Supporting business in Kent for 160 years Autumn 2019

CHAMBER NEWS • COMPANY SPOTLIGHT • EVENTS • NEW MEMBERS

Autumn 20192

Welcome from...Jackie Matthias Chief Executive of West Kent Chamber of Commerce

Introduce a new member and choose one of the following gifts.

Six bottles of Chapel Down sparkling wine.

A Kindle Paperwhite.Free place at four Chamber lunches during the year,

including the Christmas lunch.

Whiting & Hammond Lunch or Dinner for 2.

Welcome to ourAutumn Newsletter. In June we bid farewell to Gillian Forsyth, as she retired from her role as General Manager of Halliwell Care Home and also stepped down as President of West Kent Chamber of Commerce. We were delighted to be able to thank her for her time and hard work in promoting our Chamber at the Business Exchange Evening that month, held at Halliwell. On that night, we announced that our new President is Lynne Gadsden from Grovewood Wealth Management and Gillian was able to hand her chain of office over to her. Lynne has been a member of the Chamber for 15 years and has been a great supporter of the work we do over that time. If you turn to page 4, there’s an interview with Lynne where you’ll be able to find out more about her and why she thinks that being a member of the Chamber is a great idea. A huge thank you to Lynne for taking on this role. We have had a busy summer of events at the Chamber, including our Annual Golf Day, which was held on a gloriously summer day in June and, more recently, our End of Summer Party, which was hosted by The Old Fire Station in Tonbridge. Turn to page 6 for some photos from the golf day and to page 5 to see images from the party. Looking ahead to these last few months of 2019, we are delighted that Cllr Alan McDermott has agreed to be our guest speaker at this year’s Autumn Lunch, which is taking place at The Spa Hotel in Tunbridge Wells on Friday 11 October.

Cllr McDermott was elected as the Leader of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council earlier this year, having served as councillor for the ward of Brenchley and Horsmonden since 2010.Join us at 12.15pm for networking followed by a two-course lunch with wine and coffee. After lunch, Cllr McDermott will be invited to speak on ‘The Challenges and Opportunities Facing the Borough’. He will then take a few questions from the floor. Click here to book: https://www.wkcci.com/whats-on/event-diaryTurn to page 8 of Connect to find out about our other forthcoming events. Finally, don’t forget that we are also on Twitter @WestKentChamber and Facebook @WestKentChamber – please follow and like us there.

Jackie

Please take a few minutes to think about who you could introduce as a member. If you introduce a new member we will reward you with one of four great gifts illustrated below. You may download a recruitment leaflet here.

Company Spotlight

We’re here for our customers and pride ourselves on providing personal advice and exceptional care, giving peace of mind in knowing that the things which matter most, are safe and secure, should the unexpected arise.

We are backed by an organisation which was built over 100 years ago and is still growing. From field to fork and more… From farming, property and valuables, to commercial protection. Our customers have a dedicated team, who will look after their insurance requirements.

Our commercial range includes office insurance, directors and officers’ liability insurance provided by AIG, property insurance and professional insurance.

For more information please call 01892 337488 and ask for Shaun Joubert.

Our membership with the West Kent Chamber of Commerce and Industry has provided us with networking opportunities as well as the ability to make valuable contributions to local charities.

Welcome to NFU Mutual Tunbridge Wells & Flimwell agency; serving our customers from our two centres of excellence in the West Kent and East Sussex area. We’ve been based in Tunbridge Wells since January 2018.

West Kent Chamber of Commerce & Industry 3

NFU MUTUAL TUNBRIDGE WELLS & FLIMWELL

NFU Mutual Tunbridge Wells & Flimwell | Chamber member since April 201555 High Street, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 1XUTel: 01892 337488 http://tiny.cc/0uqgcz

4 Autumn 2019

Lynne Gadsden from Grovewood Wealth Management was recently appointed as President of West Kent Chamber. Here we find out more about her:

How long have you been a member of West Kent Chamber?

About 14-15 years, since we moved our business over to the Tunbridge Wells area.

