jan/feb 2015 #gettingbusinessdone...the latest legislation, space planning, office design and...

Jan/Feb 2015 #GettingBusinessDone

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Welcome to 2015.

It’s the tradition to use the start of a New Year as a starting point for new initiatives, resolutions and changes. Now there is nothing I need to change about me, but there are four things I would urge you to do in 2015:

1. Take part in the Airports Commission Consultation. This is open until the beginning of February so you don’t have too long to go. There are compelling arguments on both sides but it is a very simple question; would the UK be better served with a second runway at Gatwick or a third runway at Heathrow? I strongly believe in Gatwick and always have done. Make sure you have your say.

2. Vote. I’m sure I don’t need to remind you that this May sees a General Election.

For the first time in as many years as I can remember there are four apparently credible parties in contention with other minority parties making strong inroads. In the interests of political impartiality I won’t say anything more.

3. Get involved in our events programme. There are many different ways for you to network and meet other businesses, but none of them involve sitting in your office waiting for the phone to ring. Even though we appear to be coming out of recession, it is vital for you and your business that you don’t ease up on your networking as the contacts made can lead to real commercial benefits.

4. Bring me your (business) problems. We are here to help you resolve your issues. If we don’t have the answer then we invariably know the person who can help you or can make a difference.

In 2015, we will be allowing advertising in the Source Magazine purely to cover the costs of production. Cost-effective and dedicated to business in the Gatwick

Diamond, The Source is a unique tool to spread your message.

Later in January we will be conducting our Annual Members Survey which will help us check we are doing the right things as well as respond to what you are looking for. Please take part and tell us what you think.

And finally, if you get commercial value from your Membership, then please tell us and tell others. Don’t keep it all to yourselves.

Many thanks for your support and involvement in 2014 and I look forward to working with you in 2015.

JEREMY’S JOTTINGS

Meetings & Events: November / December

The past two month’s meetings were:

Networking at Ease hosted by South Lodge Hotelwww.exclusivehotels.co.uk

Pastries & Networking hosted by pdt Solicitors http://www.pdt.co.uk/home/index.htm

Race Day hosted by Lingfield Park Marriott Hotel & Country Clubhttp://www.lingfieldpark.co.uk

November Members Meeting hosted by Denbies Wine Estate with Reigate & Banstead Boroughhttp://www.denbies.co.uk https://www.reigate-banstead.gov.uk

Elevenses & Networking hosted by Motorline Nissan Crawley http://www.motorline-nissan.co.uk

gdb Festive Networking hosted by Copthorne Hotel London Gatwick http://www.millenniumhotels.co.uk/copthornegatwick

All of these events were very well attended and presented great opportunities for Members and others to gain new contacts.

Join us in the Millennium Suite of the Copthorne Effingham Park for a pre-dinner reception followed by a glittering evening of entertainment and fine dining.

This Black Tie event will see the very best of the Gatwick Diamond Business community come together to celebrate the achievements of World-Class businesses in this World-Class region. Our presenter for the evening will be writer, actor and comedian Hugh Dennis. Be sure to secure your place, and prepare to dance the night away at our fantastic After-Show Party.

THE GATWICK DIAMOND BUSINESS AWARDSTHURSDAY 19TH MARCH 2015COPTHORNE EFFINGHAM PARK HOTEL

READY TOCelebratE?

www.gatwickdiamondbusinessawards.com @gdbizawards

JOIN US AT THE REGIONS PREMIER BUSINESS AWARDS

To book your place call: 01293 813888or email: [email protected]

@nd Advert Design_Layout 1 23/12/2014 09:46 Page 1

Catering by Paella Fella for Halloween

the Source - January/February 2015 3

GDB

Join us in the Millennium Suite of the Copthorne Effingham Park for a pre-dinner reception followed by a glittering evening of entertainment and fine dining.

This Black Tie event will see the very best of the Gatwick Diamond Business community come together to celebrate the achievements of World-Class businesses in this World-Class region. Our presenter for the evening will be writer, actor and comedian Hugh Dennis. Be sure to secure your place, and prepare to dance the night away at our fantastic After-Show Party.

THE GATWICK DIAMOND BUSINESS AWARDSTHURSDAY 19TH MARCH 2015COPTHORNE EFFINGHAM PARK HOTEL

READY TOCelebratE?

www.gatwickdiamondbusinessawards.com @gdbizawards

JOIN US AT THE REGIONS PREMIER BUSINESS AWARDS

To book your place call: 01293 813888or email: [email protected]

@nd Advert Design_Layout 1 23/12/2014 09:46 Page 1


BUSINESS NEWS

Green for Growth UK Export Finance adviser offers a helping handAs an adviser for UK Export Finance (UKEF) my role is to help small to medium-sized businesses export to new and high growth overseas markets by facilitating access to trade finance and insurance.

Growing your business in this way has proved a successful strategy for many UK companies, but winning and fulfilling lucrative contracts often requires financial support that is not always available from commercial providers.

This is why UKEF – a government department - is helping UK businesses to achieve export growth and to help realize their ambitions of expanding internationally. UKEF bridges the gap between what insurers and banks are providing, and what your business needs so it can export.

As an export finance adviser I raise awareness of UKEF’s products and services which are available to UK-based companies across all sectors, whether they are experienced or exporting for the first time. This free advice also covers signposting the help available from banks and other private financial service providers.

UKEF works with the private sector and seeks to complement it. We work with our private sector partners to improve the range of support available to all UK-based businesses.

Whether you are currently exporting or just considering your options, I’m more than happy to discuss how UKEF can support your business plans for the future.

James Bowker, Adviser at UK Export FinanceKent, East Sussex and West SussexContact: [email protected] or 07812 667327

Following gdb’s October seminar, Anya explained it’s not just about ‘being green’, there are numerous commercial benefits including cost & risk reduction, competitive advantage & winning business. She gave advice on where to start:

• Know your costs & impacts (calculate your carbon footprint) to focus on improvements

• Put it all together in an ISO 14001 Environmental Management System

• Share information with your customers & be proactive about it

• Win business & celebrate your success!

Introducing ESHCon’s 100 Top Tips, Anya gave examples including:

• Make good use of natural daylight

• Turning down the heating by 1°C can cut gas use by 8%

• Reduce car journeys by grouping appointments together

• Look for inefficient use of materials & unnecessary wastage.

Lorraine Bell from the University of Brighton then explained the University’s Green

Growth Platform, a five-year programme to expand the green economy in Sussex. She covered the range of advice & support provided, including case studies of successes & funding available.

There are grants of up to £5,000 for energy efficiency measures & advice, plus £3,000 for innovation. The University can also help with interns & apprentices.

www.eshcon.co.uk/2014/11/top-tips

www.brighton.ac.uk/business/green-growth-platform

Funding for Growth Seminar: Regional help for SMEsPwC hosted a Funding for Growth Seminar in conjunction with Coast to Capital, Invest and Fund, Let’s Do Business Group and Sussex Innovation Group which was attended by local business owners. The event provided a great opportunity for business owners to network with like-minded individuals. A presentation from Mike Herd (Sussex Innovation & Coast to Capital), covered the sources of funding available and highlighted some common pitfalls experienced by business owners.

Lindsay Foulds, PwC Tax Director, who hosted the event, commented:

“At PwC we meet with many business owners that face these types of challenge. Last year we worked with over 7,000 private businesses across the UK – so we understand growing businesses. With My Financepartner we’ve created a brand new service designed to help early stage to medium sized businesses to grow. And we’re committed to providing support to local firms.”

A panel Q&A session, made up of the co-hosts, discussed the funding challenges. It is clear that there are a host of different sources of funding available to businesses and while application criteria differ a common objective for publicly funded sources is contribution to the economy – through the creation of jobs. So if a project can use available resources of finance, public grant is typically not going to be approved.

The overriding theme from the event highlighted that there is support and advice available; it is down to business owners to do their research and seek support. The PwC seminar was a demonstration of the types of help that’s becoming available.

For further information, contact Luke Streeter from PwC on 01293 594 60 or email [email protected]


BUSINESS NEWS

Motorline Nissan Crawley What do the new flexible working laws mean foroffice design?From 30th June 2014, all employees have the legal right to request flexible working - not just parents and carers. As part of the right, employees can expect their request to be considered “in a reasonable manner” by employers.

Changes in workplace design have for some time now been influenced by technology and collaborative working practices and this trend is set to continue even more now as workplaces adapt to allow for more flexible working.

Mobility requires touchdown spaces for staff who are out of the office for parts of the day. Among the features of a flexible workplace are hot desks and hot offices which are often bookable, team tables, touchdown desks/benches, a project space and a browsing base which is a high level work surface with high stools or used standing up.

“Increasingly companies are asking us to provide them with ideas on how they can reconfigure the office layout to be more flexible. Our ‘smart space’ planning ensures your workplace is designed to be flexible, utilised to its maximum potential and reflects your business culture, motivates your staff and inspires your clients.” Says David Webb, Managing Director of Trevor Blake.

Creating a well-lit, vibrant office with comfortable furniture and relaxing break-out areas all have a positive impact on employee wellbeing, productivity and morale.

For 25 years, Trevor Blake have been providing office refurbishment to businesses within the South East. We can manage all aspects of your refurbishment project including advising on the latest legislation, space planning, office design and fit-out and new furniture.

Trevor Blake - Refurbishment Specialists

Contact: Ian Poupart - Business Development Manager 01293 775 509

Business Centre

As a dedicated Business Centre we are able to offer advice on car and light commercial vehicle options to local businesses as well as large fleet operators.

We have a comprehensive range of finance options available across the Nissan range.

To discuss your requirements or for a quotation, please contact:

Ian Avery, Local Fleet Specialist:[email protected] 844700

Innovation

To support the Business Centre we recently created a new role to assist our new and current customers keep up to date with new technologies and electric vehicles.

