S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 4

£2

.95

SINTONS:Leading legal advisors

to GPs and Dentists

C O N T E N T S

September 2014

BUSINESS NEWS – 10

SAVE THE DATE – 12Business events – mark them on your calendar.

NORTH EAST VIEW POINTS – 14Thoughts from the region’s business community.

ON THE MOVE – 18New executive appointments.

10 QUESTIONS FOR... – 16Jonathan Dunkley, Major Family Law

COVER STORY – 32Sintons

THE LONG GAME – 58Richard Freeman-Wallace, Hay & Kilner

STATE OF THE ART – 78

BUSINESS LUNCH – 96Fratelli, Ponteland

MOTORS – 110

7

C R E D I T S

Editorial:Contributions should include a fully stamped addressed envelope. No responsibility is accepted for drawings, photographs or literary contributions during transmission, or while in the

Editor’s or Printer’s hands. Editorial must be received by the 12th of the month or no responsibilty is accepted for errors. Advertisements: Although every care is taken to ensure accuracy,the Publishers regret that they cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage caused by an error in the printing or damage to, or loss of artwork, transparencies or photos. Complaints:

regarding advertisements will only be considered for up to a week after publication. Advertising must be received by the 15th of the month. No responsibilty is accepted for errors.© 2014 Published by North East Times Ltd.

Directors: Mike Grahamslaw, Mick O’Hare

Commercial director: Martin Stout

Editor: Alison Cowie

Editorial: Jessica Laing, James Kreczak, Ella Braidwood

Senior designer: John Haxon

Design: Saba Ahmad

Feature photography: Chris Owens

Front cover: Amanda Maskery, Hilary Parker, Barry Speker OBE DL and Laura Peace by Chris Owens.

Office: Quayside - i4, Albion Row, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 1LL. | t: (0191) 265 7050

www.northeasttimes.co.uk | @NETimesmagazine

Find us on issuu

All photos taken by North East Times staff are copyright North East Times Ltd, and are taken solely for use in North East Times magazine or products published by the Accent Magazines Group.If you wish to use or publish a photograph taken for North East Times, please contact the sales department on (0191) 265 7050.

Photo charges: £50 for a single image, £295 for full buy out of a photo shoot.Advertising charges: There is a £25 charge for every set of amendments, following the first initial set of amendments, which is free of charge, for adverts designed by North East Times Ltd.

Cancellations: If an advert is cancelled by the booker within a seven day period prior to our print deadline, the advert will be charged in full, plus VAT.

9

B U S I N E S S N E W S

Workplace pensions becoming‘social norm’

Saving into a workplace pensionis becoming more of a socialnorm, new research has shown. Asurvey of working age adults has

found that almost three quarters of thepopulation are aware of automaticenrolment, the flagship governmentpolicy which just last week marked themilestone of seeing four million peoplebrought into workplace pensionschemes.

The poll, conducted by Ipsos MORI on

behalf of the Department for Work andPensions (DWP), also found that 78 percent of people believe employers beingcompelled by law to automatically enroltheir workers is a good thing.

By 2018, all UK employers will beobliged to offer a workplace pensionscheme and automatically enrolqualifying staff.

Almost half of people polled agreedthat saving into a workplace pension is‘the normal thing to do’.

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Cost of divorce reaches£44K for couples

The nation’s couples are spendingmore than £44,000 on average when

they divorce or separate, totalling £5.7billion per year, a new study from lifeinsurer Aviva has revealled.

The figures show a 57 per cent increasesince Aviva last carried out the survey in2006 when the cost of divorce was around£28,000. While the data suggests legal feesfor divorce have actually fallen over the

period – from £1,818 to £1,280 - with manyopting for cheaper online services,additional costs such as moving houseand child maintenance payments meanthe overall price of separation has soared.

Inflation slows to 1.6 per cent

The UK Consumer Price Index slowedto 1.6 per cent in July 2014, down

from 1.9 per cent in June, according tothe Office for National Statistics.

Commenting on the figures, Towry'sAndrew Wilson said that the,

“unexpectedly weak inflation figures aredue to both the current strength ofsterling and tough times on the HighStreet.

“While house prices continue to riseand have hit a record average of

£265,000, the pace of house priceincreases is decreasing, which is goodnews. The fall in inflation will give MarkCarney and the Bank of England morebreathing space in terms of pushing upinterest rates, and will soften sterling.”

10

Funding boost

ASaltburn community group hassecured vital cash that will enable it to

continue staging summer concerts in thetown.

Friends of Saltburn (FoS) successfullyapplied for a £1000 grant from acommunity benefit fund launched lastyear by EDF Energy Renewables, whichowns and operates the Teesside offshorewind farm off the coast of Redcar.

NECC showcase

The North East Chamber of Commercehas announced its first ever expo

showcasing regional business.The event is being sponsored by MAKE

it Sunderland and Sunderland CityCouncil, and will be held at RaintonMeadows, Houghton-le-Spring Arena onSeptember 11, 9am-4pm.

Casino boss returns

Nigel Hartland has returned to theNorth East to head up one of the

region’s leading casino andentertainment venues.

The new general manager of AspersCasino Newcastle has previouslyworked in Scotland and the North East,opening bingo venues in Dundee,Edinburgh, Middlesbrough and SouthShields.

North East wins!

The region has claimed victory in acompetition to win £1 million worth of

advertising across Heathrow Airport, withover 19,000 votes or ‘likes’ for the region inthe Facebook competition.

NECC chief executive, JamesRamsbotham, said: “Securing £1m of freemarketing at one of the world’s largestairports can provide a significant boost tothe North East visitor economy and provideus with the opportunity to showcase theNorth East and all its many attractions topeople from across the globe.”

Leading lawyer joins Sintons

Phil Davison has become a partner atSintons law firm, moving from Browell

Smith and Co where he was head ofLitigation.

Hailed as ‘outstanding’ by Legal 500,Phil becomes the fourth key new hire inonly a few months at Sintons, which nowhas 30 partners and over 250 members ofstaff.

Phil said: I am very pleased to havejoined Sintons and delighted to be part ofits highly-acclaimed personal injuryteam.”

Firm’s charity challenge

Accountants from Tait Walker ‘s threeNorth East offices have tackled the

140-mile Coast 2 Coast cycle, in aid of anumber of North East charities includingPercy Hedley, Bright Red, Tiny Lives, WATBusand Teesside-based organisation, DaisyChain.

Tait Walker managing partner AndrewMoorby said: “The Coast 2 Coast was ahuge achievement for all of the staffinvolved. The participants and theircolleagues showed fantastic support,especially throughout the training period.”

Businessman joins museum trust

Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums(TWAM) has appointed entrepreneur

and North East business consultant AmmarMirza CBE to the board of the TWAMDevelopment Trust. In his new role as atrustee, Ammar will play a key role in shapingand supporting fundraising initiatives.

Northstar – most active

Arecently published report by CBInsights, the venture capital database,

shows that North East-based NorthstarVentures, which has a portfolio of over 100technology companies, is one of the topten UK VCs that been the most active inthe last five years.

Senior move at Newcastle firm

Wallsend-based CMR UK, whichmanufactures instrumentation

systems for high performance dieselengines, has promoted MaureenJamieson to finance director. She will beresponsible for financial planning andhuman resources.

11

D I A R Y

Save thedate

Charity balls, business dinnersand seminars.

FOCUS DINNER WITH JEREMY MIDDLETON

5Café 21, NewcastleTel: (0191) 500 7780

Web: www.entrepreneursforum.netPrice: £75+VAT per person

Business owners are urged to attend thisEntrepreneurs’ Forum dinner, hosted by one ofthe North East’s highest profile entrepreneurs,Jeremy Middleton CBE. The founder of privateinvestment company, Middleton EnterprisesLtd, will be discussing a wide range of topicsover dinner, from rebalancing the region’seconomy to job creation and leveraging funding.

NORTH EASTENTREPRENEURIAL AWARDS

5Hilton Hotel, Gateshead

Tel: (0191) 500 7780Web: www.entrepreneursforum.net

Price: £75+VAT per person

Sept9

Sept19

Celebrating the success of the region’sfinest business minds, this annualblack tie dinner, complete with aglittering awards ceremony, will see theForum crown 2014’s Emerging Talent,Entrepreneur of the Year and LifetimeAchievement winners. Includesrefreshments and a chance to networkwith likeminded individuals.

NECC MEMBER SHOWCASE

5Rainton Meadows Arena, Houghton-le-

SpringTel: 0300 303 6322

Web: www.necc.co.ukEmail: events@necc.co.uk

Price: Exhibit spaces from £50-£150+VAT

NECC’s first ever Member Showcase, which isopen to both members and non-members, aimsto focus solely on networking and bringingtogether businesses and members from acrossthe region. Includes two seminars, two ‘Standup and be Counted’ and NECC ExchangeTaster events and exhibitions.

Sept11

NEOM LIGHTS

5Rockliffe Hall, County Durham

Tel: 01325 729999Web: www.rockliffehall.com/whats-on

Email: enquiries@rockliffehall.comPrice: £24.50 per person

Founder and director of global luxury organicbrand, NEOM, Nicola Elliot, will be hostingthis special ‘ladies evening’, which will follow asimilar format to the hotel’s renowned ladieslunches. Includes a talk from Nicola about herrange of home fragrance and body careproducts, a two-course evening meal, exclusiveoffers, and drinks in the bar.

Sept12

MEDIEVAL BANQUET

5Blackfrairs Restaurant, Newcastle

Tel: (0191) 261 5945Web: www.blackfriarsrestaurant.co.uk

Price: £39 per person

Celebrate the Autumn Equinox at thisenchanting medieval banquet, featuring liveentertainment and a feast of authentic dishesand beverages, served by monks and townwenches. Guests who arrive in medievalcostume will be rewarded with a free drink.

Sept19

OPEN EVENT WITH MARK WILLIAMS

5Teeside University, Darlington

Tel: (0191) 500 7780Web: www.entrepreneursforum.net

Price: Free (members), £25+VAT(members’ guests)

Designed to reach just about everyone, frombusiness owners to young professionals, thishelpful and insightful open event will behosted by one of the world’s top LinkedInexperts, Mark Williams, who will be helpingguests understand how connecting viaLinkedIn can help them and their colleaguesbecome more productive and successful.

Sept23

Emailjessica.laing@accentmagazines.co.uk

with your events

DURHAM COUNTY CRICKETCLAY SHOOT DAY

Elton Moor Farm, Stockton on TeesTel: (0191) 397 2818

Email: nick.matthews@durhamccc.co.ukPrice: £650 +VAT per team

Businesses are invited to the inaugural DurhamCounty Cricket Clay Shoot day for an action-packed day of competitions and games. Theday will involve four teams partaking in sixdrives, including duck and pigeon clayshooting, with 100 clays per team. 20 teamswill compete for first place. Includesrefreshments on arrival, an all-day bar, aCartridge box raffle and a two-course dinner atElton Moor Farm to finish.

Sept19

12

13

O P I N I O N

Local businessmen and women share

their thoughts …

LUCY ELLIOTTCORPORATE FINANCEASSOCIATE DIRECTOR TAIT WALKER

In the ever-changing world ofsocial media, amendments are

needed to modernise current legislation, whichsurprisingly was almost all passed before socialmedia sites such as Facebook and Twitter werelaunched.There are countless online crimesranging from online trolling and cyber bulling tothe issue of false information which can quickly goviral. Social media is a fantastic tool which enablesfreedom of speech by providing a global audiencebut it should always be used appropriately.

What law

would you

like to see

changed?

LEE BETCHLEYSOLICITORCLARKE MAIRS LLP

As an employment lawyer, Ifeel obliged to focus on changes

to current employment law. Thereare so many employment laws which ought to beamended, changed or implemented that it isdifficult to pick one or even two. However, in myview, repealing TUPE in its entirety forbusinesses employing less than 20 employeeswould be a positive change for employers, andperhaps making tattoo discrimination unlawfulgiven the prevalence of tattoos and thediscriminatory view of tattoos which can betaken by some employers.

NorthEast view

points

JAMES MCEWENASSOCIATE

BHP LAW

In Henry VI, Part II, Dickthe Butcher famously exhorts,

“let’s kill all the lawyers”. Thissuggestion usually strikes a chord with the

audience, many of whom will have beenfrustrated by the perceived iniquities of the law.

With the referendum on Scottishindependence due to take place in September,maybe it’s time to encourage the Union by no

longer making it lawful to kill Scotsmen withinthe ancient city walls of York (with a bow and

arrow). Similarly, it is probably unnecessary forthe citizens of Chester to have the ability tohang Welshmen found on their streets after

sunset. Still, if the “yes” campaign succeeds,then maybe there are regions in Scotland that

would embrace the ability to be drunk inpossession of a cow (currently punishable by upto 51 weeks imprisonment under the Licensing

Act of 1872). Just to be on the safe side,however, let’s introduce a new law,

criminalizing the incitement of violencetowards lawyers by national poets.

GWEN JONESCOMMERCIAL SOLICITOR

GORDON BROWNLAW FIRM

Laws concerning AdversePossession would be at the top of

my list. While one can appreciate there is ahousing crisis, it still seems unjust that effective

trespassers can claim rights of occupationunder adverse possession legislation. It’s not just

residential properties that are affected,increasingly there are instances where

commercial owners who have allowed informaloccupation for a number of years encounter

problems when trying to formalise sucharrangements with occupiers. This in itself can

then have a knock-on effect on potentialdevelopment land, putting off developers and

having further detrimental impact on thehousing market.

DONNA HUNWICKSOLICITOR

SINTONS LLP

The regulations prohibitingfamily holidays in term time.

These introduced penalties forparents who take children out of school in

term time and criminal sanctions for parentswho fail to pay.

The Government’s view is that term timeabsence seriously harms children's progress

and attainment. In overcrowded classrooms where children

regularly compete against their peers for theirteachers’ attention, there are a whole host of

issues to be addressed by those responsible forthe education of our children. Issuing criminal

records to hard working, tax-paying parents isnot the answer.

CHRIS MADDOCKPARTNER MUCKLE LLP

The law that I would like tosee changed is in relation to

the provision of employeeinformation during retendering processes. Thecurrent obligations are too narrow for the extentand the timescale for providing information.Making these obligations clearer would helpsmaller organisations to tender with morecertainty and allow greater competition bylocally based organisations, for contracts whichare often awarded to large organisations thatcan otherwise absorb the uncertainty that thecurrent law produces.

JOANNE MAJORPRINCIPLEMAJOR FAMILY LAW

Until 2010, if a husband orwife felt that their spouse wasn’t

being honest about identifying theirassets on divorce, they could resort to “self help”tactics. This meant that they could snooparound the house looking for paperwork thattheir spouse had “forgotten” to hand over. Butthis was changed by the Court of Appeal and it isnow unlawful for a spouse to look at documentsthat they haven’t been given authority to look at.This is referred to as a “cheat’s charter”, allowingdishonest people to hide assets during divorce.

The law I would like to see amended is theincrease to the nil-rate band for inheritance tax(IHT) purposes. The IHT nil-rate band hasbeen frozen at £325,000 since 2009 and is notgoing to be reviewed until 2018. Thiscombined with the huge rise in property pricesin parts of the UK means that more and more‘ordinary’ families are now finding themselvesfaced with an IHT dilemma.

KATIEBUCKLEY

TAXMANAGERBONDDICKINSON

14

16

What was your first breakin business?

Making partner at the age ofonly 26 was an invaluableopportunity. It was not onlyrecognition of my professionalability as a lawyer, but achance to become involvedwith the running andmarketing of a business and tocontribute to policy decisionsabout the delivery of servicesto clients.

What attracted you toyour current role?

I had previously spent thebulk of my career in as apartner in a prestigious citycentre practice. While thiswas a very rewarding position,nevertheless, the focus of thepractice was commercial. Major Family Law is a nichepractice, exclusively dedicatedto family law work with anexcellent reputation at bothlocal and national levels. Ithas a young and dynamicteam with a fresh andinnovative approach, all ofwhich makes being part of theteam a very exciting andinvigorating prospect.

What has been yourcareer highlight?

About a month after Iqualified in 1979 I wasinstructed by a farmer’s wifewho was in a custody battlewith her husband over theirthree young children. The circumstances of the casewere harrowing. It went all toa contested court hearing thatlasted for three days. Iconducted the case myselfand won. If my client had losther children, it would havebroken her. I knew how highthe stakes were and howimportant it was to fight forthe right outcome. Winning confirmed to methat family law was where Iwanted to be.

And your careerlowlight?

I’ve been extremely fortunateto have had a long andsuccessful career doingsomething I love and which Ipassionately believe in. For that reason, I can’t say thatthere have been anysignificant lowlights. On theother hand, it’s not alwayspossible to achieve the exactoutcome that a client sodesires, and it is difficult todeal with a client’sdisappointment in theknowledge that these can belife-changing decisions withramifications for thoseinvolved way beyond the timeof my involvement.

What do you enjoy mostabout your role?

Every case is different andoften complex andchallenging. I feel privilegedwhen clients turn to me tohelp and guide them throughdifficult and turbulent timesin their lives. Being given thatresponsibility makes mepassionate about helpingevery client and securing thebest possible outcome everytime.

I N T E R V I E W

Jonathan DunkleyAfter an illustrious 27 years

at a leading Newcastle city centrelaw firm, Jonathan has joined

Major Family Law as a consultantsolicitor, advising on all aspects

of family law.

17

What's your biggestchallenge?

Providing the best possibleadvice and support in a costeffective and practical way isalways a challenge. Disputesare costly. Disputes within afamily context usually meanthat available finances areeven more restricted. We havea duty as family lawyers to giveour clients the best possiblerepresentation while at thesame time always seeking toavoid unnecessaryconfrontation or incurringunnecessary costs. Sometimes, just persuadingsomeone to seek legal advicesooner rather than later is achallenge in itself.

Who are your heroes, inand out of business?

People who fight tirelessly fora cause they firmly believe in– often for little or no personalreward –truly inspire me. Clive Stafford Smith, thefounder of Reprieve, has spent25 years working on behalf ofdefendants facing the deathpenalty in the US; and ShamiChakrabarti, director ofLiberty (The NationalCouncil for Civil Liberties), isa talented and effectiveproponent of human rightsand an extremelyaccomplished woman.

What is the best piece ofbusiness advice anyone

has ever given you?

‘Injustice anywhere is a threatto justice everywhere.’ It’s actually a quote by MartinLuther King, but it’s a potentmessage.

What does thefuture hold for Major

Family Law?

In five short years, MajorFamily Law has grown instature and reputation andfirmly established itself as aleading niche practice withinthe North East and the legalprofession generally.Described by the Legal 500 asa pre-eminent practice, thepractice never rests on itslaurels and is constantlyseeking new ways to deliverthe service clients want andneed in the best possible way.Keeping abreast of changes tothe law and procedural rules,embracing technology and thechanging ways in whichpeople communicate all makefor exciting times for me tohave joined such a modernand progressive practice.

What do you doto relax?

Family life in and around myhome in Hexham iswonderfully relaxing. I have alarge and sloping lawn thatrequires mowing every otherweekend. On average, it takes42 minutes, 59 seconds on myancient Westwood Tractor,which coincidentally is theexact playing time of DarkSide of the Moon by PinkFloyd!

www.majorfamilylaw.co.uk

A P P O I N T M E N T S

On the MoveYour monthly guide to

appointments and promotions.

SIMON ROBINSON

Durham-based firm, Swinburne MaddisonLLP, has appointed Simon Robinson – a well-known face within the region’s commercialproperty sector–- as a partner. Formerly head ofBHP Law’s commercial and agriculturalproperty team, Simon brings extensiveexperience, gained from his earlier careerworking in major firms in the London andLeeds, to his new position.

JODIE BALMER

PR and communications agency, TrumpetCommunications Ltd, has appointed JodieBalmer as PR and marketing consultant. In hernew role, Jodie will be responsible forsupporting existing clients and securing newbusiness in both Yorkshire and the North East.Jodie’s appointment means that the agency cannow add healthcare, music and digital to itsgrowing list of specialist industries.

THORBEN DITTES

Sage Gateshead has appointed Thorben Dittesas director of Royal Northern Sinfonia andClassical Music Programme. In his newleadership role, created to continue buildingthe profile of Royal Northern Sinfonia in theUK and internationally, Thorben will workclosely with the orchestra’s music directordesignate, as well as a host of visiting artists andensembles.

RYAN ERRINGTON

North East-based marketing company,Horizonworks, has appointed Ryan Erringtonas a designer. In his new role, Ryan, who spentthree years as a graphic designer for a leadingNorth East creative and design agency, wherehe worked on a number of graphic, web designand print projects, will assist the company’screative manager.

DAVID GRAY

The Newcastle office of commercial andproperty consultancy, Lambert SmithHampton, has appointed David Gray as asenior surveyor. David, who brings six years’experience working in various sectors andlocations, including health care relatedproperties and retail markets, to his new role,will specialise in lease advisory matters andvaluations across all sectors.

HARRY HOWARTH

South Shields-based pork butchers, Dicksons,has appointed Harry Howarth as factory generalmanager. Harry, who has worked in the foodmanufacturing industry for more than 30 years,will be based at Dicksons’ head office in SouthShields and will be responsible for the day-to-day running of Dicksons’ production facilityand will implement a series of systems andprocedures to increase production.

18

Many companies seek to motivateemployees with financial rewards.The logic is simple. Most peoplewould welcome more income.

Therefore, if we offer employees an opportunityto earn more, they will adopt desiredbehaviours to do so.

Using this logic, the Local GovernmentAssociation (LGA) recently proposed allowingcouncils to offer a council tax discount to thosewho donate time to help run local services.

The LGA proposed a £50 million start-upfund to help half a million current volunteersand to encourage new volunteers.

Unfortunately, that is not how people work.Not only has it been shown that financialincentives do nothing to motivate volunteers,there is evidence that they actually reducevolunteering. The general intrinsic motivationof volunteering may be undermined bymonetary payments.

Drive

The same effect can be seen even inemployees. In a study conducted in India,people offered medium-sized incentives did notperform any better than those offered a smallincentive. And surprisingly those who receivedthe largest incentive performed worse than theother two groups in nearly every measure.

Higher financial incentives led to worseperformance. In another study, the LondonSchool of Economics also found that,“financial incentives … can result in a negativeimpact on overall performance.”

At around the same time that the LGAannounced its proposals, I was reading Drive byDaniel H Pink. Drive is a book I wouldrecommend to anyone looking at what drivesindividuals.

Pink exposes the mismatch between whatscience knows about human motivation andwhat business does – or at least how businessapplies it. He demonstrates that while the old-fashioned carrot-and-stick approach workedsuccessfully in the 20th century, it's preciselythe wrong way to motivate people for today'schallenges.

Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose

In Drive, Pink suggests the three elements oftrue motivation. These are Autonomy: thedesire to direct our own lives, Mastery: theurge to get better and better at something thatmatters, and Purpose: the yearning to do whatwe do in the service of something larger thanourselves.

You will notice that financial rewards arenot mentioned. Money is a limited motivator.Obviously if people aren’t paid enough, theywill leave. However, once you get to a fairlevel, people want autonomy more thanmarginal raises.

Autonomy is different from independenceand means acting with choice. In a studyconducted at Cornell University, businesses

that offered autonomy grew at four times therate of control-oriented firms and had one-third the turnover of staff.

Mastery is the desire to get better atsomething that matters but there needs to beengagement for this to happen.

Control leads to compliance, whereasautonomy leads to engagement. According toresearch conducted by Gallup, more than 50per cent of employees are not engaged atwork, with 20 percent actively disengaged.These are worrying statistics and if theyapplied to your business you would not expectthat 50 per cent to be motivated or to achieveexcellence.

Purpose is our yearning to contribute andto be part of something greater than ourselves.This does not need to be about saving theplanet and could simply be about providing agreat service. Many studies have shown thatwhen people are reminded of the purpose oftheir work, performance soars. Businessesshould focus on “why” the job is importantbecause you cannot expect excellence if yourstaff do not know why they are doingparticular tasks in the first place.

Applying this to your business

As interesting as Drive is, its worth can onlybe realised if you seek to apply it to your ownsituations. Have you considered howmotivated your staff are and if there is hugeturnover? Have you reviewed how you seek tomotivate or reward staff and adopted modernunderstandings of motivation. When I was inprivate practice I saw many lawyers just hittargets to trigger bonuses but I now wonderhow many would have exceeded them hadthey been motivated in different ways. Doesthe same apply to your company?

B U S I N E S S

Financialrewards...

Are you still using them to motivate people? Asks Rod Findlay,consultant at Your Sport Consulting.

