Monthly Archives: January 2022

Appointments, News

Wealth Club hires Jo Thorne as Head of Public Relations

Wealth Club has hired communications specialist Jo Thorne as their new Head of Public Relations.

Alex Davies, CEO, Wealth Club said:

”Jo is a well-known and highly regarded communications specialist who has worked in financial PR for over 22 years including for Coutts, firstDirect, HSBC, Lansons and most recently Hargreaves Lansdown. In her role, Jo will be responsible for implementing the media strategy for the business and will facilitate the creation of analysis and commentary across a broad range of subjects including comment on privately owned companies, companies listed on AIM, IPO’s, financial markets, macroeconomics and research from the team of in-house analysts. She will also support the launch of our new private asset funds and discretionary fund management service. Her addition will strengthen our depth of experience and knowledge, and support the expansion of commentary across the media.”

Jo Thorne, Head of Public Relations at Wealth Club said:

“I am very excited to be joining Wealth Club, the Bristol based financial services company that since its launch in 2016 has already become the UK’s largest investment intermediary for sophisticated investors, with 9,000 active clients who have invested over £900 million into new businesses in need of funds to fuel growth. This is a very exciting period of rapid growth both for the business and the venture capital sector, as there are a large number of privately owned and AIM listed companies seeking investment. I am looking forward to building on its existing reputation and, working alongside other companies within the sector, raising awareness across the print, digital and broadcast media of the compelling government endorsed tax-incentivised schemes aimed at supporting enterprise, job creation and the growth of British businesses.

Wealth Club’s philosophy is to provide sophisticated and high-net-worth investors with easy access to a wide range of alternative investment opportunities backed up with in-depth but simple to understand research. So far this tax year £242 million has been invested through Wealth Club, a 107% increase on the same period last year. The fast growth and compelling collection of well researched products, such as VCTs, EIS and AIM portfolios and direct investment in private companies, partnered with ambitions to launch more products and build on the growth trajectory, make this an incredible opportunity.”

Construction, Midlands News, News, North of England, North Wales

Architects launch new feasibility service for property investors and developers

An award-winning multi-disciplinary architectural practice is kicking off 2022 with the launch of a new feasibility service for professional property investors and developers.

Base Architects, which has offices in Shrewsbury, Chester and Conwy, is utilising the expertise and experience of its 18-strong team with a UK-wide feasibility service for new and existing clients.

The new service will ensure investors and developers consider all the relevant factors associated with a potential development and advise them of the risks and requirements of the current planning system. It will include engaging with clients to understand their requirements, site visits if necessary and advice on how a project can be progressed to maximise return on investment.

Managing Director Harry Reece said the firm’s experience in the commercial sector, coupled with its in-house planning expertise, meant it was ideally placed to help developers better understand how to make the most of a site.

He explained: “More than ever, strategic planning is a key part of development as competition for land is hot and developers want to minimise their risk and maximise their profit.

“We know that prior to coming to us, some clients acquired sites that have poorly considered design implications, reducing their value or marketability. This costs time and money and can easily be avoided if they engaged with our feasibility service in the first place, ultimately benefiting landowners, developers and agents.

“Our in-house planning team and bespoke approach for each client means we can offer the whole package from the initial feasibility report through to design, planning, tender and contract administration on site. Our site and construction experience also ensures that our initial design options are correctly considered and deliverable.”

Base can also act as a one-stop shop for developers, giving access to a trusted network of other professionals they may need such as funders, financial advisors, surveyors and solicitors.

The free feasibility service is ideal for individuals and consortiums taking a first foray into professional property development, added Harry.

“It can be daunting when first starting out in property development so we can act as a guide through the process and introduce you to other key professionals. Equally we can work with larger scale developers who need more master planning support. Enquiries for this aspect of our work have considerably increased over the past year, which has, in part, influenced the launch of our new service.”

Midlands News, News

Thriving year paves the way for FSP in 2022

A Shropshire manufacturer experienced its best-ever trading year in 2021, paving the way for a successful 2022 thanks to a strong order book of domestic and export business.

Telford based Fabweld Steel Products (FSP), which manufactures access covers and other fabricated steel products for the construction industry, initially set out plans to push its growth to 20 per cent during 2021. But smashed this target with record-breaking sales helping to post a 26.5 per cent in comparison to the previous year.

