business 4th november 2015

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Businesswww.bristolpost.co.uk

INSIDE THE NEWSROOM

We share some insights into themodern media business – p10&11

THE GIRLDONE GOODHow Vashti Seth fulfilled her father’sdying wish, and then some – pages 6&7

BIG INTERVIEW

042015NOV

PROPERTY MATTERS

How office conversions areimpacting Bristol – pages 8&9

CUTTING EDGE

Enter the West’s newestinnovation awards – pages 2&3

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2 Wednesday, November 4, 2015www.southwestbusiness.co.uk

Edge Awards

We’re looking for mostinspiring entrepreneurs

NEW AWARDS DESIGNED TO SALUTE

[email protected]

Associate dean for researchand innovation ProfessorNicholas O’Regan explainswhy the University of theWest of England is backingthe Edge Awards

THE EDGE Awards provides astage to celebrate, recogniseand reveal our region’s finestin design, gadgetry and en-trepreneurialism.

From start-ups to established busi-nesses, Edge will provide a uniqueopportunity to make a mark in theirbusiness sector.

The awards will showcase busi-

nesses and individuals across all cre-ative disciplines, from branding toinnovation, products to interactivitywith a commitment to recognisingand rewarding the very best indesign, gadgetry and technology.

The Edge Awards brings togetherthe best of the West, where finalistswill be given the opportunity to show-case their products and receive therecognition they deserve.

Entrepreneurs are the drivers ofemployment and successful econom-ies – but not all are successful, forvarious reasons.

These awards focus on the reallyexceptional cutting edge firms –those that inspire others and enablebusinesses to compete in differentand more innovative ways.

Bristol has many leading-edgefirms that contribute in many dif-ferent ways to a successful economyand to making the lives of othersmore effective.

UWE Bristol is happy to sponsorthese awards as they are the first oftheir kind in the region, that re-cognise and reward the excellentwork being carried out.

The awards are one of a series ofinitiatives and events that UWE Bris-tol is involved in – others are theBristol and Bath Women in BusinessAwards and the Bristol Post BusinessAwards – events that are quickly be-coming established as the highlightsof the business year.

What do these awards mean forUWE?

UWE is passionate about businessand we aim to help business achievein every way that we can.

We offer exciting undergraduateand postgraduate courses, profes-sional and executive development, aswell as a range of advice services andincubation facilities.

Innovative and creative businesses

are the backbone of the Bristol eco-nomy and we will do everything thatwe can to help them compete, growand prosper.

Running your own business is noteasy and success results from hardwork, tenacity and creativity.

The awards are an excellent way ofraising the awareness of the cuttingedge creativity in the region and arealso a means of encouraging others todevelop and leverage their entrepren-eurial skills and, of course, estab-lishing more successful businesses inthe Bristol region.

The Bristol region has all that anyaspiring entrepreneur could ask for –advice on setting up a business andan array of financial and legal firms,and infrastructure.

We believe in encouraging and pro-moting the entrepreneurial mind-setand celebrating success.

How do these awards relate toUWE’s offering?

Awards events like the Edge help todevelop talent from universities likeUWE which see entrepreneurship asa clear career choice.● Professor Nicholas O’Regan

THE West is a creative hotbedof businesses and individualsdriving the region along thetechnological highway to thefuture and now is the time for

them to be recognised.Local World, the publisher of the

Bristol Post, is today launching theEdge Awards to celebrate Excellencein Design, Gadgetry and Entrepren-eurialism.

The awards, run in associationwith the University of the West ofEngland (UWE), will showcase thefinest in their fields across Bristol,Bath and Gloucestershire in creativedisciplines.

These range from branding to in-novation and from products to in-teractivity, with a commitment torecognising and rewarding the bestin design, gadgetry and technology.

From garden shed start-ups to glob-ally established businesses, Edge willprovide a unique opportunity tomake a mark in their business sec-tor.

There are a host of categories, in-cluding App of the Year, CreativeAgency of the Year, Innovator of theYear and Best Product of the Year.

There will also be special recog-nition in the form of Creative andTechnology Ambassador for the busi-nessman or woman considered tohave made a considerable, profitable

and lasting contribution to the tech-nological, innovation or creative in-dustries in the region over a period ofat least 20 years.

Finalists will be given the oppor-tunity to showcase their products andreceive the recognition they deserve.

Stats underline the region’s statusin innovation, with Bath and Bristolboth in the Top 10 creative hotspots inthe country and more than 60,000

people employed in technology anddigital industries in the cities.

There is no sign of that slowingdown, with 65 per cent growth in newdigital companies in the past fiveyears.

The two cities also boast a wealth ofleading creative, marketing anddesign agencies.

Meanwhile Gloucestershire has anabundance of small to medium-sized

enterprises in the increasingly im-portant field of cyber security, as wellas the creative industries, includingdigital, all of which have high growthpotential.

As well as UWE, the awards arebeing made possible by sponsorshipfrom leading precision engineeringfirm Renishaw and intellectual prop-erty law firm EIP.

The awards will be presented on

Wednesday, February 24, 2016 at thePaintworks in Bristol, beginningwith an exhibition and drinks re-ception, followed by the awards andentertainment.

● To find out more and to enter theEDGE Awards, go totheedgeawards.co.uk. The closingdate for entries is Friday, January 8,2016.

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3Wednesday, November 4, 2015 www.southwestbusiness.co.uk

TECH FIRMS ON THE CUTTING EDGEAWARDS CATEGORIES

App of the Year● An app with outstandingdesign, user experience andperformance that has beenindispensable over the past 12months.

Entrants should consider whatis the purpose of the app and whois the target audience? What isnew, different or unique in termsof the technology or businessmodel? And how did you get theapp to market and explain thecampaign to get it noticed.

Best Marketing Campaign ofthe Year● A marketing campaign whichhas successfully reached itstarget audience over the pastyear.

Entrants should tell us whatwas the purpose of the campaignand who were the targetaudience? What media did youchoose and why? How was thecampaign structured?

Creative Agency of the Year● For an agency which hasexcelled at using world-classcreativity, insight and innovativeapproaches to support theirclients.

A broad field, which couldinclude agencies specialising indigital services, marketing, publicrelations, design, advertising,technology and strategy or all ofthem.

Tell us how have you beenproviding your clients withcreative solutions and gettingresults.

Designer of the Year● Open to creative designers ofall disciplines who are leading theway with creative thinking.

Applicants will need todemonstrate ambition, energy,skill and vision, as well as being atthe forefront of their company andthe creative sector.

What contribution have youmade to your company or thecompany you work for?Demonstrate how your designshave made a commercial impactfor your employer or yourcustomers.

Young Innovator of the YearSponsored by Renishaw● Open to both young innovators,the visionaries of the future, whoare enjoying success in buildingtheir own business or working foranother while in education or inan apprenticeship.

Tell us what contribution youhave made to your company orthe company you work for or inestablishing your own business.How does a creative, technical orentrepreneurial project you havebeen involved in fill a gap in themarket?

Entrants should be aged 35 orunder as of July 1, 2015.

Innovator of the Year● This award will go to theinnovator who has made aconsiderable, profitable andlasting contribution to his or herfield.

