island business magazine, july 2010

BETTER BUSINESS

Team building activities arepopular with many companiesand the Island is well placed tooffer a variety of opportunities.

SPECIAL REPORT

The Island's commercialproperty market has benefitedfrom its unique selling points,including a stable worforce.

COMPANY PROFILE

It's a £37 million Island businessbut the chances are that you'dbe perfectly happy never to getbetter acquainted!

CHAMBER MATTERS

New members, Chamberpeople, member benefits,and more event details foryour diary.

Also in this issue...

Island EventsBringing audiences andsponsors to the Island

Photo: Carl Sukonik (2009)

We are always pleased to meet with prospective clients to discuss new projects and offer any advice and assistance required.

24A Park Road, Ryde, Isle of Wight, PO33 1HHTel No: +44 (0)1983 568660Fax No: +44 (0)1983 [email protected]

CorporateFurniture have

been manufacturingbespoke interiors and

furniture at our Ryde workshopusing our own fully skilled craftsmen

and the best quality materials for bothcorporate and private clients since 1997.

C

JULY 2010

1See digital editions of Island Business Magazine on www.islandbusinessonline.co.uk

President’s foreword

Published byThe Knowledge Zone Ltd

EditorSteve Sleight

Art EditorKaren Holloway

Editorial teamLouisa MamakouZara MacAlisterSara CoombesDebs Allan

Contact the [email protected]

Administration and enquiriesTanya [email protected]

Advertising SalesAmanda [email protected] 934 4208Mary [email protected] 245505

For IW ChamberEditor (Chamber)Kevin [email protected]

Managing Editor (Chamber)Zoe Stroud

For more great content visit

www.islandbusinessonline.co.uk

Contact TKZThe Knowledge Zone Ltd.5-9 Baring Chambers13 Denmark Road, CowesIsle of Wight PO31 7EX01983 [email protected]

Isle of Wight Chamber of CommerceMill Court, Furrlongs, NewportIsle of Wight, PO30 2AA01983 [email protected]

To join the Chamber call 01983 520777

While every care has been taken toensure the accuracy of Island Businessmagazine the publishers do not acceptany liability or provide any guaranteethat the information is accurate,complete, or up to date. The publisherand its employees and contractors haveused their best efforts in preparing thesepages and this publication but make nowarranty of any kind, expressed or

implied, with regard to the informationsupplied. The views of contributors donot necessarily represent those of thepublisher or the IW Chamber ofCommerce. The Knowledge Zone Ltd.and its employees and contractors shallnot be liable in the event of incidentalor consequential damages in connectionwith, or arising out of, the providing ofthe information offered here.

TKZ

CONTENTS

2 NEWS

A roundup of business news

BETTER BUSINESS

Team building – how the Islandis well placed to take advantageof this growing market

12 FEATURE

Island Events – how music,sport, and events put theIsland on the map

24 COMPANY PROFILE

The re-branded HMP Isle ofWight is a £37 millionIsland business

30 CHAMBER MATTERS

New members, Chamberpeople, member benefits,and diary dates

34 CLASSIFIEDS

Our classified section

36 THE BACK PAGE

Steve Blamire and RupertBesley consider the benefits offlexible networks and localsupply chains. Plus RUBS –Really Useful Business Stuff

10

THE EXPERT’S VIEWInformation andcommunications technology

11

20 SPECIAL REPORT

The Island's commercialproperty market

Island Business Magazine is printedby Bishops Printers of Portsmouth

THE EXPERT’S VIEWSecurity for business

21

W elcome to the July edition of IslandBusiness Magazine – I can’t believethat we’re halfway through thesummer (and year) – time flies when

you’re having fun!Next month the Chamber hosts its very popular

Summer Ball, which is even more special this yearbecause of our Centenary celebrations. If youhaven’t done so already, please do considerattending and contact the office for details.