What would you say to a potential member about the benefits of joining the Chamber?

It has easily been the best way to make connections in the local area on a professional basis but we have also made some great friends too. As professionals we do a lot of work with other professionals, such as accountants and solicitors, and we made most of these connections through the Chamber and still work closely with many of these people.

It is also useful to meet other business owners who might need personal or corporate financial advice and we have used lots of the services available from the Chamber members over the years.

Members will always go out of their way to help each other and the opportunity to learn more through the events and training that are held is great and the discount scheme is very helpful too!

How do you feel about being appointed President?

I was very surprised and honoured to have been asked. Within my own profession I have succeeded and now hold the highest qualifications in my industry and have 26 years’ experience in my career, but to be asked to take on this role from an organisation outside of our industry was an even bigger accolade. I am immensely proud that other businesses see me as a successful business woman, whom is also a mother juggling work and childcare, and someone who can act as an ambassador for other businesses.

Do you have any goals as President?

I would like to see the Chamber grow even more and help both new and established businesses see how the power of networking and helping each

other can really work. In my career I have helped many people over the years through the financial advice I can give them, and also my colleagues within the industry by mentoring them. This has made a real difference to their lives. If I can do the same for any other individuals or businesses within the Chamber, then I will be extremely proud.

Tell us a little about what you do

I am a Chartered Financial Planner and Fellow of the CII which is the highest qualification in our industry. Together with my husband, Michael, whom many of the Chamber members know, we run our Chartered Financial Practice (Grovewood Wealth Management Ltd) from our offices in Tunbridge Wells. As a Senior Partner Practice of St. James’s Place Wealth Management, St. James’s Place guarantees the suitability of the advice given by members of the St. James’s Place Partnership when recommending any of the wealth management products and services available from companies in the Group, more details of which are set out on the Group’s website at www.sjp.co.uk/products.

Both of us give financial advice to individuals and businesses. My focus is generally people age 55-plus, who are coming up to retirement and need advice on how to make their retirement plans work for them. This follows on through to investment planning advice, and I specialise in

Meet our new President

West Kent Chamber of Commerce & Industry 5

giving Inheritance Tax advice and making sure their wealth is passed onto future generations.

I also hold the Society of Later Life Accreditation (SOLLA), which means I am one of the few specialists in the country who give advice on financial planning in later life, whether that is paying for care or other aspects of later life issues. This has led onto giving advice to clients who are often vulnerable and need some hand holding and therefore I also give a lot of advice to people going through divorce, whom have just been bereaved or who have had a personal injury claim.

Michael and I work as a team and he specialises in giving advice to individuals and businesses helping them with retirement planning and how best to extract monies from their businesses in the most tax efficient way. Likewise, he has helped many people save huge amounts of money through efficient advice over the 27 years he has been in this career.

We of course each have clients of all ages but having our combined specialisms means that we can offer the best advice on all aspects of financial planning knowing that you are talking to an expert in this area.

We are backed by our team of four staff who, like us, enjoy looking after our clients and their families. We offer no obligation initial consultations to clients in order that we can see if we can help them and, more importantly, if they would like us to help them.

Grovewood Wealth Management Ltd is an Appointed Representative of and represents only St. James’s Place Wealth Management plc (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority) for the purpose of advising solely on the group’s wealth management products and services, more details of which are set out on the group’s website www.sjp.co.uk/products. The titles ‘Partner’ and ‘Partner Practice’ are marketing terms used to describe St. James’s Place representatives.

Dancing the night awayOur members and their guests enjoyed a fantastic End of Summer Party at the Old Fire Station in Tonbridge on Friday 13 September. Thanks to the team at the venue for making us so welcome - creating some amazing cocktails and feeding us with delicious pulled-pork baps.

Thanks also to singer Jessica Louisa for keeping us entertained and getting everyone on their feet!