It could be a designer, inventor,engineer or entrepreneur but must

be someone who has disrupted amarket or found success fromgoing their own way and adoptinga creative approach.

How does an innovativeproduct or service you have beeninvolved in fill a gap in the marketor how has it disrupted themarket?

Creative and TechnologyAmbassador● This award will go to thebusinessman or woman who, inthe opinion of the judges, hasmade a considerable, profitableand lasting contribution to thetechnological, innovation orcreative industries in the Westover a period of at least 20 years.The winner of this category isselected by the judges and notopen to entries.

Best Product of the Year● Celebrating exciting newproducts coming out of theregion.

Unlike the app, this should be aphysical product – a gadget,piece of hardware or innovativedevice.

The judges want to know howthe product is new, how it isdisrupting the market or findingnew ways to solve problems tobenefit users.

Emerging TechnologySponsored by EIP● The business that has mostsuccessfully designed andimplemented a new technology toimprove the service they areproviding.

This includes the process inwhich the technology wasselected or developed, the teamstructure implementing, utilisingor supporting it, performancebefore implementation comparedto after and how the technologyor tool was identified to meet thebusiness objectives.

Environmental Tech Award● This award is open to all thetechnologists and innovators whohave developed a new service orprocess that has made a positivecontribution to the environment.

What is new and innovativeabout the product and how has itchanged things, solved a problemor met a need for a business or itscustomers?

Applicants should be able todemonstrate commercial successfor the product during the past 12months and show how theproduct or technology hasimproved the environment.

Outstanding New Business Idea● The judges are looking for abrilliant business opportunity.

It must address a real customerneed, solve a problem or have thepotential to disrupt a market witha strong likelihood of becomingprofitable.

Judges will be looking for astrong entrepreneurial team whichthey believe is capable of turningthe idea into a profitablebusiness.

● Enter online attheedgeawards.co.uk by Friday,January 8, 2016

We want to inspire talented in-dividuals to pursue innovative ideasand, of course, winning or being afinalist in these awards has its ownbenefits – giving the firms credibilityand setting them on the path to fur-ther success.We want to recognise and reward

companies that have innovated,bringing new ideas to the market in arange of activities.By supporting early-stage techno-

logy development and research, UWEcan increase the number and qualityof start-ups that reach growth stage.Not only are they important em-

ployers – they underpin a highachieving economy.The eventwill showcasebusinesses

– an important activity for the region.I look forward to seeing a high num-ber of finalists which reflects thedegree of cutting edge thinking andthe diversity of the region.The Edge awards have a range of

categories which are all part of thejigsaw of regional competitivenessthat is Bristol and the wider region.They represent pride in our region,

preparation for the future andachievement.What are some of the ways that

UWE is helping business?As well as our highly acclaimed

Team Entrepreneurship course wehave recently received funding for aUniversity Enterprise Zone.We have recently been awarded the

coveted Small Business Charter thatprovides a range of help, assistanceand guidance to growing businesses.On the research side, we are heav-

ily involved in Big Data research, theInternet of Things, new businessmodels and leadership for the fu-ture.Why are cutting Edge firms im-

portant?We know from our research that

innovative and creative firms are thekey to a successful economy – a reas-on that Bristol is the most innovativecity outside of London.The finalists are likely to have high

degrees of agility, innovation, tech-nological strengths and the capacityto adapt to rapidly changing marketenvironments.

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AVIATION bosses in Bristolhave backed the creation of anew nuclear plant near thecity. Hinkley Point C willmake Bristol Airport a hub

of activity with more people comingto the region during its constructionand running of the facility.French company EDF Energy an-

nounced it had signed a StrategicInvestment Agreement with theChina General Nuclear (CGN) PowerCorporation for the power station’sconstruction and operation.CGN will make its investment in

the UK through its new companycalled General Nuclear Internation-al, while scores of engineers fromFrance will be expected to be locatedin Bristol.BMI Regional already offers two

flights daily between Charles deGaulle Airport and Bristol.The airline, which has half of its

fleet based at Bristol, also has a dealwith Lufthansa to fly to other parts ofthe continent.Shaun Browne, aviation director at

BristolAirport, said: “Weare going tosee people coming from around theworld, all with different skill sets andinvestment.“It can only be good for Bristol. We

think Hinkley Point C will have asignificant impact on the airport forthe next few years.“We know, if it goes ahead, we are

going to have passengers and peoplecoming in on a regular basis. It couldtransform the airport.”Peter Simpson, group chief exec-

utive officer of BMI Regional, saidthere were already plans to expandtheir operations in Bristol, includingtaking on more staff.The company currently has 112

staff based in Bristol, made up ofcabin crew, engineers and other per-

sonnel.“Hinkley Point will be key for us.

People want to be able to travel, andwe have an excellent track recordwith business travellers,” MrSimpson said.“With two flights to Paris and back

every day, it is more than other air-lines can offer.“It will be right at the doorstep of

Hinkley Point, and with our con-nections to other parts of theworld, itwill mean a lot of people comingthrough Bristol.”Shaun added the airport was also

looking to expand its operations toinclude longer flights to the UnitedStates and Far East.In June, the airport announced the

next major phase of its expansionprogramme – a £24 million west ter-minal extension which will improvethe security search process for pas-sengers.It is the biggest construction pro-

ject at the airport since the currentterminal building opened in 2000.

Airport ready for take-offpowered by Hinkley effect

Water softener ideaput to test at bank● A BRISTOL entrepreneur will betrying out her method for tacklinghard water in the offices of theRoyal Bank of Scotland.Halcyan Water Conditioners are

a passive, eco-friendly solution tohard water which uses alloys tochange the shape and structure ofthe mineral content to createsofter water.The company behind them, run

by Samantha Mant, pictured, iscurrently based at theEntrepreneurial Spark powered byNatWest hub based at the RBSbuilding in Trinity Quay.It has been chosen as one of a

dozen greenideas to betested in arealworkingenvironmentin RBS-ownedpropertiesin Bristol aspart of itsInnovationGatewayprogramme.The challenge has three aims: to

help RBS and NatWest save moreenergy, water and waste; tonurture new, brilliant ideas; and tohelp innovators and small andmedium sized firms get their ideasto market faster.The winning technology will be

tested in the Trinity Quay buildingor NatWest’s Fishponds branch,where the bank is aiming to createits first carbon neutral branch.The bank launched the RBS

Bristol Innovation Gateway inJune as part of its engagementwith Bristol European GreenCapital 2015 and specificallyBristol 2015’s Go Green scheme.The other ideas which will be

tried out came from entries acrossthe UK and include brick birdhouses, a green rewards scheme,a central heating additive thathelps radiators warm up faster,and a device that removes airfrom the water in heating systemsresulting in warmer rooms, areduction in energy usage and animprovement in boilerperformance.Matt Hatcher, NatWest’s

director of commercial banking forBristol, said: “If those innovationsprove to be successful in ourBristol properties we hope tointroduce them across the entireRBS estate to help us achieve ourtargets around sustainability.”

