Islington Chamber of Commerce & Trade

Camden and Islington Business Awards 2011 Winners

admin — Fri, 25 May 2012 10:41:24 +0000

The Ringley Group, Winner – Community Engagement/Regeneration – CIBAs 2011

Ringley began its journey in 1997 and since then have developed a comprehensive range of property solutions. Their services include surveying, valuation, property and facilities management as well as sales and lettings to private, commercial and industrial clients.

Ringley recognises that it is their staff that makes the difference and the companies strength comes from their highly experienced staff who are all qualified property professionals.

Ringleys property advisors offer the highest standards in service from which you can expect professionalism, experience, insight and sound advice.

At Ringley they encourage openness, original thought and a positive approach to change and modernisation. “It is our people who add value to our service; this is why you can expect more”.

“Personally speaking, no other company is run the way Ringleys is, Maryanne Bowring runs a formidable company. Not only does she strive to make her business succeed she is also aware of the impact it has on the community and takes many steps to ensure that Ringleys are part of the community and that they are aware of their environmental responsibilities. No other company I know of has this awareness and this is passed on to the staff via weekly staff meetings and training.” – Joanne Wilson – GardenFix and Kleenfix Ltd

The Judges were impressed with Ringley’s innovative approach to CSR and the enthusiasm with which team members were engaged to take part.

For More information on Ringley visit their website at http://www.ringley.co.uk/

Base Creative, Winner – Best Creative Business – CIBAs 2011

Base Creative is a London based web design and online marketing agency founded by Iain Scott. Since 2003 they have been designing websites and have won many awards for their creative talent.

Base Creative understands the importance of attention to detail when it comes to website design and boast a successful and proven creative process which they go through for each individual project they take on. This process ensures everyone involved on the project will come together for a creative strategy meeting where a full creative brief is taken.

Base Creative’s winning combination of online marketing experience and award winning design ability can ensure clients a great return on their web design investment.

“Iain Scott has visited us on numerous occasions and inspired our students with the story of the development of his business, from its conception to its current status. The qualities and skills he has exhibited in this business have reinforced the learning of the students as Ian is focused, tireless, passionate and committed in his enterprise. Ian is generous of his time and has been incredibly supportive. He is inspiring to our students and indeed to me. He is entirely deserving of your award and I wish him every success.” – Elaine Pinkus

The Judges were impressed with the sheer diversity of Base Creative’s portfolio and the unparalleled professionalism with which client projects were presented.

For more information on Base Creative’s services visit their website at http://www.basecreative.eu/

Van Heyningen and Haward Architects (VHH), Winner – Best Property Services Business of the Year – CIBAs 2011

Founded in 1983, VHH are an award winning design-led practice. They are now a partnership owned and managed by four equity partners, Joanna Van Heyningen, James McCosh, Meryl Townley and Chris Wilderspin. With their holistic approach which respects the clients input the entire professional team are able to arrive at

VHH offer the commitment and determination necessary to see a design through and maintain high standards and quality. Each project will respond to the specific wishes of the client coupled with the pursuit of excellence in place making, construction and sustainability.

Working as a team client’s will benefit from the contribution of specialists and constructive negotiations with the statutory authorities and it is this with the determination to produce good design for the common good which has enabled VHH to win the “Best Property Service Business 2011” Award at The Camden and Islington Business Awards.

“They are a hugely talented (yet modest) firm who listen carefully and respond brilliantly to the client. I can personally vouch for them as being easy to work with, incredibly reliable, innovative and talented with many ideas for ingenious designs, forward thinking in terms of materials, focussed on high quality sustainable buildings that will easily stand the test of time.” Dr Colin Diggory – Retired Headmaster of Alleyn’s School, 2002-10

The Judges felt that the breadth of talent within the firm made them stand out, their work within the local community and the diversity of their projects made them a clear winner.

For more information visit the website at http://www.vhh.co.uk/

Gilly Hollis, Winner – Coach and Training Consultant of the Year – CIBAs 2011

Gilly Hollis is a communication expert with over twenty five years experience in designing and delivering training programmes and individual coaching in the areas of communication skills leadership development, stress and change management and outplacement support. Gilly has worked a wide range of public and private sector organisations, training senior leaders in effective and inspiring communication.