EXPERT VIEWRod Findlay Consultant

Your Sport ConsultingEmail:

rodfindlay@yoursportconsulting.comTwitter: @rodfindlay

20

Recruitment is back on the agenda of agrowing number of North Eastbusinesses and that can only be positivefor people in the region and our local

economy. In recent years many employers had moved

recruitment roles in-house, but a demand toincrease staffing levels, coupled with a shortageof top talent, has meant that they are againputting their faith in the specialist expertiserecruiters.

If ‘people are a company’s greatest asset’,then this leads me to question why it seems thatnot everyone believes choosing the rightrecruitment partner is one of the mostimportant decisions they will make.

I often ask myself what people expect when itcomes to a recruitment partner and, as with allnew business relationships, at the top of your listshould be: professionalism; high quality serviceand level of care; honesty and transparency; anda positive, ethical manner. Not to mentionbeing excellent at what they do.

Of course I know recruitment isn’t alwaysperceived this way, but that doesn’t mean youshould settle for less.

What you should in fact be looking for is aconsultancy who will support, advise and helpyou to find the right people for both yourvacancy and organisation, while at the sametime being honest and managing expectations.

Someone who: Demonstrates expertknowledge of your industry and the localmarket; has experience in your field, workingsuccessfully with similar businesses;Understands your organisational needs andculture; regularly communicates withcandidates before, during and after therecruitment process; shows flexibility in theirapproach to partnering with you; can save youvaluable time and resource; offers value for

money; will find you the best talent.To make sure you get the most out of your

recruitment partner, you should:

Use a specialist not a generalist

They will offer expert knowledge in yourindustry and the local market. As an authorityin their field they will also know the bestcandidates, giving you an immediateadvantage.

Be selective with whom you work

If you engage with too many partners you willreverse the aim of saving time, as it will resultin a duplication of work for you. On occasionthis can also encourage some recruiters to putforward candidates without speaking to themfirst, creating a CV race; a bad practice inrecruitment which more often than not leads totime being wasted all round.

Do your due diligence

Credentials are important, so try to find outhow long they have been recruiting, whetherthey work with your competitors and most

importantly, if their reputation is positive. Arecommendation or referral is always a strongmessage.

Read the small print

Make sure you read the Terms of Business atthe beginning of your relationship as this iswhat will set the parameters of your partnershipand clarify the costs.

Meet your consultant

With large organisations the person recruitingon your behalf may not be the one youoriginally met, so it’s important to establishwho they are and that they have the right skillsand experience to deliver the service youenvisaged.

Set the timescales

Work with your recruiter to establish a realistictimeline that gives you both a defined deadlineand plan of action to work towards.

Commit to the process

Recruitment is a critical process and if you canmake yourself available to support it, it willspeed things up and, with top talent in shortsupply, increase your chances of securing theright recruit.

Offer candidate feedback

Providing feed back not only helps recruiterscommunicate with candidates and keep themengaged throughout the recruitment process,but it also provides a positive experience forthose that aren’t successful.

B U S I N E S S

Choosing the right

recruitment partnerBryony Gibson, managing director of Bryony Gibson Consulting,discusses what you should expect from a recruitment partner

and how to get the most out of them.

EXPERT VIEWBryony Gibson

Managing directorBryony Gibson Consulting

Tel: (0191) 375 9983. Web: www.bryonygibson.com

Twitter: @bryonygibson

22

The last summer holiday flights may havelanded as people return to work, but itseems the North East entrepreneurialeconomy is accelerating towards take off.

For the first time in a long time, expectationand experience have formed a happy alliance asthe natural optimism of entrepreneurs is matchedby the reality of business performance.

It’s not just a feeling either. Banks and investorsreport a marked improvement in activity this year.

The most recent Business Tracker Surveycompleted by members and associates of theEntrepreneurs’ Forum highlighted rising sales,profits, employee numbers and remuneration yearon year.

Comparing the first quarter of the year with thesame period in 2013, 71 per cent of respondentssaid they were more confident than three monthspreviously, while 64 per cent had moreconfidence in the wider economy.

Nevertheless, certain barriers to growthremain, according to members. Access to fundingis one area of persistent challenge for around 8per cent of respondents.

Jeremy Middleton, the founder of privateinvestment company Middleton Enterprises Ltd,which owns minority stakes in a number ofSMEs, says: "Access to finance isn't a problem forall companies but it is for some of the fastestgrowing companies – and these are some of thebusinesses who could and should be providingthe jobs growth we need."

Entrepreneurial businesses by their nature tendto need to grow fast, grasping the chances as theyarise. Access to finance is key to agility, allowingthem to capitalise quickly on opportunities andcreate the jobs and innovation upon which theregional economy is relying for growth.

For some the issue is working capital to fundgrowth, for others it's capital to invest in plant andequipment to increase their ability to meet neworders and enter new markets.

Simon Lenney, head of business and privatebanking in the North East for Yorkshire Bank,says: “There is more confidence in the market

place which is driven a lot by increasing activityin order books. Businesses are willing toconcentrate more around expansion and we areseeing a lot more asset acquisition of capitalequipment and premises which, for us, is realevidence of those ‘green shoots’.”

He concedes, however, that the growth so far issector specific. Where manufacturing and energyare burgeoning, professional services andbusinesses driven by fee income are more aboutpotential than completion.

And there remains a degree of discomfortwithin the flourishing manufacturing sector too –inevitably around the issue of skills.

This was also highlighted in the Forum’sBusiness Tracker Survey with 25 per cent ofrespondents citing finding good people as a majorbarrier to growth.

“Skills and knowledge is the biggest concern.It’s not all about funding. If a business has a goodenough plan and is in a good enough state it willget the funding it requires,” says Simon.

“But if you’re planning ahead as a business andyou know you need to invest in a particular pieceof kit, if you don’t have or can’t find the people tooperate it then how can you make thatinvestment?”

While energy costs are an additional challenge,the prospect of rising interest rates are, accordingto Simon, a red herring. “The price of money isstable and even an increase of 3 per cent overthree to four years shouldn’t in itself be somethingthat puts a business into difficulties.”

As ever, the sources of funding for growthreflect the scale and complexity of the business.

For the faster growing businesses venturecapital is the answer although, as Jeremy admits,equity investment for SMEs is in short supply inthe UK since most VCs focus on largercompanies.

But he is adamant that the North East hassome of the best provision in the UK because ofthe JEREMIE funds, (public/private VC fundsfor micro to medium sized enterprises).

As a board member of the North East Local

Enterprise Partnership and the lead on access tofinance and social enterprise, as well as chair ofthe Investment Panel, Jeremy says: "One of theLEP's top priorities is to secure a bigger and betterround of JEREMIE funds when the existingfunds run out at the end of this year.

"There are a few hurdles to cross but I amconfident we will succeed and make sure that VCfunding for SMEs in the North East is amongstthe best in the UK.

"I'm sure that is one of the ways to make surewe develop more of the mid-sized businesses weneed, the type of companies that have been sucha powerhouse for the German economy forexample."

The greatest challenge is perhaps for smallbusinesses, typically self-funded by their owner-manager or with help from family. They must beable to show at least some positive track recordbefore being considered by banks.

Here the advice is to seek the guidance of highquality advisers, and for those professionals torecognise the benefit in supporting these futureSMEs by helping them become attractive tofunders, VCs and banks.

Although the percentage that see access tofunding as a barrier to growth has not made anymarked shift in a year, Simon is convinced asimilar survey five years ago would have put thefigure a lot higher:

“The banks generally are coming back havingaddressed their internal issues and there is now amuch better blend of funding.”

The Entrepreneurs’ Forum has a number offinance-related events coming up this autumnincluding Uncovering IPO with Utilitywise,Kromek and Applied Graphene Materials, onThursday, September 11, 6pm-9pm, at WardHadaway, Newcastle, and a dinner with JustinUrquhart Stewart, of Seven InvestmentManagement, on Tuesday, November 11, from6.30pm-9.30pm at Jesmond Dene House Hotel,Newcastle. For more information, visitwww.entrepreneursforum.net

B U S I N E S S

Access to financeA recent survey by the Entrepreneurs’ Forum shows increased optimism among local

business owners – but sourcing funding remains a challenge for some.

24

Entrepreneurs know that opportunitiesin business can come from anywhereat any time – and that includesfunding.

But there can’t be many more modishsources of finding angel investment than froma conversation on Twitter.

Gill Walker, co-founder of PatchworkPeople and its award-winning, high streetenterprise Labelled, explains how she did it: “Iwas following a conversation about socialenterprises not being business minded so I senta cheeky message saying ‘check us out’.”

It led to angel investment of £25,000, whichwas matched by the Big Venture Challenge,which seeks to identify the 30 most ambitioussocial enterprises in the country and runs anannual challenge that Labelled won last year.

The investment and grant means theLabelled brand is set to grow across Britain,giving potentially thousands of young peoplewith learning disabilities and other vulnerablegroups the chance to train, learn skills andgain qualifications in a safe, supported,customer-facing enterprise run by the youngpeople themselves.

The original setting, in Darlington, is a shopselling fashion, accessories and toiletries.

The first replications, which will be openedunder licence rather than as franchises, will bea fashion outlet and community café, a shopfor mother and baby goods and a bikerecycling enterprise. The YMCA in Newcastleis to be a pilot.

It’s a major development within just threeyears of Patchwork People being established byGill and her co-director Marj Newman.

They began providing customer-facingopportunities for unemployed volunteers aged16-25 on stalls at fairs and festivals.

Publicity, especially around Gill winningthe Entrepreneurs’ Forum’s If We Can YouCan Challenge, led to the offer of a lease onthe Darlington shop and approaches to supportpeople with learning disabilities.

“We’ve supported 14 young people sincethen. We promised to move them on to apositive future and every one has gone intofull-time mainstream education or full-timeemployment,” explains Gill.

Financially, the enterprise has gone fromstrength to strength reversing its first year of 70

per cent grant funding and generating revenueof £23,000 to 30 per cent grant funding and 70per cent trading income in years two andthree. Last year’s turnover was £60,000 for ashop that opens just three days a week.

“We have worked really, really hard tominimise the grants and become a sustainablebusiness,” says Gill.

The numbers stack up in terms of value toowith a social benefit worth £2.59 for every £1invested, not to mention the value to theyoung people and their families. A father whowas carer to one of the volunteers has beenable to go back to work, for instance, becauseof the opportunity given to his daughter.

Gill says: “It was never about opening oneshop in Darlington. It was always about theopportunity and doing things differently.Labelled is purely a vehicle to give youngpeople the experience and opportunity, and wecan demonstrate progress and positiveoutcomes.”

Marj adds: “There is a need in every townand city up and down the country; the issuesare the same and we believe Labelled will helpaddress them.”

Patchwork PeopleHow the winners of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum’s

If We Can You Can Challenge, Gilll Walkerand Mari Newman, have secured

finance for their business.

25

B U S I N E S S

... says Mike Jobson, Oxford Innovation’sBusiness Northumberland High Growth

Programme manager.

Are you in control of your work or is itcontrolling you? As a business coach, Iknow it is a common problem forbusiness leaders most of whom are

absolutely flat out all day, every day.Apart from the fact that this level of

performance is probably unsustainable, it is nota very effective way of working. So what can bedone to become a proactive leader rather thanone who is constantly under pressure to react tocircumstances? Or is this behaviour so ingrainedthat it is difficult to get the nose off thegrindstone and appreciate the bigger picture?

Here are some effective techniques that couldbe adopted to make your role more rewarding:

Know your goals

Having clearly defined life and business goals isreally essential to good time management and toa happy, successful life. Have you allowedyourself the space to think through your personaland business objectives?

Get staff on board?

Management is about achieving results throughothers, so how organised are the people you workwith? Does everyone have agreed roles andresponsibilities and know what they are expectedto achieve – their key performance indicators?

Categorise tasks

Tasks can be grouped in four categories: urgent

and important, not urgent but important, urgentbut not important and neither urgent norimportant

Are you able to categorise tasks accordinglyand perhaps delegate to one of your team?

We can spend up to half our working daygoing through our email inbox, making usfrustrated and unproductive. A study has foundthat one-in-three workers suffer from emailstress.

Making a decision the first time you open anemail is key for effective time management. Tomanage this element of your work you can adoptthe ‘four Ds’ of decision-making:

• Delete: half of the emails you get can probablybe deleted immediately.

• Do: if the email is urgent or can be completedquickly.

• Delegate: if the email can be better dealt withby someone else.

• Defer: set aside time at a later date to spend onemails that require longer action.

Also, switch off any sounds on your PC that letyou know a new e-mail has arrived!

Plan your day

Making a list of all important and perhapsurgent tasks is also a key tool in being moreeffective. Do you take time at the start of the dayoutlining what needs to be achieved?

Having decided what needs doing, do youthen plan when the work will be done, breaking

down your day into discrete blocks of time?Do you understand how you are spending

your time each day by compiling a time log ofwhat you’ve done and how long it has taken?

Interruptions can be frustrating so, have youagreed with your team, times when you are notavailable, even though you are in the office?

A good tip is to imagine you are filling abucket with rocks, sand and water.

Start with a bucket, some big rocks enough tofill it, some small stones, some sand and water.

Put the big rocks in the bucket. Put the smallstones in around the big rocks. Put the sand inand give it a shake. Put the water in. Now it'sfull.

The point is: unless you put the big rocks infirst, you won't get them in at all.

In other words: Plan time-slots for your bigissues before anything else, or the inevitablesand and water issues will fill up your days andyou won't fit the big issues in (a big issue doesn'tnecessarily have to be a work task – it could bean important personal commitment).

Self-development is essential if we are to growas leaders and managers. As such we are allhighly visible to our teams and rest assured theywill look to you for model behaviour ineverything you do.

To find out more about the BusinessNorthumberland High Growth Programmeand how Oxford Innovation can potentiallysupport your business, call (01670) 528403,email northumberland@oxin.co.uk or visitwww.businessnorthumberland.co.uk.

Work smarter, not harder

26

Solutions Recruitment, established in1984 and headquartered in Newcastle,is an independent North Eastrecruitment agency.

Covering multidiscipline recruitmentacross a range of sectors means it’s expertconsultants are well placed to uncover markettrends and opportunities.

The Finance and Accountancy teamconsists of divisional director, John Barronand consultants Carl Maw and James Colwill,who between them have over 20 years ofexperience specialising within the accountsand finance market.

John says: “The accountancy practiceprofession has seen some significant changesover the past eights years I have beenspecialising in the field, many of them, in myopinion are very much so for the better.

“I have noticed that many more firms arefreshening up their image and approach tothe market, coming away from the stigma ofbeing the ‘stuffy old boys club’ ofaccountants.

“This, I believe, has been one of the bigpositives from the UK’s recent recession.Speaking to partners of firms throughout theregion, they say they have had to focus onexactly what their clients want, not just theirstandard needs of statutory accounts, auditand tax affairs. Therefore, we have seen manyfirms glam up and modernise their offices andlots have revamped their image and branding.

“This year has been the busiest yet inrecruitment for accountancy firms, from

trainees to partners. Additionally, partnersthroughout the region are keen to recruittechnically strong accountants as always, butare also putting an emphasis on their abilityto befriend clients and build robustrelationships.

“Over the coming years, where historicallythe North East accountancy firms have hadan aging partner profile, we will see more andmore ‘next generation’ practitioners comingto the forefront and with this, a really excitingfuture for the professional practice market.”

Carl Maw joined Solutions two years agoafter working for a large national agency looksafter senior industry placements.

He comments: “Recruiting qualifiedaccountants within the North East can bevaried and challenging at times based on thegeneric makeup of the area.

“Over the past five years the North East hasseen a positive swing from the once dominanthold of heavy industry to a more balancedrange of SMEs, shared service centres andglobal businesses taking up long termresidence.

“This coupled with long term investmentfrom the universities makes the North Eastrecruitment market a thriving and everchanging one.

I look after the recruitment of qualifiedaccountants and senior finance professionalscovering qualifications including ACA,ACCA, CIMA and CIPFA. The range of jobpositions I manage varies from those seeking afirst move out of accountancy practice to

finance director and everything in-between!“I have been very fortunate to have built

strong and lasting relationships with clientsand candidates over the years, but in this eraof social media I really believe it is importantto embrace this resource.

“By becoming an active blogger on sitessuch as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook Ihave found I can extend my network acrossthe length and breadth of the UK ensuring anational service is achieved.”

James Colwill is the most recent additionto the team, and James solely focuses on theindustrial side of junior accountancy, workingacross SME’s to large national andmultinational organisations.

He comments: “Currently the industrialsector seems to be gaining more confidencewith a greater demand for permanentpositions, hopefully demonstrating arecovering economy. Many businesses areshowing more confidence in expanding,therefore increasing the need for all areas ofaccountancy staff.

“I deal with both temporary and permanentpositions, ranging from fully qualified attechnician level (MAAT), to part qualifiedaccountants (ACA, ACCA, CIMA).”

Solutions Recruitment services many otherindustries such as IT, Sales & Marketing,Engineering, Industrial, Construction etc.For all the latest news, including details ofthe new Middlesbrough office andvacancies, please visit www.solrecruit.co.uk

B U S I N E S S

Jobs in finance Specialist professionals from

Solutions Recruitment look at thechanging face of recruitment in

the financial sector.

John Barron James Colwill Carl Maw

27

You may be launching a new product,expanding into fresh markets, taking onthe world with a ground-breakingservice, or hosting an industry-leading

showcase event. Your organisation could be a start-up, an

industrial powerhouse or a major membershipgroup. But whatever the nature and scale of yourbusiness or project, public relations should be akey component of your marketing mix.

Why? Because achieving positive coverage inthe trade press builds credibility, industry profileand crucially, reaches decision makers in yoursector. Because making regional headlinesgenerates interest and goodwill towards yourcompany on its doorstep. Because featuring innational consumer outlets, includingnewspapers, magazines, television, radio andonline can help you get your message across to amass market, boosting sales and enhancingbrand loyalty – and put your company in front ofpotential backers and advocates.

And that’s before we even get to the power ofsocial media to inform opinion, sparkconversations and boost engagement.

Just one recent example of our workdemonstrates how employing a combination ofPR tactics can make a very real difference,supporting an organisation in meeting objectivesand delivering its messages to a defined targetaudience.

Earlier in 2014, Horizonworks was appointedby the Institute of Water (IoW) – the onlyprofessional body that exclusively supports thecareers of anyone working in the UK waterindustry – to promote its Annual Conferenceand Exhibition.

The conference is a major event in the waterindustry’s calendar: chaired by Heidi Mottram,

chief executive of Northumbrian Water Groupand president of the Institute of Water, 2014’sprogramme featured high profile figures fromorganisations such as Yorkshire Water, Ofwatand Oracle.

Our objective was to increase delegatenumbers at the event, held in June in At-BristolScience Centre, and increase interest in theconference and the institute among the utilitiessector press and water industry professionals.

In addition, we were tasked with managingthe media and photography at the event, andpromoting the Institute of Water’s NationalInnovation Awards, which recognise outstandinginnovations within the water industry.

We worked with the institute to develop keymessages around the conference, which werethen embedded into all of our PR activities.Horizonworks then implemented a trade press-focused PR campaign, engaged with leadingtitles and websites in the utilities sector,promoted the conference via social mediaplatforms, worked with stakeholders (such aswater companies) to spread the IoW’s messagethrough their internal communicationschannels, and at the conference itself, acted asits on-site press office, liaising with journalistsand speakers, and managing photography.

Our campaign for the IoW saw us generatepre and post-event coverage in prominentutilities sector publications and websites in theUK and abroad, reaching nearly 210,000readers, and engage directly with thousands ofsocial media users, both directly and throughutilities providers and consumer organisations.

Conference publicity was further boosted byour work with internal communications teams,while respected utilities journalists covered theevent.

Most importantly, the conference saw thehighest turnout in its 69-year history, with 230people in attendance – an outcome which pointsto the effectiveness, and importance of PRactivity.

Moving to a very different industry,Horizonworks delivered a national PR campaignfor the Desto Cup, a packaging solution designedand manufactured by leading packagingsolutions company IPS. We helped IPS reach keytrade press titles, securing coverage in a widerange of media outlets including The Grocer,Packaging Europe and Food & BeverageInternational.

IPS recorded a significant increase in thenumber of sales enquiries following thecampaign, which in turn generated newcustomers - including some of the UK’s leadingbrands and retailers.

Horizonworks is also skilled at deliveringconsumer-focused PR campaigns: our work forlong-established motor dealership Vic Young,based in South Shields, has included promotingthe firm’s community initiatives, apprenticeshipprogrammes and innovative vehicle conversionsdivision, Northern Truck Bodies, in both theregional and national press.

Obviously, the organisations highlighted aboveare three very different entities. But what theyhave in common is a willingness to use PR to getresults – whether that’s boosting awareness,increasing sales, or getting ‘bums on seats’.

So if your company is not using PR effectively,maybe it’s time you told your story... and madethe headlines work for your business.

For more information on Horizonworks visitwww.horizonworks.co.uk, tel: 08450 759955or email: hello@horizonworks.co.uk.

M E D I A

Make headlines – achieve your goalsSamantha Davidson, managing director of full service strategic marketing company Horizonworks, reveals

how public relations can raise profile, increase engagement and produce real results.

Bob Evans, senior vicepresident and chiefcommunications officerof Oracle.

Heidi Mottram, president ofthe Institute of Water and chiefexecutive of NorthumbrianWater Group.

28

Securiclad works with high profileorganisations across the UK and abroad. It

manufactures an innovative, highly specialist,market-leading product.

But for this North Tyneside-based firm, whichproduces high security modular panel systemsdesigned to withstand attack from criminals, andsafeguard equipment or hazardous materials,client confidentiality is often paramount.

This means that in many cases, the company’ssuccess stories – of which there are many – can’tbe revealed: Securiclad’s systems are often usedin sensitive facilities, such as server rooms withinGovernment infrastructure, where the least saidabout their exact location (and what material isused to protect them), the better.

Generating publicity in the ‘traditional’ way,therefore, can be a real challenge.

Appointed to deliver a PR and marketingcampaign for the North Tyneside-based firm,Horizonworks has overcome this problem byengaging with the trade press and drawing onthe vast expertise of Securiclad’s seniorpersonnel in the physical security field.

By highlighting their knowledge and ability tooffer guidance to readers, Horizonworks hashelped to secure profile-raising articles forSecuriclad in a wide variety of tradepublications, from Facilities Management Worldto Data Centre News and Professional Security.

Horizonworks has also secured productfeatures in the specialist specification andsecurity press, highlighting the panel system’sbenefits to both contractors and end users.

The result of this strategy? Securiclad’s ClaireSales explains: “Horizonworks has challenged usto look at marketing from a fresh perspective andI believe that the material and advice that hasbeen generated will open new doors for us. Theeditorial opportunities we have been presentedwith and publications we have featured in sinceworking with Horizonworks have really put us inthe spotlight.”

Securicladcase study:How Horizonworks has helped this

specialist manufacturer ...

Mike McColl, managing director of Securiclad.

29

L E G A L & F I N A N C I A L N E W S

Top marks forBHP Law

Solicitor becomes associate

Gordon Brown has appointed AndreaHanna as associate solicitor of the

firm.Following ten years’ experience in

conveyancing, Andrea has risen throughthe ranks at Gordon Brown Law Firm, whichhas offices in Newcastle and Chester leStreet.

She first joined Gordon Brown in 2008 toconcentrate on conveyancing aftertraining in criminal defence, property andprobate. Andrea’s role involves managing ateam of five solicitors and legal executives,maintaining relationships with referrers andassisting with the development of theconveyancing department.

Credit to Tait Walker

Accountancy firm Tait Walker’s R&D taxreliefs specialists have successfully

reclaimed over £11m of cash back in taxrebates for North East businesses since2011.

Led by tax partner Alastair Wilson, TaitWalker’s specialist team has successfullysubmitted more than 200 claims over thepast two years, with a 100 per cent successrate, helping North East companies identifyover £55 million of qualifying R&Dexpenditure, in respect of which tax reliefcould be obtained. The largest single claimgenerated a tax repayment of over £0.5mand a total of over £1.5m secured for asingle group.

Lawyer joins TT Law

Acommercial litigator, who acted onthe Bloody Sunday and Harold

Shipman inquiries, has joined the team atNewcastle-based TT Law.

Kevin Turnbull, cited in ChambersGuides as ‘widely regarded asexceptional’, spent seven years atEversheds before joining a Newcastle lawfirm as an associate.

Turnbull joins his former colleagueNeville Takiar, who established TT Lawin 2013. The firm’s current clientsinclude national hotel and leisure groups,care homes, a leading digital agencyand a number of high net worthindividuals.

The North East firm is awarded WIQS accrediation.

