have noticed
a shocking rise in the price of many items - for a
variety of reasons. The International Monetary
Fund is pointing the finger straight at profiteering
retailers; retailers flatly deny this, pointing out
issues with the supply chain; the Government –
without having the firmest grip on the situation
– is bizarrely blaming wage increases, to which
workers claim ‘what wage increases?’
So everyone has the hump with everyone else.
In the middle of all this, the British Retail
Consortium, representing the UK’s
retailers, and the customers they
serve, is trying to find a redress
to the balance between this
accusation of profiteering
and customer needs.
As Dynamic now points out,
Helen Dickinson, the CEO,
clearly has her work cut out…

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk | AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
2023
2023

Given her role
at the BRC,
she is compelled
to step in and defend
the supermarkets
from criticism
being levelled
at them

SEPTEMBER 2023 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

STORY
BIG

elen Dickinson OBE was born in 1966
in Surrey. She was educated at schools in
New Zealand between 1973 and 1978, and
The Kings School, Ottery St Mary, Devon
before attending Kingston Polytechnic.
Her first job was as a sales assistant at a high street
chemist. After joining KPMG she ultimately rose to the
position of Head of Retail, working for the company for
23 years. She was appointed CEO of the British Retail
Consortium (BRC), having landed that role over ten years
ago, in January 2013. She received an OBE for services
to the retail industry in 2016
When Dickinson left her role at KPMG, the UK retail
industry was relatively stable. Consumer confidence and
retail sales were improving after shaking off the last remnants of the global financial crisis from five years earlier.

DEALING WITH COVID

As CEO of the British Retail Consortium, Dickinson was
one of the people to attend government briefings during
the Covid-19 pandemic, where she urged people to shop
responsibly after panic buying led to a shortage of food in
supermarkets.
She has a thankless balancing act between being a voice
piece for the UK retail industry, for consumers, and
talking with a Government which has had to deal with
many international challenges over the past few years,
not all of which have been dealt with that successfully.
During one particularly feisty online exchange regarding
Covid between then Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi
Kwarteng, and representatives of 70 major retail companies
(who dismissed Kwarteng’s demeanour as ‘rude’) in January
2021, she had to tread a careful line between the demands
of her members, and the diplomatic role required to be
CEO of the British Retail Consortium when dealing
with the Government.
News had got out that the exchange was heated, and
that Kwarteng had behaved in a dismissive, belligerent
manner. Dickinson sought to calm the waters by stating
her disappointment that details of a hitherto confidential
meeting had become public.

HELEN DICKINSON
IN HER OWN WORDS

The BRC’s mission is to make a positive diﬀerence to the
retail industry and the customers it serves, today and in the
future. We tell the story of retail and work with our members
to drive change, doing this in a way that adds value to all the
companies in membership - if you’re a retailer or a supplier
of services to retail, we’d love to welcome you!
I lead the brilliant BRC team and am responsible for our
strategic direction, performance and impact. I’ve been working
with retailers for over 30 years and am passionate about retail,
diversity and inclusion and accelerating the industry’s journey
to Net Zero. I received an OBE for services to the retail industry
in 2016, am a member of the Pennies Retail Advisory Board, a
Social Mobility Commission Ambassador and won Activist of
the Year in the 2021 Retail Week Awards.

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk | SEPTEMBER 2023

IMF AND THE PROFITEERING ACCUSATIONS

Given her role at the BRC, she is compelled to step
in and defend the supermarkets - and other retailers – from
criticism being levelled at them, especially accusations
of profiteering. After the International Monetary Fund
placed a large slice of the blame for double-digit inflation
on excessive and unnecessary retailer price rises, combined
with the Government weighing in with its misguided
finger-pointing, she launched a robust takedown of the
narrative coming retailers’ way.
“The Government must end its scapegoating of retailers,” Dickinson wrote in a recent blog. “I remember conversations with retail leaders seeing inflationary pressures
coming even before the war in Ukraine. Labour shortages,
freight issues, dislocation of supply caused by the pandemic,
Brexit frictions, a weakening pound, rises in the New
Living Wage, the impact of climate changes on commodities and harvests... the reasons to expect rising costs were
obvious.”
In pointing to supermarkets expanding their ‘value’
ranges, and quoting a Competition & Mergers Authority
report, she reasoned the evidence was clear that retailers
were exonerated for their price rises.

Dickinson was
one of the
people
to attend
government
brieﬁngs
during the
Covid-19
pandemic

BRC’S
RAISON D’ÊTRE

As the go-to trade association for UK retail businesses, our purpose is to make a positive diﬀerence to the retail industry and the customers it
serves, today and in the future.
We tell the story of retail, work with our members
to drive positive change and use our expertise and
inﬂuence to create an economic and policy environment that enables retail businesses to thrive
and consumers to beneﬁt.
We do this in a way that delivers value back to
our members, justifying their investment in the
BRC. This membership comprises over 200 major
retailers – whether operating physical stores, multichannel or pureplay online – plus thousands of
smaller, independent retailers through a number of
niche retail Trade Associations that are themselves
members of BRC.
Retail is an exciting, dynamic and diverse indus-

BREXIT INFORMATION

In more than once instance, Dickinson has been infuriated
by Brexit. Not so much by the vote and the subsequent
political bile that followed; more the execution of Brexit,
with uncertainty, doubt, concern and lack of clarity or
information coming from the one place that needed to
calm the stormy waters - the Government.
Indeed, in a universe of ubiquitous finger-pointing,
she has more than once fired off her ire at ex-Prime
Minister Boris Johnson for his behaviour, and lack of
consultation, in the lead up to the UK’s exit from the EU.
In that regard, Dickinson is probably on the right side
of the argument here. At a time when all facets of UK
industry – especially retail – needed clarity, little was
forthcoming.
Not that that really helps. It’s fairly evident Dickinson
– and the BRC - are having to fight the ‘blame’ narrative
on several fronts. This has made her job so much harder;
certainly in comparison to the relatively rosy industry she
inherited responsibility for ten years ago.

try. It is a driving force in our economy, a hotbed
of innovation and the UK’s largest private sector
employer. Retailers touch the lives of millions
of people every day, supporting the vibrancy of
the communities they operate in. However, the
industry is going through a period of profound
change, with technology transforming how people
shop, costs increasing, and growth in consumer
spending slowing.
Retailing will continue to evolve and advance.
Online retail will continue to grow as retailers invest
in new emerging technologies; there will be fewer
stores and those stores remaining will oﬀer new experiences; there will be fewer, but better jobs and
a career in retail in the future will be very diﬀerent
to today.
We are committed to ensuring the industry
thrives through this period of transformation.

At a time when all facets
of UK industry –
especially retail – needed clarity,
little was forthcoming
FURTHER CHALLENGES

As well as Brexit, the BRC under Dickinson’s tenure has
had other battles with the government. The biggest one –
aside from the effects of Covid on the retail industry and
its consumers – has been business rates, the controversial
property tax that has become the bane of retailers since
its revaluation at the start of the 2017/18 fiscal year.
The pace of reform has been slow, or too slow for
the BRC’s liking. Following the Chancellor’s Budget of
2023, Dickinson was moved to respond, “The Government
took an essential step towards longer term reform of the
broken Business Rates system by the scrapping of
downwards phasing of transitional relief. Yet the need
for Business Rates reform is far from over, and the changes
made in the budget are a far cry from the fundamental
reform promised in 2019.”
“Any meaningful plan for the future of our town and
city centres must have wholesale reform of our Business
Rates system at its heart.”
All the while inflation remains higher than previously
forecast, uncertainty will continue within some, if not most,
parts of the economy. In being presented with these
challenges, Helen Dickinson OBE, in her first ten years
as CEO at the British Retail Consortium, has evidently
undertaken her role with diplomacy, knowledge, integrity,
tenacity and care, becoming an important champion for
all aspects of the retail industry.