Gilly Graduated from the Central School of Speech & Drama and is now a qualified performance coach and certified Myer Briggs and NLP practitioner. Gilly has enjoyed a successful international consulting career in performance enhancement and personal development.

She is a member of the British Association of counsellors and Psychotherapists and an associate consultant with a leadership consultancy Performance Unlimited.

Winning the Mentor Consultant of the year award is just a small illustration of Gilly’s passion for encouraging people to develop as communicators. The judges strongly believed that Gilly’s role in actively engaging with people faced with difficult employment issues made her stand out.

“Gilly provided outplacement support to the staff of Voluntary Action Islington facing redundancy. The feedback from staff was overwhelmingly positive about the role Gill played in helping them to deal with a very difficult situation. Gill’s work with staff enabled the organisation to avoid turmoil and continue delivering services at a difficult time for everybody” – Mike Sherriff – Chief Executive – Voluntary Action Islington

For more information on Gilly Hollis’s services please visit the website at http://www.clearwaycoaching.co.uk

The Gower School, Winner – Environmental Responsibility Award – CIBAs 2011

The Gower School offer a broad range of curriculum in multi-age classrooms, aimed at the development of the whole mind, body, heart and soul-teaching academic and social skills, as well as life skills to last a lifetime.

They make great effort to introduce environmental matters at an early age as part of day to day practices ensuring that recycling amongst other routines such as car shares, walk to school week, planting and growing and many more activities becomes part of a normal practice.

“I commend their efforts we should do everything in our power to ensure recycling etc becomes part of normal practice rather than an afterthought which I believe will be achieved through projects such as The Gower School.”

“Not only has the school been designed with consideration to environmental issues (a worthwhile project on its own) but young children are being advised/educated on recycling/environmental matters as a matter of course. I am a firm believer that it is easier and achieves longer lasting results to have environmental matters introduced at an early age as part of day to day practices that becomes second nature through the remainder of life. Whilst the other entries where worthy of nomination and I commend their efforts we should do everything in our power to ensure recycling etc becomes part of normal practice rather than an afterthought which I believe will be achieved through projects such as The Gower School” – Russell Griffiths, Veolia, Judge of Environmental Responsibility Award

For more information on the Gower School please visit their website at http://www.thegowerschool.co.uk/

Camden Garden Centre, Winner – Charity/Social Enterprise of the Year – CIBAs 2011

The Camden Garden Centre is not your typical Garden Centre. Not only do they supply a wide variety of plants and gardening products of excellent quality on top of offering expert guidance and customer advice but they are also a charitable organisation offering employment, training and educational opportunities and donate to their parent charity.

They offer a delivery service and an excellent five year hardy plant guarantee as well as providing help, advice and customer care. It is these services, quality plants and products and their charitable commitment to their community which enabled them to win the CIBA Charity Enterprise of the Year award 2011. The Judges were particularly moved by their community outreach work and their work with those struggling to find employment.

“Peter, who runs Camden Garden Centre and has done for a number of years, not only runs a business that drives profits but also offers great opportunities for his staff, all of whom have come through many difficult situations. There is a great work ethic that Peter drives through the management and the team thus getting them back on to the straight and narrow” Nick Davies

For more information please visit Camden Garden Centres website at http://www.camdengardencentre.co.uk/

MIC Hotel and Conference Centre, Winner – Hospitality Provider of the Year – CIBAs 2011

Founded in 1950, the MIC is a social enterprise providing quality hotel services on a budget. The business provides affordable accommodation supporting international and home students studying in London.

The MIC was originally known as Methodist International House and was based in Bayswater, West London. Their founder Hilda Porter started the organisation after returning to post-war Britain from the Far East, upon discovering that London did not really offer a secure environment for Foreign students to live whilst studying in the Capital.

Since 1998 they have occupied Euston House which is placed a short walk away from Euston Station on Euston Street. Currently they house over eighty students from all over the world. In addition to this they also operate a twenty eight bedroom, 4 start hotel as well offering 15 meeting rooms allowing them to accommodate a variety of meetings, seminars and training courses. The Judges were impressed by the unique nature of the hotel and felt it clearly showed how a social enterprise could still offer high end hospitality in a commercial driven industry.

