Prosper Winter 2022 online

THE REGION’S LONGEST-RUNNING BUSINESS PUBLICATION
BLACK COUNTRY
PROSPER
Ever the optimist
Paul K. Hull, Black Country Chamber’s Business
Person of the Year, on leading during a crisis

WELCOME TO PROSPER
It’s been a tumultuous year, says Sarah Thompson, Editor, Prosper,
but one in which the Chamber has stood resolutely by its members
and offered the support they needed
We’re with you, whatever 2023 throws at us!
Well, it has certainly been another very
eventful and turbulent year, one packed
with uncertainty and challenge: rising costs,
notable deaths and even a war in Europe.
I think we’re probably all grateful to be
nearing the end of what has clearly been a
tumultuous 12 months!
But the end of the year always lends itself
to reflection, so as we glance over our
shoulders and review 2022, it’s clear it has
been an eventful year. Around the world,
political upheavals, military actions, natural
disasters and human tragedies captured the
headlines and grabbed our attention.
Russia invaded Ukraine, Australia battled
floods, Europe fought wildfires, America
banned abortions, Britain changed leaders,
China behaved imperiously, and the world
struggled with a resurgent Covid-19
pandemic caused by Omicron subvariants
which drove new waves of infections.
Economically, the world experienced
skyrocketing inflation, rising interest rates
and a sharp slowdown in global growth.
“The war in Ukraine, lockdowns in China,
supply-chain disruptions, and the risk of
stagflation are hammering growth,” said
World Bank President, David Malpass.
Against this backdrop the Chamber has
worked harder than ever before, supporting
our members, providing advice and training
and connecting with governments, both
regional and national, to ensure our
businesses have the tools they need to
withstand the shockwaves.
But there were moments of joy, too. many
of them provided by sport, as nations came
together to participate in the Winter
Olympics in Beijing and the Commonwealth
Games in Birmingham.
In each case, people were united across
boundaries, cultures, and religions.
Sadly, It was also a year in which we
mourned the loss of many famous figures,
including leading black actor Sidney Poitier,
cricketer Shane Warne and former Soviet
leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
But the biggest news event of 2022 was
the death of Queen Elizabeth II in
September. There was an immediate
outpouring of grief – and widespread
sorrow around the world – as billions
mourned her passing. She was seen by
many as a bastion of stability throughout
her seven-decades as the Commonwealth’s
longest-serving monarch.
Her Majesty’s reign spanned the tenures
of 16 Australian prime ministers, 15 British
prime ministers, and 14 US presidents. A
remarkable life, and one we should all look
back on and cherish.
While looking back in this edition of
Prosper, we once again round up another
remarkably busy year for the Black Country
Chamber of Commerce, a year in which the
Chamber welcomed its new CEO, Sarah
Moorhouse, and kicked off its current
campaign, ‘This is The Black Country.’
Inside you’ll find details of the winners
from the Chamber’s annual business awards
in October, and there’s an in-depth look at
the second Black Country Economic
Conference.
We hear from the Mayor of the West
Midlands, Andy Street, who talks devolution
and levelling up, introduce you to four new
high-profile business partners for the
Chamber’s Women in Leadership initiative
and look at what the British Chambers of
Commerce is telling the new Prime Minister
he has to do for the country’s businesses on
investment, infrastructure, energy support,
the tight labour market and export for
growth.
We also introduce you to the Start Up
Business Club’s Dragons’ Den winner, hear
from ‘This is The Black Country’ business
partners, Higgs LLP, Crowe and Pertemps,
and shine a spotlight on the current energy
crisis and on handling menopause in the
workplace, with expert advice drawn from
across the Chamber membership on both
issues.
There’s news, views, opinion, and debate
from across the region’s business leaders
and we introduce you to the Black Country
Businessperson of the Year 2022, our front
cover business leader, Paul Hull, co-owner
at KMB Shipping.
I hope you enjoy this issue. With
Christmas and the end of the year just
around the corner, I want to thank our
Prosper readers, contributors, and
advertisers for your continuing support
throughout the year. It is greatly
appreciated.
So, it just remains for me to wish you all a
very happy festive few weeks – and health,
happiness and prosperity to all in 2023 and
beyond.
CONTACT: SARAH THOMPSON
e: SarahThompson@
blackcountrychamber.co.uk
@SarahT_BCCC
linkedin.com/in/
sarah-thompson-83931813/
PROSPER WINTER 2022
O3

CONTACTS
Editor
Sarah Thompson
0330 024 0820
07971 322693
prosper@blackcountrychamber.co.uk
BLACK COUNTRY
PROSPER
Marketing & Policy
Neil Anderson
Director of External Affairs
0330 024 0820
neilanderson@
blackcountrychamber.co.uk
Membership
Karen Webb
Director of Business Services
0330 024 0820
membership@
blackcountrychamber.co.uk
Publisher
Chamber Media Services
4 Hilton Road, Bramhall
Stockport, Cheshire
SK7 3AG
Advertising
Colin Regan
01942 537959
colinregan001@yahoo.co.uk
Production
Rob Beswick
0161 426 7957
07964 375216
rob@chambermediaservices.co.uk
Cover Photography
Alina Ahmad, with thanks to Dr Euripides
Altintzoglou, FHEA, Course Leader
(Photography), Senior Lecturer (Fine Art)
University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton
School of Art
Although every effort is taken to ensure
the accuracy of material contained within
this magazine, neither the Black Country
Chamber of Commerce nor Chamber
Media Services can accept any
responsibility for omissions or inaccuracies
in its editorial or advertising content.
Black Country Prosper Magazine is the official magazine of the
Black Country Chamber of Commerce.
It provides news, views, interviews, opinion and debate along with
information and insights.
Prosper is the region’s longest running business publication .
Produced on a quarterly basis, the magazine is supported by an array of the
Black Country’s most influential business leaders and is read by business owners
throughout the region and further afield.
To find out more about advertising in Prosper, contact
Colin Regan on 01942 537959.
THE CHAMBER PATRON GROUP
The work of the Black Country Chamber of Commerce is supported by these strategic
business partners working together to make the region a better place for business.
READ ONLINE
We’re delighted that Prosper is back in a
printed version, but you can still read it online.
Go to blackcountrychamber.co.uk/news/
prosper-magazine/
The views expressed in this publication
are not necessarily those of the Chamber.
The carriage of adverts in this publication
does not constitute an endorsement of
the products or services advertised.
All articles within this publication are
copyright Black Country Chamber of
Commerce. Consent from the Chamber
and the publisher must be obtained
before any articles are reproduced either
in printed form or electronically.
You can also follow Prosper at
Prosper Magazine | Facebook @MagazineProsper
https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/bcccprosper
10
48
O4 PROSPER WINTER 2022

CONTACTS & CONTENTS
CONTENTS
42
16
Energy special:
Helping
businesses cope
with the crisis
10
26
New academy to solve toolmaking crisis
38
Black Country Economic Business Conference
Taming the Dragons!
13
Don’t let your workplace fail
women with the menopause
48
Platinum Group
lands two new
members
27
A helping hand for others
REGULAR FEATURES
Members’ News
Business is Done Better Together
including Platinum Group, Start-Up Dragons’ Den
winner and the British Chambers of Commerce
launches its manifesto to the Government
This is the Black Country
Black Country Conference; new business partners
for Women in Leadership
Business in the Community
Legal briefings
Chamber Events
Training & Professional Development
Prosper People
Members’ milestones
PROSPER WINTER 2022
O5

WELCOME
Let’s hope 2023 is a more settled year!
says Sarah Moorhouse, CEO of the Black Country Chamber
And just like that, the end of another
year rapidly approaches.
Just like the ones preceding it, 2022
brought a number of supposedly ‘once in a
generation’ challenges and momentous
change.
We experienced three prime ministers, a
practical revolving door of ministerial
appointments and occasional
reappointments as policymaking was
deferred or radically altered within weeks
(or days) rather than the usual
parliamentary cycles of years.
In addition we saw a major European war
and the death of the only monarch 80 per
cent of the country had ever known.
And all this took place against a
backdrop of escalating energy costs,
climbing interest rates and rising inflation.
Closer to home there were changes at
the Chamber HQ as well, when I became
its latest CEO. Leading the team who have
worked so hard to make a difference for
our members and the business community
is an honour and I look forward to sharing
our plans for 2023 and beyond in the
forthcoming months.
Before then, I hope you get and enjoy a
well-deserved break over the forthcoming
holiday and, on behalf of our fantastic
team, would like to wish you a Happy
Christmas and a prosperous (and hopefully
less unprecedented) 2023.
PROSPER WINTER 2022
O7

COMMENT
In his very first speech as Prime
Minister, Rishi Sunak spoke of a renewed
commitment to Level Up the country.
I believe that, by giving more powers to
the regions, we can help him make
Levelling Up happen – and here in the
West Midlands we have the track record to
back up that claim.
Devolution and Levelling Up are two
sides of the same coin – using local
decision-making and expertise to provide
the knowledge to deliver real results.
The West Midlands is currently
negotiating a trailblazing deal with the
Government, which will put us right at the
forefront of the devolved power revolution.
This deal would give us the ability to take
our future into our own hands, drive
renewal, and end the centralised decision
making that has hamstrung so many
regional ambitions.
If you want to deliver Levelling Up, give
the regions the powers, the cash and the
responsibility to do it.
Just look at the West Midlands’ track
record in skills, where we have already
benefited from significant devolution.
One of the core responsibilities in our
original devo deal, the region won greater
powers in a second agreement, including
control of the £130m adult education
budget.
We knew how to use this budget to get
the best results: we put a greater emphasis
on jobs, on being more responsive to
employer and business needs, on
developing higher-level and higher-quality
skills.
The outcome has been high-value
training provided by fewer but better
providers, who work in partnership with our
colleges.
The results are there for anyone to see.
At the end of 2018, 48.5% of our people
Andy Street,
West Midlands Mayor
Government has to give regions the powers
to make levelling up happen
had NVQ Level 3+.
By the end of last year – even with the
pandemic’s impact – that figure hit 54.9%.
We’ve had 9,231 people pass through our
cutting-edge courses on electric vehicle
maintenance, cyber security, and coding,
while our ground-breaking digital boot
camps have now been adopted nationally.
Our track record on growth stands up,
too. Before Covid struck, the West
Midlands was the fastest growing region
outside of the capital. We know how to
grow our economy, we understand our
sectors and we know how to get the best
out of them. We have the expertise; we just
need the devolution of powers and cash to
enable us to press on.
Indeed, Investment Zones could be the
next testing ground where the regions
once again prove their ability to get results.
The West Midlands Combined Authority
(WMCA) has proposed Investment Zones in
Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and
Wolverhampton as well as east Birmingham
and at the proposed Gigafactory site at
Coventry Airport.
Crucial to this concept is unlocking
significant new private sector investment –
‘‘
We have control of the
£130m adult education
budget and we know how to
use this budget to get the
best results... we put a
greater emphasis on jobs and
on being more responsive to
employer and business needs
something else for which the West
Midlands has a proven track record.
Earlier this year, I launched a £15billion
investment prospectus to investors,
featuring more than 20 diverse
development opportunities across the
region.
In fact, our region has been successfully
directing investment into targeted areas for
years with remarkable results.
The Commonwealth Games highlighted
Birmingham City Centre’s iconic buildings
and striking public squares – which are the
result of 12 years of investment and
development, evidence of a successful
enterprise zone working its magic.
Across the region you can see many
other examples of targeted, localised
investment that has driven growth, like the
vast project that is regenerating the site of
the Longbridge car factory.
Investment zones are another powerful
way through which we could Level Up the
nation, but with decision making so
centralised in the capital, I fear we may take
too long to get them in place.
Our Trailblazer Devolution Deal would
mean we no longer have to go cap in hand
to a civil servant in London whenever we
want to fund a key project. It would give us
greater control over post-16 education so
we can give our young people the skills we
know our businesses need. And, by
devolving inward investment powers, it
would enable us to attract even more
high-quality jobs and international
businesses.
The Prime Minister has signalled that he
wants to refocus on Levelling Up. He must
reach out to the regions and give us the
powers to make it happen. We already
have a track record of getting real results
– imagine what we could do if the shackles
were off.
08 PROSPER WINTER 2022
‘‘

The digital workspace: how
to modernise your business
TECHNICAL BRIEFING: EBC GROUP
Mastering a smooth transition to a digital workspace will bring benefits in terms of
efficiency, creativity and collaboration to your business operations, says EBC Group
Businesses need to start thinking carefully
about their digital future and how they can
transform their business into a more modern
workplace.
The digital workplace is completely
changing how employees interact and work
together, how companies support their
clients and customers, and how they carry
out business in general.
Implementing a workplace transformation
is not just about commodifying services and
support or a money-saving exercise, it’s a
strategic move for any business. Establishing
a digital workspace will impact all areas of
your business and deliver valuable business
outcomes.
What is a digital workspace?
To create a digital workspace, IT teams or
service providers need to bring people,
processes and technology together to
provide a reliable, secure and effective
employee experience anywhere, at any time
and on any device. This involves seeing
beyond traditional workplace environment
models and instead thinking about how
employees can serve their customers better
using digital technology and provide a
better user experience for customers and
end users.
A well thought-out digital strategy helps
businesses increase revenue, attract and
retain talent and beat the competition in a
digital world.
Why do I need a digital workspace?
Many businesses want to carry out a
digital transformation in order to improve
their processes and services. A complete
digital workspace involves the
implementation of cloud solutions, unified
communications, data solutions, as well as
IT support for all of these. Only when these
are all used in conjunction is a truly
collaborative and effective digital workspace
achieved.
Components of a digital workplace
Most digital workplace models tend to
include five main components:
communication, security, storage, analytics
and management. These are not all
necessarily essential, but a combination of
these elements will ensure you have the
tools you need in place to run your business
efficiently.
Decrease costs
Digital workspaces increase productivity
by introducing self-diagnosis and self-help
tools that enable users to resolve their own
IT issues.
They can also boost efficiency by helping
different business units work together more
effectively, allowing them to share resources
quickly and easily.
Enhance customer experience
Digital technologies can automate some
aspects of customer experience, helping to
drive down costs and improve service
quality. With digital workspace
environments, customers are able to move
easily between support channels such as
phone, chat or bots whilst progressing
along the customer journey.
Improve executive decision-making
Organisations are becoming more and
more data-led due to the level of detail data
insights can offer.
Using digital workplace technology such
as machine learning, performance analytics,
service desk data analytics engines and
dashboards, businesses can inform key
executive decision-making processes.
Digital
workspaces
increase
productivity by
helping different
business units
work together
more effectively,
allowing them to
share resources
more easily
Increase flexibility and enhance
employee experience
More and more of the current workforce
are now looking for flexible and remote
working. A digital workspace will help
engage, motivate and retain existing
employees and attract new talent.
More advanced digital workspace policies
let employees choose their own devices to
suit their individual working style. These
policies use a persona-based model to
provide end users with a workspace bundle
which is fit-for-purpose and tailored to their
needs.
Digital ways of working:
• Work flexibly
• Meet virtually
• Use the power of social media
• Integrate software tools
• Collaborate and co-author in real time
• Analyse your own data.
Need some help in making the
transition to a digital workspace?
EBC Group can help plan, implement and
support a digital workspace which will suit
the needs of your business and its
employees, increasing collaboration and
productivity and enable them to provide a
better service to your clients.
To find out more, contact us online, at
hello@ebcgroup.co.uk or call us on
0121 3680119.
Alternatively see www.ebcgroup.co.uk .
PROSPER WINTER 2022 09

NEWS
Business school takes lead by
signing menopause pledge
The Nant team with
Get Coaching Ltd
Nant looking to Elev8
the next generation of
water sector leaders
Leading water safety specialists Nant
Limited has launched an innovative
opportunity to accelerate the personal and
professional development of its emerging
leaders.
Following a rigorous application and
interview process, eight employees from
across the business have been invited to
take part in the 12-month Elev8 learning
experience.
Led by internationally recognised coach
and people developer, Gordon Lord of Get
Coaching Ltd, alongside the Nant
leadership team, the group will explore their
potential in a range of areas including
self-awareness, emotional intelligence,
communication, coaching, leadership and
management of people and strategy.
The University of Birmingham Business
School has become the first business
school to commit to the Wellbeing of
Women’s Menopause Workplace Pledge.
Appropriately it signed the pledge on
World Menopause Day (October 18),
committing the university to making it a
supportive and understanding place for
staff and students going through
menopause. Measures to be taken include:
• Recognising that the menopause can
be an issue in the workplace and women
need support
• Talking openly, positively and
respectfully about the menopause, which
has already begun with the launch of
Menopause cafes
• Actively supporting and informing your
employees affected by the menopause.
With a long tradition of supporting
businesses to act more responsibly through
their research, the university said it was
proud to take the lead as a responsible and
supportive workplace for all staff.
Signing the pledge builds on the
school’s existing research on the
experience of older women in the
workplace, including how employers can
help prevent menopause discrimination.
• Menopause in workplace: see pg 48
College launches
Third sector course
A new management training course
for people working in charities, social
enterprises or community
organisations has been launched by
City of Wolverhampton College.
The Principles of Leadership and
Management for Social Leaders
diploma, accredited by the Chartered
Management Institute, is aimed at
junior managers and supervisors to
enable them to develop skills to help
improve operational efficiency within
their organisation.
The one-year part-time course
includes modules covering the roles
and responsibilities of a manager,
leading and managing a social
purpose organisation, planning a
project, supporting day-to-day
operations, providing instructions,
direction and guidance, and
supporting and monitoring goals.
£1m precision tooling academy set
to reverse toolmaking skills crisis
The UK’s first precision tooling academy
has been launched thanks to a pioneering
partnership between Chamber Patron
In-Comm Training and Brandauer.
Over £1m has been invested by the two
strategic partners to create a commercial
toolroom in the training provider’s facility in
Aldridge, which will produce complex
tooling, as well as acting as a professional
training ground for the toolmakers and
designers of the future.
This is a vital move for domestic industry,
with the sector being held back by a severe
lack of toolmakers and the very real
possibility of losing these essential skills
forever as older workers choose to retire.
The Precision Tooling Academy aims to
reverse this trend by offering companies
access to professional toolmaking courses,
upskilling opportunities for qualified
engineers looking to diversify their skills
and a Level 6 Tool Process Design
Apprenticeship to develop the next
generation of talent.
10 PROSPER WINTER 2022