InnovationSpeakers aim to linkcity into global arena● SPEAKERS from Google andLinkedin will be sharing some tipsin Bristol next week.IT recruitment specialist

Randstad Technologies is hostingits Technologies for Success eventon Wednesday, November 11.They aim to bring together

entrepreneurs, innovators andcreative talent with key influencersfrom the digital sector for anevening of networking, sociallearning and businessopportunities.Ruth Jacobs, managing director

of Randstad Technologies, said:“Bristol has grown into one of themost cutting-edge tech clusters inthe UK. It’s also at the forefront ofthe global smart cities movement,as well as being a major player inboth the IT and robotics sectors.“But even though Bristol

technologies pack a punch, thecity is still relatively unknown onthe global arena.“Our event – co-hosted with

Google and LinkedIn – aims tocorrect that oversight.”It takes place from 5.30pm at

the Engine Shed by TempleMeads station. Sign up via theranstand website.

Anniversary gifts area fund-raising treat● A PROPERTY and constructionconsultancy has marked 25 yearsin Bristol with a gift for staff in aidof The Grand Appeal, the BristolChildren’s Hospital Charity.Tuffin Ferraby Taylor (TFT) has

been based in Queen Squaresince 1990. It now employs 24staff, including charteredsurveyors, project managers,engineers and property experts.The company held an

anniversary party at the Hotel duVin to mark the milestone. Eachmember of staff was presentedwith a paint-your-own Shaun theSheep figurine, created by TheGrand Appeal.Partner Neil Gilbert said: “What

better way to celebrate our 25thbirthday in Bristol, than to supportone of the region’s best-lovedcharities, The Grand Appeal, in aidof Bristol Children’s Hospital.”Hundreds of thousands of

visitors took part in the ‘Shaun inthe City’ trail this summer, whichsaw 70 sculptures around the city.

ABRISTOL company isworkingwitha chain of pharmacies to launch anew system to manage medicinesgiven to residents in care homes.Invatech Health will provide the

technology and operating systems tothe Well Pharmacy group, previouslyknown as Co-operative, the UK’sbiggest independent chemist chain.The partnership is investing £25

million in the Well Careplus servicewhich uses digital devices to makesure patients get the right medicinesby using a barcode system.Itwill create 450 jobs both inBristol

and across the UK.

Well Careplus and the Well Pad isnow being rolled out across the UK.Care homes are already using from

the service and it is available at the780 Well Pharmacy branchesthroughout the UK.The partnership is new strategy for

Invatech Health’s chief executiveTariqMuhammad but not a newmar-ket.Tariq founded a company called

Pharmacy Plus in 1994 after takingover a chemist and built it into achain before moving into the supplyside, delivering drugs to care homesacross the UK.

He developed a barcode system tomanage administration of medicinesfor his customers.But after handing over control of

Firmmakes medicinemuch easier to manage

the company to a private equity firm,Easton-based Pharmacy Plus wentinto administration with the loss ofall 240 jobs.

Tariq believed the technology stillhad potential and bought back theintellectual property rights to set up anew company, based in the formerPharmacy Plus offices in StapletonRoad, last year.“We are delighted to have been able

to secure our partnership with Wellwho have shown great commitmentto the care sector,” said Tariq.“Care homes across the country

can now benefit from improved ef-ficiency and increased safety for theirresidents.”A Care Quality Commission’s

damning report last month, whichconcluded 40 per cent of all care andnursing homes have problems withsafety. Medication mistakes includ-ing delays in administering drugsand signs of overdose are at the fore-front of these problems.Tariq said his system provided a

simple solution for preventing thesemistakes.

Aviation Tech

Property

Care

[email protected]

● Bristol Airport can expect skilled workers from around the world flying in to work on the Hinkley Point nuclear plant

● A nurseuses theWell Paddevice tocheck apatient’smedicineis correct

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On your bike! Mobile servicingfirm keeps cyclists safe on streets

NO market stands still. Busi-nesses have to keep movingto sustain success andFrank Colzie is taking thatadvice literally by getting

out of his shop and on the road.Five years ago Frank used a small

grant of £2,500 from the Prince’sTrust to open a shop in Redcliffeselling new and reconditioned bi-cycles.Themoney paid for some stock and

he did the fit-out work himself withhelp from friends.He saw Bristol was enjoying a

cycling boom and realised not every-one would want to shell out fortop-of-the-range bikes, so he wentafter the value market.It proved a successful formula. His

Re-Cycle Bristol store started pullingin customers “as soon as the doorsopened, selling bikes from day one”.But now Frank, 36, believes it’s

time to change direction.“I’m changing the focus of the busi-

ness to become more of a mobilemechanic,” said Frank.“The industry has changed so

much in the last five years. Gone arethe days when you would have peoplewalk in and say here’s £500, I want abike. Sales are down across theboard.”Competition from online retailers

has hit the high street model, but

Frank believes the thing people stillneed locally is servicing.And for the commutermarket, they

need servicing that’s convenient.“I’m offering same-day servicing,”

he said. “We’ll come and collect yourbike, bring it back to the shop toservice and repair it and bring itback. We will leave a courtesy bike inits place just in case so you know youwon’t be left without transport.”In order to make the model more

efficient, Frank wants to work withbusinesses to offer the service totheir staff. That means he could col-lect and return several bikes at once,cutting the time spent travelling fromplace to place.For the moment, Frank will be

collected and repairing all the bikeshimself and aims to do five a day. But

A COMPANY which is developingtouchless control technology is work-ing with Jaguar Land Rover.Ultrahaptics revealed the partner-

ship the day after announcing it hadsecured a £10 million funding round.The firm, which is based at the

Engine Shed and is a Bristol SET-squared member, is working with thecar manufacturer in the investiga-tion of a mid-air touch system tocontrol in car entertainment.Touchscreens are the control sys-

tem of choice in most cars these days,but there is an increased temptationfor drivers to take their eyes off theroad for longer when reaching for thecontrols.To mitigate this, Jaguar Land

Roverwant to reduce the time it takesto use these controls by predictingwhat you are going to touch inmid-air.Ultrahaptics’ solution lets the

driver’s hand be located and trackedas it moves, with the system lockingon to the hand’s movement and cre-ating a physical sensation to indicateconnection and button presses.This means the driver can feel vir-

tual objects such as switches andbuttons without having to reach fullyto the touchscreen, and will let themknow when they have been engagedthrough the power of touch.Ultrahaptics chief executive Steve

Cliffe said: “We are enormouslyproud to have been chosen to support

this safety critical technology pro-gram.“Our innovation will be truly dis-

ruptive to the way we interface withthe technology within our vehicles.”The firm started as a spin out from

the University of Bristol based on theresearch of founder Tom Carter.This week it secured a major in-

vestment led by Oxford-based Wood-ford Investment Management andexisting backer IP Group.Work with the likes of Jaguar Land

Rover is the reason investors are keento get on involved.Engine Shed director Nick Sturge

described the firm as “one of themostexciting stars coming out of the Bris-tol and Bath ecosystem”.

