A leading financial services firm has strengthened its team with the appointment of a new partner.
David Wells has been promoted to the role at Q Commercial Finance – part of Q Financial Services which has offices in Wellington and Shrewsbury – five years after joining the business.
David – a former golf professional – joined Q in March 2017 and has been a key part of the firm’s growth since.
Q director Stuart Mackintosh said the appointment was part of Q’s philosophy of developing its own talent and promoting from within.
“I’ve known David since before I was involved with Q and was always keen to work with him in some capacity. I was delighted when he took the opportunity to join Q and even more pleased to be able to offer him this hugely-deserved appointment.
“David has become an integral part of Q – both in delivering outstanding service for our clients, helping train and develop our staff and organising some of our fundraising efforts. I look forward to him continuing to be at the heart of everything we do for many years to come.”
David, who ran two golf resorts after completing a business management degree at Lincoln University, said Q had grown from employing four staff when he joined in March 2017 to now having more than 20.
“After meeting Stuart I was so impressed with his vision for the business that I started my qualifications to become a qualified mortgage advisor. I worked in mortgages for two years before moving into commercial finance to expand my knowledge and skillset.
“It has been a real pleasure to help train new staff in both our mortgage and commercial finance departments and play a part in the continued growth Q has enjoyed.
“One of the undoubted highlights has been helping to raise more than £9,000 for charity by organising the company golf day – something which speaks volumes about the commitment we have to our local community.”
The Direct Selling Association, the UK trade body for direct-to-consumer retail, today confirmed the appointment of four retail industry leaders to its board of directors.
The new board members join representatives from brands including Avon, The Body Shop, and Usborne Books at Home, to serve as an advisory panel for the Direct Selling Association’s work to encourage industry best practice and promote more widespread adoption of industry Codes of Conduct. Collectively, their appointments bring over seven decades of national and international experience in retail and business.
The new Direct Selling Association board members are:
Ros Simmons has over 30 years’ experience in the beauty industry, including as Global Brand Manager at The Body Shop and Founding Director of The Virgin Cosmetics Company. Known for her entrepreneurial leadership style and brand-building work with start-ups, Ros is also a member of Cosmetics Executive Women UK and the British Beauty Council. MONAT is a multinational distributor of award-winning premium health and beauty products in the social e-commerce channel and the number one premium hair care brand in the world.
Holly Baker is Country Manager for the UK, Ireland, Spain and the Netherlands at Scentsy, a Forbes-recognised, billion-dollar, direct-selling fragrance brand headquartered in the United States. Her 17-year career in the retail sector includes experience with beauty, lifestyle and home brands. Since joining Scentsy in 2017, Holly has overseen significant growth of the UK market, and the successful launch of the brand into the Netherlands in 2019. Scentsy operates in 12 countries, employs over 1,800 people, and delivers richly-scented wickless candles, wax warmers, diffusers, oils, home, pet and body and products distributed through nearly 300,000 independent consultants. In 2021 Scentsy UK had a total revenue of £84.9m.
Alessandro Martinez has over 27 years’ international experience in the B2B, B2C, Direct Selling and FMCG sectors, with a track record of delivering sustained, profitable growth and successful change management. He joined Vorwerk in 2017 and was previously based in Vorwerk International as SVP Finance and Controlling. Vorwerk, which has a turnover of £2.7bn, is headquartered in Germany. Its core business is the manufacture and worldwide sale of innovative solutions in the fields of culinary journey (Thermomix), cleaning (Kobold, Neato Robotics) and integrated digital services. Vorwerk retails exclusively via the direct selling channel, with around 2,500 independent salespeople in the UK and Ireland, who sell its products through home demonstrations, parties, online demonstrations and Vorwerk stores.
Scott Yates joined Essens in 2018 and oversees the brand’s operations in both the UK and Ireland. The Essens product portfolio includes a wide range of cosmetics, fragrances and food supplements, and the company has a turnover of £50.4m, operating in 25 countries across Europe with approximately 210,000 independent direct selling consultants.
The appointments come as direct selling enjoys a renaissance in the UK, with many of the DSA’s 53 member companies reporting significant growth through the pandemic. In 2021 the DSA reported an average 45% year-on-year increase in retail sales across its membership, one of one of the strongest annual growth periods on record since the 1970s. Part of the growth is attributed to a 12% rise in the number of people joining the sector as independent sales representatives, as more people look to maintain the benefits of flexible and remote working enjoyed during the pandemic.