Managing Director Richard Hilton attributed the rapid rise to: “Maximising sales and export opportunities, despite the challenges of Covid-19 and Brexit.

“The past two years has been a turbulent time for the manufacturing industry, with the addition of Covid restrictions initially limiting our manufacturing processes, as well as the new regulations imposed because of the UK’s exit from the EU and raw material prices rising over 150 per cent.

“However, at FSP we’ve really come together as a collaborative unit the past twelve months, with our sales and operations teams seamlessly pushing our products and services to supply new projects and new countries.

“In 2021, we have supplied our flagship FAB PAVE™ to the prestigious Munich Frauenkirche in Germany, FAB SECURE™ products to water reservoirs across France and a FAB TOP™ fireproof emergency exit cover to Israel. We have built strong relationships in these countries and continually look to replicate this elsewhere.

“Exports have risen to almost 15 per cent of our overall sales in 2021 and we know these markets have huge potential for growth. We have proven that overseas sales can, and will, be a big part of our business into 2022 and beyond.”

Wayne Carter, Operations Director said: “We’ve worked on some really notable projects closer to home throughout the year too, with the famous Oval Cricket ground being a particular highlight. We have also supplied to facilities for the upcoming Commonwealth games, National Grid substations and logistical warehouses including Amazon.”

“We’re hugely proud of our Telford roots, but to think we’ve supplied our products to some of the most recognised buildings and sites across the UK and beyond is something we’re delighted with.

“To complement the boost in sales, the company also welcomed a number of new staff to its team this year, moving from 40 to 43 employees throughout the year — 34 of those full time and five on apprenticeship schemes.

“As we look forward to 2022, we have some ambitious targets and plans for the year ahead, but we are confident that the business will continue to go from strength to strength over the next twelve months.”

Commercial Property, News, South East

Innovation and Collaboration are key to success at Surrey Research Park

Surrey Research Park’s 2021 Annual Review, published today, celebrates another year of outstanding innovation and growth.

Looking ahead, the CEO of Surrey Research Park, Grant Bourhill is focused on facilitating rapid scaling of businesses, transitioning the Park to energy and environmental sustainability, and expanding the innovation community further to help cement the Park’s reputation as a key component of the national innovation ecosystem.

With businesses on the Park providing over 4,500 jobs and achieving over £1 billion turnover, the Annual Review showcases the breadth, depth and success of businesses that are making substantial contribution to the local, regional and national economy.

Home to over 200 companies from start-ups through to global corporates, the community at Surrey Research Park is strengthened by the interconnection between companies on the Park and strong collaborative links with nearby innovation partners such as the Royal Surrey County Hospital and the University of Surrey.

While technologically broad, Surrey Research Park has significant clusters of excellence in space, animal and human health, digital (from cyber through to digital games) and the environment – clusters that mirror priority sectors in the UK’s Innovation Strategy.

Grant Bourhill, CEO of Surrey Research Park comments: “We are extremely proud of our growing community and the success of the businesses located here.  The achievements detailed in the Annual Review are remarkable given the challenges faced by everyone throughout 2021.  It is testament that at Surrey Research Park we have a vibrant innovation community that gets things done.”

 

Marketing, PR and SEO, News

The SEO Works grows Digital PR offering as demand accelerates

Award-winning digital marketing agency The SEO Works have recently launched Digital PR as a standalone service for the first time, due to surging demand.

The Sheffield-based agency has provided Digital PR as part of their SEO service for many years – building links via considered PR outreach techniques for many of their leading brands.

Recently demand has surged dramatically, leading to the agency taking steps to build out a standalone service. This meant developing the team, putting internal structures in place, and finessing the SEO-centric provision.

“This is the first time we’ve deemed it necessary to create a service that our clients can choose to engage with in isolation. The development of our Digital PR service is something that we wanted to ensure still had SEO principles at its core. Our reputation in the industry is something we’re extremely proud of, and we wanted this new launch to match that from the get-go” said Alex Hill, Sales Director.

The SEO Works will take a creative and journalistic approach to Digital PR, yet with a heavily SEO-focused perspective – the primary goal being to strengthen the authority of clients’ websites through obtaining high quality backlinks.