B HP Law has been recognisedwith a quality mark for theadvice it provides clients in wills,estates and inheritance.

The Law Society’s Will and InheritanceQuality Scheme (WIQS) is a formalacknowledgement of best practice andconfirms that BHP Law offers service andexpertise clients can trust.

The firm, which has offices inDarlington, Durham, Stockton andNewcastle, had to demonstrate that itcomplies with wills and inheritanceprotocol as judged by the Law Society.

Helen Biglin, partner in Wills, Trusts andProbate at BHP Law (pictured), said:“Making a will and planning for the futureafter your death is a personal andsometimes emotional experience and it’svital that clients can share that with aprofessional in whom they have completeconfidence and trust.

“WIQS accreditation helps clientsto make a confident and informedchoice and assures them that weconform to best practice in our wills,probate and estate administrationadvice.”

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

30

C O V E R S T O R Y

Sintons has an unrivalled reputation in the North ofEngland for its expertise in acting for GPs and dentists and

understanding the issues most important to them.

SINTONS:Leading legal advisors to

GPs and Dentists

32

Left to right: Danielle Dale, Hilary Parker, Sarah Parish, Laura Peace,Rebecca Stapely, Metab Hussain, Amanda Maskery, Luke Phelan and Catherine McNulty.

Sintons acts for more health professionals than anyother law firm in the region, and its healthcare teamenjoys a national reputation for the work it does.

In the past three years, Sintons has overseen more than£60 million of dental practice sales and acquisitions acrossthe UK, and has completed over £100m of new medicalcentre developments.

Led by highly respected Hilary Parker – the longestserving non-executive director of an NHS Hospital Trust inthe UK – the team also is proud to include nationally-knownmedico-legal specialist Barry Speker OBE DL and AmandaMaskery, one of the country’s leading dental lawyers, chairof the Association of Specialist Providers to Dentists (ASPD)and secretary of the National Association of SpecialistSolicitors Advising Doctors.

So how can Sintons help you?

GPs

Sintons provides expert advice to GPs, from individuals tolarge practices. The breadth of the firm enables it to adviseon the whole range of issues that may affect GeneralPractice.

Its specialist GP team, led by Hilary Parker, workswith GP practices across the North and beyond oncommercial, real estate, regulatory and employment issues.

Sintons can help GPs understand and navigate the issuesaround partnership agreements, NHS regulation, propertyleases, PMS and GMS contracts, CQC registration,offering the tailored fixed-price Assero employment lawpackage to help your practice with what can often becomplex HR and employment matters.

The firm is also a specialist in new surgery developmentsand has recently overseen those at Chapel Park inNewcastle and Queen’s Road in Consett.

With NHS Property Services now managing all propertymatters, expert legal advice is proving vital for those GPpractices occupying leasehold premises formerly ownedby the PCT, and who are now subject to formal leasesbeing required.

Sintons advises many entrepreneurial GPs who are keento take advantage of the opportunities created by the newcommissioning regime, helping them form special purposevehicles to tender for ‘Any Qualified Provider’opportunities.

Ensuring personal legal matters are in good order isimportant for GPs, as for anyone. An up to date will isessential and Powers of Attorney covering financial andhealth matters are increasingly worthwhile.

Many GPs who are nearing the end of their careers needto think carefully about the timing and form of their exitstrategy from the practice, and options for retirement orsemi-retirement, all of which require careful planning.

DENTISTS

Sintons’ dental team is regarded as a national leader in itsfield, and has decades of specialist experience in thesector. It is led by Amanda Maskery, hailed by Legal 500as a ‘top dental sector specialist’, and also Chair of ASPD– the first woman ever to hold the position.

The firm works extensively with dentists across the NorthEast and nationally, and advises individual dentists,partnerships and corporates.

Sintons actively supports dentists from the very start oftheir careers, and it works with the top-rated dental schoolat Newcastle University to help equip its students with thecommercial and legal knowledge they need for their futurein the profession.

The firm’s expertise and many years of experience meanit has an intricate understanding of issues affecting dentists,particularly surrounding the new dental contract. Sintonsspecialises in buying and selling dental practices, and hascompleted more than 200 transactions in the past threeyears across the UK.

Sintons also supports dentists with the transfer of NHScontracts, CQC inspections, all aspects of incorporation ofdental practices and with partnership agreements. It worksclosely with specialist dental accountants, banks andsurveyors to ensure deals go smoothly and you achieve thebest possible outcome in a timely manner, whether buyingor selling.

A high proportion of Sintons’ clients have been with thefirm for many years, establishing close relationships.

Sintons can advise on a full range of matters, from therunning of your practice to planning for retirement andfamily matters.

For more information on Sintons visitwww.sintons.co.uk

North East Dental Seminar

Sintons’ Healthcare Team, in conjunction withRutherford Wilkinson and Trinity BarristersChambers, are holding a free North East DentalSeminar, to address topics including how to planahead to best manage risks to your practice, aswell as managing your personal finances.• Thursday, October 9• Newcastle Marriott Hotel, Metrocentre• 6pm-9pmTo confirm your attendance, emailpeter.jennings@sintons.co.uk

Royal College of

GPs Accredited Training

Sintons has become one of the few lawfirms in the UK to have its training coursesaccredited by the Royal College of GPs, whichis seen as a badge of distinction and guaranteeof quality. Sintons will be holding a series ofsessions for GP practices across the North East,on dates to be confirmed. To register aninterest, contact Amanda Maskery onamanda.maskery@sintons.co.uk

33

Healthier lifestyles and better health caremean that on average we can expect tolive far longer lives that any of ourancestors.

Figures from the Office of National Statisticsshow that the average life expectancy for a manin the UK is currently 78.9 years; while for awoman it is currently 82.7 years.

If you are in good health and have parentswho have lived long lives then the likelihood isthat you could reach these average ages.

From a financial position this means thatwhereas in the 1960s the average pension potmight have to last five years or so after retirementat 65, these days if we’re lucky the money in ourretirement pots might have to last 20 or 30 years.

So clearly, if we are to enjoy a financiallysecure retirement then we need to build up aretirement pot of sufficient size to ensure ourmoney doesn’t run out in our later years. It alsomeans that when we reach retirement our moneyhas to work harder and be properly managed.

Retirement planning should be undertaken atthe point we start saving. No one knows how longthey will live and, therefore, over just how manyyears their savings will need to stretch.

We can make educated guesses about howmuch income we’ll need and so how much weneed to save for retirement based on a series ofquestions and assumptions.

These include the average life expectancywhich will indicate for how long we may need anincome, what inflation will be and how that willerode our purchasing power over the years, how

much our retirement pot might earn as we areaccumulating our retirement fund and what ourportfolio might earn when we are using it forincome in retirement (plus whether or not whatwe save will be supplemented by a Statepension).

During our working careers, choosing theright products in which to save, knowing howmuch to save and making maximum use of taxbenefits are crucial to building up our savingspots.

At retirement, proper management of ourmoney to secure a regular income and makingour savings last for as long as is needed becomesthe priority.

Current pension rules mean most people haveto buy an annuity – which is an insuranceproduct that pays you out a regular income forlife based on the size of your pension pot butoften ceases when the owner of the policy dies –or if their assets are large enough a drawdown

product, which keeps their money invested andallows a maximum percentage to be taken inincome.

However, in the 2014 Budget speech, theChancellor of the Exchequer put forwardproposals to change the rules from 2015, givingpeople more freedom and choice as to how tomanage their money, so they don’t have to buyan annuity or drawdown product and they havethe ability to access their pension savings atretirement as they wish.

This is going to change the way in whichmany people manage their money. It isanticipated that fewer people will buy an annuityand more people will chose to continue to investtheir money in order to provide an income.

This is particularly relevant as annuity rates,remain at historically low levels and thealternative of investing in a portfolio, if properlymanaged could produce a better outcome formany individuals.

Making the right decisions at retirement iscrucial. For many people that will be thecertainty of income from an annuity. For thosewith larger savings pots, an invested portfolio maybe the better option – or a combination of bothmay be the way forward.

We anticipate we’ll see new products enter themarket offering this hybrid approach. If you arein any doubt about your retirement decisions,take independent financial advice so all of yourretirement options can be understood, and youcan make the right choices for yourcircumstances.

L A W & F I N A N C E

Retirementplanning

Have you done enough?Asks Ian Lowes, managing directorof Jesmond-based Lowes Financial

Management.

EXPERT VIEWIan Lowes

Managing directorLowes Financial Management

Tel: (0191) 281 8811Email: enquiry@lowes.co.uk

Web: www.lowes.co.uk

34

Finances are always a significantconcern for couples who separate.Where previously one couple had oneset of household expenses to meet out

of their income, post separation there arelikely to be two, along with some uncertaintyas to the division of marital assets.

So what happens when one party’s incomeis generated by a business that is classed alsoas an asset? And what if both parties have aninterest and/or position within the business?

The way that the courts deal with theexistence of the business can depend onmany factors.

In the recent Supreme Court decision inthe matter of Prest and Petrodel, the husbandwas a rich businessman and all of the assets ofthe family were held in a corporate structure.

Although the court observed the protectionof the veil of incorporation, it found that thecompany held the assets on trust for thehusband.

The court therefore ordered the husband topay the wife a substantial capital sum basedon those assets.

This is a landmark case that every businessowner needs to be advised of when goingthrough a marriage breakdown.

When divorcing parties both own shares ina business or are partners, matters can beeven more complex.

Particularly so, if the company needs tosurvive and succeed to produce an income tomaintain the family’s lifestyle.

This is common where the company orpartnership can’t be sold to extract the valueand neither does it have liquidity to ‘pay out’one party their share. These types of casesneed to be handled by a shrewd andexperienced lawyer to ensure that all variablesare accounted for.

Increasingly in these cases, the family courthas started to be transparent about the parties’finances, asset positions and the process of thecase.

This means that business owners need tothink carefully about dealing with theirfinancial matters in the court arena as thiscan become a very public affair.

Within the last six months, Khoo Kay Peng,

the Laura Ashley tycoon and Chris Hohn,hedge fund manager, have both been toldthat the details of their marital breakdownand financial matters will be made public.

This is unusual but it could become thenorm, with the possibility that in the futurethe press will be given limited courtdocuments in addition to being at court whenhearings are ongoing.

In order to avoid the public gaze, partiesgoing through a divorce who want to protecttheir financial affairs from the public gaze,have access to various non-court disputeresolution processes.

At Major Family Law, we are able todiscuss the pros and cons of these optionsincluding the possibility that arbitration couldbe an appropriate solution.

Family arbitration ensures that if theparties need to appoint a private decisionmaker, their financial matters will beconfidential. Family arbitration is a newprocess; it provides a binding solutionwithout the need to have a potentially publichearing.

L A W & F I N A N C E

Your businessis our business

Joanne Major, successfulbusinesswoman and founder at MajorFamily Law looks at the complexities of

business interests and divorce.

EXPERT VIEWJoanne Major

Principle Major Family Law

Tel: (01661 82 45 82)Web: www.majorfamilylaw.co.uk

Twitter: @majorfamilylaw

36

P R O F I L E

Cavu’s newest stars Recent recruits at the

corporate advisoryboutique speak to North

East Times.

Cavu Corporate Finance, the NorthEast-based corporate advisoryboutique set up by well-knowndealmaker Shawn Bone, has

expanded its team with the arrival of twocorporate finance specialists, ThomasBrunsnes and Rob Jones.

Cavu focuses on providing advice ondisposals, acquisitions, debt and equity financeraising, as well as providing strategic advice toretained clients.

It also supports smaller high growthbusinesses that have great potential, to accessthe early stage equity markets.

Shawn Bone, one of the North East’sleading dealmakers with over 20 years’experience of providing advice to shareholdersand businesses, set up Cavu in September2013. As an independent advisory boutique,Cavu has a strong focus on providing strategiccorporate finance advice to private companies,shareholders, management teams and privateequity investors.

Thomas Brunsnes joined Cavu in October2013, having worked with Shawn prior to that.

“I was attracted to the opportunity of beinginvolved in building a new corporate financeadvisory firm from the beginning. We workwith a lot of entrepreneurs – and I have alwaysadmired their ability to build something fromvirtually nothing,” he explains.

Thomas came to Newcastle from theMidlands after training with BDO inBirmingham.

“I was given a great opportunity when Ijoined BDO. Rather than going through theregular training program, spending three years

working on statutory audits, I was recruited ona training contract straight into their M&Adepartment.

“I was among the first in the UK to take thistraining path, and it allowed me to start mycareer working with some of the eminentcorporate finance advisors in the Midlands.

“This unusual training path allowed me tobuild experience on all sides of a transaction –ranging from lead advisory to financial andcommercial due diligence. I believe this earlybreadth of experience has served me well as itallows me to see the requirement of a projectfrom a number of differentangles...shareholder, buyer, investor and thebank.”

Diversity has been a key word for Thomasso far. He has studied in Norway, Sweden andTurkey and has degrees in engineering andsocial sciences.

“I believe in getting as much variedexperiences as possible, he explains. “It justmakes life more interesting. I think that wasalso what attracted me to working in corporatefinance in the first place – the opportunity towork in different sectors for an intense periodof time. It’s hard to get bored when you don’tknow whether you’ll be working with softwareor with civil engineering clients when youcome to the office in the morning.”

Meanwhile Rob Jones, who moved to theNorth East in 1990 from Nottingham, joinedCavu in June this year to bring the team up tofive members, having previously worked at thebusiness services firmPricewaterhouseCoopers and the venturecapital fund manager FW Capital.

“I qualified at PwC Newcastle in theCorporate Tax department, beforetransferring into the Corporate Financeteam,” Rob says.

“The M&A market was pretty flat back in2009 but I still got to work on some reallyinteresting assignments, working withcompanies ranging from small owner-managed businesses to large corporates.”

“I joined FW Capital after PwC, and it wasa great experience to look at things from aninvestor’s perspective – I learnt a lot in thethree years I was there and I will be looking toput this experience to good use at Cavu.”

Since joining Cavu Rob has been workingwith clients on a variety of assignments,including sale mandates, development capitalraising and acquisition searches and supportfor corporates and private equity backedcompanies.

“For me the most interesting aspect of thework is dealing with owner-managedbusinesses. I’ve always enjoyed getting tounderstand a business, getting to know itsowners and their plans and objectives, andultimately helping them to achieve thoseplans,” Rob explains.

If you’re in business and consideringacquisitions, disposals or funding ambitiousgrowth plans through debt, developmentcapital or private equity, the team at Cavuwould be delighted to hear from you todiscuss your plans.

For more information on Cavu CorporateFinance visit www.cavucf.com or call(0191) 255 7772.

38

39

Rowlands is a firm believer thatbusinesses should put something backinto the communities in which they arebased. We have offices in Hexham,

Ponteland, Sunderland, Yarm, Crook andBirtley and all our employees are committed tothis ethos – each team uses their professionalskills to help raise funds in some way or another.

As a company, we decided the best way wecould help local charities was to organise onemain event each year involving staff from acrossthe group, supplementing this with one-offsupport for other organisations and individualswhich approach us.

Why? Well, it matters to us that we do thingsthat will touch the lives of the people we aresurrounded by.

Wheely good fun

Our first major event was last year’s RoundRowlands Charity Bike Ride, through which weraised over £10,000 for the Henry Dancer Daysand Daisy Chain Project charities, both ofwhich support local children and families.

I was one of the six members of staff that goton our bikes and covered almost 200 miles injust two days.

The event was so successful that this year weare using pretty much the same RoundRowlands route – from Birtley to Sunderland,Yarm, Crook, Durham, Hexham and Pontelandbefore heading back to Birtley – to organise a

220km running relay. The Round Rowlands Running Challenge

will raise money for the Percy HedleyFoundation’s Splash Appeal (funds will gotowards a hydrotherapy pool for disabledchildren) and Dementia Care.

There is also a dancing event currently beingorganised by John Grimshaw, the IT manager atour Birtley office.

The Get Your Skates On disco will be held atDigital nightclub in Newcastle and is a one-offrepeat of the regular themed evenings that usedto be held at Northumbria University. A third ofthe cash raised on the night will go to the afore-mentioned charities.

All wrapped up

One of the initiatives we like to support everyyear really strikes a chord with us and that’sMission Christmas.

Last year, we donated gifts worth more than£1000 to Metro Radio’s Cash for Kids appeal,which provides presents for children across theNorth East who would otherwise be waking upon Christmas morning with nothing to open.

As a business, Rowlands is also committed tosupporting one-off charity events, whether that’sby providing our expertise to organisations or byhelping with much needed cash. For example,this year we sponsored the first ever LadiesSevens Rugby Tournament held in BishopAuckland in July. We had already been working

with the club to encourage more women andgirls to take up the sport. Plus, we provided theaccounting expertise for the (K)night toRemember event at Sage Gateshead, which wasorganised to raise cash for the Sir Bobby RobsonFoundation.

Sport is a key part of the charity work we do.One of our partners Peter Gray took part in theGreat North Run last year and raised £2000 forthe University of North Tees Hospital, whichtreated one of our partners Harvey Maddenwhen he was diagnosed with acute leukaemia.

Giving is good

Things like Harvey’s illness highlight theimportant role charities and organisations suchas our local hospitals play in our lives.

At Rowlands, we believe it is vital to supportgroups that are doing good locally, both to helpraise cash to ensure they can continue toprovide their essential services, but also as a keypart of our staff development. We know ourpeople enjoy the challenges they take part in forcharity and this is hugely important foremployee morale.

I’d urge any business that doesn’t have itsown charity or corporate social responsibilityprogramme in place to seriously consider doingso – it’s well worth the effort.

For more information visitwww.rowlandsaccountants.co.uk

L A W & F I N A N C E

Putting something back into the community is at the heart of North East accountancyfirm Rowlands – as associate director John White explains ...

Give a little – get a lot

40

In my role as head of Financial Planning atNewcastle wealth management firm, BrewinDolphin, I find that flexibility is certainly theoverriding theme when discussing the recent

changes to pension legislation. But what does this mean for you and the

options you will have when you need to draw onyour pension? Will it encourage you to investmore in pensions as a long term savings vehicle?

Pensions now, more than ever, provide for avery tax efficient form of savings. Where else canyou get tax relief on contributions, tax freeinvestment returns and a 25 per cent lump sumout tax free?

For a higher rate tax payer this means a £1000contribution will actually cost you £600 – a 66per cent investment return!

Almost three quarters of under 45’s withpensions have no idea what their pot is worth andwhat it could provide for them at retirement.

Between 1960 and 2010 the average lifespanhas increased by around ten years for a man andeight years for a woman and one in threechildren born this year will reach their 100thbirthday.

With life expectancy rising our money has towork harder for longer so any help we can get

with regards to boosting our savings is welcome. The main change that you will see from April

2015 is that you will be able to access any or all ofyour defined contribution pension fund as cash,with 25 per cent still available tax free.

The need for you to purchase an annuity willbe gone and any restrictions on the level ofincome you can draw each year will alsodisappear.

This means that taking advice is moreimportant than ever if you want to make sure thatyour fund provides an income for as long as yourequire it.

You may also want to consider the taximplications of taking large drawdowns as youmay end up adding to the extra £4 billion inincome tax HMRC expects to receive by 2020.

The rate of tax you will pay could range from20-45 per cent and this will depend on what yourlevel of income is, including the amount takenfrom the pension.

This flexibility may not be available to thosewho have a Defined Benefit scheme but shouldbe available to any Additional VoluntaryContribution (AVC) ‘pots’.

If this flexibility is not offered you may be ableto transfer out (as long as it is a funded scheme)

up to the normal retirement age, however, it isimportant that financial advice is taken as formost people they may be best sticking with whatthey have got.

Although it will no longer be compulsory totake an annuity at retirement, the security theseplans offer will mean that they still provide theright solution for some people. The Governmenthave announced that, in line with itscommitment to deliver a more flexible pensionregime, they will remove some of the currentrestrictions around annuities to allow for thedevelopment of more flexible products.

Retirement is no longer just about yourpension fund, you need to look across all of yourassets and see how they can work for you in themost tax efficient way.

At Brewin Dolphin, we take an integratedapproach to protecting and growing your wealththat combines our skills and experience in bothdiscretionary fund management and financialplanning.

We recognise that every client has differentgoals for their finances and we use thisinformation to develop a sound strategy formanaging your financial affairs and safeguardingyour long-term wealth.

L A W & F I N A N C E

Re-think retirementplanning?

Brewin Dolphin’s Jo Jackson looks at recentchanges to pension legislation.

EXPERT VIEWJo Jackson

Head of Financial Planning Brewin Dolphin

Tel: (0191) 230 7155 Email joanne.jackson@brewin.co.uk

Web: www.brewin.co.uk

42

L A W & F I N A N C E

Help to turn things aroundMuckle’s Andrew Cawkwell on the

alternative to insolvency.

If your company faces an uphill battle tostay afloat, it’s sometimes hard to know ifyou should continue trying to revive it orclose it. Many business people think at a

certain point that insolvency is unavoidable. But while it sometimes appears to be the

only path to take, there could be otheroptions available, such as restructuring.

At Muckle LLP, we are specialists in thepre-insolvency approach, so even if yourbusiness is teetering on the brink, we may beable to provide solutions.

For instance, when traditional lendingsources have dried up, we can talk to ournetwork of investors to persuade them thatyou are worth investing in. Together, we canstructure the right support team to achieveyour goals.

A family firm recently sought my expertiseto try and avoid the need for insolvency. Ithad the backing of a local venture capitalist,but the deal depended on the transfer of

assets from the company that had a build-upof creditors.

While it was originally agreed to transferthe assets and look after the creditors,complications arose after a fall-out outbetween family members with shares in thebusiness.

The firm was placed into administration tounlock the assets and value in order to allowthe management team to restructure. Armedwith investment cash and a clean balancesheet, the management team can now drivethe firm forward.

In this way, we can establish a clear visionfor the future of your business and livelihood,but timing is key to turning things around.The sooner you act, the greater the chancesyour business has to flourish.

So come and talk to us. We’reindependent, act in the best interest of ourclients and can protect you against anyconflicts of interest.

EXPERT VIEWAndrew Cawkwell

Partner and Certified TurnaroundProfessionalMuckle LLP

Email: Andrew.Cawkwell@muckle-llp.comTwitter: @CompanyRescue

43

Approaches to reward and engagementin the workplace are changing beyondall recognition. Companies aremoving from offering fixed perks to

providing flexible benefits. Defined benefitpension schemes have evolved to the definedcontribution model, and we’ve seen a shift inattitude for both employers and employeeswithin their financial roles.

As the workforce becomes increasinglymobile and career paths more varied, employeesare recognising the need to take greaterresponsibility for their own financial decisions.

But there is also an important part to play foremployers in empowering their staff with theright capability and capacity to manageimportant aspects of their personal finances.

While much work has been done in relationto the physical well-being of employees in thelast decade, research reveals that employers arestill overlooking the importance of financialwell-being in their engagement strategies.

Barclay’s recent report Financial Well-being:The Last Taboo in the Workplace definesfinancial well-being as ‘being and feelingfinancially healthy and secure, today and for thefuture’.

The findings show that employees worryingabout their finances can have a significantimpact on the productivity of the business and,alarmingly, more than one in ten employees fallinto the ‘financially slipping’ category – thosewho have little or no savings and regularly spendmore than they earn.

With one in five employees losing sleepbecause they’re so worried about finances, this is

having a significant impact on their productivity,performance, and overall work.

Understanding what would help and improveemployees’ financial well-being should be apriority for employers. Being financially secure isnot solely about one’s salary – poor financialwell-being affects people in all income brackets– but more about the size of a savings buffer andthe ability to regularly put money aside.

Organisations must therefore be mindful thatlevels of financial well-being will vary greatlyacross employees, depending on their life stageand attitudes to money management. ForMaturists (born pre-1945), saving before buyingis the order of the day whereas Baby Boomers(born 1945 – 1960), who have greater lifeexpectancy and have tried to save during theirworking lives, are now worried that their savingswill be consumed by care in later life.Meanwhile, Generation X (born 1961 – 1980)looks forward to a long retirement but is unsurewhether their pensions will be adequate, andGeneration Y (born 1981 – 1995), leavinguniversity with tens of thousand pounds of debt,shows a more relaxed attitude to money and

debt. Generation Z (born after 1995), bycontrast, has been brought up in a world ofinvisible spending, where items are often boughtelectronically and paid for later, and aregenerally more liberal with their finances.

Companies need to recognise that now is thetime to tackle the taboo and bring financial well-being onto the agenda. Employees are lookingfor guidance and support to help secure theirfinancial future within their existing means; butthis doesn’t have to be complex or costly for theemployer.