NEWS
IT provider ends college’s
computing nightmares
Wolverhampton
is regional leader
for start-up funds
The British Business Bank has named
Wolverhampton as the top local
authority in the West Midlands for its
Start Up Loans programme.
The city has seen start-up businesses
successfully draw down 464 loans since
2012, worth £3.3million.
Louise McCoy, commercial director at
Start Up Loans, said, “It’s wonderful to
see Wolverhampton recognised in the
West Midlands for its contribution to
entrepreneurship.
“The West Midlands has an evergrowing
pool of diverse small businesses
and I’m pleased to see that, with the
help of Start Up Loans, it has been able
to access the finance they need to grow
and contribute to the local economy.”
City of Wolverhampton Council’s
Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for
City Economy, Councillor Stephen
Simkins, said he was delighted with the
city’s success in supporting start-up
firms. “We opened, in partnership with
the Black Country Chamber and
University of Wolverhampton, our
Business Workspace and Start-up
Centre, IGNITE, in July to join up the
business support infrastructure with
partners in the city, and I would urge
start-ups to make it their first port of call.
“Businesses are finding it tough out
there, so it’s important not only that they
have a good start but can also be
supported to thrive and grow.”
IGNITE provides free co-working and
meeting space, events, training – virtual
and physical – and support to inspire
start-ups and business growth. It can
also help firms access funding, such as
British Business Bank Start Up Loans.
Wolverhampton-based IT solution provider
Nike Consultants has successfully delivered
a complete refresh of the City of
Wolverhampton College’s IT infrastructure.
The college had been suffering from a
general lack of investment in its computing
infrastructure for over a decade, which has
led to a series of notable shortcomings and
poor performance levels on its new student
management platform, Tribal.
Nike helped the college to benchmark
and right-size solutions for current and
future workloads via presales engagement,
focusing on the areas of networking (wired
and wifi), computing, storage, disaster
recovery and secure back-up. Nike also
helped the college’s quest towards zero
emissions by reducing its carbon footprint,
which in turn qualified them for access to
Salix interest-free funding.
Nike continues to work with the college
in many areas of IT, including AV solutions
for skills acceleration in line with its hybrid
working and virtual learning requirements,
and the overhaul / migration of its firewall
gateway security solutions.
PROSPER WINTER 2022 11

NEWS
NEW RESOURCES
OPEN DOOR TO
PUBLIC SECTOR
CONTRACTS
With the UK in recession, a collective
of Black Country business leaders has
launched a series of new resources to
help our region’s local businesses to
pitch for work in the public sector.
Sandwell Business Ambassadors
work closely with Sandwell Council in
raising issues that matter most to
Sandwell’s business community. One
of their priorities is to remove barriers
to business growth in our region
– recognising the value this brings in
creating and sustaining jobs and
stimulating the local economy.
As part of this, the Ambassadors
have launched a resource page
showing local businesses how they can
place themselves in a good position
for winning public-sector contracts.
Sandwell Business Ambassadors’
public sector contract resource page
tells you:
1. The key websites you should
register with to receive alerts about
public sector opportunities in your
industry.
2. Why considering ‘social value’
could make your business more
successful in a tendering situation.
3. How to share your successes and
challenges in order to:
a) Showcase your work
b) Inspire other Black Country
businesses
c) Help the tendering process
become smoother and more
transparent in the future.
Interested in finding
out more?
You can find all the information,
plus more besides, at
www.sandwellbusiness
ambassadors.co.uk
Starting Point Recruitment makes
an impact at Business Masters
Responsible recruitment specialists Starting
Point Recruitment (SPR) were delighted to
take home the Community Impact Award at
the annual West Midlands Business Masters
Awards, which took place in Birmingham
earlier this month.
Sponsored by Morningside
Pharmaceuticals Ltd, this accolade was
awarded in recognition for SPR’s
commitment to delivering positive,
Chamber diary dates:
Developing your digital
marketing strategy
Date: 7th March
Time: 12noon – 2pm
Venue: Online Event
Cost: Members: £100.00
Non members: £125.00
** These prices are exclusive of VAT **
 This workshop is aimed at business
owners who are looking to understand more
about the fundamentals of digital marketing
and how planning and appropriate channel
selection will help focus their campaigns for
maximum effort.
• Look at the main digital channels and
which will be appropriate for your business
transformational change within their local
community. Since their formation in 2003,
SPR has committed to reinvesting 100% of
all annual profits through charitable giving.
To date, the agency has gifted more than
£4m to parent organisations and supported
over 8,200 people living throughout the
West Midlands to raise their aspirations,
access training and secure sustainable,
rewarding and meaningful employment.
• Do your online channels align with your
business goals?
• Basics to digital planning and the
marketing funnel
• The need for an integrated marketing
strategy across all channels
• Build a media plan from inception to
completion
This workshop will be delivered by Gurpreet
Dhillon of Digital D Marketing
For more information on the workshop
please contact training@
blackcountrychamber.co.uk
12 PROSPER WINTER 2022

BUSINESS IN THE COMMUNITY
Howzat for support!
Air Ambulance off to flying
start thanks to EBC’s race day
Black Country Chamber campaign partner,
the EBC Group, hosted its sixth Annual
Race Day in November at Wolverhampton
Racecourse, in aid of their corporate charity
partner, Midlands Air Ambulance.
The charity is in the process of building a
new purpose-built airbase and
headquarters in Cosford which will fit the
specific needs of its vital emergency service
and hugely benefit patients across all of the
Midland’s counties.
EBC Group will be providing the facility
with a full range of the latest managed IT
solutions to support their operations.
The day’s festivities involved a VIP racing
experience held in the premier enclosure
and raised a fantastic £5,695 for the charity.
Helping raise funds for charity is
something local relationship bank
Handelsbanken knows only too well
gets them involved in many
community initiatives.
It’s always important for the bank’s
teams to be able to give something
back, so every opportunity is taken to
support local initiatives. That’s why,
when the chance came along to
support the first-ever girls’ XI at
Walsall Cricket Club, the relationship
team based in Wolverhampton didn’t
hesitate.
Asking colleagues to donate to a
weekly dress-down day, the funds
raised will be used to buy equipment
for the new team – and is a welcome
additional fundraiser for a club that’s
been providing sporting
opportunities in Walsall since 1812.
National
award for
the Express
& Star
The Black Country-based Express & Star has
won a prestigious national award for its work
helping foodbanks.
The newspaper’s Feed a Family
campaign has won this year’s Making a
Difference award at the News Media
Association’s annual Journalism Matters
campaign, to highlight the vital role
journalism plays in our society.
Members of the public were invited to
view the campaigns and to vote for their
favourites. The Feed a Family campaign won
the award for regional journalism while The
Sun won an award among national titles for
its Give it Back campaign.
The Feed a Family campaign has become
an annual fixture for the Express & Star and
Shropshire Star and has proved a huge
success, with foodbanks involved reporting
a big difference in donations.
Jas is the region’s
apprentice champion
Penny Post’s COO, Jas Kaur from
Walsall, won the Royal Air Force
Award for Apprenticeship Champion
of the Year at the West Midlands
National Apprenticeship Awards.
Jas was awarded the coveted title
at the regional ceremony in
Birmingham in October.
PROSPER WINTER 2022 13

BUSINESS VOICES: PERTEMPS
CVs and the evolving candidate experience
The new digital world has seen traditional human resources undergo quite the
digital transformation. It seems strange, then, that the CV continues to remain the
primary hiring tool. Prosper talks to Richard Bourne, regional manager at
Pertemps Recruitment about the subject.
There are several arguments as to why
the CV is no longer adequate for recruiters.
While it is true that they give an overview of
the individual’s education, work experience
and career history, they give no true
indication as to how the individual will
actually perform in any given role.
The Covid-19 pandemic served to
highlight how important emotional
intelligence and soft skills are in the modern
working world. Employers need to know
how well a candidate will adapt to the
dynamic technological landscape, as well as
how they collaborate with colleagues and
react to situations.
To address this, companies such as
Facebook and Google are using personality
tests as a means to assess an individual’s
soft or ‘human’ skills. Tests such as the
Myers Briggs Test can give employers
insights into the individual’s personality
type.
While these tests may seem to help to
create a more rounded picture of the
candidate, they are by no means a perfect
solution. In fact, a study by Research Gate
found that the same person taking the test
twice within five weeks will get completely
different results 50 per cent of the time.
All this shows that hiring practices are still
far from perfect. However, it’s vital for
organisations to not focus solely on how
candidates present themselves. How an
organisation presents itself to candidates is
also a crucial part of the recruitment
process. This boils down to creating a good
candidate experience. Whether
organisations use CVs, personality tests, or
both – if the candidate experience is bad,
recruitment will be negatively impacted.
Organisations need to ensure their
candidate experience is seamless, intuitive,
and simple. For example, businesses could
provide a single portal for candidates to
manage their job submissions, share job
openings, and stay in the know for future
opportunities. By reducing complexity for
candidates, organisations will gain a
reputation as a company that cares from the
moment an application is submitted. This,
in turn, will make them appear more
attractive to potential talent, thereby
increasing the number of applicants.
As hiring tools continue to evolve,
organisations should not become complacent
about their role in the recruitment process.
Candidates will continue to try and present
their best selves, and organisations must
strive to do the same.
If you scrap the CV, how do you decide
who to interview?
For all its flaws, the CV remains the go-to
with job applications and often the only tool
used in the recruitment process for many
hiring managers. It has become a staple
and its use is often ingrained so deeply in
the hiring process that many have not
questioned the effectiveness of a CV as a
recruitment tool.
The candidate experience has been
evolving over the years and has led to many
different recruitment processes and tools
when screening potential employees. These
tools have included interviewing face-toface,
video interviews, assessment centres,
personality testing, psychometric testing,
literacy and numeracy testing, dexterity
testing, meet the team, candidate
presentations, work trials, written testing
and, of course, the Curriculum Vitae.
The CV has always been the traditional
introduction of a person, their skills and
experience to an organisation. However, it
does not consider soft skills, emotional
intelligence, attitudes, abilities and relies
wholly on the quality of the information
provided by the candidate. The
transformation of process needs to focus on
what the process is trying to achieve rather
than the process determining who comes
out on top!
Often at Pertemps we meet candidates
with skills not listed in a CV, who can be
easily overlooked, especially by those with
long service in a previous role. If you have
not had to write a CV for a number of years,
of course it would not be as polished as
someone who has a lot of experience
writing and often applying for jobs.
This can lead to retention issues later on
and, potentially, exclude great candidates
at an early stage.
Some of the arguments around CVs are
that subconscious bias can creep in around
names of candidates, educational
attainment and/or geographical area they
reside in. Some companies as part of their
HR process review have moved to ‘blind
processes,’ so that this information is
removed from the CV before submitting to
hiring managers for review, to ensure that
equality, diversity and inclusion is built into
the hiring process from the start.
In a candidate-driven market should
hiring managers ask all candidates to ‘send
a CV’ online before engaging them in the
selection process? We could be missing out
on talent by sticking with this traditional
approach.
14 PROSPER WINTER 2022

ADVERTORIAL: MoRServ
Taking the risk out of
your risk management
A major change in the law that’s likely to come into force in 2023 will
compel many businesses to reconsider their risk management policies and
practices, says MoRServ, an expert in creating ‘safe spaces and places’
The story of MoRServ Ltd began in
2014 when Chris Dowen, MoRServ’s
founder and operations director, created
the Management of Risk in Law
Enforcement (MoRiLE) Programme through
his work as a Chief Inspector with West
Midlands Police.
The programme created bespoke risk
models for UK policing that supported their
response to risk. He continued leading the
programme until his retirement from the
police in August 2021.
Following retirement Chris convinced his
wife Meg to move from her role as a leisure
centre manager for Dudley Council to take
on the role of managing director for
MoRServ. Their ambition was to use their
combined experiences to help
organisations and partnerships ‘create safe
spaces and places’.
In September 2021 MoRServ was
appointed as the specialist investigators for
the Baroness Casey independent review of
the Euro 2020 football finals disorder at
Wembley.
A chance meeting between Chris and
Jason Moseley, who is also a retired police
officer with over 20 years’ experience as a
detective and a specialist investigator to
the Grenfell Tower Fire investigation, led to
Jason undertaking the work for the review.
Following the review Jason joined Chris
and Meg at MoRServ as an owner and
operations director, which created the
MoRServ team we see today.
Since then, MoRServ’s ambition has been
to:
• Work with others to create safe spaces
and places; and
• Revolutionise risk management
Creating safe spaces
MoRServ works with a wide range of
clients: from local authorities, business
improvement districts, safer travel
partnerships, safety advisory groups,
national charities and research companies.
It uses previous experiences working in
policing and the public sector to create a
wide range of practical solutions to help
them better understand and respond to
the unique risks they face
Revolutionising risk management
MoRServ has used its previous
experiences to create an online app called
AURa which contains a series of
interconnected practical risk tools that
allow organisations to manage all their risks
in one place.
This helps them revolutionise their
business, save time and money, and
respond more effectively to their daily risks
such as the fuel crisis, cost of living impacts,
staffing, customer complaints, and service
delivery risks.
It also has easy to understand
information and guides embedded into the
app that help organisations respond to
wider and more long-term risks such as
Chris, Meg
and Jason
have a wealth
of experience
behind them
in creating risk
management
practices that
ensure ‘safe
spaces and
places’
responding to their longer terms business
needs, responding to legislative
requirements, and improving customer and
staff satisfaction.
The Protect Duty 2023
The Protect Duty legislation (known as
Martyn’s Law), which was announced in the
Queens 2022 speech, is likely to be
implemented in 2023.
At its heart is a need for those
responsible for publicly accessible
locations to take appropriate and
proportionate measures to protect the
public from attacks. This includes ensuring
staff are trained to respond appropriately,
and ensuring their responses are current
and regularly reviewed. Current estimates
suggest that approximately 625,000
businesses will be affected.
MoRServ understands that for thousands
of businesses, this will be an overwhelming
task, and can support organisations
embedded straightforward plans into their
day-to-day business, and help them
manage all of this in one place through
their AURa App.
This will help them maximise their
response, help protect them against
legislation breaches, and help them create
safe spaces and places.
How you can get help
MoRServ’s website: www.morserv.co.uk
gives you more information on how the
company can help you, how you can book a
free one-hour consultation and find out
more about how you can get your free
demo of the AURa app.
If you are just interested in the app you
can access it through the website by going
to www.aura-app.co.uk
PROSPER WINTER 2022 15

BUSINESS FINANCE SPOTLIGHT
awards
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WINNERS ALL!
Black Country Chamber
Business Awards 2022
honoured brightest business
leaders at fabulous event
The winners of 2022 Black Country
Chamber Business Awards were announced
at a spectacular gala evening at
Wolverhampton Racecourse in October,
heralding a full fanfare return for the
prestigious event following its virtual and
hybrid delivery over the last two years.
Sequins, posh frocks and black ties hit
the red carpet as a record 62 finalists fought
to be crowned 2022 champions of business
at the sell-out event which welcomed over
490 people.
The Awards, hosted this year by ITV
weatherman Des Coleman and now in their
21st year, once again recognised the
amazing work of local businesses and
featured several new categories reflecting
the breadth and scope of regional
economic activities.
They shone a spotlight on those
individual businesses and people working in
vital parts of the region’s economy whilst
championing innovation, collaboration and
outstanding practices, while continuing to
put the Black Country on the map.
AND THE WINNERS ARE...
n Family Business of the Year
– sponsored by Azets
Winner: Formbend Ltd
Highly Commended:
CLM Construction Supplies Ltd
n Small Business of the Year
– sponsored by Sandwell Council
Winner: Building Services NOW
Highly Commended: Nant
n Large Business of the Year
– sponsored by: IGNITE Hub
Winner: voestalpine Metsec Plc
Highly Commended: Juniper Training Ltd
n Start Up Business of the Year
- sponsored by Black Country and Marches
Institute of Technology
Winner: Let’s Sanify Ltd
Highly Commended: MoRServ Ltd
n Excellence in Professional Services
– sponsored by Walsall Council
Winner: MET Recruitment UK Ltd
Highly Commended: TNM Architecture
n Excellence in Manufacturing and
Engineering
– sponsored by CKCA Ltd
Winner: Ramfoam Ltd
Highly Commended: KUKA Third Sector
n Business Commitment to the Community
– sponsored by Thomas Dudley Ltd
Winner: Halesowen Bid
Highly Commended: Nant
n Business of the Year
– sponsored by Sandwell College
Winner: Reach & Unite Outreach &
Empowerment CIC
Highly Commended: Gordon Moody
n Excellence in International Trade
– sponsored by Birmingham Airport
Winner: Alucast
Highly Commended:
KMB Shipping Group
n Marketing or Communications
Campaign of the Year
– presented by This is The Black Country
Winner: Rothley Ltd
Highly Commended: GMS Group
n Excellence in Diversity and Equality:
sponsored by Dudley Business First
Winner: Wolverhampton City Credit Union
Highly Commended: West Midlands Trains
n Excellence in Tech and Innovation
– sponsored by EBC Group
Winner: Nant
Highly Commended: IPU Group
n Outstanding Support to the Armed Forces
– Presented by Pertemps
Winner: Superfast IT
Highly Commended: Wolverhampton
Lawn Tennis & Squash Club
n Business Person of the Year
- sponsored by University of
Wolverhampton Business School
Paul Hull - KMB Shipping
16 PROSPER WINTER 2022

Excellence in Diversity & Equality:
Wolverhampton City Credit Union
The judges felt that Wolverhampton City Credit Union had
undergone a significant transformation recently, resulting in the
organisation now placing equality, diversity and inclusivity at the
heart of everything they do. In addition, it has demonstrated
significant progress in key areas such as governance, recruitment
and succession planning.
Third Sector Business of the Year:
Reach and Unite Outreach and Empowerment CIC
The judges were impressed with Reach and Unite Outreach and
Empowerment CIC’s passion and zest to improve the life situation
and experience for every child. Through her own personal
journey and lived experience, founder and current CEO
Dominique Williams has been able to set up a number of
provisions which do indeed offer ‘A Place for Every Child.’
Setting up a new business only a few weeks before lockdown may
have been too much for many, but Dominique persevered and
helped some of the most vulnerable children - growing the team
from 1 to 22 people.
Black Country Business Person
of the Year: Paul K. Hull
Paul K. Hull of KMB Shipping Group stood out to the
judges for his commitment to his industry, his organisation
and the Black Country. His rise from the bottom to the top
of his organisation is testament to his determination, drive,
energy and good humour. He adopts an innovative and
reflective approach to business, making staff wellbeing his
priority, engaging them to achieve their best.
A serial entrepreneur, Paul is inspirational, enthusiastic and
fair. He works with schools to inspire the next generation
and is a trailblazer for the Black Country. His energy
enthuses all those who do business with him.
Excellence in Professional Services:
MET Recruitment UK
MET has adapted extremely well in an ever-challenging
recruitment landscape. It provides a full and well-rounded support
service to its clients and is one of the most well-respected
recruitment agencies in the Black Country and West Midlands.
The team has gone above and beyond in its service to customers
and maintains an approach which puts the customer at the heart
of all that it does. But it is a company that is not scared of change,
which is evident in its pursuit of new markets, with a firm focus on
its clients throughout the recruitment process.
PROSPER WINTER 2022 17

