Tag Archives: London

Appointments, Law, News

Laytons ETL’s John Gavan hands compliance baton to disputes partner Ben Thorogood

The City of London-based international law firm Laytons ETL has appointed partner Ben Thorogood as its new Compliance Officer for Legal Practice (COLP). Mr Thorogood takes over from partner John Gavan, who held the role from its inception 11 years ago.

As COLP, Mr Thorogood will be responsible for ensuring Laytons ETL’s compliance with the terms of its authorisation by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), and for ensuring that the firm, its managers, employees and interest holders comply with any SRA regulations which apply to them.

Ben Thorogood joined Silverman Sherliker, which merged with Laytons in 2017, as a paralegal in 2012. He trained with the firm, qualifying in 2015, and was appointed a partner at Laytons ETL in 2022.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Thorogood said, “I am grateful for the immense contribution made by John Gavan during his tenure as COLP.

“I am committed to providing the firm, and those engaged within it, with the support required to uphold the highest professional and ethical standards, and to maintain an effective and dynamic legal practice.”

The firm’s previous Compliance Office for Legal Practice, John Gavan, is stepping back to focus on his practice which spans the firm’s corporate, employment and tax groups. A former main board director of a FTSE 350 company, and previous chairman and managing partner of Laytons, Mr Gavan has advised both employers and employees on share incentive schemes for over 30 years, and specialises in matters where corporate law, corporate governance, employment law, and tax interact.

His tenure as COLP spanned the pandemic, and the associated challenges of adapting compliance procedures to new remote working practices, and, in 2021, the firm’s integration into the international professional services group, ETL Global.

Mr Gavan said, “It has been an honour to serve as Laytons’ first Compliance Officer for Legal Compliance, and to play my part in maintaining, through one of the most turbulent periods in post-war history, the exemplary professional standards for which our firm is known.

“I can’t think of anyone better than Ben to take over the role and I am sure he will be more than capable of tackling whatever challenges may come his way as the world changes, working practices continue to evolve, and the regulation of our profession adapts accordingly.”

Michael Kashis, Managing Partner CEO at Laytons ETL, said, “’After 11 years of dedicated service, since the role was introduced, John Gavan will be stepping down from the role of Compliance Officer for Legal Practice. We are deeply grateful for John’s unwavering commitment and invaluable contributions to ensuring our compliance and upholding the highest legal standards.

“Ben Thorogood brings a wealth of experience and a strong understanding of compliance requirements to this position. We are confident that Ben as COLP will continue to uphold our firm’s standards of excellence and integrity in this new capacity.”

Appointments, Business News, Economy & Jobs News, FInance, Jobs, London, News from Wales

Quantum Advisory promotes Darren Wateridge to Principal Consultant in London

Quantum Advisory, the leading independent financial services consultancy, today announced the promotion of Darren Wateridge FIA to the role of principal consultant. Darren, who is based in the firm’s London office, took up the role on 1 January 2024.

Rhidian Williams, partner, said: “Our people are at the centre of our success as a business and we invest in the highest calibre of staff. Their continued support and development is part of our ethos so promoting talent from within is key.

“Throughout his career at Quantum, Darren’s talent, commitment and client management expertise has been apparent. We are confident he will continue to excel in his new position and play a pivotal role in the continued growth of the company.”

Darren Wateridge added: “The market landscape is the most dynamic and competitive it has ever been, and we welcome that challenge. We have some really exciting plans and initiatives coming up this year to further support our clients.

“It has been a privilege to be part of the evolution of Quantum over the last 10 years and I am very much looking forward to now being integral to the strategic leadership going forward.”

 

Darren joined the firm in 2013 as a senior consultant and actuary and has over 25 years’ experience in the pensions industry.

Darren is currently Scheme Actuary to a number of pension scheme clients and advises trustees and companies on the wide range of issues affecting pension schemes including scheme funding, company accounting, scheme benefit change exercises and de-risking strategies.

Darren is also a member of the Association of Consulting Actuaries.