Therese Wynn-Davies is our new Innovation Specialist, here to advise and ensure you get the best from your vehicle, to help lower you CO2 emissions, tax and BIK (Benefit in Kind).

For further information please contact - Therese Wynn-Davies: [email protected], enquire via www.theelectricvehiclecafe.com or call 01293 844700.

GDB Members to speak at the Target Business ExpoFor any visitor, one of the key advantages of attending a business exhibition is for the reams of free information and guidance on offer - and the Target Business Expo is no different. With a selection of informative seminars and workshops throughout the day covering subjects from Export to Networking, there will undoubtedly be a subject of relevance to you and your business.

John Berry of TimelessTime, Finalist in the Professional Services Firm of the Year `at GDB Awards will be speaking on the subject of staff performance – every managers wholly grail. TimelessTime has been trading since 2010 and is one of the few consulting firms to be accredited under the international quality standard ISO9001. John has over 30 years experience in management and will be delivering this must attend seminar.

With marketing so high on the agenda for many of us, Nicola Macdonald of Attractive Marketing will be telling us how we can get

the most of our marketing. With a Post Graduate Diploma from the Chartered Institute of Marketing and a great deal of experience working with SME’s, Nicola comes very highly regarded amongst her clients. One client says ‘My business is growing and expanding thanks to Nicola sharing her wisdom with me’

Is cloud computing the answer for every small to medium size company? From cost and security to emails and shared files, Jay Hine, Director of IT at Optima Systems, will take us through all of the options. Optima systems are due to celebrate their 25th year and have recently entered International Business of the Year 2015 and The Award for Innovation and Technology of the GDB Awards.

For a full list of seminars and workshops including UKTI and Stefan Thomas, Author of Networking for Dummies, please visit the event website at www.targetbusinessexpo.co.uk or follow us on Twitter at @targetbusexpo


Well-established Sussex PR agency Lea Graham Associates (LGA) has a new office for the New Year.

The consultancy, which opened in Burgess Hill almost 30 years ago, is making the most of its ‘Royal’ connections by acquiring an additional office on Crawley’s biggest business park, joining the 500 companies and 30,000 people working at Manor Royal.

Founded by long-standing GDB member Susan Fleet, who with husband Graham also runs Lea Graham Entertainment

agency, LGA specializes in helping SMEs think big.

“We understand small businesses because we are proud to be one!” said Susan. Together with associate Sue Scott, they have a wealth of experience in promoting private and Third Sector organisations, including those in manufacturing, financial services, education & training, as well as food & agriculture.

Susan was previously PR & marketing officer for the South of England Agricultural Society for 17

years and her portfolio of client’s ranges from single entrepreneurs to a castle household!

“We’re delighted to have a presence on Manor Royal at a pivotal moment in its development with the creation of the Business Improvement District and Gatwick expansion plans back on the table,” said Susan. “It’s an ideal location from which to better serve the needs of clients in the Crawley and Gatwick district and we look forward to seeing many more of them!”

www.leagraham.com

Diamond of a Job

Driving licence changes light up the cyber highway for CDG-Cars.comCrawley Down Group’s viral online success highlights serious lack of awareness just weeks ahead of important changes to the UK driving licence…

Just weeks after the Great British tax disc was consigned to the rubbish bin, British motorists face the axe falling on their driving licence, too. With the paper counterpart section becoming obsolete on January 1, 2015, our driving licence becomes the latest official documentation to become fully paperless.

However, with just weeks until this monumental change takes place, it seems huge numbers of the UK’s 30 million drivers are unaware that part of their licence is about to become obsolete – and the repercussions

this will have on how they change, update, or view their driving details.

This widespread lack of awareness was graphically illustrated by the instant viral sharing of a blog covering these changes published by the Sussex-based Crawley Down Group – with the feature lighting up social media in the form of 350,000 referrals from Facebook and generating more than 540,000 page views.

With hunger for information on how the changes will affect drivers spreading across the nation, Hitwise revealed the Crawley Down Group’s website (CDG-Cars.com) had rocketed to number one spot in the online ‘dealership’ category covering all UK-based dealers.

The resulting rush for information has seen CDG-Cars.com receive unprecedented levels of visitors – equating to three years’ worth of online traffic in just one week.

Find out how the changes affect you, while also giving your licence a full health check, by reading the blog written by the Crawley Down Group’s in-house content writer – and former What Car? journalist – Pete Barden at www.cdg-cars.com/community/advice/driving-licence-changes-need-know/

For further information please contact:

Leah Flavell: telephone 01342 710086 or [email protected]

BUSINESS NEWS

Borahurst Limited has recently completed a R22 replacement air conditioning project for a high profile jewellery company at their building headquarter in London.

The offices comprised of two linked buildings utilising R22 heat recovery air conditioning to all floors of each building. We successfully installed three Daikin heat recovery VRV systems with twenty two indoor units over five floors. Two Mitsubishi heat recovery VRF systems, with twenty three indoor units over three floors. We utilised the existing pipe work where possible as it had been covered over many years before.

All of the installation works took place with the offices still in occupation and all of the internal works were undertaken during nights and weekends with no disruption to any of the working days of the Company.

The installation was completed on time, to the high satisfaction of the client and

we received many compliments for the engineers on site for their positive attitude and professionalism.

Our client also felt he should put together a testimonial for Borahurst to express his thanks.

Testimonial

I just wanted to formally say what a terrific experience it is dealing with Borahurst. Every single aspect of the experience is exceptional.

I joined this high profile London based Jewellery Company in September 2013 as the Facilities Manager, with the responsibility for all hard and soft services, and have worked closely with Borahurst as our contract partner for the provision of our air-conditioning, water and plumbing services.

You have provided the most professional, warm and friendly service possible. During every phase

of this project you were available to provide answers and assistance. You are extremely competitive and we have grown our relationship to the point that I have your personal numbers and have complete peace of mind, to have this personal touch, speaks volumes.

I want to commend every member of the staff at Borahurst for service and professionalism beyond any I have ever experienced. I have dealt with many sub-contractors over the years; yet none have ever achieved the level of satisfaction I have received from your organisation.

I would be happy to recommend your organisation to anyone wishing to look into the whole host of Building Services. I would also be happy to serve as a referral for anyone wishing to utilise your services.

Contact Sue [email protected]

Lea Graham Associates


Business in Burgess Hill is booming on the back of growing confidence in the economy.

A survey of 123 companies, a fifth of whom were in manufacturing, revealed bosses were bullish about the future, with three-quarters saying they had grown their business in the last year.

More than a fifth said they planned to move premises in the next 12 months, the vast majority of those driven by expansion.

Peter Liddell, co-ordinator of the Burgess Hill Business Parks Association said: “Our results indicate that this area has seen steady growth over the last year, and business leaders are very optimistic at the moment. It is a refreshingly brighter outlook than the same period in 2009. We are aware, of course, that this trend may not pertain to the country as a whole.”

More than half of those surveyed had a turnover of up to £2.5m and employ 50 staff or fewer, putting them in the engine room of the economy – those small and medium-sized businesses, which have

shown the greatest appetite for expansion in recent months.

Conducted by Liz Barnes of Envoca, the survey revealed many of the BHBPA companies would like the Association to focus on lobbying for bigger and better business space as well as attracting larger companies to the area.

Crucially, well over half said the BHBPA had also generated new business.

Paul Shearing, newly appointed chairman of the BHBPA said: “This survey has proved to be an excellent way of not only highlighting the success of many businesses in Burgess Hill and the surrounding areas, but has also given us valuable feedback about our Association.”

Those who were already members of the BHBPA gave the organisation a big tick for making the town one of the best places to do business on the A23 corridor, with networking and regular communication on local and national issues voted their main reasons for joining.

Two successful business owners shared their secrets to completing a successful sale with the region’s business leaders at the eighth South East Business Leaders Forum, jointly hosted by DMH Stallard, Grant Thornton and HSBC.

Speakers Tony Leppard, former owner of FMx Ltd, and Brian Tyrer, former Chairman of Pyroban Group, shared the lessons they had learnt from going through the process of preparing for and selling their businesses to large international listed companies.

Among their wisdom were these top tips for a successful sale:

Make an informed decision about your strategy. “Make sure you take plenty of advice before deciding on an exit strategy” said Brian of Pyroban’s, but in the end trade sale was preferred. Tony agreed commenting: “you need to set your expectations, in terms of price and key deal terms, to help you decide on, and execute a strategy.”

There is no such thing as too much preparation. Brian Tyrer commented: “You only have one chance so you need to get it right and the one thing you need to do that is time! We grew Pyroban consistently through ambitious five year plans, before we were ready to sell. To do this, the business had to make other changes, including the introduction of an experienced management team.”

The diligence process will identify any problems, so deal with them early. “Make sure you don’t have any skeletons in your cupboards. They will be found during due diligence and they could affect the offer on the table” said Brian. Both speakers commented on the thoroughness of the Buyers diligence.

Appoint great advisers. “Your advisers are key to your success” said Tony. Brian added, “You can never underestimate the value of appointing the highest calibre people to advise you.”

BUSINESS NEWS

South East business owners share secrets to completing a successful sale

Burgess Hill business booming – survey results reveal

A consultant was exploring risks to his business and asked this question.

“What happens if I make a mistake and I get sued by a company?”

We asked: “Are you a limited company?”

They responded: “No”

We then explained that, potentially, they have put their personal assets at risk as by not having a limited company. They are essentially holding themselves personally responsible.

“Ah…”, they said “we don’t much like the sound of that…”

We then explained how appropriate professional indemnity insurance could protect them from this.

