Post Business Magazine - October 2012

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JimTeasdale’sdrive togrowtheMerseymaritimesector

●Getting ready:Skills top theagenda ●Worthywinners:SocialEnterpriseAwards ●Chaingang:Firmsgetcycling

When the boatcomes inWhen the boatcomes in

M O N T H L Y R E G I O N A L B U S I N E S S M A G A Z I N E

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THE Government is to pump £1bninto business investment.

The plan was revealed bybusiness secretary Vince Cable atthe Liberal Democrats’ partyconference in Brighton earlierthis week. The details of the newscheme will be confirmed in theforthcoming, though inaccuratelyentitled “autumn” statement nextDecember.

The aim is to help the manysmall and medium-sizedcompanies that have struggled toraise bank finance since thefinancial crisis set in four yearsago.

The new British BusinessBank, as it has been dubbed, willhelp support businesses byproviding them with the finance

they need to unlock their growthpotential.

The need for the new businessbank says all you need to knowabout the ongoing tight-fistednessof the rest of the banking sector.The fact is Britain’s high streetbanks are not lending as much tobusiness, or anybody else, as theydid in the 10 years to 2008. Thereagain, you wouldn’t expect themto. The past behaviour of bankswas part of the problem, so it’s no

use arguing that they should nowrevert to their previous problembehaviour.

The proposal for the new banksmacks of enfeebled government.

The sums involved are nothinglike enough to get the economymoving.

Goodness knows what red tapethe scheme could be caughtup in. Previous promises ofgovernment-backed in-vestment schemes havesuffered from low levels oftake-up. Nor has this lackof take-up been down tobureaucracy. In some cases,low take-up has arisenbecause businesseshave not beencoming forward to

avail themselves of the facility. Ifthe economy isn’t expanding, andbusinesses aren’t growing, thenwhy borrow money fromwhatever source?

Nevertheless, government hasgot to keep trying. It may have itshands tied by the need to restorethe nation’s finances to a

condition that will keep theinternational money markets

happy, but it can’t use thatas an excuse to doabsolutely nothing.

However, many othermeasures can be taken in

anticipation of theinevitableresumptionof growth.When it

happens, Britain needs to beready.

That’s why we need to trainpeople, particularly young people,for the upturn. Now is themoment to educate and train thenext generation of workers. It can,after all, take up to four years tocomplete apprenticeship courses.

This need for training for theindustries of the future is thetheme of this month’s PostBusiness magazine. We identifywhere the skills gaps arise. Themarine engineers, advancedmanufacturers and labtechnicians of the future need tobe engaged and enthused.

4NEWSNorth West business owners are‘lacking vital skills’

5INTERNATIONAL TRADELiverpool music firm joins UKTItrade mission to Brazil

6KNOWLEDGE ECONOMYHuman Recognition Systems winsmajor London project

7BIG FEATURESkills high on the agenda for theLiverpool city region

13BIG INTERVIEWJim Teasdale, chief executive ofMersey Maritime

18PROFESSIONAL SECTORSMerseyside Young Professionalsholds its charity ball

20ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTHow Merseyside’s social enterprisesector is growing

26COMMERCIAL PROPERTYBooming automotive sector boostsregional industrial market

28HOW GREEN IS YOURBUSINESS?Housing project calls on Liverpool’sThin Joint Technology

35BUSINESS LUNCHMarco Pierre White’s, in Liverpool

36THE LISTKey dates for your diary

37THE NETWORKERAlistair Houghton is dead excited

38SOCIAL DIARYCarolyn Hughes out on the town

BILLGLEESON

BILL GLEESON

INSIDE7 13

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POSTBUSINESS

LIVERPOOL POSTEDITORMark Thomas0151 227 [email protected]

BUSINESS WRITERSBill Gleeson0151 472 [email protected] McDonough0151 330 [email protected] Houghton0151 472 [email protected] Hodgson0151 472 [email protected]

HEAD OF IMAGESBarrie [email protected]

MARKETINGEXECUTIVERachel Street0151 227 [email protected]

ADVERTISEMENTDIRECTORDebbie McGraw

ADVERTISEMENTSALESNeil Johnson0151 472 [email protected]

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PUBLISHED BYTrinity Mirror NW2,PO Box 48,Old Hall Street,Liverpool,L69 3EB.

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COPYRIGHTPost Business is printedmonthly and distributed withthe Liverpool Post. No part ofthis publication may bereproduced without permissionof the publisher.

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NEWS

Dealing with staff is a vital skill; inset, Jerry Hopkins

Revellers toast Munich’s Oktoberfest

North West directors‘lacking vital skillsets’N

ORTH west directors are“weakest” at financialmanagement andmarketing, a survey of 600regional business leaders

has revealed.Company owners were asked to rank

five leadership skills – strategy,managing people, sales, marketing andfinancial management – in the orderthey felt they were strongest andweakest.

Less than 4% said they feltcontrolling the financial side of thebusiness was their strongest point,while almost 30% admitted it was theirweakest.

Likewise with marketing, less than9% thought this was their best area,while 38% said it was the weakest partof their business make-up.

More than 40% ranked strategy astheir strongest area, with 34% optingfor managing people. Sales was namedas the forte of 13% of owners, while21% thought this was their weakestarea.

The survey was carried out byWirral-based The Leadership Team,which provides leadership develop-ment for chief executives, managingdirectors and directors.

Founder Jerry Hopkins said: “It isinteresting so many people rankedstrategy as their strongest skill, butwithout good financial managementpractices and an ability to successfullymarket a brand they may never be ableto really deliver the bigger picture.

“The survey contained a number ofeye-catching findings.

“For example, just over one in eightbelieved their weakest area wasmanaging people, but knowing how tomotivate and inspire staff and under-standing when best to delegate shouldbe at the core of any successfulorganisation.”

Lufthansa scoops short-haul leisure crownTRAVELLERS in the UKhave voted Lufthansatheir favourite short-haul leisure airline in theCondé Nast Traveller15th Annual Readers’Travel Awards, awardingtop marks for punc-tuality, efficiency,service and staff.

Christian Schindler,Lufthansa generalmanager, UK & Ireland,said: “This award is anacknowledgement thatour leisure customersappreciate the way weare developing theLufthansa product.

“Customers knowthat, regardless of thefare they pay or the

distance they aretravelling, they areguaranteed anoutstanding on-boardproduct.”

Lufthansa’s leisureand business routesfrom Manchester areused by fliers across theNorth West.

One of its mostpopular “short-break”leisure destinations isBerlin, as well asMunich, which is a firmfavourite with northwest customers duringautumn, when the citystages its world-famous, fortnight-longOktoberfestcelebrations.

QUALITYLEGAL

Michael Sandys,Partner atJackson & CanterQualitySolicitors

In Business for your Business

International Issue withIntellectual Property fromApple to Muse

COPYRIGHT law providesautomatic protection for anyoriginal literary, dramatic,musical or artistic work anddoes not require registration.

It is a national rightaffording protection within acountry, although inter-national treaties do affordminimum protection viatreaties such as the BerneConvention.

When embarking on acreative enterprise, it isimportant to take great careto ensure that the work isoriginal and that third partycopyright is not infringed,especially with the power ofthe internet in instantlyinternationalising newcreations.

Having someinsurance coverto protect youand yourbusiness maycome at a cost,but, if yourdesigns/creationsbecomeinternational,this may not bea bad idea.

Issues ofinfringementhave recentlyarisen inrelation to British rock bandMuse, regarding their 2009album, “The Resistance”,which contains three songswhich allegedly infringe thecopyright of songwriter,Charles Bollfrass.

In 2005, it is alleged thatBollfrass approached theband with regards tocomposing a score for a“cinematic science-fictionrock opera”.

Further to this, Bollfrassclaims that an image fromhis storyboards has also beenused as artwork for the 2009album.

As a result of theseallegations, Bollfrass hascommenced legal pro-ceedings in the US againstWarner Music for copyrightinfringement, unfair tradingpractises and unfaircompetition, totallingdamages of $3.5m.

Through the existence ofIntellectual Property (IP)rights, everybody can have

protection over theircreations, even if othersappear to have greater socialand economic presence. IPcan also be used as a meansto manage competitors in atough global market.

There is no better exampleof this than the ongoingglobal dispute between Appleand Samsung regardingpatent infringements, withlitigation taking place innumerous jurisdictionsaround the world.

In the US, Apple has takena recent home victory overSamsung, successfully suingthem for $1.05bn forinfringement of Apple’spatents regarding design andfunctionality.

On the other hand, thecourts in Tokyo have ruledon a similar matter in favour

of the SouthKorean firm.There is aconstant battlefor the upperhand betweenthe two giants;however, this isjust a snippet ofa vast networkof continuing IPlitigation thatinvolvesnumerousothers.

Cases suchas thesedemonstrate

that, in the evolution of themodern digitalised society,the value of IP (whethercopyright or patents)becomes ever moresignificant with having realeconomic value.

However, it is notinconceivable to suggest thatthe national court’sapplication of IP/copyrightlaw is not always objective,and the economic fall-outresulting from a judgmentmay offer a significant“home advantage” to oneparty over another.

■ SHOULD you require legaladvice on any IP issues, thencontact Michael Sandys(Partner) at Jackson &Canter QualitySolicitors on0151 282 1700 or [email protected]

■ IN ASSOCIATION withQualitySolicitors Jacksonand Canter

‘IP rightsgiveeverybodyprotectionover theircreations’

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A LIVERPOOL music company isbidding to make itself heard on atrade mission to Brazil this week.

Digital distribution firm DittoMusic has joined a UK Trade &Investment (UKTI) mission todemonstrate the UK’s creativity,and boost trade.

The delegation comprises someof the UK’s most promisingcompanies from the film, music,TV and digital sectors.

The Government-backed mis-sion will visit the state of SãoPaolo and meet its Secretary ofCulture Marcelo Mattos, as wellas some of Brazil’s leading mediaconglomerates such as Globo andEditora Abril.

Ditto Music has been workingwith UKTI North West’s CreativeIndustries Adviser Karen Holdenand is signed up to the Gateway toGlobal Growth service whichhelps more experienced exportersto diversify into new and moredifficult markets.

The programme offers 12months of tailored support,including guidance andmentoring from UKTI experts,overseas introductions, assistancewith market research, languageand culture issues and help inovercoming barriers to trade.

A recently published report,Content Disruptors: StructuralChange in the Media andEntertainment Industries,suggests that Brazil’s media andentertainment industry is fast

developing. With a growingmiddle class, there is anincreasing appetite for content.

The report, written by theEconomist Intelligent Unit andcommissioned by UKTI, cites PwCresearch which says Brazil’s totalspend on media and entertain-ment grew by 56% between 2006and 2010, compared with just 7%in Germany and 8% in the UK.

It means there is a hugeopportunity for the UK industryto take advantage of this growingtrend, and for more UK-basedfirms to start exporting theirproducts and services to Brazil.

Ditto Music is the largestindependent digital distributorand licensor in the world.

The company releases anddistributes music for independentartists and labels, providing allthe necessary services andinfrastructure.

Ditto Music currently hasoffices in Liverpool and Nashvilleand is looking to expand globallywith Brazil – the world’s 12th-biggest music market – as its nextoffice.

Between 2010 and 2011, Brazil’srecording industry grew 8.47%,achieving a turnover of £129.5m,and opportunities for Britishmusic can be found throughoutthe country.

Ditto Music’s founder, LeeParsons, said: “Ditto Music is adirectly artist related business.

“With such a high number of

artists in Brazil, all needing dist-ribution, it makes a great choicefor a new worldwide location.”

The Brazilian creative sectoraccounts for 2.5% of the BrazilianGDP and has grown by about500% in the past decade.

In January last year, a CreativeIndustries Secretariat was createdin Brazil by President DilmaRoussef to further increase the

growth in this sector. UKTI chiefexecutive Nick Baird said: “Brazilcreates huge opportunities forBritish businesses.

“The UK has one of the world’slargest and most successfulcreative industries sectors.

“Exports of UK creativeservices total just under £9bn andBritish creative influence,including in Brazil, is highly

regarded. The internationalsuccess for TV series such asDownton Abbey, to films like theHarry Potter series and thepopularity of British musicoverseas is proof of this.”

Karen Holden added: “Brazil isa market which holds greatpotential and we are very proud tohave a wealth of creative talent inthe North west.”

Flying the flagMerseymusic firm joins trademission toBrazil

Sir Paul McCartneyperforms in Rio deJaneiro, Brazil, in Maylast year

Picture: VICTOR R CAIVANO

The UK Trade & Investment delegation will be visiting the Brazilian megacity of São Paulo

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

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KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY

Biometric success for HRSHUMAN Recognition Systems(HRS), the hi-tech Liverpool firmspecialising in security solutions,has won a major contract in thecapital.

Engineering group Costain isredeveloping London BridgeStation as part of a £400m contractand has chosen HRS’s MSitesystem to manage and enhanceworksite security throughout theproject.

MSite is a biometric accesscontrol, workforce managementand reporting system that useshandprints to monitor activityacross a broad location.

HRS’s technology will be usedthroughout 15 access points at thestation and will be linked to 18

CCTV cameras around the site.The system will enable Costain tocollate crucial site data andmeasure performances againstpre-set targets and monitoradherence to site health andsafety policies.

London Bridge Station is thelatest of several major construc-tion schemes where Costain hasselected Wavertree TechnologyPark-based HRS to provide itsMSite service.

Another project involvingMSite is the management ofworker access to tunnel shafts onCostain and Skanska’s £200mLondon Power Tunnel contract forNational Grid.

HRS construction business unit

manager Nick Wilkinson said: “Itis with great pride that HumanRecognition Systems build ontheir existing deployments ofMSite across the Costain group.

“On each Costain project, therehas been a unique requirement orchallenge and London Bridge isno different.

“The project covers a large geo-graphical footprint with 15turnstiles, as well as office doorscontrolled by a combination ofbiometrics and proximity cardssupplemented by CCTV coverageof the entire site.”

He added: “Costain was able toaward the contract with con-fidence due to HRS’s unique levelof demonstrable experience in

successful deployments to some ofthe largest and most complexconstruction projects to have beenundertaken in the UK.”

The London Bridge Stationredevelopment project is expectedto get under way next year, andwill last about five years, seeingthe fourth busiest station in thecountry transformed to accom-modate more passengers andimproved services.

Meanwhile, HRS was praisedfor its part in helping its clientGatwick Airport win the “BestSecurity and ImmigrationExperience” award at the recentFuture Travel Experience Awards,in Toronto.

Security and immigration

facilities were upgraded andmodernised as part of a £1bninvestment by the airport.

This involved HRS’s MFlowTrack and MFlow Journeysystems to help improve thepassenger experience andenhance security.

MFlow Track’s “iris at adistance” technology has helpedimprove passenger flow andheighten security by preventingpassengers swapping boardingpasses and boarding flights theyare not authorised to, whileMFlow Journey, which enablespassive facial recognitiontechnology, allows security totrack and manage people flowthrough the airport.