Susannah Schofield OBE, Director General of the Direct Selling Association comments: “I am delighted to welcome our four new board members, who bring a wealth of experience, knowledge and wisdom to the Association, from diverse areas of business and retail. I look forward to working with them as they play their part in steering the future of this sector of retail in the UK.
“With many of our member companies currently reporting that they are seeing increased numbers of people joining their independent sales forces in order to maintain the benefits of flexible and remote working that were enjoyed during the pandemic, we expect to see the direct selling channel enjoy continued growth over the coming years.”
The DSA is the only recognised trade body for direct selling industry in the UK and is committed to upholding standards and promoting and encouraging best practice. Its members include Avon, The Body Shop and Usborne Publishing.
Independent, family-run bathroom retailer, The Bath Works, has raised a fantastic £4,709.35 for local families charity Home-Start South East Dorset.
From their flagship showroom in New Milton and Studio in Bournemouth, The Bath Works specialise in the design and supply of bathrooms and tiles. Run by a husband-and-wife team, Steve and Kate Ware, the company was keen to do something to support local families.
Kate Ware, Sales & Marketing Director at The Bath Works, said: “As parents of two girls, Steve and I know just how tough parenthood can be. Charities like Home-Start give struggling families a lifeline and the vital support they need to get through difficult times. Childhood can’t wait, and the charity’s absolute heroes help parents and children who need it most.
We were delighted to support their life-changing work by donating a portion of each bathroom sale during the first month of the year to Home-Start. We are absolutely thrilled to have raised such a staggering amount, thanks to the amazing support of our customers.”
Caroline Pope, Community & Corporate Engagement Manager at Home-Start South East Dorset, said: “We can’t thank The Bath Works enough for their massive donation. The money they have raised will make a huge difference and help us continue to fund volunteers and support families here in our local community. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.”
The Bath Works also supported the Home-Start South East Dorset ‘25 for 25’ campaign. To celebrate the charity’s 25th anniversary year, they set out to find 25 businesses to each support a struggling family. They achieved their target, raising a staggering £20,000 to help 25 families get back on their feet and change a child’s life.
Home-Start South East Dorset supports families living across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, as well as the Purbecks and areas as far north as Cranborne and as far west as Wareham. Since 1995 they have helped over 3,500 local families and supported over 10,000 children through a network of over 600 amazing volunteers.
To those who think this is yet another feminist article, I would say yes, but if you believe this is only a feminist article, let me surprise you. For years we’ve been debating on a radical idea of what feminism is, but that’s what it is, a radical vision of a woman’s morality not being her only job. Time and again, when I have voiced my opinion on ‘feminism’, my peers have confused it with “ignorance about men”, but what I actually wanted to reflect is on maintaining the political, social, economic equality we have been fortunate enough to throw light and implement upon in most parts of society.
Talking about equality in the 21st century may still seem anachronous to a lot. Indeed we have progressed with time and earned our freedom which seemed a far off thought earlier. Yet, there still exists matters that need to be discussed. Since every conscious effort counts as an initiative to achieve a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive world this women’s day, we grabbed the opportunity to steer a conversation with a few eminent influential personalities from UK, India and Australia. We discussed their views on Progression with Freedom and were delighted to hear their stories on matters they felt needed to be addressed.
Talking about the ability to change, Isobell Cowell, Founder of Dear Future Marketer, says, “If I could change one thing, it would be to have more people understand that a bias does exist and that way it would be easier to address and make changes.” One out of many things that she thinks is needed to change is the ability of female leaders to lead and make difficult decisions. Also, removing words like “Sheo” from our vocabulary, she is just a ‘CEO’.”
Discussing the obstacles female entrepreneurs face during their business journey, we got an opportunity to hear the stories of Amanda Baker, Founder & Creator of 5 Stories. According to Amanda, “One obstacle that every female entrepreneur might face at some point in her business journey is “Hands down, imposter syndrome. She’s that annoying voice that says things like, “You’re not good enough. You haven’t got what it takes. You’re not tough enough.” And she loves to make you compare yourself to others. When she shows up, I politely say this. “Thank you for giving me the opportunity to say this to you. I AM WORTHY AND I BELONG HERE.” Honestly, I can completely resonate with this.