CHAMBER AWARDS 2022
Excellence in
International Trade:
Alucast Ltd
Already a successful
exporter, Alucast Ltd has
recently won a large
contract to export to
France, which will bring in
substantial revenue for the
next few years. This
contract will also have
benefits to the wider
business community –
especially in the local
supply chain.
In addition, Alucast is
proactive in the community, which
includes working with Dudley College
to take on 15 apprentices to date.
Excellence in Tech & Innovation: Nant
Nant demonstrated a clear strategy, with technology and
innovation at the forefront of the business. The judges
were also impressed by its innovation in people processes,
which is a key priority for the business and at the forefront
of all its decision making.
Business Commitment to the Community:
Halesowen BID
Vicky, Ellie and the Halesowen BID team
demonstrated an incredible amount of energy,
enthusiasm and skill to the judges. It is testament to
this that the team has recently secured a second,
five-year term and recruited over 400 volunteers to
help deliver its programme. The Halesowen BID area
is now a great, safe and welcoming place to visit with
a packed calendar of events which support
businesses, the local community and schools.
Outstanding Support to the
Armed Forces: Superfast IT
Superfast IT epitomises the very best of the Armed Forces
community, those who serve it and those who support it.
In a relatively short period of time, Superfast IT has
demonstrated outstanding support for the Armed Forces
community through multiple activities, all of which are backed up
within their company policies, recruitment and employee support
of former service personnel.
Excellence in Manufacturing
& Engineering: Ramfoam
The judges were impressed with Ramfoam’s
commitment to championing women and young people
in the manufacturing industry through the creation of
their own graduate programme. Furthermore, the
judges were also impressed by the company’s
development of new products and growth of its
overseas business.
18 PROSPER WINTER 2022

CHAMBER AWARDS 2022
Marketing & Communications Campaign
of the Year: Rothley Ltd
After gaining critical acclaim from trade customers for its new
product innovation, the Hairpin Leg, Rothley Ltd expanded the
targeting of its product range from its usual B2B to B2C markets.
Demonstrating clear objectives, rationale for channel selection,
and with a limited budget, Rothley’s employed a range of tactics
to excite new customers through influencer-led activity
highlighting the adaptability and versatility of its new product.
Large Business of the Year:
Voestalpine Metsec Ltd
Judges were impressed by Voestalpine Metsec Ltd’s ethical
focus on quality and environmental commitments, both internally
and externally, including its commitment to a net zero agenda
for itself and its wider supply chains.
Small Business of the Year:
Building Services Now
Building Services Now stood out for its focus on people.
They ensure its people are skilled and passionate in
meeting the needs of their customers as well as the
priorities of the business. Building Services Now has a
complete commitment to net zero and have also had a
major rethink of its proposition post-pandemic.
Their proactive strategies have created significant step
changes, which has seen them win contracts and enter into
new markets.
Start-up Business of the Year: Let’s Sanify Ltd
Let’s Sanify Ltd stood out in what was a very inspiring and
impressive field of finalists. Sitting in the heart of the Black
Country, Let’s Sanify has developed a product range of worldbeating
disinfectants that replace harsh chemicals.
They are 100% natural, with no harm to humans or animals, yet
they kill 99.99% of all bacteria and viruses, including COVID-19.
Its products are innovative, safe and highly effective.
Family Business of the Year: Formbend Ltd
As well as having a high level of family involvement in the
business, Formbend Ltd also seeks to attract talent from other
areas. It encourages family members to gain experience and
perspectives elsewhere prior to joining the organisation and they
have overcome many challenges to grow a successful business.
Formbend has several long-standing employees, and this is
testament to its business’ ethos.
20 PROSPER WINTER 2022

BLACK COUNTRY BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR, PAUL K. HULL
He’s ever
the optimist
Prosper talks to Paul K. Hull, entrepreneur & co-owner of
Queen’s Award-winning KMB Shipping Group, about staying
positive during a crisis and how to embrace the opportunities it creates
Few businesses in the Black Country
have been unaffected by the challenging
times that we live in. It’s likely that one of the
‘big three’ will be there to trip you up:
whether its soaring energy costs, headaches
of Covid or hassles of Brexit.
So, take a moment and imagine that the
core of your business is being hit hard by all
three, simultaneously and then add a
spectacular shipping calamity to the mix,
just for fun!
For many business leaders, the succession
of events would be too much, but Paul Hull
of KMB Shipping Group laughs it off. “Good
job I’m an optimist, isn’t it!”
The triple challenges mentioned above
have impacted on KMB’s core business,
which simply put, takes freight and shifts it
around the globe.
Experts in freight forwarding, sea and air
freight shipping, European logistics, bulk
haulage and domestic transport services,
the Tipton-based operation has been
providing superior export and
transportation services since 1987.
In the last two years, their operations have
been hit hard. Rises in energy prices
triggered by the Ukraine war, challenges in
export documentation thanks to Brexit and
border lockdowns created by Covid, are just
a few of the big topics that they’ve had to
navigate. We’ll get on to the shipping
calamity later...
Paul, who was named the Black Country
Chamber’s Business Person of the Year for
2022 last month, has been with the company
since 1996 and is the epitome of grassroots
success, having joined KMB at age 17, as,
and to quote – “a glorified tea boy” – who
ended up co-owning the business.
Actually, “I was a trainee transport clerk
on the princely sum of £400 a month... it
paid for my car and there was a bit of money
to my parents for my keep!”
His quick grasp of the job’s requirements
and his unwavering work ethic meant he
didn’t stay a transport clerk for long. “After
two years I was asked to run the Irish arm of
the business, and I was made a director in
2001; I was 23. We’d built the turnover up to
around £2m and things were going well. “
That strong start was marked by tragedy
in 2004, when the owners’ son, Nick, died in
a motorbike crash. “The owners had retired,
Nick was running the business as MD. I said
I’d keep the ship afloat while they coped
with losing their son and worked out what to
do next. I’d do it for an initial six months and
then we’d have a chat about the next step...”
It took six years before that ‘next step’
conversation took place, and by 2014 plans
‘‘
Most business folks think
they’ll experience one
momentous crisis in their
business career: two if they’re
unlucky... current business
leaders have three – plus the
financial crash of 2008...
‘‘
were in place for an MBO, with Paul assisted
by his current business partners and good
friends, Jamie Warren and Kevin Jones. The
MBO proved taxing, and took until 2018 to
complete, but since then things have gone
from strength to strength. “The team is
performing well, we’re ahead of target for
this year.”
That success has been achieved despite
the considerable headwinds. “Most
business folks think they’ll experience one
momentous crisis in their business career:
two if they’re unlucky. Current business
leaders have had the ‘big three’ mentioned
before – plus the financial crash of 2008. It
just feels like one storm after another,” says
Paul.
While Brexit, to some, isn’t a disaster, Paul
is clear that it has created problems. “The
facts speak for themselves. I know that our
European business is still 25 per cent down
on levels pre-referendum. Now remember
this isn’t our goods... this is our customers’
goods, so that means that our clients’
businesses are 25 per cent down on exports.
That’s a lot.”
“Around the time of Brexit we had about
420 active customers on our books. That’s
down by about a fifth. Particularly with
SMEs, one of two things happened. For
some the sheer cost of the documentation,
the tariffs, the form-filling Brexit created
meant that their sales to Europe were no
longer viable. If they had a slender margin,
it had vanished in red tape. That’s hit some.
“For the others it tended to be ‘I just can’t
be bothered’. People gave up on exports,
particularly if they didn’t export much, and
focused on domestic markets.”
And it isn’t a problem unique to KMB
Shipping: “It’s not just us: imports/exports
with the EU are around 40 per cent down
across the board.”
But as Paul says, “I’m an optimist – a ‘pint
half-full’ type of guy. For us there have been
positives.”
The first came from lessons learnt in a
prior crisis. “When the financial crisis broke
in 2008, we were badly exposed. Our
biggest client area was Ireland, I think it
contributed about 70 per cent of our profits
and it was badly hit by the crash. We had to
rethink our strategy and look for new
markets. Consequently, by the time Brexit
arrived, we were already broadening the
sectors we worked in.”
“Today about 60 per cent of our business
is ‘worldwide’, 20 per cent EU and 20 per
cent Ireland. That’s a huge shift from where
we were in 2008.”
22 PROSPER WINTER 2022

Where has the growth come from? “The
USA and the Middle East are really growing
for us. We’ve just secured two major
contracts for the US, so that’s promising and
we’ll keep on building.”
The second positive is how exporting is
now viewed by client businesses. “Freight
forwarding to Europe used to be simple, as
there was little paperwork to complete. But
that caused problems. You would have
clients call you up and say they would switch
business for a marginally cheaper rate –
we’re talking saving fractions. It was an easy
business in many peoples’ eyes. In the
majority, price was the driver.
“Today our clients appreciate what we do
and the benefits of working with us. They
know that if documents are wrong, or if the
customs clearance isn’t in place, then their
goods can be trapped at a border, which
can lead to delays or high charges. Since
Brexit, the rules are so much tighter, so
getting that documentation right is
something we’ve always been able to
provide – only now, clients realise it’s not
that simple!”
Delivering that benefit has come at a cost,
however. “We’ve invested heavily in IT and
software, so we can access the latest
Customs forms and ensure load compliance
with EU rules. It was important we got on
the front foot on this, but it’s massively paid
off. We just had to change our mindset and
sharpen our approach.”
What’s interesting is the admission that
“possibly we always needed to do this,” as
if Brexit had forced KMB to take steps that
were necessary anyway – certainly because
another problem was brewing...
“Covid. The whole world shut down. Can
you imagine how challenging that was for a
freight forwarding business? Absolute
chaos,” he laughs. But again, from a
disaster, he sees a positive. “Covid made us
stop and re-evaluate what we did and how
we did it. Like a lot of things that are forced
upon you, sometimes they make you
stronger. Perhaps we were guilty of saying
‘we’ve always done it this way’ but Covid
meant we had to change and develop a new
mindset. It’s improved us, made us more
streamlined and efficient.”
Again, there was a cost. “We had to make
more investments in IT to allow our team to
work at home, but we got through it.”
He also laughs about the other ‘minor’
challenge he faced: the Evergreen, that
massive container ship that decided to pull
a handbrake turn in the Suez Canal and
blocked the world’s most important
shipping lane for weeks.
“We were just getting over Covid and
that happens,” he says. Laughing again,
‘‘
Our clients appreciate
what we do more. They
know that if the
documents are wrong, if
the customs clearance
isn’t in place, their
goods can be trapped
at a border. The rules
are so much tighter.
Getting that
documentation
right is something
we’ve always been able
to provide – only now,
it’s really appreciated.
‘‘
“you couldn’t make it up. In truth I think we
only had two containers stuck in the queues,
so it didn’t affect us too badly, but it did
make it difficult to acquire shipping
containers for months afterwards.”
What the Evergreen crisis did was
highlight just how fragile the global supply
chain is. “I think that was a wake-up call for
many people, who had always thought that
goods would just get to you without any
problems. Suddenly one boat goes awry
and its global chaos for weeks!”
And now we have the war in Ukraine, and
with it an energy crisis. “Energy price
inflation is hitting everyone but, in my sector,
fuel surcharges are really worrying.
Shipowners are adding these to established
shipping rates. It’s added anything from 10%
- 40% to top-line costs. Container prices
have increased by as much as fivefold;
containers that used to be £3-4k are now
£20,000. That’s hitting prices for everything.”
So is 2023 going to be more doom and
gloom? “It is if you believe the media! I’m
too positive to go down that path.”
“With that said, I can see why some
businesses might look to shut up shop: cut
out unnecessary expenditure, batten down
the hatches and hope to ride out the storm.
But that’s not my approach. The only way I
can see us handling 2023 is by growing sales
– getting more customers through the
door.”
Continued on page 24
PROSPER WINTER 2022 23

BLACK COUNTRY BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR, PAUL K. HULL
Continued from page 23
“We’ve invested to deliver that. We’ve
brought in a new in-house marketing team
and added two salespeople. They’re just
hitting the phones, developing contacts,
talking to people about what we can do for
them. That’s our strategy for 2023.”
This approach goes back to Paul’s
inherent positivity. “I said before, I’m a ‘glass
half-full’ guy. Sure, there have been some
bad days, and being a director of a business
can be lonely at times, but I’ve got my team
supporting me and that helps.”
He’s also very open about his own mental
health. “Adopting a positive mindset is so
important. I’ve suffered with my mental
health over the years and continue to have
struggles. Counselling has proved invaluable
for me and taught me how important it is to
communicate with your nearest and dearest,
to be open and honest.”
“It’s a sign of strength, not weakness!”
What’s also important is that he’s shared
this with his team, to encourage talking and
making sure that if anyone is struggling,
there is support on hand.
What’s his management style? “Full
transparency. Let people know what’s
expected of them, how they fit in to the
team and what their role is, and then let
them get on with it. Trust your people.”
“There’s a Richard Branson quote that
stuck with me, ‘always look after the people
in your teams, because they’re the ones who
are looking after your customers’. It’s so
true. I try to make the workplace fun. I know
some people think that sounds a little lax
but it’s not like that: we have a structure, but
we allow a good atmosphere to flow around
the office. There’s a good ethos.”
He’s also determined to grow the
business using young, local talent. “We
wanted to grow but couldn’t find the
employees we needed, so I thought, let’s
create our own. We’ve taken on five
apprentices – remember, the full team is
only 22-strong – and two of them now have
full-time jobs with us, while the other three
are still on the course but are really flying.
They’re a great asset, and best thing is we
are coaching them, training them in our
processes and our culture.”
It is harder to go down this path, but
worthwhile. “If you are going to develop your
own talent, you must commit to it. Before we
took on our first apprentices the directors sat
down and looked at our options. For a
business like ours it was a real commitment
to mentor new starters, especially those with
little to none work experience. You need to
be clear on how you’re going to train them.
But we committed to it and we’re seeing the
results now.”
He takes on his share of the mentoring,
mainly because he loves being in the thick
of what’s going on in the office. “When we
had to work from home I missed the office
buzz, that constant flow of information and
interaction between colleagues. It’s what I
live for.”
Post-Covid, his ongoing solution to the
WFH debate is to not be too prescriptive.
“We’ve sat down with everyone and asked
them, what works for you? How can we give
you a better work-life balance? For some it’s
important they have that face-to-face contact,
but for others, it’s working from home some of
the time, other times in the office.
“I’m in the office 2-3 days a week and I
really look forward to getting in – finding out
how everyone is, what the challenges are,
who needs a hand.
“I think I’m more productive in the office
now than before Covid.”
When it comes to leading people, this
flexibility is the key. “If there is one thing the
past six years has taught me, it’s to keep
evolving. If you are standing still, you’re
going backwards. You can’t keep doing the
same things, otherwise you’ll be left behind.”
One thing he is determined to help
‘‘ Outsiders have perceptions
about this area, but all I see
are modern, hi-tech
businesses everywhere
– our problem is we don’t
shout about them enough...‘‘
ensure is that his beloved Black Country
doesn’t get left behind.
“I love this area. I think it struggles from
outside perceptions, often outdated and
inaccurate. People think the area is
old-fashioned, industrial and run-down – but
that’s not how I see the Black Country. I see
the manufacturing heartbeat of the West
Midlands – indeed, of the UK. We’ve got
modern, hi-tech and successful businesses
everywhere, but we don’t shout about them
enough. That’s the Black Country to a tee:
friendly – friendliest place in Britain, I think
– willing to help everyone, always open to
assisting others, but also almost timid about
talking about our triumphs.
“Perhaps this reluctance to shout about
our successes has meant we haven’t
grabbed the limelight – or our share of the
investment going round. We’re seeing it
coming in now – you see pockets where the
potential of the region and its people is
being realised, and I’d love to see that
rolled out across the whole region.”
He admits that “some parts of the Black
Country need a facelift... I look at our town
centres and see how they’ve changed;
there’s an obvious reduction in retail. We
need to reshape our town centres to reflect
that. We’re experiencing empty shops and
offices and we’re short of housing; let’s get
these empty units repurposed into homes
and build new communities in our town
centres, creating lifestyle opportunities
along the way.”
Looking back at his triumph at the Black
Country Chamber awards, the judges’
citation for his Business Person of the Year
award praised his ‘enthusiasm and
positivity’. “That’s nice, and pretty accurate.
You’ve got to put a smile on your face. I
think there’s about twice in the last
20-something years that I’ve not managed
that, when I’ve spat the proverbial dummy.
But there’s no point acting like that, it
doesn’t achieve anything. Have a bit of fun,
treat people with respect and with dignity,
get them focused on the task in hand and
trust them to deliver.
“Business isn’t always simple, but your
core values can be.”
24 PROSPER WINTER 2022

BUSINESS IS DONE BETTER TOGETHER
Chamber Start Up
Business Club
names Ben as its
Dragons’ Den winner
Alison Trinder
presents
Ben with his
citation
The Black Country Chamber of Commerce
Start Up Business Club has named its
Below, the five
Dragons’ Den winner.
finalists
Five finalists battled it out at an exciting
Dragons’ Den finale which saw the winner,
Ben Slater of Rapid Pack Fulfilment Ltd, the
Oldbury-based innovative 3PL service, walk
away with prize money of a £1,000, six
months’ worth of marketing and branding
advice from a creative business mentor and
the use of the first-class facilities at the Black
Country IOT.
Runner-up was Wendy Powis of WM
Bookkeeping, who won a year’s free
membership of the Chamber and a business
mentor for six months.
The event, held at the Black Country
Marches Institute of Technology, (IOT),
business partner to the Start Up Business
Club, was organised by the Chamber’s new
business start-up expert, Alison Trinder and
saw entrepreneurs from across the region go
head-to-head in the Dragon’s Den-style
competition.
The five finalists were Chris Dowen of
Morserv Ltd, a risk, intelligence, and
investigation services; Ben Slater, Rapid Pack Fulfilment Ltd, an
innovative 3PL service that helps online stores scale easier and more
profitably; Charlotte Davies from Charlotte the Copywriter; Rebecca
Moorhouse of Saving Thyme, a virtual assistant service provider; and
Wendy Powis, WM Bookkeeping, which offers support services to
enable businesses to run effectively.
The Dragon’s Den judges were Alison Bradley, director at Central
Business Finance; Carolyn Smith, founder and managing director of
Wolverhampton-based creative agency TPSquared; Harinder Kunor, local
enterprise manager for NatWest; and Mahmudur Jaigirdar, director at
Tipton-based from Let’s Sanify.
Alison Trinder said: “Our business start-ups faced a panel of some of
the region’s leading business advisors and entrepreneurs in what was a
new style event for us. I want to thank all our Dragons for stepping
forward to judge and offer their expertise to our finalists.
“It was an excellent final and an event that we will definitely be
repeating in the future.”
Our judging panel
26 PROSPER WINTER 2022