HumanRecognitionSystemsextends linkswith constructiongiant onaccess technology

The MSite system,developed by Liverpool’sHuman RecognitionSystems, in operation

Picture: GABRIEL SZABO

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▲

BY TONY MCDONOUGH AND NEIL HODGSON

THE BIG FEATURE

Having a skilled workforce is key to thefuture growth of the Liverpool city

region – and a big push is under way▲

Train to gain

Bright sparks – CammellLaird, in Birkenhead, isleading the push toencourage training inengineering skills

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

THE BIG FEATURE

The city region workforce is going to needa wider range of technical skills in thefuture. Insets, right, rom top, Mike Palin,Alan Welby, Elaine Bowker and SheenaRamseyI

N AN interview for thismagazine last month,the chairman ofMerseyside’s LocalEnterprise Partnership(LEP), Robert Hough,said there was oneaspect of its work thatmattered above all

others: “Jobs, jobs, jobs”.Providing employment for the

people of the Liverpool city regionis the whole ball game.

So the LEP’s work is gearedtowards business sector growthand job creation which involveshelping businesses currentlybased here to expand andattracting new employers to theregion.

And what those employers needis a ready supply of skilledworkers, which is why educationand training are key.

In the past, the link betweenschools and colleges and industryhas been weak – but now that ischanging.

An increasing number ofcompanies are realising that justchasing short-term return oninvestment isn’t always the bestway to build a sustainablebusiness model and are looking toinvest in skills and training.

Increasingly, schools, colleges,universities and private andpublic sector organisations areforming symbiotic relationships.

Educational establishments arebecoming smarter and areplanning their strategies arounddemand from employers.

The LEP is central to thisapproach. It is concentrating ongrowth in four key sectors – lowcarbon, visitor economy,knowledge and superport.

Mike Palin, the LEP’s directorof strategic and economicdevelopment, said: “The LEPboard always takes a keen interestin skills and at each boardmeeting we are reminded howimportant it is.

“The plant director at JaguarLand Rover, in Halewood, is thechair of the employment andskills board.

“Each of the four sectors havetheir own very specific needs inregard to skills and we have to beable to demonstrate to potentialinward investors that we cansupply the skills they will need.

“What is important is that weidentify the skills demands of thekey sectors and then commun-icate that to the provider base.”

That sounds straightforward,but predicting what kind of skillsa particular sector will need inone, five or 10 years’ time is notalways an exact science andeveryone involved in the processneeds to be able to adapt toevolving demands.

Alan Welby, director of keysectors at the LEP, says predictingwhere those gaps are going toappear is a major challenge.

“Each sector has different gapsand we have different levels ofunderstanding in each one,” heexplained.

“In the low carbon sector, forexample, we have a detailed ideaof where the jobs are going tocome from.

“We know that we will needpeople who can fix wind turbinesout at sea and that is a verydifferent set of skills to what wehave needed before.

“And we also know that in lifesciences there is a shortage ofLevel Three laboratory

technicians.In advancedmanufacturing, we have an ageingworkforce and we know we needmore young people to comethrough and take up careers inthat sector. But then, if you look atthe creative and digital sector,then there is no shortage of youngtalent.

“Different sectors presentdifferent challenges and decidingwhich skills to concentrate on canbe a tricky balance.

“We don’t want there to be ashortage of skills in any sector,but at the same time we have to becareful about raising expectationsby training people in skill sectorswhere there will not be enoughjobs for them.

“And in some sectors we have amuch better idea about that thanwe do in others.”

Mr Palin added that trainingproviders were now becomingmuch better at reacting to theneeds of business sectors.

In the last few years, andparticularly since Capital ofCulture in 2008 and the buildingof the Echo Arena and BT

Convention Centre, the cityregion’s visitor economy hasenjoyed healthy growth. AndLiverpool Community College hasresponded to this challenge bywinning funding for a school forhospitality.

Mr Palin said: “This is set toopen in 2013, so, in the meantime,we have to work with the industrybase – the hotels, Liverpool One,etc – to understand exactly whatthe component parts of thecurriculum need to be.”

And Mr Welby added: “There isa story in the city region aboutraising standards – a lot of theschools, colleges and universitieshave striven to do that.

“Predicting the future skillsrequirements is tricky but that iswhat the smart places do.”

The principal of LiverpoolCommunity College, ElaineBowker, estimates that 50% of hertime is now spent talking tobodies like the LEP, LiverpoolCity Council and industry leadersto forecast what skills will beneeded in the medium to long-term future.

As well as the hospitalityschool, the college will also besetting up a University TechnicalCollege to service Merseyside’sfast-growing maritime sector.

She said: “I do agree that it isoften quite difficult to predictwhere the demand will come fromin the future.

“Last year we set up a ‘greenhub’ to provide skills for the lowcarbon sector.

“At first there was not a lot ofdemand from businesses, but thisyear it has really picked up.”

All agree that it is not just thetechnical skills that are imp-ortant, but also the so-called softskills – being able to work withina team and being able to deal withcustomers.

Ms Bowker added: “One of thebiggest issues that comes upfrequently when I talk toemployers is the mindset of youngpeople when they first come intothe workplace.

“We have to be nimble and pickup on what is happening inindustry and we do that byworking in partnership with

employers. If an employer comesto us and asks for somethingspecific, then we will always meetthat demand.”

Over the past decade or so,there was a big push to get asmany people as possible intohigher education, but now thatdynamic is changing with moreemphasis being placed onvocational training.

Ms Bowker welcomes this shift.She said: “If you look at the bigfour sectors, they are, of course,always going to need graduates,but there is also a big demand forLevel Three and Four technicalskills (below graduate level).

“It is important we recognisethe value of technical skills.”

Sheena Ramsey is chiefexecutive of a local authoritywhich is home to companies thatcertainly do value technical skills.

Knowsley has a strong manu-facturing base and within itsborders is the booming JaguarLand Rover car plant, whichemploys 4,500 people.

Council leader Ron Roundheads up the employment and

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THE BIG FEATURE

skills board for the city regionand is assisted in his efforts byMs Ramsey. They also take a leadrole in tackling child poverty.

She said that itwas only in recenttimes that theprivate and publicsectors had come tothe realisation thatemployers and skillsproviders needed abetter dialogue.

“I think all partiespresumed thatsomeone was joiningit all together,” shesaid.

“But about threeyears ago we realisedthat when theemployment skillsboard got around the table to talk,that was the only place it washappening.

“We realised there was not aclear dialogue where employerswould be saying to skillsproviders exactly what theyneeded. It sounds so simple, yet itwas not happening.

“We have now realised thatwhat we need to do is identify theskills we will need over the next10 years and decide how we meet

that demand. And weneed to communicatethat right down toprimary school level.”

Key to that, addedMs Ramsey, iscompanies forginglong-termrelationships withlocal schools: “Forexample, when ayoung person goes onwork experience, thatshould be ameaningful andproductive processwhere they get a realsense of what it is like

to be in a workplace,” she said.She agreed that in some cases

predicting what skills would beneeded in the future can bedifficult, but insisted there weresome areas where the demandwas pretty obvious.

She added: “We are definitelygoing to have a shortage of

engineers. And we need to getacross to young people thatengineering is a wonderful careerthat gives you skills you can takeall over the world.

“We need better skills at alllevels because we are below thenational average.

“And a lot of employers say thatit is not just about the technicalskills but also making sure peoplehave the right attitude.

“Someone may have the righttechnical skills but, if they cannotcommunicate, then it makes themless employable.”

MERSEYSIDE’Sprivate sector ismaking big stridesin its efforts to forgelinks with the

education sector.This is especially true in

maritime and engineering, wherethere is now widespreadrecognition that the city region isgoing to require tens of thousandsof skilled people over the nextcouple of decades.

The maritime sector is hugeand straddles all four of the key

growth sectors – superport, lowcarbon, knowledge and visitoreconomy. It comprises some 1,700companies employing more than28,000 people.

It contributes around £2.6bn toMerseyside’s annual economicoutput – around 15% of the total.

People with engineering skillsare badly needed, particularly inthe field of offshore wind powergeneration, a multi-billion poundmarket of which the city region isaiming for a big slice.

The historic Cammell Lairdshipyard, in Birkenhead, is at thecentre of this push and right nextdoor to the yard is the Maritimeand Engineering CollegeNorthwest (MECNW).

Set up in 1998 as the LairdFoundation, it was tasked withoffering vital skills to an areablighted by high levels of youthunemployment.

It is run by Jim Teasdale, in hisrole as chief executive of MerseyMaritime, the umbrella group forthe maritime sector.

The college currently hasaround 250 apprentices being

taught everything from shopfloorskills to advanced engineering,leading to degree-levelqualifications.

Trainees work for dozens offirms big and small, and MrTeasdale says the college wantsmore maritime or engineeringfirms who want to take onapprentices to get in touch.

Mr Teasdale is also involved ina project initiated by Liverpoollaw firm, Hill Dickinson, whichhas set up a forum to bringtogether schools and industry.

The first event in the summerwas attended by 90 businesses andeducational organisations, and itwas agreed that Merseyside wouldneed to see the creation of 20,000extra jobs by 2020 if its economywas to grow.

Senior Hill Dickinson partner,David Rawlinson, said: “What wedon’t have in this country at themoment is a way of getting theeducation sector and themanufacturing sector together totalk about what is happening inthe local economy and that iswhat we are trying to do.”

‘Importantthat werecognisethe value oftechnicalskills’

The region’s life sciences sector faces a shortage of Level Three laboratory technicians

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THE BIG FEATURE

Raising standards vital forPoor literacy, numeracy andcommunication skills still present thebiggest barrier for a new

YOUTH unemployment is a causeof considerable concern asmonthly jobless statistics show nosign of abatement.

GCSE and A-Level standardshave generally shown sustainedimprovement and universitiescontinue to produce highlycapable graduates, despite soaringtuition fees.

Yet more than a million youngpeople are still out of work.

The latest figures show 7.7% of16-24-year-olds in Liverpool, or6,485 people, are claimingunemployment allowance, while8.2% – higher than the total UKjobless figure of 8.1% – or 3,050 inWirral, are out of work. InCheshire and West Chester, youthunemployment stands at 5.1%, or2,105 young people.

Yet, the evidence frombusinesses still points to a youngtalent pool poorly prepared for theworkplace.

Research by small businesslobby group the Federation ofSmall Businesses (FSB) says eightin 10 businesses believe schoolleavers lack the basic skillsneeded for work and that moreshould be done to get them pre-pared for employment.

Poor literacy skills were themost commonly cited problem for59% of businesses.

Communication and numeracyskills were also reported by 55%and 56% of business owners,respectively, as falling short ofacceptable.

In a survey of 2,774 businessowners who employ 16-17 yearolds, 77% also found that schoolleavers had little awareness ofgeneral business.

Clearly, much more needs to bedone to prepare teenagers anduniversity graduates for thetransition to a working environ-ment that will determine theiraspirations and achievements forthe rest of their lives.

Two-thirds of FSB members saythat improving pupils’ basicliteracy and numeracy skillswould better prepare them forwork.

One organisation seeking toaddress the disparity in skills isSt Helens Chamber of Commerce.

It canvassed 100 employersthroughout the town to find outwhat they looked for in hiringyoung people, particularlyapprentices.

But, perhaps more importantly,the Chamber asked them whatwere the barriers that may deter abusiness from hiring a youngtrainee.

As a result of its research, theChamber, with the aid of councilfunding, has launched a schemeaimed at offering additional sup-port to young people before theyattempt to secure employment.

Pauline Devine, Chamberdirector of employment services,said: “The Chamber is committedto making sure that every youngperson in St Helens is ready,willing and able to contribute to

our economy and community.Businesses have been telling usfor some time that there are anumber of obstacles that may stopthem from employing a youngperson, so conducting this re-search has allowed us to establishexactly what the issues are so thatwe can ensure that the youngpeople we send exceed theirexpectations.”

Chamber research found thatthe top attributes the employerssurveyed desired from potentialnew staff were commitment andenthusiasm (59%) and the mostvalued skill was communication(73%).

Ms Devine said: “Having thisfirst-hand feedback from localemployers has been invaluable forus to design the training pro-grammes that we deliver to youngpeople to get them ready for work.

“Thanks to new funding from

St Helens council, we are nowable to provide extra support toyoung people before they arerecruited into full-timeapprenticeship positions withlocal businesses, to make surethat they have the right skills andattitude that employers need tomake a valuable contribution totheir business.”

She added: “It was alsoencouraging to learn that 64% ofthose businesses surveyed areplanning to recruit a youngperson in the next two years.”

As well as having the assurancethat the candidates they receivefor interview have been approvedby the Chamber as being “workready”, local businesses now havethe added incentive to hire ayoung person of grants of up to£4,000.

New funding from St Helenscouncil, announced in July, is

providing financial assistance tothe town’s firms to support therecruitment of 200 young peopleover the next two years, which isseen as a significant move to re-ducing the unemployment rate ofthe borough.

Another avenue to improve thework skills of the next generationis university technical colleges(UCTs), and major employersthroughout the region havealready offered their support forthe new University TechnicalColleges for Birkenhead andLiverpool.

The first of the UTCs will openfor students next year, andbusinesses believe they will play akey role in kick- starting theregional economy.

Developer Peel, which owns35% of Liverpool John LennonAirport, all of Mersey Docks, andis behind the £10bn Liverpool and

Wirral Waters schemes, backs theinitiative.

Ian Pollitt, of Peel Land andProperty, said: “We see bigopportunities and bright futuresfor local young people trained inrelevant technical skills by thethree Merseyside UTCs.

“The Liverpool Low Carbonand Super Port UTC, for instance,will attract and train youngpeople from north Liverpool andfarther afield at a time when theport is expanding and port-related companies will be lookingto recruit.”

Employers’ organisations areequally enthusiastic.

Damian Waters, CBI NorthWest director, said: “Businessneeds the right skills to supportgrowth and we see UniversityTechnical Colleges as a verywelcome step forward in linkingeducation to what employers

11

THE BIG FEATURE

really need and developing theright attitudes and aspirations inyoung people.”

Several major capital projectsplanned in the region are set tobenefit from the UTCs.

One such scheme is the Ince

An artist’s impression of Peel’s massiveLiverpool Waters scheme

Tailor your CV– orwaste yourtime and the price of a stampMANY young job seekersoften fall at the first hurdle.

An employer’s initial feelfor an applicant will befrom the CV they submit,and all too often they fallwell short of requirements,which is either down toshoddy preparation by thejob seeker or, perhapsmore worryingly, downrightbad advice from training orjob agencies.

Fiona Watkin, thelicensee of city centre pubThomas Rigby’s, sees alltoo often examples ofslipshod and poorlyprepared CVs.

She recently advertisedfor waiting-on staff whocould work fixed hours andrevealed that she receivedabout 100 CVs.

But she said: “Once Iread all the CVs, only onestood out because it wasrelevant – she could do thehours we wanted.

“She had experience andshe wrote something aboutherself.

“Apart from the dull, ‘Ilike reading, horse ridingand sport’, she wrotesomething about herselfand stood out from theothers.”

Ms Watkin said thestandard of the average CVis poor: “People shouldread what the jobspecification says to see ifthey actually meet it tosave themselves a stamp.”

She said one applicantfor a waiting job hadworked in the buildingtrade: “There was nowherein his CV that hedemonstrated he could dothe job.

“I understand people arelooking for work, andreading CVs it sometimesbreaks my heart. But youhave to make your skillsrelevant to the job you areapplying for.

“We get people sayingthey have excellentcomputer skills, but that isno good for a pub. Peopledo a generic CV and send itto everybody.

“But these people arebeing told how to write aCV and they are not beingtold that they should tweakeach CV for differentapplications. I don’t wantto know about someone’styping skills.”

And she said no-oneexplains why they left theirlast job: “Serial jobberswho have got three monthshere, three months there,three months somewhereelse, will raise your suspic-

ions, apart from Christmasjobs and summer jobs. Butthe more informationpeople give aboutthemselves and therelevance the better.

