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THE REGION’S LONGEST-RUNNING BUSINESS PUBLICATION<br />
BLACK COUNTRY<br />
PROSPER<br />
Brightest sparks<br />
How next-generation apprentices can transform your business
WELCOME<br />
The award winners’ issue<br />
<strong>2023</strong> has been another whirlwind of a year, with uncertainty, drama and concerns... so it’s<br />
good that Black Country businesses had their Chamber of Commerce on hand to bring some<br />
much-needed reassurance and sound advice, says Sarah Thompson, Editor of <strong>Prosper</strong><br />
Well, it has certainly been another very<br />
eventful and turbulent year. The months,<br />
as always, have flown by in a wave of<br />
uncertainty, rising costs and interest<br />
rates, along with war, peace, politics, and<br />
protests.<br />
But now, with Christmas <strong>2023</strong> just<br />
around the corner and as we hurtle<br />
towards the festive season, I want to first<br />
acknowledge and thank our <strong>Prosper</strong><br />
readers, contributors, and advertisers for<br />
your continued support.<br />
Glancing over our shoulders to review<br />
the past 12 months, <strong>2023</strong> has been just<br />
as eventful as 2022; another year of<br />
political upheavals, military actions,<br />
natural disasters and human tragedies<br />
which have captured the headlines and<br />
grabbed our attention.<br />
Back in January Prince Harry published<br />
Spare, his tell-all memoir on his life with<br />
the Royal Family, while February saw<br />
Turkey and Syria struck by a catastrophic<br />
7.8 magnitude earthquake which killed<br />
almost 60,000 people.<br />
In June OceanGate’s Titan submersible<br />
imploded during an expedition to the<br />
wreck of the Titanic, and Donald Trump<br />
became the first former US President to<br />
have their mug shot taken by police.<br />
Heatwaves dominated the summer, as<br />
did the debate over what became the<br />
Collins Word of the Year: artificial<br />
intelligence. And if that wasn’t enough,<br />
we were bombarded with more images of<br />
conflict: first from Ukraine, and more<br />
lately in the Middle East.<br />
At home, businesses across the region<br />
continued to struggle with rising<br />
inflation, labour cost pressures and<br />
hiring issues. According to the British<br />
Chambers of Commerce Quarterly<br />
Economic Survey for Q3 released in<br />
October, labour costs are the biggest<br />
driver of price rises across most sectors,<br />
cited by 66% of all businesses<br />
questioned, while domestic sales,<br />
cashflow, turnover and profitability<br />
indicators are stable but remain at a low<br />
level. Business investment continues its<br />
long-term flatlining trend, with only 23%<br />
of businesses interviewed seeing an<br />
increase, as the percentage of firms<br />
worried about interest rates rises.<br />
Plenty to think about. In this last issue<br />
of <strong>Prosper</strong> Magazine for the year, we<br />
round up another remarkably busy year<br />
for the Black Country Chamber of<br />
Commerce, a year in which Chamber<br />
CEO Sarah Moorhouse marked her first<br />
year in post. In this issue we meet some<br />
of the new faces to the Chamber team<br />
and celebrate our <strong>2023</strong> business award<br />
winners, announced earlier this month at<br />
a glittering red carpet event.<br />
We also meet four of the region’s<br />
young apprentices as they take their first<br />
steps in their careers, talk to West<br />
Midlands journalist and BBC Midlands<br />
Today presenter James Bovill about his<br />
career to date, and learn how the Wolves<br />
Foundation is creating opportunities and<br />
changing lives for the people of<br />
Wolverhampton.<br />
There’s news from Mayor of the West<br />
Midlands, Andy Street, on how Black<br />
Country businesses are getting behind<br />
our region’s push to Net Zero, advice<br />
from Chamber IT provider Superfast IT<br />
on cyber security and we introduce the<br />
British Chamber’s new Business Council<br />
as it ushers in an exciting partnership<br />
era.<br />
There’s news, views, interviews,<br />
opinion and debate from across the<br />
region’s business leaders along with all<br />
the Chamber’s news, events, training<br />
courses and updates.<br />
So, for now, it just remains for me to<br />
wish you all a very happy festive few<br />
weeks as we hurtle headfirst towards<br />
December, and wish every one of you<br />
much health, happiness, and prosperity<br />
in 2024 and beyond…<br />
Enjoy….<br />
Contact Sarah Thompson<br />
e: sarahthompson@<br />
blackcountrychamber.co.uk<br />
@SarahT_BCCC<br />
linkedin.com/in/sarahthompson-83931813/<br />
PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong> 03
CONTACTS<br />
Editor<br />
Sarah Thompson<br />
0330 024 0820<br />
07971 322693<br />
prosper@blackcountrychamber.co.uk<br />
BLACK COUNTRY<br />
PROSPER<br />
Membership<br />
Sian Roberts<br />
Sales and Marketing Director<br />
07714 740818<br />
sianroberts@<br />
blackcountrychamber.co.uk<br />
Publisher<br />
Chamber Media Services<br />
4 Hilton Road, Bramhall<br />
Stockport, Cheshire<br />
SK7 3AG<br />
34<br />
Focus on<br />
apprentices<br />
and the<br />
next gen<br />
workforce<br />
Advertising<br />
Colin Regan<br />
01942 537959<br />
colinregan001@yahoo.co.uk<br />
Production<br />
Rob Beswick<br />
0161 426 7957<br />
07964 375216<br />
rob@chambermediaservices.co.uk<br />
Cover Photography<br />
Meet four of the region’s brightest<br />
young business stars. See page 34<br />
Photographers: Jennifer Smith and<br />
Chandni Raithatha; with thanks to Dr<br />
Euripides Altintzoglou, FHEA, Course<br />
Leader (Photography), Senior Lecturer<br />
(Fine Art) University of Wolverhampton,<br />
Wolverhampton School of Art ; and Sam<br />
Wood.<br />
Black Country <strong>Prosper</strong> Magazine is the official magazine of the<br />
Black Country Chamber of Commerce.<br />
It provides news, views, interviews, opinion and debate along with<br />
information and insights.<br />
<strong>Prosper</strong> is the region’s longest running business publication .<br />
Produced on a quarterly basis, the magazine is supported by an array of the<br />
Black Country’s most influential business leaders and is read by business owners throughout<br />
the region and further afield.<br />
To find out more about advertising in <strong>Prosper</strong>, contact<br />
Colin Regan on 01942 537959.<br />
THE CHAMBER PATRON GROUP<br />
The work of the Black Country Chamber of Commerce is supported by these strategic<br />
business partners working together to make the region a better place for business.<br />
Although every effort is taken to ensure<br />
the accuracy of material contained within<br />
this magazine, neither the Black Country<br />
Chamber of Commerce nor Chamber<br />
Media Services can accept any<br />
responsibility for omissions or<br />
inaccuracies in its editorial or advertising<br />
content.<br />
The views expressed in this publication<br />
are not necessarily those of the Chamber.<br />
The carriage of adverts in this publication<br />
does not constitute an endorsement of<br />
the products or services advertised.<br />
All articles within this publication are<br />
copyright Black Country Chamber of<br />
Commerce. Consent from the Chamber<br />
and the publisher must be obtained<br />
before any articles are reproduced either<br />
in printed form or electronically.<br />
READ ONLINE<br />
We’re delighted that <strong>Prosper</strong> is back in a<br />
printed version, but you can still read it online.<br />
Go to https://www.blackcountrychamber.co.uk/<br />
news/prosper-magazine/<br />
Follow the Chamber on<br />
Twitter: @BCCCmembers<br />
Instagram at<br />
@blackcountrychamber<br />
LinkedIn:<br />
Search blackcountrychamber<br />
Facebook: @BlackCountryChamber<br />
Search BlackCountryChamber<br />
40<br />
HS2: So after the<br />
northern leg was<br />
cancelled, what’s<br />
in it for me?<br />
O4 PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong>
Celebrating Unsung Heroes ...<br />
CONTACTS & CONTENTS<br />
CONTENTS<br />
Here is the<br />
news...<br />
confidence<br />
matters<br />
30 08<br />
38<br />
The Wolves Foundation<br />
Road to Net Zero<br />
Chamber<br />
platinum<br />
Group<br />
adds three<br />
new<br />
members<br />
14<br />
42<br />
Cybercrime<br />
is on the<br />
rise: how can<br />
you stop it<br />
hitting your<br />
business?<br />
50<br />
A family<br />
business:<br />
it’s the<br />
personal<br />
approach<br />
Chamber<br />
Director-<br />
General<br />
visits region<br />
... and WIL<br />
hosts event<br />
on mental<br />
health<br />
56<br />
INSIDE...<br />
Members’ News<br />
The Platinum Group, Patrons and<br />
the Start-Up Business Club<br />
In conversation with Martha Lane Fox as<br />
new Business Council is launched ...<br />
Spotlight features... on cyber crime, WFH<br />
and the dementia in the workplace<br />
Legal briefings<br />
Chamber Events<br />
Training & Professional Development<br />
<strong>Prosper</strong> People<br />
Business Voices & Advice<br />
PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong><br />
O5
WELCOME<br />
Challenging times demand a positive mindset and a go-to attitude. It’s fortunate that the Black Country has<br />
those qualities in abundance, says Sarah Moorhouse, CEO of the Black Country Chamber<br />
We’ve got your back,<br />
always be assured of that<br />
Welcome to the last <strong>Prosper</strong> Magazine<br />
of <strong>2023</strong>, another issue full of business<br />
insights, news, views, opinion, and<br />
debate. I’m also pleased it has an<br />
introduction to the talented and<br />
dedicated team I have here at the<br />
Chamber.<br />
Just over 12 months ago I took over the<br />
custodianship of this great organisation<br />
and fellowship of businesses.<br />
But times are tough for business, they<br />
have been for a while now. In recent<br />
memory, many of the events we have<br />
experienced usually occur infrequently, if<br />
not generationally.<br />
But we are in a period of great change<br />
as the region’s business community<br />
continues to navigate the aftermath of<br />
the COVID-19 pandemic, Brexit, the<br />
digital industrial revolution, and the<br />
transition to net zero, all against a<br />
backdrop of global economic uncertainty.<br />
Nationally and regionally, our public<br />
sector institutions and leaders are also<br />
evolving as an enhanced devolution deal<br />
is set to come into force this <strong>Autumn</strong> and<br />
local elections, a WMCA Mayoral Election<br />
and General Election are all expected in<br />
2024 ... and let’s not think about the<br />
recent multiple changes in Government!<br />
The old adage goes that business<br />
loves stability. Now, we could be forgiven<br />
for simply thinking that business<br />
deserves a break and as business<br />
leaders, we all could do with rest.<br />
But we cannot rest, and when<br />
moments of transition present us with<br />
the opportunity to reflect and review, we<br />
must respond.<br />
I took custodianship of the helm of an<br />
organisation with century-spanning<br />
heritage. But it is one which, since I’ve<br />
been involved, has rapidly modernised to<br />
present a dynamic, capable, and<br />
confident partner of choice. There is no<br />
doubt that we punch above our weight,<br />
and we are constantly in the orbit of<br />
much bigger chambers, with bigger<br />
teams and more resources.<br />
Yet I am a leader of a highly<br />
professional and knowledgeable team of<br />
individuals who through their creativity,<br />
adaptability, passion, and dedication<br />
have proven themselves to be capable of<br />
rising to the challenges put before them.<br />
The Chamber continues to work hard<br />
to shift perceptions about the type of<br />
organisation it used to be and<br />
demonstrate its potential as an advocate<br />
and champion of all the businesses, no<br />
matter their sector, their size, whether<br />
they’ve been trading for one year or 100.<br />
This Chamber is for everybody, it is<br />
forward-thinking, and it wants the best<br />
for its members.<br />
The future will continue to be<br />
challenging for business. We continue to<br />
operate in challenging times and many of<br />
us leading our organisations today have<br />
not done so in times of fluctuating<br />
inflation and rising interest rates before,<br />
let alone struggled to recruit and retain<br />
skilled talent during a period when the<br />
pandemic has shifted the expectations of<br />
those who work for us and our<br />
customers.<br />
But despite the challenges, there are<br />
exciting times on the horizon for the<br />
Chamber and for you, our members, who<br />
we never forget.<br />
I want you, our members, to be excited<br />
about your Chamber.<br />
We have your back and I hope you’ll<br />
have ours, too. I want us to be business<br />
partners and, moving forward, I see the<br />
Chamber’s role as inspiring our members<br />
to achieve success, supporting them<br />
along the way and encouraging them to<br />
be bold.<br />
For the Chamber, this is the moment<br />
for transformational change and I’m<br />
proud and honoured to be able to serve<br />
you.<br />
PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong> 07
FROM THE MAYOR’S DESK<br />
Black Country businesses are driving force<br />
behind our region’s push to Net Zero<br />
Andy Street,<br />
Mayor, West Midlands<br />
As the defining issue of our time, we face<br />
tremendously tough decisions on how to<br />
tackle climate change. As the birthplace<br />
of the Industrial Revolution, we have<br />
worked hard to ensure the Black Country<br />
and the wider West Midlands is at the<br />
forefront of the green revolution.<br />
I want to use this column to explain<br />
why, despite those huge challenges, I<br />
believe it’s vital that we double-down on<br />
our climate change ambitions, so we can<br />
benefit from the jobs and investment<br />
that achieving them will bring.<br />
While the Government remains<br />
committed to achieving Net Zero in the<br />
UK by 2050, the Prime Minister’s recent<br />
shift on green issues illustrates the tough<br />
balancing act required to protect citizens<br />
from the financial impact of change.<br />
I understand his decision to ease<br />
targets on heating and insulation, as<br />
technology is arguably not moving fast<br />
enough to hit them. However, my job as<br />
Mayor of the West Midlands is to put the<br />
needs of our region first, and I disagreed<br />
with his decision to delay the ban on<br />
sales of new petrol and diesel cars until<br />
2035.<br />
The West Midlands is home to some of<br />
the UK’s biggest automotive<br />
manufacturers, including Jaguar Land<br />
Rover (JLR). We account for 30% of all<br />
automotive employment in Britain.<br />
My personal view is that, with<br />
automotive being such a critical industry<br />
for the future of our region, it was not the<br />
right call.<br />
However, regardless of the national<br />
decision-making, businesses here in the<br />
Black Country, and across our region, are<br />
leading the way in building the green<br />
economy, creating jobs and driving<br />
innovation. Much of the record inward<br />
investment our region has seen in recent<br />
years was concentrated in the clean<br />
manufacturing sectors. We are seeing<br />
real innovation.<br />
Take Wolverhampton’s Wintech, which<br />
is celebrating its 40th anniversary this<br />
year. This firm has ambitious goals to<br />
support the UK’s Net Zero targets, by<br />
raising awareness of how their innovative<br />
façade engineering creates energy<br />
efficient buildings.<br />
Andy Street<br />
visiting EDF’s<br />
battery energy<br />
storage project<br />
in Sandwell.<br />
Then there is EDF’s exciting battery<br />
energy storage project in Sandwell.<br />
Green energy sources will play a vital role<br />
in helping us to honour our #WM2041<br />
Net Zero commitment, and reliable<br />
battery storage – for when the wind isn’t<br />
blowing or the sun isn’t shining – is<br />
essential if we are to harness the full<br />
potential of renewable energy.<br />
This EDF Renewables project at<br />
Bustleholme will upgrade battery storage<br />
capability in our region and showcase the<br />
benefits to local people and businesses<br />
that a low carbon future can deliver.<br />
Capable of powering a small town, this<br />
facility has now gone live in the Black<br />
Country.<br />
Our region is also pushing ahead with<br />
building the infrastructure that is needed<br />
to enable motorists to switch to electric<br />
vehicles, with the UK’s largest public<br />
charging hub being launched on the<br />
National Exhibition Centre campus.<br />
Capable of charging 180 EVs<br />
simultaneously with 16 ultra-fast 300<br />
kilowatt DC chargers, of which two are<br />
designated accessible bays, the hub is<br />
the biggest private investment in electric<br />
charging in the UK.<br />
The commitments to net zero cross<br />
sectors. Over 100 businesses have now<br />
committed to taking steps to cut their<br />
emissions and help the West Midlands<br />
become net zero by 2041.<br />
Black Country-based manufacturer<br />
AVACE is among the latest cohort to sign<br />
the West Midlands Combined Authority’s<br />
(WMCA) Net Zero Business Pledge,<br />
joining some of the highest profile<br />
employers across the region.<br />
To lead change at this scale, we need<br />
businesses of all sizes – and from all<br />
sectors – to commit to new ways of<br />
working. All the indications are that<br />
businesses in the Black Country are<br />
buying into the benefits of joining the<br />
green revolution.<br />
08 PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong>
CHAMBER NEWS<br />
British Chambers’ Quarterly Economic Survey:<br />
Why we need YOU …<br />
The British Chambers of Commerce,<br />
together with the accredited Chamber<br />
Network, including the Black Country<br />
Chamber, runs Britain’s most influential<br />
private business survey – the Quarterly<br />
Economic Survey (QES).<br />
Each quarter more than 6,000<br />
businesses nationally are questioned on<br />
a range issues, including domestic sales<br />
and orders, export sales and orders,<br />
employment prospects, investment,<br />
recruitment difficulties, cashflow,<br />
confidence and price pressures.<br />
The QES anticipated the onset of both<br />
the 1990s and 2008 recessions before<br />
they began and continues to act as a<br />
reliable indicator of national and regional<br />
economic performance.<br />
It is closely watched by national<br />
policymakers, including the Treasury, the<br />
Bank of England and the Office of Budget<br />
Responsibility and is the first economic<br />
indicator of the quarter, published in<br />
advance of official figures and other<br />
private surveys, which consistently<br />
mirrors trends in official data.<br />
But did you know…<br />
• The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy<br />
Committee uses the QES as one of its<br />
benchmarks when setting interest rates.<br />
• HM Treasury and the independent<br />
Office for Budget Responsibility use the<br />
We need you to take<br />
part in our next<br />
Quarterly Economic<br />
Survey. Scan this QR<br />
code for more details<br />
QES to put together their forecasts for<br />
the UK’s economic performance.<br />
• The European Commission uses the<br />
QES to assess the health of the UK<br />
economy.<br />
The QES takes place four times a year,<br />
and is open to responses for three weeks<br />
each quarter. All types of business can<br />
respond – private, public, and third<br />
sector. Results overviews are published<br />
four-six weeks after the survey ends.<br />
Black Country Chamber Policy Officer,<br />
Gemma Edwards told <strong>Prosper</strong>, “At a local<br />
level, the QES is an important source for<br />
the Chamber to review performance,<br />
concerns, and views of our businesses.<br />
“We can use this data when meeting<br />
with local MPs and council leaders to<br />
develop economic strategies and policies<br />
to promote and enhance growth and<br />
enterprise.<br />
SAVE THE DATE FOR QES<br />
QUARTER 4 REPORT<br />
Thursday, 11th January, at the<br />
University of Wolverhampton<br />
Science Park, Marston Room,<br />
Technology Centre, Glaisher Drive,<br />
Wolverhampton WV10 9RU<br />
Time: 8.30am-10am<br />
Cost: Free to members<br />
Join us at our QES breakfast<br />
meeting, where we will reveal the<br />
results from our Q4 <strong>2023</strong> Quarterly<br />
Economic Survey. You’ll be the first<br />
to hear how businesses in the Black<br />
Country are feeling as 2024 begins.<br />
We’ll also exclusively reveal Black<br />
Country data, alongside the national<br />
data, to give you the picture of the<br />
local and national economy to start<br />
your year off right.<br />
Further details, and to book, see<br />
www.blackcountrychamber<br />
ofcommerce.co.uk/events<br />
“But we can’t do this without Black<br />
Country businesses – so we strongly<br />
encourage all businesses, whether<br />
Chamber members or not, to complete<br />
the survey every quarter. It takes less<br />
than five minutes, and the information<br />
produced is invaluable.”<br />
Gemma Edwards<br />
Black Country Chamber’s own QES in<br />
early October showed firms are still<br />
struggling to recruit and are battling<br />
with rising labour costs which are<br />
rivalling the rise of utility prices.<br />
n Inflation and interest rates are<br />
amongst the highest concern for firms<br />
across all sectors, at 56% and 53%<br />
respectively.<br />
n Cashflow has increased for 29% of<br />
firms while 45% say it has remained<br />
constant; 26% report a decrease in<br />
cashflow.<br />
n 55% of Black Country businesses<br />
believe turnover will improve over the<br />
next 12 months, and 45% believe<br />
profitability will improve, too.<br />
n 26% of firms reported an increase<br />
in domestic sales, 44% reported no<br />
change and 26% reported a decrease.<br />
n 8% of firms reported an increase in<br />
overseas sales, 22% reported no<br />
change and 16% reported a decrease.<br />
n 71% of Black Country firms had<br />
looked to recruit over the past quarter.<br />
The same number experienced<br />
difficulties in doing so, compared with<br />
85% in Q2.<br />
Gemma Edwards said: “Although we<br />
continue to be concerned with the<br />
difficulties of recruiting suitable staff in<br />
the Black Country, and the ongoing<br />
impacts of high inflation and interest<br />
rates, it’s good to see some signs of<br />
positivity in business confidence of<br />
improving profitability and turnover,<br />
and that businesses expect that they<br />
will not need to raise prices in the next<br />
few months.”<br />
10 PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong>
NEWS<br />
Apprentices boost In-Comm Training to record intake<br />
Interest in engineering apprentices is<br />
booming in the region after In-Comm<br />
Training announced a 35% increase in<br />
the number of starts this September.<br />
One of the UK’s leading training<br />
providers has recruited 199 individuals<br />
across its Aldridge and Telford technical<br />
academies, with learners starting careers<br />
in machining, robotics, welding, electrical,<br />
mechatronics and toolmaking.<br />
Companies, including Ansaldo Nuclear,<br />
Altrad Babcock, HS Marston Aerospace,<br />
Magna Cosma Castings, Makita, RBSL<br />
and Veolia, are taking the long-term<br />
approach to beating labour and skills<br />
shortage by opting to grow their own.<br />
In addition to the budding engineers of<br />
the future, In-Comm Training also<br />
successfully inducted 25 learners onto its<br />
Level 4 HNC programme, highlighting a<br />
strong move towards upskilling workers.<br />
Paul Hodgetts, Business Development<br />
Manager at In-Comm Training, told<br />
<strong>Prosper</strong>: “We have been able to fill nearly<br />
90 additional vacancies this year, which is<br />
great news for local employers and a<br />
massive indication that vocational<br />
learning is in the ascendancy.<br />
“There is a lot of opportunity for<br />
industry at the moment, but the ability to<br />
scale up is being held back by access to<br />
both the right people and the volume of<br />
individuals in the labour pool.”<br />
He added: “The results of our Training<br />
Barometer clearly showed that industry is<br />
waking up to the importance of<br />
developing their own staff and<br />
apprenticeships now being accepted as a<br />
credible career development choice.”<br />
“In-Comm has also had a big drive on<br />
equality and diversity, making sure<br />
industry is seen as a career for all. 30% of<br />
our new Telford cohort girls and nearly<br />
19% of our Aldridge learners coming from<br />
a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic<br />
background. The latter is an impressive<br />
stat when you consider the national<br />
average for engineering is just 7%.”<br />
The first cohort of learners have<br />
already started at both sites, with the<br />
second one set to begin shortly.<br />
Depending on their pathway, they will be<br />
either full-time at In-Comm or part time<br />
and spending the rest of the course at<br />
their employers, gaining experience and<br />
knowledge from work-based mentors.<br />
Jayne Guest, Recruitment Manager at<br />
In-Comm Training, concluded, “We will be<br />
continuing our recruitment of<br />
apprentices throughout the coming<br />
months for our early 2024 cohorts and<br />
then the big recruitment drive from<br />
Christmas kicks-off again - to fulfil our<br />
September and October 2024 starts.”<br />
Apprenticeship focus: see page 34<br />
PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong> 11
NEWS<br />
Chambers to take lead in levelling up skills<br />
A major new plan to help the West<br />
Midlands and Warwickshire tackle labour<br />
and skills shortages has been approved<br />
by the Government – with more than £10<br />
million of funding available in the region<br />
to deliver its aims.<br />
The West Midlands and Warwickshire<br />
Local Skills Improvement Plan (WMW<br />
LSIP) has been produced by Coventry<br />
and Warwickshire Chamber, in<br />
collaboration with Greater Birmingham<br />
Chambers of Commerce and Black<br />
Country Chamber of Commerce.<br />
The plan, which sets out three key<br />
priorities, comes after six months of<br />
research and consultation with employers<br />
and skills and training organisations.<br />
It has identified shortfalls in provision<br />
and made recommendations on how they<br />
can be addressed. Secretary of State for<br />
Education, The Rt Hon Gillian Keegan MP,<br />
has rubber-stamped the plan and £10.4<br />
million has been made available through<br />
a Local Skills Improvement Fund (LSIF) to<br />
enable FE providers to respond.<br />
A partnership of local providers, led by<br />
Solihull College, is now bidding for that<br />
funding to address the issues highlighted.<br />
The first priority is to target key sectors<br />
crucial to the growth of the region,<br />
including engineering & manufacturing,<br />
“The Chamber is<br />
helping to create a<br />
skills and training<br />
blueprint that meets<br />
the needs of<br />
businesses,” says<br />