At Barclays Corporate & Employer Solutions,we work with organisations of all sizes to identifyemployees’ needs before building a businesscase, developing the strategy and then selectingthe appropriate solutions to meet those needs.

Some actions employers can take are likely tohave universal appeal and will benefit mostemployees. For example, better explanation ofcurrent benefits, education on pensions andretirement, implementation of savings schemesand access to information and services will allhelp develop general financial competence.

However, the needs of a multi-generationalworkforce are varied and evidence shows thatemployees respond better to solutions tailoredtowards their own situation. It is important,therefore, that employers understand this andtailor solutions accordingly. Not only does agreater regard for financial well-being allow staffto take closer control of their moneymanagement, but it also enables organisations torecruit, engage and retain the key talentrequired to give their business an advantage thattranslates to the bottom line.

L A W & F I N A N C E

Supporting employeefinancial well-being

Barclay’s Graeme McCormick revealswhy it’s time to put the financial well-being of

employees on the corporate agenda.

Barclays offers wealth and investment management products and services to its clients through Barclays Bank PLC and its subsidiary companies.Barclays Bank PLC is registered in England and authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct

Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Registered No. 1026167. Registered Office: 1 Churchill Place, London E14 5HP.

EXPERT VIEWGraeme McCormick

Employee benefits consultant Barclays Corporate & Employer Solutions

Web: www.barclays.com/wealth

44

Briefly, what has been your career todate?

I initially began my investment career doinginternships 20 years ago at various fundmanagement groups before moving back up toNewcastle to develop the investment businessof Iain Nicholson Investment Management asinvestment director. We merged with SanlamPrivate Investments in August 2012 and I amnow head of the Newcastle office.

What attracted you to your role?

I love the markets and all of their complexities.It is intriguing to understand how they workand you never stop learning. I also enjoydiscussing the stock market with clients.

What skills and attributes do youneed to do your job?

The most important aspect of my job islooking after the client and their investmentsin a sensible and considerate manner. Trust is

key. With regard to investments, I think it iscrucial to be detached from the emotion andnoise of the markets and to stick to yourprinciples.

What’s been your highlight in therole?

My favourite part of my role is working withclients, nurturing a relationship anddeveloping trust. Client contact is great andover the years clients become friends andfriends become clients.

What’s been your biggestchallenge?

In 2007/08, at the beginning of the financialcrisis, it was essential to position the portfoliosto ensure that they were not overexposed tovolatile areas of the market.

How has wealth managementchanged since you began in theindustry?

There have been significant changes withinthe wealth management industry, Markets,systems and regulation have all become a lotmore complicated and require carefulnavigation and detailed knowledge.

What makes Sanlam different?

Sanlam places a great emphasis on the clientand allows us in Newcastle to develop ourlocal business but with the resource of a strongwell-run global business.

What are the short and long-termplans for Sanlam?

In Newcastle we want to continue providingclients with a strong, local and verypersonalised service. Business will continue todevelop well if we continue to do a good jobfor clients.

For more informationon Sanlam visitwww.spi.sanlam.co.uk

I N T E R V I E W

In the boss’s chair

Charles NicholsonHead of Newcastle Office, Sanlam Private Investments

46

E V E N T

Lionrasummer drinks

The network organisationholds its seasonal event.

The Lionra network held a summerdrinks event on Thursday July 17 at The

Biscuit Factory in Newcastle.Lionra is a non-profit organisation that

sets out to build on the well-establishedtrading relationships that exist between theNorth East and Ireland.

The network raises funds for charitiesthroughout the year with events includingthe annual Shamrock Ball.

During the summer drinks event twocheques were presented to The PercyHedley Foundation and the PSPAssociation, both for £4000, which wasraised at this year’s Shamrock Ball.

Next year’s Shamrock Ball is being heldon March 14, 2015, at the Hilton Gateshead.

For further information or tickets pleasecontact info@lionra.co.uk

48

Iam thankful that probate continues to beone of the reserved activities under theLegal Services Act 2007, Section 12Schedule 2, but for how long will this

remain? Will it be removed sooner or later? In my practicing career I’m sure I’ll see a

change to the present structure. A largepercentage of my department’s function isorientated to probate activities. However, itwould be naive of me not to consider and planthat one day the reservation of probate may beremoved.

As a profession, I would expect we willvehemently oppose it for obvious reasonsassociated with the risks to client monies, howit could contribute to a rise of fraudulentactivity and overall for greater consumerprotection these functions should remainreserved.

The Law Society will assist us in that plightand have already done so with theimplementation of the Wills InheritanceQuality Scheme (WIQS) to differentiate us

from ‘the competition’. The WIQS has been created to set us aside

and above the other competing institutions.But if this quality can be attained by otherinstitutions, isn’t there an argument thisshould be an industry standard; and if soproviding it is attained and monitored thatother organisations could join?

Of course we have to admit that we willoppose it also for commercial reasons.Services being offered at a potentially lowerbase cost and the resultant effect being a lossof a market share presently dedicated to uswould be detrimental.

After all, it’s difficult to compete withorganisations not bound by the same rules.

If this work was unreserved moreunregulated personnel could complete thetask in an entirely unregulated environment.

But if there was an industry-standard inplace and we were all subject to the samerules, would we mind it being removed as a‘reserved activity’?

This would enable us to at least compete onsimilar grounds and ensure a service level tothe client and it remains regulated. So long asthe organisations were subject to the samecosts and regulations I’d approve of this.

Currently we can be thankful that there is arequirement for us to be involved andtherefore a point in the process where theapplication is verified and therefore affords theconsumer some protection.

Without our involvement risks toconsumers become higher and theirprotection diminishes. With the loss ofprotection comes a loss of faith in theprofession and legal services whether they arebeing offered by us or not. The perceptionlags behind reality, we are as a whole moreproactive and more efficient than ever and weare able to pass cost savings on to clients.

When the decision is made I hope I’mthere to ensure an Industry service level is setas the difficulties we all face will becomeevident.

L A W & F I N A N C E

Sooner orlater?

Rebecca Harbron Gray, solicitorfor the Elderly, TEP and head of

Wealth Management at GordonBrown Law Firm LLP, looks at the

future of probate.

EXPERT VIEWRebecca Harbron Gray

Head of Wealth Management aGordon Brown Law Firm LLP

Web: www.gblf.co.uk

50

OK, I am probably adopting a smalldegree of John Cleese-like flippancyhere, now is probably not the righttime to be asking such a question …

not least because our friends over the ‘wall’ havejust held a hugely successful CommonwealthGames and even cheered the English team intothe stadium at the opening ceremony!

However, the September 18 ScottishReferendum is almost upon us and despite ourUBS views that independence will be rejected,there remains the possibility that the ‘yes’campaign could run their total vote to over 40 percent.

So, let's say for a minute that Yes vote managesto breach 50 per cent – what would this mean forthe North East?

The obvious upside is the potential for Scottishbased businesses to choose to relocate. Surely ourregion must be a strong favourite to secure anumber of these very attractive headquarters.

We are talking here about financial, energyand utility sectors which are currently mostexposed to Scotland and which ‘may’ be taxed athigher levels by an independent Scottish

government. Current UK corporate tax levels are some of

the lowest in the developed world and are a majorfactor in many significant companies choosing torelocate into the UK (even Boots is threatening toreturn to its homeland).

Could an independent Scottish governmentafford to continue these generous tax rates for

companies – there is talk that many businesseswill be incentivised to stay in Scotland but from aNorth East point of view it is a potentiallyinteresting concept. Incidentally, you might alsowish to ask whether Trident would remain basedin an independent Scotland and whether thiswould be of interest to the region's major docks.

However, if the Scottish Referendum doesindeed end up as just a very close, but ultimately‘no’ vote, then it is likely that there will be a pushfor broader devolved powers for an EdinburghParliament.

This could still lead to changes in business andpersonal tax regimes and the North East may stillsee some positive fallout from this.

As the summer holidays draw to a close and theissue of Scottish independence becomesdominant in our news headlines once again, itmay well be something that we should apply alittle thought to and be ready to respond for thegood of our region.

For more information call (0191) 211 1000,email: vinay.bedi@ubs.com or visitwww.ubs.com/uk

L A W & F I N A N C E

What would the Scots do for us?Asks Vinay Bedi, executive director of UBS Wealth Management.

The price and value of investments and income derived from them can go down as well as up. You may not get back the amountyou originally invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Authorised and regulated by Financial Market SupervisoryAuthority in Switzerland. In the United Kingdom, UBS AG is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and is subject to regulation

by the Financial Conduct Authority and limited regulation by the Prudential Regulation Authority. Details about the extent ofour regulation by the Prudential Regulation Authority are available from us on request.

51

Agood financial adviser is like golddust. Like your most influentialteacher at school they will inspire youto achieve greater things and enjoy a

better future. A poor adviser will sell you aproduct you don't really need and have nointerest in your future.

Yet both advisers will be FCA (FinancialConduct Authority) registered, both have atleast a Level 4 qualification (it is now theminimum standard to trade), and both willsound plausible. So how do you select the rightadviser for you?

Qualifications

You want an adviser who takes professionalknowledge and development seriously. Look foran adviser who is a Chartered FinancialPlanner or a Certified Financial Planner – orideally both. These are Level 6 qualifications –equivalent to a university degree.

Approach

A good adviser will take you on a journey, ask

challenging questions and map out a plan toachieve your goals. If you do not have any clearobjectives how will you know where to headand what's important to you?

The importance of cashflow modelling – anadviser will gather information on your existingfinancial position. Better advisers will usecashflow modelling to assist in creating theplan. This takes your existing financial positionand projects forward for the rest of your life.The model provides a chart of your wholefinancial position and, based on theassumptions, can help determine if you are

likely to have sufficient assets for your desiredlifestyle.

As you can be pretty certain events won’tturn out exactly as set out in the plan, youradviser will review and update it regularly.

Relationship

Your financial planner will become animportant professional person in your life soyou need to get on. It is helpful to ask anadviser about existing clients or any particularareas of expertise. You don’t want your adviserto practice on you!

Good Value

A good adviser is a professional person and willcharge a fee for services. Fees should be open,transparent and fair and you should feel you aregetting good value for money. But given that agood adviser could make a difference of manythousands of pounds to your financial positionover time, I suggest you base your decisionprimarily on qualifications, approach, andrelationship.

L A W & F I N A N C E

What to look for ina good financial

adviserBy David Smith, financial

planning director at TilneyBestinvest.

EXPERT VIEWDavid Smith

Financial planning director Tilney Bestinvest.

Tel: (0191) 269 9970 Email: david.smith@tilneybestinvest.co.uk

The value of your investment can go down as well as up and you can get back less than you originally invested. Issued by Bestinvest (Brokers) Ltd.Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered office: 6 Chesterfield Gardens, Mayfair, W1J 5BQ.

52

L A W & F I N A N C E

UNW’s hat-trickThe business advisers and chartered accountants

celebrate a week of deals.

Deal experts at UNW brought threedeals – one acquisition and twofundraisings – over the line in thesame week.

UNW experts in corporate finance, audit, taxand from the Newcastle firm's dental businessunit, worked on the trio of transactions to buy aroofing company and raise funds for both a fast-expanding national dental chain and a longestablished energy services business.

The St. James' Boulevard-based businessadvisers and chartered accountants assistedTyneside heating, insulation and renewableenergy business KNW to secure £400,000 ofdevelopment capital to enable it to move intonew markets.

This latest boost is the third round offunding which UNW has helped the 34-year-old business obtain, building on a longstanding relationship between the firm and theinvestors and directors of KNW.

UNW senior corporate finance managerMark Simpson says: “KNW was an existingUNW client that recognised our expertise indifferent areas to help them raise this latest

round of finance.”Meanwhile, UNW also assisted ambitious

County Durham-based national dentalfranchising group Dentist Direct to securesubstantial external investment.

UNW's specialist dental business unit

helped it get the go ahead for, ‘a potentiallyunlimited credit line’ from Yorkshire Bank tofund future acquisitions.

At the same time, UNW's corporate financeteam worked with NEL Fund Managers tobring in a £400,000 cash injection from theFinance for Business North East Growth Fund.

UNW dental business unit partner AlanSuggett says: “For this finance package we wereable to draft in our corporate finance team tosecure some good, strong working capital viaNEL to run alongside a potentially unlimitedcredit line from Yorkshire Bank to fund futureacquisitions, which is particularly exciting.”

While the two fund raisings were underway,UNW tax partner Simon Richards was advisingNorth East entrepreneur David Tilley, thefounder of former roofing company D WTilley, on the acquisition of the longestestablished roofing and cladding contractor inthe North East.

The Citygate company assisted Tilley, whocame out of retirement to do the deal, to buy£3.3m turnover Birtley-based Mitrepoint,which trades as Roofclad Systems.

Left to right: Simon Richards, Neville Bearpark,Alan Suggett and Mark Simpson.

53

Inheritance tax (IHT) is a tax on assetstransferred on the death of an individual. Itcan also be due on transfers of value duringyour lifetime but that need not concern us

here.There is an allowance that an individual can

give away or leave before IHT is due of£325,000. A husband and wife can combine thetwo allowances so that it means £650,000 canbe left to the family before IHT is due. Anysurplus on death is taxed at 40 per cent.

If you have a large estate and two or threekids then you could see HMRC being thelargest single inheritor.

IHT planning is a complex area but a lot canbe done, quite legally, to reduce the tax take.The one area of difficulty is the family homewhich is often the single most valuable asset.

Let us consider the options:Firstly you could give it away but where are

you going to live? If you stay in the home youwill have to pay a market rent otherwise HMRCwill decide that you have not made a gift at alland will tax its value on death.

If you do gift it to your children and pay rentthen it will be out of your estate for IHTpurposes provided that you survive seven years.

However, we have two other taxes to consider

now. Firstly the rental income your childrenreceive will be subject to income tax and whenthey sell the property any gain is subject toCapital Gains Tax.

Should they die before sale it is part of theirestate for IHT purposes.

So we potentially solve one problem butcreate others. I would describe that assomething of a Pyrrhic victory.

The worst case scenario (which is surprisinglycommon) is where the home is gifted but norent is paid and the value remains in the donor’sestate for IHT purposes.

However, the legal ownership has passed tothe children who sell the property at somefuture date and they are then taxed on the gains.

Given the relative difficulty of giftingproperty and retaining an interest in it (mostobviously through continued occupation) anincreasing number of people are consideringequity release and IHT planning with the'released' funds.

Typically, the method of equity releasechosen is a lifetime mortgage with interestrolled-up This will constitute a debt on theproperty which reduces the taxable value of theproperty on death which, in turn, means IHT isreduced on death (provided, of course, the

money borrowed is not retained in the estate). There will usually be a provision that the

total outstanding debt cannot cause 'negativeequity' to arise.

The funds released can then be used in estateplanning depending on the requirements of thepotential donor for control over, and access to,the funds. As stated at the beginning of thearticle, there is much that can be done here.

If IHT is still an issue for house owners whodo not wish to complicate their lives, then weshould not ignore the power of providing for theliability through life assurance (joint lives lastsurvivor for married couples) in trust for thosewho will suffer because of the payment of theIHT.

The life assurance will pay out quickly to thebeneficiaries of the trust (usually the children)ensuring they have funds to pay the IHTliability.

They receive the funds tax free as the trustensures the money is not part of the deceased’sestate.

Simply put, the objective is to put the rightmoney in the right hands at the right time.

As ever the moral of this article is to seekproperly qualified advice if you have concernsabout your, or a family member’s IHT position.

L A W & F I N A N C E

Inheritance taxand your home

Peter Rutherford of Universal Tax Strategiesguides home owners through the complex

issue of Inheritance tax.

EXPERT VIEWPeter Rutherford

Partner Universal Tax Strategies LLP

Tel: (0191) 374 0333 Email: peter.rutherford@utsllp.co.uk

54

Financial issues are often a factor in divorceand relationship breakdown. The pressureon couples due to mounting energy costsand increases in petrol and food bills with

less and less credit being available and salaries notincreasing at the same rate causes increasedtensions in relationships which may already befragile.

Family lawyers are seeing an increase in newinstructions for divorce.

Separating finances for divorcing couples canbe extremely difficult, especially when the mainasset tends to be the family home.

With property sales now increasing and valuesclimbing, there is potentially more money in the

matrimonial pot for division between parties.However, getting offers on properties

sometimes can be difficult in this ever changingclimate, especially when one party wants to getout of a marriage and obtain a quick divorce.

This can tempt some separating couples toreduce prices beyond even the natural reductionsoften applied when attempting to achieve aspeedy house sale.

There can be resistance by one spouse to sellthe property for less than its true value,particularly if they are going to be keeping all ofthe sale proceeds as part of a financial agreement.

This can cause the other spouse to employother types of pressure to force a sale, such as

withholding mortgage payments or purchasing aproperty at a gross undervalue through a thirdparty.

Buying and selling houses can be stressful anddifficult enough on its own and when you add thepressure and emotional strain of going through adivorce it can make a tricky situation even harder.

Sellers are vulnerable, especially if they areselling under the pressure of a divorce and may beat risk of being outmanoeuvred by a combinationof tactics by the other spouse and by the currentclimate in the property sector.

The key message in these situations is to getexpert advice before making any rash decisionsabout selling your property.

L A W & F I N A N C E

Ward Hadaway Family Law expert Sarah Crilly looks at how the state of thehousing market is affecting relationships and divorce settlements.

Trouble at home

55

At Handelsbanken, you only ever dealwith people you know by name anddecisions are made locally at thebranch ensuring customers receive

the best possible service. Founded in Sweden in 1871,

Handelsbanken has over 800 branchesworldwide. This figure now includes some 180branches in the UK with nine in the NorthEast of England.

The office in Newcastle Grey Street opened12 years ago, originally being one of sevenoffices in the country.

Since then, further branches have opened inStockton, Darlington, Sunderland, Durhamand Morpeth and more recently a secondbranch on Saville Row in Newcastle, Hexhamand Middlesbrough branches have opened forbusiness.

Unlike some other banks, operations aredecentralised and therefore customers benefitfrom extremely short decision lines.

The branches operate as a local business andmanagers have the power to make decisions at alocal level, enabling them to offer customers ahighly bespoke banking service.

This also comes with the benefit of beingpart of a very stable, highly cost effective bankwith good liquidity, a high credit rating and awell-balanced amount of equity. Bloomberghas recently rated Handelsbanken as one of thetop ten strongest banks in the world.

The banking services are designed forcustomers who need a bespoke offering witheasy access to their manager. Putting the needsof the customer ahead of all else lies at the veryheart of everything Handelsbanken do.

Each proposal is assessed on its own meritsand the Bank tailor their current accounts,mortgages and loans to customers’ individualrequirements, truly putting the customer first.

This is summed up by this quote from CEOPar Boman: “Our advice must always be what is

best for the customer not what is mostprofitable for the bank at that time”.

Handelsbanken was recently rated top forcustomer satisfaction for the fifth year running,in an independent survey* of British banks’personal and business customers.

Loyalty levels emerged still higher, whichreflects the bank’s focus on building long-termcustomer relationships for mutual benefit, freefrom product campaigns, sales targets or shortterm bonus incentives.

* Customer satisfaction survey conductedindependently by EPSI, October 2013.

Handelsbanken services …

Individual banking

• Day to day banking facilities(cards/overdrafts)

• Mortgages• Savings/ISA’s/term deposits• Investment property funding• Currency–based facilities• Partnership capital funding• Trust facilities• Pension lending• Internet banking• Wealth and investment planning

Corporate banking

• Day-to-day banking facilities. (Cards /Overdrafts)

• Commercial loan facilities• Currency–based facilities• Trade finance• Asset finance• Cash management• Corporate internet banking• Invoice finance• Deposit accounts

What customers say …

Brian Trench, CEO of A-Belco Group

“Such a huge benefit, to have a bank team thatknow both of us, understand our lives andsupport us thoroughly. The work of the team istotally efficient and unobtrusive, providing aninstant and approachable response to all of ourneeds. Always thinking ahead, helping us planand deliver different responses to the varieddemands of our busy lives, conversations arealways beneficial and provide a great sense ofsecurity and knowledge. A great combination ofgenuine relationships backed by the strength ofa super efficient and reliable banking group.”

Mr and Mrs Oxenham, Durham

“Handelsbanken provided us with a trulypersonalised service, sensitively delivered bycaring advisers who listened and understood ourobjectives. We are delighted to be in such safehands and happy to recommend their servicesto others.”

Paul Callaghan, CBE, DL

“The decision to change banks in 2011 was notan easy one. I needed a bank that I could talkto. A bank that understood not only my financesbut also the way I liked to manage them, a bankthat could respond quickly and efficiently whenI needed something doing. So in 2011 I choseHandelsbanken – and I made the right choice.”

Andy Stewart, Director Induction PipeBending Ltd

“Since becoming disenchanted with ourexisting high street bank, our change toHandelsbanken has proved refreshing in terms

L A W & F I N A N C E

Relationshipbanking

By putting the clients first,Handelsbanken has becomeone of the top ten strongest

banks in the world.

56

of both our business and our personal accounts.From the initial transfer which proved simpleand painless, we have enjoyed a genuinerelationship with people who know us and whowe can trust to help with anything from day today queries through to provision of loans andmortgage facilities etc. We would have nohesitation in recommending Handelsbanken toanyone.”

Adam Serfontein, MD Hanro Limited

“The entire team has taken the time to understandour strategy and our business and, as a result, theyhave become trusted advisors. The Handelsbankenculture is a very valuable asset to our business.”

Naren Deen, partner Samuel PhillipsLaw Firm

“Handelsbanken recently assisted me with thepurchase of a complex rural property. They were

able to look past the complexity and see that it wasa sound proposal. A very friendly, professional andknowledgeable team.”George Collins

“I have been with Handelsbanken for over twoyears now and the bank and my bank manager area pleasure to deal with. I am treated at all timeswith respect, humour and consideration, nothing istoo much of a problem to deal with at a local levelwhich is truly refreshing. I genuinely feel that I amvalued as a customer by the bank and that there is ahuge desire within the bank to create and sustain asolid working relationship between us that I canand do trust and rely upon. I fully expect to remainwith them for as long as they will have me, giventhe above, why on earth should I move?”

Charles Beaumont, director,Treesplease Ltd

“When Trees Please needed a substantial loan

towards the cost of fixed equipment required tosupport a trebling of production, our bank of 46years standing was impossibly inflexible. Withintwo weeks of walking unannounced intoHandelsbanken in Hexham we had agreed Headsof Terms that suited both sides. Just good oldfashioned banking from people who try tounderstand their customers’ needs. Talking toHandelsbanken is like taking a good lungful offresh Northumbrian air!”

To speak to your local Handelsbanken branchabout your banking needs, call: Newcastle Grey Street: (0191) 261 9888,Newcastle Saville Row: (0191) 230 2310,Morpeth: (01670) 513770,Sunderland: (0191) 548 0230,Hexham: (01434) 600066,Durham: (0191) 384 4200,Darlington: (01325) 358505,Stockton: (01642) 614402,Middlesbrough: (01642) 242393.

57

Handelsbanken Branch Managers from left to right: Tom Ramshaw (Newcastle Grey Street), Rory Gibson (Durham),David Wilson (Hexham), David Elliot (Morpeth), Mike Brunskill (Newcastle Saville Row)and Granville Kelly (Sunderland).

I N T E R V I E W

The long game

PASTIentered the legal profession as an articledclerk (what trainees were called, then) on St

Andrews Day, 1977 and qualified as a solicitoron St David’s Day, 1982.

My first employer was a conventional highstreet firm based in Bristol. Myself and theother six trainees had the run of the attic floorof the office building and were very much leftto our own devices – no time sheets in thosedays.

The firm specialised in criminal law, soperiodically trainees would be called to attendlocal police stations to take statements fromclients or to attend identification parades.

Within a few months I had graduated toattending the local prisons and to briefingbarristers to represent clients in the CrownCourt. For a 21-year-old, the work was a real‘eye opener’.

It was a congenial and relaxed workatmosphere, although the hours were just aslong as they are today.

FUTUREIt is a truism that technology has revolutionisedall of our lives, whether at work or home. That

revolution will continue to intensify. Theservices which lawyers provide will not change,but the manner in which we deliver thoseservices will.

They say that people buy professionalservices from individuals, not organisations.The relationships that lawyers have with theirclients will become ever more important.

Video conferencing has been around for anumber of years but now seems oddly out offashion.

Skype is making good headway, first outsidework but now increasingly at the office.Lasting relationships are built face to face.

Being able to see the person you are talkingto over distance will make a big difference.

North East Times asks successful men and women with more than 25 years’ experience in their field, what their industrywas like when they started, how it has changed and where they see their sector going?