The Festival was held last month and is one of anumber of huge attractions that regularly bringvisitors to our shores (pity about the Motocross).This is not possible without the organisers andsponsors working with local partners to deliverthese amazing events. A little inconvenienceduring these events is, I believe, a relativelysmall price to pay against the benefits to ourlocal economy.

As I’ve said previously, if we look after today’sfestival-goers, yachtsmen, and scooterists, we will hopefully see them back in the futureas regular tourists enjoying all the Island has to offer.

With the start of the Pan Meadows and other developments being imminent, theChamber is working hard to ensure that our construction industry has the best possiblechance of benefiting from these infrastructure projects. Our Construction Forum wasestablished to give a united voice to our trades, supply chain, architects, surveyors etc.,and early signs are that it will be well received and supported.

It is interesting to read the feature on HM Prison in this edition as I was invited to visitParkhurst earlier in the year. There is a very clear focus on keeping the inmatesconstructively employed as well as receiving education and there is a strong desire towork with business to develop this further.

You’ll be relieved to see that there are not so many words from me this month, so Iwill sign off by wishing you all a pleasant month and hope that the weather stays goodfor a while yet!

Steve Porter, President IWCCTI

Hello and welcome to summer. Atleast, as I write the sun is shining and thetemperature is more or less respectable forthe time of year, long mayit continue!

Of course, with tourism as the Island's majoreconomic activity, the weather plays animportant part in the success or otherwiseof the tourist season. The Island is attractiveat any time but there's nothing like a perfectsummer's day to bring out the best of ourwonderful island environment. Let's hopethat after a slow start the weather is nowset fair and delivers a blistering summer.

Summer is also the time for many of thesuperb events staged here and which helpenormously to bring in the visitors. With thebest of timing, our feature this month looksat the role of events in attracting visitorswho might otherwise not be exposed to allour many attractions.

You can read about the importance of allIsland events in our feature starting on page12 and watch the associated video reportson Island Business Online.

As I write we have just enjoyed anotherJ.P. Morgan Asset Management Round theIsland Race (what a mouthful that is!), the79th running of an event that has become atrue celebration of sailing. For many of theyachts - and there were 1,754 of them thisyear - it's their only race of the year, and thisis one occasion where it's true that takingpart is more important than winning.

You can see all the action from that greatrace in our video report on our sailingwebsite Cowes Online at www.cowes.co.uk.

Sailing is very important to the Island as itattracts so many visitors, both racers andcruisers, and we can only hope that the mostfamous event of all, Cowes Week, canovercome its current problems and attract anew title sponsor in time for 2011.

Next month we're featuring Marine Matters– the importance of our maritime sector, inwhich we'll be looking at the strength orotherwise of this important sector.

Until next month, may the sun shine on you!

Contact the editorial team at:[email protected] telephone 01983 245505.

Visit Island Business Online at:www.islandbusinessonline.co.uk

THE STARTING LINEBY THE EDITOR

Published 27 July• Marine Matters – the importance of

the Island's maritime sector

• Better Business – reducing yourcarbon footprint

• Special Report – mobile phoneapps to help your business

• Company Profile – Alpha Cars

• Chamber Matters – monthly update

IN THE NEXT ISSUEAUGUST 2010

The Isle of Wight Economic Partnership(IWEP) and the Island 2000 Trust havemerged to create a new organisation

called Natural Enterprise.The official launch took place at

Bluebell's Café at Briddlesford Farm lastmonth and was supported by localbusinesses and agencies including theNFU, AONB, CLA, Christopher Scott, andthe Isle of Wight Council.

Brian Friend, Chairman of NaturalEnterprise said: This is a positive movefor both companies that will accelerateour strategy to make a beneficial impacton the Isle of Wight by addressing thecombined needs of the Island's economyand its environment."

Natural Enterprise will provide a widerange of services, both locally andregionally, from their environmentalconsultancy service, economicdevelopment work, and project delivery,through to their work in managingfunding programmes.

Lynn Clarke, Vice Chairman of NaturalEnterprise, said: "This merger is a logicalstep that creates a wealth of opportunityand will enhance the range of work wedo. Our team combines a wide range ofexpertise to deliver practical solutions forour clients."