Yasemin Akyol Basar, a Freelance journalist from Australia, believes that the terminology used to differentiate men and women in the workforce empowers gender parity. Yasemin says, “Bossy vs assertive, emotional vs passionate, ambitious vs greedy. We cannot say we have achieved parity until there is a parity in terminology. Young female leaders are judged to a higher standard than their male colleagues. A young female leader climbing the corporate ladder is assumed to have broken many hearts along the way. Assumptions made and words used matter.” When we talked to Yasemin about how is the corporate industry changing its policies to provide equal opportunity and employability for genderqueer people? She replied,” Social attitudes toward LGBTQi+ community and a person’s sexuality continue to be fed by bias. This is especially true for trans people. Concerning genderqueer people, the corporate industry lags even further.’ According to Yasemin, ‘There need to be further punitive measures, and educational campaigns as passing laws is not enough. We all should ensure they are implemented, as well.`
Various elements need to be addressed regarding gender bias issues and breaking stereotypes in this generation. When we asked Jules Brooke, Founder – Handle Your Own PR, and She’s The Boss (Australia) concerning this, she said, “I think the most important things are to close the pay gap so that women and men are paid equally for the same job. I also think every corporation must have an equal number of men and women on their boards if we are to truly change things.”
Women globally have evinced the relentless vigour of women in power. Sheryl Sandberg – COO of Facebook, a 52-year old American, forged her way to success in the corporate world when things were not that easy. We have witnessed several robust, intelligent and inspirational women pioneers who have stood for women’s rights while also defining the worlds of science, mathematics, aviation, and literature as an inventor, scientists, and leaders. My recent inspiration has been Malala Yousafzai, who advocates women’s rights to education. It may sound basic, but it is rudimentary in empowering women.
We had the honour of having a conversation with Naaz Joshi, Miss World Diversity 2017, 2018, 2019, Miss Universe Diversity 2020 and Miss Trans Queen India 2018, on what aspects of this year’s theme of International Women’s Day, #breakthebias, still needs to be addressed in breaking stereotypes and gender bias issues even in this generation? To this, she responded, “I am thrilled that this year the theme is #breakthebias. Before I speak about transgender discrimination or transphobia, some people do not prefer to have a girl child as female foeticide, and infanticide is highest in India. I believe when the state of women in India is still so regressive, when will we, the trans women, be able to stall tall and talk about our rights?”
Citing some of her personal experience, Naaz shares a few anecdotes,” If I have to pick one thing that is still there in this generation is the right to equality. No matter how big a celebrity from the trans community I am, people still look at me with raised brows. People in my country don’t want to call me a celebrity because I belong to a marginalised community known for begging, clapping and prostitution, and people want to see me at that place only. I am not a gimmick, so pls don’t use me to show that you are doing it for me or to show the world you care when my very existence is a taboo for society.“
We have come a long way, yet we still have a long way to go. Only through tiny steps like encouraging individuals to promote gender-equal workplaces, boardrooms, government, workplaces, sports, health and wealth can we achieve a gender-equal world, free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination based on gender. A more diverse, equitable, and inclusive world, where difference is valued and celebrated, because together, we can forge egalitarianism, and collectively, we can all #BreakTheBias.
Investing in your pension can be an excellent way to grow your wealth, but it’s not the only way to ensure you have sufficient income for your retirement. As a high earner, you’ll also have to understand and manage the potential impact of the Lifetime Allowance — this is currently £1,073,100.
In addition, it’s important consider how to diversify your tax wrappers to ensure you are investing in your retirement in the most tax efficient way. This is arguably just as important as diversifying your investments.
When it comes to retirement planning, the best option is to consult with an expert financial adviser. With their professional help and some clever financial planning, you can structure your assets wisely, in the most effective way, and aim to reduce your tax burden.
In this article we’ll explore the expert’s approach to tax-efficient investing in retirement, so you can achieve your financial goals once you reach retirement age.
The four-box principle
One theory that offers a helpful approach to retirement planning is known as the ‘four-box principle’ — as named by Saltus, a financial planning and investment management company. This method aims to minimise the tax you pay on your retirement income, and focuses on four core tax wrappers, as the name suggests.
Depending on your personal circumstances and stage in life — and whether you’re accumulating wealth or drawing on your assets — these tax wrappers have varying advantages and uses.
If used in the right combination these four tax wrappers can have a significant effect on your wealth. These are:
Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP)
Individual Savings Account (ISA)
General Investment Account (GIA)
Offshore Bond
Let’s explore each of these tax wrappers further.
Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP)
Any contributions to your SIPP are gross of all tax — one of the main reasons they known to be a great vehicle for building wealth. Your contributions are also free of Capital Gains Tax (CGT). When it comes to withdrawing from your pension, you can usually take 25% completely tax-free, but the remaining amount is taxed at your marginal income rate.
Individual Savings Account (ISA)
The contributions to an ISA are net of tax (unlike a SIPP). However, once your money is in the ISA wrapper, there is no further tax to pay. Withdrawals from an ISA are also completely tax free.
General Investment Account (GIA)
Differing from an ISA and SIPP, GIAs are a fully taxable environment, meaning you’re liable for income tax and CGT. However, when accessing your money, you can make the most of your CGT allowance. For the tax year 2021/2022, this stands at £12,300 — a considerable amount of money you can access tax-free. Any gains over and above the CGT allowance are taxed at your marginal CGT rate.
Offshore Bond
A bond works in a way to essentially defer tax. Each year of your retirement, you can access 5% of your initial investment, without any immediate tax charges and free of CGT. However, any gains withdrawn from a bond are taxed as income at your marginal tax rate.
How do you use the four core tax wrappers?
To better understand the four-box principle it’s best to put the method into practice and look at an example.
A couple have £2 million to invest, and wish to have an income of £90,000 a year in retirement. Through structuring their wealth and using the four core tax wrappers, they can access this amount, completely free of tax.
In this case, they have been working with financial planning services to ensure they can navigate this somewhat complex method. Their assets are structured collectively as follows:
SIPPs — £750,000
ISAs — £500,000
GIAs — £500,000
Offshore Bond — £250,000
Using their tax-free personal allowance (as of tax year 21/22), they withdraw £12,570 each — a total of £25,140 tax-free.
Next, they make use of their annual CGT allowance, which as previously mentioned, is currently £12,300 each. This means they take a total of £24,600 from their GIAs.
Any withdrawals from an ISA are free of tax, and therefore the couple take £27,760 from their ISAs.
Finally, they take 5% of their initial investment from their offshore bond, which equals £12,500, and again, is tax-free.
In total, the couple have £90,000 a year, completely tax-free!
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The four-box principle can be a complex method, and so it’s always best to consult with a financial adviser, to make the most of their expertise, before you make any decisions.
Disclaimer: Information is correct to the best of our understanding as at the date of publication. Nothing within this content is intended as, or can be relied upon, as financial advice. Capital is at risk. You may get back less than you invested.
THE importance of mental health in the workplace has never been more prevalent.
But with more and more people based at home or operating in hybrid conditions because of the Covid-19 pandemic, that workplace is now often the kitchen table or a spare room.
This has raised widespread issues, from isolation to anxiety, which is why Coleg Cambria’s Northop Business School unveiled a suite of programmes to support managers, directors, HR staff and employees dealing with these issues every day.
Level 2 and Level 3 courses include Highfields Introduction to Mental Health Awareness; Introduction to First Aid for Mental Health; Mental Health for Managers; Certificate in Mental Health; Mental Health First Aid Wales, and NEBOSH Working with Wellbeing.
Mental Health and Wellbeing lecturer Caroline McDermott says learning is available in person or online, and specialist, tailored modules can be created for specific industries.
“We have had interest from North Wales and further afield given the innovative and advanced content we will be delivering,” said Caroline.
“Our partnership with the awarding bodies Highfield, IOSH and NEBOSH are a particular USP and attracting managers wanting to enrol day or night, which we can accommodate given the demand.
“And the topics are across changes in the workplace to ensure the wellbeing of employees and those with specific mental health conditions.”
She added: “Larger organisations have explored the possibility of bespoke programmes designed for their sector, given different arenas have different pressures and needs.
“Again, we can support this and have had a lot of interest already.”
Professions including construction, farming, medical and veterinary, and hair and beauty are among those which have experienced high levels of mental health problems, suicide rates and stress.
Jane Keys, Assistant Principal for Employer Engagement at Northop Business School, urged people to get in touch to find out more about upcoming programmes and funding.
“Many industries and businesses have suffered because of Covid and issues which may have never been experienced before, from furlough to self-isolation in lockdown,” said Jane.
“Our courses tackle these factors using expertise and examples that will no doubt prove invaluable to participants.
“Financial support may be available and with many companies looking to promote mental health champions and ambassadors the time is now to introduce the importance of wellbeing and mindfulness into strategies and day-to-day operations for the future.”