They could, of course, also incorporate as a limited company to further protect their personal assets. In this scenario, if they had no professional indemnity cover and they then became the subject of a legal wrangle they would fund the defence and any potential award from the balance sheet of the business. This is also not an ideal place to be.

No human can guarantee they’ll never make a mistake in sharing advice, surveying or creating designs. Humans are not perfect and nor are their endeavours.

But it is possible to avoid making a second mistake of not having Professional Indemnity to cover your first mistake!

For more information call 0207 648 4343 or email [email protected]. www.custodianinsurance.co.uk

PI and dry


How fit are you for 2015?

Do you recruit for results or hours worked?

Have you got a business plan in place? Want to get off to a fast start? Does your business have what it takes?

Not too sure? Well have a look at what we describe as the ‘Anatomy of Business Success’.

At dwn Business Advisors, we believe that success in business ultimately comes from success with people and when looking at this anatomy, at the centre of it all your ultimate success will be wholly dependent on ‘people’ related issues. Put another way, 7 ‘anatomical business concepts’, a reflection of your business fitness, will determine your success in 2015.

THE BRAIN - how clear you are on what you want to achieve;

THE HEART - how well and how engagingly you communicate it;

THE SOUL - the values you hold dear in your business – if you like, what it would bleed if you cut it open;

THE MUSCULAR SYSTEM - the ability of the business to get things done, to execute;

OXYGEN - how well your teams interface with each other;

BLOOD - the core competencies that are needed day to day and

PAIN - how well you deal with those burning issues.

As talented coaches, consultants and trainers, we can help you get clear and ‘fit’ on any of these issues as you find you need. Stop by our website www.dealingwithno.comor call us on 0845 388 7888. We’d be delighted to talk to you. And help you really make 2015 a year to remember.

BUSINESS NEWS

EAT Landmark Ruling – holiday pay includes overtime

With new flexible working rights in place, all employers need to be open to considering requests for changes to hours, compressed or part-time working or working from home. Some organisations have embraced these changes, and in fact have been embracing them for many years, recognising the benefits to the business in terms of productivity and loyalty that a workforce which feels valued can bring.

Viewing the roles within a business in terms of a full time employee and having someone present all day every day can

lead to some immediate issues - the organisation may not have the budget available to recruit the candidate they need full time: do they hold off on recruiting or attempt to recruit for the same role at a lower level? Either option can have a detrimental effect on the business, resulting in the role underperforming or not being performed at all. Organisations need to look at the roles they recruit for not as hours logged but as outputs achieved. A high-level executive brought in on a flexible, part-time or short-term basis may not ‘input’ a high number of hours, but their

productivity, ability and enthusiasm for the role can result in much higher output and achievements for the business.

Whatever role they are recruiting for, or sector they function within, those organisations that are brave enough to think ‘outside the box’ in their recruitment will be the ones to reap the biggest rewards.

If you would like to discuss how to recruit differently in order to attract the best people, please contact us: 0203 002 3558 or [email protected]

This recent ruling made headline news – what does it mean for your business and your employees.

In the UK, we normally calculate holiday pay based upon a worker’s basic salary – but we don’t normally include overtime, commission or similar payments.

In Bear Scotland v Fulton the Employment Appeal Tribunal confirmed that all elements of workers’ normal pay are now required to be considered when calculating holiday. Employers will have to reconsider their provision of overtime as a result.

The Ruling in Brief

1. Normal non-guaranteed overtime will be reflected in annual leave payment.

2. This applies to the basic four weeks leave under the Working Time Directive exclusively.

3. Claims for a ‘series’ of underpayments are restricted by a three month period.

A Landmark Ruling

The appellants in Bear Scotland v Fulton claimed that their overtime pay should be taken into account when calculating holiday pay as currently a worker’s basic pay is all that is paid. The EAT ruled that words could be read into the Working Time Regulations in sections where certain overtime payments are excluded from a ‘week’s pay’. However, it is not being recommended that overtime worked under a genuine voluntary overtime policy should be taken into account, only regular non-guaranteed overtime payments. Where a pattern of work is settled, ‘normal’ pay is easily identifiable.

Impact on Employers

Over 5 million workers receive overtime so the impact of this judgement will be considerable. Employers may be forced to reduce the availability of overtime as a result of the added cost. However, the EAT limited the scope to claim backdated holiday pay. It was clarified that a period

of more than three months between successive underpayments breaks the chain of the ‘series’.

If you have any questions please contact Nighat at pdt, [email protected] or call on 01403 831 227.


The BMA Test Positive for Paella Fella Team Build experience - learning about co-worker strengths & weaknessesThe British Medical Association (BMA), recently brought 16 of their team from their London office to East Grinstead to have a practical engaging experience with the Paella Fella Team Build Day Event and reported very positive outcomes.

Paella Fella offers a credible and enjoyable team building day that is proving both popular and effective to corporates and groups with positive benefits such as problem solving, team working and, communicating more efficiently and effectively together.

Head of Division, Sheridan Hammond commented “The day was fantastic, great fun and far exceeded our expectations. All our business objectives were met and we learnt about our strengths and weaknesses alongside the competitive spirit that exists amongst the team.”

Nick Blythe – Founder of Paella Fella came up with the unique concept to develop and engage staff using cooking paella after taking part in Paella competitions in Valencia.

“It’s not as easy or as crazy as it may sound” says Nick – “the day consists of various

challenges to test initiative, organisation, logic, communication and working together to deliver to tight timescales.”

The day involves setting up a mobile kitchen, selecting the most useful equipment and preparing the correct ingredients such as cutting up a whole

chicken to cooking and eating the paella. All this is done against the clock and a set of certain criteria which may be defined by the client.

To find out more about the Paella Fella Team building experience please email: [email protected] or call 01342 713940.

Over the past few years Gatwick Diamond members, Permanent Solutions Direct have been actively involved in supporting careers events at local secondary schools, having taken over some of the work previously undertaken by the West Sussex Business Education Partnership, which sadly lost its government funding a few years ago.

The team are currently seeking a number of business volunteers from a diverse range of job roles for the forthcoming Careers Speed Dating Challenge at Imberhorne School, East Grinstead on Tuesday 10th February 2015 from 9.00 am – 11.00 am.

The event is great fun for the volunteers and students, but most importantly is a fantastic way for the Year 9 students to learn about different career options from people who are actually performing that role. It is a cross between “What’s my line” and “Speed Dating” with the volunteers moving around from group to group, being asked questions by the students in order to guess their profession and time allowed for the

volunteer to explain more about their job, how they started out, qualifications needed, career progression etc.

The workshop starts promptly at 9.00 am with the opportunity to network with other business volunteers before and after the session.

If you have not volunteered before and would like more information, please contact Emma Packer at Permanent Solutions Direct on 01342 710630.

This is a great opportunity to support the next generation and network at the same time!

BUSINESS NEWS

Gatwick Diamond Volunteers required for School Careers event


The Power of Thank You

BUSINESS NEWS

Some of the UK’s most prestigious brands joined forces for an exclusive evening at Lingfield Park Resort – to say thank you to some of our long standing clients.

Guests were treated to a fusion of the senses with a reception, courtesy of champagne house Collet, followed by a display of the most expensive perfume in the world from Clive Christian by the founder’s daughter Victoria, at The Ultimate Collection. This was followed by a sumptuous dinner and entertainment from Swing Out Sisters who performed an Abba tribute act.

Andrew Mitchell from Clive Christian Forest Row declared the evening a huge success: ‘This was the first time a number of high-end luxury brands had come together to run a joint event – purely for the purpose of saying thank you,’ he explained.

Lingfield Park’s Pavilion suite was transformed with exquisite décor including an Aston Martin, Lamborghini and Bentley – courtesy of Lancaster Sevenoaks. Beautiful images of Clive Christian luxury furniture for every room in the home adorned the walls of the suite.

Posing beautifully next to the Luxury cars were gowns made by The Fashion House Bea Das Couture of Sevenoaks.

From her Atelier in Sevenoaks, Bea Das said: “It was a great honour to be part of such a Spectacular Ultimate Event showcasing alongside the very best of British.

‘It was an ‘Evening Etched In Gold’ with Victoria Christian in Bea Das signature Gold dress, gold balloons and champagne! “

Chilstone, who create beautiful garden ornaments and architectural stone pieces

from their base near Tunbridge Wells, helped to create the atmosphere with a giant toad, a stunning pedestal and urn and an individual scratching hare for each table centre-piece. Completing the look in the racecourse suite, were three hand-crafted pianos from Cambridge-based 1066 pianos.

Deborah Hay, PR & Partnerships Manager for Lingfield Park Resort agreed: ‘This was an opportunity for Lingfield Park to show how it can deliver at the top end. We are thrilled to be working with these other like-minded brands to bring even better opportunities for our most loyal clients.’

Opulence Takes Centre Stage as Exclusive Brands Join Forces for ‘Thank You’ Evening

Most of us really do want to hear someone thank us for the things that we do, even if it is something that we are supposed to be doing anyway. Being appreciated is one of those things that really motivate us, both at work and in life, so a little goes a long way if you can offer up a genuine thank you when it’s appropriate.

In February this year Gatwick Airport launched a new staff recognition scheme ‘The Power of Thank You’. The scheme outlines ways to recognise people’s achievements, ranging from a verbal thank you to a more formal nomination and the opportunity to receive one of six ‘Above & Beyond’ Recognition Awards linked to Gatwick’s strategic priorities.

On Wednesday 12 November, achievers and their partners got their glad rags on and joined members of the Senior Management to celebrate outstanding staff achievements at the Inaugural Recognition Awards Dinner, held at the prestigious 4 star Copthorne Effingham London Gatwick Hotel.

This chic event was designed and produced in conjunction with local firm Avensys Ltd, whose stage setting, venue decor and fabulous lighting design added gravitas and glamour to the event.