Natural Enterprise's profits arereinvested for the sole benefit of theIsland, its communities and countryside.

For more information and to find outhow Natural Enterprise can help yourbusiness call them on 01983 535888.

ASAMPSON multi-function radarantenna left the Cowes site of BAE

Systems in May, destined for Glasgowwhere it will be fitted to HMS Defender,the fifth of the Royal Navy's six new Type45 destroyers.

Making the Type 45 the most powerfulair defence destroyer ever operated bythe Royal Navy, SAMPSON is able todetect and track the most potentsupersonic airborne threats, and sits atthe heart of the Type 45’s anti-air missilesystem, known as Sea Viper.

Radar Business Director, Les Gregory,said: "The Isle of Wight should bejustifiably proud of the technologicalachievement that SAMPSON representsand the potential it offers for futureradar development."

The first of the Type 45 destroyers,

HMS Daring, was recently the subject ofa Channel 4 documentary which can stillbe viewed online. The programmefollows the entire process fromconstruction through to testing andusing the new weapons systems at sea,and illustrates how the revolutionarySAMPSON radar operates.

Asurvey commissioned by the SouthEast Food Group Partnership (SEFGP)

to give an improved understanding ofthe Isle of Wight food sector, fromgrowers through to producers andretailers, has found that 70% offarmers/growers and 80% of processorsgave strong support for an Isle of Wight

Food Group.The Isle of Wight Economic Partnership

(now Natural Enterprise - see storyabove) conducted the survey using apostal questionnaire. They also foundthat 43% of farmers and growers haveplans for expansion and 80% ofprocessors have plans for growth.

Merger creates thenatural choice

Island helps build Britain's ultimate warship

Strong support for Island Food Group

Brian Friend, Lynn Clarke and GeoffHughes at the launch event

A SAMPSON radarantenna leaves Cowes

2

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR THE ISLE OF WIGHT

Specialist marine advertising anddesign agency, Creative Partners Ltdhas relocated to the UK's yachting

capital, Cowes on the Isle of Wight.The agency is run by Robin

Petherbridge, originally a yachtingjournalist and professional yacht skipper,who founded the company 15 years agoand has produced advertising andmarketing campaigns for many topnames in the British marine industry atone time or another, in a career spanning25 years.

"In this business, imagination andinspiration are our stock in trade," saidPetherbridge, "so a stimulating workingenvironment is paramount. We've cometo Cowes from Bath, which is one of themost inspiring places in the country, but Ithink Cowes will sharpen our empathy

with the yachting market and give avaluable edge to our understanding ofwhat makes the yachting fraternity tick."

Creative Partners' current work includesthe UK dealer advertising for some of theworld's most glamorous productionmotor yachts, the Rivas, Pershings,Ferrettis, and Mochis from Europe'slargest motor yacht builder, theFerretti Group.

Members of Parliament for the largestand smallest constituencies in the

UK have united, to make clear that anyre-drawing of constituency boundariesshould take particular account of theneeds of island communities.

A debate was called on 15 June by theIsland's MP Andrew Turner in response tosuggestions that there could be one MPrepresenting the majority of the Islandbut other parts of the Island might bemerged with a mainland constituency.

Mr Turner said that islands are "veryspecial communities and special placesthat need special consideration". He alsopointed out that if a part of the Islandwas merged with the mainland it wouldbe reasonable for that MP to live on themainland as the majority of hisconstituents would live there, and he

would not be considered to be part ofthe Island community.

Angus MacNeil, the Scottish NationalMP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (formerly theWestern Isles) pointed out that hisconstituency was already the samelength as Wales and highlighted some ofthe difficulties he faces in serving hisconstituents. He told the Minister that hewould continue to 'make commoncause' with the Isle of Wight.

Mr Turner said: "The Governmentrightly wants to significantly reduce thenumber of MPs and the cost of politics,but there needs to be carefulconsideration about how that worksfor islands with no physical link tothe mainland.