“It is all about relevanceand demonstrating that theskills you have are relevantto the job you are applyingfor. If the job is asking forexperience and you haven’tgot it, don’t waste yourtime applying.”

She added: “All theseagencies coaching thesepeople, supposedly helpingthem, are falling down.

“Even the job agenciesdon’t send us relevantpeople for interviews.”

workplacegeneration.Neil Hodgson reports

Resource Recovery Park, part ofPeel’s Atlantic Gateway develop-ment, and one where constructionwork is scheduled to start nextyear.

The scheme will create newjobs in construction, as well as

low carbon technologies. The firstconstruction phase alone willcreate 1,698 jobs with 35 full timeequivalent apprenticeships, aswell as opportunities for 48NEETs, or young people not inemployment, education ortraining.

Covanta Energy, Peel’s jointventure partners for Ince anddeveloper of the park’s energy-from-waste facility, has agreedspecific key performanceindicators with its maincontractor regarding localemployment.

There is a target of 70% ofcontracts on the project going tolocal suppliers, and a target of100% for interviews for Mersey-side and Cheshire applicants whomeet the skills requirements fornew vacancies.

And there will be 150 days pereach year of work placement

opportunities throughout theconstruction phase.

Covanta Energy managingdirector, Malcolm Chilton, said:“We are determined that IncePark will be constructed by, andemploy, local people whereverpossible.

“The coming of the UTCs willmake it easier for the smallercompanies that will be based atInce to recruit and developtrained, young, local candidates.”

UTCs offer 14-19-year-olds theopportunity to take a full-time,technically-oriented course ofstudy.

They are equipped to a highstandard, sponsored by auniversity and offer clearprogression routes into highereducation or further learning inwork.

Students combine “hand andmind” to learn in a practical way,

integrating national curriculumrequirements with technical andvocational elements. The UTCethos and curriculum is heavilyinfluenced by local and nationalemployers who also providesupport and work experience forstudents.

UTCs do not judge students ontheir past performance.

Students are given newopportunities and new ways oflearning which allow them toachieve to a higher level than theymay have done before.

Prof Nigel Weatherill, LiverpoolJohn Moores University vicechancellor and chief executive,said: “We are confident that theuniversity’s involvement, along-side that of major employers, willassist in developing a UTCstudent experience of the highestquality, situated in state-of-the-artpremises.”

Fiona Watkin,of ThomasRigby’s

Ian Pollitt, of Peel Ports Pauline Devine

12

THE BIG FEATURE

Backing our digital starsKevinMcManus,ofMerseysideACME,onhowTheStudioschoolwillhelpthedigitalsector

THE times they are a-changin’ – sosaid Bob Dylan in 1964. Almost 50years later, things they are a-chang-in’ again, as was evidenced at FACTon a balmy June evening when amix of young people, some accom-panied by their parents, attendedthe Design/Code/Game event.

This event, organised by TheStudio School and supported byMerseyside ACME, as well asseveral local businesses includingSetGo Games, Apposing and FutureCoders, aimed to raise the profile ofthe gaming sector on Merseyside.

What the event did for me was toreiterate that our young peoplehave skills and talent that willensure the future of the creativeindustries on Merseyside for manyyears to come, and, moresurprisingly, it highlighted the rise(again) of programming as a skillthat young people aspire to.

In the early 80s, encouraged bythe BBC and Sir Clive Sinclair(remember him?), owning acomputer became a reality formany.

Buying the device was a proudmoment, switching it on andrealising how limited it was interms of functionality broughtreality back into sharp relief.

Youngsters (and it was mainlyyoung people who owned the ZX80or, if you were really lucky, the BBCmicro computer) had three choices:let the thing gather dust in thecorner, put up with the limitednumber of games you could play orlearn how to programme it.

Hundreds, if not thousands, de-cided to learn how to programmeand so the foundations were set formaking the UK a centre ofprogramming excellence for thenext 20 years.

However, as applications and theinternet rose to prominence, kidshad too many other interestingthings happening with theircomputers, games consoles and,more recently, mobile phones, to bebothered learning how to pro-gramme. This has reached a pointwhere a computer science degreecan be undertaken and successfullycompleted without the graduatehaving to learn a programminglanguage.

But things do now seem to bechanging, and, looking for evergreater challenges of their skill,young people are coming back toprogramming, helped by devicessuch as the Raspberry Pi.

Even the Government is support-ing the trend, with Education Sec-retary Michael Gove announcing inJanuary that the teaching of

The Studio School will be set up in the former ContemporaryUrban Centre, in Greenland Street; inset, Sir Clive SInclair

computer science was to changewith effect from September thisyear.

Speaking at the BETT show foreducation technology, Mr Govecalled for a revival of the legacy ofBritish computer pioneer AlanTuring, whose work laid thefoundation of the moderncomputing industry.

Having seen first-hand the ideasthat young people come up withwhen challenged to consider whatthey would develop for use oncomputers, games consoles andphones, I’ve no doubt that thereshould be a real focus on encour-aging and supporting the nextgeneration to think, plan and

Alan TuringA Raspberry Pi mini-computerdevelop games, applications andsoftware that will make life betterfor all of us in the future.

The Studio School will move intothe former Contemporary UrbanCentre building, in Liverpool’sBaltic Triangle, next year. It willequip its pupils with the skills theyneed to win work in the digital andgaming sectors – and will thereforeboost the sector by creating a tal-ented pool of workers in Liverpool.

The lead being taken by theStudio School needs to be supportedand replicated so that the youngpeople who have the have the pot-ential or ambition are nurtured tobecome the digital stars of thefuture.

JARVIS TRAINING MANAGEMENT LTD

With Mike Bracegirdle,Director of Jarvis TrainingManagement Ltd.

Apprentices are good forbusiness. They really are!Today we talk to Mike aboutemploying an apprentice.

QMike, after 40 yearsexperience workingwith apprentices, youmust have overcomeall sorts of challenges.

What advice can you offer to anyemployer thinking about takingon an apprentice?

AThe first thing I wouldsay is do it; it’s veryrewarding watchinga young person growin confidence and

experience! Youare also buildingyour workforcefor the future,so when theeconomy picksup, you willhave a ready-made, qualifiedworkforceto maximisebusinessopportunities.There is so muchfinancial andmanagementsupport nowthe process ismuch easier foremployers.

As a companywe are in aposition to support businessesthat are willing to employ anapprentice. We organise thewhole process from recruitmentand selection through todelivery of your apprentice’squalifications.

Our success rate is over 90%.That’s because my passion isfinding the right young personfor your company. We alsoprovide an excellent trainingprogramme: Ofsted in July2012 stated that “outcomesfor learners at JTM wereoutstanding”.

Government has set thehourly rate for an apprentice ata minimum of £2.65 per hour,which equates to £79.50 a weekor £4,134 annually for a 35-hourweek. We would encourage you

to pay more if you can afford it,it’s excellent value.

If you employ an apprenticeaged 16-24, JTM can secure£1,500 of government granttowards costs, subject toeligibility:

• You must have fewer than1,000 employees

• You must not have employedour apprentice in the last12 months

• You must offer a 52 weekcontract for a minimum of30 hours

• You must allow yourapprentice to attend formaltraining one day a week

I think weare unique inour approach;we know thatas an employeryou have to putsignificant timeinto nurturingand teaching yourapprentice newskills. We knowthis costs moneyand the youngeryour apprenticethe more it couldcost.

As aconsequence, ifyou employ a 16to 18-year-old,JTM will provide

you with an additional £1,500 oftheir own money to support thecosts associated with coaching/mentoring your apprentice. Thismeans a company could receiveup to £3,000 towards employingand training a 16 to 18-year-oldand you could employ up to tenapprentices.

Our funding and managementsupport package is built around40 years experience. We havetaken the stress out of theprocess and are always here tohelp.

For information call:Mike Bracegirdle07860 720293.

n IN ASSOCITAIONwith JTM

‘Receive upto £3,000towardsemployingand traininga 16-18year old’

ADVERTISING FEATURE

13

THE BIG INTERVIEW

BY BILL GLEESON

▲ ▲

Orchestrating a step change

Jim Teasdale has been given the job ofoverseeing the growth of Merseyside’smaritime sector, which is expected todouble in size over the next ten years

Jim Teasdale has been given the job ofoverseeing the growth of Merseyside’smaritime sector, which is expected todouble in size over the next ten years

14


ALOT rests

on theshoulders ofJimTeasdale,chief ex-ecutive ofMerseyMaritime

Group.He is a linchpin who has a

crucial role in developing themaritime sector in the yearsahead.

According to Liverpool CityRegion’s economic planners, theport, shipping and logistics sectoroffers the region one of its bestprospects for economic andemployment growth in the yearsahead. Mersey Maritime Grouphas a key role in providing thecoherence, business support,skills training and voice that thesector needs in order for it torealise its potential.

Mr Teasdale believes this taskis big enough to occupy a lifetime.He also acknowledges that thereare many preconceptions aboutthe maritime sector that need tobe changed. Despite the fact thatLiverpool is an old port town,many of its own people and pot-ential investors believe the city’smaritime traditions are more apart of its past than its future. Itis widely, but wrongly, seen locallyas a declining sector, with its bestdays behind it.

“The talk of decline is not true.No matter how it’s measured, themaritime sector is growing. If weinclude the Port of Liverpool andthe Manchester Ship Canal, thenit's the third busiest port in theUK.

“I think the growth prospectsare really good. That’s becausethere will be significant infra-structure investment includingLiverpool 2 and variousinvestment along the ManchesterShip Canal.

“The low carbon issue will be ofgreat benefit to the port due to itscentral location.

“As the offshore wind industrydevelops, the port and thesurrounding companies will beable to take advantage of that. Asnuclear manufacturing developsalong the energy coast fromCumbria down to Lancashire, itwill also help here.

“It won’t happen quickly. It willhappen incrementally. Were I tobe around in 10 years’ time, Iwould probably see another majorstep change just as we have seenover the last 10 years.

“The turnover of the sectorcould double over the next 10years.

“I would say the maritimesector and superport will be a keydriver for economic recovery inthe city region.

“Liverpool 2 will mean morenew businesses coming to theregion.

“It will attract bigger shipsfrom other localities that don’tdirectly trade with Liverpool atthe moment. The main gap is withFar East, whose big ships go intoSouthampton and other southernports.

“As the Arctic ice melts, Liver-pool is in a fantastic position tooffer an alternative route.

“A lot of the Arctic ice willdisappear in 20 years at certaintimes of the year. So, if Liverpoolhas the infrastructure to handlethe biggest ships, then it has thegeographical advantage to offeran alternative trade route.

“There is no doubt at all thatThames Gateway will be a majorinvestment and no doubt at allthat there is a big demand in thesouth of England. Liverpool’schallenge is to develop its meritas the hub for the north ofEngland.”

It’s a big vision and a lot needsto be done if all of the oppor-tunities are to come to fruition.That includes creating aworkforce with the relevant skillsets.

Mersey Maritime Group runs

the Maritime and EngineeringCollege at Monks Ferr, inBirkenhead. The college, which isright next door to Cammell Lairdshipyard, offers 20 skillsprogrammes to 250 students andapprentices. These courses offer amix of classroom-based theoryand practical training. Theprogrammes last between 18 and42 months and all students are inpermanent employment.

One-third of the apprentices areemployed by Cammell Laird.Another third are employed by

member firms of ECITB(Engineering and ConstructionIndustry Training Board).

The remaining third areemployed by local small firms.

Skills taught include welding,marine engineering, pipe fitting,general engineering, projectmanagement, Computer AidedDesign, international trade andcustomer service.

Students who successfullycomplete the course reach NVQlevel 3. Up to 3,000 apprenticesand students have passed through

in the past 10 years. Mr Teasdalesays they leave the college “workready”.

He said: “Having done thiswork since ’98 we can now seesuccessful middle managers andbusiness leaders who havepreviously done one of ourprogrammes.

“We are in the privilegedposition of recruiting from pre-apprenticeship programmes inschools. They are recruited fromthe age of 16 onwards.

“In simple terms, we were set

THE BIG INTERVIEW . . . JIM TEASDALE

15

up to meet employer demand. Werespond to what employers saythey want and we are inspected byOfsted. Our most recentinspection was at the start of thisyear and we were rated goodoverall and outstanding in termsof leadership and management.

“We work really hard toestablish credible workingrelations with local businesses toprovide support servicesincluding a quality workforce forthe future. That broadly is ourremit.”

One example of a local com-pany that takes on apprentices isPeel Ports, which owns andoperates the Port of Liverpool.

Peel last week announced thatit is taking on 12 new engineeringapprentices to the business – thelargest intake of apprentices atthe port for 20 years.

The apprentices join the portfor a four-year course in eithermechanical or electrical engineer-ing, which will see them spendone year full time at college, witha subsequent three years’ training

on the job supplemented byfurther college study.

Classroom-based study will bedelivered by the Maritime andEngineering College North Westin Birkenhead, part of the MerseyMaritime Group.

All recruits to the programmewere required to pass toughaptitude tests and interviews inorder to secure their apprentice-ships.

They will work their way toNVQ 3 by their third year, and anHNC qualification by their fourth.

Mersey Maritime can trace itsgenesis back to 1998 when WirralBorough Council set up LairdsideCollege. In 2003, Mersey Maritimewas formed to represent themaritime sector after it had beenidentified as one of the keygrowth sectors.

In 2007, Mersey Maritimemerged with the LairdsideFoundation to form MerseyMaritime Group.

Mr Teasdale said: “So we nowhave a range of integratedservices.

“A number of us here areapprentice ambassadors, promot-ing the idea around the Northwest.

“There is evidence that recruit-ing apprentices is an investmentwith a return in terms of staff re-tention and productivity improve-ments. One in ten of a business’sstaff should be apprentices.”

As well as teaching apprentices,Mersey Maritime Group providesa range of business support


An aerial view of Cammell Laird shipyard showing yellowpylons that will form part of wind turbines to be erected in theIrish Sea; right, a Mersey Maritime welding apprentice; and,right, below, Chris Cooper, a Mersey Maritime apprenticeemployed by Peel Ports

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

16



services to the 1,700 firms in thesector in the region.

Mr Teasdale said: “Businessesin the maritime sector employ28,000 people and account for 15%of the output of the economy ofthe city region. That’s about£2.6bn. That’s everything,shipping, ports, marineengineering, distribution,logistics, warehouses, hauliers.

“There are some major com-panies, but also 85% of thebusinesses in the sector are smalland medium-sized enterprises.

“We do a lot of work with thelarger companies around theirsupply chains to provide moreBtoB activity within the cityregion.”

Mersey Maritime has surveyedits member firms to discover whatsort of business support theyneed. The aftermath of the creditcrunch means that banks aren’tas liberal with their lending asthey once were.

Mr Teasdale said: “Access tofinance is a big issue, so we do alot of networking events. We havea range of programmes aboutaccess to finance through banksand other investors. We do workwith marketing and publicrelations to support the sector,including using social media.

“Business planning is import-ant, but most of the smaller firmsare working with us for two mainreasons: to improve their businesspractices and to introduce them tobusiness opportunities. We dothat through networking eventswith larger companies.”

Big company members ofMersey Maritime include PeelPorts, Bibby Line Group, ACL,law firm Hill Dickinson, CammellLaird, CMA CGM, Maersk,Chilean shipping agency CSAV,Israeli shipping company Zim,Stobarts, Cargills, ABPorts andstevedoring firm Drakes, amongothers.