PRESENTFast forward 35 years as commercial property

lawyer and what a difference to theavailability of information and speed ofcommunication in the legal profession.

When I started, there was no internet, nosmart phones or fax machines.

The fastest method of communication waseither a landline telephone, a telegram or telex.

Research was undertaken either in the firm’slibrary or the local Law Society library.

I can remember being reprimanded by myprincipal for not dealing with a letter quicklyenough as I had not replied to it within afortnight. I was clearly overworked and shouldhave passed the matter to someone else.

One is lucky these days to have 14 hours toprovide a considered, measured and sageresponse.

Some things, however, have not changed.Clients, then as now, rightly expect high qualityservice for the hard earned money that they payus.

Our clients at Hay & Kilner look to us asmore than just processors of documents but asfriends and trusted advisors.

Relationships are just as important now asever. It is humbling to realise that I haveworked closely with some clients for over 25years.

Richard Freeman-WallacePartner and commercial property, agricultural and

rural specialist, Hay & Kilner.

58

59

Before joining RowlandsAccountants in 2007, you worked fora sole practitioner. How has thatbenefited you at Rowlands?

I began my training with a small solepractitioner and there were no such things as anaccounts or tax department, I just had to do itall, from bookkeeping and VAT Returns to fullaccounts. I was also client facing straight away.It was a brilliant grounding that has enabled meto advise clients in all aspects of their businessesand to be confident in my abilities.

You specialise in the area oftaxation. What are the commonpitfalls and how can SMEs avoidfalling into these?

Taxation is an area that is forever changing andso we advise clients to review their affairsfrequently. For example, not qualifying forEntrepreneur’s Relief could cost a client 18 percent Capital Gains Tax, therefore we alwayslook at this closely.

A common area where gainingEntrepreneur’s Relief can be tricky is withpartnerships, depending on whether assets areheld in or outside of the partnership. Also,ownership of assets in relation to Agriculturaland Business Property Relief can beproblematic if the specifics aren’t right.

Through acting for a large number offarming clients, we are completely up to speedon all the relevant legislation and we keep apermanent file in respect of these issues toensure we can support claims as and when theybecome necessary.

You have a particular interest intrusts and inheritance tax – whenshould people seek advice onthese?

I think trusts are one of the most underrated taxplanning tools. Not only for the really wealthy,they can be used by anyone at any stage of theirlife. Trusts help with tax planning, but are alsothe best vehicle for asset protection, for examplethey can prevent an 18 year old from wastingtheir inheritance, or protect a family’s wealthfrom the impact of divorce.

In terms of inheritance tax planning, themajority of planning relies upon making gifts ofassets seven years prior to death so it is never tooearly to think about this. Individuals mustremember though that once gifts have beenmade, they cannot’ be taken back.

As a mum to a lively toddler, whatare your tips for achieving a betterwork-life balance?

Being a working mum is not easy. I’m very lucky

that I have great support, not just at home butalso within Rowlands, where the ethos is thatfamily comes first.

Flexible working hours have always beenmade available to me and so I’m able to dropmy daughter off and collect her from nursery. Ialways feel some guilt but when not at work Imake the most of every spare moment and mydaughter is happy and healthy which is whatcounts. I’m extremely proud of the fact that themajority of my career progression has takenplace since I became a mum.

As a student you were awarded theInstitute of Chartered AccountantsCarter prize for outstandingachievement. What advice wouldyou give to those training tobecome a Chartered Accountanttoday?

I took a different route to most, choosing tostudy and work simultaneously. Studying canseem like forever but in reality it is only a fewyears of your life and can make or break yourfuture. My best advice is to put the work infrom day one. I paid for all my own tuition, so Ihad that added incentive to gain first timepasses!

For more information visitwww.rowlandsaccoutants.co.uk

L A W & F I N A N C E

Dawn’s viewRowlands Accountants’ partner andworking mum Dawn Walton looks at

some of the key issues facing SMEs withregards to taxation and offers advice to

the next generation of charteredaccountants.

60

George Osborne's recent visit tothe North East was designed bythe Government'scommunications supremos to be

a watershed moment in the UK's recenteconomic history.

Timed to coincide with the latest GDPfigures, which showed that our economy hadgrown by 0.8 per cent during the secondquarter of 2014 and that it had finally battledits way above its pre-recession peak, theChancellor's tour of Virgin Money's GosforthHQ provided a clear line in the sand fromwhich an election campaign could belaunched.

While always taking what any politiciansays with a pinch of salt, the economicatmosphere in our region is tangibly betterthan it was 12 months ago – everyone mightnot yet be feeling the impact of this in theirpockets, but the pessimism that has hauntedus since 2008 seems finally to be dissipating.

One of the impacts of this for my industryis something of a loosening of the pursestrings from the traditional providers ofcapital for business acquisitions.

An understandable reluctance to get theirfingers burned in difficult times, coupledwith business owners holding onto assets thatthey might otherwise have sold due to afeeling that they won't get maximum valuefor them, has held back the North East'smerger and acquisition market in recentyears.

However, the trend now appears to bechanging due to easier access to capital and agreater number of opportunities in themarket place.

If you're one of these company ownerswho's now looking to realise the benefits ofbuilding up a business through the difficultlast few years, what should your priorities befor securing the sale you're looking for?

Showing that you've successfully achieved

solid sales and profits in the past is clearlyimportant, but it's equally important to beable to show that you've got the structures inplace to carry this on in the future.

Potential buyers are going to be interestedin three main areas – your client list, yourbrand/reputation and your infrastructure, allof which will combine towards creatingsustainable value in your business.

As part of this, ensure that you're investingappropriately in staff recruitment andtraining, as their expertise and commitmentwill be central in setting the business up forfurther success in the future.

Getting robust, independent advice onyour plans will help you get everything inplace as efficiently as possible.

The climate for securing a business sale isbetter now than it has been for several years,but having everything properly in place is thebest way for company owners to get theoutcomes they're looking for.

L A W & F I N A N C E

Selling yourbusiness

Greg Bolton, head ofcorporate finance at RMT onhow to make your company

appealing to buyers.

EXPERT VIEWGreg Bolton

Head of Corporate Finance RMT

Tel: (0191) 256 9500Web: www.r-m-t.co.uk

61

L A W & F I N A N C E

Ten facts about DurhamCatherine Milbanke from LeathersLLP refects on ten interesting facts

about Durham.

Durham School celebrates its 600-year anniversary this year, making itone of the oldest schools in Britain.Durham City Rugby Football

Club, the second oldest club in the county,was founded in 1872 with navy and goldplaying colours and has the SanctuaryKnocker of Durham Cathedral as the club’screst.

Elvet is taken from an Old English wordAelfet ee meaning ‘Swan Island’. Old Elvet,a city centre road leading from Elvet Bridge,was once the site of the City’s horse fair.

In the 19th century public executions byhanging took place on Old Elvet. Somedrew audiences of around 15,000. Onehouse rented out its first floor balcony, whichstill exists today, to spectators.

There is a life-size statue of the famousmusician the ‘Polish Count’, JosefBoruwlaski, in Durham Town Hall. TheCount settled in Durham and lived there for47 years until his death in 1837 aged 97.

The Count is reported to have been around 3feet and 3 inches tall.

In Notes from a Small Island, Bill Brysonwrote ‘I unhesitatingly gave Durham my votefor the best cathedral on planet Earth’.

Durham Regatta has been held on theRiver Wear in Durham since 1834. It is thesecond oldest regatta in Britain and is often

referred to as 'the Henley of the North'.The Miners’ Gala is held on the second

Saturday in July each year; a parade of brassbands and banners of former colliery villagesturn out in force to remember their coal-mining heritage. The 130th DurhamMiners’ Gala was held on July 12, 2014.

There are more than 14,000 universitystudents based in the City of Durham ofwhom nearly 90 per cent are from outsidethe region. As around 65,000 people live inDurham in total, this gives huge fluctuationsin population numbers between term timesand the holiday periods. For instance in Julyand August the city centre is particularlyquiet.

Leathers LLP re-opened in Durham inJune 2014 at 26A Old Elvet, where we can becontacted.

Leathers LLP is located at 26AOld Elvet. Contact Catherine onc.milbanke@leathersllp.co.uk.

62

With the future funding capability ofthe Northern Rock Foundationstill uncertain, charities in theNorth East may face the loss of a

valuable, significant North East focussed donor. Family giving could help fill this gap, and

those in other regions, and for many of ourclients the establishment of a family foundationmeans turning philanthropic aspirations intoreality.

A family foundation is a charity which isfunded solely or primarily through anindividual, a family or a family business.

The reason for deciding to establish a familyfoundation varies from family to family.

Triggers can include:

• A desire to leave a legacy for the future whichcan start having an impact immediately.

• A desire to meet a need in society which doesnot appear to have been identified by others.

• To pass on the importance of altruism andphilanthropy to younger generations in thefamily.

• To use the family foundation as a tool toteach younger generations how to deal withmoney responsibly (recognising that they maybe likely to inherit significant private wealth).

• To benefit from tax reliefs on donations to thefoundation during their lifetimes and upontheir death.

• Or even to intentionally limit the inheritancethat younger generations will receive.

Establishing a family foundation andidentifying how it should be funded and bywhom should form part of a family’s long-termwealth management plan.

Of course donations by the family to the

family foundation are tax efficient for bothfamily members and family businesses.

Funding options are numerous and includeregular giving, a ‘one-off’ initial lump sum orsubsequent ‘top up’, leaving a legacy ordonating profits or shares from the familybusiness. For long-term, sustainable giving, anendowment whose careful investment fundsannual giving is the most usual option.

The UK offers an attractive setting for afamily foundation with flexible governancearrangements, transparent and accountablepractices and a freedom to support thosecharitable causes most important to the family.

The structure of a family foundation can besuch that its individual trustees are protectedfrom personal liability, and governancearrangements can provide as much or as littlecontrol to the initial founder as he or shedesires (subject to complying with the law),

along with flexible arrangements to involveyounger members of the family in aconsultative role if required.

The usual approach is for a familyfoundation to be established with the objectiveof furthering such exclusively charitablepurposes as the trustees, in their discretion,decide.

This gives freedom to react quickly tocharitable need in a changing social andeconomic climate.

Nevertheless, from a good governanceperspective, trustees should establish a grant-making policy setting out issues such as howrecipients of funding will be identified andwhat the funding priorities are for the nextthree years (for example) to ensure focussedand effective giving that achieves social impact.

The family foundation can reflect theunique interests of the family, whether they arelocal, national or international in focus, andrepresents an opportunity to match privategiving with public need.

For many successful individuals, a desire tomake a social impact with their wealth andexpertise is highly important as a way of givingback. To do so effectively and efficiently intoday’s landscape of regulation, complex taxreliefs and media scrutiny, it is vital to receivehigh quality, knowledgeable advice frompractitioners who specialise not only inmanaging wealth but also in the intricacies ofcharitable giving.

Choosing a family office capable of meetingall those needs and helping you with thestewardship of your family wealth is key forthose who wish to have structure and form totheir giving.

To discuss the possibility of creating yourown family foundation please get in touch.

L A W & F I N A N C E

Establishing afamily foundation

By Samantha Pritchard, associatein the charities team at the Newcastle

office of law firm Bond Dickinson.

EXPERT VIEWSamantha Pritchard

Associate Bond Dickinson

Tel: (0191) 230 8391Email:

samantha.pritchard@bonddickinson.com Web: www.bonddickinson.com

63

One very noticeable, yet broadlyunrecognised points aboutcurrent investment markets is theunusually low volatility. This is

concerning; not because of the lack ofinvestment opportunities or a backdrop offalling economic sentiment, but because lowvolatility is seen as a signal for a marketcorrection.

As the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’sChairman, William C Dudley put it recently,"Volatility in markets right now is very low. Iam nervous that people are taking too muchcomfort in this low volatility period, and aconsequence of that, taking bigger risks."

So why is this so? Some have indicatedthat this is a direct result of theinterventionist policy pursued by globalcentral banks after the financial crisis in2008.

Gillian Tett of the Financial Timesexpressed the views of many when she wrotethat, "markets have been so distorted by heavygovernment interference since 2008 thatinvestors are frozen."

However, due to the extended equitymarket recovery post 2008, it may be thatinvestors have become complacent; expectinghigher returns than the historical average.

Volatility has fallen as stocks have risen;volatility has fallen in the bond market asbonds have rallied.

Consequently a call for higher volatility is acall for a stocks and bonds to sell off. Lowvolatility proceeded the global financial crisis.There is low volatility now; therefore anothercrisis is lurking around the corner.

Yet low volatility did not cause the globalfinancial crisis. The lax regulatory frameworkand enforcement, excessive leverage and whatwas traditionally understood as off-balancesheet exposure, now called "shadow banking"played in important role in more narratives ofthe crisis.

To varying extents, policy makers have triedto address some of these issues throughboosting capital requirements and otherregulatory issues.

Some who do not like these measures callit "financial repression", but it is really meant

to address the excess laxity of the previousperiod.

So what is our view? Where others see abenign investment environment, ThreeCounties Investment Committee seeopportunity.

We continually review the globalmacroeconomic environment on your behalf,committed to ensuring that no matter whatthe conditions are, we can plot a course toenable you to meet your carefully laid outfinancial plans. We see opportunity withinevery market environment and this is still thecase through careful analysis, in depthresearch and continuous communication withour chosen investment managers.

We firmly believe that in these marketconditions can create fantastic opportunitiesfor high quality active managers.

With the markets moving in a sideways,range-bound frame, the outperformance fromthe best fund managers can be significant andwe have noted a number of these, both withinthe UK and overseas, throughout our in-house investment portfolios during 2014.

L A W & F I N A N C E

Low volatility Andrew Alexander

from Three Countieslooks at how this may

affect the markets.

EXPERT VIEWAndrew Alexander

Head of InvestmentsThree Counties

Tel: (0191) 230 3034Twitter: @3countiesFA

Web: www.three-counties.co.uk

64

Two well-known figures in the Newcastlebusiness community have beenappointed to help shape the future ofthe city’s Marie Curie Hospice.

Adam Serfontein, managing director ofThe Hanro Group, and Alok Loomba, partnerat law firm Sintons, have become the latestmembers of the Marie Curie NewcastleHospice development board.

Adam, who heads one of the North East’slargest commercial property investment anddevelopment companies, and Alok, a leadingreal estate lawyer with specialism in fieldsincluding investment, development, leisure,care and pharmacies, will now work with theother members of the development boardwith their fundraising activities for thehospice.

The board has raised around £500,000 in

the past four years to help maintain anddevelop the Newcastle Hospice, which offersspecialist care for people with terminalillnesses as well as support for their families.

Among its other members are two of Alok’sfellow Partners at Sintons, Tim Gray andKatharine Lowthian.

Adam says: “The Marie Curie Hospice is aplace which has brought such comfort andsupport to so many people at a time they needit most, and I am delighted to be able to workwith Alok and the existing team to contributeto its ongoing success. The developmentboard do an outstanding job and the cause issecond to none.”

Alok adds: “I am honoured to be invited tojoin the development board. The NewcastleMarie Curie Hospice is an incredible placeoffering much needed care to patients and

families and I will do all I can to help raisevital funds to help support its work.”

Lisa Corfield, fundraising manager NorthEast for Marie Curie, said: “We are thrilled towelcome Adam and Alok to the NewcastleHospice development board.

Along with our existing board members,Adam and Alok will play a key role play inengaging local support.

“It is our intention that the Marie CurieHospice Newcastle should be fully funded bythe community that it serves. The MarieCurie Hospice, Newcastle, costs £3.7 millionto run per year, which equals £9964 per day.

Approximately 43 per cent of this willcome from the NHS, leaving £2.1m to beraised locally each year to ensure we continueto care for as many patients as possible in theNorth East.”

L A W & F I N A N C E

Two new additions Marie Curie North East

welcomes twoprominent professionals

to its board.

Left to right: AdamSerfontein, Lisa Corfield

and Alok Loomba.

66

Acelebrity-favourite designer whoseshoes are worn by X Factor judgeCheryl Fernandez-Versini andHollywood megastar Angelina Jolie

has opened his first shop outside of London inthe North East.

Terry de Havilland - who has created iconicfootwear for the stars since the 1970s, and alsocounts supermodel Kate Moss and Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence among hiscustomers – is adding to his flagship base justoff London’s famous Carnaby Street.

The designer, whose wife Liz hails fromNewcastle, has now chosen Jesmond’s ClaytonRoad as only his second UK outlet. Morestores are planned as the brand continues togrow globally.

The Terry de Havilland design studio willremain in London, but his online sales and

commercial office will now be based inNewcastle.

The store is now open and an officiallaunch is planned for the end of the month.The store stocks his main line collection aswell as some special offers and samplesexclusive to the North East.

The first phase of the expansion of the Terryde Havilland brand has been overseen byNewcastle law firm Sintons.

Darren Spurling, managing director ofTerry de Havilland, is overseeing the creationof the Jesmond store.

He says: “Newcastle is a very vibrant cityand one which has a growing reputation asboth a social and shopping destination. We aredelighted to bring the Terry de Havillandbrand here. With our online and commercialoperations now operating out of Newcastle,

the city will play a key role in the furtherexpansion of Terry de Havilland. We alreadyhave plans in place to open further standalonestores in our key markets, which we hope tobring to fruition in the near future.”

Laura Peace, partner in the Real Estatedepartment at Sintons, oversaw the acquisitionof the Clayton Road site.

She says: “Terry de Havilland is a brandwhich enjoys a global reputation and whoseiconic shoes are worn by some of the mostfamous women and biggest style icons in theworld. It is a huge coup for Newcastle thatTerry has chosen the city as the home of hissecond store, and we are delighted to havehelped to make that happen.”

For more information visitwww.sintons.co.uk

L A W & F I N A N C E

Terry de Havillandcomes to Newcastle

The celebrated shoedesigner has arrived onTyneside, with the help

of Sintons.

Laura Peace andDarren Spurling

67

Ignoring policies

Your equal opportunities and recruitmentpolicies are there for a reason. Job applicantscan pursue discrimination claims andcompensation awards are unlimited. It istherefore important to familiarise yourself withand follow your policies. The duty to makereasonable adjustments for disabled candidatesis particularly important.

Looking for a superhero

Most job advertisements (and job descriptions)ask for very specific qualifications, experienceand qualities. Keep your criteria relevant andnecessary. Don’t put off good candidates bybeing too prescriptive. Consider breaking downrequirements as to what is necessary v what isdesirable.

Failing to advertise

Sticking to what you know in terms of where toadvertise will prevent you from reaching a widevariety of candidates. If you advertise online onlyfor example, it is less likely that older candidatesor candidates with limited resources will apply.

Discriminating

Discrimination legislation is very complicatedand job adverts and interview questions haveled to litigation in recent times. It’s not just theobvious “no’s” that you need to be aware ofsuch as asking women if they “are planning onhaving children!” Less obvious examples ofdiscrimination have included advertising for“mature” candidates or a “youngerentrepreneurial” candidate (both constitutedage discrimination). If you advertise for a “full-time” employee, consider whether you canjustify this on business grounds as there is a sexdiscrimination risk when considering thenumber of female employees who have childcare commitments. All employees involved inrecruitment should participate in equalopportunities training.

Asking about a candidates healthpre job offer

Interview questions about a person’s health orattendance record are prohibited as are healthquestionnaires attached to application forms.There are some circumstances when suchquestions can be asked but these are limited.

Failure to have a rigid applicationprocess

All applicants should be asked the samequestions, which are testing and relevant to thejob. Consider whether practical or written testswill be useful (keeping in mind your duty tomake reasonable adjustments). Ideally have twopeople involved in the assessment process tomake decisions as objective as possible.

Not checking references

However impressive or persuasive a candidateis when they are interviewed, you should neveroverlook references. Job offers should be madeconditional upon receipt of these.

Failure to provide feedback

This makes it more likely that an applicant willpursue a discrimination claim on the basis thatthey didn’t get the job because of their age, sex,race etc.

Disregarding your paper trail

Full notes should be kept of the shortlistingprocess, interviews and discussions afterwards.Keep the notes plus documents such as theapplication forms, job adverts and jobdescriptions as these will be essential whendefending any tribunal claim. Documentsshould ideally be destroyed after six months inorder to comply with data protectionlegislation.

Not managing the employee froman early stage

It is essential to provide employees with a fullinduction and training. Expectations should beset from the outset of their employment. If theemployee doesn’t meet those expectations, actquickly and make sure you use theprobationary period properly by conductingregular reviews and extending it if necessary.

The ‘do’s and don’ts’ of recruitment will becovered in a forthcoming seminar, which willbe delivered by the employment team at Hay& Kilner in the form of a role play. Theseminar will take place on ThursdayNovember 20, 2014 at the Centre for Life inNewcastle. To reserve your free place at thisseminar or to enquire about equalopportunities training, please contact HelenWard on (0191) 232 8345 or email:Helen.Ward@hay-kilner.co.uk

L A W & F I N A N C E

Avoid mistakes when

recruitingSarah Furness,

employment law specialistat Hay & Kilner, looks at the topten recruitment errors, ahead

of an informativeseminar.

EXPERT VIEWSarah Furness

Employment law specialist Hay & Kilner

Web: www.hay-kilner.co.uk

68

Sales can be an inexact science when itcomes to contributing to business andas an engine of economic expansionand business development.

and as an engine of economic expansion andbusiness development.

There are too many variables involved in thewhole sales process, which can impact uponthe ability to secure a deal – and ultimately thecapacity to add extra revenue to the bottomline.

But, unsurprisingly, it’s usually the quality(or lack of quality) of sales people and salesteams which can be the defining factor inwhether or not a customer decides to place itsbusiness with you.

So, while not everyone has the innate skillsand talent to be a first class sales person, thereare come simple but effective steps, which canbe taken to help improve the dynamics of thesales function.

These have been captured and refineddurhamlane’s proven sales methodology,Selling at a Higher Level, which many of ourclients such as Anglia Ruskin University,accessplanit and online assessment companyThe Test Factory, have embedded into the waythey work in order to unlock the potential oftheir sales and non-sales people and equipthem with the skills and confidence that makea measurable difference to commercial

performance.The five-step path to success starts by

understanding durhamlane’s first sales mantra:Business fit, business value, developing long-term relationships.

To be successful in sales and business,people need to understand how they fit in withthe customer and identify the added value theycan offer before making an approach. It maysound simple, but too often this basic tenet isoverlooked in the headlong pursuit to securesales volume rather than quality.

While keeping the wheel of new customergeneration turning is vital, developing long-term relationships with current customers isalso paramount.

It may seem like common sense butnurturing your customers will be far moresatisfying and is proven to be eight to 10 timesmore cost effective than securing quick winswhich may look good when it comes toachieving targets but offer little, if any real longterm value.

After all, it is usually easier to sell tosomeone again once they have alreadyexperienced buying from you.

When it comes to preparing your salesproposal think it through very carefully. Identifyand understand the important stakeholders inthe decision-making process, before presentinga recommendation that has genuine value and

offers a compelling message as to why thecustomer should buy your product or serviceover that of a competitor’s proposition.

Make sure the value of your offering, and theexpected returns, are presented clearly and thebenefits to the customer are unequivocal andunambiguous.

Too often, people forget to ‘ask’ for thebusiness, so again make sure you close yourpitch politely but positively, outlining the nextsteps, contractual arrangements and how youwill move forward to develop a joint vision ofsuccess with the customer. And once all this inplace, identify measurement criteria and startplanning for success as you target opportunitiesfor growth through other value added projects.

durhamlane is a sales performance specialistwhich helps companies become morecommercial by improving the performance oftheir people and by managing outsourced salescampaigns on their behalf – creating newbusiness opportunities. It delivers a measurabledifference through consultancy, training andcoaching sales and non-sales people anddelivering outsourced sales and businessdevelopment services that increase the footprintand success of clients.

For more information ondurhamlane call (0191) 481 3800or visit www.durhamlane.co.uk

B U S I N E S S

Performing at a higher levelLee Durham, partner at the Newcastle-based sales consultancy,

training and outsourcing services firm, durhamlane, outlines their proprietarymethodology to win sales and boost team working skills.

Lee Durham and Richard Lane.

70

T E C H N O L O G Y N E W S

Celebrating the best and brightest

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

The region’s burgeoning IT andtechnology sector is to berewarded at a new eventcelebrating great North East

success stories.Sponsored by BT, Dynamites 14 – the

North East’s IT and Technology Awards –has launched with the intention ofrewarding the very best from the wealth oftech talent based in the region.

Nominations are now open online for ahost of awards which aim to shine aspotlight on the North East growingreputation as a place to create, nurtureand grow IT excellence.