BUSINESS IS DONE BETTER TOGETHER
Chamber
Platinum Group
welcomes two
new members
Wolverhampton-based Juniper Training
and leading Oldbury-based manufacturer,
Ramfoam have joined the growing list of
companies in the Chamber’s peer-to-peer
learning and networking group, the
Platinum Group.
The group, led by the Chamber’s head of
premium membership, Gail Arnold, now
boasts over 39 members who have enjoyed
over a decade of collaborative working
practices.
Working across the region, Juniper
Training is an innovative, flexible and
experienced training provider which has
successfully delivered its programmes to
both young people and adults for over 30
years across the Midlands, with a focus on
16-18 study programmes and traineeships.
Juniper’s managing director, Lesley
Holland said: “We are passionate about
working with local businesses to support
local skills gaps. Our training for 16–18-yearolds
gets them ready to enter the labour
market, and we run apprenticeships across
Juniper’s Lisa Jenkins and Samantha
Broomhall flank the Chamber’s Gail Arnold
multiple sectors to all ages and bespoke
training packages to business.
“We’re delighted to be working more
closely with the Chamber and its members
in order to further strengthen our links and
hear more about skills needs that we can
support with.”
Meanwhile, manufacturer to the
automotive, aerospace, retail, construction,
health care and military and defence
sectors, Ramfoam, which operates two sites
in Oldbury, has also joined the group.
Established as a privately owned SME in
1995, Ramfoam Care facility serves the UK
and Europe, and one in Dubai, UAE, which
serves the Middle East.
The Chamber’s
Gail Arnold with
Ramfoam’s
Tim Mulqueen
The Platinum Group provides an
exclusive platform for business leaders and
senior-level representatives to come
together and tackle challenges and explore
opportunities to improve the region’s
prospects.
Meeting regularly, Platinum Group
members benefit from confidential
peer-to-peer discussions and learning, the
chance to gain perspectives from other
sectors and businesses and build longlasting
relationships.
For further details on the
Platinum Group, contact
Gail Arnold at
gailarnold@black
countrychamber.co.uk or
call her on 07810 377819
The place to be when you’re making a start!
The Start-Up Business Club, supported by
Black Country & Marches Institute of
Technology (BCMIoT), is headed up by the
highly experienced business relationship
manager, Alison Trinder. Alison has more
than 30 years of experience in establishing
and maintaining strong business
relationships. She delivers a number of
events and masterclasses where
entrepreneurs and new business owners
can meet and network and hear from
experienced businesspeople.
From networking opportunities to
one-to-one business advice, marketing
support and savings on essential business
tools, the Start-Up Business Club helps
small businesses to the next level. It has
helped over 200 businesses since its
inception in 2018 and offers a one-stopshop
for business advice, personal
development training and marketing, all as
part of a vibrant networking community.
Join now
If you are not a member of the Start-Up
Business Club and would like to join,
please email AlisonTrinder@
blackcountrychamber.co.uk or call her on
07980 906921
All events are FREE to Start-Up Business
Club members; £25 +VAT for non-Start-Up
Business Club members
All events are held at Black Country &
Marches Institute of Technology, Zoological
Drive, Dudley, West Midlands DY1 4AL
• To find out more about Start-Up
Business Club, email AlisonTrinder@
blackcountrychamber.co.uk
To find out more, contact
Alison on 07980 906921
PROSPER WINTER 2022 27

BUSINESS IS DONE BETTER TOGETHER
Newcomers to boost Chamber Board
The Black Country Chamber of
Commerce has announced some exciting
new appointments to its Board of Directors
following its AGM, held at the University of
Wolverhampton Business School in
November.
The region’s longest running business
support organisation welcomed Alison
Bradley, co-founder and director of Central
Business Finance; HR lawyer Amy
Brokenshire, a partner at George Green
LLP; Brian Cape, CEO at SIPS Education
Ltd; and Johnathan Dudley, managing
partner and head of manufacturing
business at Crowe UK, to the board.
Those who stepped down from the
board this year were HR lawyer Simon
Bond; director of Autobase Citroen & MG
Ali Allibhai; and Sarah Williams, former
interim director of the Business School at
the University of Wolverhampton.
Chair of the Chamber Board, Phil Purssey
said of the new appointments: “We are
delighted to welcome four of the Black
Country’s most forward-thinking business
leaders to the Board. Their insights on the
challenges the Black Country faces, and
how the Chamber can address those
challenges on behalf of its members, will
be crucial. We look forward to their
contribution and their experience as
business leaders and long-standing
Chamber members.
“At the same time we are sorry to say
goodbye to Ali, Simon and Sarah and thank
them for their dedicated commitment to
the work of the Chamber.”
The board is made up of members of the
Chamber who help the executive team by
setting direction and ensuring that, our
members are at the heart of everything we
deliver.
Meet the new members...
Alison Bradley:
Director of Central
Business Development
Ltd t/a Central
Business Finance
An accredited business
support advisor and a
former growth coach for
Grant Thornton, Alison is co-founder of
Central Business Finance.
A native of Walsall, where her family
owned a successful manufacturing
business, Alison still lives in the area and
has Black Country businesses close to
her heart. She has supported many
businesses over the last 25 years with
funding/finance and signposting through
multiple networks.
Amy Brokenshire:
Partner at George
Green LLP
A former Wolverhampton
Girls’ High School
and University of
Oxford graduate, Amy
is a partner at George
Green LLP where she specialises in HR
and employment law. Born and raised in
Wolverhampton, Amy has always lived
and worked in the Black Country and
surrounding areas.
With a good understanding of how
business work in the region, she has over
16 years of experience working in the
legal industry, which means that she is
well placed to offer the insight and
guidance to the Chamber board and
management on legal issues.
Brian Cape – CEO of
SIPS Education and
Sandwell Ambassador
Brian grew up in the
industrial shipbuilding
and coal mining area of
Sunderland, before
relocating to Oldbury,
and has a real sense of local pride,
community, graft and entrepreneurialism
– an affinity which strongly resonates in
the Black Country. As CEO of SIPS, a
multi-disciplined £12m not-for-profit
organisation employing over 350 people,
he has a sound understanding of
corporate governance, operational
delivery, strategic planning and cultural
development.
Johnathan Dudley
- Midlands &
Southwest Managing
Partner and Head of
Manufacturing
Business at Crowe UK
Johnathan, a chartered
accountant by profession, was educated
in Walsall and at the University of
Wolverhampton. His expertise and
background allow him to identify and
empathise with issues businesses today
face and is a passionate advocate for the
Chamber.
Johnathan now leads the Crowe UK
Midlands Southwest Practice and plays a
substantial part in the firm’s client-facing
presence in Oldbury.
He is National Head of Corporate SME
Business at Crowe and has held
executive and supervisory and strategic
roles in Crowe, nationally.
28 PROSPER WINTER 2022

BUSINESS IS DONE BETTER TOGETHER
Chamber rounds off
a fabulous year of
charity fundraising
Black Country CEO Sarah Moorhouse
has handed over cheques for a total of
£5,000 to the Chamber’s two chosen
charities for 2022 – Parkinson’s UK and the
Teenage Cancer Trust.
Money was raised throughout the year,
including at the Chamber’s recent annual
awards night, as well as by a Chamber team
member, Richard Brooks, who pledged to
run 5K every day for a year in aid of the
charities.
The result was donations of £2,500 for the
two charities. Aaron Coleman, regional
fundraiser for Parkinson’s UK, popped in to
the Chamber in late November to receive
the cheque on behalf of his charity from
Sarah.
He told Prosper: “Parkinson’s UK is very
grateful to Black Country Chamber for
including us in its fundraising efforts. These
funds will enable us to continue the work
we do in not only helping people living with
the condition but also to fund vital research
into the condition which can only improve
the lives of people in the future.”
He highlighted how the funds could be
used: “All funds donated to Parkinson’s UK
is used really effectively. Just £28 pays for
a device to help track physical activity for
someone with Parkinson’s, while £45
funds a clinical researcher for three hours,
to test groundbreaking new treatments
for Parkinson’s.
“£145 pays for five helpline advisers to
provide vital support to people with
Parkinson’s, their families, friends and
carers, for an hour, while £770 funds an
MRI brain scan.”
The Teenage Cancer Trust said it too
was delighted with the cheque, which
would help young people struggling with a
cancer diagnosis.
Approximately 220 young people from
the West Midlands are newly diagnosed
with cancer each year, and eight in 10 found
the mental health impact of a diagnosis as
difficult as the physical side.
To help them get through their fight with
cancer, £20 raised pays for sufferers to
receive an hour’s mental health coaching
from the charity’s multi-disciplinary team,
while £30 pays for an hour of support from a
specialist nurse.
Chamber CEO Sarah Moorhouse with
Aaron Coleman of Parkinson’s UK
However, funds are also spent helping
the young people enjoy normal activities
that bring fun into their lives: £25 could buy
a PS4 or Xbox game for young people
being treated on the unit to encourage
them to spend time together, and £200
could pay for one of our youth support
co-ordinators to give a group of young
people a night out at the cinema or bowling
– a world away from their treatments and
hospital appointments.
CEO Sarah amplifies
members’ voice
with the media
Representing members and businesses
across the Black Country, Chamber CEO
Sarah Moorhouse joined Sally Lockwood
live on Sky News to discuss the
Chancellor’s Budget Statement in
November followed by a more local
audience when she joined Black Country
Radio host, Steve Parker, on his weekly
business show the following day.
Above left, Sarah (in red coat)
briefs Sky News from the
streets of Wolverhampton (see
screen grab left) and above,
with Black Country Radio’s
Steve Parker
PROSPER WINTER 2022 29

BUSINESS IS BETTER DONE TOGETHER
British Chambers of Commerce delivers a
business manifesto to the new Prime Minister
of the labour market.
A reform of the Shortage Occupation List
is urgently required to help businesses fill
job vacancies when they cannot recruit
locally.
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC)
sent the new Prime Minister a Business
Manifesto to help firms through the tough
months ahead and then power the UK’s
economic recovery.
Businesses are the very bedrock of the
economy but currently face a host of
challenges which threaten the survival of
many; eye-watering energy bills, labour
shortages, 40-year high inflation, and rising
interest rates. The Bank of England is now
also forecasting a two-year recession.
The BCC’s latest Quarterly Economic
Survey highlighted an alarming drop in
business confidence and conditions, with
key economic indicators falling back to
Covid-crisis levels. One-in-three firms
reported a decrease in cashflow, while 25%
had seen a decrease in domestic sales.
In the wake of the October fiscal
statement, the BCC conducted a snap poll
of almost 500 firms, to assess the extent to
which the Chancellor’s plans would impact
their investment intentions.
Overall, only 6% of businesses said they
would increase their investment, while 37%
said they would decrease it as a result of
the fiscal statement.
The BCC’s Business Manifesto sets out 17
key policies designed to tackle the
challenges facing businesses across the
economy, the labour market, international
trade and Net Zero.
Shevaun
Haviland
Chamber priorities: top of the list for
urgent action are:
Investment in infrastructure
Government must prioritise long-term
growth by financing public projects, with a
particular emphasis on green and digital
infrastructure.
As a result of the multiplier effect,
investing in public infrastructure, such as
the HS2 rail link, will have a high-value
impact on growth, stimulating local
economies and creating jobs across the UK.
Energy support for businesses
Rising energy costs is the number one
concern cited by businesses. Government
must provide certainty on how the energy
support package will work from April so
that businesses can plan for the future.
Tackling the tight labour market
There are currently 1.2 million unfilled
jobs in the UK labour market, meaning
businesses must turn new work away.
Government must promote the creation of
a skilled workforce by offering tax breaks to
businesses that invest in training and
upskilling. The UK also needs an
immigration system that caters to the needs
Promoting export-led growth
More than a quarter (28%) of SME
exporters reported decreased sales in Q3 of
this year. International trade presents
significant opportunities for UK businesses
to expand and grow.
However, barriers to trade must be
removed in order to allow firms realise their
full trading potential.
The UK Government must work with the
European Commission to reach a
negotiated solution on business compliance
burdens with the Protocol on Ireland/
Northern Ireland.
Shevaun Haviland, Director General of
the BCC, said: “Our research indicates
business confidence has plummeted to
alarmingly low levels, not seen since the
height of the pandemic. The political and
economic uncertainty over the past few
months, and the turbulent financial
conditions following the Government’s minibudget
have damaged this even further.
“We are now on borrowed time, and the
Prime Minister must step up to the plate.
Businesses can’t afford to see Government
make any knee-jerk decisions that damage
long-term growth. It must create stable
conditions for businesses to invest and
grow, otherwise we will be starting from a
very weak base to power our recovery once
global economic conditions stabilise.
“With a new Prime Minister it is time we
saw a long-term growth plan that involves
investment in people and skills; supports
businesses to adapt and thrive; and builds
good relationships with our global allies to
get British businesses selling again.
“We urge the Government to strike the
right balance for growth without
compromising our great public institutions
that so many of us rely on.
“This Business Manifesto offers solutions,
including cost-free options, to get our
economy moving in the right direction again.”
30 PROSPER WINTER 2022

ADVERTORIAL: RG WILBREY (CONSULTANTS)
RG Wilbrey is still setting health & safety
standards, as it approaches its 60th year
RG Wilbrey (Consultants) Limited has
almost 60 years’ experience providing
technical advice, training, site inspections
and accident investigation to their clients,
primarily within the construction industry,
but also further business sectors such as
logistics’, health care, warehousing and
education.
Established by Roy Wilbrey in 1964, RG
Wilbrey is one of the longest-standing
independent health and safety
consultancies in the UK. It is centrally
located, operating from Wolverhampton,
but offering nationwide coverage with
health and safety trainers and advisors
located throughout the UK.
RG Wilbrey has an in-house team of
experts on hand to provide professional
and comprehensive advice and guidance to
their clients. “Our reputation has been built
on our ability to provide sound health and
safety advice whilst adopting a commonsense
approach” said Paul Graves, director
of operations, adding, “at RG Wilbrey, our
advisors are not hazard-spotters but highly
trained and experienced health and safety
professionals, who provide effective
guidance and support to clients at all levels.”
The Training Department within RG
Wilbrey is a teaching, facilitation and
coaching provider which specialises in
health, well-being and safety. Its training
courses are accredited with a number of
industry-leading bodies, namely CITB,
IOSH, NEBOSH, MHFA England, Qualsafe,
UKATA and Highfield. The courses have
been developed to meet the challenges of
today’s various industries, and the style of
training strives to change negative
connotations.
As RG Wilbrey approaches its 59th
year of business, its chairman, Peter M
Wilbrey, will be celebrating his 40th year
with the organisation. We spoke to Peter
about his time with the organisation...
I joined R. G. Wilbrey (RGW) in January
1983, I was 24. Things were very different
back then as there were only seven of us,
just five working ‘in the field’, my mother
was company secretary, we had one
administrator and a part-time freelance
bookkeeper.
It was very different out on site as well.
We were still working to the 1961 and 1966
Construction Regulations; nobody had ever
heard of a risk assessment and hard hats
were only worn in areas of significant risk.
All site reports were hand-written, sat nav
hadn’t been invented (remember maps?)
there was no computer and we had one
pager, shared between the five of us.
Over the following years the business
grew very quickly, especially in the South,
and in 1987 I relocated to Witham in Essex
where I lived with my young family for six
years; the idea being that my father would
run the North and I would be responsible
for the South. This arrangement worked
well and in 1993 I returned to the Midlands.
I had been a member of The Institution of
Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH)
since I passed my diploma in 1985 but I
became actively involved with the institution
in the early 1990s. I was co-founder of the
IOSH Consultancy Specialist Group and
became its first chairman. I served two
Come and meet us!
• RG Wilbrey will be exhibiting at The
Health and Safety Event at
Birmingham, NEC, in April 2023. They
will be at stand 3/ K24 if you would
like to come along and meet with the
team.
terms on the Specialist Group Steering
Committee and two terms on the IOSH
Council. RGW had previously been a
member of the Independent Safety
Consultants Association and I took the
company back into it and became its policy
officer and vice-chairman.
After I returned from Essex in 1993, my
father began to ‘wind down’ and I took over
as managing director in July 2000. I am
extremely proud to be the chairman of the
oldest H&S Consultancy in the UK. Over the
last 40 years I have had the privilege of
working with some of the most competent
and professional people in Industry, but I
have also personally investigated some very
horrific accidents.
Standards in industry are much higher
now than they were when I started my
career in health and safety but there is no
room for complacency. The team at RGW is
considerably more numerous than it was in
1983 and we employ some of the most
competent and knowledgeable H&S
professionals in the country.
We will continue to provide all of our
clients with the highest standards of service
in all matters relating to the health, safety
and welfare of their employees.
If you have any queries or would like to
learn more about RG Wilbrey, contact
details can be found below
t: 01902 420920
e: info@rgwilbrey.uk.com
w: https://www.rgwilbrey.uk.com
32 PROSPER WINTER 2022