Mersey Maritime is alwayslooking to grow and diversify itsmembership base and is in talkswith big retailers about how theymove their goods into the country.

It also wants to extend its reachfarther along the ManchesterShip Canal as and wheninvestments occur there.

One company that has yet tosign up to Mersey Maritime isEssar Group, which owns theStanlow oil refinery. Essar plansto bring more crude oil intoStanlow by sea.

Mr Teasdale said: “They are notas active as we would wish. Tobring a tanker up the river it hasto be dredged and you have toengage pilots to bring them.

“Other issues include safety,such as firefighting on water.Either we haven’t raised ourprofile high enough or they arenot aware of our services at thisstage.

“We have a pretty good reputat-ion and a good range of productsand services, but we still need tomake more businesses aware ofthe reasons to engage with us.

“Our membership is growingdespite the recession. The level ofmembership fees are increasingso Mersey Maritime income isrising.”

As well as membership fees,Mersey Maritime is fundedthrough European RegionalDevelopment Fund money.

Mr Teasdale said: “We resistedthe temptation to diversify andtake responsibility for othersectors and we resisted thetemptation to offer the sameservice to other regions of the UK.We want to do business here onMerseyside.

“We are the only port area inthe UK that has this kind ofsupport network.”

Major opportunities for theregion’s maritime sector includethe work in the Irish Sea toconstruct giant wind farms.

Cammell Laird has carried outa great deal of the constructionand assembly of the turbines thatwill form the farm, just off theIsle of Man.

More regional growth couldarise from a shift that will seeshippers increasingly using thePort of Liverpool and ManchesterShip Canal instead of importinggoods destined for the north ofEngland through ports in thesouth of the country.

Mr Teasdale said: “Costs arelower that way.

“If you bring in goods fromabroad, the cost includes theshipping plus movement of goodson land in the UK. The mostexpensive element of that is theland.

“Up to 60% of goods brought viathe southern ports are destinedfor the north of England.

“The low carbon agenda can befurther developed by using theManchester Ship Canal as an

arterial route into GreaterManchester. It would mean lesscongestion.”

There is a clear belief thatgreater cohesion would help theregion’s maritime businesses togrow in the years ahead.

Mr Teasdale said: “I wouldargue that Mersey Maritime actsas the representative of all ofthose companies in the maritimesector, helping them to worktogether.

“You could say in retrospectWirral council were visionaryand stuck to their commitment tothe maritime sector.

“You could also say, as MerseyMaritime moves towardscelebrating its tenth anniversarynext spring, we think we haveimproved the image, profile,reputation, understanding andawareness of what was previouslya large, fragmented, littleunderstood sector.

“When we started in 2003, therewasn’t an accepted national orinternational definition ofmaritime. We didn’t know whichcompanies were in the maritimesector.

“We did a survey at the timewhich showed there were 566companies in the sector onMerseyside.

“Their profile was low andawareness of them was low by thegeneral and business communityas well.

“Two main reasons for thiswere the aftermath of the docksstrikes and the lack of any cruiseships on the river.

“The public perception was thatnothing was happening in the

maritime sector. They would seethe odd tanker going up and downthe river and see the odd freighter,but now, with the cruise linerscoming here, they see a lot morehappening.

“A lot of the maritime businessgoes on behind port walls or inoffices and the general publicdoesn’t understand how big it is.

“We have tried to more accur-ately map the sector. We nowknow there are 1,700 maritimebusinesses in Merseyside and wehave tried to improve theunderstanding, awareness andprofile of the sector and developthe skills of local people so thesector can employ and retain highquality staff.

“But we recognise that this is alife-long challenge.

“So we have just started theprocess.

“We are looking forward nextyear to a range of celebrationevents with partners and in thenext decade we will further raiseawareness and improve theprofile.

“My observation is that the cityhas always been a mercantile andmaritime city.

“World Heritage Status for thewaterfront improved that profile.

“If we looked at Liverpool andits brand, nationally andinternationally, it seems thatmaritime is in the veins and thereis lots of interest in it.

“Everything goes in cycles.“We are on an upward part of

the cycle as the economy recovers,as businesses invest in growthand take advantage of locationand assets.”

Future hopes: Mersey Maritimeapprentices Kieran Bowden,left, and Calvin Deer, employedby Laker-Vent Engineering

17

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18

PROFESSIONAL SECTORS IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Future leadersNetworkinggroupMerseysideYoungProfessionals

MADE in Liverpool is the themeof this year’s Merseyside YoungProfessionals (MYP) annualcharity ball.

The black-tie event is in its 20thyear and promises, once again, tobe a roaring success, as well asraising thousands of pounds forlocal charities – this year’srecipient being FairbridgeMerseyside, which works withyoung people throughout theregion, supporting them in workand entrepreneurial projects.

The ball is the organisation’sfirst major event for Gill Lloydsince she assumed the chair’s rolefrom Caroline McEvoy in August.

Ms Lloyd, a solicitor at HillDickinson, said: “I have been withthe group for a year, but hadattended events beforehand.”

She paid tribute to her pre-decessor, saying: “Caroline hasbeen a fantastic chair who hasplayed a key role in the success ofMYP, which now competes withprofessional profit-making net-working organisations.

“We have some exciting eventsplanned for the year ahead and Ihope we can engage with a wideraudience of young professionalsthan ever before.”

MYP was originally formed byjunior representatives of thevarious professional bodies in thecity, including the LiverpoolJunior Chamber of Commerce, asit was then known.

Its original aim was to organisean annual charity ball.

But the group has since evolvedinto an independent organisationdedicated to promoting strongerlinks between young people indifferent professions and, inparticular, to facilitatenetworking.

The not-for-profit group is ledby a committee of volunteers thatorganises monthly networkingevents, which can range fromChampagne tastings to forums,such as a grilling of Liverpool-born Labour MP Andy Burnham,Tory MP Chris Grayling and thethen-Liverpool council leaderWarren Bradley, in a jointenterprise with LiverpoolChamber of Commerce.

The network’s predominantaudience is people in their 20sand 30s, although it does not havean age limit for membership.

In recent years, it has sought tomake inroads into new sectors,including the creative industries.

MYP also targeted the manu-facturing sector, and people whowork on the periphery of the city,not just the city centre.

The committee said in 2009:“We want to get away from thefixed view of MYP as being forbankers and lawyers.”

This year’s charity ball takesplace at Liverpool’s Crowne PlazaHotel on October 12, from 7pm.Tickets are priced at £60 perperson, or £600 for a table of 10.Please contact [email protected] for tickets or information.

Coronation Street actorAndrew Lancel andJennifer Metcalfe, fromHollyoaks, at last year’sball; and, inset, GillLloyd, left, with CarolineMcEvoy

ASK THEEXPERT

With Peter Mooney,head of employmentlaw at ELAS

QI HAVE read that

pensions auto-enrolment will beginnext month. How-ever, my company

has yet to inform itsemployees what their optionsare, and there has not beenmuch activity on their partin putting anything in place.Should I be worried?

AWHILE you are

correct in that auto-enrolment does startto come into forcefrom October, it will

only apply to the country’sbiggest companies initially.Smaller employers cananticipate the new lawsbecoming mandatorybetween 2014 and 2015.

However, recent researchby The Pensions Regulatorfound that many businessesare being too optimistic withregards to how long it willtake to prepare. Largeremployers willneed around 18months to geteverything inplace. It istherefore imp-ortant for allbusinesses toestablish nowwhether theirpayroll processescan cope withthe newarrangements.

The first stepis for companiesto check on ThePensions Regulator websitefor their staging date, whichwill tell them when the newregulations apply to them.

Employers must registerwith The Pension Regulatorwithin four months of theirassigned date; a checklist isavailable which contains allof the necessary informationthat needs to be included.

Companies also need toestablish which of theiremployees are eligiblejobholders, non-eligiblejobholders or entitledworkers. The total minimumcontribution for jobholdersin a “defined contribution”occupational pensionsscheme must be at least 8%of their qualifying earnings,of which the minimumemployer’s contribution mustbe at least 3%.

The penalties for non-compliance can reach up to£10,000 per day for largercompanies, so it’s vital thatbusinesses get this right and

do it on time. An “eligiblejobholder” must be enrolledinto a pension scheme andthe employer will have to paypension contributions.

This includes any UKworkers aged between 22 andstate pension age that earnmore than £8,105 per year.

A “non-eligible jobholder”has the right to opt-in to apensions scheme.

This includes UK workersaged between 16 and 21, orstate pension age and 74, thatearn more than theminimum earningsthreshold.

It also includes any UKworkers between 16-74 thatearn between £5,564 and£8,105 per year.

An “entitled worker” hasthe right to ask to be enrolledinto a pension scheme butthe employer does not have topay pension contributions ifthey do not wish to do so.This includes any UK worker

between 16-74that earns lessthan £5,564 peryear.

In preparationfor auto-enrolment,payroll softwarewill have to beupgraded toperform severalnew tasks,including:■ Monitoringthe age andearnings ofworkers to

establish the numbers ofeach type of worker,including those that need tobe automatically enrolled;■ Establishing the date that“eligible jobholders” becomeeligible;■ Calculating pensioncontributions to be paid tothe pension scheme;■ Processing pensioncontribution refunds forthose that opt out.

There are already severaloptions on the market thatcan cope with the newprocesses, such as ourintegrated Payroll andEmployerSafe system, andwe advise that companiesgive themselves plenty oftime to test which formatworks best for them.■ For further information oradvice, please call the ELASAdvice Team on 0161 7852000.

■ IN ASSOCIATION withELAS

‘Auto-enrolmentapplies tothe biggestcompanies,initially’

19

PROFESSIONAL SECTORSIN ASSOCIATION WITH

get ball rollingprepare to let their hair down–andboost goodcauses

LEGALLYSPEAKING

With Alison Smullen,Employment andPensions Solicitor at HillDickinson LLP

QI AM a business

owner and one of myworkers recently fellill while on annualleave and is now

asking to reschedule theirholiday. What should I beaware of when responding tothe request?

AWITH the summer

holiday season nowover, the time is pot-entially ripe forworkers to claim

they were ill on holiday inthe hope of rescheduling theleave.

In fact, 140m working daysare already lost every yeardue to sickness; costing theeconomy approximately£15bn in, predominantly, lostoutput (Source: Departmentfor Work and Pensions).

Recent Case LawThe European Court of

Justice (ECJ)recently add-ressed the issueof workersfalling illduring annualleave. In Asoc-iacion Nacionalde GrandesEmpresas deDistribucion vFederacion deAsociacionesSindicales andothers C-78/1the ECJ statedthat:

■ “It is common ground thatthe purpose of annual leaveis to enable workers to restand enjoy a period of relax-ation and leisure, whereasthe purpose of sick leave is toenable workers to recoverfrom an illness that hascaused them to be unfit forwork.”

■ The ECJ had already held(in Pereda v MadridMovilidad SA C-277/08) thatworkers who are on sickleave prior to a period of pre-booked annual leave (andcontinue to be sick during it)may reschedule that annualleave. It would therefore bearbitrary and contrary to thepurpose of annual leave notto allow workers who becomeunfit during their leave toreschedule the periodblighted by illness.

ImplicationsOn the face of it, the

worker’s recent request

ought to be granted.However, there are otherissues to consider such as:

■ Is the right to rescheduleannual leave an absolute one,an inalienable one?

As a matter of publicpolicy, the right should not bean inalienable one;employers should, arguably,be able to safeguard againstworkers feigning sicknessand claiming the right toreschedule their leave underfalse pretences.

It has been suggested thatthe right could be conditionalupon following prescribedsickness absence procedures(see, for example, the UKGovernment’s “Consultationon Modern Workplaces”paper).

Alternatively, employerscould safeguard againstworkers feigning sickness bywarning that such behaviour

is to beconsidered adisciplinaryoffence(although, inpractice, it couldbe difficult toprove thatworkers have liedabout being ill).

■ How muchleave can berescheduled inone leave year?

The Govern-ment’s

consultation paper (notedabove) suggests that only thefour weeks’ statutory leaveprovided for by the WorkingTime Directive be re-scheduled. It also states that,subject to certain exceptions,the first four weeks of leavetaken during any one leaveyear should be deemed theleave provided for by theDirective.

This essentially meansthat if the member of staff inquestion had taken fourweeks’ (or more) annualleave earlier in the year, thentheir recent request ought tobe rejected.

■ FOR further advice onhow to respond to anemployee’s request toreschedule annual leaveblighted by illness, contactAlison Smullen on 0151 6008549, or email: [email protected]

■ IN ASSOCIATION withHill Dickinson

‘140mworkingdays are lostevery yeardue tosickness’

20

ECONOMICDEVELOPMENTT

HEIR priority is helpingtheir communities, butmake no mistake – profitis not a dirty word forMerseyside’s social

enterprises.Last week, the region’s social

enterprise sector came out to playat the first ever Merseyside SocialEnterprise Awards.

Some 200 people at LiverpoolTown Hall saw 11 awardspresented to people andbusinesses including women’senterprise organisationBlackburne House and indoorskatepark, Rampworx.

Rosie Jolly, chief executive ofevent organiser Social EnterpriseNetwork (SEN), is keen to talkabout how all those winners andrunners-up have a great sense ofsocial purpose and are investingin the communities they serve.

A common misconceptionabout social enterprises is thatthey do not worry about making aprofit. That means they often getcalled “not-for-profit”.

But that, says Ms Jolly, is notquite right. Social enterpriseshave to make a profit to survive –it’s just that they use the profitdifferently.

“We try to get away from theterm ‘not-for-profit’,” she said.

“The media is very fond ofusing it. People generally are veryfond of using it.

“But if you don’t make a profit,you go out of business. Socialenterprise is about business forsocial value. Profit, or surplus, ishealthy in a business. It’s whatyou do with it that counts.

“We say the only differencebetween social enterprises andbusinesses from the private sectoris what we do with the profits.“They’re not going back to share-holders, they’re reinvested in thebusiness, either supportingprojects or perhaps creatingemployment. It has some socialgood.”

Claire Dove, chief executive ofLiverpool’s Blackburne Housegroup, won the Members’ Choiceaward at last week’s event.

Ms Dove, who also chairs SocialEnterprise UK, has beenpioneering social enterprise atBlackburne House since the 1980s.

“Social enterprises are forprofit,” she said. “But thedividends aren’t given toshareholders, they’re reinvestedin the organisation or thecommunity they serve. That’s thefundamental difference.”

THE Merseyside SocialEnterprise Awards,which were backed bythe Liverpool Post andits sister paper, the

Liverpool Echo, were launched bySEN to celebrate the vibrancy oflocal businesses.

SEN has 469 members, thoughMs Jolly estimates there could bemore than 1,800 social enterprisesacross Merseyside.

Ms Jolly said: “We were veryconscious that there were a lot ofawards going on, but they're

mainly for the private sector – it’srare that the social enterprisesector is celebrated. We reallywanted to change that and havethe first awards for socialenterprise businesses inMerseyside.

“Those 198 people in the TownHall last week should have allwalked away as ambassadors forsocial enterprise.”

Ms Jolly said this region playshost to some key players in thesocial enterprise sector.

They include PSS, the nationalhealth and social care group thathas its base in Liverpool. PSS’sservices including supportingwomen with post-natal depressionand working with those who havefamily members in prison.

It says: “Our aim is simple andhas been at the heart of what wedo for a long time: to make the

lives of those we work withbetter.”