Avensys Senior Account Manager, Sharma Hadrill said, “It’s very unusual to work with a client that recognises not only outstanding achievement, but also the contribution to the

business made by those employees in long service. It was a heart-felt and fun event, of which we were pleased to be a part”.

As well as a formal 3-course dinner, guests were treated to a surprise after dinner speaker, celebrity comedian Milton Jones, who entertained the guests with his deadpan one-liners; local DJ, Chris Oxlade, rounded off the night with a great set of music, which included tracks chosen by the audience in advance of the event.

For additional information, quotes and photos:

Sharma Hadrill, Senior Account Manager, Avensys - 01293 551585, [email protected]


PEOPLE

Sussex-based mailing house AM&M takes challenges in its stride, as does new recruit Anthony Robertson…big strides!

The direct mail specialist, who assumes responsibility for the company’s growing number of clients in the charity sector, only took up running three years ago and already has his sights set on completing an Ironman challenge.

Thirty-six-year-old Anthony, who lives in Shoreham, runs three or four times a week and entered his first marathon, the aptly named Steyning Stinger – a 26.2 mile muscle cruncher, straight up the Downs – this spring.

“It’s tough, there’s no one to cheer you on up there!” he says.

“I started running just before my daughter was born - around the block to begin with. I pushed myself to go a bit further and all of a sudden I was going for a marathon. But my ultimate goal would be an Ironman before I’m 40.”

Anthony, who was born in Ferring, has 20 years experience in print and mail, having entered the industry straight from school as a trainee with Hays Group in Worthing. He was a business development and project manager at Calico in Hurstpierpoint before moving to AM&M, a full-service

mailing house, offering data, print, mail, fulfillment and e-marketing services. It has handled well over 22,000 campaigns for utility companies, local authorities, national charities and blue chips from its Burgess Hill site.

“It’s a great environment to work in and a good team spirit,” says Anthony.

Just what you need to cheer you all the way to the top!

A number of new staff have recently started at Brighton Racing & Events as the company look to build on past successes moving forward into 2015.

James Potten, the new Commercial Director, spent five years at Sussex CCC and hopes to bring his local business knowledge and experience within a sporting environment to the racecourse. Heidi Stewart, the new Business Development Manager, has enjoyed a successful career within the hotel industry and will bring a drive & determination to win

new business next season. The team will be further supported by Debbie Michael, our new Customer Service Executive. Judy Welsh, Katherine Hogan and Amber Chapman complete the commercial team for 2015, each bringing their own individuality to the table.

.We are more than just a Racecourse, having twenty-three acres of land, 12 suites, 6 executive boxes, 2 halls and over 2500 square metres of indoor space all equipped with the necessary facilities to accommodate conferences, exhibitions,

team building events, corporate parties, Weddings and even our very own helipad to arrive in style. Combining this with over 20 acres of land, 1500 free car parking spaces, free Wi-Fi and stunning views of the Sussex Downs and English Channel, you have all the elements you need to make your event one to remember and our friendly team would love to show you around.

For more information about Brighton Racing & Events please visit www.brighton-racecourse.co.uk or call 01273 603580

New recruit at AM&M is super-fit for business

Brighton Racing and Events – A dynamic new team with new ambitions


An employee of Croydon-based Cleankill Environmental Services is celebrating after becoming one of only three people in the country to achieve the top qualification for a pest control professional.

Chris Davis is the latest person to gain the RSPH Level 3 Diploma in Pest Management - a ‘gold standard’ qualification designed to recognise pest controllers of ability.

Chris is the Service and Technical Manager for award-winning Cleankill Environmental Services, which has offices in Seaford, East Sussex, and Kenley in Surrey. He has worked for the company for eight years where he trains Cleankill’s technicians while coaching and mentoring colleagues through their own qualifications.

Chris said, “It’s a fantastic feeling to achieve this. Not only have I gained a valuable qualification but I have enjoyed doing it. It’s a great course to do if you are supervising or managing. It will help me mentor my colleagues and we’ve already signed up one Cleankill candidate for next year.”

The tough exam has an emphasis on pest control management and includes the completion of 12 assignments covering different pest control scenarios that Chris has dealt with.

One of Chris’ roles is training and support of Cleankill’s technicians, promoting excellence and encouraging staff development - so it made sense for him to become as highly qualified as possible so his training could incorporate the very latest thinking. Chris’ certificate was issued by the British Pest Control Association and the Royal Society of Public Health. The courses are run by Killgerm who also arrange the exams, tutoring and mentoring.

As an Investor in People, all Cleankill’s staff are highly trained and offer an exceptionally fast and efficient level of service. For further information go to www.cleankill.co.uk or call 0800 056 5477. You can follow Cleankill on Twitter or Facebook.

Cleankill employee is one of UK’s top pest controllers

PEOPLE

DMH bolster its London Real Estate offering with the hire of Kerry BeattieDMH Stallard has completed the lateral hire of Real Estate Partner, Kerry Beattie, from commercial and project management consultancy, Schofield Lothian. Prior to Schofield Lothian, Kerry spent 15 years at international law firm Taylor Wessing where she was a Partner.

Kerry, who has joined the firm’s London Real Estate practice, has significant experience in dealing with non-contentious and contentious construction, engineering, energy and utilities matters, as well as advising on property related transactions and commercial agreements. Particular sector specialisms include commercial property, residential, leisure, retail, transport, infrastructure and utilities.

Kerry commented: “I am delighted to have joined DMH Stallard and to be working with such highly regarded colleagues, not only in the Real Estate Group, but across the Firm.”

The DMH Stallard Real Estate Group, noted as a team who is “quick, knowledgeable, pragmatic, commercial and efficient” by

clients, is ranked as a leader in its field by both independent legal directories, Chambers & Partners and Legal 500.

For more information email [email protected]

DMH Stallard is delighted to announce the appointment of Partner, Tessa Grayson, as Group Head to its Personal Injury Group.

The Personal Injury Group has collectively more than 40 years experience in the field, and has dealt with a wide range of personal injury matters including advising on public liability, accidents abroad, road traffic collisions, employers’ liability, industrial diseases, occupiers’ liability, injuries sustained as a result of a crime, and product liability. The team also has an impressive reputation when it comes to cosmetic surgery and catastrophic injury claims.

Tessa, who has been with DMH Stallard for thirteen years and trained and qualified with the firm, became a partner in 2012. She has considerable experience in dealing with all areas of personal injury with particular expertise in employer liability, occupier liability, road traffic accidents, criminal injury and clinical negligence claims.

As the newly appointed Group Head, Tessa will work closely with the Dispute Resolution Group Head, Simon Elcock, and with colleagues, Partner Lucienne Westbrook and Chartered Legal Executive Catherine Smith, to seamlessly run the team, and to further develop the Group’s growing roster of clients.

Simon commented: “I’m delighted to appoint Tessa as Group Head. Her considerable experience combined with an ethos of providing exceptional client care has made this an easy decision. We hope this appointment will further boost team’s proposition to clients.”

Tessa commented: “The PI Group is performing well in what has become a difficult time for personal injury lawyers. We are currently dealing with a significant caseload and continue to be highly efficient in dealing with client matters. There are some great opportunities in the pipeline. All in all it’s a very exciting time for my team.”

DMH Stallard appoints new Group Head of PI


PEOPLE

Stephen Bates appointed Managing Director of Canon UK and Ireland

Manor Royal to Munich 2015 Charity Challenge!

Leading end of life care provider, St Catherine’s Hospice, has a new Chief Executive.

Canon Europe, leader in imaging solutions, announced the appointment of Stephen Bates as Managing Director of Canon UK and Ireland, reporting to Rokus van Iperen, President and CEO, Canon Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Bates has 25 years of experience working with companies both in the business-to-business and consumer technology sectors, including Nortel Networks where he held a variety of UK and international sales and operational roles. He most recently worked for Blackberry in a global role as the Leader of the Enterprise Product Group.

“Stephen brings to Canon extensive management experience gained working with globally recognised products and services in the telecoms industry,” commented Rokus van Iperen, President and CEO, Canon Europe, Middle East and Africa. “We are transforming our organisation to focus on new growth opportunities and Stephen will play a key role in driving the development of our services and solutions business in the UK and Ireland.”

Bates will assume full responsibility as Managing Director from 1 January 2015, succeeding Hasse Iwarsson, who will retire from Canon at the end of this year.

gdb Creative Pod CHALLENGE Manor Royal to Munich! 25 – 27 September 2015 We are looking for teams to take cars for the 2015 Challenge. Our teams will go against Bennett Christmas Insurance Brokers Ltd on public transport. There will be an optimum time for the finish line (set up in the hotel)

whoever is closest is the winner! This is a fantastic team building opportunity as well as raising money for our member charities. So what’s involved? For full details see www.gatwickdiamondbusiness.com/85-mr2munich.html and click on ‘return this form’. Also give us a call on 01293 440088

Giles Tomsett took over the reins as Chief Executive in September 2014 at an exciting time of great change and opportunity in the local and national health and social care market. St Catherine’s provides care to terminally ill adults at its in-patient and day care units in Crawley and in people’s own homes across the Gatwick Diamond area.

Giles said: “I am delighted to take on the leadership of St Catherine’s Hospice at such a pivotal time in its 31 year history. As with every charity, the critical factor for us moving forward will continue to be sustaining growth in our independent funding. Providing more care means we have to bring in more income.

“But alongside raising money, we also value the expertise of local business people who could help us develop and deliver best practice in all that we do. I very much look forward to working with more local business supporters and I want to find different ways for us to work together in long term relationships from which both parties can benefit”.

At a time of increasing budgetary constraint within the public sector, all care providers need to innovate and adapt their services to care for more people. This also means building more relationships with local communities and businesses, to help extend the capacity of services to support more people.