“The MIC Hotel and Conference Centre is an outstanding business with a proven commitment to social and ethical principles. In fact, they were the first hotel to receive the Social Enterprise Mark. By meeting defined criteria for social enterprise, they have proved that they are in business to benefit people and planet, rather than maximising profits for shareholders or owners. We have been fortunate to be a customer of the MIC and have been impressed with the quality of the service and dedication of the staff. They provide a customer experience of the highest quality.” – David Forsgate – Social Enterprise UK

For more information please visit the MIC website at http://www.micentre.com/

Cushion the Impact, Winner – Business Service Provider of the Year – CIBAs 2011

Cushion the Impact have over ten years of experience in providing great results for their clients. They understand the value of time and they are dedicated to making life easier for their clients. No matter how large or small, simple of complicated, ordinary or unusual a clients request maybe, their staff can be relied on to find the best solution. They are not tied to their desks, they will work where ever their clients may need them whether that is in their office or home, from their own office or even out and about running errands. They promise to get the job done in a practical and sensible manner with the aim of making their clients life easier and simpler. It is for this excellent quality of service Cushion the Impact has been recognised and have won the CIBAs Business Provider of the Year Award 2011. The judges felt that Cushion The Impact represented the full package when it came to assisting businesses, particularly SMEs and micro businesses. Their attention to detail and passion for customer satisfaction stood out in their application.

For more information please visit their website at http://www.cushiontheimpact.co.uk/

Jackie Fast – Slingshot Sponsorship, Winner – Young Entrepreneur of the Year – CIBAs 2011

Slingshot Sponsorship is an award winning sponsorship agency dedicated to creating new commercial platforms that transforms businesses. They will identify, create and optimise brand media assets for successful implementation as sponsorship platforms that create real marketing value for brands. Their diverse range of clients includes publishers, media owners, charities, events, music festivals, associations and celebrities.

They offer clients tailored solutions which include consultancy, project based work, and full service outsource.

“Jackie has shown that it is possible to grow a successful business from scratch regardless of age. Her tenacity to succeed and surpass client expectations if reflected through the growth of her business.” – Teresa Esan MBE, Director of Employability – City and Islington College

For more information please visit their website at http://slingshotsponsorship.com/

Camden Town Unlimited, Winner – People’s Choice Award – CIBAs 2011

Camden Town Unlimited was appointed by the business community to improve Camden Town as a place to work, live and visit. As the representatives for business they will introduce innovative approaches to upgrade the commercial and environmental performance of Camden Town, putting business at centre stage to oversee the operations. They work with a number of partners including Camden Council, Tfl, GLA, Central Government and key private sector stakeholders.

Their management team is directly responsible to a board of local business leaders, elected annually from and by their business membership ensuring only initiatives that translate directly into benefits for businesses are approved and delivered.

“CTU have done so much for Camden Town, on so many fronts. They most certainly are worthy of winning this award for several of their initiatives. They have been dogged in pushing for the improvements of the streetscape of Camden Town, and have been instrumental in changing the face of Camden High Street North. Their Pop Up Shop scheme was truly inspired and truly made a difference. – Caroline Seward - Senior Director – Global Facilities – Getty Images

Camden Town Unlimited received over 220 votes.

For more information please visit their website at http://www.camdentownunlimited.com/

Camden and Islington Business Awards 2011 Winners

The Ringley Group, Winner – Community Engagement/Regeneration – CIBAs 2011

Ringley recognises that it is their staff that makes the difference and the companies strength comes from their highly experienced staff who are all qualified property professionals.

Ringleys property advisors offer the highest standards in service from which you can expect professionalism, experience, insight and sound advice.

At Ringley they encourage openness, original thought and a positive approach to change and modernisation. “It is our people who add value to our service; this is why you can expect more”.

The Judges were impressed with Ringley’s innovative approach to CSR and the enthusiasm with which team members were engaged to take part.

For More information on Ringley visit their website at http://www.ringley.co.uk/

Base Creative, Winner – Best Creative Business – CIBAs 2011

Base Creative is a London based web design and online marketing agency founded by Iain Scott. Since 2003 they have been designing websites and have won many awards for their creative talent.