Local Solutions, founded in1974, offers services to improvevulnerable and excluded people’squality of life. They includeanti-bullying support services andoffering advice on fuel debts.

And The Women’s Organisationis a world leader in its field. At its£5.6m Women’s InternationalCentre for Economic Development(WICED) in the Baltic Triangle, ithelps women start their ownfirms while researching femaleentrepreneurship.

Ms Jolly said: “When thoseorganisations are out there,they’re not just selling them-selves. They’re selling the sector –they’re ambassadors.”

Many people class socialenterprises alongside charities inthe “third sector”. That can mean

that they are not seen as being thebusinesses that they are.

“It doesn’t do social enterprisesany favours being bunched withthe term ‘third sector’,” said MsJolly.

“When people say ‘third sector’,they think the softer stuff,voluntary and charitable stuff.

“At the end of the day, we havethat social calling and purposes,but we’re business-focused.

“All the rules that apply to theprivate sector, those businessprinciples, they apply to socialenterprises. It’s simply how thatprofit is used.”

In the era of the “Big Society”,social enterprises have becomemuch more prominent.

“Rightly or wrongly, the currentgovernment has put social enter-prise on a bit of a platform,” saidMs Jolly. “There’s a perception

that social enterprises will be thesaviour for the economicproblems the country has.

“While social enterprise willplay an important role, it’s nopanacea or cure for all ills. It hasits place alongside the privatesector and everybody else.

“People misunderstandsometimes what socialenterprises are and think it’s anopportunity for free money. Butthere isn’t any free money anymore – you have to earn yourmoney as a social business.

“For a long time, a lot of socialenterprises had been grant-dependent.

“What we’re saying tobusinesses now is ‘If you want tobe a social enterprise, don’t dogrants’.

“Leave the grants to the charity,voluntary and community sectors,

Celebrating region’sAlistair Houghton speaks to the social entrepreneurswhoareproud to

The winners at last week’s Merseyside Social Enterprise Awards, at Liverpool Town Hall Picture: JONATHAN DAWES

21

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SOCIAL ENTERPRISE

and have a product you can sell toany market.”

CLAIRE DOVE saysLiverpool has a historyof pioneering socialenterprises.

“Blackburne Housewas the first women’s socialenterprise in the UK,” she said,“while FRC (which runs recyclingservice Bulky Bob’s) was one ofthe first social enterprises to takeoff. For us, the social purpose hasalways been there.

“We’ve been going for 30 yearsnext year. The social purpose isobviously getting women intonon-traditional industries andcareers – careers, not just jobs.”

The Women’s Technology AndEducation Centre (WTEC) wasfounded in 1983. By 1991, it neededa larger home – and chose to move

into Blackburne House, off HopeStreet.

The house had a proud pedigree– it was home to the city’s firstgirl’s school. The WTEC – nowcalled Blackburne House – had toraise millions of pounds to restoreits new home.

“What we didn’t want to do isrely on grant aid to run thatbuilding,” remembered Ms Dove.“If we had to keep applying forfunding to run the building, itwould take away from our coremission of providing educationand support for women.

“So we set up a number ofbusiness that would support thebuilding. Little did we know thatthe phrase would be coined forthem,’ social enterprise’.

“That’s where we got nationalacclaim. We found a new model ofworking in the sector – we were a

charity when we started out. Anyprofits that those businesses gen-erate are reinvested into our coremission.”

Those businesses includedesign and communicationsagency Brava Design, a nurseryand a popular cafe.

Ms Dove said: “Every poundpeople spend with us is goingtowards helping get women intoeducation, training and jobs.

“It’s helping their community,and it’s helping the regenerationof Liverpool by giving the city amore skilled workforce.”

Social Enterprise UK, the org-anisation chaired by Ms Dove, hassome 55,000 members.

“The sector is in a very healthystate,” she said.

“During the downturn, we

social successmakeaprofit for thegoodof their communities

A skateboarder atRampworx, Netherton

CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

INVESTING INTHE FUTURE

By Paul Curtis, Director,B&M Secure Shredding

The importance of dataprotection

ALL businesses have aresponsibility to ensure thatany confidential informationis disposed of in the mosteffective manner possible.

The Data Protection Act(DPA) has been put in placeto make sure that sensitiveinformation does not fall intothe wrong hands, and withfraud and identity theftrising, it is more importantthan ever for businesses to becertain that sensitivematerials are disposed of inthe correct manner.

Simply ensuring that anysensitive data is not left lyingaround will notbe enough toguarantee thatyou are meetingyourresponsibilitieswith regard todata protection.

Eventhrowing thisin with thegeneral wastecould still meanit gets into thewrong hands.

Failure tosecurelymanage thepersonal information yourbusiness holds is a criminaloffence.

It may even result inprosecution and claims fordamages under the DPA.

The Information Com-missioner’s Office (ICO) cannow introduce fines of up to£500,000 for breaches of theDPA.

Sensitive informationrelating to your staff orclients falling into the wronghands can result in costlyfines, affecting both SMEsand large nationalorganisations alike.

For some companies,shredding all confidentialdocuments is a big task anddoing it on their own meansthat a huge amount ofefficiency and productivitycan be lost as staff members

find that they spend farlonger disposing of sensitiveinformation than they doactually using it.

Therefore, to make certainthat jobs are not affected andthat nothing is overlooked, itcan be extremely useful tooutsource your shreddingservices.

By utilising a companythat specialises in secureshredding, you will be able tofeel happy that you areupholding your re-sponsibilities.

You are also ensuring thatnot only your staff andclients, but that yourbusiness as a whole, isprotected from the many

problems thatcan beencounteredwhenconfidentialinformation isleaked.

The cost ofenlisting theservices of acompany thatspecialises insecureshreddingservices couldbe less than youthink and willalmost cert-

ainly be less than the cost ofthe time that individual staffmembers can spendshredding sensitiveinformation themselves.

Confidential documentdisposal is the ideal way tosafeguard your businessagainst breaches in dataprotection, and by recruitinga local company like B&MSecure Shredding you can besure you are fully compliantand using your staff ’s timeeffectively.

■ FOR more informationcontact the team on: 0843 2211022, or email:[email protected] go online:www.bandmshredding.com

■ IN ASSOCIATION withB&M Secure Shredding

‘Informationfalling intothe wronghands canresult incostly fines’

22


found more social enterprisesdeveloping.

“We do a state-of-the-nationsurvey, and last year we foundthat our sector was doing reallywell despite the downturn. “

That survey, Fightback Britain,showed that the median turnoverof social enterprises grew from£175,000 in 2009 to £240,000 in 2011.

It said social enterprisesemployed more people relative toturnover than mainstream smallbusinesses. And it showed thatsocial enterprises were “out-stripping SMEs for growth”, with58% of social enterprises polled

saying they grew in 2011,compared to 28% of SMEs.

Fightback Britain also showsthat the sector is “not reliant oncharitable giving”, with donationsbeing the main source of incomefor less than 0.5% of those polled.

And it said that, while manypeople think of social enterprisesin terms of delivering publicservices, the most common sourceof income for such firms (37%)was trade with the public.

Ms Dove says private firmscould learn from social enter-prises and ensure that they have apositive environmental and socialimpact on the communities theyserve.

She chairedLiverpool’s Fair-ness Commission, which wascreated by Mayor Joe Anderson,who says he is keen that socialimpact will be taken into accountin the council’s own procurementprocess in coming years.

THE Women’sOrganisation (TWO)won the Mayor’s Awardfor Social Innovation atthe SEN Awards.

At a time of recession, TWO,formerly known as Train 2000,plays a vital role helping womenstart their own businesses.

And, says its chief finance andoperating officer Helen Millne, it

can only keep doing that by beingrun as a business itself.

“We run the business toimprove the economic position ofwomen,” she said. “We don’t runthe business to make a privateprofit for individuals who aresupporting or running thebusiness, because the primedriver is making a difference.

“That value base we have isintegral to everything we do.Inquality, innovation andpartnership working, that’sincorporated right through thewhole organisation.

“What that doesn’t mean is thatwe’re not business-savvy, or thatwe don’t know how to run an

efficient and profitable business.That underpins what we do,rather than being integral.

“When our teams are working,they’re not thinking aboutshaving some pennies off costs tomake a profit for the boss. They’rethinking about how they can dowhat’s best for women.

“We run it efficiently. We lookfor contracts and always look todevelop a quality service thatsupports our objectives. We lookfor opportunities to grow anddiversify just as any otherbusiness does. But the angle isdifferent.”

As with Blackburne House,TWO brings in money by winning


Social Enterprise award winners: above, Jayne Scott and Liz McTear, of the Money Advice Project, collecting the Collaboration Award, presented by Unity Bank'sAdam Ruffinato; top, left, Cllr Nick Small presenting the Mayors Award for Social Innovation to Pat Shea-Halson and Helen Millne, of the Women's Organisation; top,right, Hillary Berg, winner of the mentoring Champion Award, presented by Geof Middleton, of Hill Dickinson; above, right, Claire Dove collects the Member'sChoice award on behalf of winners, Blackburne House, presented by Fusion 21 Chair, Chris Curry; and, inset, centre, Chris Carlin and Mark Swift, winners of theHealthy Work Place Award, presented by Caroline Salden, Chief Operating Officer of Liverpool Women's Hospital

23


contracts to provide services forother organisations. It does not,Ms Millne makes clear, depend onhand-outs.

“We have been operating as asocial enterprise for 17 yearsnow,” she said. “We’ve grownfrom being one woman with anemployee to having 25 to 40 peopleworking here at any given time.“We’ve got a £5.6m new buildingin Liverpool and we own a build-ing in Manchester. We have grownand diversified. But we have neveroperated with a grant culture. Wehave always operated throughwinning contracts.

“From day one, we’ve operatedas a commercial enterprise that

has looked for investment oppor-tunities and taken risks the wayany other entrepreneurialbusiness has to do. But we alwayshave that social remit.”

TWO looks to work withorganisations that share itsvalues. But that, as Ms Millnepoints out, is also standard in theprivate sector.

“We have working partnershipswith good practice organisationsin the private sector,” she said.“We have a value base that willstop us working with someorganisations because thecommon purpose isn’t there.

“But that’s true in any organ-isation. Businesses look for

common values in theirpartners.”

What’s clear from Ms Millne isthat social enterprises can andshould be taken more and moreseriously on the local, nationaland international stage.

“We have a global reputationfor good practice among public,private and third sectororganisations,” she said.

“We do consultancy work inAfrica and Asia. We were at theWorld Expo in Shanghai. And wewere there with private sectororganisations on an equal basis.

“Nobody looked at us differ-ently because we were a socialenterprise.”

ENERGYMATTERS

David Hunt, ofEco Environments

If I could offer just one pieceof advice, it would be . . .

ENERGY. I cannot think of asingle business or businesssector that isn’t adverselyaffected by energy costs, orcarbon reduction pressures.

Don’t worry, this isn’t apitch to switch energysuppliers, I get those, too! Inmy business networks androles with Liverpool andKnowsley Chambers ofCommerce, how to reduceenergy costs is the hot topic.

There are, of course, somethings you can do withabsolutely no cost, changingstaff behaviours, makingsure lights and computersare switched off, for example.

Some are very low cost,such as installing timerswitches to vendingmachines andphotocopiers, sothey don’t runall night. Some,though, canhave significantreductions, andquite often withno capitalexpenditure! Letme explain . . .

In manybusinesses,energy, alongwith payroll, arethe biggestoverheads. Withenergy pricesincreasing at over twice therate of inflation, that is aproblem – and one that won’tgo away by itself.

One thing that is keepingus very busy at present isenergy-efficient lighting, andfor three reasons.

Firstly, energy-efficientlighting schemes are verytax-efficient. They areeligible for Enhanced CapitalAllowances (ECA), whichmeans 100% of the projectcost can be offset againsttaxable profits in the currenttax year. There are benefits,too, even if you aren’tturning a profit.

Secondly, in manybusinesses, lighting can be alarge proportion of thoseenergy costs.

We can help businessreduce their lighting costs by

up to 90%, sometimes more.Thirdly, as we are fullyapproved and licensed, wecan provide unsecuredCarbon Trust finance for100% of the project cost,meaning no up-front capitalexpenditure. And, because ofthe huge savings possible,savings usually exceed thecost of finance, so you arecash positive from day one.

Funding is available forany type of company, fromlimited to partnership to soletrader, and for public bodies,schools and universities.

Many companies choose tofund the projects themselves,especially with ROI/Paybackusually between two and fouryears. But, if you want to useyour working capital else-where, Carbon Trust fundingcan be ideal.

Here’s an ex-ample of aproject we’rejust embarkingon for a largedistributioncompany inSefton. UsingLED lighting,we will bereducing theirlighting costsfrom £132,593per year to£35,781 per year.Yes, thosefigures arecorrect.

With Carbon Trust fundingfor the full cost of the project,they will be much better offfrom day one. What is more,as these things are increas-ingly important, they will bereducing their carbonfootprint by 97.2tn per year.

Of course, not everyonehas high lighting costs; weare able to look at renewableenergy options to generateelectricity or heat, from solarpanels, wind turbines or heatpumps. But, from simplesteps like turning off thephotocopier, to renewableenergy systems, there isfunding and the technologyavailable to reduce thosescary energy costs. All youneed to do is ask!

■ IN ASSOCIATION withEco Environments

‘In manybusinesses,energy andpayroll arethe biggestoverheads’

Social Enterprise successes: top, Angela Cox, centre, presents the GEC School's EnterpriseChallenge Award to Helen Dallinson, left, and Janet Spreadbury, of Hunts Cross Primary School;and, above, Christine Williams and Shirley Stopforth, of Bulky Bobs, winners of the Green SocialEnterprise award, presented by SSE's senior development manager, Sylvia Pearson

24

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Chasing new marketsEENWoffers assistance to local businessesconsidering lucrative overseasexpansion

Get prepared to avoid the worst: EENW’s top tips for trading with Europe

NEW markets can provide afantastic opportunity forsmall and medium-sizedbusinesses to thrive andexpand.

And with the recent surgein interest from overseas,fuelled by the Olympics andthe Queen’s Jubileecelebrations, this is theperfect time to enterContinental markets.

Now, leading businessadvice network EnterpriseEurope Network North West(EENW) has joined with theLiverpool Post to promotethe services on offer to helplocal businesses in theirefforts to export to Europe.

EENW provides inform-ation, support and guidanceto SMEs who want to take

advantage of opportunities tosell to our Europeanneighbours.

Set up by the EuropeanCommission, it offers a widerange of free and impartialbusiness services, includingadvice on intellectualproperty, CE marking andobtaining EU funding.

It also has experts on handto help businesses confusedby the sometimes complexregulations and docu-mentation governing importand export to and fromcertain countries.

Thanks to the Olympics,many north west businessesare now known abroad,having showcased theirgoods and services to newaudiences during the event.With help from EENW, theycould easily take the nextstep by tapping into newmarkets in Europe.

As well as providing one-to-one advice, EENW has acomprehensive searchabledatabase on its websitecontaining more than 14,000company profiles,partnership opportunities,and information sheets.

It also features a business

partnering service, wherecompany owners in theregion can search forsuitable opportunities inEurope based on their traderequirements, technologycapabilities, or manu-facturing needs.

Fiona Castela, projectmanager at EENW, said:“There are some fantasticopportunities for businessesif they are willing to explorethe idea of exporting, eitherfor the first time or to a newcountry.