Account Director, Michael Sandford said – “Content and technical SEO is essential, but to build authority, websites need links. As Google develops greater sophistication, for most brands Digital PR has become the best and most scalable way to build quality links. That’s why we’ve seen such a surge in interest”.

With the team landing links in major publications such as Forbes, Mashable, Marie Claire, The Motley Fool, The Express and many more, as well as more key hires on the horizon, it’s an exciting time for the agency. Find out more about the Digital PR service here.

News

Three simple ways to reduce your carbon impact

By Louise Palmer-Masterton, Stem & Glory

Many promises made at COP26 are for longer term net zero targets. Among the world’s biggest emitters, these promises varied: China promised net zero by 2060; USA by 2050; India announced a target of 2070. But in the UK, the public appear to want to see results quicker than that. A recent YouGov poll found that 56% of people back the total decarbonisation of the UK economy by 2030. Urgent and radical change is what we’re in the mood for. And businesses need to pay attention to that mood. And the public aren’t just looking for improved practices from nations and giant companies – they expect steps to be taken by all businesses.

Here are a few things you and your business can do that your customers can relate to:

Avoid anything wrapped in plastic
The fastest way to bring about collective change is via our demands as a customers. If we buy products in paper, card, glass and aluminium and shun products in plastic, this will drive the market. If there are items you need for your business that no one currently supplies without plastic, then, when given the opportunity to provide feedback (or just offer it anyway), point out to sales reps (etc.) that your company wants to eliminate plastic packaging from the items it buys, and being able to source items that are plastic packaging free would be a major factor in your future sourcing decisions.

Rethink working lunches
The nature of grab-and-go means it will always involve single use. Consider the sheer volume of single use involved in lunchbreaks up and down the UK. Doesn’t matter if it’s ‘biodegradable’ – biodegradable packaging doesn’t solve the huge issue of mass disposability and the huge amount of energy that is wasted when something is used once and then thrown away. Recycling is not the answer. Eliminating single use is the answer. Consider supporting cafes and restaurants by eating in rather than at your desk.

Get yourself a lunch box and a reusable cup and take it everywhere with you instead of using single use items. Use the lunchbox to take your own lunch, but also carry an empty lunchbox – restaurants and cafes are often very happy to fill your box rather than a take-away box, and it’s very handy to take restaurant leftovers. It’s surprising how quickly you can wean yourself off single use, so it becomes a very occasional, rather than daily, habit.

Eat more plants and eat seasonally
The sheer variety of produce we can get year-round is amazing, but as we are starting to realise, very unsustainable. Market forces have driven these unsustainable import and export practices. Whilst it is true that simply by being vegan you will lower your emissions, not all vegetables are equal. It’s important to understand the cycle of the seasons and eat veg in harmony with that. Imported food isn’t always bad, but the mode of transport is important. Slow is good, fast is bad. So, if something is not in season here, and it has a short shelf life, 100% it will have been flown here – so best to avoid it. If your company has its own canteen, you can make a huge difference just by increasing the number of plant-based items on the menu.

Exceeding 1.5C of warming risks passing global tipping points and temperature extremes that will put significantly more of the world’s population at risk of dangerous climate change – that’s the warning from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. There are of course big changes that need to happen on a global scale, and the science is very much at the start of its journey towards cleantech and carbon capture. But as individuals and as smaller businesses, we exert huge influence as consumers and customers. A green future has to be driven by individual responsibility, and commitment by all.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Louise Palmer-Masterton is founder of multiple award-winning, plant-based restaurants Stem & Glory. With established sites in London and Cambridge, and a third site planned for London’s Broadgate in 2022, Stem & Glory offers eat-in, click-and-collect and local delivery, as well as a well-stocked vegan bar. Stem & Glory is also the first UK restaurant to pledge to be carbon negative by end of 2021 and was recently celebrated as one of the UK Governments ‘Heroes of Net Zero’ at a COP26 awards ceremony. www.stemandglory.uk

Education, L&D, Law, News

The University of Law announces guaranteed SQE course places through six new university partnerships

The University of Law (ULaw) has announced new agreements with The London School of Economics, The University of Nottingham, Royal Holloway, University of London (RHUL), The University of Bedfordshire, The University of Hull, and Teesside University to guarantee SQE course places for the next generation of solicitors.