This is the latest in a string of promotions for the firm, most recently with Simon Hubbard to principal consultant in Cardiff.

For more information on Quantum Advisory, visit www.quantumadvisory.co.uk

Education, Education News, News, Research

Explorance MLY partners with University of Westminster to support enhanced qualitative analysis of student experience insights

The University of Westminster is partnering with Explorance MLY to support its institutional need for enhanced qualitative analysis of student experience insights emerging in surveys.

MLY, formerly known as BlueML, is a revolutionary advancement in the field of feedback analytics that identifies recommendations from comments. For students, it helps to enhance teaching methods and curriculum through the evaluation of student learning experiences, supporting student satisfaction and engagement. It also supports employee journeys, capturing experience and learning insights.

The University, which has more than 21,000 students drawn from 160 different nationalities on its undergraduate, postgraduate and professional courses, is currently rolling out MLY within its student and colleague surveys after purchasing the system at the end of 2022-23.

“We decided to purchase MLY as a result of wanting to build on our qualitative analysis capabilities,” explained Kirsty Bryant, Senior Institutional Research Analyst – Strategy, Planning, and Performance at the University of Westminster. “Prior to MLY, we would manually thematically analyse the open comments from just one of our surveys, despite running several large-scale surveys throughout the academic year. Whilst we knew our dataset well, we were also aware of how resource-intensive such analysis was, so were looking for ways to streamline this process to increase the amount of qualitative analysis that we could undertake.”

MLY offered the University “quick processing deductive thematic analysis”, Kirsty said, as well as a platform for enabling wider innovation in her team.

“The AI through Explorance MLY gives us greater capacity so we can run all our major surveys through this system and will enable us to be more responsive, especially in consideration of module evaluation surveys, where we can identify in-year issues and react quickly,” she continued. “We also expect there to be a culture shift in how my team spends their time. We can focus on how and what we communicate to stakeholders and ensure there is accountability in making positive change. We will be able to share high-level analysis of the open comments almost as quickly as we currently deliver the quantitative counterparts of our surveys. We expect this to be a real culture change as our qualitative data can be elevated to the same status as our extensive quantitative datasets.​”

Kirsty added: “Bringing in all the qualitative data from all our major surveys means we will have the capacity to map different levels of study or different time periods to identify patterns and trends. We can segment the data to better understand different student user journeys and develop measures to ensure success for all our students. The Explorance team have really listened to our suggestions and have taken many of them on board to further improve MLY.”

John Atherton, VP Sales EMEA at Explorance, said: “We are really pleased to be working with the University of Westminster, which is not currently a user of our Explorance Blue course evaluation platform but has purchased MLY to support its existing system. MLY empowers organisations to listen inside and out by gathering insights not only from internal survey comments, but also from external channels, such as reviews or social posts. This way, MLY provides the capability to distil actionable feedback directly from the authentic voice of people, without the filters and constraints of survey questionnaires.”

In the UK, Explorance supports over 25 universities: Aberdeen, Anglia Ruskin, Bath Spa, Birkbeck – University of London, Brighton, Bristol, Buckingham, Cardiff, Cardiff Metropolitan, Coventry, Durham, Glasgow Caledonian, Keele, Kingston, Leeds, Liverpool John Moores, Loughborough, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham Trent, Northumbria, Sheffield, Strathclyde, Westminster, Worcester and University of Law.

News

Financial planners welcome new staff and secure sponsorship deal with grassroots rugby club

A PROMINENT financial planning firm at the heart of a North Wales community has thrown its support behind a successful grassroots rugby club.

Celtic Financial Planning is the new sponsor of Mold RFC’s youth development squad, which is made up of two age grades (U18 and U17) and focused on preparing players for the senior set-up.

The company, based on the town’s Bromfield Industrial Estate, is renowned for its work across north east Wales and position as an employer with a strong community and social conscience.

A keen rugby fan, Director Rob Lewis was pleased to be able to supply the club with a financial boost, including new kits manufactured by Macron, supplier to Wrexham AFC and the Welsh Rugby Union team.