St Catherine’s depends upon the generosity of local people and businesses to raise the £6 million it needs every year to pay for the care and support it provides for 1,800 terminally ill people across Sussex and Surrey, as the charity is only funded in small part by the NHS.

To find out more about how you can help St Catherine’s please contact Alison Crouch on 01293 447333.Follow

@gdbevents for the best networking in the diamond.

Networking WorksTalk to Lee-Ann on 01293 440088


McCrudden Training were delighted to welcome guests to their second Brain-Friendly Business lunch held in November at The Felbridge Hotel.

Inspired by the Action Learning Set model in which groups of peers share challenges and learn from one another; Nicky McCrudden, MD of creative training company, McCrudden Training Ltd, has developed her own unique approach to cross sector, shared problem solving – Brain-Friendly Business Forums.

The November lunch event brought together senior staff from Mayo Wynne Baxter, Gatwick Diamond Business, Harvey John, and The Chalvington Group to debate challenges ranging from how to encourage staff to consistently follow policies to how to set a business apart in an industry with a less than favourable reputation.

“We share what is current in our industry, along with a business idea or goal for our peers to comment on. Insight gained from the group has proved useful in refining and developing these” explains Nicky.

Brain-Friendly Forums are held at a different location each quarter. With a waiting list already in place for the next event, any GDB member who feels that this could be for them is welcome to contact Karyn at McCrudden Training for future dates.

If you would like to explore how McCrudden Training’s services and access to funded training could help your business visit our website or contact us on 0845 257 5871. For a free trial of our online courses visit www.mccrudden-training.co.uk/e-learning-courses.

SKILLS

CGG has won a national award at the UK’s 2014 STEMNET Awards ceremony held at the House of Lords London. The award recognizes CGG’s efforts in helping to inspire young people to study and pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects.

CGG received the ‘UK’s Most Dedicated STEM Employer’ award for contributing an enormous amount of time and creativity towards inspiring young people to pursue STEM subjects and for its successful integration of the STEM Ambassador Programme.

CGG’s STEM Ambassadors have volunteered to take part in workshops and careers days in schools and colleges, hosted visits by students and been involved in TeenTech and WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) events.

CGG’s senior management has given its full support and CGG has been the headline sponsor for the hugely successful Crawley STEMfest and the Big Bang Fair South East events since their conception in 2011. Last year, over 5,300 students attended the Big Bang South East Fair at the South of England Showground, where they could visit 150 different STEM interactive activities, shows and workshops.

Ian Thornton, CGG’S UK Country Manager, said: “This award is wonderful recognition for CGG’s continuing commitment to building a passion for STEM subjects among local communities. Our vision is that in the long term the students of today will be inspired to embrace the challenges of STEM subjects and reap the rewards in their future careers.

Achieving this award has been a team effort with almost every department at our Crawley center contributing – whether it has been counting out 2,000 Twix bars for ‘rock property’ demonstrations, designing and building reflective mirror shields for students to use, or building a six-meter-long jelly-bean wave machine. Our STEM Ambassadors are truly ambassadors for CGG in the community.”

CGG Wins UK National STEMNET Award

Business Lunch & Problem Solving the Brain Friendly Way!

A technology company, based in Horsham, has been lauding the impact of two apprentices recently, as part of a diversification into commercial and business-related apprenticeships.

Damovo and Chichester College have been able to develop a mutually beneficial relationship which has seen two apprentices gain two year apprenticeships with the firm.

James O’Connor, who is Senior Professional Services Manager at the company, says of the link-up, “From the very first meeting and throughout the entire process we as a company have been incredibly impressed with the dealings we have had with the College”

“From the representatives we have met over the past few months, to the success we have had with the apprentices, it is clear that this is a hugely beneficial relationship”

Since September, Daniel Keet, 18 and Hannah McMillan, 17, have both been completing Business Administration apprenticeships with the company and will be there for the next two years. Whilst there, they will also be gaining invaluable industry experience.

“Both students are doing amazingly well. They have absorbed everything that has been thrown at them and have picked up and learnt the business processes unbelievably quickly. They have started their courses and are motoring through very quickly and it is this, along with how quickly they seem to have acquired the skills required, which is most pleasing”.

For more information on how Chichester College can help you with apprenticeships and other training opportunities email [email protected] or visit www.chichester.ac.uk/employers for more information.

Chichester College apprentices making waves at Damovo


You may have felt the impact of the so-called ‘double dip recession’ and one particular thing our clients have been telling us is just how time poor they are at the moment. This may well mean that you’ve not been able to think about your development needs as much as you wanted or fit them in around your busy schedule?

So in response to this, we’ve developed some great BREAKFAST BOOSTER Networking

learning sessions which will fit neatly into your day, and help you update some of those important skills. Priced at £35 (+ VAT) for a 2.5 hour session, these could be the extra boost you’ve been looking for.

The workshops are brought to you by expert marketing training consultant Liz Barnes (DipM FCIM) in association with us - a winning combination with 25+ years’ experience

helping businesses to achieve their marketing ambitions.

And don’t just take our word for it! A delegate recently said ‘The booster session was amazing - who would have thought you could squeeze so much into such little time? This type of course is very relevant to my work and I will definitely come along to another. Delivered concisely and with flair.

Since the summer of 2014, groups of business leaders and senior managers based in the Gatwick Diamond area have been meeting confidentially to share their ambitions and expertise, and develop new opportunities.

These leaders and managers are all members of the Profitnet programme, run by the University of Brighton and funded by the Regional Growth Fund. The programme helps businesses to grow and develop through innovation.

The groups are organised according to the members’ location or sector, and include Sustainable Building and Energy, Manor Royal and East Surrey.

Stuart Brittle, MD of specialist clinical waste contractor Medisort, joined the Sustainable Energy Profitnet group in June. The company collects and sorts single use-instruments and nappies as part of the clinical waste that it processes. Stuart said: “I was thinking about ways to recycle some of this waste into useful products. I presented my ideas to the group, and as a result, the members have helped me tremendously in developing my thoughts.” Stuart has since embarked on a project with the university to assess whether the polymers in the waste nappies could potentially be re-used.

Keith Pordum, MD of hot food vending specialist Bon Appetit, and long-term

Profitnet member, has joined the programme this year for the third time. He said: “I came to speak to some new members, and realized how much I have been missing it. I’ve been in my current group for five months now and already I’ve taken various steps towards my main aim of achieving more business with the healthcare sector.”

One of these steps has been to take on a graduate intern who is working with Keith’s digital marketing agency to develop campaigns targeting healthcare professionals.

Profitnet groups are member-led whilst being professionally facilitated. The main

emphasis is on members presenting their business strategy confidentially to the group and receiving constructive feedback and ideas. Early in 2015 all members will take part in two Innovation Masterclasses and the Sustainable Energy group will visit the innovative Waste House in Brighton, a low carbon property designed by Duncan Baker Brown, which was constructed from unusual recycled materials

The existing groups will run until summer 2015, but new groups are starting in January in the Redhill area. For information contact Daryl Parsons on 01273 641 037 or Email [email protected]

SKILLS

Short Marketing Workshops and Networking

Businesses collaborating for success

Event Date The ‘MUST HAVE’s in your marketing strategy 30th Jan 2015Make social media marketing work for you 27th Feb 2015Win new customers online 27th Mar 2015Customer engagement through CRM 24th Apr 2015LinkedIn Breakfast Booster 22nd May 2015

Book a place on any 3 sessions for £75 (+VAT) or all 5 for £100 (+VAT)

Time: 09:00 to 11:30Price: £35 (+VAT) per delegate Venue: The Kings Centre, 33-35 Victoria Road, Burgess Hill, RH15 9LR

To book a place, please email [email protected], call us on 01273 834 434 or visit www.preview.co.uk/training.


Connick Tree Care celebrates 30 years! Mike Connick formed Connick Tree Care in 1985. He shares some of the business lessons he’s learnt in the last 30 years.

Have a visionFrom the very first day in business Mike Connick’s vision was to create ‘great looking trees that fit their environment’. 30 years on this still holds true.

Honesty and integritySadly, there are a lot of cow boys out there that give tree surgeons a bad name. It has always been of upmost importance to be completely honest with our customers. If we can see that no work to the tree is required, we’ll say so.

Always strive for high standardsEvery business needs to find a way to stand head and shoulders above their competitors and there are several ways that this can be achieved. For example, technology has changed massively over the last 30 years. IT systems have to move with the times in order to remain efficient and using social media to engage with customers cannot be ignored.

Focus on health and safetyA chainsaw in the wrong hands can be an extremely dangerous piece of equipment! We recognise the duty of care we have to our staff and those who we come into contact with onsite whether at a private residence or commercial premises. Our staff receive ongoing training and risk assessments are carried out for every job.

Be proud of what you doCelebrating 30 years has allowed Mike to look back at some highlights and one that springs to mind was meeting Prince Philip in 1999 for the commemorative planting of a tree in The Royal Park at Greenwich.

Contact: Mike Connick – [email protected] Connick Tree Care - 0800 975 4535

SUCCESS

Borahurst Limited has been established since July 1977 and the company was subject to a management buy-out by the current directors in 1998. Mr Dave Clarke, Mr Duncan Jee and Mr Andy Hall had all been involved with Borahurst for many years before they purchased the company and have steadily increased turnover and contracts over the years culminating in being named as one of the 1000 companies to Inspire Britain in a report commissioned by the London Stock Exchange, ACR Specific. Borahurst has qualified for this achievement through various criteria which, form a group of more than 4.5 million companies, they are in a vital six per cent as quoted by the CBI, and have been described by Nesta as of exceptional importance to the UK economic growth and job creation. Stock Exchange research and many other organisations have shown that it is almost exclusively these companies that have generated new, net job creation in the UK since the financial crisis. These companies have been termed as “Gazelle Companies” and post 2007 are proving to be the lifeblood of the UK economy.