The new agreements offer a range of benefits for students, culminating in a guaranteed place on the ULaw SQE course of their choice after graduation. During their studies, ULaw will be supporting students with a range of workshops, including how to best tackle multiple choice and single best answer questions, as well as looking at the skills needed to pass SQE 2.

Additionally, ULaw will be providing guaranteed places for students at these universities on their Legal Practice Course options, for those who choose to qualify under the current tried and tested route.

Students at partner universities will be eligible to apply for an exclusive Future Lawyers Scholarship, from a fund of £250,000. Scholarships will be awarded based on a range of academic and widening access criteria, with the aim of improving access to the legal profession.

This announcement serves to expand ULaw’s offering to aspiring solicitors, with ongoing partnerships already in place with The University of East Anglia, The University of Exeter, The University of Sheffield, The University of Reading, The University of Liverpool, The University of Southampton, The University of Surrey, The University of Leicester, Newcastle University, University of Chester and Birkbeck, University of London.

Peter Crisp, Pro Vice Chancellor External, at ULaw, said: “We are delighted to be entering into further new partnerships following the success of current partnerships. We look forward to guiding future generations of lawyers through the forthcoming changes to qualifying as a solicitor and supporting them to achieve their ambitions.”

For more information on studying for the SQE with ULaw, visit: https://www.law.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/sqe/

Absence Management, HR, News

What employers need to know before cutting sick pay for unvaccinated staff

  • Several employers, including Next, Morrisons and Ikea, have reduced their sick pay for unvaccinated staff in recent weeks
  • However, retailer John Lewis yesterday announced its staff will receive full sick pay no matter what their vaccination status, saying it does not “believe it’s right” to treat workers differently
  • Some experts have warned that cutting sick pay for unvaccinated staff could be discriminatory and have repercussions for businesses
  • Employee relations experts AdviserPlus says employers should understand the risks and have clear policies in place before taking the step

Withholding contractual sick pay for unvaccinated staff has significant risks that employers should consider before enforcing the policy, according to employee relations experts, AdviserPlus.

It comes after several employers including Ikea and Morrisons have cut sick pay for unvaccinated employees after a rise in staff absences over the winter period.

Analysis by the Trades Union Congress found that 723,900 private sector workers were self-isolating due to Covid-19 from 13 to 26 December, which is around 2.7% of the private sector workforce. Although the number of positive cases has been in decline recently, with 74,799 new cases on 23 January compared to over 141,000 on 9 January, the ongoing impact on workforce availability remains significant.

With working from home restrictions lifted on 19 January and the remaining Plan B restrictions to be lifted on 26 January, employers need to consider how this impacts their working arrangements and be minded that their decisions could result in more staff absence.

Technical HR Consultant, Catherine Shacklady, AdviserPlus, says:

“With working from home no longer a requirement, employers elect for employees to return to the workplace. If an employee tests positive, they may feel mildly unwell but still be able to work, albeit the commute to the workplace may be a barrier. Employers may therefore want to consider home working, in addition to whatever hybrid agreement is in place, where positive cases arise so as to avoid increased absenteeism.

Among the employers who have elected to cut contractual sick pay, vaccinated employees who test positive for the virus will reportedly still get full sick pay for any isolation period.  However, those who are unvaccinated, or are a close contact of someone with Covid but themselves test negative, will not. In the latter, a full 10 days isolation period is required.

However, AdviserPlus has warned of the risks to cutting sick pay based on vaccination status, and says employers need to be fully aware of these before embarking on this policy change.

From a legal perspective, these risks include the policy being viewed as unlawful or a breach of contract, and could lead to a constructive dismissal claim should the employee feel they have no option but to resign.

Jane Grundy, Technical HR Consultant at AdviserPlus, also says:

“Currently, a refusal to be vaccinated is deemed to be a personal choice. There is recent case law where a fear of catching Covid was not deemed to be a protected belief under the Equality Act. However, as case law develops, there is a risk that employees may claim that being unvaccinated is a philosophical belief. If this is found to be the case, they could be successful in their discrimination claim.”

Strict policies may also not account for those who are unvaccinated due to disabilities, pregnancy-related concerns, other health conditions or ethnicity, which would also put employers at risk of discrimination claims.