“We are delighted to be sponsoring the youth squad and to help the club as it has such a huge history in this area while having a positive impact on the lives of so many people of all ages,” he said.

“This is an important time for us as we approach five years in business, so we look forward to making further announcements that will benefit our staff, the community and the environment – given our commitment to sustainability – in the months ahead.”

Rob added: “We wish the team all the best for this season and will be cheering them on from the sidelines.”

Rhys Hellen, lead coach for the youth side at Mold RFC – currently flying high in the North and Mid Wales Youth League – thanked the award-winning business for “making such a difference” on and off the pitch.

He said: “The new jerseys and sponsorship they have provided makes a massive difference to the whole squad and who we play against.

“The new sizing was provided with the current squad in mind so immediately the boys feel more comfortable and ready for the games.

“Our old shirts did not fit correctly, and some players had to wear alternative jerseys which doesn’t portray the club or the squad in a positive way.

“It may be a little thing to some people, but it has given the squad a huge lift and other clubs have commented on how good our kits look.

“Not only does the branding and sponsorship hopefully help Rob and the team, but clearly it makes an impact wider than just Mold RFC.”

Meanwhile, Celtic Financial Planning continues to grow, with mortgage adviser Sammy Jo-Peace the latest to join their 13-strong workforce.

Plans are still in motion for a new north west Wales office – adding to their sites in Mold and London – and last year they won the Micro Firm Financial Adviser of the Year title at the illustrious MoneyAge Awards.

For more information on Celtic Financial Planning, visit www.celticfp.co.uk or follow @celtic_FP on social media.

Alternatively, you can attend the company’s latest client seminar on June 15 from 6.30pm at Saughton Hall, Sychdyn.

Food & Drink, Midlands News, News

UK music venue to offer West African street food in latest collab

Swingin’ soul and retro music venue, The Night Owl has partnered with West African food suppliers Plantain to offer high quality street food for when the dancing demands a break.

The venue has won many fans in recent years with its packed programme of events and is now adding fresh dining options to its Finsbury Park HQ.

Plantain Kitchen offers the perfect partnership. Founded in 2019 by Toby Oladokun, the street food brand finds a gap in the market for West African cuisine which was previously under-represented around the area. This fits with The Night Owl’s ethos of spinning original vinyl featuring racially diverse and eclectic musical genres at its weekly club nights.

The vendor offers a pop-up service on-site around the nightclub’s events and offers visitors the chance to enjoy some quality food whilst soaking up the atmosphere. Its menu is primarily a takeaway format with some seating available.

Plantain Kitchen aims to capture the energy of West Africa, presenting simple, deeply flavourful dishes with style and panache. The cuisine places an emphasis on fresh, nutritious dishes with a signature selection of jollof rice bowls, burgers and desserts including traditional West African hot doughnuts.

Another standout dish is the Suya honey fried chicken. Suya is a classic west African rub made from from peanuts, ginger and chillies which is mixed with honey to give the chicken a sweet and spicy finish.

Vegan diners are also well accommodated for with dedicated variations of their trademark dishes. Plantain Kitchen was recently labelled “Vegan Food at its Best” by the Vegan Review.

The plantain – a tropical fruit variety of the banana – from which the kitchen derives its name, features heavily in the cooking, offering an exotic, totally unique twist on the now ubiquitous street food experience.

The venture started out as a joint effort between Toby and his mother Sika in marketplaces across London before finding wider acclaim on online food delivery company, Deliveroo. The kitchen was nominated for the ‘Best Newcomer’ award in 2020.

The Night Owl’s endorsement now offers the company exposure to an even broader audience. Arith Liyange, CEO and founder of The Night Owl said: “Since opening for us in early December, Toby and his team have cooked up a storm with his winning mix of Western African fayre.

“This new dining option brings something completely different to the area and slots in seamlessly around our current drinking and dancing offering.”

News

New face at award-winning financial planners with expansion on the horizon

AWARD-WINNING financial planners will continue with expansion and open their third office due to a surge in client demand and new staff.