CEO Sarah<br />
Moorhouse<br />
construction, ICT & digital and logistics<br />
and distribution, and to improve training<br />
and education provision.<br />
The second priority is the provision of<br />
excellent, flexible leadership and<br />
management training in both specific and<br />
general topics to facilitate business growth.<br />
Finally, the plan responds to employer<br />
requests for greater levels of essential<br />
skills with a new short course programme<br />
and mentoring and coaching projects.<br />
Sarah Moorhouse, Chief Executive of<br />
Black Country Chamber of Commerce,<br />
said: “Recruitment, retention, but more<br />
importantly skills, or sadly, the lack of<br />
them, remain our members’ number one<br />
priorities, so the opportunity to work<br />
collaboratively on this project, and place<br />
employers at the heart of the skills<br />
system, has allowed them to express<br />
their short and long-term skills needs.<br />
“By consulting with and articulating the<br />
skills needs of employers, the Chamber is<br />
helping to create a skills and training<br />
blueprint that meets the needs of<br />
businesses as well as the wider<br />
community, and LSIPs provides us with<br />
the opportunity to shape the future of the<br />
region’s skills and talent pipeline.<br />
“Alongside the specific skills required<br />
to build the new green economy, and<br />
ease the recruitment crisis in many<br />
sectors, businesses involved in the LSIPs<br />
overwhelmingly identified communication<br />
and soft skills as a key priority. Digital<br />
skills were also raised across the board,<br />
along with deficiencies in those which are<br />
specific to our region, in the fields of<br />
engineering and manufacturing.”<br />
“We look forward to working in<br />
partnership with our colleges, training<br />
providers, the combined authority, and<br />
other regional stakeholders to deliver real<br />
change as we move forward to phase two<br />
of the plans and the implementation.”<br />
Corin Crane of Coventry and<br />
Warwickshire Chamber said: “We are very<br />
pleased that the regional LSIP has been<br />
approved by Government and that we can<br />
now set to work in helping to tackle the<br />
skills shortage in the region.”<br />
Doocey’s delight<br />
over first female<br />
apprentices<br />
A construction firm has appointed<br />
its first ever female apprentices as<br />
the Doocey Group’s latest cohort<br />
of apprentices began training at<br />
Sandwell College. An open day at<br />
the firm sparked massive interest<br />
with local young people of both<br />
sexes popping along to see what<br />
opportunities lay in the<br />
construction industry.<br />
Nearly 120 hopefuls made it<br />
through to the Tipton group’s<br />
pre-apprenticeship scheme run<br />
through the summer, which<br />
included a three-week practical<br />
trial to rate their suitability.<br />
The final 12 chosen for the<br />
apprenticeship scheme included<br />
two females, for the first time.<br />
Long road behind Len – but<br />
plenty more miles to go<br />
National Express West Midlands’ is<br />
celebrating the remarkable 72-year<br />
career of Len Stanton, its longest-serving<br />
engineer.<br />
87-year-old Len from West Bromwich<br />
started as an apprentice aged just 15 with<br />
what was then the West Bromwich<br />
Corporation – and he’s been at the West<br />
Bromwich garage since 1951.<br />
From his days as a young apprentice,<br />
Len consistently demonstrated<br />
exceptional skill and mentorship, and his<br />
expertise and knowledge has earned the<br />
admiration and respect of his peers<br />
throughout the business.<br />
He plays a critical role in helping to<br />
maintain the bus fleet and ensure<br />
vehicles are ready for service to take<br />
thousands of customers to school, work<br />
and shopping every day.<br />
When asked what has changed over<br />
the years, Len told <strong>Prosper</strong>, “Things here<br />
have definitely changed. We used to start<br />
engines with a starting handle! But it’s<br />
like an old coat, you just fit it on.<br />
Whatever happened I just got my head<br />
down and did my job.”<br />
12 PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong>
PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong> 13
CHAMBER NEWS: PLATINUM GROUP<br />
Black Country Chamber is delighted to welcome three new companies to its Platinum<br />
Group: Lloyds Bank, law firm Freeths and Dudley Building Society. The trio will now be a<br />
key part of our exclusive platform for business leaders, who meet to tackle some of the<br />
challenges that impact businesses across the region and identify new opportunities<br />
Lloyds Bank links up with Platinum Group<br />
to help build on existing relationships<br />
The Black Country Chamber has<br />
welcomed Lloyds Bank to its Platinum<br />
Group. Lloyds Bank has served the<br />
people, businesses and communities of<br />
the region for over 250 years, and is one<br />
of the UK’s leading retail and commercial<br />
banks serving millions of customers. It<br />
still boasts over 1,000 branches across<br />
the country.<br />
Richard Jenkins, area director for<br />
Lloyds in the region, and a regional<br />
manufacturing and sustainability<br />
ambassador for the bank, said becoming<br />
a member of the Platinum Group “builds<br />
on our existing, strong relationship with<br />
the Chambers which we’ve had for many<br />
years, particularly across the Midlands,<br />
and we’re delighted to be joining the<br />
Black Country Platinum Group.<br />
“Most recently we’ve partnered with<br />
the British Chambers of Commerce to<br />
explore the challenges and opportunities<br />
for SMEs as they transition to net zero,<br />
which we know is critical to Black<br />
Country businesses and their wider<br />
supply chains.<br />
“This partnership will not only enable<br />
us to deepen our insights and strengthen<br />
our business relationships across the<br />
region, but also provide a forum for us to<br />
share our significant regional and sectoral<br />
expertise to support local SMEs”.<br />
Joining the likes of the Wolverhampton<br />
Grand Theatre, KMB Shipping and<br />
Juniper Training, Lloyds will be looked<br />
after by the Chamber’s head of premium<br />
memberships, Gail Arnold, who said, “I’m<br />
thrilled to welcome such a prestigious<br />
name to the Platinum Group.<br />
Richard Jenkins<br />
with the Chamber’s<br />
Sarah Moorhouse<br />
and Gail Arnold:<br />
“This partnership<br />
will enable us to<br />
deepen our<br />
insights and<br />
strengthen our<br />
business<br />
relationships<br />
across the Black<br />
Country...”<br />
“Joining our confidential peer-to-peer<br />
discussions, gaining perspectives from<br />
other sectors and businesses and helping<br />
to build long-lasting relationships, is what<br />
the Platinum Group is all about, and the<br />
contribution that Lloyds will make to the<br />
longstanding partnerships in the group<br />
will be invaluable, and help us to continue<br />
our on-going work with every member of<br />
the group.”<br />
Richard Jenkins and Net Zero - pg 28<br />
Members’ news<br />
JJX on the right road to net zero<br />
JJX Logistics has compiled its sustainability figures for the three<br />
months between July <strong>2023</strong> to September <strong>2023</strong> and seen improvements<br />
across the board on its 40-strong fleet. This success, headlined by a<br />
reduction of 51,912kg of CO 2<br />
emissions, comes off the back of a revised<br />
corporate sustainability pledge back in July.<br />
With a strong ethos on #DeliveringGreener at JJX, Managing Director<br />
John Donovan said he is “incredibly proud” with the latest report.<br />
A major factor in supporting a push to net zero is fleet management<br />
company Samsara’s state-of-the-art vehicle tracking software, says<br />
John. “Using a combination of their integrated API solutions, we receive<br />
unparalleled real-time data on vehicle efficiencies, idling, anticipation<br />
and fuel usage, granting full fleet visibility to our stakeholders.”<br />
14 PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong>
CHAMBER NEWS: PLATINUM GROUP<br />
Strategic advisers look to unlock growth<br />
Leading UK law firm Freeths is the latest<br />
company to sign up to the Chamber<br />
Platinum Group.<br />
As a full-service firm, Freeths, which<br />
has 13 offices across the country,<br />
including Birmingham, Nottingham,<br />
Leicester, London and Manchester, sits<br />
in The Times Best Law Firms of 2024 and<br />
consistently ranks in the top tier of the<br />
Legal 500 and Chambers guides.<br />
Nicola Dolman, Freeths’ senior<br />
business development manager, said,<br />
“We upgraded our membership to<br />
Platinum status with the strategic aim of<br />
raising our profile, building relationships<br />
with local businesses, and helping them<br />
unlock new growth opportunities.<br />
“Many members have strong<br />
manufacturing backgrounds, which is an<br />
area we’re looking to grow, not least<br />
because it aligns to our existing<br />
automotive, food, drink, life sciences and<br />
waste sectors.<br />
“We are excited to work with the<br />
Chamber and have some interesting<br />
plans for the coming year, providing<br />
opportunities for its members to learn<br />
how we can help with strategic business<br />
advice.”<br />
Gail Arnold, head of premium<br />
membership at the Chamber said: “I’m<br />
delighted such a well-known and<br />
respected national law firm like Freeths<br />
has joined this expanding group.<br />
“It is an absolute pleasure for me to<br />
work with such fantastic businesses on<br />
this peer-to-peer networking group.<br />
“I see them work together in sharing<br />
best practice meetings, challenge each<br />
other in their advisory group meetings,<br />
which ultimately forges strong and<br />
trusted business relationships.”<br />
Nicola Dolman with the<br />
Chamber’s Gail Arnold<br />
Group will help us support region’s business<br />
The third business to join the Platinum<br />
Group is Dudley Building Society.<br />
Founded in 1858 and powering life for<br />
over 160 years, the Dudley Building<br />
Society, headquartered on the<br />
Waterfront in Merry Hill, offers a range of<br />
savings accounts, mortgages and<br />
financial services to help our members, it<br />
joins the Platinum Group after upgrading<br />
membership from Gold.<br />
The society’s chief executive James<br />
Paterson said, “Dudley Building Society<br />
has been a Chamber member for a<br />
number of years. Having set an ambitious<br />
new growth plan this year and recently<br />
passing the significant milestone of<br />
£600m of gross assets, the society<br />
decided to join the Platinum Group to<br />
build our network of businesses within<br />
the local community, and to play our part<br />
in supporting the communities in which<br />
we serve.<br />
“We are a business that’s heart is in the<br />
Black Country region, and we are<br />
determined to do what we can to help the<br />
region to prosper and to support people<br />
across the region to live better lives.<br />
“Dudley Building Society has already<br />
announced and is delivering on a number<br />
of significant initiatives to achieve this<br />
aim, including the expansion of its branch<br />
network to savers across the region,<br />
teamed up with a new digital platform<br />
delivered during the pandemic;<br />
introducing some of the best savings’<br />
rates for businesses, charities and clubs<br />
in the UK and supporting local people to<br />
learn new skills and build financial<br />
confidence.<br />
“By joining the Platinum Group, we<br />
hope that we can expand our network of<br />
local businesses to understand what’s<br />
needed to support them and understand<br />
Pictured at the<br />
Chamber’s<br />
Business Awards is<br />
James Paterson,<br />
with Gail Arnold<br />
how we can work with businesses to<br />
support the Black Country community<br />
directly.<br />
“We also want to ensure that we’re<br />
offering the savings facilities that<br />
businesses need, ensuring businesses<br />
are aware of what it is that we offer.<br />
“We’re looking forward to working with<br />
more Chamber members moving forward<br />
and encourage you to reach out to us at<br />
Community@dudleybuildingsociety.co.uk<br />
to start a conversation.”<br />
PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong> 15
CHAMBER PATRONS<br />
Major Black Country quartet renew<br />
Chamber patron deals<br />
Walsall-based, Starting Point<br />
Recruitment, the agency that ploughs<br />
100% of its profits to local charities and<br />
good causes, while helping people<br />
overcome obstacles to work, has<br />
renewed its patronage with the Black<br />
Country Chamber.<br />
They are joined by one of the UK’s<br />
leading independent training providers,<br />
In-Comm Training, Wolverhamptonbased<br />
not for profit health care cash plan<br />
provider Paycare, and the company<br />
responsible for operations at the newly<br />
opened Halls in Wolverhampton, global<br />
entertainment operator AEG Presents,<br />
who have all renewed their patronage<br />
with the region’s longest running<br />
business support organisation in recent<br />
weeks.<br />
The Chamber’s Patrons work as<br />
strategic partners alongside the region’s<br />
leading business support organisation<br />
and work hand-in-hand to support the<br />
Chamber’s work as they champion local<br />
businesses.<br />
Paul Hodgetts, sales manager for<br />
In-Comm Training said: “In-Comm<br />
Training has benefitted hugely from our<br />
excellent relationship with Black Country<br />
Chamber, so it made perfect sense to<br />
renew our patronage.<br />
“The organisation provides an excellent<br />
platform to support local businesses and<br />
to match companies who have shared<br />
goals, which in our case is supporting<br />
engineering firms and manufacturers to<br />
bridge their skills and labour shortages.<br />
“We also tap into the huge calendar of<br />
events the Chamber puts on, both for<br />
making new connections and sharing<br />
best practice with like-minded<br />
businesses.<br />
“Last, but certainly not least, is the<br />
fantastic advice we get from Gail Arnold<br />
and her team.”<br />
Anthony Burns, CEO of Paycare added:<br />
“We are delighted to continue our<br />
long-standing relationship with the<br />
Chamber. The organisation is an asset to<br />
the Black Country, providing valuable<br />
support to all businesses whether they’re<br />
start-ups or established companies like<br />
ourselves ensuring the prosperity of the<br />
region going forward and bringing<br />
together those businesses so they can<br />
build connections with each other too.”<br />
Gail Arnold, head of premium<br />
membership at the Chamber said:<br />
“Collectively, our Patrons are well-known<br />
organisations that hold years of<br />
experience supporting people and<br />
businesses across the region, and play a<br />
leading role in driving productivity and<br />
growth.<br />
“I am absolutely delighted that these<br />
high profile and very diverse businesses<br />
are continuing their patronage with us,<br />
and look forward to continuing our<br />
important work with every organisation.”<br />
Chamber welcomes<br />
global leader to<br />
its Patron Group<br />
The Black Country Chamber of<br />
Commerce welcomed their latest Patron<br />
Group member in recent weeks – global<br />
leader in worldwide access solutions,<br />
ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions.<br />
A former Chamber Platinum Group<br />
member, ASSA ABLOY has now joined<br />
some of the region’s biggest names to<br />
become the Chamber’s latest Patron, a<br />
selective group of Black Country<br />
businesses who play a leading role with<br />
the Chamber to drive productivity and<br />
growth across the region.<br />
Willenhall-based ASSA ABLOY, the<br />
first manufacturing business to join as a<br />
Patron Group, have been redefining<br />
opening and access solutions for homes,<br />
businesses, and institutions for nearly<br />
200 years.<br />
ASSA ABLOY’S Chief Operating<br />
Officer, Jeanette McFarland said, “We<br />
have a long-standing relationship with the<br />
Black Country Chamber and see<br />
becoming a Patron as a great opportunity<br />
to enhance our profile locally.<br />
Black Country<br />
Chamber’s Sarah<br />
Moorhouse and<br />
Gail Arnold with<br />
Jeanette<br />
McFarland and<br />
other members of<br />
the ASSA ABLOY<br />
senior<br />
management<br />
“We have always valued the<br />
opportunities provided by the Chamber to<br />
network with like-minded organisations<br />
and the ability to influence policies.”<br />
Gail Arnold, head of premium<br />
membership at the Chamber said: “I am<br />
delighted to welcome ASSA ABLOY to the<br />
Patron Group. Our Patrons have always<br />
been a key element of our work in the<br />
region, and make a positive impact.”<br />
16 PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong>
CHAMBER PATRONS/ NEWS<br />
Juniper upgrades<br />
member links to<br />
become patron<br />
University renews ‘pivotal’<br />
relationship with Chamber<br />
The University of Wolverhampton, home<br />
to 28,000 students worldwide, has<br />
renewed its longstanding Patronage with<br />
the Black Country Chamber.<br />
Richard Nicklin, deputy director for<br />
business engagement at the University of<br />
Wolverhampton, told <strong>Prosper</strong>: “We’re<br />
proud to renew our patronage for the<br />
22nd year in a row.<br />
“The Chamber is pivotal to ensuring<br />
the voice and needs of Black Country<br />
businesses are heard and supported, and<br />
we look forward to working alongside the<br />
Chamber and its members as we<br />
continue to meet the challenges of an<br />
uncertain economic environment.<br />
“Engaging with business organisations<br />
of all sizes – to share<br />
knowledge, encourage<br />
innovation and support<br />
enterprise – is a vital part<br />
of the university’s<br />
commitment to the Black<br />
Country’s future. As a<br />
Patron we believe that<br />
collaboration is key to<br />
maximising<br />
opportunities, restoring<br />
faith in the region, and<br />
collectively ensuring that<br />
our local communities<br />
continue to thrive.”<br />
Gail Arnold, head of<br />
premium membership at<br />
the Chamber said: “I am delighted that<br />
the university, which I have worked so<br />
closely with over many years, is<br />
continuing its Patronage with us and I<br />
look forward to continuing our important<br />
work together.”<br />
The university’s role in the region was<br />
highlighted in September when it was<br />
ranked number 1 in the UK for teaching<br />
first generation students in the Daily Mail<br />
League Tables – those who are the first in<br />
their family to go to university.<br />
In recent years, a number of its<br />
photography and fine art students have<br />
worked closely with the Chamber to<br />
capture front cover images for <strong>Prosper</strong>.<br />
Graduating last month was Alina<br />
Ahmand, who is pictured left<br />
with the front cover she<br />
created of the Black Country<br />
Chamber’s Business-person<br />
of the Year 2022, Paul Hull,<br />
entrepreneur, and co-owner<br />
of KMB Shipping. Alina said,<br />
“To have the opportunity to<br />
take these images as part of<br />
my degree course and<br />
graduate with a magazine<br />
front cover already in my<br />
portfolio, has been amazing.<br />
“I am so grateful to the<br />
Chamber for championing<br />
my work and giving me the<br />
opportunity.”<br />
Platinum Group member Juniper<br />
Training has become the latest<br />
company to upgrade its<br />
membership and become a Patron<br />
of Black Country Chamber.<br />
The Wolverhampton-based firm<br />
offers training solutions and<br />
apprenticeships to individuals and<br />
businesses. It has been working<br />
within the Platinum Group for the<br />
last 12 months, having joined the<br />
Chamber back in 2018.<br />
Head of business development at<br />
Juniper, Samantha Broomhall said:<br />
“We’re absolutely delighted to<br />
become a Chamber Patron. Our<br />
membership has enabled us to<br />
network and build relationships with<br />
a variety of organisations, keep<br />
abreast of developments and<br />
provided opportunities to celebrate<br />
our successes.<br />
“Here at Juniper, we are<br />
passionate about supporting local<br />
people to access local opportunities<br />
with local employers, and we are<br />
proud of the impact this has in<br />
driving productivity and growth<br />
across the Black Country.”<br />
Gail Arnold at the Chamber said:<br />
“Our Patron Group is key to<br />
delivering our work here at the<br />
Chamber: they are our key strategic<br />
partners, with a sense of civic pride<br />
and a passion to make a positive<br />
impact across the Black Country<br />
economy. We are delighted to<br />
welcome Juniper from our Platinum<br />
Group to Patronage.”<br />
Lisa Jenkins, Gail Arnold &<br />
Samantha Broomhall<br />
PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong> 17
NEWS<br />
New business group to use collaborative<br />
approach as it aims for regional growth<br />
Black Country business leaders are<br />
among those joining a powerful private<br />
sector body established to champion<br />
growth across the West Midlands.<br />
Business Commission West Midlands<br />
(BCWM) comprises leaders in enterprise,<br />
supported by expert advisors, who will<br />
examine the opportunities for regional<br />
business and identify the action needed<br />
to seize them.<br />
Led by Mark Taylor, Midlands<br />
managing partner at accountancy and<br />
business advisory firm RSM, its partners<br />
include University College Birmingham,<br />
Aston University, Douglas Wright T/A<br />
McDonalds and Birmingham City<br />
University.<br />
The Commission has been convened<br />
by Greater Birmingham, Black Country<br />
and Coventry & Warwickshire Chambers<br />
of Commerce.<br />
Its key priorities will include identifying<br />
trends in business’ priorities and appetite<br />
for growth; outlining key areas of change<br />
required for growth; and looking at<br />
perceived strengths and weaknesses of<br />
the regional business environment.<br />
Its reports will be based on evidence<br />
gathering sessions and research with<br />
businesses and representative<br />
organisations across the region. Once it<br />
has identified areas for reform, it will then<br />
recommend policy changes.<br />
Sarah Moorhouse, CEO at the Black<br />
Country Chamber said: “As we head<br />
towards the end of yet another year of<br />
uncertainty and slow economic growth,<br />
we need to continue to work together to<br />
help us identify and unlock the barriers<br />
for business growth, while exploring the<br />
priorities and opportunities to enable this<br />
region to thrive.<br />
“By working collaboratively within the<br />
Business Commission West Midlands, it<br />
will allow us to identify the trends, outline<br />
the key areas and of course help us to<br />
highlight our strengths, as we come<br />
together as strategic economic partners<br />
to boost investment, sustain growth and<br />
identify new opportunities for our<br />
business communities.”<br />
Black Country Board member Vicki<br />
Wilkes, who will be a commissioner in the<br />
newly launched group, said: “I am joining<br />
the BCWM to represent SMEs, with<br />
whom it is traditionally harder to engage<br />
with. This region has a high number of<br />
amazing, but unknown, smaller<br />
Jeanette McFarland (far left) and Vicki<br />
Wilkes (left) will be members of the new<br />
Business Commission<br />
businesses, and if these can be<br />
understood, supported and helped to<br />
thrive, we can transform the regional<br />
economy.”<br />
Jeanette McFarland, chief operating<br />
officer UK & I for ASSA ABLOY Limited, a<br />
Patron of the Black Country Chamber,<br />
said: “Organic growth is vital to our<br />
long-term success, so I am excited to be<br />
invited to be a Commissioner for the<br />
Business Commission West Midlands.<br />
“The West Midlands is a great place to<br />
be based but it’s important that decision<br />
makers understand the challenges we<br />
face. BCWM provides a great opportunity<br />
to work with a talented and diverse group<br />
of individuals and advisors, for our voices<br />
to be heard and create a joined-up<br />
approach to accelerating growth in our<br />
region”<br />
Henrietta Brealey, commission<br />
convenor and CEO of the Greater<br />
Birmingham Chambers of Commerce,<br />
“The level and pace of change that the<br />
business community has seen in recent<br />
years has been extraordinary. In this<br />
context we need a fundamental reset of<br />
our understanding of what businesses<br />
need to fulfil their growth potential.”<br />
Chamber CEO named Vice Chair of regional business forum<br />
Black Country Chamber of Commerce<br />
CEO, Sarah Moorhouse has been<br />
appointed as Vice Chair of the West<br />
Midlands Business Insights Forum.<br />
The Forum, chaired by West<br />
Midlands Mayor, Andy Street, includes<br />
some of the most senior business<br />
leaders from across the West Midlands<br />
and provides a platform to explore<br />
topics of interest and concern to the<br />
business community in the region.<br />
“I was delighted to be asked to<br />
become this important business group’s<br />
vice chair,” says Sarah. “The Forum<br />
helps to drive and advise on<br />
interventions affecting business, giving<br />
us the opportunity to widen the<br />
discussions with government. It also<br />
enables us to work together to codesign<br />
the support mechanisms and<br />
ensure that a business voice is a key<br />
part of the West Midlands Combined<br />
Authority decision-making.<br />
“This cohesive approach will ensure<br />
our Black Country firms have a voice in<br />
the arena, which is vital for both our<br />
economy and future prosperity.”<br />
By utilising the combined expertise<br />
of business organisations, including the<br />
Black Country Chamber of Commerce,<br />
Make UK, FSB, universities and other<br />
representative organisations, the<br />
Forum will identify interventions on the<br />
major issues that the Government<br />
faces, and investigate, co-design and<br />
lobby on behalf of the West Midlands<br />
region.<br />
Sarah added: “Promoting the region<br />
and working together to ensure we have<br />
a collective message aimed at key<br />
decision-makers in Government cannot<br />
be underestimated, and I am relishing<br />
the opportunity to stand up for the<br />
region and the future of our business<br />
communities.”<br />
18 PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong>
BLACK COUNTRY CHAMBER AWARDS<br />
Chamber awards celebrate<br />
region’s businesses’ talent,<br />
tenacity and transformation<br />
Chamber Business Awards,<br />
9th November<br />
The 22nd Black Country Chamber<br />
Business Awards had the spotlight<br />
shining brightly on the region’s<br />
businesses, and the people within them,<br />
as an audience of over 500 gathered at<br />
Wolverhampton Racecourse for the<br />
glittering annual celebration.<br />
Championing the talent, tenacity, and<br />
transformation which puts the Black<br />