The awards night will take place onOctober 15 at Newcastle Civic Centre’sbanqueting hall.

Simon Roberson, BT’s regionalpartnership director for the North East, said:“These awards are a fantastic opportunityto celebrate the success of the region’s ITsector and to encourage more IT successes

Dynamites 14 awards to celebrate North East IT talent.

in the future. Technology will have a hugerole to play in the prosperity of the NorthEast in the years ahead and nobody is

doing more than BT to ensure that theregion is able to take full advantage of thelatest exciting developments.”

BBC’s Rory Cellan-Jonestalked at a Dynamo 14 event

earlier this year.

Property developer Clouston Grouphas moved its management systems

into the cloud, thanks to Synergi IT.The company, developing the £200m

flagship Stephenson Quarter adjacent toNewcastle Central Station, is aiming to

build a more flexible business that willencourage greater collaborative workingand it has seen immediate benefits fromthe shift from a traditional ITinfrastructure.

Alan Schofield, finance director at

Clouston Group, said: “It has been a bigwin for the business. There have beencapital cost savings, ongoingmaintenance savings and a supportmechanism that we feel better suits us asa business.

Property developer embraces the cloud

South Shields Museum and Art Galleryhas invested in a state-of-the-art CCTV

system in order to secure a sought-aftermanuscript for its latest exhibition.

Sunderland-based security specialists,

Hadrian Technology, installed the newcameras in advance of the museum’s TheBoldon Book exhibition, which runs untilNovember 2, 2014.

Arts Council England, which arranged

the loan of the ancient manuscript fromThe British Library stipulated that securityhad to be enhanced in order to display theartefact – which is the earliest survivingcopy of the 12th century Boldon Book.

CCTV to protect 900-year-old manuscript

72

The volume of the world’s data is said to bedoubling every month, thanks to theincreasing take up of big data and cloudcomputing services.

Managing and storing increasing amounts ofdata is driving the market for purpose-built datacentres where critical systems and data is storedin a safe and secure environment, offering anassured recovery environment.

Banks and financial institutions were amongthe first to switch to data centre models, seekingthe benefits of secure, uninterruptedconnectivity.

That core principle has gradually become abasic need for every organisation delivering the‘always on’ availability that customers expect.

Data centres are the new digital fortresses,complete with superfast communicationsbacked up by 24/7 staffing and high levelsecurity, onsite energy substations and backupgenerators, fire detection and failsafeenvironmental systems.

These and other features are designed tocreate a ring of steel around mission-criticaldata and systems, which combined with robustbackup solutions has resulted in the IT holytrinity of assured recovery.

The European data centre services market isset to grow by 16 per cent over the next fouryears, and as London starts to run short of datacentre space and companies look outside thecapital for a more flexible, cost effective deals,ITPS is meeting a surge in demand for hosting,backup, recovery and cloud services byinvesting £2 million in creating the North East’s

biggest data centre and combined businessrecovery space.

The move will create 25 new jobs andcement our position as the biggestindependently-owned IT specialist in theregion.

A former IBM business continuity andrecovery centre, our new Cisco-powered33,000sq ft premises in Chester-le-Street hascapacity for 400 server racks, and include 500fully equipped workspace recovery seats to allowclients to quickly relocate their businesses in theface of disaster or interruption to service.

This is the culmination of a three-yearsearch for new premises with a very specific setof prerequisites, based on a combination ofmarket intelligence and understanding whatclients want from a data centre partner, such asproject and build areas, and dedicatedworkspace that clients can use whenever theyneed them.

In the early days of data centre services, thetrend was to opt for a London-based model, but

in recent years we have invested in a cluster ofgeographically-spread data centres to meetdemand from clients who prefer the security ofhaving their information spread between severalUK-based and controlled sites.

London data centres are starting to sufferfrom space and power constraints as well asconcerns over the risk of flooding and terroristattacks.

There are also an increasing number ofindustries whose regulations prescribe thatbackup data must be held at a minimumdistance from core systems.

This all adds up to big opportunities for datacentres outside the capital, and we have made a£1m+ investment in a high speed, newgeneration optical fibre connectivity ring – thefastest in the North East – surrounding all ourdata centres.

This allows us to service clients in the UKand further afield whether they are looking for asimple co-location service, a fully mirroredsystem or real-time data replication.

The biggest benefit of using a data centre isthat clients can count on assured recoveryshould their business face interruption from avirus, a simple error or a total disaster. Withoutdata a business has no baseline on which tobase its recovery.

Data centre services have becomeincreasingly flexible and very affordable over thelast few years so I will leave you with a question.

Ask yourself, how much is your data worth toyou, and how long would your business lastwithout it?

T E C H N O L O G Y

Is yourdata safe?

Asks GeorgeGalloway, commercial

director at ITPS.

EXPERT VIEWGeorge Galloway

Commercial directorITPS

Web: www.itps.co.uk

74

When speaking with clients bothold and new many customers askus the same question: ‘Is cloudcomputing the right solution for

me?’ At Perfect Image, we take a consultative

approach to all of our briefs and never sellone-size-fits all solutions, so the answer wegive often depends on each client’s own set-up and objectives for the future.

When people started using PCs in theiroffices, the first generation of PCinfrastructure usually involved physicalservers sitting in your own premises, in yourown office, and working from there.

Of course, over the last few years, peoplehave started to move their servers out of theoffice and into data centres, looking to seeimprovements on service levels andavailability over hosting and servicing theirown IT infrastructures.

More recently, we’ve seen a thirdgeneration of infrastructure provision startingto emerge; a new approach has come along,and that’s using a cloud-based IT solution -ideal for businesses looking to get a true pay-as-you-go, cost effective and scalableinfrastructure.

Each of these three approaches has theirown advantages and disadvantages. If yourservers are on premise, you’ve got the(sometimes perceived) benefits of not havingto rely on a third party and having your dataand applications in your own offices.

You may be in an industry with particulargovernance requirements around the data youhold, and an on-premise solution is an easyway to meet these, but you will have lots ofhidden costs to worry about in providing thespace.

Things like the power, the air conditioningand the security you need to protect thosephysical servers and your ability to providebusiness continuity in the event of a disaster.

Once you move your systems out to a datacentre, you benefit from all the advantagesthat location gives you to improve physicalsecurity and connectivity. In addition, youshould usually get greater availability andresilience as a result and remove all thosepreviously hidden costs.

But true cloud takes this all a step further.As well as all the benefits a data centre brings,you can avoid any capital spend up front andget much greater flexibility, paying just forwhat you use at the end of each month.

Generally, you’ll get lower costs and muchgreater scale from your provider, too.

People have often worried about securityand governance when using a true cloud-based solution, but really all that stuff hasbeen dealt with now.

Cloud computing has come so far, evenThe Pentagon is going to start using truecloud services, and is working with AmazonWeb Services (AWS) for many of its solutions.

In practice, not all of these solutions fit allcircumstances and a lot of people are mixingand matching, taking a hybrid approach totheir IT infrastructure, and that can often bethe best value and get you the best of allworlds.

Every organisation needs to make the rightchoice for their own circumstances, helpingto meet their business needs, but more andmore people are starting to move to a truecloud-based infrastructure or considering itfor some elements of what they do, and wecan only see that trend accelerating in thefuture.

To view a short video blog about thepros and cons of onsite vs cloud, visit:http://bit.ly/OnsiteVCloud.

T E C H N O L O G Y

The onsite vscloud debate

Andrew Robson, CEO of Perfect Image,looks at why people are increasingly

using cloud computing to power the ITinfrastructure behind their business.

EXPERT VIEWAndrew Robson

CEO Perfect Image

Tel: (0191) 238 0111Web: www.perfect-image.co.uk

76

T E C H N O L O G Y

James Kreczak looks at what's new in theworld of technology and gadgets.

State of the art

APPLE 21.5INCH IMAC

The new 21.5 inch iMac offers a striking ultra-thin design, brilliant displays Core i5processor with Turbo Boost speeds of up to2.7GHz, and OS X, the world's most

advanced operating system, designed with ease of

use in mind. Features include stunning HDgraphics, 8GB of memory and a 500GB hard drivesupporting high-performance peripherals. Optionsinclude a 1TB hard drive, a 1TB Fusion Drive,and up to 256GB flash memory for optimal storage

capacity. With prices starting at £899, the newiMac is the perfect entry-level Mac desktop thatcreates a harmonious balance of work and play.

www.apple.com/uk

78

TECHNOPICMOTION RANGE

Online digital photo retailer Technopic haslaunched a new range of high resolution

digital photo frames with advanced multi-usefeatures offering users a high-quality LEDscreen giving an ultra clear photo display,premium sound quality, and video play inMPEG, Dvix and AVI formats. Each frame isavailable in ten, 12 and 15 inch versions, andcomes equipped with 4GB of additionalmemory in a portable USB flash drive.

www.technopic.co.uk

PENTAX K-3PRESTIGE EDITION

Following the success of its flagship PENTAXK-3, first lanched in November 2013,

RICOH IMAGE UK has launched a limitededition version with only 2000 availableworldwide. The Prestige Edition has a camerabody and battery grip finished in a high-gradegunmetal gray coating to match the black andsilver interchangeable K-mount lenses. Theflagship model has been awarded TIPA BestDigital SLR Expert and this is paid homage toon the Prestige Edition's specially designedfaux leather camera strap. RRP £1099

www.ricoh-imaging.co.uk

SAMSUNGGALAXY S5 MINI

The Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini is a newlightweight design featuring a 4.5 inch HD

Super AMOLED Screen screen and aperforated pattern skin creating a modern andsleek look, along with a premium soft touchgrip. It offers a powerful Quad Core 1.4GHzprocessor and 1.5GM RAM for seamlessmultitasking and faster web page loading. Thehigh-resolution 8MP camera delivers crisp andclear photos and video, and is connectable withthe latest Samsung wearable devices.

www.samsung.com/uk

79

M E D I A N E W S

Horizonworks provides the solution

Horizonworks has partnered withbusiness software specialist,Solutions for Accounting, to

provide a full marketing service. The company will support Solutions for

Accounting’s marketing and sales teams inthe delivery of creative campaigns, salesinitiatives and production of marketingmaterials to raise its profile and generateenquiries.

The partnership occurred after Solutionsfor Accounting, which works with smallbusiness and SMEs throughout the UK,recently opened a new operations centrein Newcastle to compliment its offices inNottingham and Cheshire.

Commenting on the new partnership,Samantha Davidson, managing director ofHorizonworks (pictured here, right, withSolutions for Accounting’s Lorraine McGill)said: “I’m delighted to be supporting thegrowth of Solutions for Accounting. Rankingwithin Sage’s top 10 preferred businesspartners, the company is a leader andinnovator in its market and we believe wecan make a big impact to the firm’sgrowth.”

The full-service strategic marketing company is appointedto deliver a national campaign.

Ramarketing landshat-trick

Newcastle-based ramarketing hassecured three new pharmaceutical

and chemistry clients from across the UK.The marketing and PR business has

landed work with Teesside-based globalchemistry specialist Fine Industries,Nottingham-based Reach Separations andInnovative Physical Organic Solutions(IPOS) at the University of Huddersfield.

Ramarketing will provide the firms with arange of marketing services includingsocial media, web development andsearch engine optimisation.

Northumbria graduatejoins HFPR

HFPR, based in Gosforth has recruitedNorthumbria University graduate

Kimberley Waugh to join its expandingteam.

The 25-year-old from North Shields hasjoined the PR agency as the new accountmanager.

The graduate, with a degree inAdvertising and Media, will assist the seniorteam with strategic and targeted PR for thecompany’s clients.

Round Table Solutionssecures new partnership

Northumberland-based publicrelations firm Round Table Solutions

has been appointed by specialist trainingprovider North East Training Solutions(NETS) Ltd.

The initial focus of Round TableSolutions’ work will be on raising theprofile of NETS – which providesapprenticeship and pre-apprenticeshiptraining to 16-24 year olds – throughmedia relations, marketing and targetedstakeholder engagement in the NorthEast business community.

80

Irecently graduated from a Google-rundigital marketing course called Squaredand one of the big benefits was access toindustry luminaries who shared their

experiences and predictions for what thefuture holds.

The coursework put me in the habit ofregularly reading thought provoking contentfrom a range of people, with digital analystand futurist Brian Solis proving a particularfavourite. If you haven’t checked out hisblog, you should do at www.briansolis.com.

It made me wonder who other people turnto for inspiration and to keep their thinkingfresh so I turned to some leading lights todiscover their thought leaders. Here’s whatthey had to say:

Sarah PinchDirector of Pinch Point Communications andPresident Elect of the Chartered Institute ofPublic Relations.

“One author I return to again and again isHillary Rodham Clinton.

“She offers great insight into howgovernments, organisations and individualslearn (or not) from success and mistakes.She’s exceptionally frank and honest, andI’ve found inspiration to toughen up my notvery thick skin.

“I’m really looking forward to reading hernew book, Hard Choices.”

David Laud Partner in i2i Business Solutions LLP and aGrowth Accelerator Coach

“Thought leadership has become somethingof a hashtag trend but it's oftenmisunderstood. Saying you're one doesn'tmake it true.

“For me an effective thought leader issomeone who can not only present their ownoriginal stimulating ideas but also have thevision and humility to see and shareexcellence in others.

“Someone I would regard as a truethought leader is Guy Kawasaki. He’s anentrepreneur with an eye for the use oftechnology in communication. With a verydirect and engaging delivery, Motorola andApple on his CV plus a wide variety ofsuccessful investment projects, he not onlytalks the talk, he's shown he can deliver andback winners.”

Angela CarringtonOwner of The Bigger Picture Agency Limited

“I haven't yet come across an inspirationalthought leader within my industry and(perhaps controversially) I find a lot ofphotography 'thinkers' to be incrediblyintrospective. I prefer to gain my inspirationfrom the entrepreneurial community,looking at their lives as well as theirresults/successes.

“It may be a little predictable but I amgenuinely inspired by Richard Branson. Iregularly read his blog and find his honestyrefreshing and insightful. His candid,'matter-of-fact' advice really helps to putthings into perspective for even a smallerbusiness.”

Ross WighamHead of Communications at GatesheadHealth NHS Foundation Trust

"When it comes to inspiration I'm a firmbeliever that you have to try and take it fromeverywhere and anywhere. I try to keep an eyeon things away from my own particular sectorto help try and think differently - that could bean old book, a film or even good comedy.Twitter is an obvious home for thoughtleadership and there are so many good blogsout there.

“However the key, un-missable one for me issomething you listen to rather than read: Fromour own correspondent. Each podcast is abeautifully crafted life lesson that brings theworld to my little corner of the North East. Inever fail to learn something or be moved byit."

Ross couldn’t have put it better - there isinspiration all around if you look. Make thetime to search, because when you discover theright people and the right content, it’s amazingwhat insights you can gain. Each one can helpmake you and your business much bigger andbetter, not to mention fit for the future.

For more PR and marketing related newsand articles, please visithttp://blog.sarahhallconsulting.co.uk

Contact Sarah on 07702 162704, emailsarah@sarahhallconsulting.co.uk, Twitter@hallmeister or visitwww.sarahhallconsulting.co.uk

M E D I A

Who’s yourthought leader?

Sarah Hall, managingdirector of Sarah Hall

Consulting Ltd, the PR andmarketing consultancy,

looks at how takinginspiration from others

can help you and yourbusiness grow.

82

83

How do I work out my marketingbudget?

There is no one-size-fits-all formula to determinehow much you should be spending on yourmarketing activity.

Your marketing budget is very muchdependent on your business, the sector you’re in,the time of year, and any influencing trendswhich are subject to change all the time.

There are a number of ways that differentbusinesses work out their marketing budgets,whether it’s based on a percentage of revenues ornet sales – which means marketing activity isdirectly influenced by how well the business isperforming; everything you can afford at thetime – a popular method for small and newbusinesses; more than the competition – great interms of remaining competitive but difficult tomonitor; or spending nothing at all andmarketing for free – unfortunately whether youlike it or not, time is money, so there’s really nosuch thing as free marketing.

It might also be that your marketing is goal ortask orientated or perhaps you have a specificnumber of new customers in mind that you’dlike to engage with.

These are all factors that can help you todetermine a budget however there are somethings every business should consider when

they’re deciding on a budget.First things first, you need to organise your

business’ financial information, you must beclear about your revenues and your outgoings,try not to set budgets for marketing based onestimates and instead make sure your marketingbudget comes out of your reliable revenues.

Once you have a total sum of how much youcan spend, research where it’s best placed. Amarketing agency can be an invaluable asset atthis point, they’re experts in marketing activity,current trends and they have established mediacontacts.

What’s more, working with an agency willfree up your time and time saved by outsourcingprofessional services such as marketing, meansyou can focus entirely on the day-to-day of yourbusiness. However if that’s not the route youwant to take you should research your exitingcustomer base, who are they, how do theyconsume media, where are they, what are theirspending habits?

If you have this information about your targetdemographic, you can deduce the best ways ofgetting information to them. If they’re 35-50year-olds who live in the countryside, the mediabest suited to reach them is likely to differsignificantly to 18-30 year old city basedprofessionals.

The best tip I can give is to be realistic,

whatever budget and plan you decide on, trial itand the associated activities for a good period oftime, I suggest at least three months to givewhatever activity you’ve undertaken to yieldresults.

Success isn’t instant, unless you spendenormous sums of cash on high impactmarketing such as excessive broadcast andoutdoor media, it’ll take a little time to see areturn on your investment. Look at this as a goodthing; gradual, organic marketing directed at theright demographic will be better for yourbusiness in the long run as it’s sustainable andeasier to measure, be patient and you’ll reap therewards.

On the other side of the coin, the first budgetand plan you come up with might not work aswell as you’d hoped. Make sure you assess theresults you see – or lack thereof – and makechanges to your budget and plan accordingly. Bykeeping the budget in mind when you makedecisions, you will prevent overspending onmarketing and you will have the opportunity toexplore different strategies to find the bestsolutions for your business goals.

Email your questions anonymously to SilverBullet at hello@silverbulletmarketing.co.uk orTweet (not so anonymously) @SilverBulletPRand use the hash tag #AskSB

M E D I A

Ask Silver Bullet …The agency’s newest recruit, account manager Richard Hopper, answers your marketing queries ...

84

Just the sound of the two words – crisismanagement – is enough to put thewind up any business owner, however acrisis handled well can often lead to

good press coverage as opposed to negative. Unfortunately, even though I spent three

years training to do crisis management, thereis no set agenda to dealing with them, as eachcase tends to be unique, so preparation isoften difficult.

That said, I always tell our clients to have astrategy in place, should any incident occurthat could put the business in a negative light,then you at least have a point of call, shouldyou need it.

Recently I dealt with a client who had amember of staff that was sentenced to threeyears imprisonment, charged with rape.

The owner of the company was very awarethat this wouldn't reflect well on them as a

business, especially as the company need togo into people's homes.

He was also aware that he had not followedup on his references, as it came to light that ifhe had, then he would've known that he hadbeen sacked from two previous posts forsexual harassment.

The company could look very bad at thispoint, so it was up to us at JAM to ensure thatthe company took a positive stance and issuedstatements to the press ensuring that goodpractice reforms were being taken by anexternal company to ensure that no furthermistakes in their hiring process wouldhappen.

The company kept a dignified silencewhile proceedings were brought up in courtand only when the verdict was given did theyissue a statement confirming their loyalty andethics to their client base.

It appeared that the company didn't sufferany bad effects from the publicity that thecase brought, however it was important froma business point of view to ensure that theircustomers were still happy to work with themas a service provider and still had faith andtrust in them.

Admittedly, although it is impossible forany business owner to be 100 per cent surethat all of their employees are of goodcharacter, obviously a few human resourceschecks made at the start of this guy’s careerwould've unearthed that he was already onthe sex offenders list and should in fact neverhave come into contact with people on a one-to-one basis in people's homes.

If you are in need of any crisismanagement in your business, fell free to talkto one of the JAM team, I guarantee you willhave a sympathetic ear.

M E D I A

Crisismanagement

Jackie Marston onwhat to do when things

go wrong.

EXPERT VIEWJackie Marston

Managing directorJAM Marketing

Tel: 0845 900 2127Web: www.jam-marketing.co.uk

85

M E D I A

Blogger awards hotting upNominations are pouring in for the inaugural event, organised by OPR.

Momentum for the region’s firstever awards to recognise NorthEast bloggers has taken flight withseveral hundred nominations

made in just two months. The North East Blogger Awards will take

place on Wednesday, October 22 in an eveningthat celebrates the region’s best blogs across 11different categories including, food, sports,beauty, lifestyle, parenting, business, style,travel, student, best newcomer and willculminate in a special judges’ award for theNorth East Blogger of the Year.

The awards have been launched by creativecommunications agency OPR and are stilltaking nominations until Friday, September 19at www.nebloggerawards.co.uk. The socialmedia hashtag is #nebloggerawards.

To help businesses learn how best tocommunicate with bloggers, OPR has createdits top five blogger outreach tips:

Do your research

Always do an editor the justice of reading theirpublication before sending a press release. Youshould also read and appreciate a blogger’scontent before getting in touch.

Ask for stats

All good bloggers should be happy to tell youabout the traffic to their site and their socialfollower numbers. It’s all part of determining ifthey are the right blogger for your brandcampaign.

Prepare a proper pitch

Don’t send press releases unless they are forbackground detail. Be specific about why youhave selected them, what you see being themutual benefit and what types of content you’dideally like them to produce.

Make it challenging

Staff at OPR think the best work we have doneis when there is some sort of challenge,whether it’s to make a post about a productmore interesting and appealing or challengingthem to go head to head with other bloggers towin a prize!

If you can afford to pay … do

A lot of bloggers will do it for free or inexchange for the product if they believe in it,but a post can take a whole day to put together– by the time they have collected an ‘expert’s’advice, took photos, edited the photos, andwriting and editing the content, not to mentionthe social media posts afterwards to promotethe blog.

86

S T Y L E

Next,£60

New Look,£49.99

Jasper Conran,£39

Wallis,£95

very.co.uk,£79

Zara£49.99

Get the lookFashion and accessories for women.

By Jessica Laing.

With summer coming to an end, there’sno time like the present to beginthinking about tweaking yourwardrobe for autumn/winter. If you’re

not ready to embrace the scarves, gloves andknitwear just yet, do not fear: September is a greattime to dabble in this year’s crop of transitionaltrends – many of which celebrate the hit coloursof summer wear, while offering the warmth (didsomeone mention a coat?) and the texture (thinklight fur and leather) of winter clothing. The‘modernist’ trend is a great one to try for work, as itunites minimal, office-appropriate separates withbright, block colour to create a new way to wearprint in during the colder months. Punctuate youroutfit by clashing camel and taupe-like shadeswith striking primary colours, such as red andcobalt blue, and autumnal hues, such as pumpkinorange. For added texture, meanwhile, why notintroduce a touch of leather (forecast to be one ofautumn/winter’s top fabrics) in the form of a skirtor a pair of boots?

MODEL ATTIREM&S Collection Coat, £85

M&S Collection Jumper, £16Autograph Trousers, £45

Boots, £85

All from Marks & Spencer’sSS14 Collection

87

WORKSPACE & CONSTRUCTION NEWS

Work starts at Northumbrian Hills

Building work has begun on a£15 million holiday resortdevelopment in Northumberlandwhich, when complete, will create

more than 60 jobs in the region.The first phase of Northumbrian Hills is

the build of 50 four-star cottages set withinBurgham Park Golf Club near Felton.

Planning was recently approved andfollowing a vigorous tender process, BrimsConstruction sealed the deal to build thefirst stage worth £1.5m.

The roads to the site are now in placeand Brims Construction has laid thefoundations to build the first eight cottagesthat have been bought for £235,000 each.

The three bedroom, two-storey cottagesmeasure 107 sq metres, and come with abalcony as standard.

Developer William Kiely said: “The interestin the resort has been phenomenal. Peoplefrom all over the UK seem to want their ownpiece of Northumberland. As well asholidaying here, the cottages offer greatrental opportunity, which is very appealing

Phase one begins on a multi-million holiday resort.

Naylors secures major office lettingAcity agent has been instrumental

in the letting of 46,000 sqft at Whitehouse Business Park,Peterlee to clothing manufacturer, AMAGroup.

Bill Naylor of Naylors CharteredSurveyors acted on behalf of a

syndicate of owners in the letting of oneof the last big spaces available in thispart of the former East DurhamEnterprise Zone.

The building, which is known asWhitehouse Point Three, offers state ofthe art office accommodation in a

landscaped business park environment.Overall, Whitehouse Business Park

comprises six large office buildings andfive factories, with in excess of 500,000 sqft of floorspace whose occupiers includeDurham Police, the NHS, East DurhamHomes and Bristol Laboratories.