“The Olympics was thefirst step for manycompanies, but there is noreason why others shouldnot follow suit and EENW isable to help them on thatjourney.”

■ FOR more informationand support on all elementsof breaking into newmarkets, from legal mattersto paperwork, culture andlanguage to intellectualproperty rights, go towww.eenw.org.

Alternatively, speak to oneof EENW’s expert advisersby calling 0844 259 8571,quoting code LP. Fiona Castela, Project Manager at EENW

TRADING overseas canseem daunting, but DavidWright, Europeanbusiness adviser atEENW, has somestraightforward tips toprevent businesses fromfalling into thosecommon traps when itcomes to import andexport.

David says: “Often, thefirst time companiesconsider issues likewhich currency theychoose to trade in, theirtrading conditions, orlegal matters, is whenthey have a problem.

“Our key advice is tohope for the best andplan for the worst.”

Know where to turn foradvice

Small business ownerscan’t be expected tobecome experts in thefiner points of law,currency, language andthe other ins and outs oftrading abroad beforethey take the leap intotrading overseas.

It’s more important tounderstand where toturn for professionaladvice to prevent aproblem arising.

Get the legalitiescovered

Set up and useStandard TradingConditions (STCs) andincorporate them into allquotations, offers andcorrespondence.

Be wary of signingcustomer purchaseorders as you may acceptyour customers’ STCsover your own. Seekspecialist advice to helpget your trading termsand conditions right.

Money mattersConsider the currency

you will be trading in.Will you opt for sterling,euros, or something else?

It’s a complex andimportant choice:trading in Euros presentsits own difficulties butsticking to sterling couldrestrict opportunities.

Professional advicewill help you find what’sbest.

Credit where it’s dueThere can be huge

variations in businesscredit across Europe.While businesses canexpect payment fromcompanies in

Scandinavia andGermany within 30 days,in southern Europe,payment may arrive upto six months after workis completed.

Brush up on yourlanguage skills

Get a meeting off to agood start by learningeven just a few words inthe local language.

Don’t make a culturalgaffe

Pick up some tips oncultural dos and don’ts.Get it right and no-onewill notice, get it wrongand everyone will. In fact,it could be a deal-breaker.The two most importanttips are simple: Don’t beoverly informal and takea lead from your host.

■ FOR more informationand support on allelements of breaking intonew markets, from legalmatters to paperwork,culture and language tointellectual propertyrights, go to www.eenw.org, or speak to one ofEENW’s expert advisersby calling 0844 259 8571,quoting codeLP.David Wright, European business adviser at EENW

25

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Thumbstarplays to winTrading in Europe is nogame for local firmINNOVATIVE mobilegaming businessThumbstar Games hasbecome something of anexpert in trading inEurope, and their secretis a unique business eventorganised by EnterpriseEurope Network (EEN).

Thumbstar begantrading in 2008, andquickly established itselfas one of the world’sleading developers,distributors andpublishers of mobilegames.

Operating out of itshead office at LiverpoolInnovation Park, with adevelopment studio inNewcastle and overseasoffices in Hong Kong andColombia, Thumbstarnow provides games tooperators in France,Germany, Italy and Spainas well as the UK.

Founder and chiefoperating officer MartinKitney recognised theimportance of Europeantrade to his business earlyon, and registered toattend the annual MobileWorld Congress. It washere that he discoveredthe EEN Brokerage Event.

Welcoming nearly 1,400exhibitors and more than60,000 visitors in 2011, theMobile World Congress isone of the largest mobiletechnology fairs in theworld.

Since 2006, the EENBrokerage Event haspartnered with the WorldCongress, bringingtogether small andmedium sized enterprises(SMEs), start-upcompanies, entrepreneursand research institutesunder one roof.

Joining over 400companies from 22countries, Martin and hiscolleagues were able toregister as participantsand request meetingswith other businesses atthe event.

They were even able tosearch for participantsand view attendee profilesonline beforehand,meaning they couldidentify exactly the typeof organisations theywere looking to dobusiness with.

Martin firmly believesthat, out of all the tradeshows and networkingevents he attends, theEEN Brokerage Event hasbeen the most profitablefor his business,providing direct newbusiness leads.

He said: “The Broker-age Event is the one wealways look forward to, asit enables us to meet newcustomers face-to-face,find partners and makeconnections withoutwasting time on smalltalk.

“In the four years thatThumbstar has attendedthe event, we have agreed15 distribution contractsand signed up over 100new mobile games.

“On top of that, theexperience we havegained has been inval-uable in our dealings withexisting customers.”

Martin has developed aclose relationship withhis European businessadviser at EnterpriseEurope Network NorthWest (EENW), JensBoehm, and he describesthis level of service as oneof the main reasons whythey have no hesitation inrecommending them toother businesses.

“We really enjoyworking with EENW,because they areknowledgeable about thefiner details that areimportant to businessessuch as ours and theservice is always faultless.

“It is because of theiradvice and guidance thatwe are now distributingto multiple operators incountries throughoutEurope.”

■ FOR more informationabout EENW and futureBrokerage Events, pleasevisit www.eenw.org, call0844 259 8571 quotingcode LP, or [email protected]

Thumbstar Games has become an expert in trading in Europe

Martin Kitney – chief operating officer of Thumbstar Games

EEN are hosting a number of events right across the NorthWest during SMEWeek 2012 to enable businesses to accessfree & impartial advice covering all aspects ofEuropean Trade.

The Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) offers support onlegislation and advice to businesses across Europe and inover 50 markets globally to help you make the mostof the opportunities in the European Union and beyond.

NorthWest England

Supporting NorthWest SME businessesto succeed during SMEWeek 2012...

Free and impartial business supporton your doorstept. 0844 259 8571e. [email protected]

Quote: LP02

26

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY

Automotive growth is goodExpansion at Jaguar LandRover andanewmodel for Vauxhall will boost theNorthwest

JAGUAR Land Rover’s (JLR)continued Merseyside expansionis obviously great news for thelocal manufacturing supply chain– and it has also given a boost tothe regional industrial propertymarket.

Three years ago, the number ofpeople employed at JLR plant inHalewood, owned by Indianconglomerate Tata, was around1,500.

There had been some un-certainty over its fate.

The model that was meant tosecure its future, the JaguarX-Type, or “Baby Jag”, had notbeen a success and wasdiscontinued.

Workers there were alsoproducing the more successfulFreelander 2 model and then, in2009, it was announced the plantwas also to make the new lowcarbon “Baby” Ranger Rover – themodel that would eventually becalled the Evoque.

Since then, sales of both models

have soared and the workforce atJLR has now tripled to 4,500. InAugust, the factory startedworking to a 24-hour shift patternfor the first time in 50 years.

So successful is the operationnow that JLR is expanding onto asecond site – a 405,000 sq ftwarehouse in Ellesmere Portcalled The Phoenix.

The facility will serve as alogistics centre for the car makerand around 300 people will beemployed there.

The significance of this lettingto the Merseyside and North Westindustrial market wasemphasised in a report byproperty consultancy DTZ.

Its Property Times UKIndustrial Q2 2012 study takes aquarterly snapshot of the state ofthe industrial market forproperties above 50,000 sq ft bothregionally and across the UK.

It said take-up in the secondquarter in the North west rose forthe second successive quarter to

2.2m sq ft across 11 deals, the mosthigh profile being the JLR letting.This deal, said the report, putpressure on the availability ofGrade A industrial space in theregion, with only threespeculatively built units, totalling425,000 sq ft, left available.

Tony O’Keefe, industrialdirector at DTZ in the North west,said: “Looking forward, the auto-motive sector is asserting itsinfluence in the regionspecifically in and around Jaguar

27

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY

Land Rover, where they havesecured the Phoenix warehouse,at Ellesmere Port, to facilitateexpansion of its current plant atHalewood.

“There are a series of supplierdeals as a direct result of in-creased production and the con-tinued success of JLR’s Evoque.

“In a double coup for theautomotive sector in EllesmerePort, General Motors hasunderpinned its support of theVauxhall plant where production

of the new Astra will begin in2014.

“This all bodes well for thenorth west industrial market andwe expect to see a number ofnotable land sales/pre-let dealsover the coming 12 months andtalk at least of speculativedevelopment to re-address thisavailability squeeze.”

Mr O’Keefe added that thissqueeze on available space willmean the market will be lesstenant-friendly going forward,

with the pendulum swinging backmore in favour of landlords.

“Where occupiers have had afree run of available units andwere effectively spoiled in termsof rental deals, short-term leasesand frequent breaks, the land-scape has now changed,” he said.

“Those seeking qualityaccommodation must nowreassess their expectations andexpect to compromise either onquality, location or price.

“We will see a return to more

traditional institutional leaseterms and an end to the tenant-friendly market, particularly inthe case of pre-lets.

“This trend will continue to alesser extent through the second-hand market as better qualityGrade B space enjoys its day inthe sun as demand permeatesthrough the quality strata.”

Across the UK in the secondquarter, take-up of industrialspace rebounded to 8.1m sq ftcompared with 5.8m sq ft in the

first quarter. This is the highestlevel for two years and more than5% ahead of the same period in2011.

A total of 64 deals werecompleted during the quarter – anincrease of 33%. The average dealsize remained relatively low at126,000 sq ft as demand wasconstrained by lack of availabilityof good quality stock at this end ofthe market. Total availability fellduring the quarter to 143m sq ft,down 6% from the first quarter.

news for industrial sectorregion’s commercial propertymarket, says the latestDTZstudy. TonyMcDonough reports

Production of the new Astra at Vauxhall, in Ellesmere Port, due to start in 2014, is also good news forthe north west industrial market, says Tony O’Keefe, of DTZ, inset, top

Increased production forboth the Evoque andFreelander2 models, atJaguar Land Rover’sHalewood plant, means thecompany needs more spaceand is taking The Phoenix,inset, far left, a largewarehouse in EllesmerePort

28

HOW GREEN IS YOUR BUSINESS? IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Energy firm director achieves top accreditationMERSEYSIDE energycompany director MikeWalker has achieved theUK’s highest qualification inassessing the greencredentials of homes andbusinesses.

Mr Walker, who set upEnergy Solutions in 2000,has been awarded an ISO50001 which qualifies him toconduct and lead energymanagement system audits.

The qualification, which

took him more than twoyears to complete, is ach-ieved by just a handful ofpeople working in the sector.

He is now confident thatthe qualification, coupledwith the introduction of theGovernment’s Green Deal,will provide a huge boost tohis Knowsley-basedcompany.

The coalition Governmenthas promised the GreenDeal will revolutionise

energy efficiency acrossthe UK.

The initiative is part ofthe 2011 Energy Act andaims to reduce carbonemissions through large-scale, energy-efficientimprovements to residentialbuildings and infrastructureacross Britain.

Up to £30,000 will beloaned to individuals tomake homes more efficient,with the loans being repaid

over 25 years, not directly bythe lender but by beingadded on to the property’senergy bills.

Properties will beassessed by qualified GreenDeal advisors. Mr Walker,who runs Energy Solutionswith his wife and businesspartner Donna Walker, said:“We are very excited aboutthe Green Deal as it is anarea we have been workingin for 12 years.”

Housing project calls on Thin JointMerseyside specialist firm’s technologyused in ‘PassiveHouse’ lowenergy schemeLOW energy building specialist,Thin Joint Technology, has sup-plied a range of products torenowned Passive House arch-itects, Seymour Smith, as part ofits latest green build scheme.

The architectural firm gainednational recognition in Channel4’s Grand Designs, having createdthe UK’s first “underhill” houseusing the low energy PassiveHouse model.

Liverpool-based Thin Joint hassince provided products andtechnical support on a number of

schemes, including EldoradoCrescent, in Cheltenham.

The Passive House concept,which has been pioneered inEurope, focuses on a buildingdesign where a comfortableinterior climate can be main-tained without active heating andcooling systems, as the househeats and cools itself – hencepassive.

A new-build certified PassiveHouse project in a conservationarea in Cheltenham, this re-placement dwelling will require

only a tiny 13.3kWh/m2.yr spaceheating, thanks to its superinsulation, airtightness andmechanical ventilation with heatrecovery.

Thin Joint has supplied its SIMsystem consisting of 190mm solidthin-jointed lightweight block aswell as technical design input.

Chris Hirst, Director at ThinJoint said: “Passive House designand construction is still in itsinfancy in terms of nationwideappeal here in the UK, but is atried and tested build model

across Europe, particularly Ger-many.

“Low-energy building is nolonger a luxury but a necessityand architects such as SeymourSmith are showcasing thesedesigns, which, while visuallystriking, require little or zeroenergy services.”

Helen Seymour Smith, fromSeymour Smith, added: “Wecreate distinctive projects from aunique creative dialogue witheach of our clients. Following thesuccess of our own home and

office, Hill Barn & UnderhillHouse, which was filmed forChannel 4’s Grand Designs, weare increasingly specialising inhouses built to the GermanPassive House standard, as well asresponding to many challengingplanning situations.

“Thin Joint has been part ofour supply chain on severalschemes.

“Their knowledge and under-standing of the low energy andPassive House build sector issecond to none.”

Chris Hirst, director of Thin Joint, right; and artist’s impressions of Eldorado Crescent, in Cheltenham, where the firm’s technology is being implemented

The Green Deal aims to boost energy efficiency

29

Liverpool-based Eco Environments has helped a century-old foundry gogreen in order to dramatically slash its energy costs.Lupton & Place, a family business based in Burnley, will see its electricity bill

cut by almost £8000 a year as a result of installing energy efficient lighting.

The installation will see the company’s lighting usage reduced by more than85,000kWh units per annum from the existing 160,680kWh to 75,583kWh.

The total energy costs will also plummet from the current £13,751 a year to just£6,382, giving a saving across five years of more than £35,000. The return oninvestment period for the £16,000 project is just over two years.

In addition, the scheme is eligible for the Government’s Enhanced CapitalAllowances with 100 per cent of the project cost being written off in the first yearensuring an even better payback.

Equally eye-watering is the reduction in CO2 emissions which will be cut by 46.3tons per annum from 87.4 tons to just over 41 tons.

David Hunt, Sales and Marketing Director for Eco Environments, said: “We areseeing huge demand from businesses, particularly those with high lighting usage,for energy efficient lighting installations.

“The return on investment for such schemes can often be as little as two yearsand there are further incentives with funding available from the Carbon Trust aswell as the Enhanced Capital Allowances which Lupton & Place was able to takeadvantage of.

“We are finding that an increasing number of commercial customers are keento talk to us not about one type of technology but about ways in which they canmaximise their energy savings by installing different types of renewable energyand energy efficiency technology.”

John Bardgett, Foundry Manager at Lupton & Place, said: “We chose to invest inenergy efficient lighting across the foundry as it had a quick payback and limitedinterruption to our business during installation.

“Most work was completed over a weekend and we are now not only more energyefficient but have a far better lit and improved working environment.”

Rapidly growing Eco Environments increased its turnover dramatically to£6.4million in the last financial year – compared to £1.3million the previous year.

The company, which has its head office in Liverpool and regional offices inNewcastle, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, Carlisle and St Asaph, has also seenits headcount increase from 12 to 50 during the past 12 months.

Lupton & Place has been at the forefront of the European die-casting industryfor more than 100 years and employs 150 people. Capable of producing over 2million castings a year the company services a diverse range of clients acrossEurope.