"On the mainland you may be able tosimply redraw constituency borders, but

it won’t work for the Isle of Wight, or forthe Scottish islands. I believe that any MPwho represents the Island needs to bebased here, and Islanders who haveraised the issue with me overwhelminglyagree with that."

Following the release of official figureson freight and passenger movements

to and from the Island, Andrew TurnerMP is supporting a debate on the impactthat high levels of traffic and peoplehave on infrastructure and services.

Statistics show that the total Rollon/Roll off (Ro-Ro) Island traffic at 13mt(million tonnes) is exceeded only byDover with 23mt and Grimsby &Immingham with 14.5mt. The number ofpassengers carried by Island ferries isover nine million per year, with two

thirds of them travelling on car ferries. Incomparison, Dover, the UK's biggestseaport, handles 13m Ro-Ro passengers.

Mr Turner said: "These figures are reallyquite surprising. We need to recogniseand plan for the impact which thesemovements have on our roads, ourinfrastructure and public services.

"The Isle of Wight Council is consultingon transport plans. I would encourageeverybody to join in as the outcomes willbe important to all of us who live, work,and play on our beautiful Island."

Marine ad agencyswaps Bath for Cowes

Roll on, roll off traffic is 13 million tonnes

Output continuesto rise

MPs in 'unlikely alliance'

JULY 2010

3

NEWS

Read international business news on www.islandbusinessonline.co.uk

SEEDA's latest South East PMIreport (purchasing managers

index) has signalled a continuation ofthe rebound in private sector activityin the region.

At 58.7, up from 58.1 in April, theheadline seasonally adjusted BusinessActivity Index indicated a strong risein business activity in May and showedthat South East output continued togrow at a relatively sharp ratecompared to the rest of the UK.

The rate of growth remained strong,and close to the trend over the firstfive months of 2010. Manufacturingagain posted a relatively sharp rate ofexpansion, although services activitycontinued to rise at a rate that wasstronger than the historic trend.

Commenting on the survey, PaulLovejoy, Executive Director at SEEDA,said: "It is encouraging to see thatthe South East economy continues toimprove, as indicated by a furtherstrong rise in business activity in May,which has been supported by anotherrise in recruitment activities. The factthat the region’s economy grew at arelatively strong rate compared to therest of the UK, shows that the SouthEast is able to build on its strengthsas the UK’s economic powerhouse.

"Services activity, which forms thelargest part of the economy,continued to expand at a rate abovethe historic trend. However,continued increases in input pricescould slow the revival, especially formanufacturing companies."

The agency representssome top marine brands

AndrewTurner MP

NEWS

4


This year’s Beirut Boat Show provedthat the Lebanon is back on themap for marine business.

More than $1 billion has been investedin marina development, and a further$20 billion has been set aside for morewaterfront developments.

Barry Groves, International TradeManager for Isle of Wight Chamber ofCommerce, was joined at the event by anumber of UK marine companies, whoexhibited with the support of UK Trade& Investment.

Companies included The World ofYachts & Boats, Wilks Rubber PlasticsManufacturing Ltd, Raymarine,and Sunseeker.

Barry’s discussions with Lebanon'sMinister of Tourism Fady Abboud, theArmed Forces Commander General JeanKahwagi and the President of theRepublic of Lebanon Michel Suleiman,led to the prospect that Fady Abboudwill visit the Island in the near future. Hewishes to understand how the Islandhandles tourism, especially in developingan all year round strategy.

And an importer has expressed a wishto visit the Island where the Chamberwill organise a “meet the buyer” eventespecially for gift manufacturers.

The Beirut Boat Show was held in Mayat La Marina Joseph Khoury in the Beirutsuburb of Dbayyeh.