Country on the map, the great and the<br />
good from businesses across the region<br />
hit the sell-out red carpet awards in their<br />
finery to hear the winners announced,<br />
and those specially commended by the<br />
judging panel across 13 categories.<br />
Against a stunning awards backdrop,<br />
and elegant, if not funky, table<br />
decorations specially designed and<br />
created for the occasion by team<br />
members and apprentices working in<br />
several Chamber member manufacturing<br />
businesses – Stainless Steel Services<br />
Ltd, Metsec, ASSA Abloy Opening<br />
Solutions, Birchills Sculptures and Zaun<br />
– the people playing their part in vital<br />
areas of the region’s economy were<br />
celebrated for their hard work,<br />
determination, innovation and for their<br />
kindness to others.<br />
With stunning handmade corporate<br />
biscuits handed to the winners alongside<br />
their coveted trophies, courtesy of a<br />
Start-Up Chamber member, Dear Emily<br />
Designs, the awards once again reflected<br />
some of the challenges businesses<br />
continue to face in the changing<br />
economic climate.<br />
A host of surprises lay in store for the<br />
assembled audience including a<br />
captivating performance from Britain’s<br />
Got Talent finalist, Tipton-based Amy Lou.<br />
Meanwhile the audience dug deep as a<br />
rousing competition of head and tails<br />
raised over £3,100 for the Chamber’s<br />
chosen charity of the year, Black Country<br />
Mental Health, in a bid to help those<br />
struggling with mental health issues<br />
across the region.<br />
Sarah Moorhouse, Chamber CEO said,<br />
“It was fantastic evening of celebration<br />
and gave us the opportunity to showcase<br />
and profile the innovative, successful,<br />
and high-performing businesses that are<br />
located right across the Black Country.<br />
“Our awards are always popular, but we<br />
received the highest number of<br />
applications in every category this year,<br />
beating previous years hands down,<br />
meaning the evening was a complete sell<br />
out and we had a long waiting list for<br />
tickets.”<br />
Continued on page 22<br />
20 PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong>
AND THE WINNERS ARE…….<br />
BUSINESS COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY<br />
– sponsored by Sandwell Council<br />
Winner: Wolves Foundation<br />
Highly Commended: Starting Point Recruitment &<br />
YMCA Black Country Group<br />
EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR<br />
– sponsored by MET Recruitment<br />
Winner: Kellie Simcox, YMCA Black Country Group<br />
Highly Commended:<br />
Nathan Richards, Beacon Centre for the Blind<br />
EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR<br />
– sponsored by University of Wolverhampton<br />
Winner: School of Coding<br />
Highly Commended:<br />
ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions UK & Ireland<br />
EXCELLENCE IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE<br />
– sponsored by Azets<br />
Winner: Lebronze Alloys UK Limited<br />
Highly Commended: Exol Lubricants<br />
EXCELLENCE IN MANUFACTURING & ENGINEERING<br />
– sponsored by Thursfields<br />
Winner: A & M EDM<br />
EXCELLENCE IN PROFESSIONAL SERVICES<br />
– sponsored by Walsall Council<br />
Winner: VOiD Applications<br />
Highly Commended: West Midlands House Ltd<br />
EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY &<br />
INNOVATION<br />
– sponsored by EBC Group<br />
Winner: Sandwell College<br />
FAMILY BUSINESS OF THE YEAR<br />
– sponsored by Crowe UK LLP<br />
Winner: Burke Bros Moving Group<br />
Highly Commended: Coinadrink Limited<br />
MEDIUM OR LARGE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR<br />
– sponsored by Metsec<br />
Winner: JJX Logistics<br />
Highly Commended:<br />
The Mount Hotel Country<br />
Manor & Golf<br />
MOST PROMISING START-UP BUSINESS<br />
– sponsored by IOT Dudley<br />
Winner: Daniel-Scott Recruitment Ltd<br />
Highly Commended: MoRServ Ltd<br />
OUTSTANDING SUPPORT TO THE ARMED FORCES<br />
– sponsored by ASSA Abloy<br />
Winner: Lord Combustion Services Limited<br />
Highly Commended:<br />
West Midlands Psychotherapy Services Ltd<br />
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR<br />
– sponsored by IGNITE<br />
Winner: Birchills Automotive Presswork Ltd<br />
(Oliver Wellings Designs)<br />
Highly Commended:<br />
Penny Post Credit Union Ltd (PPCU)<br />
YOUNG EMPLOYEE/YOUNG APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR<br />
– sponsored by Halesowen College<br />
Winner: Jaspreet Kaur, Penny Post Credit Union Ltd<br />
(PPCU)<br />
Highly Commended: Anna Moore, Weston Park<br />
WOLVES FOUNDATION<br />
Winner, Business Commitment<br />
to the Community<br />
KELLIE SIMCOX,<br />
YMCA BLACK COUNTRY<br />
GROUP<br />
Winner, Business<br />
Commitment<br />
to the Community<br />
PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong> 21
BLACK COUNTRY CHAMBER AWARDS<br />
A & M EDM<br />
Winner, Excellence in<br />
Manufacturing & Engineering<br />
BIRCHILLS AUTOMOTIVE PRESSWORKS<br />
Winner, Small Business<br />
of the Year<br />
Continued from page 20<br />
Sarah added: “The wide range of categories resonated with<br />
many and helped give recognition to a range of sectors and<br />
business approaches, which all contribute to driving forward<br />
growth and investment across the area, as well celebrate the<br />
region’s talent and tenacity.<br />
“There is always a fierce appetite for our awards celebration<br />
night, which is only possible because of the support of our<br />
members, our sponsors and our local businesses; I would like<br />
to thank everyone who was involved again this year for making<br />
it such a special night, and a great way for me personally to<br />
celebrate my first year at the Chamber as CEO.”<br />
<strong>Prosper</strong> Editor Sarah Thompson said: “From uber-smart<br />
start-ups to caring corporate giants, hi-tech manufacturing<br />
firms to suppliers of quality professional services, our award<br />
winners covered them all.<br />
“Thanks for all those who got involved: our sponsors, the<br />
Chamber team who worked so hard to put them on and our<br />
friends at Wolverhampton Racecourse who hosted us so well,<br />
and to our compere, Dicky Dodd, for keeping the evening<br />
moving along like clockwork.”<br />
SCHOOL OF CODING<br />
Winner, Employer<br />
of the Year<br />
More award winners: See pg 24<br />
DANIEL-SCOTT<br />
RECRUITMENT<br />
Winner, Most<br />
Promising Start-<br />
Up Business<br />
JJX LOGISTICS<br />
Winner, Medium or<br />
Large Business<br />
of the Year<br />
22 PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong>
BLACK COUNTRY CHAMBER AWARDS<br />
LORD COMBUSTION SERVICES LTD<br />
Winner, Outstanding Support<br />
to the Armed Forces<br />
“It was fantastic evening of celebration and<br />
gave us the opportunity to showcase and<br />
profile the innovative, successful, and<br />
high-performing businesses that are<br />
located right across the Black Country...”<br />
JASPREET KAUR<br />
Winner, Young Employee/<br />
Apprentice of the Year<br />
LEBRONZE ALLOYS<br />
Winner, Excellence in<br />
International Trade<br />
BURKE BROS<br />
Winner, Family Business<br />
of the Year<br />
SANDWELL COLLEGE<br />
Winner, Excellence in Science,<br />
Technology & Innovation<br />
VOiD APPLICATIONS<br />
Winner, Excellence in<br />
Professional Services<br />
24 PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong>
MET RECRUITMENT<br />
Award sponsor celebrates 15th birthday with new<br />
recruitment contracts and record revenues<br />
One of the Black Country’s fastest<br />
growing recruitment firms is celebrating<br />
its 15th birthday in style after seeing<br />
revenue pass the £8m mark.<br />
MET Recruitment, which supplies<br />
thousands of industrial workers and<br />
hundreds of permanent staff every year,<br />
has overcome the shackles of the<br />
pandemic and a rapidly diminishing<br />
candidate pool to win a string of new<br />
contracts.<br />
The company has continued to grow its<br />
portfolio of clients by focusing on its<br />
proven ‘partnership’ approach, where it<br />
commits to going beyond their<br />
recruitment needs and looks at delivering<br />
a long-term labour solution.<br />
It is a philosophy that founder Robin<br />
Tong put in place in 2008 when he<br />
decided to swap a safe career with a big<br />
high street recruitment business to set<br />
up his own company in a shared office<br />
next to Den’s Diner on the Pensnett<br />
Trading Estate.<br />
Fast forward 15 years and MET<br />
Recruitment is now one of the leading<br />
local names in the sector and boasts<br />
customers, including Dreams, Trebles,<br />
Winster and Isaac H Grainger’s, the latter<br />
a family-run Black Country business that<br />
was the firm’s first-ever client and still<br />
works with it today.<br />
“If you told me in 2008 that I would<br />
have to guide a business through an<br />
immediate global crash, Brexit and a<br />
worldwide pandemic, then I may have had<br />
second thoughts,” explained Robin.<br />
“Despite all of these challenges and a<br />
rapidly shrinking labour force, we have<br />
emerged stronger and in a fantastic<br />
position to claim our record year in <strong>2023</strong>,<br />
with 70 industrial clients in place and<br />
commercial customers now hitting 35.”<br />
He continued: “We’ve had some major<br />
milestones along the way, including Nella<br />
Share (Commercial Director) and<br />
Matthew Hunter (Industrial Director)<br />
joining, bringing the old Merlin Wine Bar<br />
in Dudley back to life to house our HQ<br />
and the recent £300,000 investment in a<br />
second office on The Waterfront to look<br />
after our permanent staffing division.”<br />
Originally set up to supply staff to the<br />
mechanical and electrical trades, MET<br />
Recruitment has gone from three people<br />
in a small office to a 23-strong agency<br />
operating from two modern offices in the<br />
Black Country.<br />
Rob was determined to ensure that it<br />
was like no other recruitment business he<br />
had ever worked for, where they just<br />
simply reward top billers only.<br />
This sentiment was mirrored by Matt<br />
and Nella, who felt as passionately about<br />
creating an inclusive culture and this is<br />
why the business rewards all staff for their<br />
efforts, with team trips away and nights<br />
out for everyone, not just the sales team.<br />
This year saw the business extend its<br />
“If you told me in 2008 that I would have to guide a business<br />
through an immediate global crash, Brexit and a worldwide<br />
pandemic, then I may have had second thoughts ... but despite all<br />
of these challenges and a rapidly shrinking labour force, we have<br />
emerged stronger and in a fantastic position to claim our record<br />
year in <strong>2023</strong> ...”<br />
Robin Tong, founder, MET Recruitment<br />
“The whole team at MET<br />
Recruitment benefits when the<br />
business does well... we are<br />
passionate about adopting a<br />
truly inclusive culture...”<br />
offering even further with additional<br />
benefits including having your birthday<br />
off as an extra holiday day, the<br />
introduction of ‘MeTime’ which allows the<br />
whole team to take an extended lunch<br />
break every week, and paid volunteer<br />
leave for people to help a cause that is<br />
close to their hearts.<br />
Nella Share commented: “We<br />
appreciate how important our staff are<br />
and that nearly all businesses are only as<br />
good as their people.<br />
“That’s why we decided to sponsor the<br />
Black Country Chamber’s Employee of<br />
the Year Award, celebrating some of the<br />
amazing individual talent we have in this<br />
fantastic region of ours.<br />
“The finalists did not disappoint,<br />
making picking a winner a very tough and<br />
challenging decision.”<br />
For further information, please visit<br />
www.metrecruitment.com or follow<br />
@met_recruitment on twitter<br />
PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong> 25
ADVERTORIAL: DANIEL-SCOTT RECRUITMENT, CHAMBER BUSINESS AWARDS WINNER<br />
BCC Start-up award tops<br />
off a winning year for<br />
Daniel-Scott Recruitment<br />
Winning the title of Most Promising<br />
Start-up Business at the Black Country<br />
Chamber Business Awards has topped<br />
off a year of success for Daniel-Scott<br />
Recruitment.<br />
The fast-growing Halesowen-based<br />
recruitment agency scooped the prize in<br />
recognition of its continuous expansion,<br />
commitment to customer needs and<br />
entrepreneurial vision.<br />
Daniel-Scott Recruitment director<br />
Lucy Cashmore said: “I was thrilled to<br />
see our business crowned most<br />
promising Start-up Business at the<br />
region’s biggest business awards.<br />
“I am very proud of how far the agency<br />
has come in the past three years and<br />
feel extremely grateful to work with<br />
such a hardworking and talented team,<br />
who always want to deliver the best for<br />
our clients and job candidates.<br />
“I would like to thank all my<br />
colleagues, partners and clients for<br />
supporting Daniel-Scott Recruitment on<br />
its journey so far.”<br />
An experienced recruitment specialist,<br />
Lucy founded Daniel-Scott Recruitment<br />
in 2020. The agency’s recruiters are<br />
specialists within the contact centre,<br />
sales, marketing, admin and<br />
engineering sectors, offering a bespoke,<br />
consultative approach with expert<br />
advice to present the best candidates to<br />
great employers.<br />
The business has steadily increased<br />
its sales over the past three years,<br />
taking on new clients and winning<br />
repeat business with existing ones.<br />
Building on relationships with major<br />
clients based in the Midlands, Lucy has<br />
been able to expand her agency<br />
nationally, recruiting for company sites<br />
in Blackburn, Speke in Liverpool,<br />
Northampton and Bristol. Daniel-Scott<br />
is now the preferred supplier for six<br />
national businesses and their<br />
permanent staff recruitment needs.<br />
To set itself up for further growth, the<br />
agency recently expanded into new<br />
office space and welcomed a new<br />
business development manager, Sarah<br />
Westbury, to work alongside branch<br />
manager Becky Kells and recruitment<br />
consultant Daniel Cashmore.<br />
Daniel-Scott Recruitment achieves<br />
impressive candidate placement<br />
retention rates of circa 85% and has<br />
been awarded five-star reviews by all<br />
clients and job candidates who have left<br />
feedback.<br />
Lucy said: “I think the key to our<br />
success has been the quality of the<br />
relationships we have established with<br />
businesses and job candidates, which<br />
has made it easier to place the right<br />
people in the right roles.<br />
“We pride ourselves on not just being<br />
a recruitment agency but an essential,<br />
business-integrated partner, working<br />
very closely with companies throughout<br />
each recruitment process. We provide<br />
bespoke services, with phased payment<br />
options available.<br />
“By treating candidates as individuals<br />
and really understanding their needs and<br />
abilities, we place them into roles within<br />
companies that are not just a fit for their<br />
experience and qualifications but also<br />
for their personal character and values.<br />
“We also offer extended support to<br />
clients and candidates following all job<br />
placements, which is key to achieving<br />
strong retention rates.”<br />
As well as being committed to clients<br />
and job candidates, Lucy is passionate<br />
about giving back to her local<br />
community. She has signed up to<br />
become a volunteer enterprise adviser<br />
with the Black Country Careers Hub to<br />
help transform careers education for<br />
young people.<br />
Having been partnered with<br />
Perryfields Academy, a secondary<br />
school in Oldbury, for the <strong>2023</strong>-24<br />
academic year, Lucy will be a mentor to<br />
young people to improve their chances<br />
of gaining employment. She will be<br />
delivering workshops, assisting with<br />
mock interviews, providing insight into<br />
the workplace and offering advice on<br />
CVs, jobs, training and qualifications.<br />
Her role will also be to assist careers<br />
leaders and teachers with information<br />
about careers and offer support through<br />
her business network.<br />
Daniel-Scott Recruitment’s charity of<br />
the year is Acorns Children’s Hospice,<br />
and so far in <strong>2023</strong> the business has<br />
raised more than £600. Despite being<br />
small in size, the Daniel-Scott team also<br />
volunteered to support the Acorns<br />
Bubble Rush event in the summer, and<br />
at Easter collected more than 100<br />
Easter eggs to donate to the hospice.<br />
Daniel-Scott Recruitment builds<br />
strong partnerships with employers to<br />
find the right candidates to move their<br />
businesses forward while supporting<br />
candidates to forge a new career to suit<br />
their skills and experience.<br />
Welcoming new enquiries, Lucy said:<br />
“We want to see Chamber members<br />
thrive, so please get in touch to find out<br />
how we can meet your recruitment needs.”<br />
Whether you are recruiting for your<br />
business or looking for a new role,<br />
contact the team on:<br />
t: 0121 828 3848<br />
e: info@danielscottrecruitment.co.uk<br />
w: www.danielscottrecruitment.co.uk.<br />
26 PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong>
BUSINESS VOICE: LLOYDS BANK AND NET ZERO<br />
<strong>Prosper</strong> asked Richard Jenkins, Area Director for the Black Country,<br />
Shropshire and North Wales at Lloyds Bank, about how the region’s<br />
businesses are transforming to take on the net zero challenge….<br />
Lloyds funding helps give the<br />
green light to net zero ambitions<br />
The Black Country is home to some of<br />
the UK’s most innovative companies.<br />
With the UK’s net zero target<br />
approaching, many are viewing the need<br />
for business change with proactivity,<br />
seeing the challenge not as an obstacle<br />
but as a chance to transform their<br />
operations, increase efficiency, enter new<br />
markets and drive growth.<br />
We want to shine a light on some of our<br />
customers in the region who are doing<br />
just this, and how we have been by their<br />
side to support in their ambitions.<br />
Illuminating the future<br />
Over the past year, rising energy costs<br />
have presented a significant challenge to<br />
businesses – particularly those involved<br />
in sectors such as manufacturing and<br />
industrials. However, some resourceful<br />
firms have looked at ways to significantly<br />
change how they fulfil their business’<br />
energy usage.<br />
Earlier this year, precision engineering<br />
firm Parker Precision invested £70,000<br />
in 162 solar panels. They supply around a<br />
third of the energy needed for its site in<br />
Bilston and have cut £4,000 from the<br />
monthly energy bills. Parker Precision is<br />
using the cost saving to invest back in its<br />
workforce, upskilling its staff and taking<br />
on new apprentices, which it hopes will<br />
help boost turnover by 20% this year.<br />
Likewise, we supported Wolverhampton<br />
-based fencing specialist, and fellow<br />
Chamber Platinum Group member, Zaun<br />
to revamp its approach to energy with a<br />
£200,000 loan to install 500 solar panels<br />
on one of its factories. The panels now<br />
supply the entire factory with energy,<br />
meaning the site is self-sustaining and<br />
saving the firm an average of £10,000 in<br />
energy costs each month.<br />
Both loans came through Lloyds<br />
Bank’s Clean Growth Financing Initiative,<br />
which provides customers with access to<br />
discounted lending for green purposes.<br />
Bespoke solutions<br />
And green financing hasn’t just<br />
supported Black Country businesses<br />
with new energy generation projects this<br />
“Zaun revamped its approach to<br />
energy with a £200,000 loan to install<br />
500 solar panels on one of its factories.<br />
year – it’s also been used in more<br />
wide-reaching sustainable<br />
transformation projects.<br />
Latham’s Steel Doors, one the UK’s<br />
largest manufacturers of steel security<br />
doors, based out of Oldbury, recently<br />
built a new sustainable warehousing<br />
facility to help decarbonise its<br />
operations. Supported by a £1m loan<br />
from Lloyds Bank, as well as being<br />
designed to save as much energy as<br />
possible, the building includes state of<br />
the art energy efficient air conditioning,<br />
LED lighting, electric car charge points<br />
and cycle storage. This has enabled the<br />
building to achieve an EPC A rating – the<br />
highest energy efficiency rating a<br />
property can receive.<br />
Meanwhile, Walsall automotive parts<br />
manufacturer, Birchills Automotive, has<br />
taken a creative approach to business<br />
change, adding another arm to its<br />
operations that helps reduce its waste<br />
materials. The business is repurposing<br />
unused metal from its manufacturing<br />
process which would have otherwise<br />
been thrown away, to create bespoke<br />
sculptures, planters and furniture. We<br />
have supported the firm with the financial<br />
tools they needed to sell the designs<br />
internationally, where they have<br />
commanded six-figure sums. The project<br />
hasn’t just helped Birchills Automotive to<br />
reduce its waste, but also utilised<br />
creative talent within the business to<br />
create a new revenue stream, helping the<br />
manufacturer to grow and develop.<br />
The creativity and innovation shown by<br />
Black Country firms to take on the<br />
net-zero challenge, to transform their<br />
businesses and deliver efficiency and<br />
growth demonstrates the tenacity and<br />
forward-looking approach of the region.<br />
We’re proud to be by the side of local<br />
businesses and support their journeys.<br />
28 PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong>
LEGAL MATTERS: THURSFIELDS<br />
Navigating complex divorces:<br />
Thursfields offers advice on understanding the intricacies and challenges of<br />
financial arrangements and high-value assets<br />
Complex divorces are characterised by<br />
intricate financial arrangements,<br />
ownership structures, overseas<br />
jurisdictions, high-value assets,<br />
inheritance, pensions, and points of law.<br />
These separations typically involve<br />
challenging elements such as nondisclosure<br />
of assets and can be more<br />
difficult than typical cases.<br />
Property & assets – Dividing property<br />
and assets is often a difficult part of<br />
divorce. Residential properties can be a<br />
source of conflict, with both spouses<br />
feeling entitled to stay.<br />
Communication and compromise are<br />
necessary, and the court will prioritise the<br />
interests of any children or dependents<br />
involved.<br />
Family business – Deciding the future<br />
of a family business can be difficult and<br />
may require sensitive negotiations.<br />
Accurate valuation is essential, and<br />
issues such as dual operation,<br />
shareholders, and extended family<br />
involvement must be considered. The<br />
level of involvement of each spouse must<br />
be clarified, and courts may need to get<br />
involved if no agreement can be reached,<br />
even imposing a sale of the business if<br />
necessary.<br />
Hiding, or non-disclosure of assets<br />
– Full disclosure of assets is crucial in a<br />
divorce case, and failing to do so could<br />
result in penalties from the courts. If you<br />
suspect your partner is hiding assets,<br />
seek legal advice immediately and<br />
consider using forensic accountants to<br />
uncover any discrepancies.<br />
Transparency is key to minimising<br />
difficulties in divorce.<br />
“Transparency is key to<br />
minimising difficulties in<br />
divorce. .... communication and<br />
compromise are also necessary,<br />
and the court will prioritise the<br />
interests of any children or<br />
dependents involved...”<br />
High net worth – High net worth<br />
divorces involve more valuable assets<br />
and complicated financial arrangements,<br />
such as businesses and trusts, which<br />
may also have international implications.<br />
Pre & post-nuptial agreements – Pre<br />
and post-nuptial agreements are<br />
becoming more common in the UK,<br />
although they are not legally binding. A<br />
prenuptial agreement determines how<br />
assets will be divided in the event of<br />
separation before the marriage takes<br />
place, while a post-nuptial agreement is<br />
entered into after the marriage has<br />
begun.<br />
Both parties must enter into these<br />
agreements freely for them to be<br />
effective, and they offer protection for<br />
high-value assets. These agreements are<br />
now being referenced in court cases.<br />
International Dimensions – Divorces<br />
involving multiple nationalities, overseas<br />
business interests, and international<br />
assets can be complicated, especially<br />
when determining which country has<br />
legal jurisdiction.<br />
Legal advice should be sought early on<br />
“Pre and post-nuptial<br />
agreements are becoming<br />
more common in the UK,<br />
although they are not legally<br />
binding...”<br />
to establish the best jurisdiction.<br />
Child arrangements can also be<br />
challenging, particularly if one parent<br />
wants to move the children abroad.<br />
Offshore trusts, international businesses,<br />
and foreign tax structures can further<br />
complicate matters, with offshore<br />
jurisdiction making complete disclosure<br />
difficult.<br />
Thursfields is a full-service law firm with<br />
experience in difficult divorce cases, family<br />
law, commercial matters, wills and trusts,<br />
and other specialised fields.<br />
To find out more information visit<br />
www.thursfields.co.uk or call us on<br />
0345 207 3728<br />
PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong> 29
SPOTLIGHT FEATURE: WOLVES FOUNDATION<br />
Foundation:<br />
is helping:<br />
Wolves to:<br />
be a winner:<br />
on and off:<br />
the pitch:<br />
For most football fans, victory on the<br />
pitch is all that matters from their club,<br />
but the team at the Wolves Foundation<br />
is looking for a little bit more than just<br />
three points at the weekend.<br />
The Foundation operates under a<br />
simple banner of Creating Opportunities,<br />
Changing Lives, for the people of<br />
Wolverhampton; its goal is to the support<br />
the people of the Black Country,<br />
whichever way it can.<br />
Kieron Ansell, the Foundation’s<br />
business development manager, explains<br />
more. “We serve the communities on<br />
which this club is built. Without the<br />
people of Wolverhampton, there is no<br />
Wolves FC. It’s our job to get out into the<br />
community and make the small<br />
interventions that can have a major<br />
impact on people’s lives.”<br />
At present the Foundation is delivering<br />
40+ live projects, based around three key<br />
themes: Health and wellbeing; Skills and<br />
education; and Inclusion and cohesion.<br />
Under these umbrella titles sit a host of<br />
activities, groups and projects, ranging<br />
from parent and baby groups at one end<br />