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30

HOW GREEN IS YOUR BUSINESS? IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Cycling is making a huge and growing contribution to the UK economyTHE benefits of cyclingare wide, with increasedparticipation bringingbroad socio-economicbenefits to the UK, acc-ording to a study by the

London School of Econ-omics. It found thatcycling resulted in:● A £2.9bn totalcontribution to the UKeconomy;

● A 28% increase involume of cycle sales in2010, generating morethan £1.62bn;● A £853m furthercontribution to the UK

economy through thepurchase of cyclingaccessories;● Bicycle maintenance,resulting in total retailsector sales of £2.47bn;

● More than £500mgenerated in wages and£100m in taxes from23,000 employeddirectly in bicycle sales,distribution and the

maintenance of cyclinginfrastructure;● Health benefits ofcycling save theeconomy £128m peryear in absenteeism.

Mersey firms in the saddleMajor companies signup to scheme togetmore staff taking thehealthy route intoworkMAJOR employers in Liverpoolare encouraging their staff tocycle to and from work, accordingto a cycle training organisation.

BikeRight! has launched aproject called Choose Freedom, topromote the benefits of cycling toboth firms and individuals.

It is working with companies inMerseyside such as Shop Direct,Liverpool One and Benson Signs.

BikeRight! cites research fromthe London School of Economicswhich claims a 1% increase inthose cycling to work has a knock-on effect in terms of reduced late-ness, less illness and greaterproductivity.

The social enterprise estimatesthat this 1% increase could addmore than £2m to the bottom lineof Merseyside businesses.

Companies can apply for grantsto cover 50% of the cost of instal-ling cycle parking and ChooseFreedom project manager, JoSomerset, said: “Employerstaking up this grant will seebenefits in staff punctuality andalertness at the beginning of theworking day.”

The three firms mentionedabove are working with BikeRight! and the Choose Freedomproject to encourage employeesand potential employees to takeup cycling – or, indeed, walking –as their preferred mode ofcommuter transport.

Donna Howitt, marketingdirector at Liverpool One, said:“At Liverpool One, we are verymuch committed to promotingsustainable transport and cyclingplays a big part of that.

“We offer fantastic facilities forcyclists at Liverpool One, such asfree secure bike storage withinQ-Park, along with lots ofSheffield stands in the streets.

“BikeRight! helped raiseawareness of these facilities to thepublic and retailers as well ashow easy it is to maintain a bike,what bike would be suitable fortheir needs and the healthbenefits of cycling.”

For Chris Benson, managingdirector of Benson Signs, takingpart in the Choose Freedomproject is just the latest in a seriesof initiatives he has taken to makesure his businesses operates in asustainable way.

He has previously featured inPost Business after making effortsto cut his energy usage byinstalling solar PV panels.

“At Benson Signs, we have beenoffering our staff access to theCycle-to-Work programme for anumber of years, and, to date,around 10% of our staff have

taken advantage of the scheme,”he said.

“Several other staff membersare active cyclists and commuteon cycles they already own.

“We have encouraged staff totake part in a travel survey, whichis progressing well.

“Those who have completed thesurvey are signing up to theBikeRight/ Merseytravelmonitoring scheme calledCyclingWorks!, to log journeys

and calculate cost savings. Mostsignificantly, we are excited by thepotential for funding for us topurchase and install a securecycle storage facility at ourfactory.

“It is the intention that this willnot only benefit those that alreadycycle regularly, but will encouragenew cyclist commuters.”

To help promote sustainabilitywithin local businesses and tomake cycling a more viable option

for employers, BikeRight! iscurrently offering cycle parkinggrants for employers in northLiverpool – funded by theDepartment for Transportthrough the Local SustainableTransport Fund.

The Choose Freedom project isaimed at both employed andunemployed residents of Evertonand Kirkdale, and, as well aspromoting the freedom cyclingoffers when exploring

employment opportunities acrossthe city, it will also highlight thehealth and welfare benefits ofexercise

Jo Somerset, director ofBikeRight!, said: “Over the nextthree years, we will be targetingbusinesses right across the city tomake sure they, too, understandhow useful cycling, walking, andsustainable transport can be inbroadening the catchment areafor attracting employees.”

The launch of the Choose Freedom campaignwhich took place at the Pier Head, in Liverpool

31

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Christmas PartiesCHRISTMAS party season ison the horizon and theannual office gatheringapproaches.

Like most people, you’veprobably had experience ofleaving it all far too late tobook your chosen partyvenue and ended up takingyour colleagues out for adisappointing meal at theonly place in town that hada spare table in December.

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Luckily, Merseyside hasno shortage of great venuesready to offer fantastic foodand an atmosphere tocomplement an Xmas bashto remember.

We’ve got some of the bestrestaurants, hotels and barsin the region, while publictransport makes it easy toindulge and enjoy.

Of course, preparation iskey, so whether you’replanning a meal for yourteam or you’ve been chargedwith sorting out a big bashfor your business, gather agroup together as soon aspossible and try to hash outthe finer details of theschedule.

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getting excited about goingto a particular place you alllove, only to be told there isno room at the inn and thatyou will have to make otherplans at the 11th hour.

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This is doubly trickyaround Christmas, so theearlier you get in there andreserve the date, the better.

It’s worth arranging asmuch as you can now,because once your venue isfinally sorted, you can relaxand plan how you intend tocreate a social occasionthey’ll be talking aboutuntil, well, at least NewYear! Don’t leave it until the last minute . . . book your Christmas party now

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32

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Party at Formby Hall Celebrate Christmas with the Blues

WHETHER you arecelebrating with family,friends or colleagues thisChristmas and New Year,Formby Hall Golf Resort &Spa guarantees you amagical time, a servicethat is genuinely warmand friendly, plus first-class cuisine – all at thestunning Formby Hall GolfResort & Spa.

You can enjoy a magicalfamily Sunday LunchCarvery, with lots of funand frivolity as the warm-up begins for the big day,kids’ entertainment and,of course, a visit from avery busy Santa, who’llhave a gift for every child.

You can also enjoy thedelights of the venue’sChristmas Lunches andDinners, the perfect way toget you in the festivespirit. With a trulyseasonal menu, crafttables and selection boxfor every child, this trulyis the ideal familyChristmas treat.

If you are looking for aperfect family Christmaslunch, Christmas Day inThe Ambassador Suite isfor you. Enjoy a deliciouscarvery with all the festive

trimmings and Santa hasconfirmed he will pop inand give a gift to all thechildren before he headsback to Lapland.

Alternatively, celebrateChristmas Day in stylewith a glass of fizz andcanapés on arrival, fol-lowed by a superb seasonallunch, prepared by thehead chef and his team, inthe relaxed yet stunningsurroundings of TheRestaurant.

Formby Hall has thevenue, the superb food, theentertainment and theatmosphere. All you needis to turn up to the ever-popular Christmas andpost-Christmas Party

Nights. Dance the nightaway in style with friendsand colleagues to celebratethe festive season. All theChristmas Party Nightsstart with a four-coursemeal followed by a DJ anddisco until the early hours.Make a real night of it andbook a room at specialfestive rates.

So, as you can see,there’s something foreveryone this Christmasand New Year at FormbyHall Golf Resort & Spa.■ FOR more informationor to book for Christmasand New Year call 01704875699 or visit www.formbyhallgolfresort.co.uk

A SEASON of festive funand lavish entertain-ment has been unveiledby Goodison Park in therun-up to Christmas.

Sodexo Prestige,which runs theconference andbanqueting facilities atthe Everton ground, hascreated four dine anddance party packages onselected dates inDecember.

Glamour is the orderof the day when thestadium hosts its twiceweekly Glitter Balls,throughout Decemberfrom just £33.95 a head.

Guests will be given aspecial, glitter carpetwelcome and a sparklingreception drink followed

by a gourmet three-course meal with liveentertainment and atop-class disco to roundthings off.

In addition, theground is offering TheGuest List packagestarting at £65 perperson, which not onlyincludes a festive, three-course meal and a latedisco, but also unlimitedselected beers, housewines, spirits andmixers.

Sodexo’s award-winning team of chefswill also be serving up aselection of ClassicChristmas diningpackages on selecteddates where guests canenjoy a three-course

seasonal lunch and discobetween 1pm and 6pmfor £28.50 per person.

Alternatively, thestadium’s Festive VIPpackage enables groupsof friends or colleaguesto hire one of itsfunction rooms or suitesto host a celebratoryparty, lunch or dinner oftheir own, from £19.95per person.

The Sodexo teamoffers a wide menu ofhot and cold buffets andcan arrange a variety oflive entertainment.■ FOR furtherinformation, or to makea booking, call theevents team on 0151 5305250 or email: [email protected]

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33

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Xmas at the Radisson Enjoy Christmas at the new-look Mal

EXPERIENCE Christmasat Radisson Blu HotelLiverpool for a perfectlyformed and perfectlyunique celebration.

It’s a great way to getyour Christmas off to asparkling start, enjoyingfestive drinks and selecteddishes throughout thewhole of December in TheWhite Bar and Filinirestaurant.

If you are planning aChristmas party, theevents team at RadissonBlu can help you organisethe perfect celebration.

From a canapé and drinksreception, or a smalldinner in Filini withfriends, through to a partynight for up to 120 guests.

Why not take the hassleout of getting to and fromthe city over the festiveseason by booking one ofthe hotel’s stunningbedrooms. Arrive earlyand make use of theextensive leisure facilitiesor indulge with somepre-party pampering inthe hotel’s treatmentrooms.

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you can book private orjoint party nights in TheKings Suite, which offersstunning views over theRiver Mersey and isavailable throughoutDecember. The party nightpackage includes aRadisson Blu cocktailupon arrival, followed by athree-course dinner, thenparty the night away withthe hotel’s resident DJ.Ensure you book early toavoid disappointment!

The team at RadissonBlu believe it’s the littlethings that make all thedifference. Let them knowwhat is important to you,they will be only toopleased to tailor theperfect package to suityour every need.■ FOR more informationor to make a booking, callthe events team on 0151966 1500 or [email protected].

To download a copy ofthe brochure, visit thewebsite: www.radissonblu.co.uk/hotel-liverpool.■ VISIT Radisson BluHotel Liverpool, 107 OldHall Street, Liverpool, L39BD.

SHE’S been having a bitof work done. A niphere, a tuck there. Afterall this preening, thethird Liver Bird is welland truly back.

Homegrown and localbrasserie dining, astylish cocktail bar andthe usual slinkinessupstairs you expect fromthe Mal. Perched onPrinces Dock and readyto ruffle the feathers ofyour usual hang-outs.The Mal is back. Whenwill you be?

Two birds. Perched ontop of the world-famousLiver Building. Lookingout across the Mersey.Every now and again,they sneak a peak at thislittle beauty. The first

Mal to be built fromscratch, but every inch aMal on the inside. Fromthe blazing cauldron offire in the cavernousreception to the plumbar and the brasserie,she has it all.

Upstairs, the rock ‘n’roll continues, withfootball-inspired suites,battleship bathtubs andthe obligatory YellowSubmarine. Every goodhotel should have one.

How about SantaClaus abseiling downthe building or Rudolphin reception? Justjoking, of course, but theMalmaison staff will doall they can to makeyour festive event justthat little bit extra

special. But only ifyou’ve all been goodboys and girls . . . Have achat with Receptionwhen you book andthey’ll see what they cando for you.

This year, The Mal isoffering superb diningfor Early Birds, Celeb-rations, Christmas Dayand New Year’s Eve.

The Mal also hasfantastic room ratesavailable and can caterfor parties and privatedining.■ TO FIND out moreabout parties andprivate dining, call theEvents Desk on 0151 2295000 or email:[email protected]

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PERFECTLY FORMEDCHRISTMAS 2012

34

35

Marco Pierre WhiteSteakhouse Bar & Grill10, Chapel Street,LiverpoolTel: (0151) 559 0555www.mpwsteakhouseliverpool.com

THE NETWORKER

BUSINESS LUNCH

DETAILS

Alistair HoughtonmeetsSimonLeyland, ofMaxwell Hodge, atMarcoPierreWhiteSteakhouseBar&Grill, in Liverpool

YOU can’t miss MaxwellHodge’s red flags inCastle Street – and youcan’t miss the celeb-rity chef behind one of

the commercial district’s flashiestdining hotspots.

The spacious yellow diningroom at Liverpool’s Marco PierreWhite Steakhouse Bar & Grill(MPW), which opened in June, isadorned with immense pictures ofthe chef whose name it bears.

White has a reputation as aman who takes his food very, veryseriously, so those pictures aredoubtless a warning to MPW’schefs that they should always beat the top of their game.

White knows that MPW, while itmay be a flashycelebrity-endorsed restaurant,needs to get the basics right. Bigname or not, if the food isn’t right,then people won’t come.

It sounds simple, but so seldomis. Thankfully, based on my recentvisits, MPW has got it right.

And, Simon Leyland says,getting the basics right is just asimportant in the legal world. Bigred flags and marketing are allvery well, but law firms live or dieon the service they offer.

So, for all the flags adorning thefirm’s headquarters, and for all itsmarketing work, Maxwell Hodgehas sustained its reputation overthe past 150 years through itsservice.

“We have experienced peoplewith great expertise,” saidLeyland, the firm’s managingpartner. “We pride ourselves ongiving first-class expert advice.It’s quite simple.

“We do marketing, and thathelps us, but it’s always true thatthe biggest source of work isclients recommending you toother people.”

Leyland grew up in Formbybefore heading to the Universityof Manchester to study history. Hethen studied law in Newcastlebefore joining Maxwell Hodge,where he rose to lead its personalinjury arm before taking over asmanaging partner last year.

“I’ve been here man and boy,”he smiled. “I haven’t been at anyother firm, which I suppose isa bit unusual nowadays.

“I’ve been raised upthrough the firm. I wasexcited when I got theopportunity to becomemanaging partner. I’ve got astrong belief in what thefirm does.”

Maxwell Hodge traces itsorigins back to 1860, and thefounding of city centre firmTJ Smith and Son.

In 1940, SirMaxwellEntwistleopened hislegal

clinical negligence,” said Leyland.“It’s a bit more of a specialism.

“The other area we’ve alwaysbeen traditionally strong in islifetime planning and probate.

“Usually, that affects olderpeople. That sort of work willcontinue to grow because we’vegot an expanding older pop-ulation, and an expanding clientbase.”

MPW proved an excellent placeto have a lunchtime chat. It has arelaxed atmosphere, despite itsfounder’s visage peering downfrom the walls, with efficient andattentive service.

It offers an extensive a la cartemenu and a well-priced lunchdeal, at £13.50 for two courses.

On my first visit to MPW a fewweeks ago, I went for the massiveand delicious fishcake.

This time I stuck with fish, butwent for the healthier option.

My grilled hake came with peaand broccoli ragout. Thedeliciously tender fish wasperfectly partnered by the freshflavours of the sides, making aperfect light lunch.

I lost some health bonus points,though, by having a side order ofMPW’s excellent chips, perfectlycooked in beef dripping.

On this visit, both Leyland andI went straight for a main course.

While I ate my fish, he enjoyedtender roast chicken with potatodauphinoise and a rich jus.

The Legal Services Act,nicknamed “Tesco Law”, wasintroduced last year and meansnon-legal firms can now offerlegal services. The introduction ofthose “alternative businessstructures” struck fear into the

hearts of some lawyers, butLeyland insists Maxwell Hodge isprepared for the change.

He said: “A firm our size isn’tgoing to get anywhere trying todirectly compete with someonelike the Co-op, because we’re notnational, but we will concentrateon what we’re good at.

“Our clients still appreciatethat face-to-face service.