6 Autumn 2019

New Members ProfilesTogether with her team of trusted marketing specialists, Louise Walker, Founder of NO NONSENSE MARKETING will develop your marketing strategy, look after your website, write your digital content, create online videos, set up and manage your Google ads and social campaigns, give you a consistent social media presence and manage your email marketing.

“I am a results-oriented marketing consultant with 25-years of experience,” says Louise. “I’ve worked as marketing director for several London-based companies before heading back to Tunbridge Wells (my home town) as an in-agency account director. Earlier this year I set up No Nonsense Marketing, a new kind of consultancy, that draws upon my extensive experience to give straight-forward marketing advice to solve real business challenges.”She continues: “I am looking forward to becoming part of the West Kent Chamber business community. As well as seeking out new business opportunities, I hope to connect with other local business people and find partners I trust to advise me on aspects of my own business.” www.nononsensemarketing.co.uk

Based in Tunbridge Wells, ELAN HR primarily supports SMEs across Kent, Sussex and London.“At Elan HR we believe that all businesses should be able to benefit from a commercial, proactive HR service, regardless of their size,” says Kerry

Walker, HR Partner/Director. “We offer dedicated ongoing, or one-off HR support and advice, either through a boutique outsourcing agreement, or as an advisory model.”She continues: “We will partner with you and work hard to understand your business, company culture and requirements, so that we can deliver the best service possible and enable you to focus on what you do best, running your business.”Kerry adds that her main reason for joining the Chamber is ‘widen my local network, building strong relationships with fellow business owners to.”www.elanhr.co.uk

In the swing

The weather was glorious for our Annual Golf Day, which was held at Lamberhurst Golf Club at the end of June. Thanks to Hilden Park Accountants for once again sponsoring the event. Here are some memories from the day.

West Kent Chamber of Commerce & Industry 7

Members News

Charter Tax celebrates Three team members from CHARTER TAX – which is set to celebrate its 10th anniversary this month - have recently passed their final exams to become ICAEW Chartered Accountants. Joe Cleary has been with Charter Tax since October 2012, joining after completing his A levels. He works mainly in the corporate team, where he reviews and prepares VAT returns, as well as getting involved in the preparation of management accounts and statutory year-end accounts, the preparation of corporation tax returns, bookkeeping reviews and project work.“I always wanted to work within business and, although I did consider going to University, I decided that route wasn’t for me,” says Joe. “I then came across accountancy and, after further research, I discovered that it was common in the industry to learn and work at the same time, which was perfect for me.”Michael O’Brien has been with Charter Tax since September 2012, joining straight after leaving school. He works within the corporate team but has some cross-over with the private client team. “I enjoy the day-to-day interaction with clients, as this allows me to build new relationships, as well as improve existing ones,” says Michael. “Given the variety of industries our clients are in, it provides plenty of exposure to each sector and, with the constant changes, it definitely keeps you on your toes.”Sam Wing joined Charter Tax in February 2016, having completed his AAT qualification as part of an apprenticeship with another local accountancy, followed by 18 months travelling throughout Asia and Australia. He also works as part of the corporate team at Charter Tax.“My favourite part of the job is providing a good customer service for our clients and building up a good rapport with them too,” says Sam. “At Charter Tax we have a very close-knit team, which creates a good atmosphere to work in.”

GDPR has not gone awayIt’s a little over a year since the GDPR came into effect and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued over £4.4 million worth of fines (not including British Airways and Marriott International).“That’s a lot of money and that’s all still under the 1998 Data Protection Act (DPA), due to the timing of the incidents - can you imagine what the total might have been under the new 2018 DPA?” says Julianne Green from JXG MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS. “According to my very basic calculations, this works out at an average of £113k per business fined – does your business have a spare £113k hanging around waiting for a fine?”