Base Creative’s winning combination of online marketing experience and award winning design ability can ensure clients a great return on their web design investment.

The Judges were impressed with the sheer diversity of Base Creative’s portfolio and the unparalleled professionalism with which client projects were presented.

For more information on Base Creative’s services visit their website at http://www.basecreative.eu/

Van Heyningen and Haward Architects (VHH), Winner – Best Property Services Business of the Year – CIBAs 2011

The Judges felt that the breadth of talent within the firm made them stand out, their work within the local community and the diversity of their projects made them a clear winner.

For more information visit the website at http://www.vhh.co.uk/

Gilly Hollis, Winner – Coach and Training Consultant of the Year – CIBAs 2011

She is a member of the British Association of counsellors and Psychotherapists and an associate consultant with a leadership consultancy Performance Unlimited.

For more information on Gilly Hollis’s services please visit the website at http://www.clearwaycoaching.co.uk

The Gower School, Winner – Environmental Responsibility Award – CIBAs 2011

For more information on the Gower School please visit their website at http://www.thegowerschool.co.uk/

Camden Garden Centre, Winner – Charity/Social Enterprise of the Year – CIBAs 2011

For more information please visit Camden Garden Centres website at http://www.camdengardencentre.co.uk/

MIC Hotel and Conference Centre, Winner – Hospitality Provider of the Year – CIBAs 2011

For more information please visit the MIC website at http://www.micentre.com/

Cushion the Impact, Winner – Business Service Provider of the Year – CIBAs 2011

For more information please visit their website at http://www.cushiontheimpact.co.uk/

Jackie Fast – Slingshot Sponsorship, Winner – Young Entrepreneur of the Year – CIBAs 2011

They offer clients tailored solutions which include consultancy, project based work, and full service outsource.

For more information please visit their website at http://slingshotsponsorship.com/

Camden Town Unlimited, Winner – People’s Choice Award – CIBAs 2011

Camden Town Unlimited received over 220 votes.

For more information please visit their website at http://www.camdentownunlimited.com/

The Islington Chamber of Commerce celebrated its 83rd birthday on May 24th

admin — Thu, 24 May 2012 10:37:22 +0000

On May 24th 1929, The Islington Chamber of Commerce and Trade was “born” as a means of encouraging local business activity and support local businesses in the area. Despite many changes in the social and economic landscape the chamber has stood the test of time. We invited local businesses to attend an informal Birthday Celebration at The Hilton Islington on May 24th. We all enjoyed a delicious slice of cake from Delights by Cynthia.

The frequent and relevant networking opportunities available through the chamber still make it a valuable forum in which to do business; offering consistent referrals and opportunities to showcase skills, products and services to fellow business owners. The ICoC holds networking events at least 3 times a month which vary from relaxed professional breakfast meetings to powerful business expos like “Inspired Islington”. The old adage rings true with business membership of a chamber of commerce; “the more you give, the more you get” – the more active members are within the chamber, be that through engaging in local business activity or promoting their services, the more valuable membership becomes.

In an increasingly competitive business landscape it is with increasing importance that companies go that extra distance to make themselves stand out from the crowd. Many small businesses do not have the budget for a marketing department, those that do have a budget sometimes outsource but on the most part undertake marketing and press activities themselves. With so much to manage in the everyday running of a business it can often be a difficult task and any smart business owner knows that marketing matters. A chamber of commerce provides an affordable and consistent platform on which to promote business activities. There are a variety of ways that this can be undertaken including businesses sponsoring events, facilitating workshops, providing articles for chamber newsletter and chamber websites and actively networking. The ICoC also has exceptional links with local press which means that membership provides affordable PR opportunities for local business owners.

Unlike many other business membership organisations chambers can be the business family that can offer guidance, support and an avenue for business success. Chamber membership still matters and it still means businesses.�

Business Has the Opportunity to Do More Good Than Charities

admin — Wed, 23 May 2012 15:58:24 +0000

Right now, business has an unprecedented opportunity to ‘do good’ and a lot more good than charities. A controversial statement perhaps, but new research commissioned by The Social Investment Consultancy shows I’m not alone in believing businesses are better equipped to create social change than charities.