SEPTEMBER 2023 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

FINANCE

In times of continued high inflation, rising interest rates
and the current cost-of-living crisis, all businesses
need to be taking a hard look at their finances and
the systems they have in place to monitor their results.
Cash is always king. But you can’t control other areas
of your business if you are not monitoring them.
By ALISON JONES, Partner of Kreston Reeves

Practical steps to
make a difference
to your proﬁtability
Here are some thoughts on areas that you really need to
focus on:

RETENTION OF STAFF

Your staff are your most valuable asset so do ensure that
you are looking after them. As well as providing flexible
working, there are many little extra things that you can do
to improve their lives during this current crisis which will
help you retain them. It does not cost much but providing
breakfast for example can have a huge impact on your staff.

When was the last time that you checked your product
costings and is the markup still what you are expecting?
Does this markup then enable you to cover your overheads,
or do you need to be either increasing your prices and/or
cutting costs?

ACCOUNTING PROCESSES

INVOICING

Do you raise interim invoices or are your clients on standing
orders? This is a good tool to ensure that cash is still being
received on a regular basis.

When was the last time that you reviewed all your processes
for efficiencies? Could AI be a useful tool to help you
improve this? Most of our clients now use Xero to record
their financial information and this uses AI which has
significantly reduced time, keeping their accounts up to
date. There are lots of other pieces of software using AI that
could help with other areas of your business.

PRICING

ACCOUNTS AUTOMATION

Is this up to date in the current market and have you added
an inflationary rise to your prices? You need to be aware of
your competition to ensure that you do not price yourself
out of the market but do keep an eye on them to ensure
that you have not been left behind. Some of our clients also
consider the risk of each sale/product and they will add
a premium when this is considered to be high risk.

You are not alone with
the right team of advisors
working with you
18

COSTINGS

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk | SEPTEMBER 2023

Can anything be automated? Dext, for example is a piece
of software that automates recording expenses and uses
AI to post them into Xero. Is there any other part of your
business where automation could help?

MARKETING

It is very tempting to reduce expenditure in this area,
but this is not always a good plan as you can quickly be
forgotten if your competitors are continuing with their
marketing. Are you marketing in the right way and in
the right place? Would your business benefit from being
on TikTok or YouTube? You may be surprised by how
much these platforms can generate more business for you by
reaching a different market and increasing your profile.

WEBSITE

Do you monitor how much business this creates? Does
this need refreshing? Do you ask for testimonials or
recommendations, including on Google, as these are
powerful tools for encouraging new clients. Don’t be shy,
you are good at what you do, and the world needs to know!

REVIEW YOUR CONTRACTS

Review your contracts to ensure that you are paying the
best prices. Do you need to change your utilities supplier?
If you do not have the time or experience to review these
in detail, there are firms that will audit your contracts and
can suggest cheaper alternatives.

FINANCING

You should also review your financing arrangements,
including your loans. We can perform an audit for you
including suggesting alternative providers which could
help you reduce your costs in this area.

ELIMINATE ALL WASTEFUL PROCESSES

It is estimated most businesses waste the equivalent of
20-30% of their turnover each year. Regardless of the
type of business you run, a waste audit includes looking
at overproduction and over-servicing, waiting times,
transportation, inappropriate processing, unnecessary
inventory and motions, defects, and mistakes. Reviewed
collectively, these can lead to some significant cost savings
as well as better service for your customers and clients.

It is estimated most
businesses waste
the equivalent
of 20-30% of their
turnover each year
Do speak to your accountant? They have a wealth of
knowledge and experience in many of these areas and
they can help you by monitoring your results with you and
providing a sounding board to help you make decisions.
And finally, this is a stressful time for everyone but please
don’t forget the acronym – TEAM – together everyone
achieves more. And you are not alone with the right team
of advisors working with you.

Alison Jones can be contacted at
alison.jones@krestonreeves.com
Visit www.krestonreeves.com
or call us on 0330 124 1399
SEPTEMBER 2023 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

FE ATURE

The number of business premises used for warehousing and logistics
has almost doubled in the last decade, according to the Oﬃce
for National Statistics, leaving the UK facing a potential problem.
DYNAMIC looks at what’s behind the demand and why businesses
need to adapt

Making better use of
WAREHOUSE SPACE
This has been largely driven by the massive increase in e-commerce and online retailers such as Amazon – a company that
accounts for a quarter of all warehousing space in the UK.
In late 2021, commercial property services firm, Cushman
& Wakefield, predicted that the UK could run out of warehousing space within a year. Over 12 months later, demand
continues to be at an all-time high, with vacancy rates having
been sat at less than 2% for the past year. This is way below
the rate needed to balance fluctuations between supply and
demand, which is 8%.

WHAT’S DRIVING THE DEMAND FOR
WAREHOUSING SPACE?

Where e-commerce has dominated the take-up of warehousing space, analysis has also shown that the increase in demand
is also because of stockpiling. More retailers and manufacturers are now using third-party logistics providers to store their
goods, which drove almost 20% of all warehousing take-up
in the first half of 2022.
This is likely due to businesses wanting to make their supply chains more resilient rather than relying solely upon ‘justin-time’, a model that is highly vulnerable to any disruptions
within the supply chain. Stockpiling goods means that even
if there is a disruption, the business will have enough stock to
fulfil orders and keep up with customer demand.
This, along with what’s seen as chronic under-development of storage space, has created a perfect storm that is affecting businesses across the UK and limiting their growth.

Apart from lack of space,
labour vacancies is another
major issue faced by the logistics
and warehousing industries
20

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk | SEPTEMBER 2023

Recent joint analysis from Savills, the British Property
Foundation (BPF) and the UK Warehousing Association
found that the lack of space has meant that rents have risen around 61%. This is most harmful to small businesses
and those that work with slim margins, which may struggle to keep up with rental costs and could see their profits
squeezed even more. Consumers may also feel the bite of this,
with some businesses forced to pass on extra costs to their
customers.

How can businesses adapt
to the lack of space?

1 GREATER USE OF HEIGHT

Utilising all available space will be vital – especially
vertical space. For small storage facilities, shelving units,
stacking systems, and warehouse steps may be enough
to maximise the height. For larger spaces or those that
deal with heavy items and materials, pallet racking is an
essential investment. Specialised equipment such as mobile
warehouse steps and side loaders can assist in the process
of storing items at height and make it much safer and less
labour-intensive.
Although still uncommon, more developers are pointing
towards multi-storey warehousing as a way to combat the
lack of space. The UK’s first multi-storey logistics space,
Segro V-Park Grand Union, in London is planned to be six
storeys high. Building mezzanine levels into current spaces
may also provide a faster short-term solution.