of the age spectrum to Molineux<br />
Memories, which offers help for those<br />
struggling with dementia, at the other.<br />
In between are employability<br />
programmes, food poverty provisions,<br />
cost-of-living support, a programme<br />
dedicated to ending bed poverty – where<br />
people may have a roof over the head but<br />
not a bed to sleep in – and a wide range<br />
of health-related projects.<br />
“Most of our projects involve putting in<br />
place a programme to help those<br />
struggling or in need of support,” says<br />
Kieron. “For instance, our Elders group is<br />
for people who may find themselves<br />
alone for the first time in many years and<br />
have few social outlets, or those whose<br />
mobility may not be what it was and are<br />
not able to get out as much as they used<br />
to. It’s an opportunity for them to meet<br />
people in a similar situation, have a hot<br />
drink and a game of bingo or crafts led by<br />
our incredible members of staff.<br />
“It’s a simple provision that makes a<br />
huge difference to people who have paid<br />
their dues and deserve this bit of care<br />
afforded to them. Members tell us how<br />
much they look forward to it; for some, its<br />
their only social interaction that week.”<br />
A lot of the Foundation’s work centres<br />
around young people. Says Kieron: “We<br />
operate in 34 schools across the Black<br />
Country every week, delivering PE, maths<br />
and English support and are developing<br />
plans for a STEM offering in the near<br />
future. Being in the Black Country, a<br />
30 PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong>
“For most of the people in<br />
this group, Wolves is a<br />
huge part of their life.<br />
They see the club as a<br />
friend, so when they meet<br />
the foundation staff, the<br />
barriers are already<br />
coming down. The<br />
thinking goes, ‘if they<br />
work for Wolves, they’ve<br />
got to be okay’<br />
Kieron Ansell<br />
region enriched by a history and present<br />
synonymous with manufacturing and<br />
engineering, we want to help our young<br />
people discover pathways that they may<br />
have previously felt not applicable to<br />
them.”<br />
Both first team players and associated<br />
staff are enthusiastic supporters of the<br />
Foundation’s work. “Max Kilman, the club<br />
captain, has come onboard as our latest<br />
ambassador. He’s a hugely positive<br />
figurehead who helps drive the<br />
Foundation’s ambitions forward, but all<br />
the lads are happy to get stuck in. Be that<br />
Matheus Cunha taking on the role as<br />
bingo caller at Molineux Memories, or<br />
Josa Sa’ reading the Very Hungry<br />
Caterpillar to toddlers or Dan Bentley<br />
paying a visit to Head for Health, our<br />
mental health wellbeing programme – the<br />
playing group are a tremendous support.<br />
“We’re fortunate that the support<br />
comes from the top: Both Head Coach<br />
Gary O’Neil and Chairman Jeff Shi were<br />
both attendees and award-givers at the<br />
foundations first-ever gala dinner,<br />
recently hosted at Molineux.”<br />
In total the Foundation welcomes over<br />
51,000 participants a year to at least one<br />
of its projects and amasses over 3/4<br />
million contact hours.<br />
One of Kieron’s personal favourite<br />
projects is a mental health support group<br />
called Walk and Talk. Participants meet<br />
for a stroll around West Park, in the<br />
shadow of the stadium, in the company of<br />
one of the Foundation’s facilitators –<br />
Steve. By getting the group out into the<br />
open air, strolling around the park, they<br />
begin to open up about their mental<br />
health in a way that they might not do in a<br />
sterile office with a clinician. “A lot of the<br />
participants are signposted to us from<br />
other services that may be at capacity, or<br />
they find their way to us because they<br />
trust the badge,” said Kieron. “I took part<br />
in a session recently and as I was walking,<br />
I had one man say to me, ‘I don’t know<br />
why I’m telling you this…’ and then<br />
off-loaded his current worries. The group<br />
was a way to break him out of his silence<br />
on what was worrying him, but it’s a<br />
mutual thing. My own barriers began to<br />
come down and similarly I found myself<br />
sharing – I began to see why this is such an<br />
important resource for our participants.”<br />
This outlet is needed now more than<br />
ever, says Kieron. “We know that mental<br />
health services are under considerable<br />
pressure right now. We also know that<br />
men are usually more reluctant to open<br />
up about their concerns. The data<br />
surrounding mental health in males of a<br />
certain age is alarming, often they feel<br />
they’ve nowhere to go when they become<br />
stressed, and have no-one to talk to. The<br />
Walk and Talk Group gives them a chance<br />
of opening up about their struggles – and<br />
it does the same for our female and<br />
mixed cohorts, too.”<br />
It may seem odd that people will open<br />
up to strangers in an informal setting in a<br />
way they wouldn’t to a clinician in a more<br />
official one, but Kieron says it’s the club<br />
badge that makes the difference. “For a<br />
lot of the people in this group, Wolves FC<br />
is a huge part of their life. They see the<br />
club as a friend, and for some a great love<br />
even, so when they meet Foundation<br />
staff, the barriers are already coming<br />
down. They trust us and are happy to talk<br />
to us and we never take that for granted<br />
- you could not meet more dedicated<br />
staff. At the end of a session, we’re used<br />
to people saying how much the<br />
Foundation team ‘helped them though<br />
their problems’.”<br />
It’s interventions like Molineux<br />
Memories, Healthy Goals, Walk and Talk<br />
and so many others that highlight how<br />
the foundation can transform lives.<br />
Funding comes from a variety of<br />
channels. “A large portion of our income<br />
comes via grants - local authorities,<br />
national funding groups and sporting<br />
bodies including the Premier League via<br />
the PLCF. Thankfully we have the<br />
dedication of Kelly Freeman who presides<br />
over this area of the business and<br />
ensures we are applying for the necessary<br />
and relevant grants on a day-to-day basis<br />
to enable us to continue to deliver our<br />
vital work.”<br />
He is full of praise for the Premier<br />
League’s own Charitable Fund, which<br />
supports community-based schemes run<br />
“I popped into one of our<br />
sessions at a school and José Sá<br />
was sat reading The Very<br />
Hungry Caterpillar to a group of<br />
young children, using the book<br />
to promote both a love of<br />
reading and healthy eating.”<br />
by many Premier League and Football<br />
League clubs up and down the country.<br />
“They are a major partner and enabler in<br />
the positive impact delivered by the<br />
Wolves Foundation.”<br />
However, Kieron’s plan is to broaden<br />
the way in which the Foundation funds its<br />
work. “The funding we get from grants will<br />
always be a huge part of our strategy,<br />
however, I want to develop a funding<br />
structure that allows us to pivot and be<br />
more reactive to the needs of the<br />
community as challenges arise, one that<br />
sits alongside and compliments all the<br />
incredible work enabled by our wonderful<br />
grant funders. The cost-of-living crisis is<br />
an example in which we want to be able to<br />
offer support swiftly and not be reliant on<br />
the results of an application process. If<br />
we are going to respond quickly, funds<br />
need to be in place to do so.”<br />
Molineux Memories is another example<br />
of wanting to be reactive to a current<br />
need. “We are so oversubscribed we’ve<br />
had to create a waiting list. We’d love to<br />
take on a new member of the team, add<br />
more sessions and see more people.”<br />
Continued on page 32<br />
PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong> 31
SPOTLIGHT FEATURE: WOLVES FOUNDATION<br />
Continued from page 31<br />
“Participants gain the most benefit<br />
from the group by accessing it as soon as<br />
a need is identified. Grant applications<br />
take time, that’s just the nature of the<br />
process.”<br />
Hence the bold move for ‘unrestricted<br />
funding’ – giving the Foundation the<br />
chance to react more quickly to need. But<br />
it won’t be easy: “One of our biggest<br />
strengths – the breadth of the<br />
programmes we deliver and the huge<br />
number of sectors we cover – is ironically<br />
one of our weaknesses when it comes to<br />
fundraising. We operate across so many<br />
sectors that sometimes it can be difficult<br />
for potential donors to digest exactly<br />
what we do or understand how we are<br />
working to improve the community.”<br />
As part of its new drive the Foundation<br />
wants to grow its network within the<br />
business community and establish closer<br />
links with business supporters through<br />
events. “Businesses can get involved by<br />
attending or sponsoring our events,<br />
purchasing items via our online auctions,<br />
donating on a matchday or becoming<br />
Patrons of the Foundation – a super<br />
important initiative for us,” Kieron says.<br />
“We’ve recently hosted our first gala<br />
dinner, there’s a golf day in the pipeline<br />
and our annual sleep out was on 17th<br />
November. They are all events<br />
businesses get involved with.”<br />
He added: “We love the patron model.<br />
We have tried to build something with<br />
broad appeal, as it’s a great way for your<br />
business to be linked to a charitable<br />
concern that is at the heart of the<br />
community as well as aligning yourself<br />
with a major stakeholder within the city.<br />
“By supporting the Foundation you can<br />
also build your network among our fellow<br />
supporters. In a way we’ve taken that<br />
concept from the Chambers movement:<br />
people do business with those who share<br />
common interests and beliefs.”<br />
“We absolutely believe the Foundation<br />
can be your vehicle for the CSR strategy<br />
within your organisation. We are able to<br />
reach great volumes of people very<br />
quickly, we are at the heart of the<br />
community, and we are fortunate to be<br />
the official charity of Wolverhampton<br />
Wanderers FC – founder members of the<br />
Football League.”<br />
Kieron is clearly proud of the<br />
contribution the Wolves Foundation<br />
makes in the city. “I’ve been with the club<br />
10 years, and as a lad that grew up in the<br />
city, a fan attending games with my dad<br />
and brothers, I’m extremely grateful for<br />
the way the club looks to support the<br />
Matheus Cunha takes<br />
on a new role as a<br />
bingo caller at<br />
Molineux Memories<br />
communities it sits among via the<br />
Foundation. Thankfully, under the<br />
stewardship of Fosun, these days, when<br />
people mention ‘Wolverhampton’, the<br />
first thing most people think of is the<br />
Wanderers. The team is the heartbeat of<br />
the city, the single thing that brings us<br />
together on a match day – win, lose or<br />
draw. That the club, though the<br />
Foundation, is extending that influence<br />
beyond the pitch and deep into the<br />
community, to make a real difference to<br />
people’s lives, is something that I find<br />
genuinely inspiring.”<br />
He’s quick to acknowledge that while<br />
he is in the spotlight in this issue of<br />
<strong>Prosper</strong>, the great work of the<br />
Foundation, rather like a successful<br />
football team, is a real collective effort.<br />
“Everyone who works for the Foundation<br />
loves the work they do because they can<br />
see how people benefit from it. We’re<br />
lucky to have such an incredible team of<br />
dedicated people. Headed by Will Clowes,<br />
and supported by a talented<br />
management team in Tom Warren, Zulf<br />
Khan, Lara Pegg, Rachel Smith, John<br />
Warburton and Luke Shearing – who, in<br />
turn are supported by an equally<br />
dedicated and talented team of senior<br />
officers, full and part-time staff and an<br />
army of volunteers.<br />
“If Wolves is the heartbeat of the city,<br />
those guys are the heartbeat of the club’s<br />
Foundation.”<br />
20<br />
PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong>
SPOTLIGHT: APPRENTICESHIPS<br />
Apprenticeships are definitely back in vogue, with more and more businesses<br />
seeing the benefits of bringing in young starters and training them to fill key<br />
roles within their organisations. <strong>Prosper</strong> spoke to three Chamber members<br />
– ASSA ABLOY, Crowe and Thursfields Solicitors – to learn more about their<br />
own apprentice and young worker development programmes, as well as<br />
asking the Black Country Chamber itself its views, after taking on its first<br />
apprentice recently, Owenia Francis<br />
Rising stars: From left,<br />
Owenia Francis, Ross<br />
Fletcher, Walid Hakem<br />
and Luke Edgar Hill<br />
Why did you think it was important to go<br />
down the apprentice route?<br />
ASSA ABLOY: Our apprentices are the<br />
rising stars and leaders of the future and<br />
can make a real impact within our teams.<br />
Our Apprentice Programme provides the<br />
opportunity for an exciting lifelong career<br />
journey, where apprentices innovate,<br />
challenge fixed ideas and bring fresh<br />
perspectives into our business.<br />
Crowe: Investing and building new<br />
talent is essential. It is the perfect route<br />
for us to follow as it supports our next<br />
generation of employees in on-the-job<br />
training while being given the opportunity<br />
to gain their professional qualification.<br />
Thursfields: We have always embraced<br />
alternative pathways to progression, and<br />
the apprenticeship is just one of the<br />
several routes to qualification we<br />
recognise. We challenged ourselves some<br />
time ago to broaden our talent pool,<br />
recognising that talented professionals<br />
come from diverse backgrounds, so<br />
increasing access seemed like the logical<br />
and, indeed, right thing to do.<br />
Black Country Chamber (BCC): The<br />
Chamber is a huge supporter of<br />
apprenticeships and encouraging the<br />
workforce of the future. We know from<br />
many of our members the positive impact<br />
an apprentice can make, so when a job<br />
opportunity came available within the<br />
Chamber, we wanted to practise what we<br />
preached and offer it to an apprentice<br />
living within the Black Country.<br />
What benefits do you see from bringing<br />
in young people from outside and<br />
guiding their training? Was part of your<br />
decision to take on apprentices a<br />
dissatisfaction with the number/quality<br />
of potential candidates available to you<br />
when you were looking to take on<br />
additional staff?<br />
Crowe: We have a long history of taking<br />
on people at the beginning of their career<br />
and supporting them through professional<br />
training. We welcome trainees across our<br />
offices and see them as a huge part of<br />
our future talent pipeline.<br />
Thursfields: We have never struggled<br />
to attract talent into the firm, but we have<br />
We’re taking the<br />
apprenticeship<br />
route to the top<br />
struggled to find diverse talent which<br />
represents the clients we serve. By<br />
widening access into the profession via<br />
alternative routes such as<br />
apprenticeships, work experience and<br />
graduate programmes, etc, we seek to<br />
address this imbalance. The benefits are<br />
manifold, from diversifying our thought<br />
processes to attracting an increased<br />
number of candidates.<br />
Choosing to grow our number<br />
organically through guidance means that<br />
by the time those individuals qualify, they<br />
are well acquainted with our practices,<br />
systems, colleagues and even clients.<br />
BCC: We felt that an apprentice would<br />
bring a fresh perspective and innovative<br />
ideas as well as allow us to impart our<br />
knowledge and skills to help them<br />
progress in their career.<br />
34 PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong>
SPOTLIGHT: APPRENTICESHIPS<br />
We asked the four apprentices featured in this special report for their views on how their careers were<br />
progressing, and why they had taken the apprenticeship route to work...<br />
Why did you look for an apprenticeship<br />
rather than going to college/<br />
university full time?<br />
Luke Edgar Hill (Operations<br />
engineering apprentice at ASSA<br />
ABLOY): I applied for an apprenticeship<br />
over university because it provided<br />
hands-on experience while providing<br />
me with an industry-recognised<br />
qualification. It’s specialised training for<br />
a particular skilled vocation, rather than<br />
a general education received from a<br />
university. The apprenticeship route<br />
gave me the balance between theory<br />
and practical tasks while in the<br />
workplace.<br />
Ross Fletcher (Associate, corporate<br />
audit, Crowe): During my sixth form I<br />
had completed regular work experience<br />
in accountancy and after I had decided<br />
that this was the profession I wanted to<br />
go into, I had no doubts that starting my<br />
professional career in a school leaver<br />
apprenticeship scheme and combining<br />
day-to-day work with studying towards<br />
the professional qualification was the<br />
best thing for me to do.<br />
Owenia Francis (BCC, from the BBC<br />
Apprentice Hub): I did go to university<br />
and graduated the summer before<br />
starting this current role. I think one of<br />
the misconceptions is that university<br />
and apprenticeships are almost two<br />
different languages that you have to<br />
choose between, but the truth is<br />
anyone can benefit from an<br />
apprenticeship.<br />
Walid Hakem (scholarship<br />
programme, Thursfields):<br />
Finding alternative means of getting to<br />
your goal is part of the process of any<br />
career, and so the scholarship<br />
programme at Thursfields, which I felt<br />
really played to my strengths, was the<br />
most logical and straightforward option<br />
for me.<br />
Do you consider the apprentices you<br />
have provide value for money?<br />
ASSA ABLOY: For us, onboarding early<br />
talent is not about value for money, it’s<br />
about the value apprentices bring, the<br />
impact they have on our processes,<br />
embracing new technology and their<br />
personal and professional progression<br />
within our business to senior roles.<br />
Crowe: Our apprentices are so much<br />
more than value for money. They bring<br />
fresh ideas and perspective, keeping us<br />
current, which helps the business to be<br />
always learning and evolving. We benefit<br />
from funding support with our<br />
apprentices’ training costs, but this is<br />
certainly not the leading advantage of<br />
being involved in this programme.<br />
Thursfields: Absolutely! After an initial<br />
period of becoming acquainted with the<br />
role, pace, etc, we have consistently seen<br />
a return on investment.<br />
BCC: Our apprentice works within the<br />
terms and conditions of all our<br />
employees. The skills Owenia will develop<br />
during the apprenticeship will not only be<br />
of benefit to her but also allow us as a<br />
business to harness this talent. She will<br />
also help us amplify the Chamber name<br />
and the services we offer to our members<br />
and the wider Black Country community.<br />
What measures do you take to ensure<br />
any apprentices taken on represent the<br />
diverse community you work in?<br />
ASSA ABLOY: As one of the largest<br />
employers in the Black Country we’re<br />
proud of the diversity within our teams –<br />
experience, knowledge and skills. With<br />
this in mind, we embed a culture of<br />
inclusion where all colleagues can thrive,<br />
where all individual contributions have an<br />
impact and where everyone feels seen,<br />
heard and valued for what they bring to<br />
our business.<br />
Crowe: We pride ourselves on making<br />
our application process accessible and<br />
fair – ensuring we assess a profile in full.<br />
Academic qualifications are just part of<br />
the criteria we look at to ensure we hire<br />
the right talent for our business.<br />
Our assessment centres are also<br />
constantly evolving. We strive to ensure<br />
that these are fair and uniform, giving<br />
students a full picture of what an<br />
apprenticeship with Crowe would look<br />
like and how their careers could progress.<br />
We also work with several external<br />
providers who promote careers with our<br />
business – ensuring we are well<br />
represented in the market.<br />
Thursfields: We tap into diverse<br />
“Finding alternative means of<br />
getting to your goal is part of the<br />
process ... the scholarship<br />
programme at Thursfields played<br />
to my strengths...”<br />
Walid Hakem (left)<br />
networks including those of our clients,<br />
universities, local initiatives and<br />
providers to ensure we attract talent from<br />
as wide a pool as possible. Being a<br />
multi-site firm helps us to partner with<br />
networks in the vicinity of our offices,<br />
which goes some way to ensuring we<br />
represent the diverse communities we<br />
work in.<br />
Do you think there is enough support<br />
from Government/local authority for<br />
businesses looking to take on<br />
apprentices? What support have you<br />
accessed?<br />
Thursfields: If there is enough support,<br />
which I have no reason to believe there<br />
isn’t, there is some work to do in making<br />
that support accessible and known to<br />
those that seek it, as it can be quite<br />
difficult to find what you are looking for.<br />
BCC: The West Midlands Combined<br />
Authority signposted us to its partner, the<br />
BBC Apprentice Hub, when we were<br />
looking to fill our new position. The<br />
opportunity at the Chamber was to<br />
employ a content creator and the Hub<br />
had apprentices available that would<br />
meet the needs of our business.<br />
The BBC Apprentice Hub is a great way<br />
for individuals to begin their career in the<br />
creative sector.<br />
Continued on page 36<br />
PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong> 35
SPOTLIGHT: APPRENTICESHIPS<br />
Taking the apprenticeship route to the top<br />
Continued from page 35<br />
Have you found it easy to marry your<br />
apprentice up with further/higher<br />
education, if that’s applicable? How do<br />
your links with FE/HE work?<br />
ASSA ABLOY: Once an apprentice<br />
programme has been completed, the<br />
learning doesn’t stop there, we<br />
consistently invest in further education<br />
opportunities aligned to our apprentice’s<br />
personal development plans and skills<br />
needed for their chosen specialism.<br />
We work with multiple further<br />
education providers within the Black<br />
Country to progress our apprentices’<br />
career journeys and have received<br />
excellent support, with a high proportion<br />
achieving first class degrees.<br />
“Do I think more can be done at<br />
sixth form/ school to promote<br />
apprentices? Absolutely. I think<br />
encouraging young people to<br />
partake in learning outside the<br />
classroom through taster days,<br />
placements, internships, or<br />
traineeships will give them real<br />
insights into what an<br />
apprenticeship has to offer.”<br />
Owenia Francis<br />
What’s your post-apprenticeship<br />
strategy?<br />
ASSA ABLOY: It is based on career<br />
plans for key roles and the personal<br />
development of our apprentices, taking<br />
into account their aspirations and vision<br />
for where they want to go within our<br />
business. This is underpinned by learning<br />
and development and succession<br />
planning.<br />
Crowe: We have a long history of<br />
supporting our people through training<br />
programmes and welcomed the<br />
introduction of the higher level<br />
apprenticeship programmes in 2017. We<br />
have had a healthy intake of apprentices<br />
each year, many of whom stay on well<br />
past qualifying.<br />
Thursfields: We have yet to run a<br />
cohort of apprenticeships but we do host<br />
a widening participation programme<br />
aimed at providing work experience and<br />
paid work opportunities for law students<br />
from Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic<br />
groups and students of any race from<br />
lower social economic backgrounds.<br />
Lawyers from those backgrounds remain<br />
under-represented in legal services and<br />
we wanted to address that.<br />
Are you looking at taking on more<br />
apprentices in the future?<br />
ASSA ABLOY: As we continue to grow<br />
our business and focus on our strategic<br />
plan, we will identify areas where<br />
apprenticeships complement and<br />
enhance our business needs. This year<br />
we have welcomed apprentices in<br />
operations, customer service, marketing,<br />
and commercial areas and look forward<br />
to welcoming many more into our teams<br />
in future years.<br />
Crowe: As we continue to grow, we<br />
continue to invest in our Early Careers<br />
recruitment, recognising the value it adds<br />
to our business but also how important it<br />
is in the development of the profession<br />
– setting up strong foundations to<br />
support our accountants of the future.<br />
Thursfields: Indeed, we are.<br />
BCC: Our experience to date has been<br />
extremely positive. It is firmly on our<br />
agenda to discuss opportunities that may<br />
arise within the Chamber, where taking<br />
on another apprentice will be of great<br />
benefit for all involved.<br />
The apprentice view...<br />
What benefits do you think you gain<br />
from your experience?<br />
Luke Edgar Hill: I’ve gained hands-on<br />
experience in the industry as well as<br />
targeted support from experienced<br />
colleagues. An apprenticeship is the<br />
start of my pathway to a career in<br />
engineering and has allowed me to<br />
develop more valuable skills in a<br />
workplace environment. I’ve also been<br />
exposed to many projects by shadowing<br />
fellow engineers.<br />
Ross Fletcher: I’ve learned key skills<br />
at an earlier age, such as leadership and<br />
organisation. You also meet lots of other<br />
people in the same situation that you<br />
can share the experience with.<br />
Owenia Francis: I’m gaining an<br />
invaluable understanding of how the<br />
business community operates and<br />
shares knowledge, and how this is made<br />
accessible to the public. As a content<br />
creator I am constantly developing new<br />
skills, from concept planning, digital<br />
marketing, to seeing how a platform<br />
such as <strong>Prosper</strong> is developed.<br />
Walid Hakem: Learning on the job<br />
comes with some auxiliary stresses and<br />
challenges, but managing stress and my<br />
time were skills I believe I have been<br />
able to strengthen.<br />
36 PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong>
SPOTLIGHT: APPRENTICESHIPS<br />
The apprentice<br />
view...<br />
Do you think more can be done at sixth<br />
form/ school to promote apprentices,<br />
rather than just the standard ‘apply to<br />
university/college’, and look for work<br />
afterwards?<br />
Luke Edgar Hill: There should be as<br />