There was once a time when it was assumed that a business brain simply calculated the easiest way to line the pockets of wealthy capitalists, and a charitable heart looked to help the poor and needy.

And in this era, the dividing line between charity and business was clear. But times have changed and that clear, distinct line has now become a confusingly blurred shade of gray.

“Doing good” is no longer the preserve of the charity sector but an increasingly important aspect of modern business. And in many cases it’s not just something businesses are doing well, but something they are doing much better than their charity counterparts.

In recent years, many companies have realised a more ethical approach to business can actually lead to a significant boost in revenue.

And now the business world has woken up to the idea that helping others can actually boost profits, shouldn’t the charity world just hand over the baton to those with the business acumen and drive to make a real difference?

Barely a week goes by without another surprise announcement of a company reporting extraordinary growth in the midst of the doom and gloom of the tough economic times we are currently enduring.

And the common themes these successful companies have embraced heart and soul are the principles of responsible capitalism – incorporating ideals previously only associated with charities into everything they do.

For example, Prêt a Manger recently announced it would be creating 550 new jobs – a clear sign of success. This is as well as running an Apprenticeship service to get 70 ex-offenders and homeless people back on track each year, a commitment to reducing waste, making charitable use of leftover produce and promoting natural ingredients.

The Prêt ethos helps to boost sales, which means the company can help more people, which in turn boosts sales even further. And so on.

Now that’s what I call an ethical business – a moral conscience which is genuinely contributing to society while keeping good business practice front of mind.

Admittedly not every commercial business operates for the good of society, but I think it’s fair to say those that do, do it very well indeed. Just look at the positive impact of Café Direct on the British retail – and on producers. Or see how Sainsbury’s partnership with FareShare delivered more meals for low-income British families as well as more sales.

The business world has certainly changed in recent decades, and has taken on board the ethical principals of sustainability and positive social change.

Making money is at the heart of what businesses do, and this mindset also equips them with the resource and reach to make significant social changes. Their commercial drive gives them an edge over charity competitors in every battle whether it comes to drawing in funds or creating schemes which offer a tangible social benefit.

So the arrival of Big Society Capital should be welcomed by charities as it is set to make it even easier for those of us with business heads and charitable hearts to use our commercial expertise to create positive social change.

And a question which, just a decade ago was unthinkable, is now a real debate: If you want to make a worthwhile contribution to society is it better to have a business head with a charitable heart or a business heart with a charitable head?

Follow Charlie Mowat on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Charlie_Mowat

Taken from: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/charlie-mowat/business-has-the-opportunity-to-do-more-good-than-charities_b_1507327.html

When a logo is a no-go

admin — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:04:50 +0000

Sixty tonnes of counterfeit goods seized by Camden Council trading standards have been incinerated to create energy and dispose of illegally branded knock-offs, including fake Olympic merchandise.

With a street value of between £5- £10m, the goods are the result of large-scale seizures following investigations by trading standards into illegal counterfeiting.

The Olympics is a protected brand, and legal protections not only includes the symbols associated with the Games but also the mottos, mascots, team logos and words such as ‘Olympics’.

It is against the law to use the Olympic symbol, the London 2012 logo or the words ‘London 2012’ or ‘Olympics’ without written consent from the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Olympic marks cannot be used on goods, business names, business papers or advertising.

Camden’s Trading Standards has the power of enforcement to investigate complaints and take action against organisations who fall foul of laws protecting the Olympic brand. To understand how to avoid infringing on the Olympic brand, London 2012 has provided guidance on their website, or contact Trading Standards on 0207 974 4444.

Free online customer service training

admin — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:00:04 +0000

Business owners and service providers in Camden will know that good customer service is key during the Olympics period. That’s why Welcome to London 2012 and Destination London have joined forces to offer online training tools to help visitor-facing staff to provide excellent customer service, such as top tips on being a good host and how to provide services for disabled people.

The training tools have been set up in a bid to make the 2012 Games the most accessible ever and to provide the best host city welcome, as well as to inspire visitors to return to the capital after summer 2012.

Visit www.london.gov.uk/getgamesready to view the free online tools.

