TopicUK ISSUE

IRISDine with a fl ourish

Th e art businessEconomic case for Arts Subsidies

Good Health Makes Good Business

NUMBERtwoJUNE 2013

www.topicuk.co.uk

T o p i c U K S u m m e r I s s u e

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TopicUK3

4-9noteWelcome to issue 2 of TopicUK, Wakefi eld’s premier Business Magazine.We received a fantastic response to our fi rst issue that launched in April, and we would like to thank everyone who contributed, particularly the advertisers, without you, publication of this magazine would not be possible.

Wakefi eld is a vibrant and growing city with more than 8000 companies and we want to encourage businesses to work together. And, we’re not the only one’s it seems. A new scheme has been launched called The Wakefi eld District Bondholder - The Diamond scheme that encourages businesses to do just that. Supported by Wakefi eld Council, businesses in Wakefi eld are set to benefi t from this new collaborative initiative, which will see local companies of all sizes come together. Read the full article on page 42.

TopicUK is initially published on a bi-monthly basis, but it is intended that with the support of the business community, we can grow the magazine and publish monthly. Already this second issue has seen the pagination grow by 4 extra pages.

As well as local news, we want to publish features covering topics such as health; law; fashion; beauty; sport; motoring; the arts and much more. This month, we have a brand new ‘What’s On’ section where we list up-and-coming events and even jobs. So, if you are organising an event or have a job to advertise, let us know.

We have recruited a number of ‘guest editors’ who specialise in their own fi eld. For example, Dr Andrew Furber, Director of Public Health, NHS Wakefi eld and District, will report on health issues and Chadwick Lawrence Solicitors who specialise in business and family law, will be on hand to answer any legal questions, whilst writing about current legal topics, to name just a couple. If you are interested in becoming a guest editor, please let us know.

So how is the magazine funded? There are currently 1000 copies of this second issue in circulation around the city, with an expected readership of 5000, the perfect platform to advertise your business. There are a number of affordably priced advertising spaces available, as well as a limited number of web banners on our website. www.topicuk.co.uk. Please show your support by taking out advertising space.

For more information, call 07711 539047 or email topicuk@ghost-communications.com

TopicUK would like to thank everyone who has contributed to this issue. Without the support

of the local business community, producing this magazine would be impossible. If you would

like to contribute to future issues, please email: topicuk@ghost-communications.com

NEWS

THE ART BUSINESS

IT WONT HAPPEN TO ME

LAW

OSSETT BREWERY

RESTAURANT REVIEW

WHATS ON

12-131416-18

28-2924-25

40Th e views expressed by the contributors are not necessarily those held by the publishers and therefore no responsibility can be held by the publisher for misinterpretation. Reproduction of this magazine without the express permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited. Whilst every care is taken in the production of this magazine, the publisher/editor cannot accept any responsibility for errors in articles, advertisements orprogramme schedules.To subscribe to this magazine, submit an article or press release please contact Gill Laidler on: 07711 539047 or email gill@ghost-communications.comPublished by Ghost Communications Limited

editor’s

T o p i c U K S u m m e r I s s u e

Yorkshire Sculpture Park is to host the fi rst ever ‘Yorkshire Hour live’ networking event with the co-founder, Angie Aspinall from Aspinall Ink.

Yorkshire Hour Live takes place on a Wednesday each week on Twitter, between 8 and 9pm. There are over 7,600 followers and provides businesses with a platform for free advertising and networking. Participants use the hash tag in their tweets to promote their business or event and participants link up with others in their geographical area to discuss how they can help one another’s business.

The event, on 17 July from 6pm will be a relaxed affair, involving informal friendly networking in beautiful surroundings, the perfect venue for a Summer gathering. There will also be a live ‘Twitterfall’ supported by Wakefi eld Council and Ramsdens Solicitors, which means delegates will be able to see the photos and comments they’ve tweeted, displayed on the screen in the auditorium and the comments of others joining in from home.

Sinead Sopala, marketing manager at Ramsdens comments: “We are delighted to be involved in such an innovative event. Yorkshire hour is a social community effort and this event is testament to the strength of social media and bringing people together.”

You can fi nd full details of the event on the YSP website: www.ysp.co.uk/events/yorkshirehourlive or email Angie Aspinall: aspinall.ink@hotmail.co.uk

Wakefi eld business breaks the mouldA new and innovative service has been launched in Wakefi eld by itrain-u that will provide businesses with skills that will enable them to create their own promotional imagery for free.

Whether for print, web or social media, all businesses need good imagery to promote themselves and this service bridges the gap between businesses paying for a commercial photographer and not having suffi cient skills to create good images for themselves.

itrain-u undertake an image consultation to determine the

precise communication requirement for each business and then build bespoke training to provide business owners or PR departments with the skills to produce powerful communication images.

Malcolm Briggs, founder of itrain-u said: “I have trained people in commercial photography for over thirty years and know what it takes to make powerful images.

If you would like more information about this service contact Malcolm on 07832 327761 or email: malcolm@itrain-u.co.uk

BOOST FOR LOCAL

BUSINESSES

TopicUK5

W akefi eld based Media Displays has been assisting the Greater Manchester Police force to target people who

have absconded bail by using a mobile, digital messaging vehicle.Greater Manchester Police Offi cers used the vans as part of ‘Operation Spring Clean’, a campaign to keep communities safe by reducing crime during the Spring Holidays. Media Display’s digi-vans were used to target specifi c areas across Manchester, where criminals were named and shamed on the large mobile display screens.

Ian Taylor, Media Display’s Managing Director commented: “This was a Force wide initiative aimed at completing a Spring clean operation. Our digi-vans were used to raise awareness with the public as well as targeting specifi c areas where the Police

know there are a high number of people on the run. In total, the Greater Manchester Police Force made six arrests, with an additional offender actually handing himself in, just in case he was next to appear on the van screen!”

The digi-vans are able to display both text and images, allowing the police to show photos of criminals who had absconded bail as well as including information about them. This helped members of the public to recognise the wanted criminal and either alert the police to

their whereabouts, or encourage the criminal to turn themselves in. The campaign helped raise awareness in the community and encouraged people to contact the police with any relevant information they had.

Ian added: “Because our screens are mobile, the digi-vans allow offi cers to target specifi c areas that have high crime rates, or where large groups of people may congregate. They’re a simple and effective way to get a targeted message across to the relevant audience. Not only do our digital screens help to name and shame offenders, but they also warn others from committing a similar crime in fear of having their face and details appear on screen too.”

If you would like further details of digi-vans, digi-bikes or other products offered by Media Displays, visit www.mediadisplays.co.uk

“Th is was a Force wide initiative aimed

at completing a spring clean”

Cleaning Up the streets

Wakefi eld College Principal Sam Wright has welcomed news of a new multi-million pound investment at Ferrybridge Power Station that will see more than 300 new jobs created. Sam commented “We welcome the latest news about developments at Ferrybridge Power Station and Wakefi eld College are committed to helping young people develop their education and employability skills, to give them a more prosperous future.

“Our state-of-the-art Castleford campus offers a wide range of high level construction and engineering courses, as well as a number of apprenticeships that have an enviable history of preparing students to work on high profi le building and engineering projects in Wakefi eld and beyond,” Sam continued. “This is great news for not just our students but for other young people across the district.”

College Backs Ferrybridge Jobs Boost

Management at Wakefi eld College are busy organising their fi rst ever ‘Giving Back to

the Community Day’ and are inviting local organisations to put forward potential projects that college staff can get involved in.

8 July will see hundreds of college staff from across three campuses, leave their classrooms and desks behind and go out and help the local community on a variety of different projects. The college has already been approached by a number of local providers, including hospices, charities and parks.

Director of HR, Karen Sykes said: “Wakefi eld College has over 600 members of staff who possess a wealth of specialist knowledge and skills which could benefi t our local community. We see the college as the heart of the community, so we want to take this opportunity to give something back and engage more closely with the communities we serve. Responsiveness and responsibility are just two of the key values that are embedded in the ethos of the college and this project will be a great way to showcase our talents whilst helping local causes,” Karen concluded.

If you would like to propose a project to the team you can email them at h.rivron@wakefi eld.ac.uk

COLLEGE STAFF GIVE BACK

A group of Wakefi eld business people are organising a charity Christmas lunch, to bring companies together to enjoy great food, great company and great entertainment, whilst raising funds for a local children’s charity.

The lunch will support the Theatre Royal Wakefi eld Performance Academy, in particular raising money to help grant scholarships to children to attend the academy, that operates in Pontefract and Wakefi eld. This is a Saturday training programme for young people aged 5-19

and all students are trained in acting, singing and dancing.

The lunch will take place on 12 December at Wakefi eld Cedar Court Hotel and tables of 10 cost £450.00 or £45 for individual tickets. The committee are also collecting donations for auction prizes and sponsorship opportunities are also available.

Places are going fast, with 17 tables already sold. To book a place or make a donation contact Tim Welton, from Chadwick Lawrence on Tim.Welton@chadlaw.co.uk

ANNUAL CHRISTMAS CHARITY LUNCH

WORK STARTEDAT KIRKGATE STATION

Work has fi nally started on Kirkgate Station following a campaign by the Wakefi eld Express and its readers.The £4.6m redevelopment will transform the grim, isolated station, but most importantly, the station will be staffed, something that it has been lacking, after a woman was sexually attacked in the dingy subway four years ago.

Work is expected to last around 12 months and the Grade II listed building will become a safe place with ticket offi ce, cafe and a shop. TopicUK will keep readers up-to-date with developments as they progress.

TopicUK7

25TopicUc KUU

7

From a three person start-up in 1988, Spawforth’s Town Planners and Architects, have grown into a successful multi-million pound company, providing architecture, planning, masterplanning and landscape services to clients in Wakefi eld and throughout the country, from their purpose built offi ces in East Ardsley.

Now with a team of 30, Spawforth’s are the largest independent planning practice in the North of England and the second largest architectural practice in Wakefi eld.

Dawn Jenkins, Design Director told TopicUK: “This is an exciting year for us, not only do we have a programme of 25th celebrations to look forward to, but 2013 also marks the start of the delivery of some signifi cant regeneration

projects into the district that will culminate in new housing, new infrastructure, waterside regeneration and new retail and community facilities. These ambitious developments will bring a wide range of benefi ts, not only to the Wakefi eld local economy, but to local communities and to business.”