She continues: “GDPR has not gone away, it is very much here to stay, and I am sure we will start to see a lot more action from the ICO as the year goes on. Every business needs to ensure it is complying with the new laws.” JXG Management Solutions is offering West Kent Chamber members a Data Protection review/health check for a special rate of £150. “This is a great way to check you are still compliant and everything is in order,” Julianne explains. “It doesn’t need to take long and it’s a lot cheaper than risking a fine from the ICO!”Contact Julianne Green on email: jxgmanagementsolutions@gmail.com or visit: www.jxgmanagementsolutions.co.uk

Barton Science Centre launchThe creation of the new Barton Science Centre at TONBRIDGE SCHOOL, built by BAXALL CONSTRUCTION has been formally opened and is particularly exciting, as both the school and Baxall Construction are Chamber members!

The opening was attended by NASA astronauts Dr Michael Foale CBE and Dr Steve Swanson, alongside 200 specially invited guests. In his welcome address, Headmaster James Priory described the Barton Science Centre as ‘an extraordinary and beautiful building which is already inspiring innovative approaches to teaching and learning, and becoming a hub for science education in the wider community’.

The Barton Science Centre combines the original Victorian architecture with a magnificent new extension, state-of-the-art classrooms and the latest technology. Members will have the opportunity to see the Barton Science Centre for themselves, as it’s the venue for our Business Exchange Evening on Wednesday 30 October. Click here to book: www.wkcci.com/whats-on/event-diary

Michael O’Brien, Sam Wing, Joe Cleary

D E S I G N E D B Y

17 Church Road, Tunbridge Wells TN1 1LG

Call 01892 774769 Email info@wkcci.com

www.wkcci.com

Dates for your diary September – December 2019

DATE EVENT VENUE COSTSEPTEMBER

Friday 27th 7.30am-9.30am

Tonbridge Chamber Breakfast Club

Tonbridge School Tonbridge

£14.50 + VAT = £17.40 Non-members: £19 + VAT = £22.80

OCTOBER

Friday 4th 7.30am-9.30am

Tunbridge Wells Chamber Breakfast Club

Hotel du Vin Tunbridge Wells

£14.50 + VAT = £17.40 Non-members: £19 + VAT = £22.80

Friday 11th 12.15pm

Autumn Lunch The Spa HotelTunbridge Wells

£32 + VAT = £38.40 Non-members: £39 + VAT = £46.80

Friday 25th 7.30am-9.30am

Tonbridge Chamber Breakfast Club

Tonbridge Old Fire Station Tonbridge

£14.50 + VAT = £17.40 Non-members: £19 + VAT = £22.80

Wednesday 30th 6pm – 7.30pm

Business Exchange Evening

Tonbridge School Tonbridge FREE

NOVEMBER

Friday 8th 7.30am-9.30am

Tunbridge Wells Chamber Breakfast Club

Hotel du VinTunbridge Wells

£14.50 + VAT = £17.40 Non-members: £19 + VAT = £22.80

Wednesday 13th 12.45pm – 1.45pm

One Hour Lunch Club The Warren Tunbridge Wells

£14.50 + VAT = £17.40 Non-members: £19.50 + VAT = £23.40

Wednesday 27th 6pm – 7.30pm

Business Exchange Evening

Barclays BankTunbridge Wells FREE

DECEMBER

Friday 6th 7.30am – 9.30am

Tonbridge Chamber Breakfast Club TBC

£14.50 + VAT = £17.40 Non-members: £19 + VAT = £22.80

Friday 13th 12.30pm

Christmas Lunch The Spa HotelTunbridge Wells

£40 + VAT = £48. Non-members: £50 + VAT = £60

If you’ve enjoyed our traditional Christmas Lunch in previous years, you’ll want to keep the date clear for our 2019 event. It’s on Friday 13 December at The Spa Hotel in Tunbridge Wells. Put the date in your diary now and we’ll share more information nearer the time.

The lunch is a great opportunity to entertain and thank both clients and colleagues.

Click here to book:

www.wkcci.com/whats-on/event-diary

Festive date

Experts in exportDid you know? We are authorised by HM Government to certify EC Certificates of Origin and are also able to arrange Arab-British Certificates of Origins on your behalf. In addition to this, we are authorised by HMRC to authenticate EUR1s and ATRs.Click here to find out more: www.wkcci.com/exports/information