Businesses urged to help employees plan their travel ahead of the Games

admin — Wed, 23 May 2012 11:35:06 +0000

Olympians Sally Gunnell and Chris Boardman share their tips on how employees can get around London quicker and easier during Games time

With some businesses offering employees flexi time and Sunday trading hours being extended during the Olympics it’s easy for employees to overlook something as simple as getting around during the Games.

With this in mind Sally Gunnell, 400m hurdles Olympic gold medallist, and Chris Boardman, Olympic cycling gold medal winner and world record holder, challenged each other to find the easiest and quickest route across London to the Olympic Park to encourage employees to think about alternative modes of transport during the Games.

This race has been inspired by new research from London 2012 and Transport for London (TfL) which reveals 86 per cent of central London businesses are planning one or more initiatives to encourage employees to consider alternative forms of transport. Of this, 60 per cent of businesses will encourage their staff to walk or cycle.

And it’s not just London that will be affected, of course. With Olympic and Paralympic events happening across Britain, public transport in those regions will be affected as well.

As part of the London 2012 and TfL challenge, Sally ran and Chris cycled from Liverpool Street station to Stour Space opposite the Olympic Park on the River Lea. The aim was to demonstrate to businesses and their employees the alternatives to getting public transport and using the road network.

Sally Gunnell and Chris Boardman have produced some top tips to help businesses encourage their employees to cycle and walk/run during the Games.

Sally and Chris’ top tips for employers:

1. Make the most of the commute –Encourage staff to walk down to the next bus stop or get off a stop early.

2. Plan your business travel – If employees have a meeting that is a walkable distance, encourage them to walk instead of getting public transport or a taxi.

3. The pedometer test – Issue a pedometer to each employee – they can be a great way to get people thinking about how much walking they really do. Consider introducing a league table or online tracking system, so colleagues can compare their results against others.

4. Start a running club – Group running is good fun and can really help to motivate people to keep up their exercise routine, so set up a running club for employees.

5. Motivate staff – A workforce that regularly walks, cycles or runs will be fit and healthy.

6. Plan journeys in advance – Businesses should encourage employees that cycle to plan their journey to and from work in advance.

7. Build a community – Building a cycling or running community at work is a great way of encouraging workplace relationships and increasing motivation.

8. Hop on a Barclays Cycle Hire bike – If employees don’t have a bike, encourage them to use a Barclays Cycle Hire bike to get around on short journeys.

Taken from The Business Matters E-Magazine http://www.bmmagazine.co.uk/news/6898/businesses-urged-to-help-employees-plan-their-travel-ahead-of-the-games/

Vince Cable launches the new Premium Business Service GrowthAcclerator

admin — Wed, 23 May 2012 11:29:32 +0000

Vince Cable is launching the new premium Growth Accelerator service today. This is the service which many may know as Business Coaching for Growth, which in response to market testing has been renamed GrowthAccelerator to reflect the service value proposition.

GrowthAccelerator is the new premier service that helps ambitious businesses turn their ambitions into reality with rapid, high and sustainable growth. The aim is to help businesses to double within three years. They will help to seize new business opportunities, open doors to the right funding, match businesses with expert business coaches and suggest ways to boost innovation, expansion, products and markets. GrowthAccelerator delivers expert business insight and expertise in whatever areas you need.

The service has been live since January 2012 and the Grant Thornton team are already working with over 700 clients from across the country. The service is available exclusively to small businesses in England who can demonstrate the ambition and capability to deliver substantial business growth.

Grant Thornton are on the hunt for small and medium sized businesses in England with real growth potential to help them achieve and exceed their ambitions. They continue to build our business intermediary referral network and need help from key Growth Partners to continue the hunt for high growth businesses who could benefit from the service.

There are already many local business briefings underway and several core city regional events will start in June. This will be an important opportunity to hear about the service, meet existing clients and your local Growth Managers. You will receive an invitation as soon as the schedule is finalised.

Grant Thornton have a series of social media channels in place and would ask that you support us, both during launch and on an on-going basis by following our channels and by re-tweeting and sharing our content. Our channels are:

Twitter Domain: @GrowthAccel
Twitter Hashtag: #highgrowth
LinkedIn Company Page: GrowthAccelerator
YouTube Channel:www.youtube.com/user/growthaccel
Blog: www.growthaccelerator.com/news-blog

This is a very powerful proposition that will create growth and jobs from the business pioneers at the frontier of our future economy.