ADVERTORIAL: THURSFIELDS
Today’s financial strains can lead to extra
pressure for vulnerable people
We know that the UK is facing pressing
financial problems, and these are not
showing sign of improving anytime soon.
Sadly, it is a fact that when times are hard,
the incidence of financial abuse increases.
Victims of financial abuse can experience
money being withdrawn without their
knowledge, pressure to pass over bank
cards and sign over other assets, even
including their house to their abuser.
Dealing with this type of abuse
successfully can be a long hard process in
itself, and as with many things, being able
to prevent or mitigate the worst of it is
undoubtedly better.
Powers of attorney for your property and
financial matters are the right place to start.
They can be made by anyone over the age
of 18, so long as they can demonstrate their
understanding of the document and how it
works. Powers of attorney are powerful
documents and authority must be given to
those we trust to look after us should we
lose mental capacity or become unable to
carry out our affairs in our usual way.
In the right hands, attorneys can protect
us from rogue tradesman, nuisance calls
and aggressive selling, individuals ‘over
keen’ to help with shopping or banking, to
name but a few issues.
Every lasting power needs to go through
a registration process which is taking
several weeks; so, if you or a family member
is concerned about untoward financial
management going on, you can discuss
having a temporary general power
put in place to allow your
attorneys to take more
immediate control. As before,
you must be over 18 and
clearly understand the
document, which in
themselves, only last a year,
but this is plenty of time to
allow for the lasting power to be completed
and registered.
The takeaway message is that trusting
your attorneys is absolutely key and if you
have any worries and concerns about who
to appoint and how it all works, please
come and talk to us, it might be the best
thing you do today.
Want to know more
If you believe a close friend or family
member is vulnerable or unable to look
after their affairs, Thursfields provides a
specialist service for vulnerable
clients.
Contact Thursfields on 0345
20 73 72 8, email info@
thursfields.co.uk or visit
www.thursfields.co.uk to
learn more.
Annabel Kay, Head of
Vulnerable Client Services
Clock’s ticking as stricter energy efficiency standards loom
The countdown to the next set of changes
to the Minimum Energy Efficient Standards
(MEES) for commercial property is now less
than six months away – and the changes are
significant.
From 1 April 2023, any letting of a
commercial property, whether a new lease
or an existing one, will require a minimum
energy performance certificate (EPC) rating
of E, subject only to a few exemptions.
Coupled with this, the penalties for
non-compliance, which will fall on
Landlords, are also toughening and can be
up to £150,000.
To avoid a MEES breach landlords need
to consider now what steps they can take to
ensure their commercial properties are
compliant. The starting point is to review
the existing EPC and its accompanying
Recommendation Report which may point
out a few easy and straightforward wins that
may turn an F Rating to an E.
This could include changes to lighting
and draught proofing which, coupled with
increased energy costs should prove a win
win for both Landlords and Tenants who will
be under pressure to pay rents.
In addition to checking an existing EPC
Recommendation Report, landlords should
also check their leases to ensure it provides
them with the required rights to carry out
upgrading works. Importantly the lease
should also confirm who will foot the bill for
these works, from a landlord’s perspective it
should be hoped that some, if not all, of the
cost can be passed on to the tenant, with
the tenant, as noted above, benefiting from
a more energy-efficient premises.
Time is now critical on this and landlords
need to be aware that the direction of travel
is towards increased energy efficiency
requirements as the MEES tighten further,
with a minimum of a D Rating required by
‘‘
The starting point is to review
the existing EPC which may
point out a few easy and
straightforward wins that may
turn an F Rating to an E.”
April 2025.
Whilst in the short term the cost
implications for any required improvements
will not be welcome, increasing energy
efficiency will in the longer term add value
to property and protect a landlord’s interest.
A property which is easier to heat will result
in reduced energy bills, aid marketability
and be a plus-point for tenants.
Thursfields’ team of commercial real
estate solicitors will ensure you achieve your
desired outcome. Delivering commercially
focused, proactive advice to ensure your
investment is protected.
Contact Thursfields Commercial Real
Estate team on 0345 20 73 72 8 or
info@thursfields.co.uk
‘‘
PROSPER WINTER 2022 33

BUSINESS VOICE: CROWE
Let’s be part of the solution, not the problem
Johnathan Dudley, Midlands & Southwest Managing Partner and Head of Manufacturing
Business at national audit, tax, advisory and risk firm Crowe, tells Prosper that the
Government must ‘shoot for the moon’ with a new industrial strategy
Much has been said about the
Chancellor’s Autumn Statement failing to
stimulate economic growth. Indeed, the
moribund tone it set may well contribute to
individuals and businesses ‘hunkering
down’ and amplifying the effects of
recession.
However, there is cause for positivity and
those that seize the opportunities will likely
harvest rich rewards.
Firstly, the government has re-embraced
the need for an industrial strategy for the
UK. Central to this strategy has to be how
we light, power and move about in the next
one hundred years or so.
The world really hasn’t found the way to
do this yet, efficiently or effectively. COP27
ended with the so-called developed ‘rich
nations’ agreeing to ‘compensate’ the
poorer, developing nations.
These nations suffer from the same
practicalities as the developed nations.
Even smaller island nations still get
electricity from diesel generators and
power their boats and seaplanes using
petrochemicals.
UK businesses have the opportunity to
tap into R&D tax benefits, 100% capital
allowances on capital spend and access to
university collaboration, via the Knowledge
Transfer Programme (KTP). Support is
available to these businesses and their
innovators, to find, develop and
commercialise the next generation power
solutions that will be bought around the
world.
Adversity has so often been the crucible
for innovation throughout history. It was the
need to develop steam pumping engines
to drain mines for coal, tin and copper that
spawned a global UK mining expertise that
exists to this day.
The development of the world’s most
effective single wing fighter planes inspired
and drove so many businesses in the
aerospace industry. Indeed, Rolls Royce can
trace its world-beating Trent engines today
back to that initial technology driven out of
a desire for speed and to win the Schneider
Trophy.
Some of the long-term solutions already
exist: nuclear, solar, hydrogen and wind
carry some of the answers, at least.
But battery technology is still in its
relative infancy, solar panels are expensive
and heavy, and too many of the
components have to be imported, which is
not good for the planet either. There
continues to be benefit in the lightening of
components and products, so that less
power is needed to drive or move them.
However, a positive attitude towards
being part of the solution, rather than the
problem, will serve politicians of all
persuasions and businesses far better than
talk of doom and gloom.
So, it is time to collaborate with
like-minded innovators, use professional
bodies and the likes of Chambers of
Commerce to lobby government, to get
behind and provide further support to this
innovation as part of their new industrial
strategy.
We need to encourage the government
to engage with real business, not just
academics, to help the country and its
innovators to provide real sustainable
answers to the world’s problems, to
generate the long-term economic
prosperity that will follow for generations to
come.
And above all, we all need to get
involved. We would like to hear your views,
so I would encourage manufacturers to
take part in the first of Crowe’s two surveys
to establish the true health of UK
manufacturing.
It is becoming increasingly clear that
manufacturing faces a perfect storm of
issues in the coming 12 months. While
some will be in survival mode, others are
still seeking to grow, and we want to know
what is proving their main barrier to growth
in the next 12 months.
Global and economic conditions are
likely to be exacerbated by pressures on
working capital and generating cash, and
access to finance, plus issues such as Brexit
and trading tariffs, difficulties in recruiting,
upskilling and retaining staff, and a
nationwide shortage of industrial space.
Crowe has teamed up with the
Confederation of British Metalforming to
gauge the opinions of those who work in
the industry on key issues such as funding,
growth, technology and which business
relationships they value.
It asks business-critical questions on how
and where manufacturers are sourcing
funding.
The survey also seeks to establish the
level of awareness of the existing Research
& Development tax reliefs and whether
businesses have made a claim in the
preceding 12 months. A second survey in
early 2023 will address barriers and the
future of the sector.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION...
please call 0121 543 1900 or email
e: nathan.sanghera@crowe.co.uk
34 PROSPER WINTER 2022

MEMBERS’ MARKING MILESTONES
A&M EDM loves brass wire
– to the Moon and back!
A&M EDM, precision engineers in
Smethwick, celebrated 20 years in business
this autumn with an anniversary event for
customers and business partners and a
report on the company’s economic impact.
The award-winning business now owns
two factories close to each other, with 76
employees and record sales of £7 million in
the year to September 2022.
The Black Country Economic Intelligence
Unit has produced an independent report
on A&M’s economic impact over 20 years,
hailing the company as a local ‘anchor
organisation’, creating long-term jobs and
relationships with customers and suppliers.
The report highlights A&M’s growth:
• £5 million Gross Value Added (GVA) in
latest year and up to £50 million over 20
years
• Employing 176 people over 20 years –
including 76 currently and developing many
into skilled engineers
• Developing the potential of young local
people through a dedicated apprenticeship
programme – 13 in total and four current
apprenticeships with Dudley College
• Supporting the local supply chain by
selling products to almost 400 West
Midlands customers and spending £5.4 m
with regional suppliers since 2011
• Achieving 8% annual average growth rate
in jobs over the last 10 years, a positive
contrast to manufacturing’s national trajectory
• Current year sales of £7 million, a
growth of 1300% in two decades
• Expanding to drive growth, in particular
purchasing and equipping a second factory
in 2014-15, using public grant support
• Continually investing in innovation and
R&D, including £10 m spent on capital
expenditure and £4 m via R&D tax credits
since 2010
• In 20 years of business, A&M has used
750,000 miles of electrical discharge
machining (EDM) brass wire: that’s
equivalent to three journeys to the Moon!
An A&M EDM
apprentice
50 years of Chamber
membership
A leading regional firm of chartered
surveyors has reached the milestone
of 50 consecutive years as a member
of the Black Country Chamber.
Towler Shaw Roberts (TSR) was
established in 1991, but the firm’s
Chamber membership traces back
through its predecessor companies to
provide a continuous relationship
since 1972.
It started with membership of the
Wolverhampton Chamber of
Commerce, which then became part
of the current Black Country Chamber
of Commerce.
Ian Roberts, a partner at TSR,
appreciates the vital role played by
the Chamber in representing the
interests of local businesses. ‘’I am so
proud of the longevity of our
relationship with the Chamber.’’
Ian has played a lengthy and active
personal role with the Chamber,
having been an elected member of
Wolverhampton Chamber of
Commerce Council, and also
representing the Chamber on its
consultation panel with the Bank of
England.
A decade of improving Sandwell’s education
Sandwell-based SIPS Education will
celebrate its 10th birthday in January 2023
– a remarkable landmark for the not-forprofit
organisation education service
provider, which is committed to enriching
children and young people’s learning and
well-being through excellent partnerships.
Founded in 2013, SIPS had previously
been an assortment of schools’ services
delivered by Sandwell Borough Council,
which were ‘spun-out’ to become a
separate, collective, and independent entity,
with a co-operative ethos of localism. It was
originally constituted under the Industrial &
Provident Society Act, which later became
the Co-operative & Community Society Act.
SIPS – it stands for Sandwell Inspired
Partnership Services – was one of the first of
its kind in the country: majority owned by its
schools, providing high-quality support and
improvement services to schools and
learning centres. Sectors covered include
catering, IT, finance and HR and
Brian
Cape
governance, as well as more specialised
subject sectors including music and arts.
In January 2020, Brian Cape was
appointed as Chief Executive, and in 2021,
SIPS announced former Sandwell Director of
Education Chris Ward as its new chair.
As well as being Sandwell-based, SIPS
aims to recruit locally and buy local as much
as possible; around 80% of its 368
colleagues live within five miles of the head
office, while 43% of spend is in Sandwell and
65% in the West Midlands.
Other key SIPS statistics include:
• In the last 10 years, SIPS has seen an
increase of 62% to 374 members
• SIPS has 433 customers with 982
separate contracts
• Its catering team serves 2.2 million
healthy meals every year
• Through SIPS Music & Arts, 6,480
children have an instrumental or vocal
lesson each week and 3,616 children have a
whole class instrument/vocal lesson each
week
• Over 6,000 pupils supported each year
through careers support in schools
• SIPS’ School Governance Services team
oversees 270 boards covering ten local
authority areas
• 2,800 governors are supported every
year
• SIPS has supported more than 130
schools with 2,000 induction programmes.
PROSPER WINTER 2022 35

WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP
Black Country Women in
Leadership names quartet
of new business partners
Black Country Women in Leadership,
an initiative launched by the Black Country
Chamber of Commerce in 2019, has
announced it is to partner with banking giant
HSBC UK, leading international infrastructure
group Balfour Beatty, Midlands Engine
Investment Fund (MEIF) and international
leading patent and trademark attorneys
Forresters, to profile the region’s
businesswomen and help inspire the next
generation of female leaders.
The Women in Leadership network,
launched to support and celebrate women
in senior roles, provides peer-to-peer
networking, information sharing and offers
inspiring events to help strengthen women’s
voices, whilst encouraging and inspiring
successful women.
Sarah Moorhouse, the Black Country
Chamber’s new CEO, and former chair of
the Women in Leadership initiative said:
“We are really excited to be partnering with
these well-known and high-profile
businesses. There is a great deal of
alignment in our missions – fostering
entrepreneurialism among women and
encouraging innovation that benefits
society, because we know when we create
opportunities for women, we see the ripple
effect benefit her family and her community.
“Visible role models are essential. Female
entrepreneurs and women climbing the
career ladder are
more likely to be inspired by
seeing other women
succeed. This means it is
important to give
platforms to female
founders and women
leaders and celebrate their
achievements.”
Leanne Hailstone, Local
Director from HSBC UK said,
“This is a great opportunity to
support, educate and elevate women
in the local community. We really need to
give women the platform they need to step
into opportunities at a senior leader level
and take away the barriers that have
historically got in the way. Working on this
initiative, with the Chamber is a great step
towards achieving this in the Black Country.”
Ginny Leonard, Work Winning Director
for Balfour Beatty said: “Balfour Beatty has
made strides over the years in becoming a
truly diverse and inclusive business and as
we enter a golden age of infrastructure –
with projects such as HS2 and Hinkley Point
C underway – there has never been a better
time to join us.
“That is why we are delighted to support
the Women in Leadership panel, to
highlight the exciting and fulfilling career
opportunities available for women across
Hawthorns to host first WIL event of 2023
The first Women in Leadership event of 2023 kicks off at midday on
Friday, January 20 at the West Bromwich Albion Football Ground.
The Chamber is inviting everyone to come along and meet their new
CEO, Sarah Moorhouse, and hear from each of the business partners about how
effective their business sector is in striving to support, educate, and elevate
women in the business community and give them the platform to step into
business opportunities and leadership roles.
The event, including a two-course lunch with tea or coffee, is £20 for Chamber
members and £25 for non-members. Booking is essential.
See the Chamber events page for further information and to book your place:
www.blackcountrychamber.co.uk
Join
Black Country
Women in Leadership
on International Women’s
Day, Wednesday 8th March at
an event to mark this annual
celebration. Sign up at
https://www.blackcountry
chamber.co.uk now
for more information
Balfour Beatty and to showcase
our fantastic industry as a
whole.”
Lauren Tunnicliffe,
Senior Manager, Marketing
and Communications at the
British Business Bank said,
“Highlighting female
entrepreneurs and supporting
diversity and inclusion is a key
objective of the Midlands Engine
Investment Fund (MEIF).
“Alongside the British Business Bank, our
fund managers are also signatories to the
Investing in Women Code, so we’re
delighted to support the Black Country
Women in Leadership campaign. In
supporting, we hope we are able to highlight
some of the funding options available to
women in business in the region.
“MEIF has made significant investments
into female-led businesses across the
Midlands and will continue to do so.”
Emma Johnson, Partner at Birminghambased
Forresters said, “We were delighted
to be asked to partner with the Women in
Leadership campaign. Women remain
under-represented in leadership roles within
the legal profession but at Forresters we are
working hard to change that.
“I’ll be using this platform to encourage
and inspire other women in business and to
show them that there is a path to senior
positions in their chosen careers.”
In becoming a women in leadership
partner, the Chamber’s collaboration with
HSBC UK, Balfour Beatty, Midlands Engine
Investment Fund and Forresters will help
women working in the region with quarterly
networking events and webinars dedicated
to supporting to women in business.
The Chamber’s Women in Leadership network
is open to all and is currently free to join. For
details, event information and to register for
updates and newsletters please visit the
campaigns section of the Chamber website.
36 PROSPER WINTER 2022

BLACK COUNTRY ECONOMIC BUSINESS CONFERENCE
Major conference
explores key
business themes
In November the Chamber held its second Black Country Economic Business Conference, the flagship event of its
This is the Black Country Campaign. With contributions from 25 speakers, the Chamber and campaign business partners
Crowe, EBC Group, Higgs LLP, Pertemps and the University of Wolverhampton welcomed delegates from leading
businesses to the Business School for a day of insightful analysis on the current state of the Black Country economy.
Opening thoughts... championing the region and its prospects
Opening the conference, Chamber CEO
Sarah Moorhouse said the goal was “to give
delegates insights and perspectives on
topics which matter to them – at a time when
doing business has become increasingly
more complicated due to the economic
climate.”
She praised the support of the Chamber’s
This is the Black Country business partners
who had helped elevate the conference “into
a major fixture in the diaries for those doing
business in the region.”
Mayor Andy Street
The morning began with West Midland
Mayor Andy Street outlining a plan for
growth that would allow Black Country firms
to ‘bounce back’ following a turbulent half
decade. The plan covered jobs, housing and
skills, before stressing the importance of the
region being significant beneficiary of the
Levelling-Up agenda.
For decades, poor transport and
connectivity had held the Black Country
back, but he cited a seven-fold drive to
improve infrastructure since 2017 including
tram extensions for Wednesbury and Brierley
Hill, a new railway station for Aldridge and
plans for a faster service between Walsall and
Wolverhampton.
Turning to future, the mayor shared details
of the potential investment zones which were
being pitched to government and would
create areas where businesses would gain
significant advantages from lower taxes and
improved development opportunities.
Nick Barton,
Birmingham Airport
As boss of the region’s airport, Nick Barton
shared his experiences of leading the airport
through the pandemic and how his work
with the Chamber helped to ensure that
business travellers could resume their focus
on managing clients, contracts and reaching
new markets.
All three issues had remained high on the
government’s agenda when taking decisions
on easing lockdown restrictions, he stressed.
Although the airport did not lose any of
its 25 airlines throughout COVID, Nick said
there was an urgency needed in policy
making to ensure we could regain
momentum following two years of missed
growth and investment.
He unveiled ambitious plans for
improvements across airport operations,
including a goal of taking it to Net Zero over
the next decade and maximising on its
Nick Barton with
Chamber CEO
Sarah Moorhouse
potential as a hub through the upcoming
HS2 terminal link, which will mean that
journey times to and from the capital will be
just 37 minutes.
38 PROSPER WINTER 2022