These companies are all recognised for their entrepreneurial spirit and success.

The Directors decided to capitalise on this success and sought to expand the business both in project works and routine maintenance and services contracts, they appointed Sue Glynne as Business Development Manager and she thought it might be sensible to tell the outside world about the considerable successes the company had enjoyed and use the publicity to attract new customers.

Since then the awards have been flooding in – including being named Large Contractor of the Year in the ACR News Awards

The company provides design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of building engineering services including air conditioning, chillers, ventilation systems, pipework, heating, BMS controls and electrical works. It has the experience and knowhow to operate as Principal Contractor for an end user projects or as part of a team under a main contractor or consultant.

With an annual turnover close to £10m, Borahurst is now working for main fit out contractors, blue chip organisations and high-end retail clients – it even has a site office on the roof of one of London’s landmark department stores. They are extremely diverse and with projects ranging in value from £5,000 to £2million.

37 years strong From little acorns grow mighty oaks

Rewards Training……at the double!Crawley’s leading training provider had cause for a double celebration this week following the official announcement of the town centre based businesses had been awarded a grade 2 in an official OFSTED report.

In addition the company celebrates its 25th anniversary this year as it continues in its efforts to become the leading independent training provider in the South East.

Following a detailed inspection of the training, assessment, advice and guidance provided to over 200 employers and its staff across the South East in the past year, Rewards Training has secured the highly coveted ‘good’ grade in recognition of the highly effective services it provides.

Commenting on the recent publication of the report, Rewards’ Managing Director Andrew Ayres said “We are obviously delighted with the result as the report recognises all the hard work and dedication from our team and the quality of our services across the South East. We are very proud of what we have achieved so far but continue to look to improve. We will be supporting greater numbers of businesses in the development of their staff as we move forward. We have continued to work very hard in our efforts to develop

our partner relationships, reflected in the report, and in the result”

Rewards Training is also celebrating its 25th anniversary this autumn. CEO Marion Ward founded the company to help people gain the skills needed to succeed in life and work. Speaking recently Marion said “This is the best birthday present we could have wished for. It represents another chapter in our proud history helping to assure our clients that Rewards Training is the No1 choice for training in Crawley, Gatwick and across the South East”

Rewards Training provides training, recruitment and consultancy services for businesses across Crawley and the South East.

• Business, management & team leading • Hospitality & customer service • Health & social care• Apprenticeships

Our contracts with the Skills Funding Agency and other local development funds can help secure funding for the training you need.

Find out how Rewards Training can help you and your business; email [email protected] or call 01293 562651


Competing against household brand names and major agencies, Jumpstart was runner-up in the highly-competitive category: ‘Social Media Campaign/Strategy of the Year’. The Commendation is for the agency’s work on the hugely successful “Share a Pie” Facebook app that it created for Sussex-based pie maker Higgidy in March 2014. The Facebook app enabled Higgidy fans to select a pie from the Higgidy range, and personalise and share it with a friend, who could then redeem a free pie in-store. “Share a pie” was an instant success, increasing Higgidy’s Facebook community by over 85% to 34,000 fans in just five

days. More than 4,000 “pie shares” were recorded in the first seven hours of the campaign alone. Jumpstart Managing Director Fiona Mulliner said “We’re delighted to have competed successfully against some of the biggest names in digital marketing. It’s testimony to the creativity and talent of our staff that we have received this award.”

A Christmas “Share a Pie” campaign will run in December. Read more about our interactive Facebook app for Higgidy here - www.jumpstartuk.com/work/interactive-facebook-app-sussex-pie-maker/

Plumpton wins National Racecourse Award

Reeves win ‘Training Team of the Year’ awardReeves, one of the major accountancy and financial services firms practising in London and the South East of England, is delighted to announce that they have been awarded ‘Training Team of the Year’ at the British Accountancy Awards 2014.

The prestigious awards evening took place on 25 November at The Brewery in the City of London and saw over 500 guests attend from accounting practices across the country to celebrate development and excellence within the profession. The evening was hosted by Sandi Toksvig OBE, Danish-British writer, presenter, comedian, actress and producer.

To achieve the ‘Training Team of the Year’ award, Reeves had to demonstrate excellence in their profession and were judged on four main criteria; professionalism, measurable success, innovation and being a role model.

Nigel Fright, Managing Partner at Reeves commented, “One of our fundamental core values is ‘practice and personal development’ and through our fantastic training programme our staff have become trusted advisers to clients and helped them to achieve success in their chosen sectors and businesses. I would also like to take this opportunity to extend my thanks to Karen Thompson, Reeves’ Training Manager, who has been with the Firm for over 30 years and in this time has ensured all our staff have received the best quality training, tailored to the individual’s needs, in a friendly, supportive learning environment.

SUCCESS

Celebrating more success at McCrudden Training

Plumpton Racecourse, the privately owned National Hunt horse-racing course in the village of Plumpton near Lewes, East Sussex, is delighted to announce their outstanding win as Racecourse Groundstaff Champion, at the Racecourse Association’s National Showcase Awards for 2014. The awards ceremony was held earlier this month at Haydock Park Racecourse. This award comes shortly after Plumpton were announced as winner of the jumps category at the 2014 Racecourse Groundstaff Awards and Plumpton’s long standing Clerk of the Course, Mark Cornford, was awarded the Neil Wyatt Lifetime Achievment Award, following over 30 years of service at the Sussex track. The Showcase Awards celebrate excellence and innovation in all areas of the racecourse. The independent judging panel for the Groundstaff Champion Award was particularly impressed with the work that the Plumpton team has done to improve the track. In addition to this they have delivered a major project to redevelop the parade ring and worked hard to recruit more members to the team. Plumpton Racecourse Chief Executive, Michael Moloney, said: “It is fantastic for our team to be recognised in this way, and especially for Mark Cornford whose contributions to the grass roots of racing at Plumpton over the last 35 years, have been remarkable. Mark has been an exceptional leader for our groundstaff team, and instrumental in the improvements throughout the course over the years.” Added Mark: “On behalf of the team at Plumpton I am proud to be able to say how thrilled we are to have won this prestigious award. I am delighted that the efforts of the whole groundstaff team have been recognised including the race day team, who play such a vital role in ensuring the best conditions are maintained for racing. For horsemen there is nothing more important than the racing surface. It is a pleasure to work as part of this team and I would personally like to congratulate all our groundstaff.”

After winning a three-year contract to provide training to the City of London Authority earlier this year, the team at McCrudden Training are celebrating another successful tender. This time winning opportunities to deliver training as diverse as Health & Safety through to Leadership & Management skills to Kent County Council.

“I am really pleased that we continue to grow our reputation for quality, brain-friendly training, working with clients across the South East”, explains Nicky McCrudden, Managing Director. “Our team of trainers have a strong reputation for knowing their subject matter, with frontline experience and

having the skills to deliver engaging training that adds value to our clients” Nicky adds.

Hot on the heels of success in Kent, the company also passed the first stage of procurement for a contract with the Houses of Parliament, and have recently won contracts to provide leadership training to three leading Sussex organisations

To explore how McCrudden Training could help your business visit our website or contact us on 0845 257 5871. For a free trial of our online courses visit www.mccrudden-training.co.uk/e-learning-courses

Horsham based member Jumpstart receives a Commendation in The Drum Network Award


When lovely, crazy people taking part in the GDB Charity Challenge met at the Arora Hotel in the early hours one May 2014 morning, prepared to drive from Manor Royal to Milan, little did they realise their efforts would result in a huge number of toys for children with special needs and many disadvantaged children in the local area.

The efforts of those teams; sponsor money raised through their adventures plus the share of money raised at the GDB Dinner Dance have really helped the GLCT

this Christmas. In addition to the annual favourite projects the GLCT are working with local Police to identify additional families in crisis.

The GLCT will deliver sacks of presents to those homes on Christmas Eve of families who would otherwise have little to smile about – many living in what could be described as abject poverty. Yes, here in the Gatwick Diamond area. But through GDB members support and determination to have fun, many more children will have toys, books and games to enjoy this Christmas.

Thank you to all GDB members who had fun at the Dinner Dance or who enjoyed the Charity Challenge (that fancy dress was worth it!!)

For more details about the GLCT please contact Lynda Guy on 01273 891963 or email [email protected]

New legislation will soon make corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting a requirement for publicly listed companies with more the 500 employees. This means, that as well as reporting their financial situation, PLCs will be obliged to provide information on their CSR policies and activities.

Gary Peters, Founder of LoveLocalJobs.com, argues that CSR is not simply about making charitable donations, but should be part of the fabric of an organisation. “It’s the way your business operates, your goals, your policies, but most of all, your people,” he said.

So how can businesses become more socially responsible? Mr Peters says that “One of the most effective ways to

operate in a socially responsible way is provide opportunities for local people, particularly young people. Youth unemployment is a huge problem and there is a generation of young people who are disengaged from working life because they haven’t had the right opportunities,” said Mr Peters.

“I believe that the solution to youth unemployment lies with local businesses. We need to provide work experience, placements and apprenticeships so that young people can learn essential skills and develop a work ethic that will help them find a rewarding career.” concluded Mr Peters.

LoveLocalJobs.com focuses on promoting local jobs and boosting youth employment. The organisation forms

partnerships with employers, schools and colleges to create pathways between education and the workplace and works with other organisations to set up work placement programmes for young people.