In the meantime, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact david.a.hare@uk.gt.com

UK Economy: SME manufacturers in England report increased sales and jobs

admin — Wed, 23 May 2012 11:23:00 +0000

SME manufacturers in England are reporting increased sales and job creation, according to a the government-funded Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS).

More than half of respondents (54%) to the first ever Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) National Barometer had seen turnover rise in the last six months, with 60% expecting further growth between now and the end of the year.
The quarterly survey also revealed that 41% of companies are planning to take on staff in the coming year with another 50% expecting employee numbers to remain the same as the level of new business enquiries holds strong despite difficult economic conditions.
Over 610 businesses – representing more than 26,000 employees – responded to the Barometer, which is the latest in a series of economic reports that underline manufacturing in England as being one of the few sectors of the economy showing positive growth.
Simon Griffiths, MAS Area Director for North and West, said that an encouraging feature of the survey results was that respondents expect the these trends to continue. Investment by the major Original Equipment Manufacturers and interest from overseas companies to source from England has helped facilitate demand.

The MAS National Barometer also reveals that 44% of companies are planning to increase spend on premises and machinery, whilst 35% plan to invest in developing new technology which will help them remain ahead of global competition. More than 80% of respondents said they intended to secure business growth through making improvements in operational efficiency.

Barkley Plastics, which employs 94 people in the West Midlands, was one of the companies questioned. The design, tooling and moulding specialists has seen steady growth in the automotive, medical and household products markets and anticipate an increase in sales over the next six months.

Maurice Cassidy, Director, commented:

“We have continued to pick up new work and are now looking to build on this with a £460,000 investment drive in a new machining centre, conventional injection and micro moulding machines, additional robotics and state-of-the-art measuring capabilities…..we are expecting growth in key industries and this will certainly involve taking on new members of staff to cope with demand.”

MAS, which is funded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), works for manufacturers and through experienced advisors helps shape strategy, create new products, reduce waste and review supply chains.

Taken from http://www.egovmonitor.com/node/50346

NEST releases its ‘golden rules’ for talking with a new generation of savers

admin — Wed, 23 May 2012 08:56:38 +0000

With just a few months to go before millions begin saving into a pension for the first time, the pensions industry faces an enormous challenge to understand how to communicate with this new generation of savers.

Today (Tuesday), NEST initiated a debate on how the industry might tackle this challenge with the launch of eight Golden Rules for talking about pensions in the context of automatic enrolment, developed following four years of research among people who will be affected by the reforms.

Latest figures suggest that up to eight million people will be saving for the first time or saving more in all forms of workplace pension once automatic enrolment takes effect. Between two and five million people are expected to become members of NEST.

NEST Chief Executive Tim Jones said:

‘Automatic enrolment is designed to kick start a saving revolution.

‘NEST has spent a lot of time getting to know the new savers that pension reform will affect and our findings suggest clear communications are important if we want people to feel good about being in a pension.

‘NEST’s Golden Rules are based on extensive research into how people think and feel about their money and how they want pensions explained. This includes, for example, explaining that people have a right to a pension at work, rather than saying it’s something they ‘should’ do.

‘Our eight Golden Rules aren’t the only answer but we hope they’ll be interesting to anyone who’ll be communicating with this new generation of savers.’

Quotes from event panel members:

Will Aitken, Senior Consultant, Towers Watson, said:

‘NEST’s eight Golden Rules represent an excellent and overdue overhaul for pension communication ground rules. Some existing member communication could benefit from adopting the rules, particularly key features documents for contract-based schemes.’

Sarah Brooks, Director of Financial Services at Consumer Focus said:

‘This is a major change for millions of people, so it is important that people understand exactly what automatic enrolment will mean to them. Part of this will be down to the pension industry which clearly has a big role to play in encouraging people to save for their future.

‘Many of the employees involved will not have had pensions before, so we very much welcome the work that NEST is doing on its Golden Rules. It is crucial NEST and the rest of the industry effectively communicates the benefits of the scheme so that everyone can get the maximum out if it.’