Pat McFadden MP addresses
conference via video link
BLACK COUNTRY ECONOMIC BUSINESS CONFERENCE
Focusing on the key elements at the heart of the This is the Black
Country campaign, the conference featured four panel sessions to
debate how we could improve the economic prospects for the region
and help businesses return to growth and prosperity.
PEOPLE
Rt Hon Pat McFadden MP
Wolverhampton Southeast MP and Shadow
Chief Secretary of the Treasury Rt Hon Pat
McFadden set out his vision for the Black
Country. After PM Liz Truss’s mini budget
had created a significant amount of
economic uncertainty, a new start is now
needed to focus on skills and improve
apprenticeships whilst ensuring businesses
have access to the talent they need.
Putting the UK at the forefront of the
green transition would mean that businesses
could become pioneers and that the region
must be supported so it could lead the next
electric revolution.
As part of the vision, Brexit would not be
revisited under a Labour Government, but it
was key we regain our trading position
within the world and, as a region of makers,
the Black Country must be an important part
of this.
Maxine Laceby, Entrepreneur
The final keynote address to conference was
delivered by Maxine Laceby, founder & MD
of Absolute Collagen, whose entrepreneurial
journey began later in life and now sees her
running business with a £10m turnover.
Advising those embarking on their own
venture, Maxine cited self-belief, building on
your passions, and awareness of personal
developments as recipes for success.
Upskilling, reskilling, attracting and
retaining talent are at the heart of the
This is the Black Country campaign.
Leading the panel was Dr Julie
Nugent, the WMCA’s Executive Director
of Delivery, Skills and Communities, our
panel of experts including Prof. Clare
Schofield from the University of
Wolverhampton, Pertemps’ Carmen
Watson, Higgs LLP’s Sophie Wardell and
Amethyst Academy Trust’s Austine Gavin
explored the skills pipeline and the needs
of business.
For Carmen Watson, no sector is
untouched by the skills shortage,
especially as millions of people are
changing careers or becoming inactive
through retirement. Although there are
high levels of vacancies, “we need a clear
workforce plan in place and investment in
core skills such as IT to ensure people are
enabled to deliver for their business.”
Employers need to be as flexible as
possible when designing jobs to gain
access to the widest pool of talent.
Sophie Wardell stressed the challenge
of creating that future talent. Schools’
curricula must be adapted to ensure it fits
with business needs where soft skills such
as communication and dealing with other
people are increasingly as important as
technical or professional skills.”
Training managers must also be a
focus: those leading people need to
know how to challenge their own thinking
and assumptions while motivating and
enthusing those around them in an
ever-evolving landscape.
Prof. Clare Schofield explained how
universities are now split 50:50 between
young and mature students. “Relevance
and pace are at the forefront of course
programmes, with the need for
investment to be aligned to the needs of
our stakeholders and the community and
businesses we serve. Horizon scanning is
a key component of our people strategy
for growth and must be aligned to the
needs of business.”
Austine Gavin said that partnership
building was vital. Young people and
those joining the workforce for the first
time are ambitious, driven and want to
succeed, she said, and there is no ceiling
to what they can achieve, but employers
must create awareness of the
opportunities available to attract those
most likely to have the greatest impact.
Businesses shouldn’t be afraid of
engaging with young people from an
early age, introducing the concept of the
world of work as soon as possible so
young people can focus on the skills they
need to pursue the roles which are right
for them and a future employer.
PROSPER WINTER 2022 39

BLACK COUNTRY ECONOMIC BUSINESS CONFERENCE
PLACE
For businesses, local government
has a key role to play in improving
the prospects for the region by
enhancing services, infrastructure
and setting the tone which attracts
investment and opportunities.
Leading the panel was Principal and CEO of
Walsall College, Jatinder Sharma who was
joined by those in charge of economic
growth and regeneration at the region’s
four local authorities Helen Martin (Dudley
MBC), Tammy Stokes (Sandwell MBC),
Philippa Venables (Walsall Council) and
Richard Lawrence (City of Wolverhampton
Council).
Helen Martin believed it was vital that
the region “can compete with other areas
of the country and, as local authorities,
enable the opportunities which improve
how people can engage their place.
“Working together with businesses
ensures we can focus on the important
things and the business voice is an
important component of helping us to plan
and prioritise.”
Tammy Stokes said there are areas of the
Black Country “with some of the highest
POWER
deprivation levels in the UK. Whether it’s
securing jobs, houses and better
infrastructure, everything we do has to be
to raise the prospects of our citizens.
“Being close to a major economic centre
like Birmingham is an advantage we need
to make more of and, when opportunities
arise, we need to make sure that the land is
ready by bringing brownfield sites back into
use.”
Philippa Venables said it wasn’t just
about “making nice places.” “We align
planning with the resolution to give people
access to the utilities, connectivity, digital
and other infrastructure which grows the
economy for all its people and businesses.
“Civic pride must be instilled through a
sense of ownership and commitment and
that investments made continue to return
for decades and communities to come.
Richard Lawrence remarked that being
creative on how we use land is a key aspect
of what we do.
“Bringing to life underutilised areas mean
that we should be bold in how that land is
used.
“Linking to our neighbours is important
but so too is making more of the things we
do well and maximising these further.
“Wolverhampton has some of the highest
rates for business births and start-ups.
Encouraging this means that the public
sector can unlock private sector investment
and establish multi-use, vibrant spaces.”
For the Black Country, an area still
dominated by intensive users of energy
during a period of escalating costs, how
energy is used, clean growth and the move
towards Net Zero are important factors.
Westley Group’s Chair Tom Westley led
a panel discussion on power and was joined
by Hydrogen Champion Dr Michaela
Kendall, Matthew Rhodes from Repowering
the Black Country, Control Energy Costs
Liam Conway and Richard Lane from EBC
Group.
Matthew Rhodes highlighted how key
investments are being given to certain parts
of the UK but there is a limited nationwide
approach. Net Zero looks very different
from business to business. Small scale and
40 PROSPER WINTER 2022

BLACK COUNTRY ECONOMIC BUSINESS CONFERENCE
TRADE
Our international trade panel highlighted
the region’s as ‘makers’ – businesses who
form part of complicated global supply
chains across the world.
Leading the panel was David Hooper
from Hooper & Co. International Trade
Consultancy, and he was joined by Crowe’s
Johnathan Dudley, Dr Mick Carling from the
Department of International Trade, Halo
Finance’s Andy Medler and British
Chambers’ Head of Trade Policy William
Bain to explore international trade.
Johnathan Dudley suggested that the
Black Country might want to consider its
part as an active player in a wider regional
brand.
The success of the Birmingham
Commonwealth Games means that people
can now find us on a map and, 20 years
ago, a similar event helped unify Greater
Manchester and create an identify that
brought big benefits for its region.
Black Country firms should now capitalise
on being part of a confident West Midlands;
“we shouldn’t be parochial but focus on
how we can influence change, policy and
visibility.”
Despite some people seeing the UK as a
service economy, Dr Mick Carling pointed
out that 17% of the national GDP still comes
from manufacturing and a significant
proportion of that is involved in exporting.
‘Made in Britain’ remains a respected label
known around the world, and we should be
optimistic that there is still a big world out
there to do business with. There is much
more Black Country firms can offer it and
the untapped markets.
Andy Medler accepted that there was no
doubt we have all had a torrid time recently
and currency fluctuations have only added
to this because many running businesses
today still view foreign currency exchange
as part of their profit-generating strategy,
rather than a key tool to reduce costs and
ensure competitiveness. Weak sterling is
not good for exporters, but business can
manage its worse variations by staying
focused and ensuring they can protect their
exposure through foreign exchange
solutions.
The BCC’s William Bain said there is a
view that the costs we saw in the immediate
period following the UK’s departure from
the EU, have peaked and are beginning to
decrease.
“Nationally, we may think we are still at a
reflection point, but doors are beginning to
unlock, and businesses must ensure they
are getting the most of trade agreements.
This will only get better as more trade deals
arise.”
He added: “While more needs to be
done to ensure trading friction is minimised
with the EU, businesses much be prepared
to go digital and think Asia Pacific for
growth opportunities.
poorly targeted support is compounding
the issue for many and there needs to be a
focused approach looking in detail at
industrial demographics, with a tailored
approach for manufactures which allows
them to access funding and encourage
them to be part of the solution regarding
their future energy needs.
Richard Lane said that right now,
businesses are seeing between a 300% to
400% rise in their energy costs. For many
this it will not be sustainable, while others
are developing strategies and plans in
response. Businesses see the move to the
cloud as having the double benefit of
improving their green credentials and
reducing costs to power their own servers.
For those of us in the IT sector, we want
to actively support our customers to
achieve this while recognising that we
need the cost effective and
environmentally sound solutions in place to
facilitate moves such as these.
Michaela Kendall thought it was vital
“that government policy, targets and the
needs of businesses and individuals join up
to deliver clean growth. A focus on
alternative fuel must be a part of this.”
Funding is needed to develop hydrogen
fuel cell technology which would be
beneficial to manufacturers as part of a
plan to replace fossil fuel usage. “We
shouldn’t just rely on other countries
leading the way. Disrupters will come along
with big businesses and government
hopefully investing to support new
interventions and technologies.”
Liam Conway said that 90% of what his
firm does helps businesses save on energy
procurement. “Until energy bills began to
escalate, many people did not see this as a
priority. Now it consumes the agenda and
is a daily focus.”
Larger businesses and manufacturers
must be strategic about where they get
their energy from, the types of energy they
use and where savings can be made and
that must be a focus for those leading
organisations – “not a delegated task, as it
was often in the past.”
PROSPER WINTER 2022 41

ENERGY SPOTLIGHT
Keeping the wheels
turning
With soaring energy prices pushing many business close
to collapse, Prosper looks at the state of crisis and asks
experts from within its membership for their advice on
how businesses can take the heat out of their power bills
With many SMEs still recovering from
the pandemic, the last thing they needed
was another crisis coming along. But that’s
exactly what has happened as Russia’s
invasion of Ukraine has shattered the global
energy market and led to soaring prices.
Indeed, a new report has said rising fuel
and energy costs are one of the biggest
threats SMEs’ survival. Some are seeing
their bills rocket by over 1,000 per
cent, after fixed contracts end, essentially
making their businesses unable to make a
profit – or collapsing altogether.
With no price cap on costs as domestic
consumers have, what are businesses’
options.
A new British Chambers of Commerce
(BCC) survey has found almost half of SMEs
say they will find it difficult to pay their
energy bills once the Government’s Energy
Bill Relief Scheme ends on 31st March 2023.
A further 4% say they will not be able to
pay their energy bills at all, while 37%
predict they will find it difficult to pay even
when they are in receipt of Government
support.
Over four in ten (41%) SMEs disagreed
that tariffs available the last time they
renewed their contract were affordable.
A further 29% said a range of tariff
options was not available, while almost a
quarter (24%) did not feel it was easy to
change providers. A quarter of SMEs
surveyed had renewed their electricity tariff
since April 2022, while 22% had renewed
their gas. SMEs that renewed their energy
tariffs after April 2022 report more
difficulties
These firms were more likely to struggle
to pay their energy bills going forward with
60% saying they will face difficulties paying
after March 2023, and 7% saying they won’t
be able to pay at all.
Over half (51%) will find it difficult to pay
their bills between now and the end of
March, during the period of the
Government’s Energy Bill Relief Scheme.
SMEs who had renewed their tariffs since
April 2022 also faced greater difficulties
during the renewal process; 69% disagreed
that the tariffs available to them were
affordable, while almost half (47%)
disagreed that there was a range of tariff
options available.
Shevaun Haviland, Director General of
the BCC, said: “Energy costs are the
number one business concern, with 55% of
firms saying it should be a top priority for
the new Prime Minister.
“It’s clearly worrying that almost half of
SMEs say they will face difficulties paying
their energy bills once the Government
support runs out. But what is even more
concerning is that 4% said that they will not
be able to pay their bills at all after March
31st.
“With over 5.5 million SMEs across the
UK, if this were replicated on a national
level, over 220,000 small and medium-sized
businesses would be in danger.
“While current Government support is
welcome, there is a cliff-edge looming, and
firms will struggle to see beyond it. They
need certainty on what will happen in April
so they can plan with increased confidence.
“Government should not forget those
businesses that will not benefit from a new
energy package but will continue to require
42 PROSPER WINTER 2022

ENERGY SPOTLIGHT
‘‘
From steelmakers and
chemical firms to glass and
ceramics manufacturers, the
biggest players in this
group expect to use huge
amounts of energy....
‘‘
support once the current scheme ends.
There are other levers that Government can
pull to relieve cost pressures, such as a
reform of Business Rates to compensate
firms that see energy support reduced or
phased out.
“There is also a lack of competitiveness
in the business energy market. Firms are
struggling to get quotes from different
providers, and they are not guaranteed
access to fixed-rate contracts.
“Ofgem should be given more power to
strengthen regulation of the energy market
for businesses, ensuring suppliers offer
fixed-rate contracts to business customers,
and that competitiveness is increased.”
Meanwhile, the UK industry’s heavy
energy users fear enforced winter
shutdowns, with their bills already soaring,
fuel-intensive firms are now on notice that
they may have to cease operations.
At factories and offices across the region
staff constantly monitor usage 24 hours a
day.
From steelmakers and chemical firms to
glass and ceramics manufacturers, the
biggest players in this group suck up huge
amounts of energy.
The sector accounts for about 16% of
Britain’s energy usage, behind transport
and domestic use. The energy crisis has
brought two black clouds on to the horizon
for these companies – further rises in
sky-high bills, and then the prospect of
government-enforced shutdowns as energy
supply is threatened.
In officials’ worst case scenario winter
projections, energy-intensive businesses
would be asked to close to preserve power
for hospitals, emergency services and
households if a cold snap in the weather
combines with gas shortages to trigger
blackouts.
In August, the government announced
that it would consider increasing subsidies
for some of the biggest energy users.
It already offers discounts on renewable
energy levies to big energy users in the
steel, paper, glass, ceramics, and cement
industries. Under the consultation, that
discount could rise from 85% to 100%.
However, only about 300 businesses,
typically the largest users, will benefit.
Many smaller manufacturers face an
imminent reckoning when long-term
hedging contracts, signed before the
current energy prices were even
imaginable, expire this autumn. With
companies unlikely to want to fix at current
high prices, they will be become exposed
to the unpredictability of volatile markets.
John Stokes Chrome, a company
based in Tipton, needs large amounts of
energy to run electric current through metal
components in an acid bath to deposit a
thin layer of shiny and hard-wearing
chromium on the surface. Spiralling energy
prices mean the firm may have to soon limit
operations only to higher-margin bespoke
work, to avoid making losses on every job.
Tom Stokes, who manages the family firm
expects to pay over double the amount he
has previously paid – usually between
£18,000 and £23,000 – under a fixed-rate
contract that ended in June.
Now his company, which turns over
about £2.5m a year, will have to find an
extra £300,000 at current rates – if prices do
not rise even further.
He has already had to raise prices by 19%
to electroplate components eventually
used in cars, planes, hydraulics, and the
defence industry and is looking at ways to
reduce his energy use by investing in new
machines.
Adrian Hanrahan, managing director
of West Bromwich-based Robinson
Brothers said his company’s annual energy
costs could jump from £1.8m to £4.2m.
Recently, Midlands-based Subcon Laser
Cutting came off a fixed energy contract
that has been in place for five years, moving
to a flexible deal that will see bills increase
by up to five times. Its lasers cut items
ranging from car parts to bespoke clock
faces.
Matt Brown, who runs the family
business with his parents, has joined a
group of smaller companies which have
banded together to buy energy at points in
the day when it is cheaper – an option
usually only available to larger firms.
The group’s buying is managed by a
consultancy and Black Country Chamber
member, Control Energy Costs.
How can you reduce your
energy bills? See overleaf for
advice from our experts’ advice
PROSPER WINTER 2022 43

ENERGY SPOTLIGHT
Flexible contracts give businesses a
fighting chance of surviving the winter
Liam Conway (right) from Control Energy Costs gives Prosper advice on the best
way for businesses to protect themselves from soaring energy prices
The Energy Bill Relief scheme has been in
effect since October 2022, offering a shield
against the expected rise in energy bills
over the next six months.
The good news is that the unseasonably
warm October weather and the European
storage of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) at
nearly 95% capacity, has reduced demand
for gas and prices have fallen accordingly.
Nonetheless, the energy crisis is not over
yet, and gas prices are still twice as high as
they were this time last year. As we head
into colder months, Asian demand for gas
and Russian restrictions on supply could
drive energy prices up again, increasing the
possibility of shortages and blackouts.
The Energy Bill Relief Scheme
The Government support initiatives are
only a short-term solution to a long-term
problem and many businesses have been
left confused about how the Energy Bill
Relief Scheme will impact their energy costs
and the level of support they will get.
The level of discount applied only affects
the energy element – also known as the
commodity element – of your bill and will
depend on the market position at the time
you signed your supply contract.
A table has been published on the Gov.
uk website with daily discount rates. If you
need help, contact us.
How to mitigate the impact
on your business
Ensuring that you are being billed
correctly is one way to help mitigate costs.
This is particularly important if your supplier
is only estimating your usage. Sadly, there
are energy brokers out there who
intentionally omit components within their
evaluation to make their proposal more
appealing. If an offer sounds too good to
be true, it usually is.
While restrictions on supply and weather
are factors that cannot be controlled,
demand is one factor that can. Switching to
more energy-efficient measures such as
solar panels, heat pumps and wind
generators, will reduce demand.
Renewables will also offer protection
from future economic uncertainty and
prepare businesses for the impending
challenge of achieving net zero by 2050.
According to NatWest, seven per cent of
SMEs have already started to invest in
onsite green energy generation.
Reducing your consumption during peak
hours is another way to help mitigate
energy costs. You can visit the Green Hub
on our website for further information about
green energy and net zero for businesses.
Don’t wait to renew
It is best not to wait when it comes to
renewing your contract. Delaying and
waiting for the storm to pass carries
significant risk, as there is a far greater
chance we will see further increases as we
continue to move through an ongoing
period of uncertainty in the energy sector.
A flexible approach to the energy crisis
Having a strategic long-term energy
procurement plan in place can help you
manage your energy requirements in a
more cost-effective manner. Flexible energy
contracts are a great way to navigate the
wholesale market as you won’t be required
to make a decision based on the market
position on one day, helping to mitigate
some of the risk to your business.
Enabling you to purchase energy for up
to four years in advance and build a price
made up of multiple purchasing decisions,
flexible purchasing allows you to take
advantage of wholesale market fluctuations
and move quickly when the market is
favourable.
Renewables offer some protection from
future economic uncertainty ... seven per
cent of SMEs have already started to invest
in onsite green energy generation, such as
solar panels.
Unlike fixed purchasing, it enables you to
spread risk when the markets are high.
The good news is that smaller businesses
can benefit from a flexible contract as well
as large corporates.
How do flexible contracts work?
Using historical consumption data, we will
work with your energy supplier to agree
your unique energy shape and tradeable
blocks of energy that we can purchase over
time. Our team of experienced market
analysts will help you build an effective
energy purchasing strategy that addresses
your business needs and helps you
capitalise on market volatility.
Flexible energy eBook
To help you explore flexible purchasing
as an option for your business, we have
created an eBook as a straightforward
guide to understanding how flexible energy
contracts work and the benefits they can
provide. It is free to download at
cec.uk.com/flex.
If you need help or just an opinion, feel
free to get in touch.
Liam Conway, Sales Director at Control
Energy Costs, can be reached on 07501
221728, or see cec.uk.com
44 PROSPER WINTER 2022