‘Touchless’ control is a step closer

Carbon compositewheel is launched● A COMPANY which makescarbon composite wheels haslaunched its first car wheel for 10years.Dymag made its name supplying

Formula 1 and IndyCar racingteams in the Ayrton Senna andNigel Mansell era.The firm is working closely with

the National Composites Centreon the edge of Bristol towardscutting the cost of producingcarbon composite wheels to makethem affordable for the luxury carmarket.Once they crack that, the goal is

to build a new factory in the area,relocating from its Chippenhambase.The firm recently received £7.1

million funding from theGovernment, through theAdvanced Manufacturing SupplyChain Initiative, to support thatwork.Now the firm is unveiling its new

carbon composite wheel at SEMA,

when the business builds up he maylook to pass on his skills and trainstaff.The potential in themarket is clear,

Bristol is a Cycling City and thecurrent European Green Capital.The harder part might be persuad-

ing people of the value of lookingafter their bikes.“If you are servicing your bike, it

will last longer and your repair billswill be lower,” said Frank.“But the real reason is safety. I’ve

seen mothers riding bikes with thechildren with brakes that don’twork.”After all, most people service their

car and they’re a lot more vulnerableon two wheels.To find out more visit

www.re-cyclebristol.co.uk.

Tech

CarsBicycle servicing

Assistant Editor (Business)[email protected]

● Frank Colzie is launching a mobile cycle servicing service five years after opening his shop in Bristol

● Steve Cliffe, left, and Tom Carter

the world’s top automotivespeciality trade event whichattracts around 60,000 buyers overfour days.The firm’s carbon car wheels are

typically 40 per cent lighter than anequivalent aluminium alloy wheelof the same size.Chief executive Chris Shelley

said: “The new wheel represents abig step forward in terms ofperformance, quality and thefuture ability to produce wheelsreliably in higher volumes - usingall the knowledge and experiencewe have built up over 20 years ofmaking robust high quality carboncomposite auto and motorcyclewheels tested to acceptedinternational standards.“These are exciting,

game-changing times for Dymagas the funding investment enablesus to focus on developing highvolume carbon composite autoand motorcycle wheels for a widerange of performance and luxuryvehicles using advancedproduction processes andmaterials.”

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The Big Interview

DO something good – thatwas the mandate given toVashti Seth, founder ofBritain’s first peer-to-peermicrolending charity,

Deki.The 38-year-old from St Wer-

burghs in Bristol was handed £2,000in cash by her late dad JohnRichards, with a note reading: “Dosomething good”.She did not disappoint. A few

years after her dad died in 2005, sheset up Deki, with an aim to changelives and bring people out ofpoverty.Vashti has a varied upbringing,

best described as unconventional.Spending most of her childhood in

CHANGING LIVES IS VASHTI’SPlenty of people will nothesitate when it comesto donating to charity.Many have gone on bikerides, runs or cake salesto fund raise. But forDeki founder, VashtiSeth, changing lives hasa deeper, personalmeaning. Michael Yongfinds out why...

My day

Name: Vashti SethAge: 38Place of birth: BristolSchool: University of the Westof England, BA Philosophyand Sociology, honorary MBAFirst job: Waitress in differentrestaurants.

Vital statistics

Bristol, various communes aroundthe UK and then as far as MoroccoandAustralia, she learned differentlife skills.When she was just four, Vashti’s

dad and brother moved across theworld to Australia, while her moth-er and her stayed in Bristol.After leaving St Katherine’s

School in 1993 with a handful ofGCSEs, she travelled across Asia,trying to find her place in theworld.Seven years later, then 23, she

settled in Australia, looking to re-connect with her dad.It was also there she started a

career in television production.Based in Sydney, she started work-ing as a freelance production man-ager in the film industry, movingfrom runner and progressing upthe career ladder.By 2003, she had a number of

high-profile clients, such as Pepsiand Pizza Hut, while doing showssuch as Home and Away.Two years later, she moved back

to Bristol, hoping to launch a filmcareer here. Then she found out herfather had terminal cancer.“I found out my dad wasn’t very

well, and I had to hand inmy noticeand went out there to see him,” shesaid.“He had lung cancer. We thought

he’d have 18 months to live, but itwas only 11 weeks.“Whenhedied, thatwas shocking

for me. I am one of seven siblings,and when dad passed away, my fam-ily were all given something quitepersonal except me.“But I found out at the end of the

will he had left about £2,000, with anote saying ‘do something goodwith it’. I didn’t know what itmeant.”She stayed in Australia a little

while longer, but soon travelledacross India to meet a Tibetanrefugee whom her father hadsponsored for many years.The 16-year-old girl, Deki Dolkha,

had been sponsored by John sinceshe was just four years old. He hadbeen to see her three times beforehe died, and committed to puttingher through school until she was18.He believed it would give her a

better start to life, but Deki wasliving in such abject poverty it wasproving difficult.“I didn’t even know what to do.

She had very basic education, sodid a lot of the girls there,” shesaid.Vashti cameback toEngland, and

started a degree at the University ofthe West of England (UWE).

In 2008, combining her businessacumen, her dad’s inspiration andher interest in microfinance, sheset up Deki, named after the littlegirl. Spending the £2,000 to fly toNepal, she met with her first fieldpartner. UWE the provided her

Firms encouraged tostay green for future● COMPANIES are being urged totake steps towards becominggreener even after Bristol’s year asEuropean Green Capital comes toan end.The Go Green 2016 Awards was

launched last night fororganisations which have signedup to the Go Green programmethat helps companies take stepsto becoming moreenvironmentally sustainable.The programme, funded by

Bristol 2015 and run as apartnership between BusinessWest and Low Carbon SouthWest, launched to coincide withBristol’s year asEuropeanGreenCapital.But

directorAmyRobinson,pictured,said:“GoGreen is aninitiative thatwill continuebeyond 2015, so there are stillplenty of opportunities forbusinesses, however big or small,to sign up. Even if your companyhas just become a member, youcan still enter the awards as longas you’re able to demonstrate thatyou’ve improved your business’green credentials over the past 12months.”Go Green suggests steps

businesses and organisations canimplement under five key themes:Planning & Resilience, Travel &Transport, Energy & Efficiency,Sustainable Sourcing and Happy& Healthy and the awards inFebruary will follow the sametheme.Meanwhile, the Bristol Post

Bristol 2015 Green Capital Awardstake place next week.

Green capital

Skilled IT workers inare in huge demand● GROWTH in IT jobs in Bristoloutpaced London in the last threemonths as regional tech hubsstart to close the gap on thecapital’s dominance in the sector.The figures come from the Tech

Cities Jobs Watch quarterly reportby Experis, which analysed52,000 IT jobs advertised acrossthe UK from July to September.The number of jobs advertised

in London over the quarterdropped eight per cent to 35,610,in line with seasonal summertrends. However, some cities,such as Bristol, saw an increase.Geoff Smith, managing director,

Experis Europe, said: “Since thestart of the year, the proportion ofroles advertised in tech citiesoutside of London has been onthe rise. In this quarter nearly onein every three jobs we’ve analysedis now being offered outside theUK’s tech capital.“This has been the dominant

trend through 2015, a countryinvigorated by positive economicsentiment to hi-tech skills.”Bristol saw a 74 per cent

increase in the number of big dataroles advertised and a 42 per centrise in IT security jobs.The city pays the highest day

rates for cloud professionalsoutside of London.The average permanent salaries

for IT roles in Bristol was £37,163.