much emphasis on apprenticeships at<br />
career evenings and conversations<br />
around the options you choose at each<br />
level of your educational ladder. If careers<br />
officers had a closer relationship with<br />
businesses, they could promote<br />
companies in their different disciplines to<br />
students as an alternative career. This<br />
could be done with companies doing<br />
small presentations to students at the<br />
appropriate times.<br />
Ross Fletcher: Yes, I believe that more<br />
can be done. More companies should go<br />
into schools and present the advantages<br />
of apprenticeships to students, and more<br />
students should be encouraged to attend<br />
apprenticeship fairs. Some students are<br />
simply unaware of the apprenticeship<br />
schemes available that would suit them<br />
better than going to university.<br />
Owenia Francis: Absolutely. I think<br />
encouraging young people to partake in<br />
Luke Edgar Hill: “I’ve gained hands-on<br />
experience in the industry as well as<br />
targeted support from experienced<br />
colleagues... an apprenticeship is the start<br />
of my pathway to a career in engineering...”<br />
learning outside the classroom through<br />
taster days, placements, internships, or<br />
traineeships will give them real insight<br />
into what an apprenticeship has to offer.<br />
Also, incorporating business into schools<br />
through enterprise events, workshops<br />
and careers fairs can help bridge that<br />
gap.<br />
Walid Hakem: Without a doubt. Most<br />
of the time, careers advisors and<br />
teachers promote apprenticeships as an<br />
afterthought or a ‘plan B’, but in the<br />
current atmosphere of diversification,<br />
finding different ways of “doing what’s<br />
best for me” can always be promoted.<br />
Do you think becoming an apprentice<br />
has helped your career?<br />
Luke Edgar Hill: An apprenticeship has<br />
given me a strong foundation in my<br />
career. I’ve learned on the job, putting<br />
into practice my training in a more impactfull<br />
way than just academic lessons. It’s<br />
also helped me build connections and<br />
I’ve had the chance to display some of my<br />
projects to executive team members.<br />
Ross Fletcher: It’s been a great start to<br />
my career; I feel that Crowe has given me<br />
the best possible foundation.<br />
Owenia Francis: I’ve been introduced<br />
to a wide business network through my<br />
work at the Chamber, including links to<br />
other regional chambers and the BBC<br />
Hub. Familiarity is a huge advantage<br />
when it comes to narrowing down a<br />
career path and the commitment to work<br />
and study is highly valued by employers.<br />
Walid Hakem: Taking the path I have<br />
has meant that it has been essential to<br />
my career progression as well as my<br />
personal development. It has been great<br />
Would you recommend other young<br />
people to think of an apprenticeship<br />
rather than going on to FE/HE?<br />
Luke Edgar Hill: The chance to gain<br />
“More companies should go into<br />
schools and present the advantages<br />
of apprenticeships to students... some<br />
students are simply unaware of the<br />
apprenticeships available that would<br />
suit them better than university...”<br />
Ross Fletcher<br />
hands-on experience in your chosen<br />
industry, and receive an industry<br />
recognised qualification, while earning, is<br />
a tremendous advantage.<br />
With HE/FE once you have finished<br />
your qualification you have to apply for a<br />
job, but you’ll be up against candidates<br />
with the same qualification but who have<br />
experience from their apprenticeship,<br />
and they will be more employable.<br />
Ross Fletcher: For those that want to<br />
work in finance, I would definitely<br />
recommend an apprenticeship as an<br />
alternative to going to university.<br />
The opportunity to complete the exams<br />
at an earlier age can speed up your<br />
development and growth.<br />
At a firm such as Crowe you are part of<br />
a large annual intake of other similar-aged<br />
people, not just in your local office but<br />
across the UK, and you can make<br />
friendships and really enjoy the journey<br />
together.<br />
Owenia Francis: If you have a strong<br />
passion for a subject, then university is a<br />
great option. That said, if you are<br />
interested in gaining work experience,<br />
qualifications and earning without<br />
prioritising one over the rest – an<br />
apprenticeship is the way to go.<br />
PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong> 37
IN CONVERSATION WITH... JAMES BOVILL, BBC MIDLANDS TODAY<br />
Persevere, trust in your<br />
ability and don’t spend<br />
your life thinking ‘if only’<br />
BBC Midlands Today senior<br />
journalist and reporter<br />
James Bovill talks to <strong>Prosper</strong><br />
about setting career goals, how to<br />
ignore imposter syndrome and<br />
learning from life’s knock-backs<br />
Sometimes, though as a journalist you<br />
hate to admit it, only a good oldfashioned<br />
cliché nails the truth.<br />
Here’s one: ‘Nothing worth having ever<br />
comes easy.’<br />
It’s a phrase that’s as hackneyed and<br />
over-used as they come, with its<br />
originator allegedly former US President<br />
Theodore Roosevelt.<br />
But while such clichés are always best<br />
avoided, on this occasion James Bovill<br />
may just give it a nod of approval.<br />
“I’ve got another one for you,” he<br />
suggested, in a reference to his own<br />
career path: “You don’t always get what you<br />
want, but it can be for the right reason!”<br />
In James’s case, the two phrases sum<br />
up his journey to a dream job on BBC<br />
Midlands Today, which has included a few<br />
knock-backs and disappointments along<br />
the way. With this issue of <strong>Prosper</strong><br />
focused on apprentices and the next<br />
generation of our workforce, it seemed<br />
appropriate to ask for his views on<br />
planning a career, how to handle life’s<br />
hiccups and dealing with imposter<br />
syndrome – that feeling that despite your<br />
success, you don’t quite deserve it.<br />
James’s career has led him from<br />
university to PR, broadcast production<br />
and back to PR before a return to the<br />
BBC and the role that he had always<br />
hankered after. “As a child I used to<br />
dream of being on the TV and presenting<br />
the news. I just didn’t know how to go<br />
about getting into journalism, so PR<br />
seemed the easiest path into the media<br />
world.”<br />
But there was always an “itch to<br />
scratch about becoming a journalist, so<br />
despite being in a well-paid PR role, I took<br />
a gamble and left to study broadcast<br />
journalism for six months. It was a risk<br />
– and I’ve always thought of myself as risk<br />
averse, so it came as something of a<br />
shock to find myself doing it!”<br />
By working hard he made his way<br />
through a variety of roles, as a reporter<br />
and producer for radio at BBC WM and 5<br />
Live, and as a political reporter across TV,<br />
radio and online, but ultimately felt<br />
disillusioned with where his career was<br />
going. “It wasn’t what I wanted. I never felt<br />
I was getting everything I wanted out of<br />
the job, and went back to comms – with<br />
“The process of missing out was<br />
important; I learned from my<br />
mistakes, understood what I did<br />
wrong ... believing in yourself is<br />
incredibly important – get in that<br />
interview room and say to yourself,<br />
I’m the best person for the job”<br />
Midlands Connect and then the<br />
Commonwealth Games.”<br />
But he always knew the role he wanted<br />
was to be on TV, reporting on the West<br />
Midlands; “I’m no daredevil, but I looked<br />
at where I was at the time and thought<br />
‘I’m not stopping here.’ I wanted to prove<br />
myself in journalism, so took another risk<br />
and left PR again. It didn’t feel like<br />
journalism or bust... but I was determined<br />
to land my dream job – whatever shape it<br />
would take.”<br />
Four interviews for senior journalist<br />
roles with the BBC came and went with<br />
no success but lots of lessons were<br />
learned from the experience – proof,<br />
perhaps, that it is the knockbacks in life<br />
that make you stronger.<br />
“I began to question myself; was I good<br />
enough? It’s a situation everyone faces at<br />
some point, but I also knew that if I<br />
persevered, and put the work in, I’d get to<br />
where I needed to be. I just needed to<br />
believe in myself.”<br />
The fifth interview proved the charm. “I<br />
still felt insecure going in - I was told there<br />
was an extremely high level of interest in<br />
the role, and reminded that BBC TV<br />
reporter roles come up very rarely.<br />
“But the process of missing out<br />
previously was important; I learned from<br />
my mistakes, understood what had gone<br />
wrong and found out why the successful<br />
candidates had stood out. I spoke to the<br />
interview team beforehand and asked<br />
what they wanted – I was just told ‘give us<br />
something that amazes us, a story that<br />
we didn’t expect.’<br />
“I applied myself, thought up a story<br />
that might get their attention and filmed<br />
it for them, on knife crime in the<br />
Midlands. They responded really<br />
positively, and it was that story that won<br />
me the role on BBC Midlands Today.<br />
“My advice to anyone: don’t be put off<br />
by failure; learn from your mistakes.”<br />
James still admits to suffering from<br />
‘imposter syndrome’ – that feeling that<br />
you’re going to get found out at some<br />
point. But looking back at former bosses<br />
he has had, he realised that the thing that<br />
connects them is “they were all very<br />
confident in their ability. They feel that<br />
they own the role they have. It’s<br />
important to have confidence in your own<br />
ability. You have to believe in yourself. Get<br />
in that interview room and say to yourself<br />
‘I’m the best person for this job.’<br />
But even those at the top can suffer<br />
from imposter syndrome to some<br />
degree: “It feels like it is as prevalent the<br />
higher up you go - almost as if people<br />
think, ‘I’m bound to get found out here.’<br />
For young people making their way in<br />
their career, it’s important that they can<br />
38 PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong>
NEWS<br />
James in the studio:<br />
“If you love something,<br />
make a career out of it. If<br />
you can be an expert in<br />
something that you love<br />
doing anyway, you’ll never<br />
‘work’ a day in your life; it<br />
will all be fun that you’re<br />
being paid to do.”<br />
see someone like them in the role. “I<br />
think imposter syndrome kicks in<br />
strongest where people don’t see others<br />
like them in a role, whether it’s on TV,<br />
elsewhere in the media, in a factory or in<br />
the office. When people come from a<br />
minority – and here we can include<br />
women looking to get on in any maledominated<br />
environment – they can feel<br />
that a job isn’t for them.<br />
“But that’s wrong; every job is open to<br />
everyone who has the talent, the skill, the<br />
acumen and the drive.”<br />
His key advice to young people is to<br />
accept that things won’t always go your<br />
way but to keep on pushing. It also always<br />
helps if your career is doing something<br />
that you are passionate about. “If you<br />
love something, make a career out of it. If<br />
you can be an expert in something that<br />
you love doing anyway, you’ll never ‘work’<br />
a day in your life; it will all be fun that<br />
you’re being paid to do.”<br />
Luck plays its part, too: “In many ways I<br />
was fortunate in that I found the people<br />
who believed in me. That’s important.”<br />
“There are many different pathways to<br />
get to where you want to be. The first job I<br />
applied for was in marketing at the<br />
University of Nottingham, where I’d just<br />
graduated with a history degree. I missed<br />
out on the job to someone with more<br />
experience. It upset me at the time but<br />
looking back, it feels like everything<br />
happens for a reason. You have to learn<br />
to roll with life; it’s a wave of emotions,<br />
but the negative feelings we all<br />
experience do come and go. Trust that.”<br />
Be prepared to be bold, too. “I said<br />
before, I always thought of myself as risk<br />
averse but looking back, I’ve made two<br />
big leaps that ultimately, paid off.<br />
“If you really want something, ask<br />
yourself, if you go for it and fail, what’s the<br />
worst that can happen?”<br />
“Trust in your own instincts and your<br />
ability. You will have moments of stress<br />
and anxiety, but it all works out in the<br />
long run.”<br />
As far as he’s concerned, James still<br />
says he’s “ambitious and eager to see<br />
where my career takes me, but at<br />
moment I love my role.”<br />
“I’ve grown in confidence. I feel<br />
comfortable in my role on BBC Midlands<br />
Today. I understand where I’m going with<br />
stories and can relate to the people I’m<br />
talking to. I know my job. I have a new<br />
confidence.<br />
“If there’s anything to be taken from my<br />
career it’s that you must never be afraid<br />
to go for something and fail; never live<br />
your life wishing, ‘if only I’d taken a<br />
chance and gone for it’.”<br />
“Failure will help you as much as<br />
success in the long run. It’s the knockbacks<br />
that helped me understand where I<br />
wanted to go and developed me most as<br />
a person. They boosted my resilience and<br />
helped build the person I am today.”<br />
Perhaps a classic case of ‘whatever<br />
doesn’t kill you...’<br />
PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong> 39
BUSINESS VOICE<br />
HS2: What’s in it for me?<br />
While it was hugely disappointing to<br />
learn of the cancellation of the<br />
northern leg of HS2, there are still<br />
significant benefits and funding<br />
promises to consider. <strong>Prosper</strong> takes<br />
a look at some of the benefits...<br />
The highlights:<br />
n £2.7 billion investment for the<br />
region’s transport infrastructure secured<br />
by Transport for West Midlands.<br />
n Immediate £100 million for existing<br />
metro extensions.<br />
n £1.75 billion allocated for<br />
development of the Midlands Rail Hub.<br />
n Additional funding secured, including<br />
£250 million for transport network<br />
stability, £700 million for various<br />
transport infrastructure improvements,<br />
and a share of £100 million for expanding<br />
contactless smart ticketing.<br />
Transport for West Midlands (TfWM)<br />
has secured more than £2.7 billion<br />
investment for the region’s transport<br />
infrastructure. This funding, to be<br />
disbursed over the next decade, comes<br />
as a response to the cancellation of HS2<br />
Phase 2. TfWM, part of the West Midlands<br />
Combined Authority (WMCA), will receive<br />
an immediate £100 million for existing<br />
metro extensions, including completing<br />
the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro<br />
extension and advancing development<br />
work at Arden Cross, near the HS2<br />
Interchange Station.<br />
One of the most noteworthy projects is<br />
the Midlands Rail Hub, with £1.75 billion<br />
allocated for its development. This<br />
initiative aims to enhance capacity,<br />
introduce new services, and improve<br />
journey times on rail lines connecting<br />
Birmingham to key locations like Bristol,<br />
Cardiff, Leicester, and Nuneaton. This<br />
includes the construction of new links,<br />
the Bordesley Chords, which will open up<br />
more platforms at Moor Street Station<br />
and enable new stations on the Sutton<br />
Park line.<br />
The region has also secured additional<br />
funding, including £250 million for<br />
transport network stability, £700 million<br />
for various transport infrastructure<br />
improvements, and a share of £100<br />
million for expanding contactless smart<br />
ticketing.<br />
Furthermore, there is a commitment<br />
to nationwide schemes which will benefit<br />
the West Midlands. These include<br />
significant investments in roads and the<br />
extension of the £2 single bus fare cap.<br />
While there is disappointment on the<br />
cancellation of high-speed rail links to<br />
Manchester and the East Midlands<br />
Parkway, regional leaders are focused on<br />
alternative solutions. The Mayor, Andy<br />
Street, is working in close collaboration<br />
with the private sector and other UK<br />
regional leaders.<br />
Acknowledging the significance, he<br />
says, “This nearly £3billion investment<br />
commitment secured from Government<br />
will help to significantly transform and<br />
upgrade our region’s transport<br />
infrastructure in the months and years<br />
ahead.<br />
“We’ve not hidden our disappointment<br />
with regards to the HS2 announcement,<br />
but it’s good news that this funding will<br />
enable us to bring forward various<br />
projects - including metro extensions,<br />
walking, and cycling routes and, of<br />
course, the game-changing Midlands Rail<br />
Hub. We also remain committed to<br />
advancing alternative future high-speed<br />
rail proposals.<br />
“The West Midlands economy remains<br />
resilient and – aided by our region’s<br />
diverse business community – is in a<br />
strong position in terms of economic<br />
stability, skills provision, and job<br />
prospects for our residents. The WMCA<br />
will continue to engage with local<br />
businesses to ensure they are made<br />
aware of the opportunities available to<br />
them.”<br />
Investment in public transport and<br />
active travel networks is a central part of<br />
WMCA’s strategy to connect people to<br />
jobs and leisure opportunities and<br />
achieve a net-zero carbon region by 2041.<br />
Local leaders emphasise the<br />
importance of local businesses seizing<br />
the opportunities offered by the wider<br />
economic and social benefits. The region<br />
is on track to achieve significant job<br />
creation, new housing development, and<br />
improvements in public transport<br />
infrastructure. This growth allows<br />
regional companies to innovate, diversify,<br />
and become industry leaders.<br />
What’s more, the West Midlands is<br />
determined to continue pushing for HS2<br />
phases 2A and 2B, and to capitalise on<br />
the opportunities and benefits that<br />
remain available to the region,<br />
emphasising the wider growth<br />
opportunities and development in various<br />
sectors.<br />
Want to know more?<br />
If you would like to find out how your<br />
business can make the most of this<br />
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity contact<br />
Kirstie Blakeman, HS2 Delivery Manager<br />
at West Midlands Combined Authority<br />
(kirstie.blakeman@tfwm.org.uk) or visit<br />
https://www.wmca.org.uk/what-we-do/<br />
hs2-what-s-in-it-for-me/.<br />
40 PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong>
SPOTLIGHT FEATURE: CYBER ATTACKS<br />
Rise of cyber warfare: The<br />
growing threat of attacks –<br />
and the impact on business<br />
In our increasingly digital world, safeguarding your business<br />
against cyber threats is paramount. With cyber attacks on<br />
the rise, <strong>Prosper</strong> spoke to James Cash, Managing Director<br />
at Superfast IT, the Chamber’s new IT provider, for advice.<br />
The current risk of cyber-attacks in<br />
Western society is, arguably, as high as it<br />
has ever been. Following Russia’s attack<br />
on Ukraine in early 2022, the National<br />
Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) urged UK<br />
organisations to bolster their online<br />
defences. Similarly, the Cybersecurity<br />
and Infrastructure Security Agency<br />
(CISA) and FBI warned of heightened<br />
threats to US organisations.<br />
There is no doubt that during times of<br />
global change and unrest, cyber security<br />
becomes a battlefield of its own and both<br />
state and non-state actors have<br />
increasingly turned to cyber attacks as a<br />
way to gain an advantage in warfare.<br />
Furthermore, with enhanced<br />
technology and an increasing number of<br />
devices connected to the internet, the<br />
scope and complexity for cyber attacks<br />
has grown dramatically.<br />
Cyber warfare can take many forms,<br />
including hacking into enemy state<br />
computer systems, spreading malware,<br />
and launching denial-of-service attacks.<br />
Entire towns and cities could be cut off<br />
from information, services and<br />
infrastructure that has become essential<br />
to the way we live such as electricity,<br />
online banking systems and internet, if a<br />
cyber threat is able to infiltrate the right<br />
systems.<br />
According to the European Union<br />
Agency for Network and Information<br />
Security (ENISA), the threat to critical<br />
infrastructure from cyber warfare is<br />
significant and growing. Its report on the<br />
‘Threat Landscape for Foreign<br />
Information Manipulation Interference<br />
(FIMI)’ highlights that critical<br />
infrastructure, such as energy, transport,<br />
and healthcare, is particularly vulnerable<br />
to cyber-attacks in times of war or<br />
political tension. In addition, cyber attacks<br />
can also disrupt financial systems,<br />
causing immediate economic damage<br />
and impacting individuals.<br />
The report states that although<br />
citizens are not the primary target, they<br />
represented a secondary target in more<br />
than half of the events that were<br />
analysed. Cyber attacks are particularly<br />
useful in manipulating perceptions en<br />
masse through, at the lowest level,<br />
inconvenience, up to the highest level<br />
which could result in the loss of life.<br />
The frequency of attempted cyberattacks<br />
against Ukraine serves to<br />
highlight that cyber threats can have<br />
devastating effects and will play a crucial<br />
role in deciding the outcome of the war.<br />
Another challenge with cyber-attacks is<br />
the threat actor’s ability to remain<br />
anonymous, making it difficult to<br />
attribute the attack to a specific<br />
individual or group.<br />
The use of private companies and<br />
individuals as proxies in cyber-attacks<br />
only serve to further complicate matters<br />
and in the initial stages of an attack, it<br />
may be difficult to fully appreciate the<br />
extent of the risks posed and true<br />
motivations behind it.<br />
The risk to businesses as the use of<br />
cyber warfare increases<br />
War and military conflicts can create a<br />
business environment that is conducive<br />
to cyber-attacks, as adversaries may seek<br />
to target businesses or sectors that are<br />
seen as important to a country’s<br />
economy or infrastructure. They may also<br />
42 PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong>
SPOTLIGHT FEATURE: CYBER ATTACKS<br />
Did you know.... <br />
n There are nearly 4,000 new<br />
cyber attacks per day<br />
n Every 14 seconds a business falls<br />
victim to ransomware<br />
n Circa 500,000 pieces of Malware<br />
detected every day<br />
n Human error accounts for 95% of<br />
all data breaches<br />
n 43% of cyber attacks target small<br />
business<br />
n 75% of cyber attacks start with an<br />
email<br />
n 32% of UK businesses reported<br />
suffering an attack or breach<br />
between 2022 and <strong>2023</strong>.<br />
Food for thought!<br />
go for symbolic targets such as media<br />
outlets or high-profile brands associated<br />
with a nation state. Additionally, the use<br />
of cyber attacks in war can also create a<br />
general sense of chaos and uncertainty,<br />
which can be used to exploit<br />
vulnerabilities in businesses’ cyber<br />
defences.<br />
Cyber attacks on a company’s<br />
computer systems, networks and servers<br />
can cause delays and shutdowns, which<br />
can lead to a direct loss of productivity<br />
and revenue. However, they can also<br />
damage reputation, lead to regulatory<br />
action being taken (resulting in the<br />
possible imposition of fines) and result in<br />
loss of customers. The global cost of<br />
cybercrime was estimated at $8.4 trillion<br />
in 2022, and is set to surpass the $11<br />
trillion mark in <strong>2023</strong>. By 2026, annual<br />
cybercrime costs worldwide could exceed<br />
$20 trillion, demonstrating the extent of<br />
the damage caused by such incidents.<br />
Another risk is the potential for a cyber<br />
attack to exfiltrate sensitive information,<br />
such as intellectual property, financial<br />
data, and personal data of employees and<br />
customers. This information can be used<br />
for economic espionage, corporate<br />
sabotage, or even used as leverage in<br />
negotiations. Additionally, cyber attackers<br />
can also use this stolen data to<br />
impersonate the company or its<br />
employees and launch further attacks.<br />
Data and information that is stored by<br />
businesses is at great risk, including for<br />
those businesses which are, or have<br />
previously been, engaged in business<br />
with Ukraine.<br />
At times of unrest, whether political<br />
unrest, or global health challenges such<br />
as Covid-19, businesses should ensure<br />
they are not only vigilant but prepared for<br />
cyber security risks.<br />
To mitigate these risks, businesses<br />
should take proactive steps to strengthen<br />
their cyber defences, including being<br />
self-critical of existing defences through<br />
routine auditing and third-party testing.<br />
Training employees on how to identify<br />
and respond to cyber threats is also<br />
important.<br />
Additionally, businesses should<br />
regularly conduct security assessments<br />
to identify vulnerabilities and implement<br />
mitigation strategies.<br />
The importance of cyber security for<br />
ALL businesses!!<br />
Here are some key tips to consider:<br />
Hackers don’t always target the<br />
business – they will often target the<br />
vulnerabilities of a website. If your<br />
website has vulnerabilities and they<br />
notice, you will be targeted.<br />
You don’t think you will be targeted<br />
– Hackers know you aren’t worrying<br />
about a cyber attack. Because of this they<br />
know it’s likely to be much easier to gain<br />
access to your data than a company<br />
actively investing in their cyber risk.<br />
Data grows quickly – You may only<br />
think that you are a small business, but<br />
your data might tell a different story. The<br />
data you collect snowballs, and it is really<br />
easy to lose track of it. Before you know it<br />
you have thousands of pieces of data and<br />
it will be at risk if your systems are<br />
compromised.<br />
You have big clients – You may not be<br />
a business with seven-figure revenue but<br />
one of your clients may be. If they gain<br />
access to your systems, they may then be<br />
able to find a back door into your biggest<br />
client’s systems.<br />
Protecting your devices and data is<br />
extremely important and if you don’t have<br />
a combination of the right cyber-security<br />
and cyber insurance in place, it could<br />
prove devastating for you, your clients<br />
and your business.<br />
Turn over for more information on why you<br />
need to step up your cyber security, from<br />
the EBC Group<br />
PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong> 43
ADVERTORIAL: EBC GROUP<br />
EBC Group’s cyber security event focuses on<br />
digital security and reducing business risk<br />
EBC Group<br />
Cyber Security Event<br />
Friday, 13th October<br />
On Friday, 13th October, EBC Group<br />
hosted a thought-provoking and<br />
informative cyber security event featuring<br />
a line-up of highly knowledgeable<br />
speakers from various industries.<br />
The event also had the privilege of<br />
hosting special guest speaker, Andy<br />
Gomarsall, a fomer England rugby<br />
international.<br />
Attendees gathered to delve into<br />
pressing topics concerning the world of<br />
cyber security, gaining insights that are<br />
critical to secure the defences of your<br />
business.<br />
There was emphasis on the paramount<br />
importance of maintaining secure<br />
networks, the necessity of implementing<br />
robust security measures, and an<br />
eye-opening statistic in which “there are<br />
soon to be 700 billion devices connected<br />
to the internet.”<br />
These revelations underlined the<br />
urgent need for heightened cyber<br />
security measures.<br />
The audience took a deep dive into the<br />
ever-evolving cyber threat landscape,<br />
gaining valuable insights into the current<br />
state of cyber threats and practical<br />
measures to reduce exposure and risk.<br />
Another particularly alarming statistic<br />
was that “Approximately 42% of ALL<br />
reported crime is cyber crime.” Given that<br />
cyber crimes are often heavily<br />
underreported, this fact proved to be<br />
even more concerning. The anonymity of<br />
cybercriminals, often operating through<br />
VPNs, poses a significant challenge for<br />
law enforcement.<br />
During the event, attendees were also<br />
informed on how businesses can protect<br />
themselves through the power of Cyber<br />
Essentials, and were offered insights into<br />
the process of penetration testing. The<br />
urgency of these measures was put into<br />
perspective when the audience were told<br />
that “60% of small businesses that suffer<br />
a cyber attack go out of business within<br />
six months.”<br />
Cyber threats are continually evolving,<br />
and it has become crucial for businesses<br />
to secure comprehensive insurance<br />
policies to mitigate financial risks in the<br />
event of a cyber-attack.<br />
One of the key questions addressed<br />
was “what Happens in the event of a<br />
Cyber Attack?”, attendees gained an<br />
understanding of how to respond<br />
effectively and minimise the damage<br />
caused, a vital component of any cyber<br />
security strategy.<br />
To bring the afternoon to a close,<br />
special guest speaker Andy Gomarsall<br />
Missed out but want to know more?<br />
This Cyber Security event offered a FREE cyber security risk assessment for<br />
businesses, exclusively for all attendees, and we would now like to extend that<br />
offer to the wider public.<br />
To do so please navigate to the following URL: www.ebcgroup.co.uk/cyber-event<br />
and fill out the form to claim your FREE assessment.<br />
For more information about the event or to enquire about future events and<br />
opportunities, contact EBC Group at hello@ebcgroup.co.uk or 0121 368 0154.<br />
Left, a police<br />
warning of the<br />
prevalence of<br />
cyber crime... and<br />
here’s another<br />
sobering stat:<br />
“60% of small<br />
businesses that<br />
suffer a cyberattack<br />
go out of<br />
business within<br />
six months.”<br />
gave a captivating presentation in which<br />
he showcased the importance of proper<br />
destruction of data, providing a unique<br />
perspective on the intersection of cyber<br />
security and sustainability.<br />
Andy told some captivating stories<br />
from his career as a professional rugby<br />
player, in particular focusing on his time<br />
during the 2003 World Cup in which<br />
England emerged the victors.<br />
EBC Group was thrilled to have hosted<br />
this insightful and dynamic cyber security<br />
event. Its success reaffirms the<br />
commitment to promoting awareness<br />
and an understanding of cyber security in<br />
a world that is becoming increasingly<br />
more digital each and every year.<br />
About EBC Group<br />
EBC Group is an award-winning<br />
managed IT service provider of IT &<br />
Telephony Solutions, Cloud hosting,<br />
Cyber Security, Print & Data Solutions.<br />
As an integrated managed IT service<br />
provider, EBC Group plans, implements<br />
and supports its client’s IT and<br />
technology, enabling them to run their<br />
businesses smoothly and securely. EBC<br />
Group has been providing technology<br />
solutions for 35 years to ensure its<br />
clients’ businesses are running efficiently<br />
at all levels of their operations.<br />
More at www.ebcgroup.co.uk,<br />
via 0121 368 0154<br />
or email: hello@ebcgroup.co.uk<br />
44 PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong>
BUSINESS VOICE: DEMENTIA IN THE WORKPLACE<br />
Dementia in the workplace:<br />
it’s an increasing concern<br />
The word dementia conjures up vivid<br />
images in the minds of many – likely to<br />
be of elderly people, perhaps those in<br />
care homes. Certainly not those who are<br />
still going out to work each day.<br />
And yet that’s an increasing likelihood,<br />
says Paycare CEO Anthony Burns, in a<br />
world where not only are diagnoses of<br />
dementia increasing, but the number of<br />
people working past retirement age is<br />
on the rise.<br />
It’s estimated 9% of over 65s currently<br />
have dementia, and more than 1 million<br />
will be living with the condition before<br />
the end of the decade. For workers over<br />
65, that figure is around 12%. That<br />
means in the Black Country, we have<br />
around 19,700 people with dementia,<br />
and around 26,000 older workers.<br />
Which brings us back to the likelihood<br />
that we’ll see more people who start<br />
experiencing the first symptoms of<br />
dementia – including Alzheimer’s,<br />
vascular and dementia with Lewy bodies<br />
(DLB) – before they retire.<br />
And that means it’s something that<br />
employers need to be aware of, because<br />
colleagues and team managers who<br />
work closely with the person on a<br />
day-to-day basis are so well placed to<br />
notice the first signs. And with a<br />
degenerative disease such as dementia,<br />
early diagnosis is extremely helpful.<br />
With slightly different symptoms for<br />
each of the types, it’s important to have<br />
a thorough overview of what the early<br />
symptoms of dementia may look like,<br />
depending whether the person has<br />
Alzheimer’s (thinking and reasoning<br />
problems, changes in mood, and<br />
changes to how they see and hear<br />
things), vascular (difficulties following a<br />
set of instructions, short periods of<br />
sudden confusion, problems making<br />
decisions) or DLB (thinking, movement<br />
and mood), for example.<br />
And it’s also important to be aware<br />
that dementia doesn’t only affect over<br />
65s (although the chance of being<br />
diagnosed doubles roughly every five<br />
years post that age); there’s also<br />
early-onset or young-onset, which could<br />
first present itself with symptoms such<br />
as struggling to judge distances,<br />
problems finding the right word or<br />
behaving in socially-inappropriate ways.<br />
For employers concerned about the<br />
holistic health of their team members,<br />
it’s clear why having an awareness of<br />
dementia is increasingly vital. But<br />
there’s also another reason why<br />
attention on the subject is crucial. Of<br />
those one million people expected to be<br />
living with dementia by 2030, most will<br />
have children, nieces and nephews,<br />
grandchildren, neighbours or friends<br />
who may take on a caring role for them<br />
and who are also likely to experience the<br />
“It’s estimated 9% of over 65s currently have<br />
dementia ... for workers over 65, that figure<br />
stands around 12%. That means in the Black<br />
Country, we have around 19,700 people with<br />
dementia and around 26,000 older workers...”<br />
emotional repercussions of watching a<br />
loved one experience a degenerative<br />
disease.<br />
That means a significant proportion of<br />
employees are likely to know someone<br />
who has dementia, and may need extra<br />
understanding (and flexible working<br />
solutions) while they navigate juggling<br />
their working life with the additional<br />
responsibilities they may be taking on.<br />
This could be involvement in day–to-day<br />
care as the person becomes unable to<br />
dress, feed or wash themselves, it could<br />
involve supporting with medical needs<br />
such as attending appointments, and it<br />
could also involve taking on the role of<br />
Lasting Power of Attorney to deal with<br />
decisions relating to health and/or<br />
finances once the person is deemed<br />
unable to do so themselves.<br />
Whatever ways that person’s life is<br />
affected by knowing someone with<br />
dementia, having an empathetic<br />
employer is going to make a huge<br />
difference: no one needs the stress of<br />
also being worried that their job may be<br />
at risk, or that they can’t disclose what’s<br />
going on because they’re expected to<br />
leave their personal life at the door.<br />
As well as cultivating a working culture<br />
that sees employees feel able to broach<br />
the subject and speak up if they need<br />
support – either because of concerns<br />
around their own health or because<br />
they’re caring for someone with<br />
dementia – there are also many<br />
practicalities which can be implemented<br />
to make life a little easier. Whether it’s<br />
support from a confidential telephone<br />
counselling line, the ability to work<br />
flexible hours or from different locations<br />
(where appropriate), or services which<br />
enable them to speedily access an<br />
effective range of healthcare – there are<br />
many ways having a robust Workplace<br />
Wellbeing strategy is going to make all<br />
the difference in their time of need.<br />
Sadly, dementia and the workplace<br />
are no longer two separate entities – and<br />
increasing numbers of people who have<br />
dementia or care for someone who does,<br />
while also working, means it needs to<br />
move higher up the agenda of employers<br />
who aren’t already dementia-savvy.<br />
Anthony Burns, CEO, Paycare<br />
46 PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong>
LEGAL UPDATE<br />
Working policies: time to think again<br />
flexibly as men; clearly then, flexible<br />
working done well is an opportunity to<br />
grow and to develop talent pools and to<br />
increase accessibility in the workplace.<br />
“But if companies aren’t tracking the<br />
success or the impact of flexible/ hybrid<br />
working then they are operating in total<br />
limbo. This is an opportunity to develop a<br />
workplace of the future – which is being<br />
wasted according to this new data.”<br />
42% of managers don’t know<br />
their company’s flexible<br />
working policy. Do you?<br />
42% of HR managers are not tracking<br />
their flexible or hybrid working policies,<br />
according to new research.<br />
Now, before you gasp too much in<br />
shock, here’s a question: What’s your<br />
company’s flexible working policy?<br />
The research by campaign group<br />
Pregnant Then Screwed surveyed 260<br />
HR managers and found that 41.8% of HR<br />
managers do not monitor the impact of a<br />
flexible working/ hybrid policy at all. And<br />
just 40% of HR managers said that they<br />
have had training for supporting teams in<br />
a hybrid working world.<br />
The Flexible Working Bill received<br />
Royal Assent in June <strong>2023</strong>. Its official<br />
description reads: ‘A Bill to make<br />
provision in relation to the right of<br />
employees and other workers to request<br />
variations to particular terms and<br />
conditions of employment, including<br />
working hours, times and locations.’<br />
Joeli Brearley, CEO and founder of<br />
Pregnant Then Screwed said: “A lack of<br />
flexible working is bad for business and<br />
bad for inclusivity.<br />
“Time and time again, research has<br />
shown that flexible working has many<br />
benefits, but if employers don’t track it<br />
then they can’t make impactful and<br />
data-driven decisions about where and<br />
when their employees work, and they are<br />
more likely to revert to less impactful<br />
conventional ways of working.<br />
“We need to start taking flexible<br />
working seriously.’’<br />
Alison Wilde, co-founder of people<br />
transformation consultancy Birdsoup<br />
added that there is a risk of losing staff if<br />
companies don’t begin to get with the<br />
flexible working and hybrid programme.<br />
“If companies don’t want to lose valued<br />
people, then they need to put in a well<br />
thought-out suite of interventions<br />
designed to retain and grow them,” she<br />
said. “Women are twice as likely to work<br />
Three simple steps to understanding<br />
your company’s policy are:<br />
Get yourself informed<br />
First things first: if you don’t know what<br />
your company’s stance on this is, and<br />
what policy is in place, it’s time to find out.<br />
Or be the person who begins to introduce<br />
it in your company. Research the bill, find<br />
out what your company already offers.<br />
This affects you, as well, after all, as you<br />
might want flexible or hybrid working.<br />
Define flexible vs hybrid<br />
These are two different things. Just like<br />
your company has ‘values’, define what<br />
‘flexible’ and ‘hybrid’ means for your<br />
company. This might involve a lot of<br />
research, and setting new values and<br />
standards to working practices. Flexible<br />
could just be the hours people work,<br />
while hybrid could be the place(s) they<br />
work. In theory, you could have someone<br />
working a flexible, hybrid working pattern.<br />
Be the one to drive the change<br />
No policy? Then it’s time to seriously<br />
think about what you offer and how that<br />
needs to change.<br />
It’s not enough to be in that 42%, and if<br />
you are, you’ll be driving change which<br />
will be career defining.<br />
Flexible working highlights<br />
• One study has found that a<br />
staggering 73% of executives surveyed<br />
admitted that their approach to<br />
implementing the return-to-office<br />
policy post Covid had been flawed.<br />
The impulse to revert to pre-pandemic<br />
norms may have overshadowed a more<br />
nuanced understanding of the evolving<br />
needs and preferences of their<br />
workforce.<br />
• Should workers be forced to go<br />
into the office? In a survey by<br />
Censuswide on behalf of flexible office<br />
experts Space32, just over half of Brits<br />
(53%) agreed employers have the right<br />
to ask their teams to return to the<br />
office five days a week. Only 11% of<br />
Brits said that they “disagreed” or<br />
“strongly disagreed” that employers<br />
had the right.<br />
• Brits aged 35-44 were the most<br />
likely to agree that employers could<br />
enforce full-time office work; 61% of<br />
this age group agreed that bosses<br />
were within their rights to impose this.<br />
• The survey found that working<br />
from home is the number one perk for<br />
office workers, with more than half of<br />
respondents (51%) saying they would<br />
sacrifice other benefits to keep it.<br />
PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong> 47
CHAMBER NEWS<br />
New Business Council ushers<br />
in exciting partnership era<br />
<strong>Prosper</strong> spoke to Baroness Martha Lane Fox, President at the British<br />
Chambers of Commerce, about the newly launched Business Council and the<br />
Chamber’s work with politicians to ensure the voice of business is heard.<br />
The clock is ticking to a General Election,<br />
with the economy likely to be front and<br />
centre of the campaign to come.<br />
Now more than ever, it’s crucial that<br />
the voice of business is heard.<br />
The British Chambers of Commerce is<br />
working every day to make sure<br />
politicians understand what firms in the<br />
Black Country and across the UK need.<br />
Our unique Chamber network allows the<br />
BCC to advocate on behalf of the<br />
businesses of all shapes and sizes in all<br />
parts of the country.<br />
We now have an extra tool in our<br />
armoury – the Business Council. It held<br />
its inaugural meeting in September at<br />
the House of Lords. It brings together<br />
some of the most prominent British firms<br />
to work in partnership with politicians to<br />
drive the future of the economy.<br />
Aviva, Heathrow and Intuit are among<br />
the companies already signed up to this<br />
important new venture. These<br />
businesses want to be part of a<br />
framework that’s rooted in local<br />
communities, but with the ability to<br />
shape the national and international<br />
debate. We’re only at the start of the<br />
long-term Business Council project –<br />
we’re well on track to hit our target of 25<br />
firms by the end of the year.<br />
Meeting regularly, the Business<br />
Council is focusing on five key<br />
challenges. They are the issues we know<br />
all businesses, whether large or small,<br />
are facing right now.<br />
They are:<br />
n the digital revolution<br />
n people and work<br />
n green innovation<br />
n global Britain; and<br />
n local economy of the future.<br />
The council will make recommendations<br />
that feed directly into a policy document<br />
published early next year aimed at<br />
Baroness Martha Lane Fox<br />
influencing the party manifestos ahead<br />
of the election.<br />
After the UK has gone to the polls,<br />
whenever that might be, the council will<br />
work to help the next Government, from<br />
whichever party, to set a business-backed<br />
agenda from day one – and establish a<br />
long-term strategy for growth. We’ll<br />
making sure the voice of commerce is<br />
heard.<br />
There’s no time to waste. All the BCC’s<br />
data shows the economy is stuck in first<br />
gear with almost no growth. We’re<br />
predicting less than 1% of economic<br />
growth for each of the next three years.<br />
Faced with unprecedented headwinds of<br />
high inflation, rising interest rates,<br />
challenging trading conditions and a tight<br />
labour market, businesses are not<br />
“The economy is stuck in first gear with almost no<br />
growth... faced with unprecedented headwinds,<br />
businesses are not investing. They need clarity,<br />
certainty and confidence about the future...”<br />
investing. They need clarity, certainty and<br />
confidence about the future. The<br />
expertise and experience that our<br />
Business Council members bring to the<br />
table allows for a powerful debate about<br />
the problems. But it also helps identify<br />
the practical solutions.<br />
The Business Council is already having<br />
an impact – politicians are engaged. At<br />
the first meeting members were joined<br />
by the Levelling Up Secretary Michael<br />
Gove for the Government – and Labour’s<br />
Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves. Two<br />
senior politicians getting round the table<br />
listening to the voice of business, thanks<br />
to the BCC. In recent weeks, smaller<br />
groups have started discussing the five<br />
challenges.<br />
In the Black Country<br />
So how will the Business Council help<br />
Chamber members in the Black Country?<br />
It strengthens the BCC’s voice and<br />
profile with national politicians at this<br />
crucial time for the economy. The big<br />
firms understand the power of the<br />
Chamber network – many of them have<br />
been local members for many years.<br />
A strong BCC means a strong<br />
Chamber network and businesses up<br />
and down the country.<br />
Alongside the Business Council work,<br />
we will also campaign hard for policy<br />
changes on a range of issues we know<br />
really matter to the tens of thousands of<br />
SMEs in our membership. Whether that’s<br />
calls for reform of the apprenticeship<br />
levy, improvements to the energy grid,<br />
strengthened UK-EU relations to help<br />
trade and investment, or major<br />
48 PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong>
Michael Gove chaired the first meeting of the<br />
BCC Business Council at the House of Lords,<br />
which was also attended by Shadow Chancellor<br />
for Labour, Rachel Reeves (inset)<br />
improvements to the planning system,<br />
we’re focused on the crucial issues that<br />
matter to you.<br />
Everything we do as an organisation is<br />
about making the UK the best place to<br />
start and grow a business. The Business<br />
Council is all about partnership. We know<br />
that the economy thrives when business<br />
and politicians work together.<br />
For over 160 years, we’ve been serving<br />
British business – that’s all because of<br />
our local roots, national influence and<br />
global reach. Despite the ongoing<br />
economic challenges we’re all facing at<br />
the moment, I’m always heartened by the<br />
can-do entrepreneurial attitude of British<br />
business.<br />
As an organisation we’re committed to<br />
creating and sustaining local<br />
communities and economies.<br />
The Business Council is a major new<br />
initiative for the BCC. We’re determined it<br />
will help influence policymakers at the<br />
highest level. The benefits will be felt by<br />
businesses across the country in these<br />
challenging times.<br />
Thanks to the Chamber network, we<br />
are part of your community in the Black<br />
Country, and you are part of ours.<br />
Working in partnership, British<br />
businesses can continue to flourish.<br />
For more on the BCC’s new<br />
Business Council, see https://<br />
www.britishchambers.org.uk/<br />
partner-with-us/businesscouncil/<br />
“Our five priority areas include green<br />
innovation... we will make recommendations<br />
that feed directly into a policy document<br />
published early next year aimed at<br />
influencing the party manifestos...”<br />
PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong> 49
MEMBERS’ NEWS<br />
Family touch keeps the region’s<br />
businesses spick and span<br />
Ever wondered how the Wolverhampton<br />
Grand Theatre stays so tidy and clean –<br />
even during the busy panto season?<br />
Or how the Severn Valley Railway keeps<br />
its stations in tip-top condition?<br />
The thing that these and dozens of<br />
schools, doctors’ surgeries, factories and<br />
offices across the West Midlands have in<br />
common is that they work with Lawrence<br />
Cleaning Ltd.<br />
This year Lawrence Cleaning celebrates<br />
its 40th anniversary, and founder Winnie<br />
Lawrence said she couldn’t be prouder of<br />
the business that has been created.<br />
“It brings tears to my eyes when I see<br />
how hard my family have worked to make<br />
the business a success,” said Winnie, 85.<br />
“They haven’t sat back and let it drift<br />
along, they’ve continued with our core<br />
values of quality and integrity to make the<br />
business a resounding success.<br />
“One thing that has always set us apart<br />
is that we look after our staff and never<br />
ask our cleaners to do anything we<br />
wouldn’t do ourselves. It’s one of the<br />
reasons why we have cleaners that have<br />
stayed with us for decades, and tell us<br />
they love coming to work every day.”<br />
Winnie started the business in 1983<br />
after she took on a part-time job with a<br />
cleaning company in Wolverhampton,<br />
and found herself running it.<br />
“My children, Wendy and Paul, had<br />
started at school and I was looking for a<br />
part-time job to bring in some extra<br />
money,” said Winnie, who had grown up in<br />
Wolverhampton. “From the age of seven<br />
I’d gone out cleaning with my mum<br />
Elizabeth, and I just loved it – there’s<br />
nothing more satisfying than leaving<br />
somewhere sparkling clean and tidy.<br />
“I got a job as a cleaner and ended up<br />
becoming supervisor and manager. I was<br />
so hands-on that everyone thought I was<br />
the boss, so when the chance came to<br />
buy the business I snapped it up.”<br />
To begin with, Lawrence Cleaning<br />
operated out of the garage at Winnie and<br />
her husband Arthur’s house in<br />
Stourbridge, but it wasn’t long before the<br />
business began to grow and they moved<br />
to their own offices.<br />
Winnie’s son Paul took over as<br />
“Our professional<br />
approach with a<br />
personal touch<br />
sets us apart from<br />
our competitors...”<br />
managing director in 2001 and this year<br />
he handed over the reins to his son, Alex.<br />
Paul said, “From the beginning my<br />
mother instilled values of quality,<br />
reliability, and honesty into the business,<br />
knowing that these would be essential for<br />
establishing trust with clients.<br />
“We were able to expand the business<br />
and take on bigger contracts, while still<br />
maintaining the high standards that had<br />
been established.<br />
“One thing that sets Lawrence<br />
Cleaning apart from other businesses is<br />
our commitment to supporting local<br />
communities.<br />
“This extends to our staff recruitment<br />
policies, with all our cleaners being<br />
employed within close proximity to our<br />
clients’ premises. This not only benefits<br />
the communities we serve, but it also has<br />
a positive impact on the local economy as<br />
staff are likely to spend their salaries in<br />
the area.”<br />
As well as their commitment to social<br />
responsibility, the Lawrence family also<br />
puts great emphasis on upholding<br />
professional standards. This includes a<br />
rigorous training programme that all<br />
cleaners must go through before joining<br />
the team.<br />
They only use environmentally friendly<br />
cleaning products that are safe for the<br />
client’s premises. They also invest in the<br />
latest equipment to ensure that they are<br />
using the most efficient techniques.<br />
The company’s new managing director,<br />
Alex Lawrence, said they have become<br />
stronger thanks to their family-centered<br />
approach. “Our professional approach<br />
with a personal touch is what sets us<br />
apart from our competitors,” said Alex.<br />
“By being involved in all aspects of the<br />
business, from staff training to client<br />
meetings, we have created an<br />
environment where clients are treated<br />
like friends, and staff feel like they are a<br />
part of one big family.<br />
“My grandmother started a legacy that<br />
has been expanded and developed by my<br />
dad. To be taking over as managing<br />
director is very exciting and I will continue<br />
with the company’s core values, while<br />
building on the incredible success of the<br />
last four decades.”<br />
50 PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong>
MEMBERS’ NEWS<br />
Tech intervention helps<br />
Thomas Dudley work smarter<br />
A well-established Dudley manufacturer<br />
with over 100 years of history has<br />
boosted its productivity after being<br />
helped by a major initiative to help SMEs<br />
in the Midlands to improve their digital skills.<br />
Chamber Platinum Group member<br />
Thomas Dudley Group has been trading<br />