Stephen Ingledew, Managing Director, Corporate, at Standard Life said:

‘2012 heralds the start of auto-enrolment and the beginning of a great opportunity to re-engage people in long term saving. One of the biggest hurdles we face is the ability to communicate in a way that people find meaningful, so NEST’s research in this area will be invaluable in helping people see how pensions can work for them.’

Tom McPhail, Head of Pensions at Hargreaves Lansdown said:

‘The success of auto-enrolment in turning round the pensions crisis will rest in large part on getting the right messages across; this research and these Golden Rules will help to make that happen. NEST should be applauded for addressing this hugely important and oft-neglected aspect of pension provision.’

Quotes from consumer groups:

Richard Lloyd, Executive Director of Which?, said:

‘Consumers need clear, comprehensive information so we welcome this guide from NEST.

‘Removing jargon like ‘trivial commutation’, ‘with-profits’ and ‘adventurous return’ will help people understand the significant changes that are being introduced in the pensions market and make the right decisions for them.

‘Alongside greater accessibility for consumers, we also want to see clearly defined minimum standards to protect consumers from being automatically enrolled into poor value schemes.’

NEST’s Golden Rules for communications:

Keep it real: Use examples people can relate to and avoid abstract concepts.
Rights not responsibility: Tell people what they’re entitled to not what they should be doing.
Out with the old: Make pensions relevant to their lives now and don’t focus on the details of retirement.
One for all: Make it clear automatic enrolment is happening to most workers, not just them.
Tell it like it is: Present the facts and avoid ‘spin’- people want to make up their own minds.
Give people control (even if they don’t use it): Tell people about their choices and not that everything’s done for them.
Take people as you find them: Give people access to information that matches their knowledge and interest.
Be constructive: Tell people about solutions, not problems or scare-stories.

Ends

Notes to editors:

The NEST’s Golden Rules for Communication booklet can be downloaded here.

The press release is available online here.

About the rules:

The research underpinning NEST’s Golden Rules for communication is mainly qualitative. It has been conducted by both NEST and our predecessor body PADA between 2009 and 2012 to uncover how people may relate to a new concept like automatic enrolment into a pension.

The research was conducted with private and voluntary sector members of the target group for automatic enrolment, which is made up of people who are:

- Aged at least 22 and under State Pension Age

- Working or ordinarily working in the UK

- Earning at least £8,105 per year for the tax year 2012/13 from a single job (this figure has been proposed by the Government for the tax year 2012/13 and will be confirmed before October 2012)

- Not already members of a qualifying pension scheme

Key facts about NEST:

· From October this year, the Government is introducing reforms that mean employers will have to enrol most of their workers into a workplace pension scheme that meets or exceeds certain standards. They’ll also need to make a minimum contribution for many of these workers.

· NEST is a national defined contribution workplace pension scheme available to all employers to use to meet their new duties. It is designed around the needs of people who are largely new to pension saving, with clear communications, low charges and easy online tools and services. It is run as a trust-based scheme, on a not-for-profit basis, and has a legal duty to act in its members’ interests.

· NEST has a public service obligation to accept any employer (whatever their size) who wants to use the scheme to meet their duties, as a sole scheme or alongside other provision.

www.nestpensions.org.uk

PARTNER EVENT : An Introduction to Measuring Social Value – London, 26th June 2012

admin — Tue, 22 May 2012 13:18:20 +0000

How do we prove to others that our activities are making a difference?

How much do people value changes in their lives that result from our services?

It is important to understand the value we create to know if we are making a difference or not, and what the difference is. But what about evidence of the results and outcomes? What do people do with the opportunities that we give them in their lives and in the world beyond our contact with them?

Using SROI principles and parts of the process of SROI, this introductory course will focus on understanding social value. The day will be practical and develop understanding through exercises, group discussion and real examples of valued outcomes. The level of rigour and resources required to measure social value will also be examined for different scales, audiences and objectives.

Click here for further information.

For enquiries about availability, bookings or cost please contact: Tania Vera- Burgos, 0151 703 9229, tania.veraburgos@thesroinetwork.org.