Tech

5.30am: Woken up by a hungryJago, my two-year-old son.5.45am/6am: Run my eyes overmy emails and flag up anythinghigh priority to my team –sometimes I’m lucky enough tofit in some meditation and yoga.6.15am: My daughter Isla wakesup7am: I make porridge for thechildren.8.30am: The school run!9am: I make it into work, whereour marketing assistant, Antonia,usually starts listing off all theimportant things I need to dothat day.9.30am: Every Monday we havea team debrief, where we talk

about our goals for the week andhow we can help each otherachieve them. I’ve worked hardto make sure our team meetingsas productive and proactive aspossible – so we talk in bulletpoints and only have fiveminutes speaking time each.Less talk, more action at DekiHQ.10.30am: I usually pop to WiseBeans in Stokes Croft, exactlyopposite our office across theroad. Their coffee and breakfastsare amazing.11am: I was given some greatbusiness advice: “Eat that frog”which means get all of yourbiggest tasks done in the

morning. Soaim to get themy to-do list1pm: If I’m notlunch at mymarketing andyou’ll probablyand Spencer2pm: I’ll meetor fundraisingall aware ofthe next 904pm: I’ll haveof our trustees;account andtoes. It’s Nationalat the momentweek expressingour dedicated

£8,000 to set up her website andlaunched her business.Two years later, Deki was given

charity status, and within a year,started taking on members ofstaff.There is an old saying – give a boy

a fish, andteach him tohungry again.That certainl

Deki. The icharity givetraining

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VASHTI’S TRUE VOCATIONFTSE 100 company Imperial Tobacco grewprofits in a “successful” year which saw theBristol firm grow its US market by acquiring anumber of big brands from rivals.The firm, which employs more than 1,000

people from its newheadquarters in the southofthe city, grew operating profits adjusted to takeaccount of the acquisition by 3.2 per cent from£2.98 billion to £3.05 billion.But the firm continues to see troubles in Iraq

and now Syria affect its sales and profitsas both countries are among its des-ignated growth markets.And the US deal pushed up the

firm’s debt sharply by 43 per centfrom £8.11 billion to £11.65 bil-lion.Chief executive Alison Cooper,

pictured, said: “This was anothersuccessful year for Imperial inwhich we further strengthened thebusiness and improved our quality ofgrowth.“We generated excellent results from our

growth brands, outperforming the market withvolume and share growth.“Our footprint was significantly enhanced by

the US acquisition and the acquired brandsperformed well in the final quarter, maintain-ing share.“Elsewhere, we maintained positive mo-

mentum inmanygrowthmarkets and enhancedour delivery in returns markets.“We realised further savings through our cost

optimisation programme, providing funds forinvestment and improving our margins.“Cash conversion was up to 97 per cent,

supporting sustainable returns for sharehold-

ers with another 10 per cent dividend in-crease.“We continue to deliver against our strategic

priorities and look forward to building on thesegood results in the year ahead.”The preliminary results statement delivered

to the stock exchange said the firm had saved£85 million, putting its cost cutting programmeon track.Imperial bought a number of Americanbrands from rivals Reynolds andLorillard,which the US firms sold to ease com-petition concerns around their mer-ger, including the significante-cigarette brand Blu.The manufacturer’s strategy is

to focus on growth brands andmar-kets, largely away from WesternEurope in countries such as Russia,Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Japan andEgypt.But the firm’s growth brand volumes

were down 16 per cent, largely due to fallsin trouble-hot Iraq and Syria and also Vietnamwhere a rise in illegal sales have had an im-pact.Looking ahead, Imperial says it will continue

to focus on its growth and specialist brands,expects its new US brands to perform well butforecasts Iraq and Syria will continue to bedifficult markets.“Challenges will persist in some markets but

we have the assets and capabilities to furtherdrive quality growth in this environment,” thefirm stated in its results.“We have the brands, the footprint and the

people to make 2016 another successful year ofvalue creation.”

Imperial’s profits increasedespite challenges abroad

Tobacco

developing countries, and theyapply that into their business.Partners in the UK and overseas

lend as little as £10 or more to achosen entrepreneur. All of themoney goes directly to that person,and is paid back within a year. Itcan then be withdrawn, or re-lent.In its five years, Deki has loaned

more than £500,000 to about 2,700people across seven countries,changing 14,000 lives.She said: “People are generally

quite charitable. I know many suc-cessful business peoplewhowant todo something to help, to givesomething back.“We’ve had a lot of success stor-

ies, some of which are just amazingyou can’t help but smile when youread them. Going through thesestories just makes you think howfar we’ve come, and how you canchange lives.”Being the mother of two small

children is a full-time job, as ischanging the world. But the38-year-old takes it in her stride.Last year, she was awarded an

honorary MBA by UWE. Earlierthis year, she was awarded ThirdSector Director of the Year prize,

and was a nominee for RedMagazine’sWomanof theYear backin 2011.Her network of partners are in-

credible. They run from Ghana toSouth Africa, in South Sudan andMalawi.But she also has a heart for home,

where she works with Bristolschools to talk to them about en-trepreneurship and how it can helpother children less fortunate.There is no time for resting on

her laurels. Vashti wants to seeDeki grow even more. By 2020, shehopes to lendmore than £2million ayear, and aims to see more than100,000 lives improve.Last Friday, the charity com-

pleted a six-week exhibition at theEngine Shed, showcasing the storyof entrepreneur Halima Namutosi,a South Sudanese refugee whochanged her life with a crowdfun-ded Deki loan.For someone who has achieved

an incredible amount in just a fewyears, there is no aloofness whenshe talks about her achievements.She added: “I would hope dad

would be proud.”We are sure he is.

So I bite the bullet andthe biggest thing onlist ticked off by 11.not having a workingdesk with my

and fundraising team,obably find me at Marks

Spencer.meet with our marketing

fundraising team so that we’rewhat our plan is fordays.

have a meeting with onetrustees; they hold me toand keep me on myNational Trustee Week

moment so I’ve spent theessing my gratitude to

dedicated team.

you feed him for a day;to fish, and he’ll never goain.tainly is the idea behind

e idea is simple – Vashti’sves out small loans andto entrepreneurs in

“ People are generallyquite charitable. I know

many successfulbusiness people whowant to do something

to help, to givesomething back.