Spawforth’s are proud to be part of the Wakefi eld business community and their long term expansion plans focus on developing and expanding their Wakefi eld team. Building on the Council’s ‘open for business attitude’ Spawforth’s are also focussed on expanding the work they do with local business and with the community, so if you are a local business and think there are opportunities to work together, contact Dawn on dawn.jenkings@spawforth.co.uk to arrange a coffee.

UNIVERSITYCENTRE UPDATEWakefi eld College welcomed local business partners recently, to discuss its ambitious plans for a new university centre.

Management at the College, along with senior staff from Wakefi eld Council have been consulting with a number of local businesses about their plans and have now been joined by Backstage Academy, its fi rst foundation business partner as part of this new initiative.

Principal Sam Wright said: “The Centre will focus on innovation and enterprise in order to promote economic

growth within the community. Students completing their HE courses at the new centre will have acquired not only the recognised qualifi cations which will help them to build their careers, but also the skills, knowledge and attitudes which potential future employers are looking for.”

The new centre will offer both full and part-time courses, which are directly linked to the needs of key local industries: Business and professional services; digital, creative and cultural sectors; environmental technologies; manufacturing; food and drink and logistics.

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TopicUK9

Purchasing offi ce equipment can be a daunting prospect, there are so many different models to choose from, a variety of ways to purchase and service agreements

that can seem onerous.

Copiserv have produced this straightforward, no-nonsense, jargon free guide to help you understand what options you have.

There are many options available, photocopier or MFD (Multi-Functional Device), from leasing, purchasing or in some instances, suppliers may offer you a short term rental.

If you are a new business, the chances are that in the current economic climate, traditional leasing arrangements are going to be diffi cult, or are going to have very high rates attached to them. It may be in your best interest therefore to source a supplier that can offer you a very short term arrangement.

If you are an established business who has leased before, you need to decide what is right for you now. Getting the right equipment for your business means future proofi ng yourself for all possible eventualities. If you are tied to a very long lease, the only way to upgrade is by refi nancing your existing lease, which means paying interest on interest.

FlexibilityOne option to consider might be to take on a shorter term lease which will give you the fl exibility to make other decisions in the years to come. However, a short lease period will mean higher quarterly costs - it really is a question of balance.

If you are in a lease agreement, do you really need to upgrade, or is your current equipment performing for your business needs? Some suppliers will often offer you what appear to be very attractive deals to swap your equipment. However, the fact still remains at the end of your lease, if you upgrade, you will be paying a new lease. So, why not consider keeping your old equipment? However if you do decide to keep it remember you have paid for this equipment once, so do you really need to pay peppercorn rentals?

Service agreements on Photocopiers can be just as onerous and often they can hide hidden charges that you were not aware of.

Cancellation clauses - if you upgrade your equipment with a different supplier, then your incumbent may try to force a cancellation clause on you. These can vary in severity, so you should understand these clauses before

entering into any agreement.

Legal documentation - remember, a service agreement is a legal document and the only person authorised to change a legal document is a director of a business.

Price rises - understand how frequently and by what percentage price rises are going to come into effect.

Accepting that a supplier needs to protect themselves from their own supply chain and increasing costs, but do beware of what is a reasonable price rise.

What’s included - all service contracts will vary, so it’s important to understand what is and what isn’t included. Understand what may turn out to be a chargeable service call, no service contract includes everything, so it’s important to understand them.

Guarantees - most service guarantee response times amount to simple marketing material, with very little substance behind them. If someone offers a guaranteed response time, it is important to ask “what happens if you don’t respond in that time” or “will it be a fully qualifi ed engineer that visits” and “will you be attending site, or just telephoning us?”Should you need any advice on either an existing contract, are in the middle of a contract that isn’t in your company’s best interest, or even want to look at upgrading any of your existing offi ce equipment from desktop printers, through to full colour copiers, contact the Copiserv team on 01924 298924 or email gareth@copiserv.co.uk

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Find out how you can make a difference locally:Contact the Community Foundation for Wakefield DistrictCall: 01924 239181Email:

TopicUK11

T he Community Foundation for Wakefi eld District (CFWD) is a local charity that has been established to help the Wakefi eld District. It exists for the people of the area, whether they are benefi ciaries of the organisations it supports through grant

funding, volunteers driving positive change in their local community or local philanthropists, inspired to help the residents of their local areas make that community better for everyone.

The foundation has been active for nearly fi ve years and was the brainchild of the Rt Rev Stephen Platten, the Bishop of Wakefi eld, who is currently the organisations president. From the start, it has been led by the dynamic, charismatic CEO Shona Walsh.

Shona hails from Scotland and arrived at CFWD via a pedigree of success at NCH, Mencap and Childline/NSPCC. She moved to Yorkshire to marry a Wakefi eld

lad and has from the start been an advocate for the passion and skills of the local community.

The mission of CFWD is to ‘inspire local giving that transforms lives for the better.’ Shona told TopicUK “We need to create a culture of local giving for good causes in the district. It’s inspiring that local people will recognise a need in their community and are prepared to do something about it themselves. They’ve got the will, the ability and all they need is a small amount of fi nance to address that need - in some cases £1,000 will keep a group going for a year.”

Since we’ve had our own Foundation for the district, it has channelled over 1 million pounds in grants to over 600 community based groups. At the same time, they have begun to build an endowment fund for the longer term benefi t of the district. Shona’s dream is that the Foundation’s ‘Future Fund for the District’ will grow to create a legacy fund of several million pounds. The larger the fund, the more grants the Foundation can make.

Shona believes that the district’s business community can play a vital role in developing our local communities and through using the services of the Foundation, they can also realise their Corporate Social Responsibility and Community Impact agendas. “By giving locally, even relatively small sums, the business community can see the real impact of their philanthropy, by strengthening their community and will in turn, reap the benefi ts of responsible business practice,” Shona explained. “And everyone can get involved. The Community Foundation can act as a conduit, enabling our local business community, regardless of size, to have a demonstrable impact.” Shona is very clear that demand for grants currently far outstrips cash available, but with her help, everyone can make a signifi cant difference. The Foundation can guarantee that all money raised in the district stays in the district.

Shona’s commitment to her job is matched by her love of the Yorkshire countryside and a deep respect for the Yorkshire spirit. Wakefi eld is defi nitely richer for having a Community Foundation and it’s such a pleasure to meet and work with a CEO who is so driven.

If you would like to fi nd out more about the work of the Community Foundation call 01924 239181 or email Shona at swalsh@communityfoundationwakefi eld.co.uk

TopicUK would like to thank Sam Grundy, KIDS Wakefi eld fundraiser who has acted as guest editor for this local heroes page.

LOCALHEROESWealth of Passion is Key to Unlocking the District’s Future

T o p i c U K S u m m e r I s s u eT o p i c U K S u m m e r I s s u e

Arts Council England has just published the fi ndings of an independent report claiming that the arts and cultural sector accounts for 0.4% of gross domestic product with £5.9 billion

worth of gross value added to the UK economy in 2011.

The results form part of an investigation by the Centre for Economics and Business Research and is the fi rst comprehensive analysis carried out to determine the value of the arts and culture to the modern economy at a national level.

The report defi nes arts and culture as including book publishing, sound recording and music publishing, performing arts, support activities to the performing arts, artistic creation and operation of arts facilities.

The report found that these areas combined, provide 0.45% of total employment in the UK – on average 110,600 full-time equivalent

employees. The performing arts sector was the biggest contributor to employment, with around one third of the total. The report also reveals that the sector’s contribution to the UK economy has actually increased since the 2008 recession, despite turnover in the sector falling slightly in the period.

The publication of the report comes soon after culture secretary Maria Miller called for the sector to focus on making an economic argument for continued government investment in the arts.

With the chancellor tasking government departments to fi nd £11 billion in savings for 2015 this report comes at an opportune time as it should help to make the argument

for future funding ahead of the governments comprehensive spending review in July. It responds directly to the culture secretary’s request for help in reframing the argument for culture and should enable the DCMS to defend its budget in a more robust manner.

The report also contributes to a range of work that moves beyond Maria Miller’s narrow understanding of economic impact and provides evidence on the economic role of culture which is vitally important for the evidence-based policymaking that can help support the strong contribution that the cultural sector makes to British life.

At a time when the arts and cultural industries are under threat as never before, this report is to be welcomed as making a major contribution to the debate.

A copy of the report is available to download at http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/news/arts-council-news/economic-contribution-arts-and-culture-report-publ/

BusinessThe Art

Th e Economic case for Arts Subsidies

arts and culture is a sectorturnover of £12.4 billion and a

Money For Ar

TopicUK13

TopicUc KUU13

r of signifi cant scale with a a GVA of £5.9 billion in 2011

THE ARTS AND CULTURE SECTOR PROVIDES 0.45 PER CENT OF TOTAL UK EMPLOYMENT AND 0.48 PER CENT OF TOTAL EMPLOYMENT IN ENGLAND

AT LEAST £856 MILLION PER ANNUM OF SPENDING BY TOURISTS VISITING THE UK CAN BE ATTRIBUTED DIRECTLY TO ARTS AND CULTURE

arts and culture make up 0.4 per cent of *GDP – a signifi cant return on the less than 0.1 per cent of government spending invested in the sector

£1

gdp

£1£1

£4 £4£4

£1

arts and culture generate more per pound invested than the health, wholesale and retail, and professional and business services sectors

Murray Edwards is the Executive Director of Th eatre Royal Wakefi eld, a Victorian

theatre designed by Frank Matcham, with plans for a £2.6 million restoration in 2015. Murray.edwards@

theatreroyalwakefi eld.co.uk

Arts Sake

T o p i c U K S u m m e r I s s u e

Looking at the evidence, you could be forgiven for assuming that business owners never fall seriously ill or die.

Most companies make sure they have public liability insurance and cover for contents, fi re and theft and one would expect anyone running a small to medium sized company to recognise that the serious illness or death of a key person would have a potentially devastating effect on the business, not least to its value and profi tability. Yet, when it comes to key people, many adopt a high risk strategy by doing absolutely nothing about cover at all.

Without question, the consequences of such inaction are potentially dire. What would happen for example, if the business owner or major shareholder became seriously ill or died?

Let’s take the case of two shareholders, A and B. They spend their time in the business and then suddenly A dies. Who would acquire the shares previously owned by A? Has A made a will? Would the share’s go to A’s spouse, children - or someone else? Shareholder B could now be in a diffi cult position. Will B be able to carry on running the company as he or she wants? Who will exercise the voting rights of the shares previously held by A? Even if the person inheriting the shares wants to sell them, could B afford to buy?