From an organisation perspective, being involved in a discrimination claim could impact the reputation of the business, and therefore risk limiting the company’s talent pool and opportunities, as well as adding a burden to management time and workload.

From a personnel perspective, a ‘no jab, no job’ policy risks alienating some staff and creating a divide between those who are vaccinated and those who are not. It could mean some employees become disengaged or start to feel undervalued for having different ethics.

Recent reports have suggested that without decent sick pay for all, employees might face the choice of self-isolating and facing hardship or not self-isolating and potentially spreading the virus, which could mean further employees being exposed to Covid-19.

In looking to the future, it is widely expected that the Government will end compulsory self-isolation for those who test positive for Covid-19 at the next review, on 24 March.

Jane Grundy comments:

“It is not yet clear whether this change will apply equally to vaccinated and unvaccinated employees or whether employers will choose to draw that distinction, on the basis that an employee is more likely to be unwell if unvaccinated.

“If employers wish to tie the eligibility or level of sick pay to vaccination status despite these risks, they should ensure they have clear policies and guidance for applying the decisions.

Data & Analytics, ESG Investments, News

What is the Future of ESG Data? CAMRADATA’s latest whitepaper explores

A rising tide of regulation is encouraging pension funds and insurers to evaluate their Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) credentials, but this is often easier said than done. A major challenge is that regulatory ESG reporting is not uniform across the world and has a long way to go to match financial reporting.

CAMRADATA’s latest whitepaper, The Future of ESG Data, delves into how the investment industry can organise the growing amount of available ESG data into a meaningful part of the assessment process to try to solve this.

The whitepaper includes insights from firms including PGIM Quantitative Solutions, River and Mercantile, Our Carbon, Redington, South Yorkshire Pensions Authority, and Greater Gwent (Torfaen) Pension Fund who attended a virtual roundtable hosted by CAMRADATA in November.

The report highlights that although disclosure of financial data by publicly quoted companies has become fairly standardised around the world, corporate reporting on ESG, is far more variable. Even vendors of ESG data do not agree on how to interpret and weight these metrics.

Natasha Silva, Managing Director, Client Relations, CAMRADATA said, “The old saying goes that if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. This has long been an impediment to incorporating ESG data into portfolio analysis, and pension funds and insurers are often confronted with patchy data that leave them less confident in making holistic evaluations.

“However, as they are encouraged to make such evaluations and data providers start to improve the fact sets on which evaluations are based, something needs to change.

Our panel discussed the issues around uniformity of data and the rising levels of greenwashing, and what the industry can do to make ESG data more meaningful when it comes to assessing the future fortunes of investee companies.”

The event began by discussing the growing importance of ESG for asset owners and their asset managers who directly or indirectly provide long-term financing of companies and projects, and panellists were asked what three kinds of ESG data were most valuable to their work.

The panel then explored the distinction in patchiness of depth and breadth, how ESG data providers didn’t agree on aggregate scoring, inconsistency between providers and how ESG data from third-party vendors were useful as “soft” data, but there was very low correlation between vendors’ scoring systems.

 

Key takeaway points were:

 

  • One panellist said that datasets had to have breadth, depth and comparability, and they rely on three kinds of ESG data – ‘hard’ data extracted from company reports; estimated and interpolated data, such as projections a company may make for its path to Net-Zero Carbon and ESG scores and more subjective analysis.

 

  • Another panellist from a carbon advisory firm outlined their three sources – a company’s financial statements; interviews and coaching sessions with employees to better understand wider Scope III carbon emissions and the carbon emissions factors measured and reported by the UK’s Department for the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

 

  • A pension fund consultant said that with regards to emissions data, investors do at last have a pretty standardised view of what they look like across markets. But they felt that metrics focused on people – the ‘S’ in ESG – were still lagging and remedial action was needed in this area.

 

  • In terms of people metrics, another agreed there is a gap. They said questions most frequently asked by members – after those on emissions – tend to be about large corporates ripping off indigenous people or their own workforce. Having the metrics to agree with or rebut the accusations is helpful.

 

  • Patchy data has always been troublesome for those used to audited financial numbers and seeking the same with regards to ESG. It was hard to be precise and specific about how and when ESG matters would have an impact on corporate fortunes.

 

  • It was pointed out that the industry is moving towards something less patchy with the creation of the International Sustainability Standards Board, which is one of the most concrete outputs of COP26.