Mold and London-based Celtic Financial Planning is identifying locations in north west Wales – Conwy, Gwynedd and Anglesey – given the growth of their customer base in those areas.

The latest recruit to join the firm is Jamie Hughes, who has spent more than 13 years in the sector.

A chartered financial adviser, Jamie – who lives in Prestatyn with wife Alex and sons Lucas and Dylan – is looking forward to being part of a burgeoning business with sustainability and community at its core.

“I have seen the way the company operates and its sense of place and culture, which really appealed to me,” said the Bangor University graduate.

“They have plans to grow further and I’m excited to be a part of that, it’s refreshing to be joining an organisation which is fresh and dynamic, which is not always the case in what can be a very corporate industry.

“I’m looking forward to getting started and delighted I can play a part in the firm’s continued long-term success.”

Celtic Financial Planning director Rob Lewis is looking at different locations and confident they will be even better placed to serve their clients in the west as they target £100m in managed funds from this year onwards having last week won the Micro Firm Financial Adviser of the Year title for 2022 at the illustrious MoneyAge Awards.

“We already have offices in Mold and London, so the natural next step given the amount of business we now have in that area – and with Jamie joining our diverse, principled team – is to have a presence there,” said Rob.

“The team and I are very passionate about North Wales and delivering sound financial advice across the region, so to have Jamie on board and be able to deliver an even better service to new and existing clients is heartening.

“There are a lot of opportunities for us to do even more along the coast and into those rural areas and we will be looking to capitalise on that in the coming months.”

He added: “We do have clients travel to us from as far away as Anglesey and Caernarfon, but we want to make life easier for them, and the long-term aim will be for Jamie – an experienced and talented financial adviser – to be based there.

“We now have 12 staff, which demonstrates the commitment we have to our fantastic, loyal clients, and that will only increase in the years ahead.”

For more information, visit www.celticfp.co.uk or follow @celtic_FP on social media.

News

Business leader Pam Loch shortlisted for national business award

Pam Loch, Managing Director of Loch Associates Group, has been announced as a legal services finalist in the Best Businesswomen Awards 2022. A specialist employment law solicitor with more than 20 years’ experience, Pam founded Loch Associates Group, which operates in Kent, Sussex, and London, in 2007.

Pam has a client–centric approach and creates a people-focused and supportive environment. Overcoming various challenges in her career, including sexism in a male-dominated industry, Pam has succeeded due to her passion to find solutions that help businesses manage and look after their people in the most effective way.

As part of Loch Associates Group, Pam launched ‘HR Advise Me’ alongside Loch Employment Law after spotting a gap in the market. She identified that day to day HR support was needed to allow business owners to focus on running their business, while giving them the tools and advice to make the right decisions for their staff. Pam now leads a team of employment and commercial solicitors, HR consultants, wellbeing professionals and mediation experts, who work together to provide a unique solution for clients.

Pam is passionate about playing a part in her local community and is a director of Tunbridge Wells Together, a Business Improvement District company funded by local businesses. During the pandemic Pam also founded the community business platform enTWine to bring together businesses in the Tunbridge Wells area. The community was initially fully virtual but now has regular in-person events and meetings, giving businesses the opportunity to build connections and discuss upcoming trends.

“I’m delighted to be shortlisted for this Best Businesswomen award,” comments Pam. “I established Loch Associates Group with a mission to help businesses find the best solutions to manage their people and their business. Our ethos is to partner with our clients and learn about their preferred culture and style of working, developing an integrated approach and delivering against shared goals. People will always be our business and I am proud to celebrate what we’ve achieved with this team approach.”

Pam embodies the values she delivers to clients. Taking care to recruit individuals who fit the company culture and values, she has built a tight-knit, loyal team. Loch Associates Group practitioners are experts in their fields who innovate to help their clients achieve their goals.

The Best Businesswomen awards cover a wide range of industries, including Pam’s category, legal services. The Gala Awards Final will be hosted at the Hilton London Wembley. For more information, please visit https://bestbusinesswomenawards.com.