It could be bad news for A’s family as well. What if B cannot afford to buy the shares or doesn’t want to? Where does that leave A’s family? They could be ‘locked in’ to a company with no real prospect of any income or other fi nancial support at a time when they need it most.

Given that serious illness, affects one in four women and one in fi ve men before retirement age*, potential scenarios like these are not uncommon. Yet the problems facing A and B could all have been perfectly ironed out if the right safeguards had already been put in place.

Share purchase and partnership protection ensures business succession as well as the safeguarding of commercial interests and family legacy. This protection provides funds to allow remaining business owners to buy the shares from the outgoing or deceased owner. By putting this simple arrangement in place, capital is available to help purchase this person’s interest.

So in the cases of shareholders A and B, with these measures in place, solutions would have been found for both parties by utilising life cover, a business trust, a legal document called a cross option agreement and structuring wills correctly.

On A’s death, the shares could pass into a Will Trust, set up for the benefi t of the spouse and other family members. At the same time, the monies payable on A’s death from

the life policy could pass into a Business Trust for the benefi t of B and family.

The cross option agreement then allows the shares to pass into the Business Trust and the money moves across into the Will Trust which can then be used to benefi t A’s family.

For A, the Will Trust structure will provide Inheritance Tax savings to be made on the spouse’s death later on and long term planning opportunities for A’s children. It also provides a useful ‘asset protection mechanism’ for the family in the future. Meanwhile, as almost every privately owned business ends up being sold or transferred, B can take advantage of some useful long term tax planning opportunities for the future, by holding shares previously

owned by A in a Life Policy Trust.

Having all the correct protection in place and ensuring this is regularly reviewed and updated to refl ect business changes, is a particularly onerous and daunting task for time hungry entrepreneurs. It is one which is best left to a wealth management specialist to help protect the business from a wide range of risks and ensue business owners meet their aims, whilst concentrating on managing their company.

At the same time, a wealth expert can help owners with all those other neglected fi nancial affairs such as formulating a carefully planned exit strategy, retirement planning, investment, personal banking, mortgages, healthcare and other insurance.

Source: *This is Money (20/9/11)

If you would like to receive a complimentary guide covering these points, contact Gareth Glendinning of Glendinning Wealth on 07818 015141, or email gareth.glendinning@sjpp.co.uk.

It won’t happen to me

Will it?

TopicUK15

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Looking for something a little more glamorous? Expert staff at True Beauty can give you beautiful fl uttering lashes using Nouveau Lashes

So, whatever your requirements, indulge and take advantage of the special monthly offers in salon, currently Orly Gel FX fi ngers and toesare just £35 and why not get ready for Summer with Spray Tans from as little as £10. Find True Beauty on Facebook and Twitter@truebeautywf1 for more exclusive offers.

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T o p i c U K S u m m e r I s s u e

Mid-Tier businesses feel pain while insolvency rates improve

Medium sized businesses with between 51 and 100 employees were more likely to fail at the beginning of 2013 than they were in 2012, according to new research. Formal insolvencies for companies falling within this bracket rose by around a third between February 2012 and the same month in 2013, according to the survey from credit reference agency Experian. Additionally, fi rms with between 3 and 5 employees were the most likely to become insolvent during the same period, with 258 businesses entering insolvency during that period.

Max Firth, Managing Director of Business Information Services at Experian UK and Ireland, said that the overall number of insolvencies was declining and that the falling rate among the UK’s larger fi rms would inevitably impact positively upon the country’s economy.

The total insolvency rate as a percentage of the UK business population was 0.08% in February, down from 0.1% during the same month last year. The total number of insolvencies stood at 1,646, down from 1,877.

National Minimum Wage Increase

The Government has announced the NMW rates which will take effect on 1 October 2013. It accepted most of the recommendations of the Low Pay Commission with one exception; the Low Pay Commission had recommended freezing the apprenticeship rate at £2.65 per hour, but the government has opted instead to increase that rate by 3p an hour. The new rates are as follows:

The standard adult rate (for workers aged 21 and over) will rise to £6.31 an hour (up 12p from £6.19).

The development rate (for workers aged between 18 and 20) will rise to £5.03 an hour (up 5p from £4.98).

The young workers rate (for workers aged under 18 but above the compulsory school age who are not apprentices) will rise to £3.72 an hour (up 4p from £3.68).

The rate for apprentices will rise to £2.68 an hour (up 3p from £2.65).

The accommodation offset will rise to £4.91 an day (up 9p from £4.82).

The Government has announced the NMW rates which will take effect on 1 October 2013. It accepted most of the recommendations of the Low Pay Commission with one exception; the Low Pay Commission had recommended freezing the apprenticeship rate at £2.65 per hour, but the government has opted instead to increase that rate by 3p an hour. The new rates are as follows:

The standard adult rate (for workers aged 21 and over) will rise to £6.31 an hour (up 12p from £6.19).•The development rate (for workers aged between 18 and 20) will rise to £5.03 an hour (up 5p from £4.98).•The young workers rate (for workers aged under 18 but above the compulsory school age who are not apprentices) will rise to £3.72 an hour (up 4p from £3.68).•The rate for apprentices will rise to £2.68 an hour (up 3p from £2.65).•The accommodation offset will rise to £4.91 an day (up 9p from £4.82).

Collective Consultation Changes

As of 6 April 2013 the following changes were made to collective redundancy consultation where 100 or more employees at one establishment are affected:

The minimum period before the fi rst redundancy can take effect was reduced from 90 to 45 days after a consultation starts;

Employees on fi xed-term contracts “which have reached their agreed termination point” are excluded from collective redundancy consultation obligations; and

The period for lodging a HR1 form was reduced from 90 days to 45 days before the fi rst redundancy takes effect.

The ACAS guidance takes the opportunity to give clarifi cation on how to conduct collective redundancies with case studies and checklists but also covers some of the trickier areas.

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Some key points:The Guide uses the word ‘must’ to indicate something is a legal requirement and ‘should’ to indicate what ACAS considers to be good employment practice.

On the diffi cult issue of what constitutes an ‘establishment’ for the purposes of collective redundancies the guidance interprets that an ‘establishment’ means (depending on the circumstances), “the unit to which the workers made redundant are assigned to carry out their duties”. To help establish whether a workplace can be classed as an establishment, ACAS gives some suggestions including a close look at where the contractual place of work is and where the employee

could be required to work and does, in fact, work in practice.

Include any termination of fi xed-term contracts in the number of redundancies for collective consultation purposes if you propose to terminate the contract early on grounds of redundancy only. If it is terminated on the date agreed in the contract, the guidance suggests that this does not need to be included in the number of proposed redundancies, even if it is within the same period of time as the proposed collective redundancies.

Dismissal of employees was fair following a second disciplinary for the same offence….

It has been another busy month in the ongoing claims brought against Haringey Council over the “Baby

P” saga in 2008, with a number of interesting legal issues surrounding the latest legal challenges brought by two former employees. The past month has seen the appeal of two dismissed employees being heard by the Court of Appeal over the “Baby P” scandal.

The case of Christou and another v London Borough of Haringey [2013] has now been decided by the Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal has upheld the Employment Appeal Tribunal’s Judgment that the dismissal of the two social workers involved in the “Baby P” case was fair, notwithstanding that they had previously been taken through a disciplinary process in relation to the same facts, but had only been issued with written warnings. The employees had sought to argue that their dismissals

Law With A

Continued...

T o p i c U K S u m m e r I s s u e

had been unfair due to an “abuse of process” and that the principle of res judicata applied, which could have prevented the Council from re-opening the disciplinary case against them. This principle prevents claims from being pursued twice on the same, or substantially similar, facts, to ensure the fi nality of Judgments in the English Courts and to prevent multiple claims being brought on the same grounds. The Court found, however, that as the matter in question was an internal disciplinary hearing and the proceedings were not therefore capable of being judicial in nature, res judicata could not apply and instigating further action against the employees was found to be fair when viewing the disciplinary process and fairness of the subsequent dismissals as a whole.

While both the Court of Appeal and the Employment Appeal Tribunal in the above case held that the Employment Tribunal was entitled to support the employer’s decision to discipline the two employees twice for the same offence and then dismiss the second time around, employers should treat this decision with some caution. Employers should be very cautious of relying on it to support a decision to discipline an employee for a second time for the same offence where no new evidence has come to light. As the Employment Appeal Tribunal stressed, cases in which it is appropriate and fair for an employer to change their view as to the appropriateness of a disciplinary sanction previously imposed, and to embark on second disciplinary proceedings arising out of the same conduct, are likely to be extremely rare.

Selling on the InternetThese days, more and more retailers are setting up with an online presence. Selling on the internet is seen as a quick and easy way to sell to more customers.

Unfortunately, few businesses pay as much attention as they should to the legalities of setting up an online store. Companies often do not realise that there are additional rules which apply to online sales and that these rules must be taken into account when setting up an online shop otherwise a business can end up in trouble with trading standards.

The main issues that a company needs to ensure their website properly deals with are the E-Commerce regulations, which state what information a company must give its customers about itself to ensure that customers can properly identify them.

Perhaps even more importantly, businesses must comply with what are commonly referred to as the Distance Selling Regulations. These regulations are designed to protect customers when buying items they cannot see before purchase. The Distance selling regulations set out exactly when a customer has a right to return goods and how you must handle returns.

These regulations are in addition to all the usual rights consumers have under the Sale of Goods Act and the Protection from Unfair Contract Terms regulations and extend the protection offered.

It is very important to ensure you comply with all the relevant legislation that governs your business, otherwise you can face serious problems with Trading Standard which can be costly both fi nancially and to your business’s image.

4 Tips for Parents going through divorceFox News has recently published their 4 top tips for parents struggling through a divorce. This time can be extremely distressing and stressful, especially when arguments

surrounding children and fi nances make relationships even more strained.

1. Don’t blame each other

It is obviously very tempting when a relationship brakes down to blame the other person, especially when there has been an adultery or violent or extreme behaviour. It is however rarely the case when a couple separates that the break up is all down to one person. One person’s actions may have been ‘the straw that broke the camel’s back’, however the other, at some point will have acted unreasonably enough to cause strain on the relationship. In any case, although it is easier said than done, blame need not be an issue. For the children, all they see is their parents arguing which can alienate them from one parent, if not both. It is important, instead of creating an atmosphere of fi ghting and arguments, to keep calm for the good of the children. The Courts will rarely look at blame when settling the fi nancial aspects of the marriage and blame will not have an impact on, for example who has residence of the children. It therefore only causes more upset for everyone involved.