CSR

Golden Lion Children’s Trust Thank You

European CSR Legislation Presents Opportunity to Boost Youth Employment Locally

At this time of year a lot of people are starting to lose enthusiasm for the new year’s resolutions they made in January. All those good intentions about losing weight, saving money or getting fit have fallen by the wayside. There is still time to make a difference to your health and improve the lives of other people at the same time during 2015.

Research carried out shows that volunteering brings health benefits to both the volunteers and the people they help. A review carried out by the University of Wales showed that these benefits can include:

• Ability to cope with ill health• A healthier lifestyle • Improved family relationships

• Meeting new people• Improved self-esteem and sense of purpose• A positive view of their own health

Shelley Jones, Crawley’s Volunteer Centre Coordinator said: “Volunteers are the lifeblood of many organisations, working in communities in organisations such as sports clubs, community groups and museums, as well as public sector bodies, schools and hospitals. Volunteers are an integral part of our society, and without their dedication, energy and commitment, many of the services we take for granted would simply grind to a halt.

“But the magic of volunteering is that it is a two-way relationship. So alongside the contribution to our local communities, volunteers also benefit tremendously

from the experience - learning new skills, improving physical or mental well-being, or simply meeting interesting people and having fun.”

If your New Years resolutions include doing something to improve your health, why not contact Crawley Volunteer Centre on 01293 657148 who will be able to discuss the range of volunteering opportunities that are available.

Healthy New Year’s resolutions


AIRPORT

Gatwick train station to be transformed with £120 million upgrade

Gatwick wins Wildlife Trust’s Biodiversity Benchmark Award

Gatwick Airport train station is to get a major upgrade, the Government announced in the Autumn Statement, with a £120.5 million redesign transforming the station and passenger experience.

Work is scheduled to start in 2017 and complete in 2020 and passengers will experience a seamless transition between the airport and the new station. Improvements and new features include:

• A doubling in size of the concourse area to reduce congestion and improve the passenger experience

• More escalators and lifts to improve access to all platforms

• Intuitive passenger flow and clear concise information

An image of how the new station will look can be seen here.

Under the heads of terms agreement signed by both Gatwick and Government, Gatwick will contribute £30m and Network Rail a further £30m toward the deal, which is still subject to further detailed commercial negotiations.

The improvements will see the rail station comfortably manage the expected growth in air passengers using the single runway

airport, with demand at the station set to increase by 5 million to 20 million rail passengers a year by 2025.

Guy Stephenson, Gatwick’s Chief Commercial Officer said:

“This agreement is a great example of the private sector and government working together in partnership to deliver a game changing and affordable project for the future. This new station builds on the ongoing transformation of Gatwick Airport and will deliver a first-class gateway for visitors, air passengers and the 1 million rail commuters who use Gatwick station every year.”

This major station upgrade will be delivered alongside a significant increase in capacity on rail services through Gatwick, between

Brighton and London, as a result of committed and planned enhancements. These will improve resilience and the quality of rail service through Gatwick, including:

• New Gatwick Express trains by 2016 and new Thameslink trains by 2018

• Connections to Crossrail at Farringdon in 2019

• New twice hourly direct connections to Peterborough and Cambridge

• A train to central London every 2.5 minutes by 2025

• Quicker journey times to the West End and City, than from Heathrow

• 15 million people brought within 60 minutes of Gatwick

Gatwick Airport has been awarded The Wildlife Trust’s Biodiversity Benchmark Award for the first time. The Biodiversity Benchmark is a nationally recognised standard for commitment to biodiversity and responsible land management.

Gatwick achieved the award for its enhancement of the biodiversity across 125 acres of land on two non-operational sites including the River Mole and the ancient Horleyland Wood.

These areas contain a range of meadows, scrub, ponds, hedgerows and woodland and the biodiversity has been improved through a range of measures, including wildlife surveying and habitat enhancement.

In addition, Gatwick Airport has supported the Gatwick Greenspace Partnership with the introduction of an Assistant People and Wildlife Officer, overseeing habitat management and coordinating volunteers who help maintain and improve the wildlife around the airport.

According to The Wildlife Trust, the assessment and certification of Biodiversity Benchmark is ‘unashamedly challenging and rigorous’.

On achieving the award, Hannah Deacon, Gatwick’s Environment Leader, said: “Gatwick has some amazing woodlands, grasslands and riverside habitats which are home to Kingfishers, Grass Snakes, Harvest Mice and the very rare Long-horned Bee. We have been looking after our wildlife very carefully, but work does not stop just because we have achieved the award.”

Gatwick’s plans for a second runway will build on this award-winning work by diverting the River Mole and Crawters Brook into an open channel replacing more than 500 metres of culvert.

These diversions have been designed to enhance aquatic ecology through encouraging natural flow. The new water course will be in a natural park and the river corridors will provide excellent

wildlife habitat. This will serve to improve biodiversity in the area.

Today’s news comes just weeks after Gatwick published an environmental report stating that the airport had never breached UK and EU air quality targets, and committed to maintaining this 100% air quality record if it built a second runway.

The ‘Decade of Change’ report tracks progress on all of Gatwick’s sustainability targets and also shows that Gatwick has reduced carbon emissions by 20940 tonnes - the equivalent of more than 37 fully-laden Airbus A380s - since the Decade of Change began in 2010. The airport aims to be carbon-neutral by 2040.

The reduction has been achieved by reducing electricity use, including by being the first airport in the world to replace the airport’s runway and taxiway lights with LEDs – cutting energy use on the airfield by 50%. Gatwick also employs single engine taxiing to reduce fuel burn and emissions.


One key correspondent in the debate continues to be Andrew Gold, MD of Roband. Andrew wrote to me recently to say:

For a long time, and absolutely predating the issue of the second runway, based purely on technical feedback I have said the airspace over the south east of England has been way to overcrowded and that the slightest ‘unforeseen event’ would cause chaos. Well on a very minor scale we saw what a very short term computer problem did, it actually caused total chaos that lasted well into the next day. So serious that the government is calling for an immediate enquiry. No matter how clever or up to date the computer systems being used, there are bound to be future similar occurrences.

The problem would have been far last dramatic if the airspace was less crowded. When first we discussed the prospect of a second runway the principal argument I used was that more aircraft in such an already congested area would be unsafe. If there were any computer glitches at all there will never be enough air traffic controllers ready, able and capable of keeping the airways safe.

This seems to me so self-evidently blindingly obvious that I am still wondering how people are continuing to press for more runway capacity in the south east of our country.

I know that ‘high value’ vested interest will usually manage to argue that black is white but if you ever wanted an example of why we do not need another runway either here or Heathrow, or actually anywhere in the vicinity

at all, then the events of Friday past are a perfect picture.

In other correspondence, Andrew has written on the impact on local employment and the availability of property.

Such a shortage of labour will inevitably create a price war and wages will sky rocket in an already very expensive area. Companies operating in a very competitive global market will be substantially disadvantaged.

Some businesses will need to be relocated. Mine for instance could be a prime candidate. The disruption will be immense. The land proposed for a new facility is rather inappropriate, being directly under the flight path with all that entails. No discussion of time scale or compensation has been started so we are in horrible ‘planners blight limbo’ with no apparent end in sight. With current planning rules any new building would likely be seriously affected by lack of parking space making it less attractive for people to work here. We own our current site, the ownership status of the new place is unknown.

In short the expanded airport will be bad for the majority of pre-existing businesses and people that are already established here. The big winners will be the Airport itself, owned by a conglomeration of overseas investment companies who have only been in situ since 2009 and I understand are likely to sell out soon after the decision re the new runway. We have been here since 1963 and intend to remain.

I look forward to your thoughts.

In December, Sir Howard Davies and the Airports Commission came to Crawley to hear from a number of interested parties in respect of the proposal submitted by Gatwick Airport for a second runway.

We were invited to take part and the text of the speech given is opposite. This speech has received support from 18 other Membership and representative bodies (*see opposite page) across the Coast to Capital region who, between them, have over 10,000 members employing around 200,000 people.

Earlier this year we consulted with the membership and found that 92% were in favour of the second runway. As always, I welcome further points of view, but it is vital that you have your say on this issue.

To take part or to find out more, then please visit the Airports Commission website -

www.gov.uk/government/organisations/airports-commission

The Commission has identified that the country needs further runway capacity and that the next runway should be located at either Heathrow or Gatwick. That is the question that the Consultation is asking.

Speech to the Airports Commission – 16/12/2014

The Runway Debate

AIRPORT

In our view, an Airport brings Economic diversity and this is very well evidenced at Gatwick. In terms of our membership, only 12% are in the aviation, airport or tourism related industries. The area boasts many household name companies that choose to be here as a result of the communications (air, rail and road) and skilled people in the region.

The Gatwick Diamond is home to 45,000 businesses with an employee workforce of 400,000, and has six industry sectors which are particularly strong. One sector is related to aviation, the others are:

• Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering,• Financial and Professional Services,• Life Sciences, Health Technologies and

Medical Devices,• Environmental Technologies• Food and Drink

One major employer in Medical Devices, Elekta, has recently committed to investing tens of millions into a global centre for research, creating hundreds of high-end manufacturing and research jobs.

The other leading company in this field, Varian, is also based in Crawley. They are both here because Gatwick and the surrounding infrastructure brings them closer to their supply chain and their clients.

There is no question that the second runway will bring an increase in Employment levels, particularly as Gatwick has a real impact on the local economy; 43% of Gatwick’s operational spend is with local suppliers.

There is understandably some concern how these jobs will be filled. We have already seen the plans to develop public transport and the road infrastructure around Gatwick, which will allow other areas to rightly benefit. We can see employment opening up for those who live in real disadvantaged areas along the coast and into London. And while those employees are working here they will in turn spend money in the local area.

Furthermore, the Gatwick Diamond currently has a daily outflow of 110,000 commuters who work elsewhere. We are sure that a significant proportion of those would rather work locally than have to travel.