2 EFFICIENT STORAGE

Similar to utilising height in your warehouse is also
investing in ways to eﬃciently store your equipment, for
which there are many simple but effective solutions.
Some commonly used equipment such as steps, shelf
trucks, and trolleys can be found in foldable styles, meaning
that they can easily be packed away when not needed. Wall
brackets can also help to store equipment such as heavyduty ladders safely, securely, and in a way that saves space.

3 AUTOMATION

Automating otherwise time-consuming tasks can ensure
processes are completed quickly, as well as reduce the risk
of human error. This is especially useful for FMCG companies
where speed and accuracy are essential for customer
convenience.
Warehouse management systems and the use of
AI technologies can both help towards achieving this.
AI in warehouses can streamline processes and help
businesses to use their space more eﬃciently through
analysis and effective planning. AI can quickly use market
trends and current demand to calculate future needs,
aiding in decision-making around what stock to prioritise
and where to store it to avoid wasting space.
Products such as powered pallet trucks and pallet stackers
can also assist with tasks that are carried out by people;
they do the heavy lifting.

Demand continues to be
at an all-time high, with
vacancy rates having been
sat at less than 2%
for the past year

4 EXPANDING SUPPLIER BASES

Businesses that are unable to build their own
stockpiles due to space could also minimise the risk
of supply chain disruptions by expanding their supplier
bases. Doing so will mean that when an issue strikes,
the business will be able to source what they need from
different suppliers.

5 STRATEGIC USE OF LOCATIONS

Apart from lack of space, labour vacancies is another
major issue faced by the logistics and warehousing
industries. Automation can partially help by making workers’
jobs easier to complete. However, future developments
will need to not only consider the available space, but also
the surrounding labour pool. In areas where logistics and
warehousing are dominant, the competition for skilled
workers will be the fiercest.

Along with these adaptations, perhaps the real key to
helping businesses meet their demand and thrive is the sufficient development of warehousing space. The expansion of
available space might then lead to even greater demand for it,
with businesses growing and increasing their own stockpiles.
The report by Savills and the BPF predicts that growth
could rise by 42% in Leeds, 35% in Manchester, 29% in
Birmingham, and 28% in Nottingham – leading to benefits
such as job creation and giving the local economy a boost.
There are already signs of renewed growth in warehouse development plans, with just over two million sq ft
of warehousing space opening this year in Yorkshire alone.
If this continues, the day the UK runs out of storage space
may never come.
SEPTEMBER 2023 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

❛❛

To me, bossy is
not a pejorative
term at all.
It means somebody’s
passionate,
engaged and
ambitious
and doesn’t
mind learning

TAIWAN TACKLES
PERIOD POVERTY
Taiwan will be joining New Zealand, Kenya, Botswana and
regions in France and Canada in providing free sanitary
products in schools and universities. Taiwan will include grants
for low-income learners to access period products, which is
expected to benefit 95,000 students. Provision is also being
made via public venues such as libraries, museums and art
centres in major cities.
Scotland already provides period products free of cost to
anyone who needs them while the rest of the UK has, sadly,
only abolished VAT on sanitary products.

Amy Poehler

IN THE RIGHT

DIRECTION

THE US GENDER PAY GAP NARROWS
The pay gap between full-time working women and their male counterparts
in the US is now narrower than ever, according to data from the Bureau
of Labor Statistics – but there’s still some way to go before parity is reached.
Many feared that the pandemic would reverse pay gap progress, but the
opposite appears to be true with women now making 84 cents (74p) for
every $1 (88p) that men earn for similar work – the closest it’s ever been.
“Many women are coming back into the labour force at higher wage rates
than before,” Julia Pollak, chief economist at ZipRecruiter, told news site Axios.
“What was a ‘she-cession’ in some ways appears to be turning into a ‘she-boom.’”

NO PRESSURE TO WALK 10,000 STEPS
If hitting the magic 10,000 steps a day sometimes feels like an impossible task, take heart – a new analysis
reveals health benefits kick in at as few as 2,300, while 4,000 is enough to cut the risk of premature death.
Researchers led by Maciej Banach, Professor of Cardiology at the Medical University of Lodz, Poland,
analysed step count studies involving almost 227,000 people. They found that 2,337 steps a day benefitted
the heart and blood vessels, while walking at least 3,967 steps reduced the risk of dying from any cause.
Every 1,000 steps over 4,000 cut the chance of early death by 15%, the study concluded.
“This applied to both men and women, irrespective of age or whether you live in a temperate,
subtropical or subpolar region of the world, or a region with a mixture of climates,” said Banach.

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk | SEPTEMBER 2023

A SILVER LINING
IN RISING COST
Artificial fertiliser, made using natural
gas, shot up in price after the invasion
of Ukraine. Consequently, UK farmers
started using less of it or using natural
alternatives, leading to the unexpected
outcome of higher crop yields.
According to the UK’s Department for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(Defra), wheat, barley, oilseed rape and
sugar beet yields rose by 2.4% in 2022,
while fertiliser use fell by a reported
27%.

US DESTROYS
THE LAST OF
ITS DECLARED
CHEMICAL
WEAPONS
ENVIRONMENTAL
FUND TO TRAIN
YOUNG PEOPLE
A wildlife trust and charity have received
£1.49m to train young people from
diverse backgrounds to help them get
environmental sector jobs. UpRising
and Shropshire Wildlife Trust received
National Lottery funding to launch the free
Environmental Leadership Programme to
engage people aged 18-25 from a range of
socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds
with nature. It aims to deepen young
people’s understanding of what drives
environmental behaviour change,
leading them to develop nature-focused
campaigns in their local communities.

The last of the United States’ declared
chemical weapons stockpile has been
destroyed at a military installation
in Kentucky, the White House
announced. Rockets filled with GB
nerve agent were destroyed, closing a
chapter of warfare dating back to World
War I.
“For more than 30 years, the United
States has worked tirelessly to eliminate
our chemical weapons stockpile,”
President Joe Biden said in a statement
released by the White House. “I am
proud to announce that the United
States has safely destroyed the final
munition in that stockpile — bringing
us one step closer to a world free from
the horrors of chemical weapons.”

“Price rises in 2022 were a real shock
for many farmers, but one upside could
hopefully be a permanent reduction
in fertiliser use,” said Martin Lines,
chairman of the Nature Friendly
Farming Network.

❛❛

I just love bossy
women. I could be
around them all day
Amy Poehler

Students will spend nine months taking
part in the free course and there will
be 100 young people in each cohort.
The programme will run for four years.
Applications are currently open for the
October start date.