2. There are no winners and losers in residence and contact battles

Often the most traumatic experience for separating parents is deciding with whom the children should live. It can be extremely diffi cult to suddenly go from seeing your children daily to living in a separate house or even area from them.

Contact arrangements are almost never set in stone, as the schedule needs to be tailored to the children’s weekly activities such as parties, after school clubs and swimming lessons. Fox News advises that if arrangements are changed for one reason or another, ask ‘Am I angry because the change will adversely affect my child, or am I simply frustrated with my ex?’.

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3. Acknowledge the change

It is very easy to quickly criticise the other parent’s style of parenting when the children are living across two households. Everyone parents differently; for example one may feed the children different foods, buy them different toys or send them to bed half an hour later. Unless what they are doing is harming the children,

separated parents need to acknowledge that change is bound to occur and the variety may not necessarily be a bad thing for the children.

4. Keep an open mind

It can be very upsetting when one person starts dating someone new and then introduces the new person to the children. It can often feel like they are becoming a new parent to

the children which can cause jealousy and anger. Things do not need to end up this way. Speaking with each other as adults about issues such as this; pre warning and discussing how new people should be introduced to the children often decreases tensions. It is important that the children are involved in both parent’s lives and this includes new partners as long as they are not being harmed.

But it is harder than you may realise to get it right

Getting it right is what First Choice Recruitment have been doing for the past 20 years and it must be working because they are still here and still developing and still growing. More importantly, they are still learning.

“As a business, we’ve seen many changes in the way in which employers across our region attract and retain the best staff, the most effective teams and the most effi cient workforce” explained client services director, Joanne Thompson. “We’re privileged to work with many of the region’s leading employers and we’ve built long term relationships based on a mutual trust and understanding that we’re working together to fi nd great people for great businesses. Because at the end of the day, recruitment and business is about people.”

The past few years have seen a revolution in technology; on-line interview assessments, social media networks enabling 24/7 instant access to virtually anything, anywhere, candidate applications via a plethora of job-sites, offering endless potential opportunities and seemingly unlimited access to a world of work. But when it comes

right down to it, fi nding the right job, employing the right person, is about relationships, personality and skills - all of which can only ever be truly demonstrated and assessed when people talk to each other, face to face.

There’s no doubt that technology plays a signifi cant part in the recruitment process and with it comes an invaluable range of benefi ts and advantages to candidates, agencies and employers. The danger comes when we hide behind it, when we become faceless and automated; when we forget that we’re dealing with real people, with real hopes and real expectations.

“Getting the balance right between technology and human interaction is crucial. Yes, it demands more effort and yes, it can take more time, but it delivers results and that’s what makes good recruitment great,” concluded Joanne.

If you’re looking for staff and thinking of using the services of a recruitment agency, talk to First Choice on 01924 201155.

Recruitment It isn’t Rocket Science

Technology

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What do we mean by “presence”?

Do we know why we think people have presence? Answer - “its lots of things, some of which we can’t explain”. You can’t see it or touch it. It is like the wind – all you can see is the affect it has. It is invisible but we all know it’s there when people with presence speak, other people listen.

Do you have “presence”?

That ”je ne sais quoi” that is missing from the person who may be intellectually gifted but who can’t deliver with impact, or the technically competent manager whom everyone knows needs a bit more of something to move to the next level in the organisation.

Recent research suggests that it takes 11 milliseconds to make a fi rst impression and 20 further experiences of a person to begin to change your fi rst impression. The trouble is that having “presence” is not something you can put on like an overcoat. You don’t necessarily know you’ve got it because it is usually something talked about behind your back.

So what can we do to improve our “presence”?

Presence starts with self awareness and personal effectiveness - the ability to become more aware of yourself and the impact you have on others. Until recently there was little scientifi c evidence to explain how the brain worked. Now we know that we don’t like to change our minds once we have a fi rst impression, we make decisions without

consciously knowing why, and we sometimes react and behave in ways that show it’s hard to control the way we feel.

Joseph le Doux in his book “The Emotional Brain” reveals that there isn’t a clear connection between our emotions and the way we think. So our mind does not control our emotions, so how we decide that someone has presence is an immediate, emotional reaction!

Actors work on their “stage presence”. These are techniques they learn in order to connect with their audience, so we know that certain aspects of what we call “presence” can be learned.

I met a young man recently who told me he was working on his “charisma” (similar to presence) because he had been told by his boss that he needed more charisma to achieve promotion. So far he had changed his hairstyle, bought new spectacles, invested in a new suit, started asking more questions in meetings, arranged singing lessons to increase his confi dence and was now looking for a coach. Very enterprising I thought, but I also wondered how long it would be before he was promoted!

Management gurus and coaches are often asked to help people who want to market themselves more effectively , to create their own” brand” which includes, amongst other things, “presence”. Diane Booher, who has written a book about creating presence, breaks it into specifi c areas:

• How you look – Your body language, the way you move, facial expressions, reactions to your surroundings.

• How you speak – the physical quality of your voice, your tone, volume.

• How you act - your attitude, values – what is important to you, what motivates you, why we behave the way we do.

• How you think – Your communication, the words you choose, how you organise ideas and information, what you pass on and what you hold back, and how you frame issues.

In my opinion this ”je ne sais quoi” is an important aspect of leadership . We need to bring these invisible components of presence into our conscious minds, to make the most of ourselves. It is something every executive needs to know if they possess, and will certainly be a development need for those who don’t.

A New Opportunity!

Theatre of Business is providing a development opportunity for business people in Wakefi eld when actors will share some of their techniques for creating stage presence, techniques that can equally well be applied in business. Taking place on Wednesday 10 July 2013 from 2 - 4 30pm at Theatre Royal Wakefi eld and includes afternoon tea. If you are interested in attending, please email barbara@patersonconsultancy.com or call 07973 190 701 for further details.

Barbara Paterson is the Managing Director of Paterson Consultancy Ltd.

Executive Presence

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T o p i c U K S u m m e r I s s u e

TopicUK is all about championing Wakefi eld business to Wakefi eld business but one Wakefi eld business is shouting about our city much further afi eld, in the

Middle East!

m2r Ltd are a recruitment agency who devote most of their time to working with companies in the Middle East, helping them to fi ll critical roles.

Managing Director Munir Mamujee contacted TopicUK to tell us about his 18-day trip, visiting four different countries, showcasing not just his company but also Wakefi eld, so we asked him to chart his progress and share with readers, here’s what happened:

“In April, armed with my suitcase, numerous folders, business cards and a bad back, I set off. Everything was carefully planned, I hasten to add, the bad back wasn’t!

First destination Muscat in Oman. This was my fi rst visit to Oman and one I was looking forward to. I had six meetings arranged two with current clients the other four, new business. I always arrange trips allowing myself a day in advance of meetings to prepare and with typical Middle Eastern hospitality, I was invited to spend my day off with the COO from a client who acted as my tourist guide and showed me around Muscat. As we are in the business of expatriation, I cannot ethically discuss an opportunity in another country if I have never been myself, as I am asking people to change their whole life and need to give them as much information as possible.

A trick I always use is to start a business trip with a current client meeting so I can test the pitch and get some local market knowledge. I build up then to the important new business meetings, the ones that can turn a trip from good to great. My fi rst trip to Oman ended this way.

I was told that the Middle East is a ‘village’ something that never struck home until, on my fi nal meeting of the day with a new client, it transpired that not fi ve minutes before I arrived, one of the client’s partner companies in Dubai had called and suggested they use m2r for their recruitment. The two people on the phone had no idea I was just walking

in the building at that point and following a great meeting, I walked out with a signed agreement.

During my trip to Oman, I took the time to present one of the Experience Wakefi eld guides to Primedia International, one of the largest media and publishing companies in the Middle East. The sales director was very interested in the economic make-up of Wakefi eld and asked if there were opportunities for Primedia to attract advertising from West Yorkshire.

Next stop, Bahrain, just a 90 minute hop! This is a country I know very well. We handle the recruitment needs for most of the major Bahrani trading families, the Formula One Circuit and a couple of fi ve star hotels. Contrary to the international new reports, Bahrain is not a war zone, I didn’t need an escort or a tin hat! With 20 appointments in just four days there was lots of business to be done. I deal with quite a few large Bahrani families and due to the culture, they all know each other and share information. It is paramount therefore that I carefully deliver a consistently exemplary service as bad news on such a small island, can travel very fast.

The hospitality I receive in Bahrain always humbles me.

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Nothing is too much trouble and we always receive lots of business referrals now. Obviously to get to this level, it has taken a lot of hard work. On this trip, I was invited to the house of the chairman of one of the most respected companies. I was treated to a sumptuous meal, wonderful company and at the end of the evening a gift. I also take gifts for my clients as a token of gratitude for the business they give me. I presented one of my clients with a ‘Memories of Wakefi eld’ book, bought from our tourist information offi ce.

It was time to leave Bahrain and thankfully the rain that had followed me from the UK didn’t follow me through immigration, although my bad back did!

It was onto Saudi Arabia, the size of Western Europe, very secretive and a nightmare to get in, by air at least. It is impossible because of its size to cram lots of meetings into one day, so I started my Saudi leg with fi ve meetings which became seven. Sadly, Saudi has a tarnished reputation, but this is generally created by people who have never been and base their

opinions on one-sided journalism and hearsay. In reality it is friendly, crime free and I have never felt threatened or intimidated at all.

We work with a large number of companies in Saudi Arabia. By the time I left the country, I had picked up work with two new clients and confi rmed a number of projects with current clients.

My fi nal stop was Dubai. A complete contrast to Saudi Arabia, Bold and brash, Dubai is still a huge draw and thousands of British expats live there. I fi nished the trip with another three meetings and again a warm welcome.

So, after 18 busy days, was it worth the effort? My back had been given a state burial somewhere in Saudi, I was exhausted and missing home but in summary :

I’m going back in September to do it all over again!

Arabian

ODYSSEY

T o p i c U K S u m m e r I s s u e

F L O

For many businesses, entertaining clients over lunch or dinner is important. Each issue, TopicUK will review a local restaurant which

should help you decide which restaurant to choose. Kevin Trickett, President of the Wakefi eld Civic Society has kindly agreed to work with us reviewing each of the restaurants.

Anyone walking around Wakefi eld will have noticed a number of new restaurants that have been opening across the city in recent years. This has been very good news both for local residents and visitors to the city, with a wide variety of restaurants now catering for just about every taste. In fact, it’s now harder than ever to decide where to go if you are looking for good food, good service and reasonable prices, all delivered in attractive surroundings.