I would now like to talk about Competition and demonstrate why growing Gatwick is better, not just for the region, but for the Country.


One of the key benefits to come out of the sale of Gatwick in 2009 has been the increase in competition on routes. This can be shown in the price differential achieved between Heathrow and Gatwick on the Moscow Domodedovo Route. A search for a 4-day return direct ticket in early February, with luggage and reserved seats showed £138 from Gatwick versus £1,198 from Heathrow. As a business person looking for new opportunities, the majority of SMEs will choose the former price.

In a similar search for tickets to San Francisco from Heathrow, there was only a £70 differential between competing airlines at the same airport.

I am not here to attack individual airlines, but to demonstrate that should the next runway be built at Heathrow, airlines will congregate and there would be less competition; the price of trading internationally will rise.

Creating capacity at Gatwick will also bring better and more affordable connectivity to the regions. Air connectivity to London is vital to those further parts of the country where road and rail travel are impractical and more expensive. Even at the maximum of £15 per passenger, the relative difference in landing charges means that Gatwick will still be affordable for domestic airlines, and far more affordable than Heathrow.

In business, it is important to have a capacity to cope, particularly when things go wrong. By expanding Heathrow, the airport capacity will be concentrated in one place. By developing Gatwick, there will be enhanced resilience in the London network with two world class airports where competition means lower costs and higher standards for the customers.

Travel costs to the departure point are of great interest to the business community, as they are to the leisure traveller. I would like to illustrate this by referencing one of our businesses that has a French parent and so travel to and through Paris is a necessary part of their business. Only this year we have seen Paris back on the Gatwick route map.

Previously, this company had spent over £130,000 in travel costs reaching Heathrow.

With more routes coupled to the improvements in public transport access to Gatwick, then the costs of travel to Gatwick are coming down while the convenient ‘travel to airport’ footprint is expanding.

The Gatwick option is the most affordable for the country. We also speak as taxpayers, and let’s not forget that the business community is an enormous contributor to the Exchequer.

If there was a simple choice between a scheme that could cost £billions of public money when a privately funded alternative is available, then it does not make sense, especially in these difficult times, to pursue the one that will be funded from taxation.

Gatwick have assured us on many occasions that it is self-financing and that there will be no cost to the taxpayer.

As has been made quite clear in the Commission’s findings, the future of aviation growth is hard to measure. In 2003, Lo-Cost aviation was seen as a blip yet we now see that EasyJet and Norwegian carry the vast majority of Gatwick passengers, while some Charter airlines are pursuing a lo-cost model of operation.

Most interestingly for me, is how business travellers have increased their use of Gatwick, an airport that used to be called a ‘bucket and spade’ airport. But no longer; in only 4 years, we have seen an increase where 20% are business travellers, which in real numbers is now 7.6m.

The future of the ‘Hub’ model is also under question as aircraft manufacturer order books show a far higher interest in aircraft that will serve two points directly. The idea of London maintaining itself as a hub is diminishing and, with only 14% of London’s travellers using it as a hub, why should aviation policy be structured around the convenience of those few?

As I stated earlier, there are Questions to be addressed. Around 250 businesses are likely to lose their premises. We have been working with the Airport to address this and it is encouraging to see that Gatwick is looking to support any business that has to relocate.

We do expect the Airport to provide on-campus office and other employment space, but there will be a question over leasing rates, particularly for some of the warehouse and storage businesses that are in the currently safeguarded land.

We would encourage the Airport to work with Local Authorities and other developers to find alternative and affordable sites for those businesses as they are an important part of the local economy.

There is also a concern on the impact on skills availability. We can see that there are a number of initiatives that should address this and look forward to greater detail should Gatwick be taken forward.

As I mentioned earlier, there is a good opportunity to change local people’s commuting habits and so fill a number of these jobs from those who already live here.

In terms of the construction workforce itself, the large new development at Westfield Croydon will just be finishing as Gatwick’s construction work starts. Those builders, engineers and other construction professionals could then move to the Gatwick site almost immediately.

Our final question is for the Commission itself as we can see that the impact of a second runway means different things to different people subject to their location. Whilst we fully understand and empathise with the relatively small number of people that will be affected by noise, there is a much, much wider area and population that will benefit economically. We feel it is important that the economic impact is taken across an area measured by a 90 minute travel zone.

AIRPORT


Membership of Gatwick Diamond Business, brings you real opportunities to grow your network of business contacts as well as lobby those who control the region’s economy.

60% of members have gained business as a direct result of joining. Find out how by calling 01293 440088

Kingscote Estatewww.kingscotevineyards.com01342 327535Vineyard & Venue

KPMG LLPwww.kpmg.com01293 652100Accountancy

Neva Consultantswww.neva-consultants.com01403 242122Contract Hire and Fleet Management

Nimlok Ltdwww.nimlok.co.uk01293 227070Exhibition Stands

Rascal Cleaning Services Ltdwww.rascalcleaning.com01293 551270Office Cleaning Services

Sales Accelerantwww.salesaccelerant.co.uk01273 358170Sales Lead Generation

Sixt rent a carwww.sixt.co.uk07554 660234Car Rental

GDB

30th January 2015 Seminar: “LEADERSHIP: How to Become a Leader of the Future - Thriving on Your Passion”

Presenters: Tim Hawkes, Unimited Potential Penina Shepherd, Acumen Business Law

Tim will lead an interactive and interesting session that helps us understand why some organisations are failing their people and leaving employees with no option but to find other work. The rise of a coaching approach within the workplace and intergenerational differences are causing a rift in the way that we manage and lead. Leadership as it used to be will need to change to get the most out of the new young blood coming into the workplace. You will learn the seven key behaviours of a modern leader and look at them to see how they compare with your own behaviours. Delegates will go away understanding the challenge that faces managers of the future.

Penina is the founder of ACUMEN BUSINESS LAW, an award winning and innovative business law firm with a clear vision to change the way in which legal services are being provided in the market place. Her revolutionary vision, business model and passion have been remarkably successful. The firm now boasts a great team of commercial lawyers, offices in Brighton & Gatwick and an impressive long line of business clients. The firm’s success has also been recognised nationwide when it was listed in the Financial Time’s Top 50 Ground breaking & Innoative law Firms in the UK and Europe and was voted a Rising Star by the Observer!

Penina’s talk ‘Thriving on Your Passion’ will tell the story of her journey together with helpful and practical tips

27th February 2015 Seminar: “Get well staffed not well stuffed!”

Presenters: Michael Cook, TelementorAlly Maughan, People PuzzlesZahid Naqvi, Custodian Insurance

Your employees add both hidden opportunities and hidden risks. This seminar will uncover some of these opportunities and also some less known measures to protect your business from these risks.

Michael will provide some quick tips on preparing for a difficult conversation.

Ally will talk about hiring brilliant people: finding starts and firing resistors.

Zahid will talk about insuring the resistors do not become the destroyers & protecting those blindsides.“Out of all of the networking

groups we have tried, Gatwick Diamond Business is the one that suits us and our clients. We have gained business as a direct result of our membership and this is the group we recommend.”

Natasha MoneyTargetin1


t: 01293 440088www.gatwickdiamondbusiness.comtwitter.com/gdbevents

Gatwick Diamond Business14 Basepoint, Metcalf WayCrawley RH11 7XX

GDB

Booking information

E-mail or phone but please do book and don’t turn up in the hope that there will be a lunch for you as you may be disappointed! And please don’t think that by telling Jeremy, you’ll have a place either!

Where there is no price stated events are free for members to attend.

Send booking requests to [email protected]

Bringing Guests

If you know of someone who would like to attend a members meeting, please do check with the office first. Guests are welcome to attend one meeting to see how membership can work for them, but places are limited and we do have to turn some away. The fee for a guest is £30 (which includes VAT)

Remember!

To let us know if your plans change and you cannot attend, thanks.

Forthcoming events

16th January 2015

Networking at Ease

Copthorne Hotel London Gatwick, RH10 3PGIncludes 3 course lunch, tea and coffee12pm – 2:30pm£40 inc members£50 inc non-members

30th January 2015

Members Meeting

Tesla Motors Ltd, RH11 7ST11am free seminar, “How to Become a Leader of the Future”12pm – 2:30pm members meetingFree for membersGuest £30 inc call 01293 440088

4th February 2015

Elevenses & Networking

The Felbridge Hotel & Spa, RH19 2BH 10:30am – 12pmFree for members

13th February 2015

Networking at Ease

Sofitel Hotel London Gatwick, RH6 0PHIncludes 3 course lunch, tea and coffee12pm – 2:30pm£40 inc members£50 inc non-members

19th February 2015

Pastries & Networking

Optima Systems Ltd hosted by Holiday Inn Express Gatwick Crawley, RH10 1UA8:30am – 10:00amFree for members

27th February 2015

Members Meeting

Hilton Hotel London Gatwick, RH6 0LL11am free seminar, “Get well staffed not well stuffed!”12pm – 2:30pm members meetingFree for membersGuest £30 inc call 01293 440088

5th March 2015

Elevenses & Networking

Langshott Manor, RH6 9LN10:30am – 12pmFree for members

13th March 2015

Networking at Ease

Hilton Hotel London Gatwick, RH6 0LLIncludes 3 course lunch, tea and coffee 12pm – 2:30pm£40 inc members£50 inc non-members

If Heathrow is allowed to expand there’ll be less competition, meaning higher fares all round. Expansion at Gatwick, however, means that passengers will have more choice of airlines and lower fares as a result.

Where would a newrunway keep airfares fair for everyone?

Get the facts about the runway debate at gatwickobviously.com and @LGWobviously

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jan/feb 2015 #gettingbusinessdone...the latest legislation, space planning, office design and...

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