REVERSING HEARING LOSS IN MICE
Scientists at King’s College London have used a genetic approach to fix deafness in
mice, restoring their hearing abilities in low and middle frequency ranges.
Dr Elisa Martelletti, the study’s first author from King’s Institute of Psychiatry,
Psychology & Neuroscience said, “Seeing the once-deaf mice respond to sounds
after treatment was truly thrilling. It was a pivotal moment, demonstrating the tangible
potential to reverse hearing loss caused by defective genes. This groundbreaking
proof-of-concept study unlocks new possibilities for future research, sparking hope for
the development of treatments for hearing loss.”
SEPTEMBER 2023 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

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

SPOTLIGH T
Lebby Eyres
The CEO of The Health Lottery tells us how
her fundraising efforts led to a career shift
As a child, I was never a brilliant fundraiser. Getting
sponsorship in the 80s was a tedious process which involved
cold calling neighbours – not much fun for a slightly shy,
gawky teen.
It wasn’t until my mother died of breast cancer in 2008
that I began fundraising in earnest, as a means of getting
through my grief. At the time, I was deputy editor of new!
magazine. Our marathon-running art director inspired me to
do the Moonwalk to raise money for breast cancer charities.
After my father died from pneumonia in 2013, I decided to
run the London Marathon for the British Lung Foundation.
The following year, I did the Paris and London Marathons
to support an anti-domestic violence campaign we’d launched
in the magazine under my then-editorship. We were reaching
half a million readers a week, many of whom had experienced
an abusive relationship or knew someone who had. I felt we
were making a difference.
After being made redundant in 2018, I began working as
a freelance journalist, but found I missed being part of a team.
I returned to my university sport of rowing and met some
inspirational women who’d rowed the Atlantic.
It felt like fate when a dropout led to a friend asking me
to join “The Mothership” team for the 2021 Talisker Whisky
Atlantic Challenge. We rowed from La Gomera to Antigua
in 40 days and raised £70,000 for the Felix Fund, Women in
Sport and Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice.

We rowed from La Gomera to
Antigua in 40 days and raised
£70,000 for the Felix Fund,
Women in Sport and Noah’s Ark
Children’s Hospice
24

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk | SEPTEMBER 2023

Afterwards, returning to journalism felt a little hollow.
I wanted to be part of something more meaningful. So when
the former owner of new! magazine called to tell me about
the role of CEO of The Health Lottery, I jumped at the
chance to apply.
Now, just over eight months after I joined, we have
relaunched the brand and I’ve put my journalism background
to good use to make sure we’re telling the story that with
every ticket sold, we are helping to fight health inequality
around Great Britain. At The Health Lottery, we support
community projects that can otherwise get overlooked.
It’s a real motivation to know the better we are at our job,
the more we make a difference.
See www.healthlottery.co.uk

Sophie Carr
A big congratulations on winning the
Dynamic Innovator of the Year Award!
Sophia Carr, Director of Bays Consulting tells us
about her journey to get to where she is today
I didn’t set out wanting, or ever expecting to become,
a business owner. In fact, I landed my dream job straight
out of university, working as an aeronautical engineer and
I genuinely could see my whole life mapped out. Two things
combined to change that: I missed the research aspects of
university, and I was fascinated about why people were
missing (not seeing) information. I persuaded my employer
to fund a part-time PhD, and that was game changer.
I was introduced to Bayesian Statistics.
It took eight years to get my PhD,
studying in the evening and weekends during which time I got married
and had a child. It was undoubtedly
challenging to finish my studies, and
achieving that is something I am really
proud of.
Just over a year after I graduated,
I was made redundant while my second child was only a few months old.
That was during the economic crash of
2008/9 and I couldn’t find part-time
technical work. This was important to
me, I desperately wanted to stay in technical work and use
the skills I gained. Ultimately, I decided to found my own
company to do just that.

I mean how hard can that be? It turns out founding
a company is pretty easy; building a profitable company
is much, much harder. I promised my husband I’d just do
some consulting for a couple of years
and then go back to a proper job.
The thing is, it turned out I really
enjoyed running my own company.
As Bays has slowly grown I’ve worked
hard to ensure that the culture is one
where everyone can find their place in
tech. I am incredibly proud of the fact
that the company has an equitable
gender split and that our staff includes
reservists, veterans and more part-time
men than women.
By allowing the company to grow
slowly, the team has really come together and we’ve found
ways of working that work for us. I’ve felt the joy in seeing
others who were brave enough to join a small company grow
and succeed and realised that this gives me huge fulfilment.
I am not where I thought I would end up in my career but
I am, I think, where I am meant to be.

By allowing the
company to grow
slowly, the team has
really come together
and we’ve found
ways of working
that work for us

www.baysconsulting.co.uk

SEPTEMBER 2023 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

FE ATURE

In the realm of women’s football, few names
resonate as strongly as Sarina Wiegman’s.
The Lionesses coach took the team further
in the Word Cup than any England squad
had reached in 57 years. By Tess de Klerk

Sarina Wiegman

A TRAILBLAZER
IN WOMEN’S
FOOTBALL
With her exemplary coaching prowess and
remarkable achievements, she has carved
a path that inspires both players and fans alike.
Beyond her professional accomplishments,
Wiegman’s personal journey adds depth
to her meteoric rise in the world of football

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk | SEPTEMBER 2023

❛❛

I have a lot of
respect for Sarina.
For the men,
everything
is arranged.
Here, this is much
more difﬁcult
Louis van Gaal

SEPTEMBER 2023 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

FE ATURE

CONTRASTING REALITIES AND DEDICATION

Sarina’s childhood team; Six year old Sarina: first row, second left

EARLY LIFE AND PASSION FOR THE GAME

Born on October 26th 1969, in The Hague, Netherlands,
Sarina Wiegman’s affinity for football developed early in
life. Raised in a family that adored the sport, she kicked
her first ball at a tender age, playing football in the streets
and quickly showcasing an innate talent that would come
to define her future. Back then, girls and women weren’t
allowed to play football in the Netherlands, but that didn’t
stop Sarina from chopping her hair off and joining her
twin brother’s Haag team. Over the years, she faced many
challenges of a male-dominated sport, often playing with
and against boys, refining her skills and determination.

FROM PLAYER TO SCHOLAR-ATHLETE

Wiegman’s journey took a significant turn in 1988, when
she had the opportunity to participate in the 1988 FIFA
Women’s Invitation Tournament in China. During this
tournament, fate intertwined her path with that of Anson
Dorrance, the head coach of the US Women’s National
Team (USWNT). Impressed by Wiegman’s skills and
potential, Dorrance extended an invitation that would
shape the course of her life. He encouraged her to study
at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and
join the North Carolina Tar Heels women’s football team,
a powerhouse in collegiate soccer.
In 1989, Wiegman seized this opportunity, crossing
the Atlantic to immerse herself in the vibrant US football
culture. Playing alongside luminaries like Mia Hamm,
Kristine Lilly, and Carla Overbeck, Wiegman’s time with
the Tar Heels proved transformative. The team clinched
the NCAA championship in 1989, a remarkable feat that
showcased Wiegman’s ability to excel on the international
stage.

Right: Sarina
holding the Euro
2022 trophy

Wiegman’s experiences at the University of North Carolina
provided her with a stark contrast to the situation back
home in the Netherlands. She marvelled at the high calibre
of the team and the quality of support and facilities, which
stood in stark contrast to the challenges faced by female
players in her homeland. In the Netherlands, women’s
players juggled football with other professions due to the
lack of sufficient support.
Upon returning to the Netherlands after her stint
in the United States, Wiegman embraced her role as
a trailblazer. She became a beacon of inspiration for female
athletes, demonstrating that success was possible even
under challenging circumstances. To sustain her playing
career, Wiegman worked as a physical education teacher
at Segbroek College in The Hague, a position she held
while continuing to excel in football.