“If you go to a lawyer, you havea problem that needs solving. Ifyou know who you’re dealingwith, and you can deal with thesame person rather than 10different people, then thatdistinguishes us from the bigger,less personable organisations.

“But the alternative businessstructures thing also givesopportunities to firms like usbecause there’s no reason why,going forward, we cannot takeadvantage of that and bring inadded benefits of non-lawyerscoming in to manage ourbusiness.”

Leyland says government plansto ban referral fees for personalinjury work will not hit his firm.

“We’ve never jumped on thatbandwagon,” he said. “We find westill get offered that type of workoff the street through our offices.”

And he says that, behind thescenes, he and his staff areworking hard to adapt to othergovernment reforms aimed atcutting the Legal Aid bill.

The changes could, in fact,bring new opportunities forMaxwell Hodge.

“The other way we plan to grow,going forward, is through acquis-ition,” said Leyland.

“There will unfortunately be

some small firms, perhaps three-partner firms, that for whateverreason won’t be able to cope withsome of the changes beingbrought in and the burdens beingplaced on them.

“We see that some of thosefirms, if they don’t go under, willwant to join bigger entities.

“We have an acquisition strat-egy and are always alive to what’sgoing on in terms of firms thatwant to go down that road.”

Keen Liverpool fan Leylandenjoys running, and hascompleted a handful of half-marathons, but says his twoyoung daughters now take upmost of his time outside work.

And his work life isn’t going toget quieter any time soon. Thefirm employs some 80 people, andLeyland expects that figure willgrow as his expansion plans bearfruit.

“I’m very excited about thefuture,” he said.

“There’s been a lot of negativityin the legal market recentlybecause of these changes. There’sbeen a lot of doom-laden talk.

“But whatever the challenge orchange, we just sit down, plan astrategy and use our strengths.”

Marco Pierre WhiteSteakhouse Bar & Grill, at theHotel Indigo, Liverpool

Picture: GARETH JONES

SimonLeyland

practice. A year later, he wasjoined by John Byrne, and theirpractice became MaxwellEntwistle & Byrne.

In 1986, that firm bought TJSmith. And finally, in 2005,Maxwell Entwistle & Byrnemerged with Carter Hodge to firmMaxwell Hodge.

It’s a typically complex legalhistory. But that history has left itwith a branch network of whichLeyland is proud.

“We’re slightly unusualnowadays in that we still havedots on the map,” he said. “Wehave eight offices in and aroundMerseyside – Kirkby, Huyton,West Kirby, etc.

“A lot of firms our size havemoved to centralised working.We’ve found it’s one of ourstrengths to have accessibleoffices for people in their localarea. We still have a lot of peoplecoming through our doors.”

Two years ago, in its 150thanniversary year, Maxwell Hodgeunderwent a “radical restructure”and split its work into threedivisions: business services,contentious work – includinglitigation – and non-contentiouswork such as conveyancing andprobate.

“We’ve tried to make ourmanagement a bit leaner andmore efficient,” said Leyland.

Business services incorporateswhat Leyland calls “the non-legalstuff ”, including HR and ITservices.

“It’s important nowadays for afirm our size to keep on top ofthings like IT,” he said. “We’recontinuing to grow into being thelegal adviser of choice for SMEs.”

Leyland is also proud of thecompany’s recent launch of theMax Card – a loyalty card for itsSME clients. Customers collectpoints for using Maxwell Hodge’sservices, which they can redeemto cut costs later.

“It also has benefits for employ-ees,” added Leyland. “They canget discounted work if they cometo us.

“We’ve just launched that andwe hope it will

expand ourcommercialdepartment.”

MaxwellHodge is alsohoping that itsclinicalnegligencedepartment

will drive it togrowth.

“Everybodydoes personal

injury, but noteverybody does

36

THE NETWORKER

THE BUSINESS LISTTHURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1/CHESHIRE BUSINESS EXPO

Friday, September 28ST HELENS Chamber of Com-merce is running a race day atHaydock Park Racecourse,starting at 1pm and running until6pm.

The Chamber says it offers aperfect afternoon combination ofracing and networking, involvingfull corporate hospitality in thenewly-refurbished PaddockPavilion, located next to theparade ring area.

Tickets are priced at £35+VATfor Chamber members and£70+VAT for non-members andwill include an arrival drink,informal buffet lunch,refreshments throughout the day,entrance badge, racecard,private cash bar, tote facilitiesand reserved parking.

To register for this event,please visit https://www.sthelenschamber.com/booking

Wednesday, October 3A FREE networking event aimedat the charity and voluntarysectors is taking place at thePartnership for Learning, SouthRoad, Speke, next to the JaguarLand Rover car plant, from5.30pm to 7.30pm.

Organised by LiverpoolChamber of Commerce andLCVS United Way, the secondevent of 2012 facilitates contactwith peers and businesses whoare interested in working withcharities. Light refreshments areprovided as well as insightfulspeakers. Visit http://www.mychamber.co.uk/liverpool/event/view/id/2923#book to book

Thursday, October 4THE latest JellyLiverpool casualco-working day encouragescreative freelancers and home-workers to bring their laptop anddrop in for a free “work-together”with the offer of free desk space,free WiFi and free coffee, whilemaking new contacts.

JellyLiverpool will run from8am to 4pm, upstairs in Leaf Bar& Cafe, on Bold Street.● FOR more details, go to www.openlabs.org. uk/jelly

Thursday, October 11BRAND Ubiquity “Ritual”, hostedby Vision 4 Children and

The British Chambers ofCommerce-accredited event isaimed at anyone who has to dealwith export procedures and thepaperwork associated with it. It

is ideal for those in administ-ration, sales, despatch, logistics,purchasing, finance andmanagers of companiesexporting for the first time. Eachdelegate will get a set of detailedcourse notes and workedexamples to take home to use intheir place of work.

The course will be presentedby Robin Mackay who is anexperienced director and seniormanager with more than 15years’ experience working for aworld class textile company withparticular responsibility forexports.

It lasts from 9am to 5pm andcosts £200 for Chamber mem-bers and £250 for non-members.● CONTACT http://www.mychamber. co.uk/liverpool/event/view/id/2988#book

BUSINESS leadershave the chance totake on top tips fromentrepreneurial expertand former Dragons’Den star RichardFarleigh.

The Australian, whowas known as the “MrNice” of the BBC

series, is the headlinespeaker at theCheshire BusinessExpo being held at theMacdonald PortalHotel, Golf and Spa, inTarporley.

Mr Farleigh willspeak about his owninspirational tale of

rags-to-riches andwhat it was like to be a“Dragon” investor.

He will be joined byPhil Jones, head of theUK arm of multi-national companyBrother and CliveDrinkwater, regionaldirector for the

Government-backedUK Trade andInvestment.

There will also benetworking breakfastand lunch sessionsand a range of work-shops including gettingto grips with Twitter,Facebook and blogs.

Tickets are priced at£45, which includeslunch.

To confirm yourplace and to obtain afull list of workshops,contact Pauline Crozieron 01606 888111 oremail [email protected]

Richard Farleigh, the ‘Mr Nice’ of the BBC Dragons’ Den series, will be headline speaker at the Cheshire Business Expo

Arvind Chandna – talk inaid of World Sight Day

Blankstone Opticians, in aid ofWorld Sight Day, will take placeat a venue to be confirmed inLiverpool city centre, from5.30pm.

Consultant paediatric oph-thalmologist Arvind Chandna willspeak about World Sight Day’sbid to focus global attention onblindness, visual impairment andrehabilitation of the visuallyimpaired.● FOR an invitation and venuedetails, please email [email protected]

Wednesday, October 17A SEMINAR on exportdocumentation and methods ofpayment is being held at the OldHall Street offices of Liverpool

Chamber of Commerce.Haydock Park Racecourse

37

ALISTAIRHOUGHTON

THE NETWORKER

. . . in which the great and the good seea retail landmark brought back to lifeby a brigade of preserved bodies

IF YOU’RE going to hold anexhibition of dead bodies, thenwhy not hold it inside an ex-Head?

Not so long ago, the largeLiverpool One store oppositeJohn Lewis was home to a CDand DVD megastore – first aVirgin Megastore, then its

successor, Zavvi.But then Zavvi slumped into

administration. Its Liverpool storerebranded as Head and trudged on for awhile, but it closed within months, andwhen its sad closing-down sale came toan end the store, once a huge temple torecorded music, sat silent.

Like a character from a Christmasfairytale, it comes magically back to lifeat Christmas with a festive superstore.But, for much of the rest of the year, itsits silent, wrapped in so muchLiverpool One branding that you almostforget the empty space is there.

The Bodies Revealed team, however,don’t let a minor worry like death worrythem. After all, if they can make aglobetrotting exhibition out of deadbodies, then they can breathe new lifeinto a forgotten Liverpool store.

Bodies Revealed is an exhibition ofpreserved bodies and body parts thathas taken over the former Zavvi/Headstore until January.

And when I heard there was to be, toquote the press release, “a launch eventfor leading figures in the city’s medical,health, education and cultural sectors”,

then I couldn’t resist popping along.After all, I may have hobnobbed withpop royalty and the business great andgood for the purposes of this column,but I’ve never networked with the dead.

WHEN they said the launchwould be one of thehottest events of the year,they weren’t joking.The former shopfloor was

packed with the good and the great –and media types – all waiting for theexhibition to open. And the room waslike an oven.

One colleague remarked on howswelteringly hot I looked.

“It’s boiling,” said I, reverting to thelanguage of school.

“That’s what happens when you packlots of bodies in here,” he remarked. Iwould say “remarked drily”, but thesweat was starting to show.

Eventually, PR Geraldine Turneropened proceedings on a podiumperched halfway up the stairs.

“I’ve been in marketing for years butnever been asked about dead bodiesbefore,” she mused.

And then came the main speaker, DrRoy Glover, the exhibition’s chiefmedical director. Clad in blazer andlight slacks, as you’d expect of adistinguished American academic on anoverseas trip, Dr Glover gave anuplifting overview.

“I believe our bodies are our most

precious gift,” he said. Our directorwanted us to know that this show wasnot just about entertainment.

It was, he said, an educationalexperience.

And – he was American, after all – hetried to demonstrate that this show wasalso about self-improvement.

By learning about how your bodyworks, or doesn’t, then you could beencouraged to improve your lifestyle. Itis, as he put it, a “dose of bodyeducation”.

Dr Glover pointed out that theexhibition showed the effects alcoholcould have on the body.

“One glass of wine is good for yourstomach,” he said. “Too many glasses ofwine will destroy your liver.”

Hundreds of guests stood clutchingglasses of wine on the former Headshopfloor below. And hundreds of pairsof eyes dropped to the floor to avoid hisgaze.

DR GLOVER also explainedthe “polymer preservation”process used to preserve thebodies. It was a worthyexplanation, but it was

perhaps undermined from where I wasstanding by the fact that the preservedhip joint he was waving around lookedsuspiciously like a rubber chicken.

Finally, we could head upstairs to theexhibits – minus our wine glasses, ofcourse.

Just as in the dying days of Head, theescalator was switched off, so we had totrudge up a long flight of steps.Doubtless, it was good for our bodies.

Geraldine was right – the show isn’tgory at all. In fact, if you hadn’t beentold they were real, you’d probably haveassumed they were plastic.

In the centre of the first room –somewhere near where the sales rackswere when Head breathed its last – wasSir Roy again, this time talking to acrowd of fascinated people gatheredaround one of the bodies.

Once again, he told the crowd thatthey should take care of their bodies.

“There’s no such thing as a full bodytransplant,” he warned them.

I toured the exhibition briefly. It wasfascinating and certainly not gory, but itwasn’t really night out material. So Iheaded out over the red carpet andwandered home.

Plus, I realised as I left, I’d spent thewhole exhibition thinking not about thebodies, but about the venue.

I loved and love record shops – well,CD shops, technically. I even liked Zavvi,and Head. I spent hours wanderingaround that store. But the world haschanged, and so many record shopshave fallen by the wayside.

Everyone else was looking at thebodies. I just kept thinking aboutthe record shop it used to be –an out-of-Bodies experience,you might say . . .‘No, I do not carry business cards’

38

CAROLYNHUGHES

SOCIAL DIARY THE NETWORKER

Alison Hunter with stylist Lorraine McCulloch and Lynne Hamilton, of Age UKPicture: DIANE THOMPSON

Jude Cisse and Liz McClarnon at the PIMA Bar Champagne AfternoonTea, in the Hilton, Liverpool Picture: DIANE THOMPSON

Gary Taylor-Fletcher and Viv Taylor-Fletcher, fromBlackpool, at the Champagne Afternoon Tea

Picture: DIANE THOMPSON

Selina Campbell, from Boodles, and Lia Kennedy,from Living Ventures, at the PIMA Bar ChampagneAfternoon Tea Picture: DIANE THOMPSON

Cycling marathon fundraisers Derek Hatton andLee Carroll, directors of the Bike2Work scheme

Joanne Watkinson, of My-Wardrobe.com, withSelina Campbell, from Boodles, at the Wine onWednesday event

Joanne Watkinson, Denise Harrison and LauraByrne, at the Boodles’ Wine on Wednesday event

Catherine Price, with Sharon Finnegan, of Spa atNuffield, at the Wine on Wednesday event

THE PIMA Bar at HiltonHotel, Liverpool One,hosted their firstChampagne AfternoonTea with Swing last week.

Traditional AfternoonTea, including a selectionof finger sandwiches,cakes, scones, and tea orcoffee, complemented bya glass of HeidsieckMonopole Chamgpagneand the mellow sounds ofcrooner Alan Cross.

Champagne AfternoonTea with Swing will beavailable for bookings onthe last Thursday of eachmonth between 3pm and5pm, at £20 per person.■ STYLISH jewellersBoodles, on Lord Street,hosted an intimate “Wine

on Wednesday” eventwith Joanne Watkinson,from My-wardrobe.com.Ladies enjoyed fine winesand canapés, whileJoanne showcased someof My-wardrobe’s latestand “must have” fashionitems.■ CONGRATULATIONSto Derek Hatton and LeeCarroll, both directors ofthe Bike2Work Schemebased in Crosby, whorecently completed agruelling 345-mile charitycycle from Paris toGeneva for charity.

They completed thetough course to raisemuch needed funds forthe OK Foundation, inmemory of Oliver King.

SPONSORED BY MATCHDAY HOSPITALITY AT

EVERTON 0151 530 5300

39

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At Charles StanleyLiverpool we have adifferent approach toinvestment services.Rather than slottingyou into someoneelse’s financial model,we custom build aservice around you.

MADE FOR YOU

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Charles Stanley & Co. Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.Registered office 25 Luke St, London, EC2A 4AR. Registered in England No. 1903304

For further information please contactDerek Gawne on the details below:

20 Chapel Street,Liverpool, L3 9AG0151 255 2680

www.charles-stanley.co.uk/liverpool

Please remember the value of investments may fallas well as rise and your capital is not guaranteed.

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Spencer Hart’s mission is to put an understatedelegance back into men’s tailoring.

Their ethos is simply ‘less is more’ - pairing a crispwhite shirt in finest Egyptian cotton with a hand-made dark tie and razor-sharp beautifully cut suit.

Think Steve McQueen, a young Sean Connery,Frank Sinatra and The Rat Pack.

What could be more distinctive?

Like Charles Stanley they also understand thattwo details help to set you apart: Having a clearvision and attending to the tiny details.

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Post Business Magazine - October 2012