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MORE than one millionsquare feet of office spacehave been converted intoresidential propertysince 2013 –when theGov-

ernment announced measures tomake that change easier.Commercial buildings were emp-

tied during the recession, with busi-nesses choosing to go remote or goingbust.The temporary permitted develop-

ment rights (PDR) was introduced in2013 to allow these vacant offices to beconverted into new homes.But with those rights set to expire

in May next year, developers hadexpressed concerns it could lead to

like Birmingham and Edinburgh.”It is mostly grade B commercial

building stock that is beingmade intonew homes. Grade A commercial es-tates, such as the recently sold Tem-pleback – for £58.5 million – and 66Queens Square – for £32.7 million –remain as offices.With supply dropping and demand

increasing, rent prices are also at apremium.New research from the British

Council for Offices showed howchanges to the permitted develop-

ment rights is estimated to have led tomore than 6 million sq ft of officespace in England in the last year. Itmeant about 7,600 new homes havebeen created, although housing sup-ply is still short for an increasingpopulation.When these permitted develop-

ment rightswere first introduced, theBritish Council for Offices warnedagainst “a free-for-all”, and expressedfears small businessesmight lose out.Local authorities told the BCO gradeB commercial stock were mostly se-

lected for conversion, and these werehome to small or medium-sized busi-nesses.And there were worries even if this

lost office space was replaced by newcommercial development, it waslikely to be at the top end of themarket, making it unaffordable formany of these smaller businesses.RichardKauntze, chief executive of

BCO, said: “It is time to take stockand consider the impact of the of-fice-to-residential PDR.“While the PDR can certainly con-

| ’

The Government hasannounced measures tomake it easier to turn emptyoffice buildings into newhomes. Outside of London,Bristol is the city with thehighest number ofconversions in the last year.Michael Yong reports

unnecessary red tape when it comesto providing needed new homes.Last month, Housing and Planning

Minister Brandon Lewis announcedthe rights would become permanent.Those who already have permis-

sion to convert will have three yearsin which to complete the change ofuse – ending potential uncertainty fordevelopers and enabling the devel-opment of much needed homes.The scheme has benefited de-

velopers in the capital, but outside ofLondon, the highest number of con-versions have taken place in Bristol.Andrew Main, head of western re-

gion business development at SavillsBristol, said demand for office spacein the city was on the rise, but thelarge number of conversions meantoffice stock was falling.“Around £250million of office space

has changed hands in the last year,”he said. Some of the biggest deals in

● TWO of the three largestcommercial property officeinvestment deals in Britain tookplace in Bristol this year.

The off-market purchase ofTempleback by Orchard StreetInvestment Management in Junefor £58.5 million, reflecting a netinitial yield of 5.34 per cent, wasthe biggest in the country thisyear.

Aviva Investor’s acquisition of66 Queen Square for £32.7million,at a net initial yield of 4.94 percent, was the third largest.

Templeback has just beengiven a £400,000 refurbishmentof the reception area and ground

floor, creating a self-containedentrance and double-heightatrium.

Both buildings are grade Aoffice space, which is in demandin the city right now.

Steve Oades, head of KnightFrank’s capital markets team inBristol, was involved in thepurchase of 66 Queens Square,on behalf of Aviva InvestorsProperty Trust.

He said: “Prime multi-let assetsare in high demand from both UKand overseas investors,particularly those buildingslocated in major regional citieswhere grade A supply is tight.

City saw two of thelargest deals in UK

Property Matters

CONVERSIONS SPARK CONCERN FOR

Andrew Main

“Around £250 millionof office space havechanged hands in thelast year. Some of thebiggest deals in thecountry have takenplace here.

the country over the last year havetaken place here.“We are also seeing a rise in de-

mand from overseas investors look-ing for offices in the regions, outsideof London. Some of them come fromGermany, or further afield, such asSingapore.“Foreign investment in the regions

outside of London is something thatwouldn’t have happened 18 monthsago. It’s fair to say, outside of London,Manchester is top for foreign invest-ment, but Bristol is on par with cities

space, spread across six floors.Barney Rowe, partner at

Orchard Street - which boughtthe property - called Bristol oneof the country’s “strongestregional cities”.

“We are pleased to havesecured this highly liquid, primeoffice asset in one of the UK’sstrongest regional cities.

“It benefits from excellentfundamentals and a prominentposition in the heart of Bristol’s

“There are good transport linksand there is little anticipatedlandlord capital expenditure in theshort to medium term.

“The lack of buyingopportunities combined with theweight of money looking to investin the regions has resulted inyield compression for ‘best inclass’ assets across the UK.”

Templeback, which was onlycompleted in 2008, comprises124,198 sq ft of grade A office

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THE UK Commercial property sector ison track for its best year ever – gen-erating investment of more than £70billion in 2015. And while London andthe big regional cities continue to

attract the lion’s share the cultural hotspots ofBath, Oxford and Cambridge are proving in-creasingly popular – especially for studentaccommodation.

But there is a limit to how much studentaccommodation one city can take – and Bathis certainly full to bursting, as evidenced byrecent news reports of students having toshare rooms meant for one person, and insome cases even share a bed due to lack ofsufficient accommodation.

Simple supply shortages could impact oninward investment, as much of the city’sdevelopment land has already been snappedup.

We have maintained a watching brief on thearea’s increasing popularity as a studentproperty hotspot. Student accommodationhas given the local construction sector agenuine shot in the arm and radically trans-formed the commercial property landscape,bringing forward the development of a num-ber of sites previously earmarked for offices,but which were in the wrong location and as aresult had lain dormant, in some cases for anumber of years.

With further growth planned at the fourmain universities in the Bristol/Bath area thestudent population is only going to increase,and fuel continued demand.

Although Bristol continues to offer con-siderable potential for further development,Bath is much more physically constrained,and lacks capacity to deliver the requirednumber of viable sites.

Most of the larger city centre sites havealready been developed and attention hasturned to secondary space on the city’s out-skirts – resulting in some blue collar artisanbusinesses leaving traditional warehouse andworkshop locations along the city’s LowerBristol Road.

We were particularly pleased to note thatthe newly unveiled Bath Quays blueprintincludes some 30,000 sq ft of new office space,aimed at nurturing the media, hi-tech andcreative businesses which might one day em-ploy the large number of students qualifyinglocally!

The Quays site, together with Ediston Prop-erties’ newly announced plans for a majoroffice development at Pines Gate, could becritical in terms of the city tourist and com-mercial landscape and will hopefully go someway towards helping to redress the balancebetween commercial and leisure-based busi-ness, both of which are essential to ensure thefuture success of the city.

For further details contact Paul Williams on0117 287 2101 or [email protected].

Student ‘hotspot’ in needof a balanced investmentOFFICE SPACE IN BRISTOL

tribute towards much-needed hous-ing, a cautious approach is required.When, in 2013, the Government con-sulted on the possibility of allowingthe conversion of offices to housingwithout the need to secure planningpermission, the BCO stressed thevital need to avoid a free-for-all.

“This is now more important thanever, as the increase in office-to-res-idential conversions since the PDRrepresents a growing challenge inhow to satisfy office demand.”

One group in Bristol which will be

pleased with the PDR being madepermanent is the Abolish Empty Of-fice Building (AEOB) campaign.

The group raised nearly £300,000from a Community Share Offer,which allowed them to buy their firstproperty in St George’s, Bristol – acommercial property in BattensLane.

Triodos Bank has also granted a£425,000 mortgage, and building workhas now begun.

It will be refitted and extended tocreate six flats to house 10 people. The

first tenants are expected to moveinto the rented accommodation be-fore the end of next year.

Tony Crofts, AEOB founder, said:“We have clearly struck a chord withthose who want to make an ethicalinvestment to support those who donot have accommodation.

“We are delighted to be workingwith Triodos UK to move this firstproject onward to completion.”

One of the first prospective tenants,John Cook, said: “It’s nice someone’snot in it for the money.”