Cleaning & Facilities Management, News

Cleaning Business Announces Exciting Brand Collaboration

MAK.today Announces Partnership with Taskeroo

Cleaning app MAK.today – whose recent launch in the three London boroughs of Croydon, Bromley and Southwark has brought positive early reviews – have announced a collaboration with online task platform Taskeroo.

The partnership, which came together after connecting through social media, allows Taskeroo to expand the cleaning arm of their operation, and gives MAK.today an opportunity to increase their reach.

The MAK.today app is designed to match quality cleaning professionals with clients that require their services, “this fantastic partnership was a no brainer for us,” says founder Khurram Mirza.

Taskeroo is an online job platform, where only the very best in their industry can sign up to be hand selected by users for a range of different tasks, from moving home and assembling furniture to running errands and gardening.

“When we look for individuals to complete the tasks on our platform – we call them Taskers – we are only looking for the best in their field, in return we can offer great pay and working flexibility.” Said Taskeroo’s Vivian Thomas.

When asked what appealed about this new partnership, Vivian had this to say, “our whole ethos as a business is centred around transparency, accuracy, honesty, and fairness. In partnering with MAK.today, we’ve found another brand who shares these incredible values with us.”

“Our goal from the beginning was to continue to expand our reach across the UK and then even abroad too, and it’s by forming these fantastic partnerships that we can make huge strides towards doing just that,” concludes Khurram.

Disability, News, Technology

WeWALK, RNIB, and ICL consortium secures UKRI funding to improve mobility for visually impaired and elderly

Assistive technology innovators and partners awarded £1.7m project funding

WeWALK, the London-headquartered company behind unique products that enhance the lives of visually impaired people, has secured funding for a £1.7m Designed for Ageing project through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). Partnering with Imperial College London and the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), the project aims to develop a new computer vision-aided solution to help people facing mobility challenges, from catching the right bus to navigating the busiest streets.

WeWALK’s software-enabled products have already transformed mobility for people with visual impairments. The company’s Smart Cane uses a front-mounted ultrasonic sensor that detects obstacles and warns users with vibration feedback. The Smart Cane can also be paired with WeWALK’s smartphone app to give users accessible voice-guided navigation, enabling them to discover and explore new spaces.

The Designed for Ageing funding is delivered on behalf of UKRI as part of the Healthy Ageing Challenge. Led by Jean Marc Feghali, WeWALK’s Head of R&D, the WeWALK team joins forces with Imperial College London and the RNIB, and will use the funds to focus on promoting the widespread use of computer vision-aided navigation, including environmental mapping and situational awareness. The project team aims to build on existing WeWALK architecture while also developing new technology that is accessible and easier to use for key target groups. The project has the potential to enhance the lives of up to 253 million visually impaired and 700 million older people globally by improving access to the spaces where we live, work, and play.

WeWALK co-founder Kürşat Ceylan said: “We are delighted and excited to be embarking on this new project with our partners, thanks to the support of UKRI.

“Computer vision has limitless potential in solving mobility problems experienced by visually impaired and older people, from identifying landmarks to navigating complex spaces. Our specialist knowledge and that of our partners, which have an in-depth understanding of overcoming the barriers to using mobility technology, provide an ideal platform in developing new and effective solutions.”

 

Professor Washington Ochieng, Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Imperial College London, said: “The Design for Ageing Project will enable us to turn the dream of a seamless fully automated navigation system into a reality and transform the quality of life for visually impaired and elderly people.

“Throughout this ground-breaking project, we will be using some of the most sophisticated sensing and analytics technology including AI and machine learning to deliver on our ambitions.”

 

Robin Spinks, Principal Manager of Digital Accessibility at RNIB, said: “We’re delighted to be working with WeWALK and Imperial College London on this exciting project which gives us an immense opportunity to enhance navigation for people with sight loss.

“We will be heavily involved in user testing working with a large group of blind and partially sighted people to harness their day to day lived experience. We will also be working with our user experience team to develop a game-changing product that will improve the lives of visually impaired individuals worldwide.”