The Arab Marine Industries Association(AMIA) held a conference at the show,

where industry participants andgovernment officials exchanged ideasrelated to marina development,legislation for maritime activities andcleaning up local waters to grow theMiddle East's boating industry. EdwardAoun, AMIA Secretary General, saidthere was "unexplored potential" in thecoastal areas of the Arab world. Hespoke about the crucial roles marinasplay in creating local businesses. "Marinetourism and private boats remain one ofthe most important components oftourism in Lebanon," he said.

For the second year in a row, theIsle of Wight has led the way in

the delivery of the Europeanfunding programme, knownas LEADER.

Since 2008, 55 projects have beenapproved for funding which equatesto a boost of £813,245 to theIsland’s rural economy, more thanany other Local Action Group (LAG)in the South East.

Judi Griffin, Chairman of the LAGsaid: "LEADER is so important tothe Isle of Wight and has giveninvaluable support to the local ruraleconomy and the communitieswithin it. It’s also been refreshing tosee so many businesses with suchenergy and enthusiasm comingforward with vibrant projects.

"Much of this success is down tothe hard work of the staff atNatural Enterprise, theirdevelopment, appraisal, andmanagement of all the projects aswell as the LAG membersthemselves and their commitmentto this funding programme."

Some of the local projects whichhave received funding in the pastyear alone include an asparagusgrader, a local produce shop withina pub, a storage barn, a deliverytrailer for a wood hub, and a playarea at Gurnard.

Island businesses and not-for-profitorganisations are being urged to sign

up for the Wight Wheels CycleChallenge – a free competition toencourage people to take to theirbikes and discover the joys andbenefits of cycling.

The Wight Wheels Cycle Challenge willsee organisations competing to see whocan get the most staff to cycle for just 10minutes or more, from Monday, 5 toSunday, 25 July, and the Isle of WightChamber of Commerce, Tourism andIndustry has already pledgedits support.

Participants will log their cycling online,with spot prizes for individuals and teamprizes for the teams that get the moststaff cycling. With plenty of prizes andcome-and-try cycle taster sessions atworkplaces, there are lots of incentives

for everyone to get on their bikes andhave some fun!

The Wight Wheels Cycle Challenge isdelivered by CTC Challenge for Change,in partnership with the Council andNHS. As well as helping people toexperience the benefits of cycling it willalso highlight how much carbon staffcan save by cycling.

Lynette Herbst, of Chamber Health,said: "Cycling is cheap – and it’s healthyand fun too. The Cycle Challenge is freeto enter and is for local employers of allsizes, and cyclists of all abilities.

"We want existing cyclists to encouragetheir non-cycling colleagues to get on abike – and I am certainly working on mycolleagues at the Chamber!”

For more information and to register,visit www.wightwheelschallenge.org.uk.

Island represented atBeirut Boat Show

On your bike!

Isle of Wight leadsthe way

An asparagus gradersupported by the

LEADER programme Good results at theBeirut Boat Show

5www.islandbusinessonline.co.uk

The Taste of Summer

Chale Green Stores,Isle of Wight PO38 2JN

Tel: 551201

www.chalegreenstores.co.uk

Café & Deli open 9am - 5pm dailyShop open 8am - 7pm daily

Cowes Yacht Haven, Vectis Yard, High Street, Cowes PO31 7BD

Call 01983 299 975www.cowesyachthaven.com

Cowes Yacht Haven plays host to the most prestigious events on the Island. It is the ideal venue for all forms of corporate hospitality and events, whatever the scale.

With its superb marina position and complete event management service we guarantee you will have an event to remember. Call us today for a free tour.

Cheap travelfor guests

The island’s biggest event is back and you can maximise the business opportunity by snapping up the limited number of hospitality and sponsorship packages that start from just £500.

Hospitality PackagesEvent bannersSampling stands

SponsorshipFlagsParty nights

Your Event Venue With A Difference

Cowes Week Opportunities

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NEWS IN BRIEF

Loving the IslandEmma Bridgewater,supplier of hand-made pottery toChessell Pottery,has designed anexclusive ‘I Love theIsland’ mug.The new mug is handmade and decoratedby Emma Bridgewater Pottery in Stoke-on-Trent, and only available at ChessellPottery, near Calbourne. Chessell Potterymakes blank pottery items for customers todecorate themselves, as well as stockingEmma’s unique hand made shapes.Contact Chessell on 01983 531248.