• Newly refurbished0117 287 2101brutonknowles.co.uk

Newly Refurbished Office Suite To LetWhitefriars, Lewins Mead, Bristol BS1 2NT

Contact: [email protected]

• Open plan

• 1,540 sq ft (143.1 sq m)

• 2 secure on-site car parking spaces

• Convenient city centre location

• Flexible short lease available

BK code: 2433

Head of AgencyBruton Knowlespaul.williams@ brutonknowles.co.uk0117 287 2101

Expert eye

Property of the Week

main office core.“A combination of the strong

covenant strength on the existingincome and the severe supplyand demand imbalance in theBristol occupational marketprovide real opportunities for bothrental and capital growth.”

Orchard Street was advised bySavills about the acquisition ofTempleback. Alder King andCushman & Wakefield are actingas joint letting agents.

● Aboveand left,Templebackwas boughtfor £58.5min June, thelargest dealin the UK inthe pastyear

● Bristol BridgeHouse, above, inRedcliff Street is oneof numerous officesbeing converted intohomes in Bristol

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In pictures Bristol Connected

Connected Business world gets a glimpseof how media adapt to changing technology

GALLERIESGALORE

FOR MORE PICTURESCheck out ourwebsite at

southwestbusiness.co.uk

THE regional media industryis constantly changing, butour values remain the same,”Sarah Pullen, regional man-aging director forBristol Post

publisher Local World told the localbusiness community.Businesspeople were given an in-

sight into the fast-changing world ofregional media at the latest BristolConnected event.Sarah highlighted past changes to

how people consumed local news,from the advent of newspapers,though the rise of television, com-mercial radio and the smartphone.She said: “I’ve been in the media

industry for 22 years and this is themost exciting time to be in it becauseour audience is the biggest it’s beenfor decades.“Print is still big but people are

engaging with us through so manydifferent channels, Facebook, ourwebsite, Twitter. We are engagingwith more people than ever before.”

Post editor Mike Norton added:“Our digital story is an amazing one.We are the fastest growing news web-site in the regional press. We’re ontrack to have about 1.9million uniqueusers in October and 10 million pageimpressions.”He gave a live demonstration of

some of the software used to trackaudience online, showing how manypeople are looking at any one story,

where they are arriving from, howlong they spend on the story andwhere they go next.“Wehave these programmesupand

running on screens and when wehave a good day it’s such a goodfeeling in the newsroom,” he said.Mike said Facebook was a big

driver of online traffic but its growthwas among the over 50s so the Postwas looking for platforms that en-gaged with younger audiences too.He said: “During the trial over the

killing of teenager Becky Watts wehave set up Whatsapp groups whichabout 1,500 people have signed up toand we’re sending them three or fourstories a day. We’re also looking atSnapchat.”Mike added the average age of the

Post newspaper reader is 39 but 29 onthe website.The networking event run by the

Bristol Post and our southwestbusi-ness.co.uk website takes place everyother month at different locations inthe city.Assistant editor Gavin Thompson

said: “This time we thought we’dinvite people into our offices and letthem take a nose around the news-room. People seemed interested to seehow a 21st century regional mediaorganisationworks, particularly howwe use social media to reach newaudiences and technology to betterunderstand what our readers want.”

● Professor Nicholas O’Regan of UWE BRDR20151029C-006_C ● Julia Wimbush and Councillor Ian Boulton BRDR20151029C-007_C

● Karl Brown of Clarke Willmott and Joseph Williams of ComputershareBRDR20151029C-003_C

● Bristol Post managing director Sarah Pullen speaks to the Bristol Connected audience Pictures: Dan Regan

● Below,GregoryDodimead

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Business diary

Post your events online atwww.southwestbusiness.co.uk.Events are sometimescancelled without us beingnotified so please check withorganisers before travelling.

Global MSC – Technology andInnovation in the SecurityIndustry: With speakers fromchief constables to Big BrotherWatch, Global MSC’s annualconference is a high profileindustry event. November 9 and10 at the Bristol Hotel. [email protected].

Technologies for Success:Linkedin regional accountmanager David Moore andGoogle’s Brian Coffey will bespeakers at this event organisedby recruitment firm RanstadTechnologies at the Engine Shedfrom 5pm on Wednesday,November 11. David will ask‘How well are you digitallynetworked?’ while Brian willdiscuss ‘Work the way you live’.Register at www.randstad.co.uk/employers/areas-of-expertise/it/technologies-for-success-event.

Improve Your Forecasting:Master class from Mazars aimedat finance professionals andsenior management who dreadbudgeting and forecasting, haveto manage stakeholdersexpectations or want to raisefinance from investors. From8am at Mazars new offices inVictoria Street from 8am,November 11. [email protected].

Backing your ambition:Featuring experts from LloydsBank and Get Safe Online CEOTony Neate talking aboutinvesting in digital and theimportance of cyber security.Takes place at the Hilton Bristolin Bradley Stoke from 8am to10.15am, November 12.

Linking marketing to financialperformance: If you aspire torun your own business or rise toa board level position within alarger organisationunderstanding the links ofmarketing to businessperformance is critical. Half-dayCIM workshop at The BristolGolf and Country Club,Almondsbury, on Thursday,November 12. [email protected].

Employment law seminar:Discrimination, social media andmanaging workplaceinvestigations seminar forbusiness owners, managers andHR advisors. Leigh CourtBusiness Centre, Abotts Leigh,Thursday, November 12. [email protected].

Workshop essentials: Forpeople who give or would like togive workshops as part of theirbusiness. Three-hour sessionfrom 9.30am on Thursday,November 12 at BristolSpaceworks, Easton BusinessCentre. Email [email protected].

Bristol Post Green CapitalAwards: Celebrating theachievements of businesses,communities and individuals inmaking the city a greener andbetter place. The gala ceremonytakes place on November 12 atBristol Marriott Hotel CityCentre. To buy tickets, visitwww.bristolpost.co.uk/greencapitalawards.

● Rob Wimbush and Gimel W BRDR20151029C-009_C ● Alastair Orchard and Dagmar Smeed BRDR20151029C-011_C

● Rob Rodgerson of Local World BRDR20151029C-005_C ● Bristol Post editor Mike Norton BRDR20151029C-020_C

● The Bristol Connected event at the Bristol Post offices on Temple Way BRDR20151029C-001_C

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12 Wednesday, November 4, 2015www.bristolpost.co.uk

The back page

People● Bristol-based chartered surveyorand property consultancySanderson Weatherall has launcheda new integrated asset advisoryservice for businesses following theappointment of a debt and workingcapital management specialist.Chris Brooke has been appointed

associate partner within theasset-based lending valuation andadvisory department.He joins Christian Humphreys,

partner, and Lee Joyce, associatepartner, in delivering theasset-based lending service tocustomers including financiallenders, insolvency practitioners,corporate recovery specialists andprivate equity houses operatingwithin a wide range of industrysectors.Asset based lending is a loan

secured against a company’s assets,such as property or equipment.Christian said: “Chris has more

than 13 years’ experience in thesector and brings with him skills andknowledge that enable SandersonWeatherall to strengthen its offeringto clients. With Chris on board, wecan now deliver a complete assetadvisory service, nationwide, whichincorporates valuation, advice andmanagement.”Chris joins from BDO and

previously spent seven years atPricewaterhouseCoopers.He said: “The firm’s strong

reputation and potential for evenfurther growth within asset basedlending advisory and valuation was areal draw for me to join SandersonWeatherall and I am looking forwardto sharing my experience with theteam and clients.”