One of the city centre’s newer offerings is the Iris restaurant in the Bull Ring, run by young chef Liam Duffy. Opened in November 2012, following a gestation period of nearly a year while a former empty shop unit was slowly fi tted out with all the perquisites needed to operate a quality establishment, the Iris claims to offer “Great British Dining”. But what is it like to eat there? I went along to fi nd out one rather busy Saturday evening in April.

I should perhaps declare that this was not my fi rst visit to the Iris – I have eaten there before on a number of occasions. The fact that I keep going back suggests that Liam and his team are doing something right so

expectations for this review were high and I’m happy to confi rm that they were met once again.

When you fi rst approach the restaurant, you are faced with a smart, restrained, and indeed, understated, exterior but one which defi nitely adds something to the street scene. The windows are frosted to shoulder height – providing privacy for diners but also a sense of mystery for anyone walking past – you do have to study the wording to see that this is in fact a restaurant.

On entering, you will usually be greeted by the restaurant manager, Laura, who will show you to your table – and, ideally, you will have booked in advance, especially at the weekend as the restaurant’s rising reputation means that it gets very busy and booking is really essential. The restaurant seats up to 50 in total over two fl oors and Liam likes to offer customers their table for the night – there’s no pressure to make way for other customers who followed you in, hoping for a table

Interior décor is elegant, simple and modern and includes photographs of Wakefi eld. Dark wood tables and seating keep the atmosphere cosy and intimate and it does feel a world away from the noise and bustle of the street outside.

So, what about the food? Well, ‘scrumptious’ is the word that comes most readily to mind. The menu is not extensive – a choice of fi ve starters, fi ve mains, and fi ve desserts, plus a handful of grill/steak offerings for those who really like their meat. There are also accompanying appetisers and trimmings – I particularly enjoyed the selection of artisan breads (£2.75) and the homemade chips (£2.50) were extremely ‘moreish’. There were four of us in my party and between us, we sampled three of the starters on offer – Arancini (goat’s cheese in breadcrumbs with olive and tomato salad); Scotch Egg (with smoked haddock and asparagus mayonnaise); and a fresh asparagus special served with a hollandaise sauce. All were light, delicious and well presented. For the main course dishes, we had Macaroni Cheese (served with a hen’s egg in breadcrumbs and spring vegetables);

Sea Bream – the Grimsby-landed ‘fi sh of the day’ (served with a garnish); Free Range Chicken (with wild garlic and broccoli risotto); and a vegetarian risotto also from the specials menu. Again, all very enjoyable although we did have a debate about the unexpected choice of Sea Bream.

As a vegetarian, I am sometimes deterred by restaurants that only offer one vegetarian ‘choice’ of starter and main – when you are presented with just the one item from which to select, the choice really boils down to whether to bother eating there or not – so it was good to be asked when I booked my table whether there were any vegetarians or people with other dietary needs in my party. On the night, we were then offered a number of alternative vegetarian starters and main courses to pick from that don’t appear on the printed menu – so do make sure you let the restaurant know when you book if this is something that applies to you or a member of your party.

Portion size is good – generous enough to fi ll you but not so much that you can’t manage dessert – which meant that we all found room for puddings, and portions of the Rhubarb Roulade and the Coffee Crème brûlée were consumed with relish. The menu will be changed every month or so.

Pricing is certainly competitive for food of this quality. Although all items are priced individually (starters at

Kevin Trickett , President of Wakefi eld Civic S

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RestaurantReview

U R I S H I N G N E W R E S TA U R A N T

£4.95 and £5.95, mains £14.95 or £15.95 – extra for grill courses, and desserts £4.95 - £6.95), it is also possible to have two courses for £16.95 and three for £19.95 (a supplement will be charged for some items such as the Grill dishes). Wine is also sensibly priced and on a par with what you would expect while cocktails are priced from £4.95.

A few days after the meal, I went back to talk to Liam to fi nd out what motivated this 21 year-old chef to open such a restaurant in Wakefi eld.

Perhaps the most obvious factor is that Liam is Wakefi eld born and bred – so he wanted to put something back into his home city. He could have gone elsewhere, of course, as he has experience of working in a number of well-established restaurants in the region and beyond, including at the Malmaison Hotel in Leeds, the Michelin-starred Burlington restaurant at the Devonshire Arms, and Aiden Byrne’s Church Green restaurant in Cheshire.

Fortunately for the bon vivants amongst us, Liam felt that the time was right for such a venture here in Wakefi eld where his roots and his family are. He also returns to the place where his career as a chef really began for him. His original ambition was to be an actor, and while attending college, he was taken on by Sloanes restaurant as a part-time pot washer. This led to an offer to train as a chef and so began his apprenticeship with Liam leaving college and swapping

a career in the dramatic arts for one in the culinary arts.

His personal aspiration for the Iris (named after his grandmother in case you were wondering) is to provide quality food that is fresh and sourced locally (he buys his meat from Allums Butchers in Brook Street and his fi sh comes from Grimsby Docks via a Doncaster fi shmonger). And he wanted to employ local people – the restaurant employs a team of ten young people including two apprentice chefs.

You have to admire Liam. He has worked hard to set up this restaurant and deserves to succeed. Will one restaurant be enough for Liam? Possibly not: this young man has ambition and a dream. Perhaps we will see a chain of Iris restaurants in years to come. He even has an idea for a hotel…..Now, I wonder where that will be!

Restaurant: The Iris

Address: 12 Bull Ring, Wakefi eld,

WF1 1HA

Website: www.iris-restaurant.com

E: booking@iris-restaurant.com

T: 01924 367683Society, follow on Twitt er @MrTrickett and join him on Facebook

T o p i c U K S u m m e r I s s u e

By Dr Andrew Furber Director of Public Health & John Wilcox Health Improvement Specialist

It is becoming increasingly clear that a healthy workforce is a more productive workforce. Taking steps to improve the health and wellbeing of your employees, by creating a safe and healthy

working environment that promotes healthy lifestyle choices, such as being physically active and eating a healthy diet, makes good business sense.

A happy, healthy workforce has been shown to signifi cantly increase business productivity through improved staff morale, fewer accidents and most importantly a reduction in the amount of time employees take of work sick.

Workers taking time off due to ill health is now recognised as a major cost to business and the wider UK economy. The CBI estimate around 175 million working days are lost to ill health each year, which equates to a cost to UK businesses of over £12 billion a year and an annual cost of over £100 billion to the economy as a whole.

The amount of time many people spend at work, often more than 60% of their working hours,

means that workplaces have an important role to play in improving health and wellbeing.

One way your business could improve the health, wellbeing and productivity of your workforce is to ensure workplace stress is managed effectively. The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) estimate workplace stress costs the British economy over £3.5 billion each year.

Ways businesses can reduce workplace stress include:

• Offering fl exible working hours

• Giving employees opportunities for lifelong learning and career development

• Providing opportunities for employees to socialise (eg social rooms)

• Enabling employees to participate in the improvement of their work organisation and their work environment.

Support healthy lifestyle choices

Our lifestyles, including whether we smoke, what we

Wilcox

Good Health Makes Good Business

TopicUK27

ARE YOU PAYING TOO MUCH TAX?People who complain about paying too much tax can generally be divided into two types: men and women. Susan Barrington-Binns, who is a dual qualifi ed solicitor and Attorney at Law in the Turks and Caicos Islands, advises on some simple methods you can adopt to cut your tax bill.

Residents of the UK may be liable for all kinds of tax during their lifetime. On their death, their estate may also be liable for Inheritance Tax. By taking a few simple legal and lawful steps, individuals and companies can use offshore companies and trusts to save on their tax bills. Tax avoidance is the lawful way of avoiding tax (such as the use of ISA’s) and this must be distinguished from tax evasion, which uses unlawful methods to evade tax. Tax evasion is a crime but tax avoidance is not!

Here, we outline 5 tips on how you can make tax savings:

1. Form an International Business Company for Asset Protection

International business companies (IBC) are exempt from all forms of tax. If you have a valuable asset that may attract a tax liability, consider the use of an IBC. These are used commonly to hold valuable assets and personal and real property. The assets held range from real estate to ships and investment deposits in offshore bank accounts. Examples of the protection afforded are keeping the assets safe from litigation, divorce proceedings and of course tax liability.

2. Sell and Lease back your Intellectual Property Rights

You may want to follow the Starbucks example and sell your intellectual property rights to an IBC, paying them

an annual license fee. The right to use the intellectual property can then be leased from the IBC to your company. There are obvious tax advantages of this structure, which reduces your liability to pay corporation tax on profi ts.

3. The Asset

This is one of the biggest advantages of offshore companies. Instead of transferring the property domestically and thereby paying stamp duty, the shares of the offshore company may be transferred offshore rather than the property itself. As a result, there may be little or no capital gains or inheritance tax and no stamp duty.

4. Restructure your Corporate Structure

One offshore company can act as a holding company of another entity. The addition of a new offshore holding company to an existing domestic corporate structure allows for a measure of tax planning within the corporate organisation. Profi ts may accumulate in the holding company within a tax neutral environment.

5. Consider an Offshore Trust

Whilst death and taxes may be inevitable, they should not necessarily be related. Offshore Trusts are most useful for estate and tax planning as well as asset protection. A valuable family heirloom or assets can be passed on by using an offshore trust structure. Shareholders, property portfolio, private company shares and other stocks/shares.

If you require further information contact Sue on 01924 368896.

eat and how physically active we are, have a major impact on our health. Therefore making it easier for your employees to make healthy choices while at work, such as eating healthier snacks or taking more exercise, can provide a boost to your business.

Unhealthy lifestyles can play a part in people developing a range of health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, lung conditions, high blood pressure and strokes. All of which can result in people taking more time off work sick and in some cases being unable to work at all. This creates a variety of expenses for employers including sick pay and staff cover, as well as the costs of recruiting and training replacement staff.

The cost to the UK economy of people taking time off work due to illness relating to smoking alone is over £1.4 billion each year.

Steps your business can take to help your employees make healthy choices include:

• Setting up staff stop smoking sessions with staff given time off to attend

• Encouraging your staff to walk or cycle to work by providing safe and secure cycle parking,

showers and somewhere to store cycle helmets, walking boots and other equipment

• Making sure staff canteen and vending machines offer affordable and attractive healthy options

Ensure staff follow health and safety rules and guidelines

People off work due to accidents and injuries are estimated to cost the British business over half a billion pounds each year. A cost which gets even greater when increased insurance premiums, litigation costs and fi nes resulting from workplace accidents are also taken into consideration.

So, as well as protecting the health and wellbeing of your workforce, health and safety can help protect your bottom line.