for more than a century across several<br />
generations, supplying merchants and<br />
wholesalers not only in the UK, but as far<br />
away as Africa and the Caribbean.<br />
Under its umbrella are six companies<br />
working in different areas of<br />
manufacturing: TDF Foundry, McDonald<br />
Diecasting, Waterfit, Rugby Plastics,<br />
Thomas Dudley Works, and TYDE. But<br />
the business began to experience<br />
bottlenecks in its production facility that<br />
manufactures products for TYDE.<br />
Performance data from the plastic<br />
production machines could only be<br />
manually extracted and could not be<br />
collected in real time, meaning issues<br />
could be left undetected which could<br />
negatively affect the production line.<br />
Through the Black Country Growth<br />
Hub, Peter Devine, production unit<br />
director, and Martin Dudley, CEO of<br />
Thomas Dudley, heard about Made<br />
Smarter West Midlands which was<br />
introduced in 2021 to help manufacturing<br />
and engineering businesses access<br />
match-funded grant funding and digital<br />
experts to take the next step forward to<br />
drive growth.<br />
Peter contacted Made Smarter and<br />
was put in touch with Jit Gatcha, Made<br />
Smarter’s digital transformation<br />
specialist for the Black Country.<br />
Jit organised a meeting with Peter and<br />
Martin alongside Tomas Novais, senior<br />
research engineer at Made Smarter<br />
strategic partner, the Manufacturing<br />
Technology Centre (MTC).<br />
Made Smarter approved a £20,000<br />
grant to help purchase a manufacturing<br />
execution system (MES) to allow TYDE’s<br />
machines to collect performance data in<br />
real time, alerting workers to any issues<br />
instantly.<br />
Peter Devine said productivity has<br />
increased by around five to seven per<br />
cent as a result of the MES.<br />
He told <strong>Prosper</strong>, “We knew the issues<br />
we were facing, but we needed<br />
reassurance that we were making the<br />
right decision and the grant money that<br />
Made Smarter offered was very<br />
attractive.<br />
“If we could remove the bottleneck, it<br />
would allow us to be significantly more<br />
productive and reliably fulfil orders much<br />
faster for our customers.<br />
“The new system has meant we can<br />
spot issues with our machines as soon as<br />
they happen, which has made a huge<br />
difference to our productivity.<br />
“Receiving the grant from Made<br />
Smarter helped make the decision to<br />
purchase the software that much easier.<br />
“For a business like ours, that extra five<br />
to seven per cent increase in productivity<br />
will make such a difference in the long run.<br />
“Our staff have realised how much<br />
easier their jobs are as result. We are<br />
52 PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong>
MEMBERS’ NEWS<br />
“We knew the issues we were<br />
facing... if we could remove the<br />
bottleneck, it would allow us to<br />
be significantly more<br />
productive... the new system has<br />
meant we can spot issues with<br />
our machines as soon as they<br />
happen, which has made a<br />
huge difference...”<br />
becoming more proactive rather than<br />
reactive.<br />
“We are also devoting more of our time<br />
to training our staff in digital technologies<br />
like MES systems so we can adapt in the<br />
future.<br />
“Made Smarter was fantastic to deal<br />
with throughout the process. They made<br />
everything simple and, if we had any<br />
queries, Jit was just a phone call away.”<br />
Coventry and Warwickshire Growth<br />
Hub has led the Made Smarter West<br />
Midlands scheme alongside fellow<br />
support organisations Business Growth<br />
West Midlands and Worcestershire, The<br />
Marches, and Stoke-on-Trent &<br />
Staffordshire Growth Hubs, on behalf of<br />
the West Midlands Combined Authority<br />
and the Department for Business and<br />
Trade.<br />
Jit Gatcha said installing smart<br />
software on TYDE’s manufacturing<br />
machines has made a major difference to<br />
its future growth plans.<br />
“Productivity is vital to businesses and<br />
our economy here in the West Midlands<br />
which is why Made Smarter’s help is<br />
boosting efficiency and taking companies<br />
to the next level,” he said.<br />
“It can be daunting and difficult to find<br />
the time to research the digital<br />
technology your business needs.<br />
“Our analysis showed an MES was<br />
indeed a viable solution for Thomas<br />
Dudley, and we took them through the<br />
grant application process step by step to<br />
help pay for it.<br />
“It now means Thomas Dudley can fulfil<br />
bigger orders for its customers after<br />
increasing its capacity and can cope with<br />
any future technological advances<br />
knowing they have the skills in place to<br />
use the new technology to its full<br />
potential.”<br />
Jit has urged SMEs in the Black Country<br />
and the wider Midlands interested in<br />
finding out more about Made Smarter<br />
West Midlands to express their interest at<br />
www.madesmarter.uk.<br />
BCIMO hosts first demonstration<br />
of exciting CVLR project<br />
The Black Country Innovative<br />
Manufacturing Organisation (BCIMO)<br />
hosted a successful demonstration of<br />
the pioneering Coventry Very Light Rail<br />
(CVLR) technology at its unique Rail<br />
Development and Test Site in Dudley.<br />
Andy Street, the Mayor of the West<br />
Midlands, was among interested<br />
observers, alongside MPs Penny<br />
Mordaunt and Nicola Richards and<br />
Cllrs Patrick Harley and Simon Phipps<br />
from Dudley Council.<br />
The CVLR project has achieved a major<br />
milestone as the vehicle is now able to<br />
be tested on its own track at the Very<br />
Light Rail National Innovation Centre<br />
(VLRNIC), a unique, world-class centre<br />
for rail innovation.<br />
The project has been developed by<br />
Coventry City Council, Transport for<br />
West Midlands (TfWM), WMG at the<br />
University of Warwick and BCIMO, who<br />
operate the VLRNIC.<br />
College facility taking shape<br />
The steel framework has begun to<br />
take shape on a new £8.1 million City<br />
of Wolverhampton College training<br />
facility.<br />
It is another major step forward in<br />
the development of the<br />
college’s Advanced Technology and<br />
Automotive Centre on its Wellington<br />
Road campus in Bilston, as part of<br />
the City Learning Quarter vision.<br />
Andy Street,<br />
MPs Penny<br />
Mordaunt<br />
and Nicola<br />
Richards<br />
and other<br />
guests at<br />
the CVLR<br />
demo<br />
Due to be completed in July 2024,<br />
it will secure hundreds of jobs and<br />
create learning opportunities for<br />
thousands of students specialising in<br />
engineering and automotive,<br />
including electric vehicles.<br />
It is phase one of the Council’s City<br />
Learning Quarter masterplan and will<br />
be funded by £7.7 million from the<br />
West Midlands Combined Authority<br />
(WMCA), with the remainder<br />
from the Black Country LEP.<br />
The centre will offer<br />
courses in fabrication,<br />
manufacturing, welding,<br />
CAD and robotics and will<br />
deliver a multi-skilled<br />
workforce addressing skills<br />
shortages in the city.<br />
Almost 5,500 learners<br />
and 954 apprenticeships<br />
are forecast over the first 10<br />
years of the centre.<br />
PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong> 53
CHAMBER NEWS: MEET THE TEAM<br />
Meet the team: The people<br />
behind the Chamber<br />
Senior Management Team<br />
Sarah Moorhouse<br />
Chief Executive<br />
Officer<br />
Lorna Taylor<br />
Finance Director<br />
Siân Roberts<br />
Sales & Marketing<br />
Director<br />
Membership Team<br />
Alison Trinder<br />
Start-up Business<br />
Manager<br />
Business Relationship<br />
Managers<br />
Gemma Shakespeare<br />
Richard Hobbs and<br />
Steve Salt<br />
Commercial Team<br />
Gail Arnold<br />
Head of Premium<br />
Membership<br />
Laila Hudson<br />
IGNITE Hub Customer<br />
Service Advisor<br />
Siân Roberts, our Director of Sales<br />
& Marketing, joined the Chamber in<br />
June, tasked with building valued<br />
partnerships with members and the<br />
broader business community.<br />
Her other goals include maximising<br />
the value of Chamber membership,<br />
as well as increasing commercial<br />
activities. She is also determined to<br />
enhance the Chamber’s reputation,<br />
ensuring it continues to deliver<br />
outstanding customer advice and<br />
support to our members.<br />
External Affairs Team<br />
Lauren Shepherd<br />
Content Officer<br />
Daniel Parkes<br />
IGNITE Hub Customer<br />
Service Advisor<br />
Tracey Jovicich<br />
Membership<br />
Administrator<br />
Sarah Thompson<br />
Press/PR and<br />
PROSPER<br />
Magazine Editor<br />
Finance & Export<br />
Documentation Team<br />
Andrew Wells<br />
Assistant<br />
Accountant<br />
Malcolm Reid<br />
Export<br />
Documentation<br />
Assistant<br />
Mandy Perry<br />
Finance & Export<br />
Assistant<br />
Owenia Francis<br />
Apprentice content<br />
creator / digital<br />
illustrator<br />
Gemma Edwards<br />
Policy, Impact &<br />
Public Affairs Officer<br />
54 PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong>
CHAMBER NEWS MEET THE TEAM<br />
Black Country Chamber is proud of the people who provide the great service to our members.<br />
Here we introduce you to some of our latest newcomers: Gemma Edwards, Steve Salt,<br />
Gemma Shakespeare, Richard Hobbs and our first apprentice, Owenia Francis<br />
Experienced policy analyst to lead Chamber’s response<br />
Experienced policy analyst Gemma<br />
Edwards, who previously worked for the<br />
New Zealand’s Ministry of Education,<br />
joined the Chamber in August to head up<br />
its policy and public affairs department.<br />
Gemma, who had been advising senior<br />
education ministers and leading stakeholders<br />
within the tertiary education<br />
sector since 2018, moved back to the UK<br />
to settle in Wolverhampton.<br />
An alumnus of University of Sheffield,<br />
where she read classical and historical<br />
archaeology, netball-loving Gemma<br />
brings a wealth of experience of policy<br />
reviews, briefings and analytical<br />
reporting, along with an insight into the<br />
workings of government.<br />
Gemma told <strong>Prosper</strong>, “My role is to<br />
showcase, celebrate and champion the<br />
Black Country business community.<br />
“I know that the region has so much to<br />
offer and being new to the Black<br />
Country, I’m looking forward to<br />
discovering more and meeting new<br />
businesses.”<br />
Sarah Moorhouse, Black Country<br />
Chamber CEO said, “Gemma brings a<br />
wealth of policy-driven experience with<br />
her, along with an abundance of energy.<br />
“This role is pivotal to the Chamber<br />
and our members and Gemma will be<br />
responsible for leading the Chamber’s<br />
research activities, member<br />
engagement on policy matters,<br />
communications on policy issues and<br />
the delivery of evidence-led campaigns.<br />
“As a lynchpin of the local economy,<br />
the Chambers’ work will further amplify<br />
the voice of members to showcase,<br />
celebrate and champion the Black<br />
Country business community.<br />
“My aim, alongside Gemma, is to build<br />
on this work and continue to be a<br />
powerful delivery vehicle for our<br />
members’ interests and needs.<br />
“Gemma is working with our<br />
membership, stakeholders and<br />
policymakers to deliver compelling<br />
activities which influence, inform and<br />
tackle the barriers limiting growth and<br />
productivity.”<br />
Trio of newcomers to boost member links<br />
Gemma Shakespeare has joined the<br />
Black Country Chamber as one of three<br />
new business relationship managers in<br />
the Membership Team.<br />
A former senior in-house recruiter at<br />
Wolverhampton Council and linguistics<br />
graduate from the University of<br />
Wolverhampton, Gemma said: “I am<br />
excited to meet Chamber members and<br />
forge strong and long working<br />
relationships with them, as well as get<br />
involved in future Chamber projects.”<br />
Also joining is Richard Hobbs, a<br />
former account manager with Made in<br />
The Midlands and business development<br />
co-ordinator at Wolverhampton College.<br />
Young Apprentice joins Chamber team<br />
Apprentice content creator and digital<br />
illustrator, Owenia Francis, has joined<br />
the external affairs team at the Black<br />
Country Chamber from the BBC’s<br />
Apprentice Hub in Birmingham, to take<br />
care of our digital content.<br />
Berkshire-born Owenia, a graduate of<br />
English Literature at the University of<br />
Birmingham and an avid instigator and<br />
supporter of social action campaigns,<br />
brings a wealth of multimedia<br />
experience to the team despite her<br />
relatively young age. She will work<br />
closely with content officer Lauren<br />
Richard, an avid Wolves fan and sports<br />
science graduate of Aberystwyth<br />
University, is producer of the awardwinning<br />
podcast, Wolves Fancast and<br />
also a STEM ambassador in his spare<br />
time.<br />
Richard said, “I’m really pleased to be<br />
part of the Chamber. It’s an exciting time<br />
with many initiatives and events line up<br />
to support employers in the region. With<br />
my background in supporting businesses<br />
in the region, being a member of the<br />
team feels like a natural fit.”<br />
Gemma and Richard join Steve Salt,<br />
who joined the Chamber in the summer.<br />
Steve, who spent time as a Covid<br />
Shephard, who will oversee Owenia’s<br />
learning.<br />
Owenia said: “I’m very happy to be<br />
joining the team at the Chamber. I’ve<br />
already had the opportunity to attend<br />
Chamber events and meet some of the<br />
amazing businesses across the region.<br />
Chamber CEO Sarah Moorhouse said,<br />
“We are huge supporters of<br />
apprenticeships and encouraging the<br />
workforce of the future. The BBC<br />
Apprentice Hub is a great way for<br />
individuals to begin their career in the<br />
creative sector, and we are delighted to<br />
administrator and induction manager<br />
working at the Perry Barr Residential<br />
Scheme project in Birmingham, said:<br />
“I’m enjoying working with my<br />
colleagues and helping businesses<br />
thrive, and I’m excited with the<br />
opportunity to support and ‘fly the flag’<br />
for our region.”<br />
Chamber Sales and Marketing<br />
Director Sian Roberts said: “Our new<br />
relationship managers bring a wealth of<br />
experience gained through many years<br />
working across several business<br />
sectors, including membership<br />
organisations. They have all hit the<br />
ground running.”<br />
welcome our first-ever apprentice.<br />
“Owenia is already a valuable member<br />
of the team, and will help us further<br />
amplify the Chamber name and the<br />
services we offer to our members and<br />
the wider Black Country community.”<br />
The BBC Apprentice Hub is a Flexi-Job<br />
Apprenticeship Agency (FJAA) where the<br />
BBC acts as host employer, arranging<br />
placements for aspiring creatives with<br />
local businesses. It’s an exciting<br />
initiative that plugs a much-needed<br />
skills gap in the region’s creative,<br />
cultural, gaming and digital sectors.<br />
PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong> 55
CHAMBER EVENTS<br />
Shevaun Haviland, Director-General of<br />
the British Chambers of Commerce hit<br />
the Black Country last month to meet<br />
business leaders at a lunch organised by<br />
the Chamber.<br />
Patrons and Platinum Group members<br />
gathered at the Mercure Hotel in West<br />
Bromwich to hear Shevaun, former head<br />
of business engagement in Downing<br />
Street and a previous head of the<br />
Inclusive Economy Partnership, discuss<br />
her own career, including previous<br />
consultancy roles in London and New<br />
York and a strategic planning role for the<br />
Walt Disney Company at Disneyland<br />
Paris, and give an insight into her work as<br />
head of the country’s longest established<br />
business support organisation.<br />
Her talk covered everything from the<br />
recent developments around HS2 to<br />
economic policy and the need for an<br />
industrial strategy, while taking the<br />
audience through the work of the<br />
collective Chamber network, along with<br />
an insight into her lobbying activities at<br />
the highest level of government and<br />
meetings with cabinet ministers.<br />
Skills, recruitment, productivity, energy<br />
prices, green innovation and international<br />
trade were, as ever the hot topics on the<br />
lips of leaders from across the region, all<br />
eager to hear Ms Haviland’s take on the<br />
current economic climate and the<br />
challenges facing business.<br />
Shevaun concluded that the Chamber<br />
network is under no illusion on how<br />
challenging times have been, and<br />
continue to be, for firms in every sector,<br />
but confirmed, as ever, the collective<br />
network of 53 Chambers will continue to<br />
Shevaun Haviland,<br />
(left of banner) with<br />
Chamber CEO<br />
Sarah Moorhouse<br />
and representatives<br />
of the Chamber’s<br />
Platinum members<br />
and Patrons<br />
Tough times but BCC has your back, says D-G<br />
lobby government, whatever colour it<br />
may be in the coming months, while<br />
continuing to champion and support<br />
businesses across the country.<br />
Black Country Chamber CEO Sarah<br />
Moorhouse, who welcomed Shevaun on<br />
stage, said: “We were delighted to<br />
welcome and host Shevaun. Meeting and<br />
engaging with over 60 of the region’s<br />
business leaders from key sectors,<br />
representing the breadth of our regional<br />
economy, was incredibly useful for both<br />
ourselves and her.<br />
“This meeting with our members gave<br />
Shevaun a real insight into this region’s<br />
diverse business sector while allowing<br />
many leaders to voice their concerns<br />
about some of the issues and challenges<br />
they continue to face in the current<br />
economic climate.”<br />
Chamber puts mental health in<br />
focus at Women in Leadership<br />
Black Country Chamber’s Women in<br />
Leadership group hosted another<br />
hugely successful event, this time in<br />
connection to World Mental Health<br />
Day.<br />
Held at the offices of Higgs LLP,<br />
the event, entitled, ‘Success<br />
Without Sacrifice - How to Progress<br />
in Your Career Without Sacrificing<br />
Your Wellbeing Along the Way’, was<br />
attended by over 50 professional<br />
women who heard all about the<br />
impact on women’s wellbeing while<br />
working in leadership positions.<br />
Raising funds for the Chamber’s<br />
chosen charity, Black Country<br />
Mental Health, Diane Asbury from<br />
Crowe UK was the luck recipient of a<br />
personalised Global Leadership<br />
Wellbeing Survey report and debrief<br />
coaching session from the day’s<br />
keynote speaker, Nicky Lowe.<br />
See pg 59 for details of our next<br />
Women in Leadership event, to be<br />
held on March 8 2024, to coincide<br />
with International Women’s Day.<br />
56 PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong>
EVENTS<br />
Chamber AGM<br />
Black Country Chamber of<br />
Commerce AGM<br />
Date: December 1<br />
Venue: Marston Room, Technology<br />
Centre, University of<br />
Wolverhampton Science Park,<br />
Glaisher Drive WV10 9RU<br />
Cost: Free to members<br />
Notice is hereby given that the<br />
Annual General Meeting of Black<br />
Country Chamber of Commerce &<br />
Industry will be held at Marston<br />
Room, Technology Centre, University<br />
of Wolverhampton Science Park,<br />
Glaisher Drive, Wolverhampton,<br />
WV10 9RU at 12.30pm on Friday, 1st<br />
December <strong>2023</strong>.<br />
The meeting will be held to hear the<br />
Chair’s review and the Chief<br />
Executive’s report and to transact<br />
the following business:<br />
1. To receive the report of the<br />
directors and the accounts for the<br />
year ended 31st March <strong>2023</strong>.<br />
2. To re-appoint CKCA Limited as<br />
auditors from the conclusion of this<br />
meeting until the conclusion of the<br />
next general meeting, before which<br />
accounts are laid and to authorise<br />
the directors to fix the auditors’<br />
remuneration.<br />
3. To elect two directors from the<br />
shortlisted candidates, being Paul<br />
Hull and Jatinder Sharma.<br />
4. To consider and if thought fit pass<br />
the following resolution as a special<br />
resolution: ‘That the draft articles of<br />
association produced to the<br />
meeting and for the purposes of<br />
identification initialled by the Chair<br />
be adopted as the articles of<br />
association of the Company in<br />
substitution for and to the exclusion<br />
of the Company’s existing articles of<br />
association.’<br />
Networking will commence at 12pm<br />
until 12.30pm. Following the AGM a<br />
buffet lunch and drinks will be<br />
served until 3pm.<br />
Any questions please email<br />
lornataylor@<br />
blackcountrychamber.co.uk<br />
Bookings will close at 12.30pm on<br />
Wednesday, 29 November.<br />
Further details, and to book, see<br />
www.blackcountrychamber<br />
ofcommerce.co.uk/events<br />
Exclusive networking opportunities<br />
at the Black Country Business Club<br />
Exclusive closed networking club for<br />
businesses across the region<br />
The Black Country Business Club<br />
provides a platform where individuals<br />
can build business relationships and<br />
promote their products and services<br />
within a friendly and supportive<br />
environment.<br />
The event is live, face-to-face and<br />
meets every fortnight on a Thursday<br />
morning from 9.30am until 11.30am.<br />
Chamber members and non-members<br />
are welcome to come along and visit to<br />
see how everything works before<br />
committing to the Club. There is an<br />
additional annual cost to be part of the<br />
Business Club network.<br />
At each meeting, one delegate has the<br />
opportunity to co-host and use a<br />
10-minute slot to promote their business,<br />
while every other delegate gets the<br />
opportunity to provide a short<br />
60-second pitch, to share their latest<br />
news or highlight a key product/service.<br />
Rules of Engagement!<br />
Members of the club agree to the<br />
following principles:<br />
• Only two businesses per sector/<br />
industry will be allowed to join<br />
• There will be a maximum of 50<br />
members<br />
• Membership is on a first-come,<br />
first-served basis with a final decision on<br />
a membership application made by the<br />
Black Country Chamber of Commerce<br />
• Each business is expected to deliver<br />
a minimum of one 10-minute<br />
‘presentation’ each year at their Club,<br />
and all businesses deliver a 60-second<br />
pitch at every meeting<br />
The Club will meet once a fortnight.<br />
Cost*. There is an additional cost for<br />
the club dependent upon which<br />
Chamber membership you hold.<br />
Only one representative from a<br />
business can attend each session.<br />
Across 25 meetings, a no show at<br />
three consecutive Clubs will mean that a<br />
member has forfeited their right to be<br />
part of the Club and will be barred from<br />
future Clubs with no refund given.<br />
Dates For Your Diary 2024<br />
Jan: 11th and 25th<br />
Feb: 8th and 22nd<br />
March: 7th and 21st<br />
April: 4th and 18th<br />
May: 2nd, 16th and 30th<br />
June: 13th and 27th<br />
July: 11th and 25th<br />
August: 8th and 22nd<br />
Sept: 5th and 19th<br />
Oct: 3rd, 17th and 31st<br />
Nov: 14th and 28th<br />
Dec: 12th<br />
For further information:<br />
Email membership@<br />
blackcountrychamber.co.uk or<br />
contact Alison Trinder on 07980<br />
906921 for a free guest pass*<br />
to the next meeting, we would love<br />
to meet you.<br />
See you TWW – Third Week Wednesday<br />
Each third week Wednesday, Chamber members and non-members meet for their<br />
FREE monthly networking session.Meet at Walsall College in the Littleton<br />
Restaurant, Wisemore Campus, Littleton Street West, Walsall, WS2 8ES<br />
From 9.45am through to 11.30am.There’s a short introduction from the college,<br />
followed by ‘Open Networking’ which kicks off at 9.45am.<br />
For more details on these networking events and how you can join in, email<br />
membership@blackcountrychamber.co.uk<br />
58 PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong>
EVENTS<br />
Wolverhampton Wednesday<br />
Hosted by the City of Wolverhampton<br />
College and powered by the region’s<br />
longest running business support<br />
organisation, join us for a Wolverhampton<br />
Wednesday!<br />
It’s an open networking session<br />
enjoyed over a complimentary breakfast,<br />
courtesy of the college.<br />
Meetings take place on the last<br />
Wednesday of the month at the college’s<br />
Wellington Road Campus.<br />
Big Business @B63 Breakfast Event<br />
The Chamber’s monthly breakfast<br />
networking event takes place on the<br />
first Wednesday of the Month.<br />
Providing a fantastic opportunity to<br />
network with like-minded businesses<br />
each month, the Big Business @B63<br />
Black Country Chamber has joined forces<br />
with Sandwell Council and Sandwell<br />
College to host a FREE regular breakfast<br />
networking event. The ‘Get Connected in<br />
Sandwell’ initiative kicked off over<br />
breakfast earlier this year at Sandwell<br />
College in West Bromwich.<br />
The regular event provides business<br />
owners with a host of speakers talking<br />
through everything from how to connect<br />
as a business, save money and grow,<br />
through to improving the local business<br />
environment, advocacy, campaigning,<br />
community action and networking.<br />
Next Event: December 13 on CSR<br />
Corporate & Social Responsibility<br />
The presentation will cover the three<br />
Open to members and non-members,<br />
this breakfast event is FREE of charge for<br />
one person from each business. With<br />
numbers limited, it has already proved to<br />
be a very popular event, so book on well<br />
in advance to secure your place.<br />
Email membership@<br />
blackcountrychamber.co.uk<br />
for further details.<br />
‘breakfast event’ is hosted by<br />
Halesowen College, sponsored by The<br />
Halesowen Bid and powered by The<br />
Black Country Chamber of Commerce.<br />
It starts at 7.45am, running until<br />
9.15am.<br />
Calling all Sandwell businesses<br />
aspects which provide the basis for the 3<br />
Ps relating to CSR: People, Planet &<br />
Profit.<br />
• Environmentally Friendly – Eco<br />
Conscious<br />
• Promote equality, diversity and<br />
inclusivity in the workplace<br />
• Giving back to the community<br />
• Volunteering<br />
For more information contact<br />
Alison Trinder 07980 906921 or<br />
email alisontrinder@<br />
blackcountrychamber.co.uk<br />
SAVE THE DATE:<br />
WIL event<br />
Black Country Chamber’s<br />
Women in Leadership roup<br />
is holding its next event on<br />
March 8 2024, to mark International<br />
Women’s Day.<br />
Our guest speakers at what is<br />
always a superb event will be Amber<br />
Sandhu, a radio/TV presenter and<br />
sports reporter; and Jade Linton,<br />
director of HR at Thursfields<br />
Solicitors.<br />
About our speakers:<br />
Amber Sandhu,<br />
born and raised in<br />
Wolverhampton,<br />
presents a national<br />