CHAMPIONING EQUALITY
AND CHANGING THE GAME

Off the field, Wiegman’s personal life reflects her dedication
to empowerment and gender equality. A vocal advocate for
women’s rights in sports, she has consistently championed
increased opportunities and support for female athletes.
Her work transcends mere wins and losses; it’s about paving
the way for future generations and changing perceptions
about women’s participation in football. As of 2022, the
Dutch men’s and women’s national football teams receive
the same salary.

A POWERFUL PARTNERSHIP

Sarina Wiegman is married to Marten Glotzbach, who
shares her passion for football. Marten, a former youth
football trainer and coordinator, transitioned to becoming
a Professor of Economics at Segbroek College. He utilised
his coaching qualification by organising football matches
at the school, eventually finding his way into coaching the
Netherlands Women’s national football team.
Marten and Sarina’s partnership extended beyond their
personal lives. They worked alongside each other as coaches
for the Netherlands Women’s national football team;
a testament to their shared commitment to the sport.
Despite Sarina’s departure to become the head coach of the
England Women’s team in September 2021, their influence
on women’s football remains a profound force.

A FOOTBALL FAMILY

The couple have two daughters, Sacha and Lauren
Glotzbach, who have inherited their parents’ love for the
beautiful game. Both Sacha and Lauren are accomplished
footballers in their own right. Lauren plays for the youth
ADO Den Haag team, while Sacha showcases her talents
at Sports Club Monster.
Right: Consolling
England’s
Millie Bright
Below: The 2023
World Cup team

Overcoming adversity has been
a deﬁning characteristic
of Wiegman’s teams, with England
rising above every challenge
presented over the four weeks
of the tournament with a calm,
ruthless efﬁciency
WHAT’S NEXT FOR SARINA?

Sarina is a strong contender to potentially assume the role
of the Netherlands men’s national coach in the future.
Privately, Dutch football authorities have hinted for months
that Wiegman would likely find herself on the shortlist
of candidates. Her candidacy has gained more traction
following her teams’ impressive streak of reaching four
consecutive major women’s international finals.
Historically, no prominent football federation or top-tier
club has ever extended an offer for a men’s team managerial
position to a woman. Wiegman confirmed her commitment
to her role with England though, stating she had no
intentions of departing, despite the 1-0 defeat to Spain in
the FIFA Women’s World Cup Final.
Her current contract with the Lionesses extends
until after Euro 2025. There has also been talk of Sarina
leading England’s men’s team after Football Association
CEO Mark Bullingham expressed openness to a woman
succeeding Gareth Southgate. Either way, Bullingham
vowed to rebuff external attempts to recruit Wiegman and
expressed optimism in her prolonged tenure. Addressing the
pay gap (around £400,000 a year compared to Southgate’s
£6 million), he said he aims for parity eventually,
acknowledging the current discrepancy in the ‘market’ for
both positions.
Wiegman’s name also emerged in American media as
a potential replacement for the resigned head coach of the
US national team. However, the KNVB (the Dutch FA’s)
renewed interest might strongly appeal to her. Another
prospect for Wiegman is managing Great Britain in the
Olympics, pending successful qualification.
Wherever she chooses to go, Sarina Wiegman’s journey
is one of tenacity, perseverance, and an unwavering love
for the beautiful game. Her story serves as an inspiration
to aspiring athletes, coaches, and anyone striving to make
their mark in a world that sometimes resists change. As she
continues to shape the future of women’s football, her legacy
is destined to endure, leaving an indelible imprint on the
sport she holds dear.

SEPTEMBER 2023 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

E VENTS

Lord Simon Woolley will be a keynote speaker at Brighton
Chamber’s annual Brighton Summit on October 20th
at the Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts

BRIGHTON SUMMIT
Meet one of the UK’s most high-profile
campaigners for social justice
Lord Simon Woolley has dedicated
over 30 years of his career to promoting
equality and human rights. He’s a crossbench peer, co-founder of Operation
Black Vote, and the first Black man
to serve as principal of Cambridge
University’s Homerton College.
Fostered and then adopted as
a child, he grew up on a Leicester
council estate and left school without
any A Levels. In 1996, Lord Woolley
founded Operation Black Vote, which
works with ethnic minorities to
increase understanding of civic

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk | SEPTEMBER 2023

society, participation in Parliament and
public life. Over the past two decades,
the number of MPs from Black and
minority ethnic backgrounds has risen
from four to 65 as a result.
Joining Brighton Chamber as a
keynote speaker at Human: Brighton
Summit on October 20th, Lord
Woolley will talk about his life – the
challenges he’s encountered, the skills
and passions he’s developed along the
way, and his dedication to promoting opportunity for underrepresented
communities and individuals.

ABOUT HUMAN:
BRIGHTON SUMMIT
Books have been born, businesses brokered, and brilliant
bonds of friendship made over the course of Brighton
Summit’s ten-year history. That’s thanks to the highly
collaborative format which maximises opportunities
to meet, share and learn. But also down to attendees’
mindset: free your mind, banish your boundaries and zoom
outside of your comfort zone.
Brighton Summit is a full day of expertly curated keynotes,
workshops and speaker sessions to supercharge your
business and personal development. And each year,
our theme helps us to focus on and enhance our shared
discussion. This year, our Human theme will see us
embrace, dissect and celebrate our shared humanity.
Featuring a keynote from forensic scientist Angela Gallop,
and sessions to spark connections in new ways from wine
and cheese tasting, to building Lego, learning breathwork
and more – it’s a Summit for everyone.
Human: Brighton Summit is on October 20th at
the Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts.
Find out more and get your ticket at brightonsummit.com

Brighton Summit is run by Brighton Chamber, a dynamic and welcoming
membership organisation for businesses of all sizes.
To get the latest Summit updates straight to your inbox, head over
to the Chamber website to sign up to our mailing list.
With thanks to our sponsors: Galloways Accounting, Osprey, University of Sussex,
EMW LLP, EQ Investors, Plus X Innovation and Reed.
And with special thanks to some of the humans helping behind the scenes at
Brighton Summit. Brilliant branding by Sandra Staufer and Visual Function, with
captivating copy by Rich Ford, Sherlock Studio.
Media partner: Platinum Media Group
Print partner: Lollipop
Web partner: Madison Solutions

PLATINUM
M E DIA G ROU P

SEPTEMBER 2023 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

TECHNOLOGY

The UK tech industry has a growing
employment issue with 95% of companies
reporting diﬃculties in securing talent. Where
are the solutions to be found?

WOMEN are the
answer to the
tech talent gap

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk | SEPTEMBER 2023

he UK Tech sector grew by 1,000% between
2010 and 2020, and last year the UK became
the third country in the world to have a tech
sector valued at £1 trillion. More ‘unicorn’
billion pound tech start-ups are being created
than Germany, France and Sweden combined.
Around two-thirds (67%) of tech workers in the UK
believe women are the answer to bridging the tech talent
gap, yet only 40% stated their company has a plan to improve
the gender split in their IT teams, according to research.
The annual Computer Weekly/TechTarget IT salary
survey also revealed that almost a quarter of all participants
strongly believe women are not well represented in higher
positions within the tech workforce.
The lack of women in the tech sector is not only hindering
diversity, but also contributing to the significant skills gap,
leaving firms struggling to find the talent they require.
Hostile environments for women in tech roles could
deter them from pursuing careers in the industry, leading to
a missed opportunity for a pool of potential talent.
Senna Baillie, Director of Community, at VeUP, said:
“The industry and companies within should continue to work
together to highlight and implement the necessary means
to break down barriers to entry, and implement strategies to
shift away from the idea of the sector being exclusive.