ENERGY SPOTLIGHT
Rising costs and threat of blackouts
should focus businesses on
making long-term improvements
With businesses facing tough
decisions on energy usage amid
the threat of blackouts, Stuart
Smith, managing director of
award-winning commercial heating
and ventilation specialists Lord
Combustion Services, advises
leaders on practical steps to
consider during the current crisis.
Whether your business is large or small
there is one cost that is hitting every
enterprise: rocketing energy prices.
Across the board, the most pressing
concern for all companies is the impact of
soaring utility bills on their cost’s outgoings.
The Energy Price Guarantee, announced
during Liz Truss’s time as Prime Minister,
capped household energy bills for two
years from 1st October in a bid to prevent
millions facing hardship this winter. Now
that will only be in place for six months, just
to cover this winter.
In addition, former Business Secretary
Jacob Rees-Mogg unveiled the Energy Bill
Relief Scheme back in September, in a bid
to slash the projected costs of electricity
and gas for businesses, charities and public
sector organisations.
At Lord we do not directly advise
companies on managing their bills or
navigating the options around energy
tariffs. As a Platinum member of the Black
Country Chamber, we recognise that you
can contact the Chamber to access support
or engage recommended specialists
through trade organisations.
But as leading commercial heating and
ventilation specialists who have served the
Black Country and West Midlands since
1982, what we can do is assist clients on
‘engineering down’ their energy usage.
With the threat of blackouts looming, I
can also look back on the sudden
shutdowns experienced by industry in the
Black Country in the late 1980s and early ‘90s
to draw upon personal experience to help.
It is not beyond the bounds of
imagination that energy could be rationed
this winter, with businesses expected to use
it as efficiently as possible.
This would cause problems for
manufacturing sites, commercial properties,
hospitals, care homes and schools, as well
as offices and workplaces only just returning
to normal after the pandemic.
Having seen the impact on industry when
there were sudden shutdowns imposed in
the form of ‘load shedding’ by energy
suppliers, this disruption is in my working
memory, but it may be tough for those new
to it. We understand only too well the
challenges ahead. Last year Lord was
recognised for its achievements in reducing
clients’ environmental impact by winning
the sustainability trophy at the West
Midlands Business Masters Awards,
organised by the Business Desk.
In April, we took the West Midlands Net
Zero Business Pledge to reduce our
environmental impact during a visit by West
Midlands Mayor Andy Street. On the back
of his visit, I was invited by the mayor to join
a high-level discussion on the energy crisis.
The key advice is to ensure your business
has effective controls for its heating and hot
water systems. If you can ‘zone’ your
premises, you can ensure you control outputs
in the areas where you need to match the
usage and occupancy of your building.
Carrying out a holistic review to monitor
energy usage, especially on fossil fuels, can
ensure you understand your requirements
and can control your allocations before any
shutdown disruption.
You may have legacy parts of your system
which can be isolated or throttled from use
to focus on other areas. The other big
question to ask your team is: Do you know
who to call if there is an emergency?
We are speaking to clients who are
considering all options for reducing their
energy consumption. They want to
investigate their options and the possible
impact of utilising renewable technologies,
including heat pumps, which offer reduced
carbon emissions than traditional systems.
Others are looking at hybrid heating and
hot water options, which combine two or
more technologies generating heat
Stuart Smith
(front row,
centre) with
members of the
Lord
Combustion
Services team
outside the
company’s HQ
in Oldbury
46 PROSPER WINTER 2022

BUSINESS FINANCE SPOTLIGHT
‘‘
Carrying out a holistic
review to monitor energy
usage can ensure you
understand your
requirements before any
shutdown disruption...
‘‘
together as a low carbon alternative.
Hybrids typically consist of a gas or oil boiler
and an air to water heat pump.
With both of these options, upfront
investment is needed but many believe this
is worthwhile to reduce the reliance on
energy consumption at traditional levels.
More immediate improvements can come
from implementing new controls, which
allow you to prioritise and manage usage.
A turnkey plant room refurbishment
project can not only ensure you have a
reliable system proportionate to the scale of
your business needs, but it can also regulate
its own consumption to match the buildings
requirements by use of modulating burners
and variable speed drives.
Not all savings require a large capital
investment. Consulting in a heating
specialist can also enable you to review the
level of demand in your current business
operations. It may be as simple as using
your premises in a different way. A heating
partner can look at equipment along with
the way your building is occupied and the
times for peaks in demand.
During the pandemic there was a focus
on keeping people apart, which changed
the way we all occupied premises. You can
now look at the building usage to consider
zones where people can work together and
receive corresponding levels of heat.
Looking ahead to the winter months and
prioritising key areas where your people can
work together will help your operation to
run more efficiently. We can also look at
ventilation, to see if your equipment is
suitable and operating efficiently.
As the prices rise, we are all sharing the
sense of panic. Taking the first steps with
practical measures or investing in a more
efficient system can bring significant
payback for businesses of all size. Getting
expertise will support you not just in the
uncertain months ahead but for years to
come.
Find out more about Lord Combustion
Services at
https://www.lordcombustion.co.uk
Prosper People
The Pertemps Levelling Up Impact Report, produced through a partnership with
The Purpose Coalition, headed by Former Education Secretary Rt Hon Justine
Greening and Lord Walney, a member of the House of Lords and Chair of the
organisation, was launched at Pertemps headquarters in September.
It highlights work by Pertemps in helping jobseekers who may have
experienced barriers to employment, including young people, ex-service
personnel, ex-offenders and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Appointments
• National audit, tax, advisory and risk
firm, Crowe, has appointed Martin
Chapman as a partner in the firm’s
Forensic Services practice.
Martin has upwards
of 17 years’ experience
providing forensic
accounting and
investigation services,
and has worked in the
audit, accountancy and
corporate services
space for more than two decades.
Crowe is developing its forensic
accounting offering and reinforcing
its commitment to the Midlands
region by establishing a new
presence in Birmingham’s city centre.
• The latest addition to the team at
Winster, the hose and accessory
experts, is Holly Walker. She joined
at the beginning of October – but
isn’t new to the firm, as she first
worked there as a temporary
warehouse assembly operative in
2020. She was put forward then by
MET Recruitment and, as Val Gardner,
managing director of Winster said,
“quickly became a valued member of
our team. We are really pleased she
agreed to a permanent role. MET
Recruitment did a great job finding
her.”
Narrowboat, networking
and nettle gin
It was a case of premium networking and gin
tasting set against a backdrop of a green
oasis woodland when Black Country
Chamber of Commerce invited businesses to
jump aboard The Trebalisa narrowboat at
Wildside Activity Centre.
It certainly was a taste of something different
as we sampled handcrafted gins from
Walsall’s own Black Lodge Potions.
We cruised along the canals of the Black
Country past a cornucopia of waterside
habitats while tasting the magically crafted
gins, all conjured and bottled at the Black
Lodge. Cheers!
PROSPER WINTER 2022 47

LEGAL SPOTLIGHT: THE MENOPAUSE
After months of a ‘Menopause Revolution,’ led by TV presenters, celebrities and politicians,
Prosper examines why it’s so important for menopause support to be introduced at work and
talks to Thursfields Solicitors about how they are helping employers understand the legalities
and best practice around managing the effects of the menopause in the workplace.
One-in-eight of the UK’s workforce are
women over 50, and that number is rising.
Indeed, it is the fastest-growing workplace
demographic. But this demographic faces
an important health challenge as it is
combating the menopause, and many
women still feel there is a stigma
surrounding talking about it at work, and
often try to hide their symptoms.
But symptoms don’t just stop for these
women when they arrive at work and, left
unsupported, can even lead to them
leaving their hard-fought careers. This is an
issue impacting on employers and
employees which needs urgent attention.
Employment law and menopause
The key legislation is the Equality Act
2010, which protects against discrimination,
and the Health and Safety at Work Act
1974.
There are also Acas codes which
underpin the legislation and also highlight
legal obligations, as well as good
employment practices.
And, of course, these obligations
supplement employers’ own internal
policies and procedures, which are key to
training and educating the workforce.
The menopause is currently the subject
of a Parliamentary inquiry, ‘An invisible
cohort: Why are workplaces failing women
going through menopause.’
Led by the Women and Equality
Committee and chaired by Caroline Noakes
MP, the inquiry is scrutinising existing
legislation and workplace practices, asking
whether they adequately protect employees
impacted by the menopause.
Ultimately, the findings will establish if we
need to revisit our legislation, particularly
the Equality Act, to see if any changes need
to be made.
What do employers need to be aware of?
Essentially, employers must act in a fair
and reasonable way to protect the health,
safety and wellbeing of their employees
while they’re at work. There are a number of
things to be mindful of:
• Unfair dismissal
The law of unfair dismissal imposes a
duty on employers to act fairly when
dismissing employees. This means the
Don’t let your
workplace fail
women with
the menopause
employer must have a good reason for
dismissal and must follow its own
disciplinary or dismissal processes, or at
least the statutory minimum.
With a few exceptions, the qualifying
period of service to bring an unfair dismissal
claim is two years from commencement of
employment.
• Constructive dismissal
This occurs when an employee feels
forced to leave their job against their will
because of their employer’s conduct, for
example resigning in response to an
employer not taking action if the employee
has been bullied or harassed.
• Protected characteristics
The Equality Act sets out nine protected
‘‘
Often simple adjustments
are all that are needed, such
as adjusting working hours,
good ventilation and access
to fresh drinking water.
‘‘
characteristics which protect workers
against discrimination. The most relevant
areas for protection in cases involving
menopause are sex, disability and age.
At the moment, pregnancy and maternity
is a protected characteristic but menopause
isn’t. The equalities enquiry is looking to
see if menopause ought to be the tenth
protected characteristic.
• Direct discrimination
This occurs when a worker is treated less
favourably because of their protected
characteristic, for example disability, sex or
age, and is raised more commonly in
menopause-related cases. An example here
is where a woman loses out to a promotion
opportunity to a less-qualified male.
• Indirect discrimination
This is where a neutral policy is applied to
everybody in the workplace, but which can’t
be shown to be a proportionate means of
achieving a legitimate aim.
For example, an employee finding it
difficult to concentrate as a symptom of
menopause might not be able to meet
certain performance targets as easily as her
colleagues. Those would need to be
justifiable to avoid a finding of indirect
discrimination.
• Defining disability
A person has a disability if they have a
physical or mental impairment which has a
substantial and long-term adverse effect on
their ability to carry out day-to-day
activities. Substantial is defined as more
than minor or trivial, while long term is
classed as 12 months or more.
Many tribunal cases related to the
menopause will be brought under this
disability strand. An example here of a
disability is poor concentration, where it
48 PROSPER WINTER 2022

BUSINESS FINANCE SPOTLIGHT
‘‘
By helping staff to deal with
the menopause in the
workplace, employers will
only increase work rates,
quality and loyalty...
‘‘
takes much longer than it normally would to
complete a daily task.
Discrimination arising from a disability is
where a worker is treated unfavourably,
because of something linked to their
disability.
So, if a policy practice or physical feature
puts the disabled worker at a substantial
disadvantage compared to a worker who is
not disabled, employers have a duty to
make reasonable adjustments that may
avoid the disadvantage.
Unlike unfair dismissal claims,
discrimination compensation is uncapped,
and, in the most severe cases,
compensation covers loss of earning and
pension for the remainder of the
employee’s career.
Also, discrimination rights are called ‘day
one’ rights, which means there’s no need for
the two-year contract of service that’s
necessary in unfair dismissal claim. In terms
of assessing prospects of success, every
case will depend on its own individual facts.
But employers are very much advised to
follow best practice in order to reduce their
risk of being taken to tribunal.
What can employers do?
Often simple adjustments are all that are
needed, such as adjusting working hours,
the support of occupational health and HR,
good ventilation and access to fresh
drinking water.
It is staggering to see cases which don’t
specifically refer to menopause. They
highlight that, in some cases, there is still a
stigma attached to discussing menopause
in the workplace.
Bespoke training on how to manage
menopause at work offered by
Thursfields
Thursfields Solicitors now offers bespoke
training sessions for employers on the
legalities and best practice of managing the
effects of menopause at work.
The training packages follow the
company’s virtual workshops called
‘Menopause and the law – what employers
need to know’ held as part of its regular HR
Exchange events.
Lisa Kemp, a director in the Employment
Law team at Thursfields, explained that the
success of the online workshops revealed
that a growing demand was out there for
full training projects.
She told Prosper, “The menopause and
how to cope with it at work has become a
big challenge for employers, motivated by
events such as World Menopause Day on 18
October.
“Our recent online workshops were well
received by many HR managers and
business owners wanting to understand of
some of the issues involved with
menopause in the workplace.
“Therefore, we are now offering full
training projects for employers across the
Midlands.
“This will enable us to clearly explain how
menopause and the law interact with each
other and the steps employers need to take
to help support staff with menopause,
ensuring their actions do not breach the
law.
“This will see us working closely with
individual employers to put the correct
menopause policies in place, helping them
with their messaging about this important
aspect of employment law and delivering
Find out more
To find out more about Thursfields bespoke training
packages on handling the menopause at work,
contact Ms Kemp via LKemp@thursfields.co.uk or
call her on 0345 20 73 72 8.
bespoke training for their line managers.”
Key areas of Thursfields’ training projects
will include:
• menopause and the law
• how to create an open and trusted
culture among staff
• the importance of awareness training
for managers to deal with concerns
sensitively
• considering practical assistance and
workplace adjustments
• careful sickness absence management;
and
• the importance of meaningful policies
and procedures
Ms Kemp added: “The menopause is a
natural occurrence in life that should be
understood, considered and acted upon by
all employers.
“By helping staff to deal with the
menopause in the workplace, employers
will only increase work rates, quality and
loyalty.
“But aside from the positive human
outcome, employers should take the issue
seriously as there are laws that can be used
to protect anyone who feels they are not
being treated properly at work as a result.”
PROSPER WINTER 2022 49

BUSINESS VOICE: HIGGS LLP
Employers, do your duty as cost-of-living bites
We have ‘moral responsibility’
to help employees cope with
rising prices, says Sophie
Wardell of Higgs LLP
Businesses have a moral responsibility to
help employees cope with the cost-of-living
crisis.
That’s the view of Sophie Wardell, HR
Director at West Midlands firm Higgs LLP,
who says SMEs have a duty to ensure their
people are not overwhelmed by financial
pressures.
Higgs, a Black Country Chamber
campaign partner for ‘This is the Black
Country,’ has responded to the cost-ofliving
crisis by handing all employees a
one-off £500 payment. It has also arranged
financial education sessions for its
employees and launched a Hardship Fund
for people struggling with unexpected
expenses.
“These are difficult times, and we are
going to see even more people struggling
over the coming months,” said Sophie.
“For most businesses, it’s not always
possible to increase salaries in line with
inflation, but the cost of essential items
such as energy and food keep on rising.
“It’s a sad fact that one-in-eight workers
are trapped in poverty. No business owner,
whether it’s a large organisation or a small
one, should be comfortable with in-work
poverty.
“The cost-of-living crisis is being talked
about relentlessly on the news and social
media, so it is inevitable that many people
are going to feel stress and financial anxiety
during this turbulent period. Not only will
this affect people’s personal lives, but it will
also lead to emotional fatigue and impact
on their working lives, too.
“An ethical employer is one which
recognises there are people in the business
who are struggling and offers both practical
and emotional support. That is what we
strive to do at Higgs LLP.”
Sophie said there are numerous ways
businesses can help their people, even if
inflation-busting pay rises are not possible.
In the first instance, Higgs offered all of
its employees a £500 net payment,
regardless of their annual salaries.
“People cut the cloth to fit their lifestyles,
and everyone is impacted by the hike in
TV personality AJ Odudu helps out in a foodbank run by the Trussell Trust. The number of
people in-work but struggling to pay households bills is now estimated as one-in-eight,
with many turning to foodbanks for help
prices,” confirmed Nick Taylor, Managing
Partner at Higgs. “We wanted a one-off
payment to make a difference during the
winter months. It has been well-received.”
Higgs has arranged for external
organisation Better with Money to visit the
firm in December to deliver a series of
workshops to help people navigate this
challenging time by being more effective
with their budgets, as well as offering
money-saving advice.
In addition, Higgs have launched a ‘Higgs
Hardship Fund’, which will provide financial
support to its people on a case-by-case
basis, whether they are facing a relatively
small, discrete issue with their finances, or a
major challenge to do with complex
personal or domestic circumstances.
Nick said, “Our Higgs Hardship Fund is
intended to give people peace of mind
rather than suffering in silence. Unexpected
costs such as a broken boiler can require a
“It’s a sad fact that one-in-eight workers are
trapped in poverty. No business owner,
whether it’s a large organisation or a small
one, should be comfortable with in-work
poverty...”
Sophie Wardell
sudden expenditure which may not always
be possible.
“We want to have an open-door policy so
there is an avenue which provides an
immediate solution.”
Sophie said, “These are real, tangible
examples of the measures we are taking to
help ease the financial burden for our
people. Hopefully, people will learn
financial skills and habits that will stand
them in good stead for the rest of their
lives, which can be really empowering.
“There are other initiatives businesses
can consider helping, but the most
important thing an employer can do is to
afford people the flexibility and
environment to talk openly and honestly.
“Businesses which do this in a genuine
way will have the most engaged and
motivated people who will perform better
and stay longer.”
50 PROSPER WINTER 2022