show every Saturday<br />
afternoon on the BBC<br />
Asian Network and<br />
has presented across BBC Radio WM.<br />
She has reported and worked across<br />
BBC Cricket, 5 Live Sport and was the<br />
face of the Commonwealth Games<br />
across Midlands Today. Amber is one<br />
of the UK’s most exciting and<br />
charismatic presenters who has<br />
worked across events such as The<br />
Hundred, Women’s Ashes, FA Cup<br />
Games,<br />
Commonwealth<br />
Games and many<br />
more.<br />
Jade Linton is an<br />
industry-renowned<br />
and respected<br />
solicitor and people<br />
leader known for providing thoughtful,<br />
clear, solution focused and technically<br />
robust legal advice.<br />
She joined Thursfields Board in<br />
2020, where she is responsible for the<br />
strategic and operational guidance<br />
and direction of all people matters.<br />
She is passionate about inclusion and<br />
belonging, and is regularly invited to<br />
inspire others through training,<br />
feedback and coaching, aspiring<br />
lawyers and businesses on matters of<br />
diversity, equality and inclusion.<br />
Further event details coming<br />
soon…<br />
To find out more about the Black<br />
Country Women in Leadership<br />
visit www.blackcountrychamber.<br />
co.uk/campaigns<br />
PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong> 59
EVENTS DIARY<br />
Training events<br />
EXPORT: LETTERS OF CREDIT<br />
Date: December 13<br />
Time: 09:00 - 13:00<br />
Location: Online<br />
Cost: Members £200 ex VAT<br />
Non Members: £250 ex VAT<br />
This Letters of Credit training<br />
course has been devised for<br />
companies/departments that are<br />
regularly receiving or handling<br />
Letters of Credit. It will help you to<br />
reduce risks, bank charges and<br />
improve efficiency of administrators.<br />
This course will cover:<br />
n Careful credit checking<br />
n The export quotation<br />
n A review of other payment<br />
methods<br />
n What is a Letter of Credit, Letter<br />
of Credit administration and<br />
Letter of Credit Procedure?<br />
n Letter of Credit types and levels<br />
of security<br />
Tips to ensure you get it right at<br />
all stages of the Letter of Credit<br />
CUSTOMS AUDITS &<br />
INSPECTIONS<br />
Date: February 1, 2024<br />
Time: 09:00 - 13:00<br />
Location: Online<br />
Cost: Members £200 ex VAT<br />
Non Members £250 ex VAT<br />
Since leaving the EU more<br />
businesses are now responsible for<br />
declaring goods to customs for<br />
import and export. This has resulted<br />
in more businesses receiving a<br />
HMRC Customs Audit. This<br />
workshop helps businesses in<br />
understanding what they need to<br />
prepare for.<br />
n The purpose of the audit<br />
n The different types of audit that<br />
HMRC may undertake<br />
n What the auditors will be looking<br />
for regarding imports and exports<br />
n Practical and effective recordkeeping<br />
n Checking declarations for<br />
accuracy and validity<br />
Aimed at importers, exporters,<br />
finance, logistics, procurement,<br />
sales, supply chain managers/<br />
directors and those with<br />
responsibility for auditing records.<br />
For more information, contact<br />
training@blackcountry<br />
chamber.co.uk<br />
‘Project Success: Managing<br />
Change Successfully – To<br />
Implement Renewables’<br />
Black Country Manufacturing Community (BCMC)<br />
Sponsored by Crowe UK LLP<br />
Date: January 16, 2024<br />
Time: 8am-9.30am<br />
Venue: The Black Country Living<br />
Museum<br />
Tipton Road, Dudley<br />
West Midlands DY1 4SQ<br />
Cost Members: Free<br />
An exclusive event for<br />
manufacturing companies<br />
Manufacturing companies in the Black<br />
Country are invited to attend this Black<br />
Country Manufacturing Community<br />
(BCMC) meeting organised by Black<br />
Country Chamber, sponsored by Crowe<br />
UK LLP<br />
As a manufacturer based in the Black<br />
Country you will have the opportunity to<br />
collaborate with like-minded<br />
manufacturers and share information<br />
with other manufacturers<br />
Johnathan Dudley, the Managing<br />
Partner & Head of Manufacturing at<br />
Crowe (pictured above), will discuss how<br />
to manage change successfully and<br />
improve processes, in order to<br />
implement renewable energy into your<br />
business<br />
The meeting runs from 8.00am to<br />
9.30am.<br />
The meeting is open to manufacturing<br />
Events diary<br />
companies only. If you are a not a<br />
manufacturing business and book onto<br />
this event, your booking will be cancelled.<br />
Spaces are limited so an early booking<br />
is advisable.<br />
A breakfast sandwich and<br />
refreshments are included (please advise<br />
dietary/allergy requirements on booking<br />
using the special request area)<br />
Bookings for this event will close at<br />
2pm on Monday, 15th January<br />
Due to catering booking for this event<br />
is essential so please book your place on<br />
the Chamber website.<br />
For further information please<br />
email gailarnold@<br />
blackcountrychamber.co.uk<br />
November 22: <strong>Autumn</strong> Statement<br />
Join us and our panel of experts from Crowe UK LLP, to find out what the <strong>Autumn</strong><br />
Statement will mean for you and your business. Put your questions to our panel<br />
of experts. FREE to attend for Chamber members only, with lunch supplied.<br />
January<br />
11: Quarterly Economic Survey Event (Quarter 4)<br />
Why not join us at our QES breakfast meeting as we reveal the results from our<br />
Q4 <strong>2023</strong> Quarterly Economic Survey. Be the first to hear how businesses in the<br />
Black Country are feeling as 2024 begins.<br />
Venue: University of Wolverhampton Science Park, Marston Room, Technology<br />
Centre, Glaisher Drive, Wolverhampton WV10 9RU<br />
Time: 8.30am-10am. Cost: Free to members<br />
60 PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong>
CHAMBER EVENTS: START-UP BUSINESS CLUB<br />
Chamber’s Start-Up Business Club<br />
goes from strength to strength<br />
Start-Up Business Club<br />
The Black Country Chamber’s Start Up<br />
Business Club is celebrating five years<br />
this year, having helped dozens of<br />
businesses to launch and grow, while<br />
working hand-in -hand with the club’s<br />
business partner, the Black Country and<br />
Marches Institute of Technology.<br />
The major education site in Dudley<br />
plays host to the business club’s regular<br />
meetings and the many experienced<br />
business professionals who are invited<br />
along to share their skills and expertise<br />
with new business owners.<br />
The Start-Up Business Club, led by<br />
Alison Trinder, provides much-needed<br />
help and support with all aspects of<br />
running a new business.<br />
The employer-led Institute of Technology<br />
has formed strong relationships with<br />
many organisations of all sizes, including<br />
the Chamber, and many businesses are<br />
now benefiting from the state-of-the-art<br />
facilities available in the multi-millionpound<br />
facility.<br />
From networking opportunities to<br />
one-to-one business advice, marketing<br />
support and savings on essential<br />
business tools, the Start-Up Business<br />
Club helps small businesses to the next<br />
level and offers a one-stop-shop for<br />
business advice, personal development<br />
training and marketing, all as part of a<br />
vibrant networking community.<br />
The club also delivers a number of<br />
events and masterclasses where<br />
entrepreneurs and new business owners<br />
can meet and network and hear from<br />
experienced businesspeople. In addition,<br />
it also provides two years’ worth of<br />
business support.<br />
The driving force behind the Start-Up<br />
Business Club is the Black Country<br />
Chamber’s highly experienced business<br />
relationship manager, Alison Trinder.<br />
Black Country & Marches<br />
Institute of<br />
TechnologyZoological<br />
DriveDudleyWest<br />
MidlandsDY1 4AL<br />
2024 Workshops Planned<br />
Jan: Access to Finance<br />
Feb: Intellectual Property<br />
March: Press & PR<br />
April: Public Speaking<br />
Alison has more than 30 years’ experience<br />
in establishing and maintaining strong<br />
business relationships. She said: “Small<br />
businesses are the beating heart of the<br />
UK economy, bringing in around half of<br />
the turnover in our country’s private<br />
sector We go all out to support them.”<br />
To find out more about our Start-Up<br />
Business Club, get in touch with<br />
Alison Trinder on 07980 906921 or<br />
email alisontrinder@<br />
blackcountrychamber.co.uk, or see<br />
https://www.blackcountry<br />
chamber.co.uk/training-courses/<br />
start-up/<br />
START-UP BUSINESS CLUB EVENTS DIARY<br />
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION<br />
Date: November 28<br />
Time: 10am-12 noon<br />
We’re delighted to have secured a double session<br />
with Peter the Speaker - a Dragons’ Den victor<br />
who’ll be exploring effective communication and<br />
teaching how to network anywhere and how to<br />
pitch to anyone.<br />
Session One: Value & Pitching<br />
Session Two: Influencers & Networking<br />
Free to Start-Up Business Club Members Only<br />
One free visitor pass available to Start-Up<br />
companies upon request.<br />
Please email: alisontrinder@<br />
blackcountrychamber.co.uk<br />
CHRISTMAS SOCIAL EVENT<br />
Date: December 5<br />
Time: 10am-12 noon<br />
Start-Up Member Rate: Free<br />
FREE to Start-Up Business Club members only<br />
LIMITED SPACES AVAILABLE<br />
Join us for our annual social mix and mingle, enjoy<br />
networking with the group and have a<br />
complimentary mince pie on us...<br />
Free to Start-Up Business Club Members Only;<br />
one free visitor pass available to Start-Up<br />
companies upon request.<br />
Please email: alisontrinder@<br />
blackcountrychamber.co.uk<br />
What members<br />
say about the<br />
Start-Up<br />
Business Club<br />
“Attendees benefit<br />
from listening to<br />
experts in their field<br />
... I thoroughly<br />
enjoyed all the<br />
workshops and found<br />
content informative<br />
... it gave me the<br />
opportunity to<br />
network and chat<br />
with other local<br />
business owners...”<br />
PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong> 61
CHAMBER TRAINING COURSES / WORKSHOPS<br />
Training & developing your teams<br />
If the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that continuous<br />
learning and performance management are no longer just<br />
desirable qualities, but essential prerequisites for nurturing your<br />
team’s growth and success.<br />
Achieving success involves encouraging their career<br />
progression and development, yielding mutual benefits, and<br />
cultivating a thriving work environment.<br />
Jenny Stevens, a manager at Chamber Patron member, ASSA<br />
Abloy who completed the Chamber’s Management<br />
Development Programme couldn’t agree more. She told<br />
<strong>Prosper</strong>, “The MDP course was probably the best training and<br />
development course that I have completed in my career to date.<br />
“Each session had a distinct purpose to it, and I feel that I<br />
have been given an extensive toolkit to help me become a better<br />
manager. The activities completed each month were perfectly<br />
pitched and were engaging throughout.”<br />
International trade workshops<br />
Getting to grips with exporting<br />
Since the Brexit vote, the end of the<br />
transition period and now the<br />
introduction of the UK and EU Trade &<br />
Co-operation Agreement, there are now<br />
many more procedures, protocols and<br />
systems businesses need to be aware of.<br />
Black Country Chamber has been<br />
involved in the delivery of trade skills<br />
workshops for many years and has an<br />
established reputation for the quality and<br />
relevance of these workshops and their<br />
contribution to the up-skilling of British<br />
exporters.<br />
International trade workshops are<br />
delivered by our professionally registered<br />
trainers and held virtually. They can also<br />
be made more bespoke to your business<br />
and delivered in-house.<br />
WHAT’S INCLUDED<br />
Benefits:<br />
In-house delivery – Meaning less time<br />
away from the office<br />
Delivered by experts – Experienced<br />
trainers with extensive business insights<br />
Fresh and agile content – Focused on<br />
current challenges and tailor-made to<br />
your business<br />
Cost-effective – Training programmes<br />
are open to teams, groups or individuals<br />
GET IN TOUCH<br />
To ask any questions please contact our<br />
training team by email:<br />
training@blackcountrychamber.co.uk or<br />
call 0330 024 0820<br />
Export procedures and documentation<br />
Date: December 7<br />
Time: 09:30 - 13:00<br />
Location: Online<br />
Cost: Members: £200 ex VAT<br />
Non Members: £250 ex VAT<br />
Have you experienced delays and<br />
incurred costs due to incorrect export<br />
documentation? Do you want to save<br />
time and reduce export risk…?<br />
Export documentation problems often<br />
lead to delays in getting goods to<br />
customers, increased costs and charges,<br />
not to mention a breakdown of goodwill<br />
between seller and buyer.<br />
On this course we will take you through<br />
a detailed look at export documents, with<br />
a practical approach to why and when<br />
documents are needed. Includes<br />
background, uses and key requirements<br />
for different countries.<br />
Participants will:<br />
• Understand how to produce the<br />
necessary documents for an international<br />
shipment<br />
• Prepare a price build up for an export<br />
quotation<br />
• Identify the appropriate documents<br />
from the 3 categories required to<br />
expedite the shipment<br />
• Describe any additional special<br />
requirements or documentation for<br />
particular markets/sectors<br />
• Gain an overview of Incoterms 2020<br />
• Identify modes of transport<br />
• Identify where to go for sources of<br />
international information<br />
What clients say about the<br />
Chamber’s training courses<br />
Hill and Smith –<br />
Bespoke Export Course<br />
“We contacted the Chamber to set up<br />
some export training. The process was<br />
incredibly easy as the Chamber<br />
organised the entire training from start<br />
to finish; they accommodated us on the<br />
dates requested and delivered a<br />
bespoke course to us virtually over the<br />
two days.<br />
“The course was structured in such a<br />
way that the fundamentals of export<br />
were covered first, it then later flowed<br />
into specific topics that were requested<br />
by different members of staff.<br />
“The course has helped our business<br />
substantially as we all feel so much more<br />
confident about how to export products,<br />
under different payment terms, correctly<br />
and without any discrepancies.<br />
“A great course delivered by fantastic<br />
and highly-experienced tutors.”<br />
H & R ChemPharm (UK) Ltd -<br />
Bespoke Import & Export Course<br />
“Myself and two other colleagues had a<br />
bespoke training course organised by<br />
the Black Country Chamber. This<br />
included various beneficial topics,<br />
export / import procedures, customs<br />
data, commodity codes, rules of origin,<br />
CDS and numerous others.<br />
“We also supplied David Hooper, our<br />
trainer, with some live issues that we<br />
had come across at H & R.<br />
“Thus was we were all able to interact<br />
and associate some live instances and<br />
were able to relate to live instances in<br />
the work place.<br />
“We would highly recommend this one<br />
very informative bespoke training<br />
course.”<br />
62 PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong>
ADVERTORIAL: ART BUSINESS LOANS<br />
An alternative route to<br />
finding funding<br />
by Dr Steve Walker,<br />
Chief Executive,<br />
ART Business Loans<br />
After the avalanche of Governmentsupported<br />
funding to assist SMEs to<br />
survive, recover and, hopefully, prosper<br />
during Covid, it is not at all surprising that<br />
access to the right finance now re-emerges<br />
as an issue, with difficult economic<br />
conditions and increased interest rates.<br />
Some businesses prospered in Covid, and<br />
some small businesses even used the highly<br />
advantageous terms of the Bounce Back<br />
scheme as a means of retaining funds for the<br />
inevitable rainy day, or to build a war chest<br />
to take opportunities for growth.<br />
However, businesses that needed the<br />
funds to survive and have also used their<br />
reserves, both from the business and<br />
personally, are finding life searching for<br />
funds more difficult. Part of that difficulty<br />
stems from the fact that there is less funding<br />
around, and the banks are, as usual when<br />
the economy tightens, reducing their<br />
appetite for lending at low debt levels of<br />
below £250,000.<br />
Some of the main reasons why small and<br />
emerging businesses are unable to obtain<br />
support are:<br />
n They are at an early stage and have a<br />
limited trading account<br />
n The borrower has few assets to offer<br />
as security<br />
n Small loans are not profitable for major<br />
lenders<br />
n They are unable to meet lenders’ initial<br />
requirements for financial information.<br />
For businesses that used their reserves to<br />
come through Covid and the economic<br />
downturn, obtaining fresh funds is now far<br />
more complex, and slower. It’s no longer as<br />
simple as putting in a self-certification and<br />
seeing the funds in the bank account the<br />
next day.<br />
Those who borrowed simply to survive<br />
lockdown face a sterner challenge, as many<br />
lenders now demand forecasts rather than<br />
making decisions on past performance –<br />
future figures that many businesses struggle<br />
to produce.<br />
For a while it seemed like peer-to-peer<br />
lenders and alternative funders might offer a<br />
solution to those refused by the banks:<br />
however, most of these have raised the bar<br />
on the amounts they are prepared to lend,<br />
and escalated interest rates on smaller loans.<br />
Other facts are also now emerging as a<br />
difficulty in seeking appropriate access to<br />
finance. Businesses, according to recent<br />
surveys, look for a very speedy response in<br />
seeking funding support. This is usually<br />
found online but from my own practical<br />
experience, many businesses do not spend<br />
enough time looking at the terms of the<br />
loans that they are offered. Too many do not<br />
take any advice on the serviceability of the<br />
loans, which in many cases are offered over<br />
terms that are far too short, and in some<br />
cases, at eye-watering interest rates.<br />
Examples of Wonga loans are emerging in the<br />
business sector at 35 per cent > 45 per cent.<br />
So where does a small, ambitious<br />
business turn for funding? One answer has<br />
to be Community Development Funding<br />
Institutions (CDFIs). They are prepared to<br />
lend where other lenders say ‘No’. About 99<br />
per cent of businesses supported have been<br />
declined by another lender. They can say<br />
‘Yes!’ because they take a person-centred<br />
approach when supporting businesses.<br />
Find out more<br />
Details of CDFIs across the country, many operating<br />
in targeted geographic areas, can be found at<br />
www.findingfinance.org.uk<br />
AREAS<br />
WE COVER<br />
Cheshire | Shropshire | Herefordshire | Worcestershire<br />
Warwickshire | West Midlands | Staffordshire | Derbyshire<br />
Northamptonshire | Leicestershire | Oxfordshire | Gloucestershire<br />
n SUPPORTING BUSINESS SINCE 1997<br />
n BUSINESS LOANS FROM £10k - £150k<br />
n EXPERIENCED RELATIONSHIP MANAGERS<br />
n MEETING FUNDING NEEDS OF BUSINESS<br />
n FOR MOST BUSINESS PURPOSES AND ALL SECTORS<br />
n FOR JOBS, GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY<br />
www.artbusinessloans.co.uk • 0121 359 2444<br />
PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong> 63
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & TRAINING<br />
Unleash the potential<br />
of your managers<br />
Management development programmes<br />
with the Chamber<br />
Exploring new approaches, insights and taking part in an<br />
outstanding<br />
professional journey is in order for the Black Country to<br />
remain competitive and thrive, great business leaders and<br />
dynamic managers are needed more than ever.<br />
There are many who find themselves in management<br />
positions or elevated to roles who feel they have missed<br />
out on essential training which allows them to be effective<br />
and deliver success for themselves and their business.<br />
For the last six years the Black Country Chamber has<br />
worked with Lotus Flower Consultancy in order to help those<br />
individuals who want to challenge themselves to develop new<br />
insights, explore different approaches and share invaluable<br />
development experiences.<br />
Hundres of individuals have taken this learning back to their<br />
businesses to help navigate challenges, embrace the opportunities<br />
and help their teams and businesses grow.<br />
In recent months, these leaders and managers have stepped up to lead<br />
through the most turbulent of times, and whilst utilising the invaluable lessons<br />
learned, they have led from the front and will continue doing so during the uncertain<br />
months ahead.<br />
Designed to stretch and challenge participants, programmes are run with participants from different<br />
backgrounds, experiences and industries creating a diverse environment where individuals can test<br />
and apply learning and developing together.<br />
COURSE MODULES<br />
n What is a manager? Introduction to management<br />
and the manager’s role<br />
n Using your time effectively and efficiently<br />
n Communication and delivery of the right messages<br />
at the right times<br />
n Styles and dynamics which create a good team<br />
n Getting the most from meetings<br />
n Delivering a great presentation which gets the right results<br />
n Building commercial awareness and acumen<br />
n Preparation and successful management of change<br />
n Stakeholder and relationship mapping and management<br />
n How to run and deliver a project well<br />
n Clarify the purpose and principles or project<br />
management and review roles and responsibilities<br />
n Getting the best from your team and helping them to<br />
perform better<br />
n Coach and develop your teams and people<br />
n Consider development aims for the next six months<br />
which include reflection on this Programme’s learning outcomes<br />
For more details, please contact<br />
training@blackcountrychamber.co.uk<br />
or call 0330 024 0820<br />
COST:<br />
Take the full 12-month programme or pick<br />
and choose modules.<br />
Full 12-month programme: Chamber<br />
members – £1,595.00 + VAT<br />
Non-members – £1,995.00 + VAT<br />
Per module: Chamber members – £250 + VAT<br />
Non-members – £295 + VAT<br />
WORKSHOP DATES 2024<br />
(15 participants max.)<br />
18 March 18 April<br />
16 May 13 June<br />
11 July 22 August<br />
19 September 17 October<br />
14 November 12 December<br />
2025<br />
6 February 6 March<br />
64 PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong>
NEW MEMBERS AND CHAMBER PEOPLE<br />
Chamber People<br />
Pertemps named one of<br />
the best places to work<br />
For the 17th consecutive year,<br />
Pertemps has continued to lead the<br />
way for the recruitment sector by<br />
being named in the Best Companies<br />
To Work for Top 100 list.<br />
The specialist recruiter is one of<br />
only three organisation who can boast<br />
such an enduring run in the rollcall of<br />
Britain’s best employers.<br />
At a ceremony in London, it was<br />
placed 38th on the large companies<br />
list following extensive polling with<br />
colleagues around leadership,<br />
workplace environment and support<br />
for employees. It was also confirmed<br />
that the West Midlands-based<br />
business has maintained its three-star, world-class rating for staff<br />
engagement.<br />
Pertemps Network Group CEO Steve West said: “I am immensely<br />
proud of this company, my colleagues and the work that we do. We<br />
invest in our people – always our biggest asset – and we have a strong<br />
moral compass and do all we can to exceed the expectations for our<br />
clients and candidates. This award is testimony to our approach.”<br />
London calling<br />
for Chamber CEO<br />
Chamber CEO Sarah Moorhouse<br />
and our head of premium<br />
membership, Gail Arnold, visited<br />
the House of Lords in October<br />
following an invite from the Rt<br />
Hon Lord Paul of Marylebone,<br />
PC, Chancellor of the University<br />
of Wolverhampton, to an event held to celebrate the significant impact<br />
the university has had on the lives of hundreds of thousands of<br />
students and alumni. In the past two years, Wolverhampton has been<br />
ranked in the top 10 UK universities for nurturing social mobility, and<br />
this is borne out by our current student body where almost half are<br />
“mature” students, 55% are from global majority backgrounds, and two<br />
thirds are the first in their family to attend a university.<br />
n Platinum Group<br />
Member and Queen’s<br />
Award-winning freight<br />
forwarder KMB<br />
Shipping has just<br />
celebrated its 36th<br />
birthday – an incredible<br />
voyage from humble<br />
beginnings, filled with<br />
unforgettable<br />
moments as the team<br />
gathered to celebrate<br />
at their Dudley offices.<br />
Steve West<br />
Welcome to<br />
the Chamber<br />
The following business have joined Black Country<br />
Chamber in the past few months. Welcome to you all.<br />
Airguard Envirocare Ltd<br />
Airtime Solutions Ltd<br />
Azets UK<br />
Beechwood House Healthcare Ltd<br />
Birchills Automotive Presswork Ltd (Oliver Wellings Designs)<br />
Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation<br />
Black Lodge Potions Ltd<br />
Building Pathways CIC<br />
Darvick Ltd<br />
Dear Emily Designs<br />
Diversity Music Community 1st CIC<br />
Dudley Group NHS Charity<br />
Eighty3 Creative Limited<br />
Elite Dragon Martial Arts<br />
Enterprise MG Ltd T/A Auditel<br />
Glass Pen Studios<br />
Godiva Bearings (Southern) Ltd<br />
Goldilock Secure Ltd<br />
GTG Training Academy & Conference Centre (West Mids)<br />
HQA<br />
HR Dept - Birmingham Central & Wolverhampton<br />
Industrial Valves Limited<br />
JCML Collections Ltd<br />
Jireh Support Services<br />
KDR Resin Systems Limited<br />
Leap Business Solutions Limited<br />
Levant Perfumes<br />
Lloyds Banking Group<br />
MacLellan Rubber Ltd<br />
Marcegaglia UK Ltd<br />
Marshall Harmony Ltd<br />
Neal Energy Solutions Ltd<br />
Neil Malone<br />
Nelson Development<br />
Pinnacle Business Finance<br />
Plum Ideas Ltd<br />
Repository Wealth Ltd<br />
Resource Worldwide Ltd<br />
RJT Conveyors (International) Ltd<br />
Shades of Reality<br />
Simpila Mental Health<br />
Six Wands Aspects Limited<br />
Smart Culture Ltd<br />
Spotbuyer Ltd<br />
Tettenhall College<br />
Thandi’s Touch<br />
The Unda Dog<br />
TS Healthcare<br />
UKO Serviced Offices<br />
Walsh Funeral & Memorials Ltd<br />
Wealth-interventions Ltd<br />
Wolves Foundation<br />
YMCA Black Country Group<br />
Zanzo - Facilities Services<br />
ZinZino<br />
66 PROSPER AUTUMN <strong>2023</strong>