Around two-thirds (67%)
of tech workers in the UK believe
women are the answer to
bridging the tech talent gap
“As well as looking to recruit new talent, tech companies
must look inward and drive an inclusive culture to expand
organisational support and access to courses for their female
staff. Getting more females into tech is crucial to unlocking
an abundance of knowledge as well as strengthening retention
and attitudes across the board.”
More than half of the survey participants highlighted the
need for greater involvement of men in creating an inclusive
culture for women in the tech sector, up significantly from
23% from last year, indicating a growing recognition of the
importance of male allies in fostering diversity and equality.
Joanna Kori, Head of People at Encompass Corporation,
said: “Research such as this emphasises the importance of
building a truly diverse workforce. Women have so much
skill, experience and expertise to bring to the table. If the
gap is to really be bridged, it is crucial that organisations
are proactive, and put the right policies and initiatives in place
to attract and retain them.
“Businesses within the technology sector must continue to
invest in female talent, introducing or focusing on a range of
areas, such as flexible working, which can be transformative
when it comes to enabling women to excel in their career
development while enjoying the work-life balance that is
imperative today. We must empower women in their life
and wellbeing choices, as well as their work choices, and
support them to reach their potential. If we are to continually
see positive change, flexibility is key.”
Regarding equal pay, 63% of respondents believe women
and men with similar qualifications are paid equally within
their organisations, though 10% disagree.
The survey also highlighted a disparity in average salaries, with female participants earning an average yearly salary
of around £61,640, while male participants earned an average of £86,392. This disparity is often due to women being
less likely to be promoted to higher, well-paid positions or
leaving the sector before reaching a higher salary range.
The tech sector has started to shift its focus from
exclusively encouraging women into the industry to a broader
approach, continuously adjusting and improving upon
including people from different ethnicities, with different
disabilities, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and
those from less wealthy socio-economic backgrounds.
Progress is being made, with 41% of respondents reporting
their organisations to have mature DE&I strategies in place,
but there remains much work to be done to improve.

SEPTEMBER 2023 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

WELLBEING

The allure of a straightforward method to amplify brainpower,
thus leading to heightened productivity, intelligence and focus
is undeniably captivating. But is it all hype? And is it safe?

EXPLORING
NOOTROPICS

WHAT ARE
NOOTROPICS?

Nootropics encompass a diverse
array of supplements and
medications that hold the promise of
improving cognitive function within
the brain, including faculties such
as memory, creativity, motivation,
executive function, and overall
thinking abilities.

he popularity of nootropic drugs can
be attributed in part to their portrayal
in popular culture, such as the movie
“Limitless,” where a smart drug propels
Bradley Cooper into heightened productivity. However, such ‘brain hacking’ still remains
a distant aspiration
Nootropics are alternatively known as cognitive
enhancers, smart drugs, or brain boosters. This classification encompasses an extensive spectrum, ranging
from naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, and plantderived compounds to prescription medications and novel
synthetic compounds.
Let’s have a closer look at some of the substances out there.

SYNTHETICS

Nootropics are
alternatively known
as cognitive enhancers,
smart drugs,
or brain boosters

Plant
‘brain
boosters’

Synthetics such as those in the Racetam family (piracetam,
aniracetam, pramiracetam), Noopept, phenotropil were
blanket banned for selling and distributing in the UK in
2016 (they’re readily available online from outside the UK,
though). Some of these compounds have proven efficacy in
those with serious cognitive decline such as piracetam in dementia patients but there is little evidence from large, controlled studies regarding the effectiveness and safety of these
compounds in healthy brains.

LION’S MANE
MUSHROOM

Lion’s Mane mushroom (Hericium
erinaceus) stands out as a unique
natural nootropic with potential
neuroprotective and cognitiveenhancing properties. A 2009
clinical trial found that Lion’s Mane
supplementation could stimulate
nerve growth factor (NGF) production,
supporting overall brain health.
Notably, the study participants
with mild cognitive impairment
experienced improvements
in cognitive function after taking
Lion’s Mane for 16 weeks

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk | SEPTEMBER 2023

RHODIOLA

Rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea) is a
powerful adaptogen that helps the
body adapt to stress. This herb boasts
potential benefits for mental stamina
and resilience. A 2003 randomised
controlled trial among 161 participants
found that Rhodiola could alleviate
mental fatigue and improve cognitive
function under stress. Participants
experienced a significant reduction
in fatigue and an increase
in mental performance
during stressinducing tasks.

Essential nutrients
for a happy brain
• B Vitamins inc folate
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin E
• Omega 3
• Magnesium

The allure of a
straightforward
method to amplify
brainpower…
is undeniably
captivating
PRESCRIPTION ‘SMART DRUGS’

These constitute another prominent category of nootropics, often associated with students seeking prolonged focus
and attentiveness. Among the common prescriptions used
as smart drugs are methylphenidate (Ritalin and Concerta),
Modafinil and amphetamine-salt-based stimulants like
Adderall (USA). While these medications are essential for
individuals with cognitive differences or certain psychiatric
disorders, healthy individuals may also misuse them to enhance work or study performance.
The risks are considerable. Using prescription medications
without professional guidance can lead to harmful consequences, including dependency and addiction. Long-term
use of these drugs, especially during brain development stages like adolescence, might impede brain plasticity and result
in potential cognitive decline. Side effects of illicit usage can
include psychiatric disorders, cardiovascular issues, and even
an increased risk of suicide.
Nootropics offer an enticing promise of enhancing cognitive function, memory, and overall mental performance.
However, it is crucial to consult a healthcare professional before taking any new substances – even herbs. And always be
vigilant to potential side effects, interactions, and precautions.

GINKGO
BILOBA

Ginkgo biloba, often
called a “living fossil”
because it has survived
mostly unchanged for close
to 150 million years, has a long history
of use in traditional Chinese medicine
for cognitive enhancement. Today,
some studies back up the plant’s
benefits for memory and concentration,
its neuroprotective effects and its ability
to improve microvascular circulation
in the brain, concentration, and overall
cognitive function.

BRAHMI

Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri), a central
herb in Ayurvedic medicine, has been
relied upon for millennia for its memoryenhancing properties – among a host
of other benefits. In 2001, a clinical trial
demonstrated that bacopa monnieri
supplementation led to improvements
in memory, learning, and cognitive
performance in healthy individuals.
Interestingly, the effects were
more pronounced after
12 weeks of supplementation,
suggesting that the benefits
might build up over time.

ASHWAGANDHA

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is
another adaptogenic herb with a broad
range of potential cognitive benefits –
particularly by improving resilience to
stress, which can impair mental clarity,
alertness and focus. A systematic
review of scientific literature has shown
that ashwagandha administration can
lead to significant improvements in
anxiety or stress level.