 

  • The panellists agreed that ESG has a vital role to play engaging people within the investment world. They said while most people don’t engage with the numbers, stories engage them. ESG is the interface between the investment and the real world.

 

  • As the pandemic persists, a panellist suggested that investors were realising society matters, and the ‘S’ in ESG was a big portion of future opportunities.

 

  • A final point made was that 25 years ago the internet changed the world. Now there is a similar revolution happening because of sustainability. Investors are looking for those businesses that can make a good return solving the problems Climate Change brings. ‘S’ and ‘G’ were increasing considerations too.

 

Additional insight is offered in the whitepaper with two articles from the sponsors:

  • PGIM Quantitative Solutions: ‘A Case Study in how Factor Scoring Techniques Can Overcome Investment Policy Constraints
  • River and Mercantile: ‘Applying ESG factors to different asset classes’

 

To download the ‘The Future of ESG Data’ whitepaper click here.

For more information on CAMRADATA visit www.camradata.com

 

News, Security

Move to simplified product range to drive growth announces Heras

A move towards a simplified range of permanent perimeter protection and entrance control solutions will be the platform from which Heras can achieve strong growth in 2022.

The company – which was founded in 1952 and has grown to become Europe’s leading end-to-end supplier of permanent and mobile perimeter protection solutions – has been undertaking a wide-reaching review of its product portfolios to identify its most popular and adaptable ones to meet the changing needs of its customers.

Heras has always prided itself on having an extensive range of solutions for nearly every eventuality of a site’s requirements – but it recognises the benefits of having a smaller selection of solutions as part of a plan to further improve its speed and agility to fulfil orders, deliver projects and maintain the highest standards of customer service.

The Group Product Strategy Review was initiated by Heras Group in the Netherlands and included all 25 European territories where the brand operates.

The process has been a challenging one, as in the UK alone, the company serves sectors including transport and logistics, critical infrastructure and utilities, manufacturing and industry, governmental, public places and recreation, and retail and trade. And the review has covered demarcation (fencing/railing) and entrance control (gates/barriers/bollards/blockers) product portfolios.

Ian Crosby, Chief Marketing Technology Officer, said that offering a comprehensive range of products has previously sent out a very strong message to the market that Heras is a one-stop-shop provider of permanent perimeter protection and entrance control solutions – but it recognised that too much choice could present its own challenges for its customers.

“The Group Product Strategy Review has been a great opportunity for Heras to look at the changing needs of our customers and evaluate the process by which we present them with solutions,” said Mr Crosby.

“Having a more targeted portfolio of products will be at the heart of a drive to improve the speed and efficiency of specifying the requirements of a site – and then the timescale for installation – as part of a fundamental requirement to improve the Heras experience.”

Heras, which has its UK head office in Doncaster, is also planning to use 2022 to embed two ground-breaking innovations that it launched last year.

Last summer, it launched the next generation of perimeter intrusion detection systems (PIDSs) to provide even greater levels of perimeter protection. These were developed for high-security sites (such as infrastructure of national or strategic importance) but are also used on sites such as transport and logistics hubs (especially where there’s high-value stockholding).

The two systems, GeoMic and GeoPoint – which both have pro versions – are designed to complement and greatly increase the overall effectiveness of both existing and specified perimeter protection fence and gate lines.

PIDSs are usually perimeter fence mounted (but they can also be wall or ceiling mounted) and are installed on the fence fabric to detect any potential intruders attempting to enter the site by climbing over, cutting through or even going under the fence.

The other ground-breaking innovation that Heras launched last year and is currently rolling out is Connect – a cloud-based portal that offers real-time insights into the status of an entrance control system, including swing, sliding and bi-fold gates, with remote monitoring of user access and automatic alerts and notifications via smartphone, tablet or PC. It also enables users to open access systems via mobile phone, as well as enables Heras to provide remote and proactive monitoring of the systems.

Mr Crosby added: “2022 is going to be a very important year for Heras – not least because it marks our 70th anniversary – and the Group Product Strategy Review has been central to driving greater clarity from which we can deliver more-effective solutions that support our ability to speed up the whole process of giving customers an exceptional experience.”

To learn more about Heras visit www.heras.co.uk