The courses will be running throughout 2022. For more information, visit employers@cambria.ac.uk or call 0300 30 30 006.
For more news and information from Coleg Cambria, visit www.cambria.ac.uk.
Offshore Energies UK (OEUK), the leading trade association for the offshore energy industry has reiterated its commitment to working with the Government to ensure security of energy supply across the UK and deliver net zero.
It comes as the UK government today announced it is to phase out imports of Russian oil and oil products by the end of 2022. The government noted that this will allow the UK industries time to adjust supply chains, supporting industry and consumers. The government will work with companies through a new Taskforce on Oil to support them to make use of this period in finding alternative supplies.
Representing over 400 companies and nearly 200,000 people working in the sector, OEUK said it remains focused on supporting both the UK’s energy security and net zero goals by scaling up cleaner energies like wind and hydrogen, but also by ensuring we produce as much of the oil and gas that this country will continue to need domestically, rather than being reliant on importing it from other countries around the world.
OEUK also restated its commitment to the government’s net zero emission targets and plans through the landmark North Sea Transition Deal that will help accelerate the UK’s move to cleaner energies.
Deirdre Michie OBE, CEO of Offshore Energies UK, said:
“The UK has diverse, secure, and reliance energy sources with the majority of it coming from domestic production and pipelined supply from Norway. We continue to work with the government and our members to see how we can build on this reliable energy base while continue to rapidly accelerate the transition to cleaner energies. We will consider these proposals in more detail in the coming days and stand ready to work with government as we provide the skills, capabilities and infrastructure required to deliver the UK’s energy ambitions.”
#myLEADhER campaign honours 60 women in 60 minutes who are fighting inequality and breaking stereotypes for women in their industries
Today on International Women’s Day, Hootsuite will power the second annual World Woman Hour, a global digital celebration dedicated to highlighting inspirational stories of women from all walks of life. Led by the World Woman Foundation, the socially-enabled movement aims to mentor one million women by 2030 and will feature inspiring stories from 60 women, told in 60 seconds — presented together in a powerful 60 minutes of film. The hour will inform viewers about how women, every hour, lack access to healthcare, education, sanitation, energy, equal pay, and its impact on gender inequalities worldwide. According to UN Women, every hour, members of national parliaments or legislatures are making decisions on important issues, and only 25% of all national parliamentarians are women. The World Woman Hour honourees will share perspectives to lead the new era of a sustainable, peaceful, healthier, and equitable world for women and girls around the world.
“The goal is to harness digital platforms to engage and empower one million women and girls by 2030 with wisdom, advice, confidence boosters and lessons to follow their dreams and ambitions,” said Rupa Dash, Co-founder & CEO, World Woman Foundation. “We are so excited to be able to use social media for good, and share 60 hero stories of women to drive awareness of women’s and girls’ critical issues globally.”
Despite progress in recent years, there is still much work to be done in addressing obstacles, disparities and gender gaps that women continue to tackle. According to Hootsuite’s Digital 2022 report, men account for nearly 54% of global social media users, while women account for 36%.
“We are thrilled to be a strategic partner for #WorldWomanHour for the second year running,” said Eva Taylor, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at Hootsuite. “We continue to see disparity and inequality for women at a global scale, and we know that the gender gap has further widened due to the pandemic. This makes collaborative initiatives such as World Woman Hour more important and impactful than ever before, in order to help drive positive social change and champion the power of human connection to create a global movement that addresses such a critical issue.”
The event will bring together a group of inspirational women from across the globe who are challenging the status quo and disrupting their industries. A few notable speakers include:
Hannah Marcina Bronfman, Advocate, author, founder of HBFIT & investor
Maya Higa, Founder of Alveus Sanctuary
Christina Koch, Engineer & NASA astronaut
These women have fought against stereotypes and persevered through personal and professional challenges to achieve ideas that are changing the world. The event will premiere on Facebook Live and on the World Woman Foundation YouTube channel on March 8, starting at 1pm EST/10am PST. For the latest additional news and information, visit www.worldwomanhour.com. Follow World Woman Hour on Instagram, Linkedin, Twitter, andFacebook to see more and share your hero using the #myLEADhER hashtag.
‘Breaking the bias’ is the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day campaign, and today, we check in with Lyons Holiday Park’s very own female ‘tradies’ who are proud and passionate about representing the female workforce in what’s considered a male-dominated sphere.