Local sources of help and support to explore ways your business can improve the health and wellbeing of your employees is available online at www.wakefi eld.gov.uk

Help is also available from www.health4work.nhs.uk or by calling the free National Workplace Health helpline on 0800 077 8844

Alternatively, you can contact Dr Andrew Furber, Director of Public Health at AFurber@wakefi eld.gov.uk

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Ossett Brewery

It’s Offi cial!

TopicUK29

Congratulations to Ossett Brewery who have just won the Morning Advertiser’s Publican Award for best UK Micro Brewery, in a ceremony

held at the Grosvenor House Hotel on London’s Park Lane. The Publican awards, in association with Sky, recognise the achievements of top pub companies across 18 categories by more than 1100 people, the biggest in the pub industry calendar and was hosted by comedian and TV star Rob Brydon.

“There were 1200 applicants in the Microbrewery category,” said The Hop Operations Manager Sarah Ellis, “so you can imagine how delighted we were to win this prestigious award.”

However, the Microbrewery is just a small part of the company that is Ossett Brewery. The business is made up of three companies, Ossett Brewery, Ossett Pub Company and Ossett Taverns (that run Hop Bars and City centre establishments).

Ossett Brewery was founded in 1997 by Bob Lawson, a brewer for over 40 years, who began his career working for Beverley Bros. Brewery of Wakefi eld. From there, Bob moved to Matthew Brown’s in Blackburn then in 1969 to Joshua Tetley where he worked as head brewer for almost 25 years before spending three years at Kelham Island Brewery in Sheffi eld.

After spending much of his career brewing beer for other people Bob and a partner decided to start their own business and a small microbrewery was built at the rear of the Brewers Pride Pub in Ossett. The fi rst beer, aptly named Bobby Dazzler was brewed in August 1998 and was an instant success and was all sold through the Brewers Pride Pub. However, it wasn’t long before local freehouse’s were demanding Ossett beers and sales started to increase week by week.

As beers began to sell further afi eld, Ossett Brewery began to win awards at festivals up and down the country and as the

reputation of the business grew, so did the customer base, so within three years, further expansion took place.

With the departure of his partner in 2001, Bob became the sole owner of the Ossett Brewing Company and in late 2002, Bob’s son Jamie, who was a successful investment banker in Japan, decided on a career change and join his father, turning the company into a family business.

Ossett Brewery PubsAfter a short time, Jamie took on the responsibility of fi nding suitable pubs as tied houses for Ossett beers. The Black Bull in Liversedge having been a ‘local’ for over 300 years, was bought, refurbished and reopened in May 2003. Following the success of this fi rst pub, 12 more quickly followed in the region and today that fi gure stands at 19 in total with 4 more about to open, totalling 23. And this year for the fi rst time all hops are to be sourced locally in the UK.

New BreweryBy 2004 the original brewhouse was producing almost 40 barrels a week and was operating at a level beyond its initial design specifi cation. A decision was made to look for larger premises to allow the company to expand. Amazingly a suitable property less than 80 metres away was available so in late 2004, work began on building a new brewery. The fi rst beers were brewed on the site in 2005 and a couple of months later all production moved to the new brewery. Since then, a programme of steady expansion has occured and today the brewery have 5 permanent beers and a calendar of up to 12 seasonal beers and staff numbers are expected to increase from 250 to somewhere in the region of 350 within the next few months.

So what next for the Brewery? “We will continue to expand whilst ever there is demand and hopefully continue to enter and win more awards to bring back to our home town of Wakefi eld,” concluded Sarah.

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W a k e f i e l dT r i n i t y W i l d c a t s

Wakefi eld Trinity Wildcats sit at the halfway point of the Super League season well positioned to mount a challenge for the play-off places.

For those unfamiliar to rugby league, the Champions are crowned from the top eight teams who play-off against each other at the end of the regular season aiming to reach the Grand Final where the two remaining sides battle it out to lift the Super League trophy. Simple!

In 2012 the Wildcats made only their third ever appearance in the end of season showpiece games, valiantly bowing out to eventual Champions Leeds Rhinos who brought to an end Trinity’s club Super League record of seven straight wins.

Head coach Richard Agar and his players have their sights on once again forcing their way into the elite. Much like last year, Wakefi eld sit outside of the top eight at the midway point of the season and are yet to hit their top form. But with the creative fl air of the appropriately named Wakefi eld Wizard Tim Smith, the Wildcats fans are full of optimism that their heroes can conjure up another winning streak.

Wakefi eld still have some of the sports most famous names to visit their home ground before the season is out, including Champions Leeds and the fi erce local derby against Castleford Tigers.

But a day at the Wildcats is about much more than the rugby these days. There’s the new Fanzone area where there’s a bouncy castle, face painting and plenty to keep the kids entertained. Inside the ground there’s always lots going on with pre-match

entertainment which this year has included Britain’s Got Talent fi nalists Loveable Rogues plus some excellent local bands and singers.

Watching your city’s only professional sports team is more than just 80 minutes of rugby. The speed and skill of rugby league is unrivalled, and the bravery of the players is something to behold.

So why not give the Wildcats a try? Thousands of people every other weekend can’t be wrong!

You can buy tickets in the Wildcats retail store at the Ridings Centre or from the Rapid Solicitors Stadium on Doncaster Road. You can also buy via wakefi eldwildcats.co.uk or call 01924 201548/211611

TopicUK31

think Businessthink Cedar CourtCedar Court Hotels is Yorkshire’s largest independent hotelier

Visit our new Superior bedroomshere at Cedar Court Wakefield.

www.cedarcourthotels.co.uk

T here was an article in a National British newspaper which proclaimed that Yorkshire has just been voted Britain’s best holiday destination and that it also calls itself God’s Own Country. For the last 6

years, I have lived in India and spent a lot of time in the southern state of Kerala, which also claims the nomenclature ‘God’s Own Country’. Can Yorkshire really live up to the title claimed by the far more exotic Kerala?

Kerala, gives us Malabar fi sh curry fl avoured with ginger and chillies, coriander and turmeric, served on a banana leaf. Yorkshire gives us fi sh and chips fl avoured with vinegar, served out of a polystyrene carton. Kerala gives us elephant festivals in which over 100 caparisoned elephants take part and spectacular snake boat racing every August. Yorkshire gives us greyhound racing and summer fetes selling home-made jam. Kerala gives us Kathakali dance performances which last all night. Yorkshire gives us Morris dancing which mercifully only last 30 minutes. Kerala has been voted one of the top 10 destinations in the world, Yorkshire, the No 1 destination, in the UK. Keralans are renowned for their warm smiles, heartfelt hospitality and genuine interest in visitors to their state. Yorkshire folk are renowned for their no nonsense, straight-talking, gruff attitude and are more likely to give at most a curt nod and a ‘na’then’ before moving off.

And yet, last year, Yorkshire had 12.8 million visitors, almost double the number of tourists who visited India as a whole, so just what is it that attracts people to the largest county in England?

Returning to live in Yorkshire having spent six years living in India I have had various people visit me since my return. An American friend who lives for the great outdoors, ‘posh’ friends from London who need their fi ne dining and shops to rival the Capital, friends from Austria who, being stuck in a little valley for most of the year, are starved for culture and friends with restless kids who need tiring out. Yet, no matter who has visited or what their requirements, in every instance we quickly realised there was more, actually far

more, on offer than time available. For a few enjoyable (and possibly expensive) days out on the retail therapy trail there is great variety from shopping malls such as Meadowhall in Sheffi eld and the White Rose, to Leeds City Centre which offers slightly more character and style with its revamped Victorian arcades and Harvey Nichols, and the rather more charming.

For the great outdoors, well where do you start? Not much can compare to the Yorkshire Dales with their rolling hills interspersed with fl owing streams and dry stone walls and traditional pubs with warming fi replaces, where walkers enter ready for a refreshing drink and warm up by the open fi re place.

Kerala may have its golden beaches along the Malabar Coast, yet the ‘great outdoors guy’ was thrilled with the opportunities offered by the heritage East coast of Yorkshire, comprising rugged cliffs dotted with small, picturesque fi shing villages which runs the length of the North York Moors National Park, as far as the old smuggling village of Saltburn.

The variety of scenery, walks and activities available in Yorkshire, including the new Hepworth Art Gallery in Wakefi eld, museums such as the Royal Armouries in Leeds, the Air Museum at Elvington and various stately homes could keep you entertained for months, without having to venture to the same place twice. Having driven past it more times than I can count, I also recently visited the Yorkshire Coal Mining Museum near Wakefi eld and was amazed at how fascinating it was (honestly!) though translators may be required for those not from the county of the White Rose.

I was also surprised to discover that although India has 28 UNESCO World Heritage sites, Kerala has none, yet Yorkshire has two; Saltaire and Fountains Abbey at Ripon. These, in addition to some of the other Abbeys destroyed by Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries including Rievaulx, Jervaux, Kirkstall and Whitby Abbeys and Bolton Priory, offer fabulous opportunities for photographers, whether amateur or professional.

One place I have yet to visit, which I understand is spectacular, is Wensleydale. For the past twenty years, no matter which country I have been in, I have introduced friends and colleagues, sometimes with force, to the Yorkshire delicacy of Christmas cake served with Wensleydale cheese. This is as natural a combination to Yorkshire folk as curry and rice is to Keralans. Most have balked, some have sworn, but all eventually relented at my insistence that never did a fi ner combination

Character

GoCoWritten by Philippa Kaye, Indian

T o p i c U K S u m m e r I s s u e

TopicUK33

meet the palate. Might I say that many have then, albeit grudgingly, agreed and a few have even delighted at such a combination and I now receive requests to send cakes with cheese far across the globe at Christmas time. Which, brings us nicely onto the matter of cuisine.

Now, I am spoilt, having enjoyed home-cooked cuisine during my 6 years in India and, being an Indophile at heart, nothing can compare with that. Though if your penchant is for a curry rather than fi sh and chips, then I do believe that is it a fact that now there are more people employed in curry houses in the UK than in its shipping industry. Yet, Southern friends take note, gastro pubs abound ‘up North’ and even in Yorkshire, we have fi ne award winning restaurants and are gaining quite discerning tastes, though just to annoy the chefs, we may still refer to the expertly cooked boeuf bourguignon as a “cracking bit of beef

stew”. However, one can still encounter the North/South divide. My Southern friends recently asked the landlord of my local pub if smoked salmon was available (it wasn’t on the menu), for their 2 year old daughter. The look on his face was the picture of incredulity and I had to kick him rather hard in his shin to prevent him from a scathing response. He semi-politely replied, whilst hopping and glaring at me, that it was pie night, not fi sh night and would smoked haddock do? Interestingly there is as much of a North/South divide in India as there is in England with the Keralan’s eating everything with rice and the Northerners with chapattis, though that does lose a little in translation.