Apprentice joins GFW

Expanding North East lettingcompany, GFW Letting, has

welcomed its first property apprentice toits Newcastle office, in a bid to supportthe next generation of propertyprofessionals.

Adam Bishop (18) joins GFW Letting as

a trainee Property Assistant workingalongside the busy propertymanagement team.

He has responsibility for a wide rangeof day-to-day property tasks, varying fromproperty viewings to administrative duties,all delivering excellent customer service.

Speaking about his new role, Adamsaid: “I’m really happy to have joined theGFW Letting team. There’s a lot of varietyin the work I’m doing and I get to workboth in and out of the office and have thechance to meet lots of new people –something I really like.”

to many and is undoubtedly great for theregion.

“It is fantastic to finally see the

foundations being laid, we have beenwaiting several years to get to this point soit really is a massive achievement.”

Developer William Kiely andSteve Mudd, site managerfor Brims Construction.

88

P R O P E R T Y

Good project management ...It’s the key to success in property, says Neil Hart, director at Bradley Hall.

Effective project management is vital inthe fast-moving world of property.Whether it’s a new-build scheme, aproperty refurbishment or relocation,

efficient planning, a quick turnaround and ahealthy return on investment are essential.

Specialist project managers, such asSilverstone Building Consultancy, are regularlycalled upon for specialist advice on risk, duediligence, fit-out design, building maintenanceand costs.

But effective project management is neededthroughout the property supply chain, whetheryou’re a chartered surveyor, developer, lawyeror landlord. In many cases, several parties willbe working together on a particular deal sogood communication is vital.

From the point of view of a charteredsurveyor, there are several reasons why goodproject management is so important.

Carrying out property valuations is just onesmall part of the job. Those who are workingon the project must have a solid understandingand knowledge of the local market so that asuitable property can be sourced to meet theclient’s requirements. In addition, if a propertycomes onto the market there is an immediateneed to promote it widely to facilitate a quick

sale or lease. There is nothing worse than seeing swathes

of empty properties on the market – a scenethat was quite common in the years followingthe financial crash of 2008.

A chartered surveyor can bring otherqualities to the table to ensure that a project ismanaged correctly.

A solid understanding of property valuationsis necessary to negotiate a good rental deal orproperty sale/purchase price, often working

with the project manager to ensure that anyscheme is viable taking into account build,refurbishment or fit-out costs.

A good surveyor will be able to anticipateand identify opportunities and threats posed byvarious parties (and work with these parties toreduce risk for the client).

Finally – and this may seem an obviouspoint – an in-depth understanding of theclient’s needs is essential regardless of the sizeor scope of the project.

Good project managers can obtain bestvalue for a client by knowing which suppliers,contractors and consultants are best placed tocarry out a particular piece of work.

They can also achieve best value byfollowing the basic principles of projectmanagement: to get the job done on time,within budget and with the minimumdisruption to a client.

The world of property is a complex andcompetitive one. Good project managementcan bring lucrative rewards.

Get it wrong, however, and you risk losingthat all-important client for good.

For further information, visitwww.bradleyhall.co.uk or call (0191) 232 8080.

89

Rockliffe Hall spanamed in UK’s top five

Rockliffe Hall Spa, County Durham, hasbeen named one of the UK’s top five

luxurious spas, by The Good Spa Guide. Thespa, which has already been awarded fiveof the Guide’s ‘luxury bubbles’, is the onlyspa in the North East to have gained a topfive position in the category. Following anextensive review, the spa was praised for its‘combination of luxury, good facilities andgreat treatments, with a carefully designedspa journey and high standards ofcleanliness’.

L E I S U R E & H O S P I TA L I T Y N E W S

Slaley passesthe test

S laley Hall, Hexham, has beenapproved as a Qwest Quality Venue –

the UK’s main rating body for weddingvenues. On the path to achieving theaward – and becoming the only hotel inthe Hexham area to do so – the luxuryvenue completed a two-hour assessmentand background evaluation. Claire Gilbey,from Qwest, said: “At the heart of SlaleyHall is a team of dedicated staff. Thecomfort and happiness of their guests ispriority.”

Seeinggreen

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museums(TWAM) has won a Green Apple Award

in a national campaign to find Britain’sgreenest companies, councils andcommunities. More than 500 nominationswere received in the Green Apple Awardsfor environmental best practice and TWAMwill be presented with the award – its thirdwin in association with the project - for theMake Carbon History initiative at aceremony in November at House ofParliament, London.

Last year Newcastle Theatre Royalmade a gross economiccontribution to the region of £4.1million, as revealed in the

company’s Annual Report.Newcastle Theatre Royal’s Annual Report

for 2013/14 details record-breaking figuresand against the general economicbackground, shows a continuing successstory.

Between April 1, 2013 and March 31, 2014,the theatre welcomed 42 visiting theatre,opera, ballet and dance companies, offered48 productions and presented 409performances to 337,447 people.

The average audience capacity was 69per cent per performance, which is about 10per cent above the national average.

Chief Executive Philip Bernays said:“2013/14 was a great success, wemaintained our high levels of attendanceand, as a testament to the strength of the staffteam and their teamwork, renewed ourInvestor in People accreditation with flyingcolours. My thanks go out to our dedicatedstaff, our committed Board of Trustees, oursponsors, supporters, audiences andpartners, particularly Newcastle City Council,who despite difficult times remain a bedrock.”

Bravo!Theatre Royal adds £4.1 million to the local economy.

92

Archery Try your hand at one of the oldest arts withinRockliffe Hall’s grounds – especially good foran outdoor themed team building day.

Beamish Museum The world famous museum is just 40 minutesfrom Rockliffe Hall.

Croquet Take to Rockliffe Hall’s very own croquetlawn! And there’s a relaxing terrace forspectators too.

Driving Range Whether a beginner or more advanced, try yourhand at golf in Rockliffe Hall’s academy.

Explore The local area which boasts so much to see anddo – whether it’s Durham’s dramatic Cathedralor Newcastle by night.

FishingA professional fishing gillie can introduce youto the world of fly fishing at a private fishinglake and then bring your fish back and let Chefdo the rest!

Go Karting Teesside Karting is just 30 minutes away.

HydrotherapyRest those muscles and ease your tension inRockliffe Hall’s hydrotherapy pool.

Ice Skating Learn to skate like the stars at BillinghamForum, just 30 minutes away, with qualified iceprofessionals including Andrei Lipanov fromDancing on Ice.

Jenga Great fun and just one of the many oversizedoutdoor games you can play on the lawn.

Krypton Factor In the heart of the Yorkshire Dales, the KryptonFactor Assault Course features 20 gruellingobstacles to test mental and physical aptitude.

Laser Clay Shooting links back to Rockliffe Hall’s formerowner Lord Southampton, who bought theestate to use as a shooting base in 1918, and isthe ideal place to have a go!

Motor Racing Croft International Race Circuit is 10 minutesaway, offering everything from drivingexperiences with the latest supercars to auto testand high speed passenger rides.

Nordic WalkingA great, fun activity for all ages and fitnesslevels.

Off Road Driving Go off road with Yorkshire Outdoors inbeautiful Yorkshire countryside, a picturesque40-minute drive from Rockliffe Hall.

Precision Driving With Paul Swiftm this is a rare opportunity tolearn stunts in a safe and legal environment,only 10 minutes from Rockliffe Hall.

Quad Biking Exhilarating and great fun in some ofYorkshire’s prettiest countryside

Relax It’s what Rockliffe does best!

Scavenger HuntThere are 375 acres of grounds to explore, on ascavenger hunt or treasure trail – great for kidsand adults alike.

Tee off On one of Europe’s best golf courses.

Understand Wine Rockliffe Hall’s sommelier team create theperfect tasting environment for you to discoverthe world of wine.

Visit You don’t need to go far to enjoy the charms ofsmall towns like Yarm, Richmond andLeyburn – all less than 30 minutes away.

White water raftingTees Barrage offers rafting, kayaking or powerboating along the River Tees – 20 minutes fromRockliffe Hall, perfect for those seeking anexhilarating experience.

Xtreme Aerial Xtreme offers a ‘High RopesAdventureCourse’ with speedy zips, mid-airjumps and gravity-defying climbing walls.

Yoga Slightly more relaxing and a perfect way tostart-or end- a busy day.

ZooFlamingo Land Theme Park and Zoo is just anhour away and is one of the UK’s most famousanimal kingdoms with over 140 species ofreptiles, mammals and birds.

For more information on Rockliffe Hall visitwww.rockliffehall.com

L E I S U R E & H O S P I T A L I T Y

ABC of Rockliffe HallThere’s an alphabet of reasons to visit the five-star resort this autumn ...

94

L E I S U R E & H O S P I T A L I T Y

An event to rememberGeneral manager Alex Marshall explains how, thanks to a

recent makeover, The Waterline Bar and Kitchen, on Newcastle’sQuayside, is the perfect space to host your event.

If you are looking for somewhere a littledifferent for an event for between six and 60people, then we can really offer somethingthat will stay in people’s minds for a long

time for all the right reasons.Our location is superb, with stunning views.

The event spaces now ooze cool with newdécor that makes the beauty of the historicalbuilding stand out. By day it’s light and trendy;by night it’s warm and atmospheric.

We have launched a new everyday menu forthe bar, which specialises in delicious andunique pizza and burgers. Our burgers areespecially made for us at Homer Hill Farm inDurham.

We also offer lighter lunch options and ofcourse our famous weekend breakfast.However, for events, our kitchen is ready andwaiting to create a bespoke experience. We canwork with you to your requests or makesuggestions on the perfect food and drinkoffering for your event.

Many large companies along the Quaysideincluding NEPIA and Bond Dickinson areusing us for events and meetings, finding theatmosphere and location very conducive tobusiness matters. Recently a number of

companies have also booked launch events andoffice parties with us. We are also alreadygetting enquiries about Christmas events!

Private events are something we are verygeared up for, whether it be for a birthday orfamily celebration. The venue lends itselfperfectly to weddings – and if you want a largerevent we are now offering exclusive venue hire.

Champagne is all important for anycelebration and our Perrier Jouet range alongwith our wine list is outstanding, with a choiceof red, white, rose and sparkling from aroundthe world.

Our cocktail list is also very impressive, allcreated behind our bar by Mark, our residentcocktail genius – he is always coming up withnew concoctions every week or can do a specialone to request for an event.

For more information on holding your eventat The Waterline call (0191) 222 1892 oremail: info@thewaterlinebar.co.uk

95

Located in the heart of Ponteland village,Fratelli Ristorante has the perfect spotfor attracting an affluent crowd and itsclose proximity to Darras Hall Estate

means I’m in no doubt it has played host to afew Newcastle United players in its time.

Inside, the Italian eatery (located above theSainsburys supermarket) has a decadent feelto it with sumptuous fabrics, mirrored surfacesand leather booth seating throughout.

With its sizable bar area (and cocktailmenu), the place feels more like a nightclubthan a restaurant, and I am reliably informedthat there is a lively atmosphere till late mostweekends.

During the day, there is a lunchtime menu(two courses for £9.50 of £13 for three) or you

can pick from the main menu that comprisesa large selection of classic Italian fare with allthe favourites (garlic mushrooms, four-cheesepizza, spaghetti bolognese ) making anappearance. There is also a range of meat andfish dishes, specialty pizza and pastas and dailyspecials for those feeling a bit moreadventurous – although expect to pay more forthese.

While my dining companions stuck to thesoft drinks, I began my Fratelli experiencewith a glass of Prosecco and very nice it wastoo. Maybe it was the club-like atmospherebut I could have easily sunk a couple more,but, remembering what time it was, I stuck tothe one glass!

Our meals offered good portions with good

presentation throughout. The top quality bellypork, sampled by both my colleagues (onewith black pudding for his starter and theother with peppercorn sauce, green beans andsautéed potatoes for his main), was aparticular highlight, as was the beautifullycooked seabass and the decadent lobsterlinguine (one of the daily specials).

Rounding off our three-course meals withdeserts and coffees, we could have easilystayed at Fratellis till the early hours. But alas,we had to venture into the daylight and backto the office for an afternoon of work.

Fratelli, Bell Villas, Ponteland.Tel (01661) 872195, web:www.fratelliponteland.co.uk

L E I S U R E & H O S P I T A L I T Y

Business lunch

FratelliAlison Cowie heads

to Ponteland for someItalian cooking.

96

Tomato salad with buffalomozzarella cheese

£6.25

Seabass fillets, sautéed potatoes,buttered spinach, roasted cherrytomato sauce and rocket pesto

£16.50

Tiramisu

£5.50

Salt and pepper calamariwith garlic mayonnaise

£6.95

Roasted belly pork served withpeppercorn sauce, green beans and

sautéed potatoes

£14.50

Warm belly pork andblack pudding

£6.50

Lobster lingunie withtomatoes, garlic, white wine

sauce and basil

£17.50

Layered sponge cake filled withcream and crème patissiere

£5.50

Lemon cheesecake

£5.50

97

A D V E R T I S E R ’ S A N N O U C E M E N T

I’ll be back ...Michael Knowles visits Café Bangla.

My fiancé, Kate, and I love eatingout (maybe a bit more then weshould) and we try to visit new,exciting restaurants to keep our

date nights interesting (after 10 years, you canbecome a creature of habit).

We checked out Tripadvisor to see what itrecommended and up popped Café Bangla inEast Boldon … a bit far out for what weusually like, but the reviews were so good wefelt like we had been missing out by not going.

We checked out their website and noticedthey didn’t serve alcohol. You can take yourown with no corkage, but we used this as anexcuse to skip the traditional Cobra, take thecar and try one of their mocktails.

We arrived around 7:45pm and therestaurant was packed accept for three tables.The staff welcomed us straight away andushered us to a table right in the corner.

I love nothing more than opening a menuat a new restaurant to be confronted with awhole host of dishes I have never seen orheard of before; it makes me feel like I’mexperiencing something entirely new.

We asked for guidance from one of thewaiters, (Immy, I believe) who was great. Heasked us what our palette was like and ourusual favourites then talked us through themenu and the dishes he thought would suit.

To start we shared the Boti Kebab and aclassic onion Bhaji. The Boti kebab was a

delicious, spicy lamb dish with peppers, whichnot only looked a work-of-art, but tastedfantastic.

We were a little disappointed when touronion Bhaji came out rather flat and not theusual cricket balls we’re used to. However,they were crispy and tasty, with none of thegreasy stodge – what more can you ask for?

For our main courses, I opted for the Nagachicken (for Vindaloo lovers, apparently). Itblew my head off from the first bite, but that’sjust the way I like it so I couldn’t have beenmore pleased.

Kate went for the Hariali – a speciality dishcreated by owner Ali Hussain, which was avibrant green colour, and had a mild taste toit. Kate couldn’t eat it all so I polished off herleftovers, mopping up the sauce with one ofthe delicious garlic nanns (cooling my mouthoff after my own curry!)

We’ll definitely be returning to CaféBangla, and I just hope they expand theirdelivery area to my postcode soon, as I’ll noteven have to move from the sofa to get myhands on one of their curries – bonus!

98

When it comes to supporting the cityof Sunderland, few organisations doit bigger or better than SunderlandAFC.

The Barclays Premier League side hasadopted a multi-pronged approach to building itsbusiness and boost the reputation of Sunderlandas a whole.

In an effort to utilise the expertise gained fromlarge-scale events and ongoing matchdayhospitality services, Sunderland AFC recentlybranched out with the launch of a specialistsubsidiary.

1879 Events Management, appropriatelynamed after the year the club was originallyfounded, now manages all catering and events atthe Stadium of Light, including the annualgraduation ceremonies for the University ofSunderland and the wide range of private partiesand other business functions.

It has also been awarded the contract to deliverthe same services at the National Glass Centre, aswell as managing the venue’s in house Brasserie,where it offers a wide range of homemade dishesfor breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea.

Gary Hutchinson, commercial director forSunderland AFC and 1879 Events Management,says: “Since launching in 2012, 1879 EventsManagement has proven a valuable partner forSAFC, delivering high quality catering and eventmanagement services not just at our ownStadium but at the National Glass Centre too.”

The most recent addition to 1879 EventManagement’s ever-increasing portfolio isadding yet another string to the football club’sbow and expanding its reach beyond the city

centre. The new Beach House bistro, which opened

at Roker seafront earlier this summer, has beendesigned to make fine dining even moreaccessible, with a relaxed style and informalmenu catering for families, tourists and residentsalike.

The venue’s varied food offering, which isavailable to eat in or takeaway, ranges frombreakfast rolls and burgers, to freshly preparedsandwiches, cakes and desserts, all made using asmuch locally sourced and seasonal produce aspossible.

Gary adds: “The Beach House is an excitingaddition to the 1879 Events Managementportfolio and complements the existing servicesbeing offered at both the National Glass Centreand the Stadium of Light.

“We’re excited about the huge potential in thisnew venture, as well as the impact it may have oncontributing to the redevelopment of Rokerseafront and look forward to maximising theavailable opportunities within the coming weeksand months.

The Beach House, now opens from 10amuntil 5pm Monday to Friday and 10am until6pm weekends, is also available for private partiesand functions, with room to cater for up to 60guests.

This offers a more intimate alternative to thefacilities being offered at the Stadium of Lightand National Glass Centre, which currently caterfor up to 1000 and 300 guests respectively.

As part of its ongoing services at all threevenues, the team at 1879 Events Managementare currently looking ahead to Christmas and are

planning a packed programme of events for theStadium of Light, National Glass Centre andBeach House, complete with fine food and liveentertainment. This will be in addition to anyprivate parties and functions hosted at the venuesduring the festive period.

“Christmas was an extremely busy time for1879 Events Management last year and we hadto arrange a number of additional events in orderto keep up with demand,” says Gary.

“This year we’re expecting an even bigger turnout across the three sites and are advising peopleto book early to avoid disappointment.”

In addition to its internal events, 1879 EventsManagement also acts as a one-stop shop forevent organisers, providing a wide range ofservices across the North East.

Gary concludes: “With our vast experience,1879 Events Management is able to cater for allmanner of private and business functions,assisting in every aspect from bookingentertainers to providing security and managingticketing.

For more information about 1879 EventsManagement visit www.1879events.com orfollow @1879Events on Twitter.Full details of the conference and eventsoptions available at the Stadium of Light andNational Glass Centre can also be found atwww.stadiumoflight.com orwww.nationalglasscentre.com.

Find out more aboutthe new Beach House bistro atwww.facebook.com/thebeachhousesunderland

L E I S U R E & H O S P I T A L I T Y

From pitch to promenade How Sunderand AFC’s approach to hospitality is helping

promote the city as a whole.

The Beach House

100

E D U C A T I O N

The independant school celebratesoutstanding A level results …

News fromDame Allan’s Schools

Summer of success

Amy Grounsell and Amy Shaw’s summer ofsuccess has culminated in seven A*A grades at Alevel, following on from them receiving thehonour of the prestigious Diana Award.

The two Amys, who are students at DameAllan’s Schools’ Sixth Form, combined their rolesas head Girl and charity prefect with theirsuccessful studies.

Amy, 18, from Gosforth has earned A* gradesin Art and History, with A grades

in English and Maths and will go on to studyArchitecture at Queens’ College Cambridge in2015.

Meanwhile Amy Shaw, 18, from Jesmond hasachieved all A grades in English,

French and History and will study EnglishLiterature at Leeds University.

They are part of a group of 18 students whohave achieved the outstanding results of all A*Agrades in their A levels this year.

During their final year at Dame Allan’s thetwo Amys raised over £3500 for charity to earnthe Diana Award for being a Diana ChampionFundraiser.

The Diana Award is a legacy to PrincessDiana’s belief that young people have the powerto change the world for the better.

Since 1999, the Diana Award has recognisedover 42,000 young people who have made a

positive difference to the lives of others and theircommunities.

The Diana Award believes that young peopleshould be: ‘encouraged for their contributions tosociety, empowered to reach their full potentialand they should be engaged in social action asearly in life as possible.’

Amy and Amy ran a year-long, school-widefundraising programme of events including aspectacular fashion show at The Falcons’Ground for Marie Curie and a whole Schools’sponsored walk at the end of the summer term toraise money for the Sir Bobby RobsonFoundation.

They will receive their awards at a specialAward Ceremony in Leeds in December.

Amy Grounsell said: "I was thrilled andsurprised with the results. It's been an amazingyear – it was hard work and we are now bothlooking forward to going off to university."

Over the moon

David Plummer and Daniel Robson, both 18,returned from Space School to learn that theirdreams of a career in space sciences are about tolift off.

The Dame Allan’s Sixth Form students spentpart of their summer holidays at Senior SpaceSchool run by Leicester University, where theirdays were a mixture of mind-stretching lectures,

visits to the National Space Centre, observingplanets plus building and launching a rocket.

This is the second year that the David andDaniel have attended the Space School, togetherwith David’s twin brother, Michael.

David’s A levels in Chemistry, Maths, Physicsand General Studies have secured him a place atLeicester University to study Aerospace, whileDaniel will be also be going to Leicester wherehe will study Physics and Space Science afterearning A levels in Physics, Maths, Chemistryand Further Maths.

Michael Plummer, however, will be keepinghis feet firmly on the ground when he studiesEnvironmental Science and Outdoor Educationat Stirling University.

Principle Dr John Hind says: “This has been aremarkable year for Amy Grounsell and AmyShaw who fully deserve their success andhonours. David Plummer and Daniel Robsonhave also shown a real enthusiasm and talent forthe sciences and I wish them every success intheir future studies.

“Indeed, I am proud of all the students thisyear, who have worked so hard to achieve theseexcellent results, and I am grateful to thededicated members of staff who have encouragedand supported them over the past two years.”

For more information on Dame Allan Schools,visit www.dameallans.co.uk

102

E V E N T

Boys of Brass launch The Jazz and swing band perform

at Café No. 95 in Gosforth.

Lead singer and actor Daymon Brittonperformed at Café No. 95 in Gosforthwith his new six-piece brass band, formedwith trumpet player Steven Symonds.

The audience of Sanderson Young EstateAgents had a great night listening to Boys ofBrass band who have also recently played atBarluga, and who have been greatly appreciatedby a number of local clubs and restaurants fortheir first class swing and jazz sounds.

In July, the band flew out to the sunny islandof Corfu to play at Sanderson Young managingdirector Duncan Young's 50th birthday party inKerasia, which proved to be a great night.

To book Boys of Brass, contact StevenSymonds on 07921 225052 or emailinfo@boysofbrass.com

104

Benfield has announced theappointment of Heike O’Leary asgroup marketing director. Heike isjoining Benfield at a time when

consumer confidence is high in the motorindustry and she brings a wealth of blue chipmarketing experience to the privately ownedbusiness.

Previously brand marketing director foradidas and strategic projects manager forCallaway Golf, Heike has also worked for aLondon-based marketing agency on a strategiclevel with clients such as Debenhams, Nissan,Ford, Bally, Karstadt and Citibank.

She has extensive knowledge of brandmarketing, which will help drive awareness ofthe Benfield brand and 34 strong portfolio ofdealerships throughout the North East,Teesside, Yorkshire, Cumbria and South WestScotland.

Mark Squires, chief executive of BenfieldMotor Group, said: “This is an excitingappointment for us and demonstrates ourstrategic intent to grow and develop our brandand marketing across the regions we serve.

“We are investing heavily in our consumerled strategies to improve our customer serviceand improve the overall consumer experience

for our customers.“Heike will bring invaluable and undoubted

in-house and agency brand marketing expertiseto Benfield and we are delighted she is joiningus at this time in our development.”

Speaking about her appointment, Heikesaid: “I’m absolutely delighted to be joiningBenfield who are a very well respected andwell run family business.

“I am very much looking forwarddeveloping the Benfield brand and marketingstrategies further and working with a verystrong team of people and some fantasticworldwide renowned car brands.”

M O T O R S

Benfield’s new directorThe motor group has put a new marketing director in the driving seat.

Liam Cusack, from Benfield Skoda onRailway Street Newcastle, has been votedSales Manager of the Year in theNational Motor Trader Awards held in

London.Winning the top UK prize, Liam beat off

strong competition from around the countryand is a worthy winner of this prestigiousindustry award.

Liam, who has been with Benfield Motorsover 15 years, received his award fromDealerweb and is delighted with his covetedtitle.

He said: “It was a great honour just to benominated by my general manager, DaveRoberts, but to actually go on and win the topaward was the icing on the cake.

“I knew I was in with a chance but younever really think you are going to win so itsjust sinking in at the moment … needless to saythe award is taking pride of place on my desk.”