Survey results from a Go Compare found there has been a 366% increase in young females taking on apprenticeships in construction and engineering in the past five years.
Shelby Martin, 24, (pictured above) is the latest addition to the Lyons group’s maintenance department and is happiest when snagging caravans along the coast. According to this survey, this type of ‘handywoman’ role is only occupied by 0.66% of females in the UK, with plumbers, painters, and decorators taking up the top spots.
“It’s really hands-on stuff, traditionally ‘men’s jobs’ but it makes me feel empowered. I’ve always been into stuff like that though, I love using tools.”
Having grown up close to her uncle, and having ‘hung out with lads’ in school, this lover of the outdoors and DIY has never felt pressured into fitting into stereotypical moulds. She said: “I’ve never had to prove anything – I just do what I can to do my job.
“Even in college, I was the only girl, and I was never singled out. It’s just me. I’m more one of the lads really.”
The qualified mechanic carried this confidence and self-belief with her when she began her role as a maintenance technician at Lyons Holiday Parks. With over 400 employees, the fifth generation, family-run business is keener now more than ever to break the bias surrounding gender in the workplace, and maintain their stance as diverse, equitable and inclusive employers.
“There’s no better gender. We’re all equals,” Shelby added. “At Lyons, people don’t see me as a woman: they see a person.
“Trade jobs aren’t just exclusive to one gender. I’ve been working in a hands-on trade type role since I left school. It’s important that I’m treated like a human that matters to me.
“When I worked for a courier company, some of the managers saw gender and not the person. In the morning, when we were unloading the van, I would be picking up heavier parcels than the lads – I didn’t have to prove anything, but I could do as good a job as the lads.”
Shelby attributes this attitude towards women in the workplace as a “lack of education and understanding” as to what women are capable of, both physically and mentally. It’s now her goal to inspire other women to step up and follow their career dreams.
“I think a lot of women who work in the UK feel like they have to prove themselves, especially in male-dominated roles. It depends on the person. If you’re confident like I am, then I don’t think so, but I know a lot of women in roles like mine do feel like that.”
Breaking the bias surrounding gender-based roles is something Shelby feels proud of, especially when she tells people what she does for a living. “People are really surprised. I think it’s more the fact that you look like ‘that’ but are able to do the things I do.”
This is down to the stereotypes associated with being a woman, such as ‘attractive’ or ‘feminine,’ according to Shelby. She added: “But when I turn around and say I’m a qualified mechanic and qualified in land-based engineering, they’re shocked. That makes me proud, definitely. This is me; this is what I do. I know how to drive tractors, how to fix tractors, I’ve done ploughing, spread seeds on farms.”
“The goal is for more women to feel encouraged. The more women like me – in mechanic, maintenance, grounds, and farming jobs, even football or rugby – that come out and do what men have always thought of as their roles, the more we show that we are equal. There’s no better gender. We are equals. There is no stronger sex.”
Shelby’s message of female empowerment resonates with one of the youngest team members on the construction team, Caitlin Goddard, aged 20. We asked Caitlin what it’s like being the only woman on a male-dominated team to which she answered, “I come to work and do the same labouring, plaster boarding, digging, and guttering as the lads– I just happen to be a girl, that’s all.”
She explained: “The world has developed nowadays, and women are entitled to work where they want. I think some women still do feel judged that they can’t do the same job as a man – it’s the biggest challenge to women in the male-dominated workplace today.
The Manchester born former cleaner said the best thing about her job is that there are no limitations and feels as though she can do anything with the support of her manager, Gavin Taylor, who ‘treats me like one of his own.’
“I don’t get treated different by anyone though because I’m a woman. I’m just one of the team. They see me as ‘Kev’,” a nickname that Caitlin acquired during her time as a recruit on the DWP’s Kickstart scheme which aimed to tackle unemployment.
It’s this family-focused feeling that has enabled the 96-year-old company to grow from strength to strength, retaining over 70% of permanent team throughout the pandemic, and employing more cross-department female team members than any other private holiday park operator in Wales.
The groups mission statement, penned by the recently appointed Head of Operations, Nikki Rathie, promises to deliver the ‘Lyons family spirit’ across all departments.
The recent appointment of a female head of operations is further testament to the company’s evolution into a forward-thinking organisation which showcases female talent, helps call out gendered actions and assumptions, and maintains gender equality even in senior positions.