 

Science Minister George Freeman said: “Today’s winning projects, backed by £20 million government funding and co-designed with older people, will pioneer the use of the latest technologies, from power-assisted exercise machines to smart navigation systems for the visually impaired, to meet the needs of Britain’s older generations.

“It is our firm ambition to ensure that the success of these projects also encourages businesses and academics across the country to develop ideas and technologies fit for our ageing population, improving our health and quality of life while building on the UK’s reputation as an innovation nation.”

News, Property, Property Buyer News, South East

Professionals find a new home and a better life in Ewell

A professional couple are enjoying more space and a better quality of life after moving from the busy streets of South London to a quiet village in Surrey.

Malcolm Scott, 39, and his wife Eashani, 38, have purchased a new two-bedroom house at Bellway’s Buckthorn Grange development in Ewell.

The couple, whose employers are both based in the capital, were previously renting a one-bedroom flat in Tooting.

Malcolm is a civil servant based in Whitehall, while Eashani is a data analyst who has been working from home since March 2020.

Malcolm said: “It has been a thrilling experience to buy a new house in such a beautiful location, especially for Eashani because this is the first time she has had the joy of owning a home.

“We have everything we need and more at this development because the house came with a garage and a private garden.

“Having lived in a one-bedroom flat for quite a while, we can really appreciate how spacious the rooms are at our new home. And it is so nice to have a house all to yourself.

“Eashani has been working from home since the beginning of the pandemic and now she has a lot more space to make that more comfortable for her. Since she works as a data analyst, it also helps that the broadband speed is much faster here than it was in Tooting.”

As professionals working full time, both Malcolm and Eashani agreed that purchasing a newly built property would be a sound investment.

Malcolm said: “Buying a house is probably one of the best ways to invest your money because the value of the property grows much faster than a bank deposit.

“My father told us never to buy an old house because that would cost more money to make it ready for us to move in. The best thing about buying a newly built house is that it is like a blank slate you can turn into you own.

“The place we were renting in Tooting was an old school that had been converted into a flat, and the energy bills were unreasonably high because the building was that old. We are now saving money on our bills because we bought a new build which is far more energy efficient.”

The couple decided to buy at Buckthorn Grange after visiting the showhome at the development, which is located off Scotts Farm Road, in July last year. They said the fact the house they bought came with a private garage set it apart from the other properties they looked at slightly closer to the capital.

Malcolm added: “In terms of customer support, the sales advisors from Bellway were fabulous from day one. They really cared and worked hard on ensuring that the house was as good as it could be.

“It is amazing how many aspects of the house we were able to customise, and Bellway were very helpful with all the work we wanted to have done before we moved in. They let us choose the oak flooring, the grey tiles, and pretty much everything they fitted in the kitchen.

“We knew we made the right choice as soon as we moved in. You could see that the build quality of the house was excellent, and it had a very nice feeling as you went from one room to the next.”

After moving to Buckthorn Grange, the couple have been enjoying the many advantages of living in Surrey.

Malcolm said: “The location is ideal for going on walks because there are two different parks on either side of our development. It is also much safer to go for a run since there is very little traffic on the streets in comparison to Tooting.

“It is also a lot easier for us to travel now because we can simply bypass the traffic of London which used to add at least two hours to our journey every time we drove somewhere outside the city.”

Malcolm, who commutes to work four days a week from Ewell West station around a 30-minute walk away, added: “The train to London takes around 40 to 50 minutes. The commute may be longer now than it was when we were in Tooting, but it is less difficult and the money we save on the rent makes up for the train fares.

“There is also the better quality of life that comes with the location. Tooting was not just busy in the evenings on Fridays and Saturdays – it was always busy. It’s wonderful to live away from all that road noise because now I can instantly relax as soon as I come home.”

A selection of one and two-bedroom apartments, as well as three-bedroom houses, are currently available at Buckthorn Grange, with prices starting from £310,950.

For more information, call 01737 749667 or visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/south-london/buckthorn-grange.

Captions:

  • Malcom and Eashani living in their new home at Bellway’s Buckthorn Grange development, in Ewell