SPOTLIGHT ON STRESS
Boss burnout – 70% of C-Suite
executives are looking to quit
It’s the end of another stressful year and a new report from Deloitte has revealed
that 70% of C-Suite executives are considering quitting their job for one that
better supports their wellbeing. Prosper asked Anthony Burns, director and CEO
designate of healthcare provider Paycare, for his thoughts on the subject and
asked why it’s crucial that no one is left out of the conversation about wellbeing,
and asks are those who have leadership responsibilities also looking after
themselves, too.
Deloitte partnered with independent
research firm Workplace Intelligence to
survey 2,100 employees and C-level
executives across the United Kingdom.
The researchers explored the state of
workforce wellbeing and the role that
organisations play in determining quality of
life for employees and their families.
The results were eye-opening –
particularly with regard to the current state
of leadership.
To some extent, business leaders do
recognise that employees are fed-up – with
increased demands, and the expectation
that their job should come ahead of their
health and wellbeing. This, combined with
the tight labour market, has led to a
growing power shift, where workers are able
to ask more from bosses in terms of salary,
benefits and conditions.
But the researchers found that, just like
the rest of their employees, the C-Suite are
also struggling with the demands of their
job on their health and wellbeing. It’s this
that’s led to seven-in-ten of them thinking
seriously about resigning their position.
However, despite this awareness that
their employees are fed-up – and feeling
fed-up themselves – it seems the C-Suite
doesn’t fully appreciate the extent to which
their employees are struggling. Eight-in-ten
executives reported that their employees
were thriving in all aspects of their
wellbeing – despite the research uncovering
that one-in-three employees are, in fact,
constantly struggling with fatigue and poor
mental health.
The researchers also found a similar
disconnect between senior executives and
their employees around pandemic support;
while 90% of the C-Suite said they
understood how challenging the pandemic
had been for their staff, only 47% of
employees felt that their bosses had truly
recognised the pressure they were under.
Similarly, while 88% of C-Suite bosses felt
their decision-making had been exemplary
during the pandemic, only 54% of their
employees agreed.
Perhaps most worryingly, only 56% of
employees think their company’s leadership
team actually care about their wellbeing –
but 91% of the C-Suite are oblivious to this,
believing their employees think they care.
Health-savvy leadership
The Deloitte report highlights the
importance of ‘health-savvy leadership,’
defining the healthy-savvy executive as one
who ‘appreciates that decisions relating to
wellbeing can have a significant impact on
the culture of the organisation, the way in
which work gets done, and the people and
places beyond the organisation’s four walls.’
The report added: ‘These executives are
finding ways to lead their organisations
through extreme complexity and
uncertainty, protect and support their
workers’ and stakeholders’ well-being, and
bolster strategic outcomes in the process.’
Again, although 81% of the C-Suite
define themselves as health-savvy, only 31%
of employees agreed with them. But what
should this health-savvy leadership look like
in practice?
The researchers found that employees
had higher expectations than a corporate
gym membership or a work wellness app;
they ‘expect their organisation to challenge
societal norms, support their holistic health,
and be more future-oriented than ever
before.’ Although employers have taken
some measures to improve worker
wellbeing – for example, 35% require their
employees to take breaks during the day
and a fifth have a ban on after-work
emailing – this isn’t perceived as being
enough. Workers want something that
amounts more to an overhaul of corporate
wellness practices and expectations.
And it seems that the reason this isn’t
happening is – in part – because the
C-Suite doesn’t know where to start. The
research found that 20% of executives are
overwhelmed, 18% don’t feel qualified to
take ownership of these areas, and some
don’t have enough funding (17%) or
support from other executives (16%).
Boss burnout
However, if bosses themselves are
overwhelmed and unable to take care of
their own mental health and wellbeing, then
this is also going to have a knock-on effect
on corporate culture. Burnout is a significant
issue among the C-Suite; as previously
reported in KellyOCG’s 2022 Global
Workforce Report, which surveyed 1,000
decision-makers, found that two-thirds
(63%) say their workload is unmanageable
while only a third of those surveyed (34%)
think they’re receiving a fair remuneration
for their efforts. Six in ten say they’re not
happy in their current job, and less than a
third are planning in staying at their
company for two years.
Paycare Director Anthony Burns told
Prosper: “It’s crucial that no one is left out
of the conversation about wellbeing, and
those who have leadership responsibilities
are also looking after themselves too.
“There’s also a lot to be said for
employees being able to see their
managers and company owners prioritising
their own wellbeing. If management are
constantly working all hours, working when
52 PROSPER WINTER 2022

BUSINESS FINANCE SPOTLIGHT
‘‘
It’s crucial that no one is left
out of the conversation
about wellbeing, and those
who have leadership
responsibilities are also
looking after themselves
too.
‘‘
they’re unwell or on holiday (presenteeism
and leaveism) and neglecting their health,
then this isn’t congruent with a company
culture where team members’ health and
wellbeing is high up the agenda.
“It’s crucial to focus on prevention (as well
as interventions once someone becomes
seriously unwell) among the C-suite, as
these individuals are dealing with the
after-effects of the pandemic personally and
trying to steer their people and business
through this new landscape which is now
exacerbated by wider global issues. The
pressure put on these people can easily
lead to exhaustion, physical or emotional
health issues, or burnout.
“The report highlights the importance of
having a Workplace Wellbeing Strategy
effective for everyone within the
organisation, implementing policies and
policies which truly make a difference, and
making use of wellbeing services and
providers which benefit the entire team.
“The perception gap shows why we must
never stop communicating – whether that’s
organisations like ourselves being in
constant contact with companies to ensure
our products are having a positive impact on
team wellbeing, or management having an
ongoing two-way conversation with their
staff, so they have an accurate and up-todate
picture of the health of their
workforce.”
ABOUT PAYCARE
Paycare is a not-for-profit Health
Cash Plan Provider improving the
health and happiness of individuals,
employees and their families across
the UK. Visit www.paycare.org/
workplace-wellbeing for tips on
implementing an effective Workplace
Wellbeing Strategy.
PROSPER WINTER 2022 53

EVENTS DIARY
Events Programme
JANUARY 2023
10 Paid Social Media Ads
11 Big Business @ B63
11 Start-Up Workshop:
Setting Goals for 2023
12 Foreign Exchange: Bracing for
Uncertainty – The Here, Now &
Future Expectations
FREE to members and
non-members
18 Third Week Wednesday -
Networking – Free to members
and non-members
18 Preference Rules of Origin
19 Black Country Business Club
**NEW**
20 Black Country Women
in Leadership
25 Export Procedures and
Documentation
31 UKCA Marking: Securing the
Market Access – FREE to
members and non-members
FEBRUARY 23
2 Black Country Business Club
7 Google Ads
9 MDP
9 Start-Up Workshop: Developing
a Sales Strategy
15 Third Week Wednesday
– Networking - Free to members
and non-members
16 Black Country Business Club
21 Export: Letters of Credit
21 Customs Audits & Inspections
21 How to Win Customers with
Google Ads
Further details on these events can
be found in this issue, or for
information and to book please visit:
www.blackcountrychamber
ofcommerce.co.uk/events
Exclusive networking opportunities
at the Black Country Business Club
Exclusive closed networking club
for businesses across the region
The Black Country Business Club provides a
platform where individuals can build
business relationships and promote their
products and services within a friendly and
supportive environment.
The event is live, face-to-face and meets
every fortnight on a Thursday morning from
9.30am until 11.30am.
Chamber members and non-members
are welcome to come along and visit to see
how everything works before committing to
the Club. There is an additional annual cost
to be part of the Business Club network.
At each meeting, one delegate has the
opportunity to co-host and use a 10-minute
slot to promote their business, while every
other delegate gets the opportunity to
provide a short 60-second pitch, to share
their latest news or highlight a key product/
service.
Rules of Engagement!
Members of the club agree to the
following principles:
• Only two businesses per sector/
industry will be allowed to join
• There will be a maximum of 50
members
• Membership is on a first-come,
first-served basis with a final decision on a
membership application made by the Black
Country Chamber of Commerce
• Each business is expected to deliver a
minimum of one 10-minute ‘presentation’
each year at their Club, and all businesses
deliver a 60-second pitch at every meeting
The Club will meet once a fortnight.
Cost*. There is an additional cost for the
club dependent upon which Chamber
membership you hold.
Only one representative from a business
can attend each session.
Across 25 meetings, a no show at three
consecutive Clubs will mean that a member
has forfeited their right to be part of the
Club and will be barred from future Clubs
with no refund given.
For further information, email
membership@blackcountry
chamber.co.uk
Alternatively call Graham Croom on
07714 740818 or Alison Trinder on
07980 906921 for a free guest pass*
to the next meeting.
We would love to meet you.
Big Business @B63 Breakfast Event
There’s a new monthly breakfast
networking event on the first Wednesday
of the Month.
Providing a fantastic opportunity to
network with like-minded businesses each
month, the Big Business @B63 ‘breakfast
event’ is hosted by Halesowen College,
sponsored by The Halesowen Bid and
powered by The Black Country Chamber of
Commerce.
It starts at 7.45am, running until 9.15am.
For more details contact
Graham Croom on 07714 740818
or via grahamcroom@
blackcountrychamber.co.uk
SAVE THE DATE!
Join Black Country Women in Leadership to celebrate
International Women’s Day on Wednesday, March 8th
Look out for more details coming soon!
54 PROSPER WINTER 2022

EVENTS DIARY
See you
Third Week
Wednesday!
Each third week Wednesday, Chamber
members, and non-members, meet for a
FREE monthly networking session.
We’re delighted to be meeting live and
face-to-face again at Walsall College in the
Littleton Restaurant, Wisemore Campus,
Littleton Street West, Walsall, WS2 8ES.
Meet at 9.45am for a short introduction
from the college before ‘Open Networking’
kicks off through until through until 11.30am.
Get involved and raise your business
profile via your social media platforms and
amplify your attendance by bringing along
your smartphones and tablets.
Tag, like, share and comment using the
Twitter @blkcountryhour with the following
tags:
#tww
#blkcountryhour
@bcccmembers
plus your own businesses and friends, to
network, share, retweet and raise your
profile.
Don’t forget to share your experience and
post on LinkedIn too by tagging Black
Country Chamber of Commerce and your
host, Joanna Smith.
We will also be running short individual
business interviews broadcasted over
Twitter, (live streamed) and left as a tweet via
our ‘Twitter Hour’ profile – ‘The Black
Country Hour’, which can be found
@blkcountryhour from 11am, so bring your
pitch and your contact details if you want to
plunge in!
International trade courses
Since the Brexit vote, the end of the
transition period and now the
introduction of the UK and EU Trade &
Co-operation Agreement, there are
many more procedures, protocols and
systems businesses need to be aware
of.
The Black Country Chamber of
Commerce has been involved in the
delivery of trade skills workshops for
many years and has an established
reputation for the quality and
relevance of these courses and their
contribution to the up skilling of
British importers and exporters.
Future dates for 2023
Preference Rules of Origin
Export Procedures and Documentation
Postponed VAT Accounting & using CDS
Customs Audits & Inspections
Export Letters of Credit
Import Procedure Training
Special Customs Procedures
Understanding the Incoterms 2020 Rules
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
Webinars
12th Jan
Bracing for uncertainty: the
here, the now and the future
expectations
31st January
UKCA Markings
For more information and
bookings please contact Calum
Nisbet direct at: calumnisbet@
blackcountrychamber.co.uk
Our courses cover a range of topics
and, working with our experienced
facilitators, we have identified a
curriculum of courses which provide
foundational knowledge and skills
required to trade effectively.
These courses are delivered virtually,
by our professional a snd experienced
facilitators. They can also be delivered
in house and made bespoke to your
business.
Our workshops can be found at
www.blackcountrychamber.co.uk/
training-courses/international-trade/
18th Jan
25th Jan
2nd Feb
21st Feb
21st Feb
15th March
16th March
28th March
Get more from Google Ad campaigns
For more details on these events
and how you can join in, contact
Jo Smith on 07810 377821 or
joannasmith@
blackcountrychamber.co.uk
Date: 7th Febraury
Time: 12noon - 2pm
Venue: Online Event
Cost: Members: £100.00
Non members: £125.00
(These prices exclude VAT)
This workshop is designed for regular users
of the Google Ads platform who are looking
to increase their knowledge so they
optimise campaign performance or work
better with agencies you are working with.
You will learn to:
• Create various campaigns dependent on
marketing objective
• Run and analyse ad copy tests to drive
conversion
• Types of different ad extensions and how
they will help with driving relevant traffic
• Use Remarketing Lists for Search Ads
(RLSA) to optimise your activity
This workshop will be delivered by Gurpreet
Dhillon - Digital D Marketing
For more information on this workshop
please contact training@
blackcountrychamber.co.uk
PROSPER WINTER 2022 55

EVENTS: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Get the culture right, and
the rest will follow
For the last three years the word
‘culture’ has probably had more column
inches than in the last one hundred. The
shift in how people worked through the
pandemic and now, has put ‘culture’ front
and centre and many are asking – how
should the culture of the organisation
evolve?
So, what is culture? For many – it’s how
work is done within an organisation.
It is the essence of an organisation, how
work is organised, how decisions are made
and the levels of trust/openness.
Employers and employees alike know the
importance of carving out a strong
company culture. This chimes with statistics
from Deloitte’s ‘Core Beliefs and Culture
Survey’, which found that 88 per cent of
employees believe a strong company
culture is key to a business’s success. The
same report found that 94 per cent of
company leaders felt the same way –
perhaps a sign that they understand the
impact that a great workplace culture can
have on a company’s bottom line.
Leadership agility
The leader has always been pivotal to the
shaping and development of cultural
norms. Demonstrating the right behaviours,
modelling best practices and preserving the
cultural standards. Helping them to adapt
to what is changing in the workplace and
the evolution of expectations, preferences,
hybrid working is crucial, and leaders need
to develop new skills and be more
emotionally adaptive. Leaders will always
have a pivotal role in ensuring organisations
are sustainable from a people perspective.
If the culture, climate and conditions are
appealing to candidates and existing
employees, then people want to grow and
stay in the organisation. How that is
achieved will be multi-faceted and would
be a strategic area of focus.
Agile development programmes from the
Black Country Chamber of Commerce
provide fresh and relevant content that
confront the challenges business leaders
are facing today.
Led by business professionals with a
wealth of cross sector experience that bring
topics and themes to life with practical
real-world examples, our Director and
Board Development series builds and
reinforces the competencies needed to be
an exemplar Director and leader.
Workshops cover the vital aspects of
directorship and leadership approaches
which make these roles more effective to
tackle issues, embrace opportunities and
lead transformational change.
Workshops can be delivered as in house
programmes.
For further details and pricing
structures, please contact
Calum Nisbet at:
calumnisbet@
blackcountrychamber.co.uk
56 PROSPER WINTER 2022

EVENTS: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Chamber courses: Effective directors, building
better boards and the role of finance
Your Leadership Approach
One-day workshop
Effective Directors deploy the strengths
and talent to drive their business forward.
No universal ‘right’ approach exists and, as
such, honing self-awareness and the most
appropriate skills for the right situation are
needed to influence, enthuse and lead.
Building Better Boards
One-day workshop
With responsibility for the oversight of
strategic change in organisation and legal
obligations, Boards need to work together
to make informed yet hard choices which
are right for the business. Effective Boards
consider and value the multitude of voices
and experiences of their members to create
a fertile ground for debate, discussion,
challenge and the convergence of
capabilities and ideas.
The Role & Responsibilities of a Director
Two-day workshop
Directors of SMEs tend to
underappreciate the responsibilities that
come with being a company director, with
many having little understanding of their
statutory and fiduciary duties. This module
provides delegates with an essential
understanding of the key duties, roles and
legal obligations of the Director.
Packed with the latest thinking and best
practice, the course will explore good
governance principles, provide up to date
legal requirements and give participants a
renewed confidence to tackle the increasing
challenges facing their business. Irrelevant
of the size or make-up of your business,
good governance is vital to ensure its
survival and growth.
The reasons why a small business might
fail are no different to those of a large
organisation and this course will help you
understand your regulatory and compliance
requirements, as well as ensuring your
business delivers on its strategy, whilst
maximising opportunities and minimising
risk for the benefit of all stakeholders.
The Effective Non-Executive Director
One-day workshop
Non-Executive Directors (NEDs) are there
to provide their experience, perspectives
and support Directors and Manager to
deliver plans and realise objectives.
Alongside the legal responsibilities, NEDs
must have highly developed self-awareness,
the ability to set strategic direction,
influencing skills and conviction.
The Role of Finance in the Business
Two-day workshop
Ignorance about finance is no longer an
excuse. Directors and senior managers can
no longer rely with blind faith on the
Finance Director or auditors. A Director is
expected to be familiar with the financial
impact of business decisions and be
sufficiently knowledgeable about finance to
carry out their duties and understand the
financial strategy of the organisation.
This module, designed particularly for
non-finance Directors and senior
management, equips all delegates
with the essential skills and
knowledge to interpret and
interrogate key financial
data, ensuring
understanding of
financial concepts,
terminology and
reports that provide
insight into the
financial position
of any business.
Ignorance of
finance is no
longer an excuse
for directors
Delegates will take away a vital
understanding of how a robust financial
strategy can help drive value within their
business and be the bedrock of the
company’s overall business plans, enabling
them to confidently engage with their FD,
Board and Stakeholders.
Leading Strategic Change
Two-day workshop
These highly interactive and practical
workshops equip Directors to challenge,
drive, and confidently contribute fully to the
decision-making process based upon
understanding the situational context,
drivers and regulatory frameworks their
business operates into craft and set
meaningful and valuable strategy.
For more information visit: Director and
Board Development - Black Country
Chamber of Commerce or contact
Calum Nisbet direct at: calumnisbet@
blackcountrychamber.co.uk
PROSPER WINTER 2022 57

EVENTS: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Unleash the potential
of your managers
Management development programmes
with the Chamber
Great business leaders and dynamic managers are needed
more than ever in order for Black Country businesses to
remain competitive and thrive,
​There are many who find themselves in management
positions or elevated to roles who feel they have missed out
on essential training which allows them to be effective and
deliver success for themselves and their business.
​For the last five years the Black Country Chamber has
worked with Lotus Flower Consultancy in order to help those
individuals who want to challenge themselves to develop new
insights, explore different approaches and share invaluable
development experiences.
​Over 250 individuals have taken their learning back to 140
businesses to help navigate challenges, embrace the
opportunities and help their teams and businesses grow.
​In recent months, these leaders and managers have stepped up
to lead through the most turbulent of times, and whilst utilising the
invaluable lessons learned, they have led from the front and will
continue doing so during the uncertain months ahead.
​Designed to stretch and challenge participants, programmes are run
with participants from different backgrounds, experiences and industries
creating a diverse environment where individuals can test and apply
learning and developing together.
COURSE MODULES
n What is a manager? Introduction to management
and the manager’s role
n Using your time effectively and efficiently
n Communication and delivery of the right messages
at the right times
n Styles and dynamics which create a good team
n Getting the most from meetings
n Delivering a great presentation which gets the right results
n Building commercial awareness and acumen
n Preparation and successful management of change
n Develop a toolkit of skills and techniques to make a
lasting impact when presenting ideas and information
n Stakeholder and relationship mapping and management
n How to run and deliver a project well
n Clarify the purpose and principles or project management
and review roles and responsibilities
n Getting the best from your team and helping them to
perform better
n Coach and develop your teams and people
n Consider development aims for the next six months which
include reflection on this Programme’s learning outcomes
COST:
Take the full 12-month programme or pick and choose modules.
Full 12-month programme: Chamber members – £1,595.00 + VAT
Non-members – £1,995.00 + VAT
Per module: Chamber – £250 + VAT
Non-members – £295 + VAT
The next cohort starts in February -
secure your space now by contacting
Calum Nisbet at: calumnisbet@
blackcountrychamber.co.uk
Alternatively, you may want to book
certain workshops to hone the skills
of your management team.
Please get in touch to discuss!
58 PROSPER WINTER 2022