Caitlin – who loves working on our building site
Last year, the group celebrated the fact that the majority of senior roles were occupied by women – and that figure is only growing with the recent appointment of Christina Bellis, park manager for Lyons Lido Beach and Lyons Mounds Holiday Park; Sarah Shaw, general manager for the Nant Hall in Prestatyn; Joan Matischok, hotel and bar manager at Lyons Woodlands Hall in Ruthin; Kat Williams, bar manager at Lyons Eryl Hall in St Asaph; Kelly Lees, complex manager at Lyons Robin Hood; Jackie Bruder, bar manager for Lyons Cabaret Club; Ailsa Morris, head of food and beverage for the Lyons group; and Amy Norris, head of marketing for the group.
Caitlin, the ‘cub’ who has now become the ‘queen’ of the Lyons building site, said this International Women’s Day: “I think women should be encouraged to step up and work in the jobs they want to. In ten years, I want to see more women on my team. I think that will happen; the world has come a long way. Back in the day, you’d never see a woman on a building site. But I’m here every day proving women can do anything they put their mind to.”
A service that helps people with common and complex mental health issues across the county and beyond has been rated ‘Good’ by an independent regulating body.
It is the first time the Community Partnership Service, which is part of St Andrew’s Healthcare, has been inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
The announced inspection was carried out in December 2021, during which the regulator spoke to staff and service users, as well as reviewing care records and all its policies and procedures.
The service provides outpatient clinics, specialist mental health assessments and treatment for war veterans.
It also works with criminal offenders after they have been sentenced, helping them to address mental health issues and behaviour in a bid to prevent them from reoffending. The CQC highlighted that working in partnership was “outstanding practice”.
Catherine Vichare, Clinical Director of the Community Partnerships Service, said: “I’m hugely proud of our team and the work we carry out. We’ve helped thousands of people within the community to better manage their mental health and I’m thrilled that our hard work and commitment has been officially recognised.
“The report highlighted staff, that I’m proud to call colleagues, saying they were ‘discreet, respectful, and responsive when caring for service users’. For me, it doesn’t get much better than that and I would like to thank each and every member of the team for their determination to help those people who need it most within our community.”
CQC inspectors also spoke with nine service users during their visit, and positive feedback was provided from everyone.
Nicola Crookes (above), who served in the Royal Navy for five years, said: “I was only too happy to speak to the CQC inspectors as the Veterans Complex Treatment Service saved my life.”
The 51-year-old from Lincoln said she has suffered for most of her adult life with is complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD), which develops from exposure to multiple traumatic events, but her mental health spiralled dangerously out of control after she left the Navy.
She said: “Initially I was assessed over the phone as it was during the first lockdown and it was the most intense assessment I’ve ever undergone and I had this innate fear that no one was going to help me.
“I started my therapy during the lockdown, every other week, and let me tell you, I would not be here now if it wasn’t for the support and treatment I was given.”
Nicola’s treatment involves a sensorimotor psychotherapy approach which she says can be physically exhausting at times, but extremely helpful.
She said: “I’m taken back to my place of trauma and I am made to physically release the trauma from my body. My whole body shakes and I’ve vomited before. We’ve identified where the trauma starts in my body and it works it’s way up. I violently shake sometimes and it can look like I’m having some sort of a strange fit, but once the shaking calms down, then come the tears and this has been a huge breakthrough as I haven’t been able to cry since I was a teenager.
“This therapy has saved my life and I am so grateful for it – I am literally rewiring my brain and for the first time in a long time I feel safe, well supported and like my life has a purpose. You can never be entirely cured of CPTS but I’m learning how to navigate round certain triggers that before getting the help I needed could have made me spiral and become out of control.”
The service received an overall ‘Good’ rating with areas for improvement identified around the ‘Safe’ domain. But, even before the report had been published improvements were already underway to help meet the CQC’s requirements.
St Andrew’s Healthcare’s CEO Jess Lievesley said: “I’m thrilled at the rating and very proud of what Catherine and her team have achieved. As a charity, we’re focussing on the quality of care we deliver and the Community Partnerships team is a shining example of exactly how a service should be run to support people with both common and complex mental health problems.
“We know all too well the impact the pandemic has had on many people and to have such a valuable service within our community that has now been officially recognised by the CQC should be reassuring to those who may feel they might need some extra help.”
For more information about Community Partnerships, click here.
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