Start your day at the ChamberBusiness Breakfast ClubThe Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerceis holding a series of 'Business BreakfastClubs' which will take place everytwo months.There will be an opportunity for membersattending to introduce themselves andtheir businesses to the rest of the group,and there will also be ample timefor networking.A full English breakfast or vegetarianoption will be provided, plus tea or coffeeat a cost of £4.00 per person.Telephone 01983 520777 formore information.

Find a European partnerIf you have an innovative product youmay need to find a partner to help bringyour product to market.Enterprise Europe South East UK haslaunched its 'Partner Finder' tool, so youcan search their entire database for theright partner for your business, in any ofthe 44 countries in the network.The tool uses a simple 'keyword' searchand is a great way to find the rightpartner and expand your business intoEurope. Visit www.enterpriseeurope-se.eu/partners for more information.

Joining forcesTwo of the UK’s leading businessdevelopment organisations havejoined forces.Quality South East (QSE) is merging withCapital Quality Ltd (CQL) to formInspiring Business Performance Ltd (IBP),which will be responsible for deliveringthe Investors in People Standard acrossthe South East and London, including theIsle of Wight.IBP will be responsible for managingaround 7,000 organisations that arecurrently recognised as Investors inPeople, 28 per cent of the 25,000recognised in the UK. . For moreinformation, go to www.ibp.uk.com.

6


Mayfield Middle School came outworthy winners of a unique

competition showing skill in designingand building using composites.

Now in its fourth year, the SchoolsDesign Competition was established byThe Worshipful Company of Glass Sellersand is supported by a wide range ofIsland businesses and the Isle of WightChamber of Commerce, Tourismand Industry.

This year’s challenge was to design andfit out model boats to match anoperating function of their ownimagination, and Mayfield won the bestproject award. Other awards went toBishop Lovell, Sandham, Ventnor, andSomerton Middle Schools.

Ideas included boats for camping,collecting ocean debris for recycling,rehabilitation after hospital, and anartists’ retreat.

Among those lending their supportwere Romahome, Cheetah Marine, Gurit,GKN, UKSA, and the Council.

West Wight Sports Centre is celebratinggoing solar, with the help of a loan

from the Isle of Wight Lottery.The centre, in Freshwater, has installed

an array of solar electric and solar hotwater panels, and cavity wall insulation,which will cut its energy bills by at least£3,000 a year, at current prices.

Most of the cost was funded by grantsfrom a range of sources but a £25,000interest free loan from the Isle of WightLottery was needed to assist with cashflow during installation.

Centre Manager Clare Griffin said: “Thecentre is run by a trust, which is a

registered charity. We have always beenkeen to keep our costs down, andreducing our electricity usage will makea big difference to us.

“In the past, we have won awards forwater conservation and energymanagement, so the installation of solarpanels can be seen as a further steptowards making us more environment-friendly, and saving money.”

The installation included 66 photovoltaicpanels generating up to 11.88kw ofelectricity, and 27 solar hot water panels,which are used to heat water in thecentre’s swimming pools.

Aloan from the Isle of Wight Lotteryhas helped the party begin for anew Island business.

Cinderockers provides a venue and allthe trimmings for parties for children agedfrom four to 15, and came to the Lotteryfor help with set-up costs.

Now the business is underway ownerNicky Clarke is excited about the future.

“Our themed party room is alreadyproving popular for girls,” she said. “Butwe can change the theme for boys, andjust about any occasion, too.”

Activities include face painting, dance,karaoke, costumes, and games, and thevenue, on Wootton Bridge High Street,also supplies food and drink, balloons, andcustom-built light and sound equipment.The room includes a stage with discolights, and smoke and bubbles machines.

The business will shortly be Ofstedregistered, and the venue has beendesigned to be fully accessible for childrenwith disabilities, including wheelchair users.