Ahh, yes, life back in Yorkshire it certainly has fun, variety and charm…For me, as the Winter approaches, there is nothing better than saddling up, on a chilled yet crystal-clear Autumn morning¸ and cantering out across the dew-soaked fi elds. Then, warming up frozen fi ngers and toes in front of an open fi re whilst enjoying a lunch of Yorkshire boiled ham sandwiches and

home-made chutneys whilst catching up on the village gossip with life-long friends. Of course, all of the above sounds very romantic and idealised and yes, I have to say, if I had to be dragged back from India to any county in England then I am delighted that I hail from Yorkshire. But can it live up to the name given to its more exotic counterpart? Well, yes, for different reasons granted, but I have to say it can….. Though, as we head out of one of the wettest summers on record and into what will undoubtedly be a chilly winter, after four months of the rain and sleet smarting against my face as I walk the dogs across the fi elds, ask me again. Kerala will always win in terms of weather and I may well be tempted to book a fl ight out to Cochin to avoid the February storms.

But, there again, for a professional traveller, Yorkshire has one more major attraction that simply just can’t be overlooked Leeds/Bradford Airport.

Award Winning

d’s Ownountryn Experiences Ltd. Email: philippa@indianexperiences.com

T o p i c U K S u m m e r I s s u e

The Last Friday Club, a networking group run by Ramsdens Solicitors, Begbies Traynor, The Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce and Barclays, showed their support of Children’s Hospice Week with their very own Superhero!

Children’s Hospice Week is the UK’s only awareness and fundraising week for children with life-limiting conditions and the services, like children’s hospices, that support them. This year it took place between 26 April and 3 May, culminating with Superhero Friday - a special day of hero inspired fundraising.

Children’s hospices care and support children not expected to reach adulthood, along with their families. Together for Short Lives is called on volunteers to be a hero during Children’s Hospice Week to help raise funds for these vital services. This year the focus was on siblings, to raise awareness of how the whole

family is affected and how services support brothers and sisters through special groups and activities.

Jason Costello, Partnership Development Manager from Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice who joined the networking group said: “It was great to be invited to the Last Friday Networking Club by Sinead Sopala, Marketing Manager from Ramsdens. “Being able to raise funds and awareness for our local hospice is vital. It costs £2.5 million per year to deliver the services that the children and their families require. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who got involved and donated, you’re all Superhero’s!”

Sinead Sopala commented: “Being able to help and raise awareness of this great cause was an easy decision. It’s so important we all support the incredible work that hospices do.”

Last Friday Club fi nd a

SuperheroRaise Funds

TopicUK35

Rugby Chairman is a ‘Wildcat’ when it comes to a challengeNot satisfi ed riding the length of the UK, Europe and even the USA, GM Fundraising have just launched their latest charity adventure ‘Hope 66’, which will take a team of cyclists along the iconic Route 66 in the USA. One of those in the team will be Wakefi eld Wildcat’s and West Yorkshire Windows Chairman, Andrew Glover.

On 30 August, Andrew and 14 other riders and six support crew will begin their 14 day adventure from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica in California on a 2,616 mile exploit. The riders will be faced with 100 plus mile days in the saddle, the Arizona Desert, where temperatures will be well in excess of 40 degrees and the torturous climbing of the Southern Rocky Mountains.

Each rider and member of the support

team will be funding the entire trip themselves, ensuring that every penny raised goes directly to Hope House Children’s Hospices. Over £850,000 has now been raised, with the aim to reach £1 million within the next 18 months.

“We have been tasked with a rigorous training programme that included a training camp in the Spring in Mallorca,” explained Andrew, “where myself and the other riders were in the saddle for up to six hours each day. We have already invested in new equipment and in a new fi tness regime to cope with the demands of the ride.”

This is a tough challenge, but in support of a fantastic cause and if you would like to support Andrew in this venture by making a donation, please visit http://www.justgiving.com/aglover66

Have you ever thought about volunteering? June 1st to 7th is National

Volunteers Week and to mark this, Wakefi eld Hospice held an information

day in Wakefi eld Town Hall to explain how people can get involved helping in their

local community. Potential volunteers were invited to go along and ‘buddy’

up with existing volunteers, shadowing them and fi nding out what they do.

The Hospice are fortunate to have a wonderful network of volunteers but

always need more people to join them, giving just a few hours of their time to

help in their shops and warehouse.

So, if you have a few hours to spare each week and would like to help, contact the

hospice Volunteer Services Manager Melissa Standeven on 01924 213900 or visit

their website www.wakefi eldhospice.co.uk

Can you donate a few hours?

Golfers play a roundFollowing the successful fi rst Wakefi eld Business golf afternoon held in May, the event will now be held on a regular basis and is open to all businesses across the district.

“Twenty four companies took part at Wakefi eld Gold Club, with fi rst place being awarded to Colin Baldwin from CBT, closely followed in second place by Rob McTiffi n from Northern Property Services, with scores of 38 and 34 respectively,” joint organiser Gareth Hunt from Copiserv told TopicUK.

“We hope to work our way around all the Wakefi eld courses, “Gareth continued “with tee off taking place at 2.00pm and will be followed by drinks in the bar, whilst sharing stories about the ups and downs of the afternoons play.

If you are interested in taking part contact Gareth on 01924 298926 or email gareth@copiserv.co.uk Alternatively contact: Steven Eldridge from Chadwick Lawrence steveneldridge@chadlaw.co.uk

T o p i c U K S u m m e r I s s u e

Saturday 18 May and many of Wakefi eld’s retailers donned their fi nery and attended Wakefi eld’s very fi rst Retail Awards at The Space.

Jointly sponsored by The Ridings Shopping Centre, Trinity Walk and the Wakefi eld Express, the event was hosted by retail expert, Claire Rayner.

There were 10 categories and below is a list of winners and retailers who were highly commended:

Home & Garden: Created in Yorkshire (Ridings)

Fashion: GHIA Menswear (Teal Street)

Hair, Health & Beauty: Joseph Bespoke Hairdressing (St Johns). Highly commended: Room 97 Creative (Trinity Walk, Westgate)

Food & Drink: Blacker Hall Farm Shop (Calder Grove). Highly commended: Deli Central (The Bullring)

Evening: Iris Restaurant (The Bullring)

Customer Service: Crossleys Spare Parts (The Springs)

Independent Retail: Jam Gifts (Northgate). Highly commended: Mocca Moocho (Cross Square)

Specialist: Hoops A Daisy Bridals (Barnsley Road)

Online: Powerbulbs. Highly commended: Eco Toystore

National Retailer: Marks & Spencer

Well done to everyone involved, here at TopicUK, we’re already looking forward to next year!

Wakefi eld College & Karate College Unite for First AidBloody noses, broken arms and fi ngers, CPR for adults and children, sprains, strains and other injuries were the areas for discussion on 7 April, when Eddie Kinsella from Wakefi eld College delivered a fi rst aid course to students of the International Budo Association.

The course included the theory of fi rst aid, with emphasis on the three P’s - Preserve life, Prevent further injury and Promote recovery. All the attendees had the opportunity to practice what Eddie taught them and by splitting into small groups, everyone had the opportunity to practice primary assessments (dangers, response, airway and breathing), CPR, using the recovery position, recovery breaths, bandaging open cuts, supporting and immobilising different forms of breaks and strains etc.

The instructors and students all felt they learned a great deal on the course and they would like to express

their thanks to Eddie and Wakefi eld College.

Wakefi eld Karate College hold classes at WKC House, Thompson’s Yard, Wakefi eld and can be contacted on 01924 386499 or email: info4wkc@tiscali.co.uk. Alternatively further information can be obtained from www.wakefi eld-karate-college.co.uk.

The college provide classes in traditional Wado Ryu Karate, Uechi Ryu Karate and Kobujutsu in Wakefi eld, Glasshoughton and Ferrybridge.

Hairdressing (St JohRoom 97 Creative (T

Food & Drink: BlackHighly commended

Evening: Iris Restau

Customer Service:

Independent Retailcommended: Mocca

Specialist: Hoo

Onlinecom

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Retailers show Wakefi eldis the best

TopicUK37

TopicUK caught up with Andrew Glover, Chairman of West Yorkshire Windows and Wakefi eld Trinity Wildcats.

Were you academic at School? No, quite the opposite. I found learning very diffi cult within the school environment. I was privately educated at Silcoates and then Kays College in Huddersfi eld.

Did you go to University and if so which one and what did you study? No, I went to the school of life.

What was your proper fi rst job and did you enjoy it? PP Marron Carpets, in Waterloo., pre cutting carpets for carpet fi tters to then take out an fi t in homes.

Where did you meet your wife and how? On holiday in Gran Canaria, Nicola was on a girls holiday, and I was there with a group of family and friends. Actual meeting took place in a night club at 4.00am!

When did you start WYW and how did you get into the window industry in the fi rst place? My brother Matthew and I started WYW in 1994, with £200. At the time, we worked for our uncle, manufacturing uPVC windows, but his business was starting to struggle, so we decided to take control of our own destiny and go it alone. Our family had been in the industry for a few years, so it wasn’t that foreign to us. We actually have the MD of the fi rst company we bought off working for us now, as a salesman!

How many children do you have and how old are they? 2 Girls aged 12 and 10, Ella and Lillie. Both angels.

Have you always been interested in Rugby? No, it’s new to me. I think I know all the rules now though, but still struggling to understand the forward pass, the same as the lines men!

Why did you become Chairman of the club? James Elston is a good salesman!!!

You have four showrooms, what next for WYW? We are looking to grow through acquisitions, not really looking to go out of Yorkshire.

Do you have any ambitions left to fulfi l? Yes, car racing. I actually passed my racing licence 4 weeks before we bought the club, so intend going back to that at some time.

Apart from seeing the ‘Cat’s’ at the top, what are your plans for the club and new stadium? They change on a daily basis, as other opportunities come to light. We’d like to see the main hub of the business being around education. We need to make sure the stadium is built to be self sustainable and designed to fi t us, and other businesses (including education).

FACE TO

FACE

T o p i c U K S u m m e r I s s u e

MIKE JOINS

Following his starring role in the John Godber Company’s production of Bouncers in 2012, Ace Bhatti has stepped up his involvement with Wakefi eld’s Theatre Royal by becoming a patron.