Success● A PhD student from the Universityof Bristol has been named one of thewinners of a national competition for

his work on a new technology thatcould fundamentally change futurewireless communications.Leo Laughlin, from the Engineering

and Physical Sciences ResearchCouncil Centre for Doctoral Trainingin Communications, won theTechnology Everywhere category inthe UK ICT Pioneers competition2015, honouring researchers whoare pioneers in information andcommunication technology.Leo’s work on bi-directional radio

communications could result in afundamental change to the way wedesign wireless devices and has thepotential to increase data rates andnetwork capacity, reduce powerconsumption, create cheaper mobiledevices and enable global roaming.Together with his supervisors,

Professor Mark Beach and Dr KevinMorris, Leo has developed a novelmethod of minimising interference.Mark, professor of radio systems

engineering, said: “We are justifiablyproud of Leo and this awardexemplifies both his technicalcontributions to the field of fullduplex wireless and skills ofconveying his research to anon-specialist audience. Equippingour students with such skills is at theheart of our training at Bristol.”Dr John Haine of u-blox,

who has been Leo’sindustry mentor,added: “It has been apleasure to work withLeo and the Bristolteam on this project.We are very pleasedto have had theopportunity to pushthis research forwardand we will be continuingthe association to the nextphase.”

● Bristol-based design consultancy,Kinneir Dufort, has been awardedConsultancy of the Year, at theBritish Engineering Excellence

City property always attracts the smart money

PROPERTY has always attrac-ted entrepreneurs. Howeverthey earn their daily bread,they almost always investsomething in the property

market eventually even if they neverbecome full time property de-velopers.Whether they are car dealers, res-

taurant owners, solicitors, or salesreps by day, as soon as they makesome extra money they start visitingestate agents to seewhat they can buycheap to improve and sell on or use asa buy to let.Bristol has always had its property

developers, many of whom focused onconverting the large Victorian and

Regency houses in Clifton, Cothamand Redland into flats.Splinters cafe inCliftonused to be a

regular meeting place for some ofthese ‘faces’, many who have sincepassed on, and like that well-knowncafe itself, become part of Bristolfolklore.I remember one well known prop-

erty converter turning up at anOsmond Tricks auction in a top hatand tails and successfully bidding for

● The staff at Kinneir Dufort – awarded Consultancy of the Year

Opinion

two large houses on Royal York Cres-cent, Clifton, before going onto ablack tie dinner happy with his pur-chase.Auctions in the city are buzzing at

the moment with packed auctionhouses almost everywhere you look.It’s not surprising really as Bristol

has emerged from the Great Reces-sion in a powerful position.We now have the office of elected

mayor, which whether you supportGeorge Ferguson as the currentmayor or not, is a major cause of thecity’s growing national and interna-tional fame.Now cited as the tenth most ex-

pensive city in the world for students

to live in, it remains a honeypot as faras investors are concerned.The vibrant cafes, restaurants, and

wonderful individual shoppingareas, make Bristol a brilliant city inwhich to live and work.Take the entrepreneurs who run

the quirky shops on Gloucester Roadas an example.Napoleon once said that “Britain is

a nation of shopkeepers”! You musthave been walking down theGloucester Road when you utteredthat sentence, Mr Bonapart.St Nic’s Market in the city centre is

another fantastic example of inde-pendent shopkeepers plying theirtrade to satisfied customers.

Awards 2015.The city centre-based research,

innovation, design and productdevelopment consultancy operatesglobally a range of sectors.The judges said: “Kinneir Dufort

has demonstrated a real sense ofpurpose and has delivered fantastic

results by following a clearfive-year plan: it has grownheadcount and turnover,created excellent designwork across hundreds ofinnovative projectsolutions. It has workedsuccessfully over a widerange of markets andsectors and achievedsignificant export success.”One example was a project

for Huggies, in Korea. The agencydesigned and developed a brandextension in the form of wearablecameras to capture and shareprecious family moments.The project was taken from initial

concept to delivery of six sets of

working prototypes for consumertrial in less than four months andwas central to the success of a viralYouTube campaign, watched by 2.5million people.Ian Hollister, development and

prototyping director, said: “We havean amazing team who, through aculture at Kinneir Dufortdeveloped over decades, haveachieved an integratedapproach that enables themost rapid cross disciplinedevelopment of complexproducts.“Our team thrive on

combining our expertise todeliver real innovation, bringingbusiness success for our clientsworldwide.”

● Stewart McNicholl, founder andmanaging director ofStoke-Gifford-based asbestos,water, fire, health and safety andenvironmental compliance servicesfirm ASKAMS has been named

Your digest of the week in business

Young Director of the Year at thenational Institute of Directors (IoD)Awards.The 39-year-old,

right, beatcompetitionfrom 10 otherdirectorsunder the ageof 42 in theonly categoryin which all 33judgesunanimouslyagreed on thewinner.The firm, which rebranded in 2015

from AMS Asbestos ManagementServices, was founded by Stewart in2006. Today it employs 55 peoplethroughout offices in Cramlington,Edinburgh, Warrington, Leeds,Bristol, Caerphilly and Redruth, whoservice high profile contracts in theUK and overseas.Stewart was commended by the

judges for his staff engagement andfor his corporate social responsibilityinitiatives that include trainingprogrammes, sponsorships,community programmes and carbonoffset initiatives.He said: “To receive this

prestigious award is fantastic, butnone of it would have been possiblewithout the hard work andcommitment of all ASKAMS’employees throughout the UK.”The Director of the Year awards

took place at the London LancasterHotel, where the IoD recognisedsome of the country’s most inspiringand accomplished business leaders.

● The Bristol Post’s businesscoverage has been nominated for anational award.Post assistant editor Gavin

Thompson, left, has beenshortlisted for theSME/EnterpriseJournalist of theYear category atthe SantanderFinancial MediaAwards.Gavin is up

against journalistsfrom tradepublication

Professional Adviseras well as the Daily

Telegraph andMail on Sunday.Only two journalists from regional

publications have been short-listedacross the individual categories.The winners will be announced at

a ceremony in London onWednesday, November 11.

● Pictured leftto right ofSandersonWeatherall arepartnerChristianHumphreysand associatepartners, ChrisBrooke andLee Joyce

Awalk around this vibrant quarterof the city delivers the feeling of agenuine “London-like” PetticoatLane. Cafes are filled with chatter aspeople from all walks of life mingletogether.The national chains are represen-

ted at Cabot Circus and Cribbs, bothof which rival any national, or eveninternational, competitors.Shopping in Bristol and its im-

mediate surrounding area has be-come as good as anywhere in the UKand when coupled with the manyother wonderful attractions has cre-ated a city of European stature whosefuture looks very bright indeed.Brunel would be proud of the en-

trepreneurswho are ever driving thisinternational city forward to greaterprosperity.The ghost of Napoleon Bonaparte

might be surprised by the number ofnew shops since his day too!

The Phone Box MillionaireFear Group

business 4th november 2015

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