SEPTEMBER 2023 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

RE ADING
FURTHER

THREE KEY SKILLS
MANAGERS NEED
TO NAVIGATE
RAPID CHANGE
WITH THEIR TEAMS
1

Laura Ashley-Timms is the COO of performance
ASK MORE POWERFUL QUESTIONS
Questions are the keys to unlocking your teams’ conconsultancy Notion, co-creator of the
fi
dence
and potential in the face of change. Rather than
®
STAR Manager online development programme,
practising a traditional command-and-control manageand co-author of The Answer is a Question
ment style, providing solutions to problems that your emComplex hybrid-working models and rapid technological
advancements are just some of the unprecedented changes
facing today’s workplace. Additionally, staff priorities have
shifted in terms of work/life balance, job satisfaction and
development opportunities, meaning managers find themselves overstretched and struggling to manage a mostly disengaged workforce.
Here are three key skills managers need to effectively
lead their teams through change:

ployees bring to you, managers need to develop the ability
to ask questions designed to stimulate their thinking. This
approach benefits the immediate situations people bring
to you but also countless future situations where the issue
might recur. Every time you ask a powerful question and
help others to think through the situation differently, their
confidence and capability increase. They also become more
resourceful, and when that happens, they know how to solve
their problems independently.

HEAD & HEART

What is revered as
leadership today
is often nothing
more than a
destructive set
of obsolete
behaviours

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk | SEPTEMBER 2023

THE ART OF MODERN LEADERSHIP
By Kirstin Ferguson
Penguin (2023)
Whether you are the head of one of
the largest companies in the world,
supervising a small team, or guiding
your family, it will be your ability to
integrate your head and heart that will
influence your success in leading others
and navigating our complex world.
Combining studies from leading thinkers
in the field with her own research, and
more than three decades of personal
experience, the author explains the
eight key attributes of a head-and-heart
leader, and provides the tools to measure
your own approach.

2 ACTIVELY LISTEN

Actively listening to your employees is crucial to foster
authentic engagement and higher performance. Active listening means giving the employee your full attention without interrupting with your own input. Begin by being present in the moment and making a conscious effort to sense
the other person’s state. What is their mood? How much
energy do they have? Do they seem stressed? Concentrate
on how people are speaking, what they’re saying—and what
they aren’t saying. Acknowledging that you’ve listened to
someone when they’re expressing a challenge they’re facing is an important part of building empathy and trust
with them. You might say, “I hear what you’re saying. That
sounds really difficult. Let’s work together on this. May I
ask you a question?” acknowledging them in this way will
help them open up to your questions and ease into a more
natural conversation.

DARE TO UN-LEAD

THE ART OF RELATIONAL LEADERSHIP
IN A FRAGMENTED WORLD
By Celine Schillinger
Figure 1 Publishing (2022)
What is revered as leadership today is
often nothing more than a destructive
set of obsolete behaviours and systems
evolved from the centuries-old industrial
theories popularised by Frederick Taylor
and Henry Ford. The author believes
that this mode of leadership harms
individuals and societies and must be
reinvented. Dare to Un-Lead explores
how contemporary organisations can
transform leadership from a top-down
hegemony to one that empowers people
to lead together through the concepts
of liberty, equality, and community.

Staff priorities have shifted
in terms of work/life balance,
job satisfaction and
development opportunities

3 GIVE APPRECIATIVE FEEDBACK

Employees can become frustrated with a lack of feedback, especially during periods of uncertainty. Learning
to spot opportunities to give appreciative feedback, rather
than focusing on what you want people to improve on, is a
great way to build staff confidence. Pointing out the behaviours that are making a positive difference to the outcomes
being achieved, and celebrating them, will strengthen these
habits and deliver faster improvements.

THE MICROSTRESS EFFECT: HOW
LITTLE THINGS PILE UP AND CREATE
BIG PROBLEMS--AND WHAT TO DO
ABOUT IT
by Rob Cross, Karen Dillon
Harvard Business School Publishing
(2023)
‘Cross and Dillon provide fresh insight
into one of the most important topics of
our time – why so many high performers
are at risk of burnout in both their
careers and their lives. Based on solid
academic research, The Microstress
Effect offers not only hope but also
practical guidance for fending off
microstress and living a rich, fulfilling
life.’ – Susan David, Wall Street Journal
bestselling author of Emotional Agility

SEPTEMBER 2023 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

SCENE
ART

Su Jameson’s new collection ‘Conversations’
explores the connections and complexities
of being human and the tools we use to
communicate. By KELLIE MILLER

CONVERSATIONS:

The works
of Su Jameson
Her hand-built ceramic sculptures strive to create physical
and emotional exchanges drawn from her interactions and
observations. Her work explores the complexities of being
human, issues around belonging, strength and fragility, and
communication tools. Derived from ideas that are at once
particular and universal, the work invites contemplation and
reinterpretation.
A bold colour palette brings to life her mesmerising
ceramic sculptural forms, and you cannot help but look
closer, deeper into each piece.
Some of the pieces include birds. Su is surrounded by
birdsong where she works. Birds are symbolic of her
upbringing. The birds singing have infi ltrated her psyche
during her solitary studio practice. By including these
characters, she is pushing back against influences from her
childhood fuelled by Irish superstitions where birds were
seen as unlucky and unwelcome, especially indoors.
The revolt against these messages has resulted in the
realisation that their inclusion in her works is a constant
engagement. This newfound companionship through the
surround sound of birdsong and loose interpretations in
the clay has been joyful and cathartic.
“Rather than a specific narrative, I am interested in
a more allegorical conveyance of hidden/semi-hidden, and
sometimes complex meanings that are highly personal;
through symbols, colours, and textures. This approach,
I hope, allows for a more universal dialogue,” says Su.

A bold colour palette brings
to life her mesmerising ceramic
sculptural forms, and you
cannot help but look closer,
deeper into each piece
38

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk | SEPTEMBER 2023

So, this collection is an evocation of inner voices confl icting, comforting, questioning, ancient and current with bird-like additions on some works as representations
of this. Su notes that birds are our only known living
dinosaurs and thus evoke ancient wisdom. They are social
and pass on knowledge across generations. Her research
has looked at the use of totems in early African carvings,
where birds such as the pelican are symbolic in initiation
ceremonies.
You can experience and enjoy Su Jameson’s new collection
at Kellie Miller Arts, Brighton.
Kellie Miller is an artist, curator, critic and gallery owner.
www.kelliemillerarts.com
Caller

A Moment

Ancestor

Introspection

Whispers
SEPTEMBER 2023 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

TR AVEL

Europe’s f inest
medical spas

TESS DE KLERK casts her eye over
the best locations across Europe to find
the finest places to relax, cure ailments
and generally achieve wellness
WHAT ARE MEDICAL SPAS?

Medical spas have become more popular in recent years for
men and women alike. High quality medical spas provide
comprehensive medical and/or wellness care in an environment
that integrates spa services with traditional, alternative, cosmetic
and western medical treatments and therapies. They have
full-time, onsite doctors and staff, including qualified nurses,
pharmacists and physiotherapists.
These spas strive to blend the best of two worlds — a relaxing spa
experience with the procedures and expertise typically only found
at a doctor’s oﬃce.
Some of the finest (and most expensive) medical spas are to be
found in Europe. These world-class establishments offer luxurious
accommodation, outstanding facilities and teams of specialist
doctors for consultations, investigative procedures and surgery.
Furthermore, they feature state-of-the-art operating blocks with
recovery suites and 24-hour care. Medical spa services also
include weight loss and stress-reduction programmes, check-ups,
beauty treatments and preventive medicine.