Best known as ‘Dr Evil’ Yusef Khan in Eastenders, Ace has an established career in screen, stage and television behind him, including appearances in Bend It Like Beckham and The Shadow Line.

Ace is particularly supportive of Theatre Royal Wakefi eld’s work with young people and is looking forward to playing an active role in future youth projects.

Mike Denby has joined Wakefi eld Council’s Economic Growth

and Strategic Housing Service as the Skills and Business Service Manager, following a nine year spell working as Head of Employer Engagement at The Source Skills Academy in Sheffi eld.

A key objective for the economic regeneration of the district is to improve the skills base within the local economy. This will help ensure long term, high value added development and in his new role, Mike will be heavily involved with this.

With a detailed understanding of the skills and employment landscape, both locally and nationally, Mike has experience of securing national training and Apprenticeship contracts

for household names such as Debenhams, Republic, Jaeger, City Electrical Factors and Cafe Nero. Such contacts have allowed The Source to grow its workforce from a team of 12 in 2003 to a team of 117 in 2013. Mike’s efforts and signifi cant contributions haven’t gone unnoticed with The Source picking up a host of national and international awards, reaching 17th in the ‘Times Top 100 Companies’ list.

During his time at The Source, Mike built strong working relationships with organisations including the Skills Funding Agency, Department for Work and Pensions, Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Federation for Small Business and the National Skills Academy.

In October 2012, Mike was recognised for his support and contribution towards the business community when he was named Young Business Person of the Year at the Sheffi eld Star Business Awards.

Mike is looking forward to his new role and commented: “I am ready for this new challenge at Wakefi eld Council, giving me a great opportunity to utilise my skills. The Council has some excellent plans for the future and I am excited to be part of them moving forward. They have a great Economic Growth team here, with relationships built over a number of years, giving us a great foundation to build on for future projects.”

Wakefi eld Council

New Patronfor Th eatre Royal

On the move

HELPWANTED

Professional distribution company required to deliver TopicUK to offi ce parks and businesses in Wakefi eld. For details call Gill on 07711 539047.

TopicUK39

Ramsdens has strengthened its Commercial Litigation team with the appointment of a new solicitor. Alastair Redfern joins the fi rm from Ozon Solicitors in Manchester and will be based in the Wakefi eld offi ce.

Alastair has acted for a wide range of individual and private clients on both a national and international basis. He has a wide range of litigation experience, dealing with cases from County Court level, through to Court of Appeal.

Alastair deals with many different kinds of disputes including commercial and personal as well as professional negligence and has particular experience in reputation management, privacy, media and intellectual property matters, with

a particular emphasis on internet related matters, for which he was recommended by the UK Legal 500 and was described by them as ‘exemplary’, ‘knowledgeable’ and ‘compassionate’.

Steven Singh, Head of Commercial Litigation said: “Alastair will make a great addition to the litigation team and his appointment will add greater breadth and depth to our litigation offering across our fi rm.”

Alastair added: “Joining Ramsdens will give me the opportunity to work as part of a team that has a reputation built on the quality of its people and its positive approach to managing disputes. I am really excited to be based at their new offi ce in Wakefi eld, with a business community that is really buzzing at the moment.”

Ramsdens Boost Litigation Team

Martin Hopkins, Wakefi eld Trinity Wildcats Commercial Manager has undertaken the gruelling 26 mile London Marathon to help raise much needed funds for Wakefi eld Hospice.

Martin, who fi nished the event in just under 5 hours, 30 minutes quicker than he had expected, raised over £3000 for the hospice. This is the fi fth time

RUGBY MAN TAKES ON THE MARATHON

Martin has taken part in the marathon but found this was the toughest yet. “I managed to get to the 20 mile marker with little problem, but then I began to struggle with pain in my hip which became really sore, so the last 6 miles became a mix of running and walking.

“I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who supported me in raising money for this fantastic local cause.”

Whats Wakefi eld Curry Club - third Friday of each month at Kashmiri Aroma Restaurant, Paragon Business Park, Wakefi eld. Noon to 2.00pm. Cost is just £20+VAT for three course lunch and quality guest speaker. For details call: Gill 07711 539047 or email topicuk@ghost-communications.com

Wakefi eld Hospice Pyjama Walk - 29th June. from either 6 mile or 10 mile route and help raise funds with this fun night walk. Call: 01924 213900 for details.

Wakefi eld Hospice Walk to Remember - 8th September. Step out and walk 5, 10 or 15 miles in this annual event, starting from the National Coal Mining Museum. Call: 01924 213900 for details.

Ridings Yorkshire Market - fi rst Sunday of each month, Ridings Shopping Centre, 10.30am - 4.30pm, up to 40 stalls selling quality produce.

The Great North Run on 15th September. Wakefi eld Hospice have places available for anyone wishing to take part in For further information contact 01924 213900 or email danielle.cain@wakefi eldhospice.co.uk

Saturday 13th July.

Wakefi eld Hospice - Zip Slide, North Wales. Ride the longest zip wire in Europe with speeds of up to 75mph, travelling 700gt above the mountain lake. The ride of a lifetime! A must for all adrenaline junkies. For details ring: 01924 213900 or email danielle.cain@wakefi eldhospice.co.uk

Wakefi eld Christmas Charity Lunch. 12th December at Wakefi eld Cedar Court Hotel. The lunch will support the Theatre Royal Wakefi eld Performance Academy, to raise funds to grant scholarships to children to attend the academy. Tickets are £450 for a table of 10 or £45 each. The committee are also looking for donations for auction prizes. To book email timwelton@chadlaw.co.uk

Networking event, The Thursday M+tch for Yorkshire Business owners. Join fds Corporate Finance on Thursday 18th July from 12 noon to 2.00pm, for this new monthly lunchtime networking event, hosted by Theatre Royal Wakefi eld. The event will take place on the fourth Thursday of each month. For further information contact: luke@fdscfs.com. fds are a Wakefi eld based Corporate fi nance house, led by award winning senior partner Jo Haigh.

on

T o p i c U K S u m m e r I s s u e

TopicUK41

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gifts for all the family handmade and Yorkshire-made gift collections over a hundred quality independent gift and card brands professional giftwrapping and Jolly Gift Hamper service shop local or shop online with FREE delivery to WF postcodes

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Connect with usSearch jamgifts.co.uk on FacebookFollow us on Twitter @jamWakefield

Wakefi eld’s award winning gift shop jam, is a vibrant and friendly shop located on Northgate, in the heart of Wakefi eld. Julian and Sarah, the owners, share an eye for detail and love of design which has helped to create a unique and colourful collection of gifts and greetings cards for the whole family.

Behind the inviting storefront, discover prettily designed displays brimming with design-led gifts, jewellery, accessories, crafts, toys, gifts for babies, books and many more ideas. Amongst quality brands such as Cath Kidston and Emma Bridgewater you will also fi nd beautiful British and Yorkshire made gifts. Following a recent refi t, jam offers a much larger selection of greetings cards, all of which are designed and printed in Britain.

Julian and Sarah, have a passion for providing a high degree of personal customer service, tailored gift-fi nding advice and also offer a quality giftwrapping and gift hamper service. Ask about their Jolly Gift Hampers which are fi lled

with gifts and treats and wrapped to create a memorable gift for special celebrations. Customers can choose from a selection of hampers instore or have one specially created and fully personalised for a specifi c occasion or person.

Awarded Independent Retailer of the Year 2013 in the Wakefi eld Retail Awards, Julian and Sarah were delighted to be awarded Indie Retailer of the Year by their home City for their ‘outstanding customer service’ and comes just a year after they won at a National Gift Retailing Awards ceremony. The awards are a refl ection of Julian and Sarah’s success as they enter the tenth year of trading in their independent business and they comment ‘we would like to say a HUGE thank you to jam’s loyal customers and our wonderfully creative suppliers’.

Step inside jam at 49 Northgate, Wakefi eld WF1 3BH, visit www.jamgifts.co.uk and be social on facebook @jamgifts.co.uk and twitter @jamWakefi eld

jam - serving up a treat in Wakefi eld

T o p i c U K S u m m e r I s s u e

Businesses in Wakefi eld are set to benefi t from a new collaborative initiative, which will see local companies of all sizes join a Bondholder scheme in a bid to generate greater profi le for the district and encourage inward investment from regional towns and cities.Companies of all sizes will show their commitment and support for the area with a fi xed contribution to become a part of The Diamond Scheme. 100% of this investment will then be used to develop an on-going marketing, promotion and PR strategy for Wakefi eld and the fi ve towns.

Integral to the scheme will be benefi ts for members of the Diamond Scheme including marketing support, branding at specifi c functions and across a range of platforms both on and offl ine, plus invitations to networking events throughout the district. Promotional offers will also be shared with those who are involved in the scheme via a dedicated website.

This is part of a big push to help Wakefi eld become an even better place to do business in and the scheme will be a major boost to providing a stronger investment profi le for the locality. Currently blessed with probably the UK’s best road, rail and transportation networks the district is home to some amazingly successful companies across sectors including food and drink, specialist high-technology engineering, manufacturing, as well as giants of logistics and distribution. In an age of global competitiveness there is always a need to raise the bar, to aim higher and make this region the “Best District in the World”.

Key to this is the partnership that businesses develop with each other. It is a simple equation: businesses buying and working with other local businesses to build a culture of understanding, trust and local trading. Irrespective

of the size of your business whether a sole trader or a multi-national company, a decision to market locally, buy locally, as well as distribute locally will create a more powerful and successful business environment.

The Diamond Scheme will change perceptions and tap into the rich vein of passion and pride that we have in Wakefi eld. People who live and work together better help districts to feel more proud that they are part of stronger and more dynamic partnerships. Business economies that project a culture of collaboration and enterprise will attract investment, create more and better jobs, and generate more wealth.

Councillor Peter Box CBE Leader of Wakefi eld Council comments: “The Diamond Scheme, is a great example of how private and public sector businesses can work together to create initiatives that will benefi t the city and district at large. We have a proud community in Wakefi eld who are passionate about the area and all that it offers. We know that companies both large and small are already eager to get involved, which just shows what can be achieved if we all put our minds to it.”

Mark Ridgway OBE DL Managing Director of Queens Award winning innovator Joseph Rhodes said: “We need businesses to understand that we all need to support the Scheme in order for it to work and we genuinely believe that as a result we can encourage greater inward investment and profi le for the city and fi ve towns.”

Wakefi eldCouncil Business

Investment

Pride

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