General manager, Dave Roberts, added: “Weare all thoroughly delighted for Liam and he issuch a worthy winner of this prestigiousNational Industry Award.

“His hard work and dedication has resultedin an extraordinary successful 2013 for BenfieldSkoda. Under his leadership new unit salesenjoyed phenomenal growth and exceededbudget by over 200 units driving upincremental margin and profitability.

“As a result the business increased Skoda’slocal market share well ahead of nationalaverage.”

Top sales accolade for Skoda man

106

Jennings, the independent and privately-owned multi-franchise group, whichboasts more than a century of history inthe North East, has joined forces with

Japanese car brand Mitsubishi Motors to opena new franchise in Teesside.

Based at the group’s supersite on Cargo FleetLane in Middlesbrough, the new JenningsMitsubishi franchise will house the full rangeof high quality Mitsubishi models, which willbe on display and available to test drive.

Jennings Motor Group’s managing director,Nas Khan, says: “We are delighted to havejoined forces with such a long established,successful and well respected manufacturer andto be bringing the Mitsubishi brand, whichoffers a wide range of high quality products, tothe people of Teesside.”

The opening of the latest Mitsubishifranchise is part of an on-going investment andexpansion programme, which has beenimplemented over the past decade and resultedin the business becoming a multi-franchisegroup.

In addition to the group’s existing Fordbranch network, SEAT, Mazda and Kiafranchises have also been introduced to thebusiness.

Nas continues: “The introduction of theMitsubishi product range to Jennings MotorGroup further demonstrates our commitmentto the North East.

“It is also boosting the region’s economy withthe creation of a number of new jobs andopportunities.”

Lance Bradley, managing director ofMitsubishi Motors in the UK, adds: “We aredelighted to be welcoming Jennings to theMitsubishi family.

“The fact they have been in the North Eastfor more than 100 years speaks volumes abouttheir tremendous reputation.

“They fit perfectly with Mitsubishi’scustomer service values and we wish themevery success as the Mitsubishi brand goes fromstrength to strength.”

Customers visiting Jennings Mitsubishi cantake advantage of the entire Mitsubishi range,including the i-MiEV, Mirage, ASX,Outlander, Outlander PHEV, Shogun andL200.

The award-winning Outlander PHEV, whichis proving a popular model with business users,emits 44g/km C02 which means zero road taxand only 5 per cent BIK (Benefit-in-Kind) forcompany car drivers, compared to the expected30 per cent-plus for equivalent diesel SUVs.

Awarded Diesel Car’s ‘Best Alternative FuelVehicle’ for 2014, the Outlander PHEV modelwith its advance plug-in hybrid technology, is apractical choice for both retail and businesscustomers seeking quality and affordability withprices for the GX3 version of the dieselOutlander 2.2 DI-D Auto, starting at £28,249(post plug-in car grant).

The cost of the equivalent GX3h version ofthe PHEV, which comes with an automaticgearbox, remote controlled keyless entry,leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear knob,cruise control, dual-zone climate control,

automatic headlights and wipers, electricwindows, 18-inch alloy wheels, roof rails, rearprivacy glass, USB port, iPod compatibility andBluetooth connection is the same price.

Customers can also take advantage of higherspecified GX4h and GX4hs models which areavailable at Jennings Mitsubishi.

The Outlander PHEV can be driven over asizeable distance, at speeds over 70mph, usingjust its electric motors and is capable oftravelling over the UK average person’s dailycommute of 32.5 miles, without using any fuelat all.

Jennings Motor Group is one of the NorthEast’s longest established companies, havingbeen founded in 1903 and in 1917 became oneof the UK’s first Ford dealers, the same timewhen Mitsubishi Motors was founded and wentinto production with the Model A.

The company currently employs a total of480 staff across branches located atMiddlesbrough, Stockton, Gateshead, SouthShields and Washington.

A combination of customer and staff loyaltyhas played a pivotal role in the company’scontinuing success and achievements.

This year alone will see 31 members of staffcelebrating a combined loyalty of 675 years’service with the company.

For more information about the range ofproducts and services available at JenningsMitsubishi, call into the Cargo Fleet Lanedealership or visitwww.jenningsmotorgroup.co.uk

M O T O R S

Jennings takes on MitsubishiThe Motor Group announces a new franchise in Teesside.

Left to right: Nas Khan(Jennings Motor Group),John Mason, (MitsubishiMotors UK) and NormanShepherd (JenningsMitsubishi)

108

M O T O R S

Behindthe wheel

byJessica Laing.

110

Set to be Aston Martin’s most exhilarating,fastest-accelerating roadster yet, the hotlyanticipated V12 Vantage S arrives inmarkets around the world later this year.

The perfect ride for sports car enthusiasts andneed-for-speed drivers, the open-top roadster ispowered by the latest Aston Martin AM28 6.0-litre V12 engine (featuring state-of-the-art Boschengine management and an expertly tuned sportsexhaust), which allows it to sprint from rest to60mph in just 3.9 seconds. Available in threemodes: ‘Normal’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Track’. Followingin the tracks of its hugely popular sibling, theV12 Vantage S Coupe, which launched back in2013, racecar technology runs through theroadster’s DNA. Its new Sportshift 7-speedtransmission, for example, which is used in manyof Aston Martin’s race-winning competition carsand replaces its predecessor’s six-speed manual

gearbox, provides motorsport-style paddle shiftchanges for optimum performance delivery.Furthermore, its ‘Sport’ mode, activated via abutton on the model’s centre console, can beactivated to alter everything from gearshift speedand timing to throttle response and exhaust note.Other new features include near-identical brakesto the brand’s Vanquish model and a lightweightexhaust system, derived from the brand’s mostexpensive production model, the One-77hypercar. Aesthetically, the roadster has beenstyled to reflect its position as the flagshipconvertible in the Vantage family: take a lookand you’ll discover a newly-designed grille(inspired by Vantage race cars), carbon fibrevanes, new and luxurious seat and door trimstyling and the option of lightweight, ten-spokealloy wheels. Prices and official UK launch dateto be confirmed.

ASTON MARTINV12 VANTAGE S ROADSTER

F.Y.I.Engine: AM28 6.0-litre V12

Power: 565bhpTorque: 620Nm at 5,750rpm

Top speed: 201mphAcceleration: 0-60mph in 3.9 seconds

Fuel consumption: 25.5.mpgCO2 emissions: 343g/km

111

E V E N T

ABCbirthday

The networking organisationcelebrates at Lloyd BMW.

Asian Business Connexions (ABC)celebrated five years of connecting,

supporting and promoting the Asian andwider communities at a special eventhosted at Lloyd BMW.

Prominent business and communityleaders came together to show theirsupport for the social enterprise businessnetwork, while also viewing the incredibleBMW i8.

For further information contactinfo@abconnexions.org or visitwww.abconnexions.org

The next ABCurry Club will take place onThursday September 25 at The Beacon.

112

The car I have had the real pleasure indriving this month is the stunning AstonMartin Vantage N430. When anyonementions Aston Martin, the first thing

everyone thinks of is James Bond; and if anAston is good enough for 007 then who am I todisagree?

Although any Bond nuts will know, IanFlemming originally wanted 007 to drive aBentley, the film producers tried their best toconvince the top brass at Bentley to give thema few cars … and they made the worst decisionin history by saying no. And Bentley’s loss wasfinally Astons gain and the DB5 became one ofthe most famous cars on the big screen.

As the car is out of reach of most people, it'seither a lottery winner’s choice of transport or avery successful individual. The first thing youwill notice driving the car is how respectfulother drivers are of you and the stunning car.Most Ferrari or Lamborghini drivers will neverwitness such respect on the road.

The original Vantage was launched back in2005 and its design hasn't changed very muchat all. The Vantage has its fair share ofcompetitors with the revised 911, R8 and thenew Jaguar F Type. Aston launched the N400in 2009 then the N420 and both cars build ona rich racing history. The N series areextremely exciting and really compelling todrive.

The N430 is another amazing car which hasdrawn heavily on Astons racing heritage. TheVantage has enjoyed a great deal of success inthe World Endurance Championship. Astonhas fitted a 4.7lt V8 engine which produces430 bhp, the cars top speed is 190mph and itgets to 62mph in a rapid 4.8secs. Starting thecar you put the key into the middle hold downand you hear the most magnificent growl; you

will find yourself driving in lower gears just tohear its beautiful soundtrack. The cars peakpower is above 5000rpm but below 3500rpmthe car feels really flat and it needs to beworked to make swift progress.

You can choose from either a six speedmanual gearbox or a seven sipped autogearbox. Most drivers will choose the manualbox but I must confess I wasn't a fan at all, theclutch was very heavy and it was nigh onimpossible to make smooth gear changes.Instead of using electric steering, Aston hasdecided to use a traditional set up which givesthe driver plenty of feedback.

To help reduce weight the designers haveused Carbon-Fibre and Kevlar in the seats andthe alloy wheels are forged in a uniquegraphite finish to save an additional 20kg overthe standard Vantage. They have also usedCarbon-Fibre in the prop shaft and theAluminium chassis gives the car a real feelingof stiffness. This car is definitely set up for therace track but I must admit to finding the ridevery choppy around town.

The N430 has been given the optionalClubSport Graphics pack. It is inspired by theGT4 cars that have had tremendous successrecently, some striking colours have been usedfor the grille surround, mirror caps, reardiffuser blade and the coupe also features asweep of the roofline in the matching racingcolours. The car also features a black grill andblack tail pipes which help give the car a realsporting look.

When you step inside you will notice theinterior is a real cocoon of Alcantara, leatherand carbon fibre. The car just oozes qualityfrom the stunning glass and metal key to thecarpets and the Alcantara trimmed wheel andgear knob just add to the real opulence to thissporty car. The Vantage is starting to show itsage inside with an array of buttons and theindicator storks look really cheap along withthe Sat Nav which just a glorified, but harderto use, Tom Tom!

Another blast from the past is the retrolooking handbrake, which is beside the driver’sseat, and I am surprised Aston hasn’t ditchedthis in favour of an electric handbrake. Theboot space is definitely not the cars strongpoint and I am sure keen golfers will struggleto get their clubs in the car. This car woulddefinitely not be suitable for a dash to Europeas it simply doesn't have enough boot space fora suitcase. Despite the few issues I havepointed out I would still prefer an Aston overits Italian rivals, Ferrari and Lamborghini, asit's a quality brand that just makes you feelproud to be British. The N430 is actually£15,000 cheaper than the Vantage S so pricedat £90,000 this car is positively a bargain!

For more information visitwww.astonmartin.com

M O T O R S

Style and sophisticationBob Arora test drives the Aston Martin N430

114

115

MTSS, or shin splints as its morecommonly known, is a conditionthat effects a large portion of thepopulation especially those

engaged in regular long distance road running. Its onset typically comes from repeated impact

on solid surfaces which, in turn leads to repetitivestress on the lower leg, more specifically the tibiaor shin bone located on the medial part of thelower leg.

As with a lot of other common injuries thesight of the pain isn’t always the cause of thepain, meaning, the problem may have startedsomewhere else.

Bones, ligaments, tendons, muscles and fasciaall have to be considered when assessing a bodyfor biomechanical irregularities which lead to aninjury of this kind.

In the case of shin splints you may feel atremendous aching sensation through the lowerleg, yet unless there is actually a stress fracture orhairline fracture to the tibia the likelihood is thatit may be coming from a biomechanicalimbalance in one or both of the ankles or feet.This is usually characterised by a collapsed orpartially collapsed arch in the foot or both feet.

One of the first things I will look at with aclient complaining of shin splits (and you can

check this for yourself) is the wear on their shoes. Wearing on the medial or inside part of the

shoe shows an excess of ankle pronationresulting in uneven distribution of weightthrough the lower leg, this can also be seenthrough the individuals unilateral leg balance.

Someone with a tendency to flatten their footin order to make more contact with the floor(poor biomechanics learned over time) willgenerally have a hard time standing on one legon command!

Get the same person to hop on one leg and itreally brings the point home.

So now that you know that you may beoverloading your lower leg due tobiomechanical imbalances in the ankle and foot,what can you do about it?

Rest and ice? That would be a yes to both interms of easing the pain and tacklinginflammation but neither of these are going toactually solve the problem. Once theinflammation has subsided and you decide torun again trust me, the pain will soon follow asyou haven’t corrected the imbalances ortightness that exist from biomechanicalirregularities in the lower limbs.

Not to put too fine a point on it but you canimagine that these lower limb irregularities tend

not to stay isolated. So, here is the scenario, ifyou have stress on your right ankle your left kneecould potentially take more stress over aprolonged period of time which may eventuallylead to your right hip becoming inflamed orfunctionally challenged, next, as the hips arenow under uneven stress your pelvis becomesmisaligned, next stop lumbar spine and yourlower back wont thank you.

Your body is a global machine built to work inunison without any excess tensions on anysingular part or extremity until, imbalances arecreated through everyday living (sitting at acomputer/school desk, leaning to one side whiledriving/watching telly, bent double gardening,playing sport etc).

Now as everyday living can not and shouldnot be avoided it’s up to you to make sure youseek professional help when it comes to assessingand correcting these irregularities andimbalances.

Pain where ever it is shouldn’t be experiencedby the body as a normal every day occurrence,pain is your body’s way of telling you somethingis wrong, so don’t ignore it!

For more information call Be-Fit on (0191)213 5300.

W E L L - B E I N G

Will St Leger looks at the condition of MedialTibial Stress Syndrome (MTSS).

Shin splints

116

Metabolism is a frequent word used inthe topic of weight loss and weightgain. Many people talk about theirstruggles with their body and express

that their metabolism is not working well.There are scientific ways to increase the rate

of metabolic change, and thus enable the bodyto burn more energy. Eating certain foods canimprove the metabolic health of the thyroid,while specific fitness regimes and lifestylechoices can prove equally as effective atboosting metabolic rate and health.

Exercise

Exercising does boost your metabolism.Cardiovascular (aerobic) exercise is animportant part of boosting your metabolism. Itincreases heart rate, blood circulation, bodytemperature, and oxygen intake/carbon dioxideexchange which uses energy. However one ofthe best ways to increase metabolic rate viaexercise is to build muscle. Muscle building isan efficient way to boost metabolism because akilo of muscle burns more energy than a kilo offat. Once you start building muscle throughspecific strength training, your body will startburning more energy.

Lifestyle

Your lifestyle is the basic day-to-day habitsand routines which can influence the speedof your metabolism. Balancing work, family,hobbies, and other commitments oftenmeans that our lifestyle isn’t so much of achoice, as a necessity.

The little things that you change in yourregular, day-to-day lifestyle can have the mostprofound influence on the speed of yourmetabolism, and the achievement of yourshort and long-term weight loss goals.

Sleep: Getting enough sleep actuallyimproves metabolism.

Relax: It’s important to remember thatstress negatively influences metabolism, asthere is a link between how much stress youexperience and your ability to break downcells and lose weight.

Diet

Metabolism-friendly foods are foods thatpromote thyroid health. A high plant-baseddiet supports thyroid health.

Eat more frequently throughout the day.People who eat throughout the day don’t tend

to experience severe hunger pangs, becausethey don’t reach that stage. In addition to thisyou are constantly keeping your metabolismin motion, feeding it with appropriatenutrition for health and function (thyroid).

Be specific: Different people will requiredifferent amounts of protein, carbohydrateand fat on a daily basis. Take the time to findyours and the results will follow.

At Bodyguards Fitness Services Ltd, ourtrainers have levels of knowledge andexperience that are second to none. Thisgives our clients all the tools necessary forthem to achieve their health and fitnessgoals.

Your Trainer will develop your bespoketraining plan and will guide you throughyour entire programme of health and fitnessdevelopment, which includes your traininginside and outside of the gym, your diet, yourlifestyle and all support services to ensurethat you are in full health. We aim to makeyou feel like yourself again, only better!

For more information email Tony oninfo@bodyguardsapt.com or call (0191) 2399000.

W E L L - B E I N G

Tony Douglass of Bodyguards FitnessService Ltd looks at ways to help your

body burn more energy.

Boost your metabolism

118

ANorth East dentist is now one of themost qualified cosmetic dentists inthe country, after receiving his latestaccreditation.

Dr Ken Harris of Riveredge CosmeticDentistry, who has surgeries in Sunderlandand Jesmond, recently received his MSc inRestorative and Aesthetic Dentistry from theUniversity of Manchester – passing with adistinction.

Ken has long being regarded by his peersand patients as an expert, and this latest of along line of qualifications gained by theinternationally-renowned dentist providesfurther proof he is a leader in his field.

As well as this new qualification, he is oneof only two Fellows of the British Academy ofAesthetic Dentistry (BACD), which involveshim teaching other dentists around the UK.He is also a full member of the BritishAcademy of Aesthetic Dentistry (BAAD,and regularly teaches USA dentists at theworld renowned Kois Center programme

across in Seattle. At Riveredge, which also offers state-of-the-

art general dentistry, Ken not only deals with awide range of patients but is also often calledon by other dentists to look after complexpatients on their behalf.

He says: “I am delighted to have achievedthis latest qualification which I’ve beenworking towards for the last two years.

“Sometimes people find it hard to believethat here in the North East we can offer worldclass dentistry but at Riveredge we’re not just atthe cutting edge of cosmetic dentistry but ofgeneral dentistry as well.”

Over the years Dr Harris has becomerecognised globally for his skills and now

teaches dentists throughout Europe andworldwide.

He regularly travels across to North Americaand Canada, delivering lectures on aestheticdentistry to practitioners in New York,Vancouver, San Francisco, Orange County,Fresno and San Diego in his role as theClinical Director for California Center forAdvanced Dental Studies.

For further information or to contact thepractice visit www.riveredge.co.uk or call(0191) 567 1020.

W E L L - B E I N G

Dr Ken Harris of Riveredge Cosmetic Dentistry gainsthe latest in a long-time of accreditations.

All smiles

119

E V E N T

Veterans at EaseMatfen Hall teams up

with the military personnel charityfor a special event.

The luxury Northumberland hotel,Matfen Hall, joined forces with Veterans

at Ease, a charity that aims to combat theeffects of modern day post-traumaticstress, to host an event last month tocommemorate the fallen and discuss themental health challenges veterans,serving military personnel and theirfamilies who still deal with today.

120

“Arthritis had totally ruined my life –I went from being an athletic,energetic person to someone whocould barely walk down the road,”

says Pamela from Wolsingham. A series of procedures over nine years failed

to resolve the problem and despite pain relieffrom her GP, Pamela had reached the stage ofbeing unable to sleep through the nightwithout being woken by the discomfort.

She opted for surgery at Spire WashingtonHospital and underwent a bilateral kneereplacement.

The procedure, carried out by consultantShaun O’Brien, is rarely done on both kneesat once but being otherwise healthy andcommitted to the necessary aftercare andrehabilitation, Pamela was an appropriatecandidate.

Once she had decided on the treatment,she was able to have the operation withindays.

Pamela, whose condition had left her legssignificantly out of alignment, spent four daysin hospital after the operation.

Once at home, she was able to walk withcrutches and used an exercise bike to helprehabilitate her legs.

The follow up scans showed excellentresults and Pamela was kept fully informedfrom the initial diagnosis to her progressduring the recovery and rehabilitation phase.

She says: “The surgery has transformed my

life, by far surpassing my expectations – I wasback at work within three months and now Ican do everything I enjoy, including walkingin the hills.

“I was so worn down from the pain that Ididn’t think I’d have a life again. I couldn’thave been more wrong and I’m eternallygrateful to Mr O’Brien and for the excellentcare I received from the Spire WashingtonHospital team.”

Opting for private medical treatmentprovides patients both with speedy treatmentand a range of choices that are not availableon the NHS.

Rather than waiting months to see aconsultant for an initial diagnosis, patients areseen quickly and have control over when theiroperation will take place, as well as whichconsultant they would like to carry out thesurgery.

In the majority of cases, patients at SpireWashington Hospital opt for private medicalinsurance (PMI) to pay for their treatment. Insome cases, companies provide this as part oftheir employment contracts, so it is worthchecking to find out if this applies to you.

If you are not covered via work, there are anumber of options for obtaining PMI. It is notalways necessary to disclose existing conditionsto the insurer, an issue that has put people offin the past.

Another major stumbling block is thecommonly held – and generally erroneous –

belief that the cost of PMI is beyond mostpeople’s budgets.

Using an insurance broker is a usefulmethod to find tailor-made packages, whetheryou are seeking individual PMI or a policy tocover your family.

Due to increased competition in themarket, prices have tumbled in the last fiveyears making PMI much more accessible andaffordable than it used to be.

Specialist PMI broker, Helen Routledgefrom Ponteland Healthcare SolutionsLtd,explains: "Once PMI is in place it givesreal peace of mind and a good broker willoffer an annual review to ensure you alwayshave the best deal. As I always say, peopleinsure their cars but a car is something youcan replace. It's not the same with the humanbody, which is infinitely more precious."

For those who don’t have PMI in place,Spire Washington Hospital also offers a pay-as-you-go option. In these instances, once initialconsultations and tests have been carried out,a fixed price is agreed for the remainder of thetreatment, giving you full control over yourcosts at all times.

Some patients may also be eligible for the0 per cent finance option available throughSpire’s specialist medical loan company.

For more information, please visitwww.spirewashington.com or call(0191) 415 1272.

H E A L T H

Beat joint painA former PE teacher, who was physically fit and active until osteoarthritis in both knee joints left her unable

to walk more than 200 metres, turned to Spire Washington Hospital. Here is Pamela’s story …

122

D I R E C T O R Y

126

127

E V E N T

Open day lunchat the Holiday Inn

The hotel at Gosforth Parkcelebrates the refurbishment of

its executive rooms.

The Holiday Inn, Gosforth Park,Newcastle, now has a corridor of 42

newly refurbished executive bedrooms. An open day was used to showcase the

venue, which boasts the new bedroomsand refurbished Ridley Suite.

The hotel’s owners, – Ailantus Hotel Group– put on a delicious lunch in the BlagdonBrasserie of Thai fishcakes with hollandaisesauce, roast pork and vegetables,vegetarian pasta and a selection ofdesserts.

128

130

I N T E R V I E W

When I was growing up I wanted tobe a professional tennis player. Itseemed pretty exotic to a Gateshead school girl(imagine being paid to travel around the worldplaying games).

My first job was a summer holidayspot as a life guard (although then ratherunglamorously referred to as a pool attendant) atShipcote Baths as a sixteen year old. I can vividlyremember the excitement of starting my firstshift, and walking on to the poolside at 1.30pmand being bored beyond belief by 1.45pm. Myfirst week’s pay was £45.60. I bought my first pairof Wranglers and had 60p left.

I’d tell my 18 year-old-self to trust myinstincts and to know that it will always workout in the end (it has so far).

I’m inspired by a lot of things. I amnaturally excitable and often prone to beingcarried away but what really inspires me isother people's passion and enthusiasmparticularly when it brings a personal goal orvision into sharper focus.

My greatest achievement is steeringthe firm successfully through the lastfive years which have been the most difficulttrading conditions I've ever experienced. Butgetting through each day is often anachievement as I have so many balls in the airat once. I am constantly amazed by my abilityto catch things before they splatter on theground – although I will admit to a few grazedknuckles. Of course, my other greatestachievement is my daughter, Niamh.

When I need a helping hand I turnto my parents, husband Bob andbusiness partner John Flynn. I'm aopen person and perhaps rather ‘unlawyerlike’as I'm happy to share problems and seeksolutions from colleagues.

My guilty pleasure is that I’m a hugeDonny Osmond fan. It’s prettyembarrassing and it destroys my punkcredentials as a Clash, Jam and Undertonesfanatic. I rather sadly admit that I have theDonny App on my iPhone and iPad and, yes, Ifollow him on Twitter.

In my spare time my passion isswimming. I have swum competitively sinceI was nine. I also write a couple of columnseach month for the Swimming Times and Icurrently chair the ASA's National Masters’Committee.

After 45 years in the water I'm not even sureif I can properly articulate the attraction, but Ijust love the sport, the training, the people, thecompetition, the camaraderie and thechallenge. Swimming has also allowed me totravel the world, from Canada to Australia. LastOctober I completed the Tyne River swim; 10miles from the Tyne Bridge to South Shields,tackling a headwind and three-foot waves. I wasreally struck by the river’s size, power and thevolume of the water rushing past me, and justhow insignificant I was. It was a very emotional,challenging and humbling experience.

In five years time I’ll be retired, rich,40 pounds lighter, incredibly fit andsuccessful ... I have a vivid imagination andI'm full of good intentions.

www.swinburnesnowballandjackson.co.uk

Get to know me ...Verity Dobbie

Managing partner at Swinburne Snowball and Jacksonand Newcastle Law Society president 2014/15.