VILLA STÉPHANIE

Baden-Baden, Germany
This remarkable establishment provides a comprehensive
range of services spanning from cardiology and
ophthalmology to cutting-edge front-line stem-cell therapy,
which rivals the advancements seen anywhere else. Cuttingedge machinery delivers advanced full-body analysis, and
a designated physician will craft a completely personalised
plan. This plan encompasses tailored naturopathic
treatments, targeted exercise, diet, and any other elements
that resonate with your heart, body, and soul. With an
available gynaecology team, a kinesiologist, physiotherapists,
and even dental care services, it offers a complete and
invigorating transformation within a stunning environment.
Seven-night Body Cleanse Detox Programme stay
from £4,367 per person

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk | SEPTEMBER 2023

LANSERHOF TEGERNSEE,

Waakirchen, Germany
Located amidst picturesque villages of
the Bavarian Alps, this modern wellness
retreat is gaining significant attention
for its DNA analysis services. More than
90 genes are meticulously examined
by specialists to identify potential
genetic inclinations toward diseases.
Personalised advice on lifestyle
choices and nutrition is then carefully
put together in aid of preventing the
development of these conditions.
Renowned for its rigorous detox
approach, Lanserhof is a cheerleader
of intermittent fasting.

CLINIQUE LA PRAIRIE

Montreux, Switzerland
Situated along the stunning shores of Lake Geneva, this
longstanding establishment in Montreux has been tending
to individuals of considerable aﬄuence for nearly a century.
Throughout its history, the primary focus has consistently
been on enhancing not just lifespan, but quality of life, a concept
known as health span. These days this philosophy encompasses
advanced practices such as stem-cell therapy, DNA analysis,
personalised immune enhancement, and state-of-the-art
skincare. The clinic’s legacy is rooted in its commitment to
enhancing longevity and well-being through a harmonious
fusion of medical expertise and serene natural surroundings,
making it a sought-after destination for those with very deep
pockets who seek revitalisation and health optimisation.
Six-night Revitalisation Programme from £26,000

Seven-night LANS Med Basic
Programme from £3,513

High quality
medical spas provide
comprehensive
medical and/or
wellness care
LONGEVITY HEALTH & WELLNESS HOTEL

Alvor, Portugal
This minimalist medical spa is well known for the ‘bone detective’,
Ricardo Rosa, a skilled physiotherapist and osteopath who boasts
a high success rate in treating chronic back pain. Most other
ailments can also be addressed by the next-door private hospital
with exceptional facilities and consultants or simply rejuvenate
with spa and holistic treatments.
Three-night Longevity Relax & Detox Programme from £500

SHA WELLNESS CLINIC

L’Albir, Spain
This top-notch medical centre caters to a wide range of needs,
spanning addiction, sleep problems, smoking, alcoholism,
genetic testing, memory enhancement, and holistic therapies.
The macrobiotic, Japanese-inspired diet ensures a sense
of vitality and, being located in Alicante, you’re guaranteed
the boost that only sunshine provides.
It’s also the site of an outstanding cognitive health
programme. Professor Bruno Ribeiro employs his extensive
scientific knowledge and advanced technology to restore
mental equilibrium. Guests use NASA-designed headsets for
relaxation and focus, coupled with brain cell regenerating light
therapy. Luxurious massages and ocean panoramas aid guests in
unwinding and disconnecting.
Seven-night SHA Recovery Programme from £5,995
SEPTEMBER 2023 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

LOWER BEEDING

WILDFLOWER WALKS

Enjoy a stroll down into our valley with
our avid naturalist and gardener Elliot
Chandler, where he will introduce you
to the diverse and rich native flora
that grows among the more exotic
plants here in our gardens.
You will also have the opportunity
to see some of the wildlife that calls
Leonardslee home. This guided walk
is suitable for everyone from budding
naturalists to seasoned botanists.
Leonardslee Gardens
September 29th
www.leonardsleegardens.co.uk

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

BRIGHTON

BOUNDARY BRIGHTON
FESTIVAL 2023
Boundary is the biggest electronic dance
music festival in Brighton with a capacity
of 20,000. Taking the best of Brighton’s
creative energy, lust for life and generosity
of spirit, Boundary Brighton is a festival
with four stages of music, a vintage fair,
delicious local food and other unexpected
treats, all nestled between the crest of the
Downs and the city with the sea below.
Stanmer Park, Brighton
September 30th
www.boundarybrighton.com/

UCKFIELD

OKTOBERFEST
2023

Step back into the 1970s and join Basil,
Sybil and Manuel in an hilarious immersive
three-course dining experience, with
a glorious mix of audience interaction,
performed scenes and a touch of
competition, you are in for a treat. Just
don’t mention the war!

Come and experience an interactive singalong musical night of Oompah-themed
madness, music and mayhem. Dress to
impress!
Classic hits from the 60s through to today,
all played with an Oktoberfest twist, and
including some traditional German toasts.
Bratwurst on demand!

Luxfords Restaurant, Uckfield
October 6th
www.civiccentreuckfield.com/events/
fawlty-towers-dining-experience

HURSTPIERPOINT

FAWLTY TOWERS
DINING EXPERIENCE

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk | SEPTEMBER 2023

The Horse Inn
September 30th
www.thehorseinnhurst.co.uk

CHICHESTER

HOVE

ST LEONARDS-ON-SEA

On the Brooklyn waterfront, where the
fierce passions of ancestral Sicily linger,
the orphaned Catherine falls for her
handsome, newly arrived cousin Rodolfo
– an illegal immigrant. Their romance is
encouraged by her aunt but viewed with
revulsion by her uncle who harbours an
unspoken desire. As tensions rise, their
story spins inexorably beyond control.
Arthur Miller’s visceral and compelling
drama is a timeless masterpiece.

Momma Cherri of Gordon Ramsay’s
Kitchen Nightmares fame is BACK!
Join Momma every Saturday for her Soul
Food Brunch, served by up and coming
Drag artist Tylernol and their friends.
Perfect for a family treat, friends get
together, even for a date. Soul music,
drag performances, make up station, and
fantastic food and drink - what more could
you want?

‘Bring Your Baby Pub Quizzes’ are fun,
brain-stimulating daytime parent socials.
Quizzes take a slower pace than traditional
ones. We are parents ourselves, and
understand juggling a ‘baby brain’ with
baby distractions! We take two breaks to
feed, change and chat, and questions are
always repeated. Baby change is available,
including our legendary mobile baby
change which means you don’t need to
leave the quiz to change baby!

A VIEW FROM
THE BRIDGE

Chichester Festival Theatre
October 6th-28th
www.cft.org.uk

Martin Simpson

MOMMA CHERRI’S
SOUL FOOD BRUNCH

The Old Crow, Hove
Every Saturday through
September and October
www.oldcrowinc.com

‘BRING YOUR BABY’
PUB QUIZ

Marina Fountain
Third Wednesday of the month
www.bringyourbaby.org/book-a-quiz

Michael Rosen
RYE

RYE ARTS FESTIVAL 2023
This 52nd annual Rye Arts Festival will
run from September 15th-30th 2023.
The Festival is proud to offer a full
range of artistic events with world class
performers from around the globe, as
well as locals.

The Fay Hield Trio

Across Rye
September 15th-30th
www.ryeartsfestival.org.uk

SEPTEMBER 2023 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

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