“We believe we are unique on theIsland,” Nicky said, “and we are proud wecan offer such a private, personal, safe andsecure service, which is also great fun. Ifanyone wants to come and see whatwe do, we’re always happy to showpeople round.”

Email [email protected] for info.

Cinderockers helpedby Lottery

Competition winners announced

Lottery spreads sunshine

From left: Jenny Elliott, RebeccaWoodford, Brandon Freeborn, CalebGilliam-Scott, of Mayfield School.


Passionate about sailing

Call 0844 463 6825or visit www.sunsail.co.uk/ibus

Join us between Saturday 31st July and Saturday 7th August 2010 for one of the world’s most famous sailing events. Cowes Week provides everything you need for the perfect summer’s day out! Whether you want to simply spectate from your deck or be part of the race action, Sunsail Events can arrange it for you.

Terms and Conditions: Price is based on six people on board, for one day. Travel to and from Cowes Yacht Haven, Isle of Wight is not included. Sunsail can arrange RIB transport to and from the South coast and overnight accommodation with preferred hotel, price and availability on request.

Your Crew Package at the Races includes:

Prices from - £295 per person

Fancy a day at the

races?

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F RO

M£295per person

Don’t miss out on this year’s greatest race week! Cowes Week

SHOW YOU MEAN BUSINESS,GO BACK TO SCHOOL.

Our MBA will provide you with the opportunity to develop

your strategic problem-solving skills whilst mastering the

latest business research knowledge and practice. We offer

extensive involvement with real organisational issues embedded

in an innovatively designed, AMBA accredited, programme.

To find out more about our wide range of degrees, come along

to one of our regular open evenings – details of which can be

found at www.sharpenyourcompetitiveedge.com

T: 023 9284 8200

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NEWS IN BRIEF

Smoke freeChamber Health is helping Island workersto stub out cigarettes for good.Its stop smoking programme is in operationat Barratt Homes and Romahome, and isexperiencing high success rates.Employees get together weekly withChamber Health’s Stop Smoking AdviserJosslin O’Toole, who is pleased with theirprogress. “Of course, there have beensome slip-ups but I am really pleased withthe effort they all put in,” she said. “Weare currently looking to run moreworkplace groups, so get in touch if youthink your business could benefit.”Contact Josslin O’Toole on 01983 520777.

Get on the mapLocal companies and individuals arebeing invited to put themselves on themap through a sponsorship initiative forthe NatWest Island Games 2011.Businesses can buy squares on a map ofthe Isle of Wight which can then carry acompany logo or image, and a link tothe company's website.Once the squares have been sold, alimited number of posters / mousematswill be produced for sale.Funds raised will be used to assist withthe infrastructure and running costs.For more details, go towww.natwestislandgames2011.co.uk.

Mediation eventSolicitors and other professionals areinvited to a seminar on mediation.Speakers will discuss issues including‘Mediation in today’s world’ and‘Working for settlement’. There will alsobe a panel discussion.The event will include a launch receptionfor The Dispute Mediation ConsultancyLLP, the event sponsors. It will be held atQuay Arts Centre on 6 July, from 1300 to1600, price £7.50 including light lunch.Contact Grant Vincent at [email protected] or 07549 333340.

Test yourself at Chamber eventBusinesses are being given the chance totest themselves on a wide range ofactivities this month.PGL – the Wootton activity centre – ishosting a Chamber networking event on23 July, from 1800 to 2100.The fun will include abseiling, high ropes,zip wires, and dragon boat racing andorganisers say all are great opportunitiesfor organisations to develop team work.A barbecue and refreshments will endthe evening, and the entry fee of £6 perperson will be donated by PLG to theGracie May charity.To book, or for more information, send amessage to [email protected].

8


Amove to new premises has helpedcorporate events and weddingsspecialist Finishing Touches to

move up a gear.The company picked up four event

bookings from passing trade within daysof opening their new shop and storageat Cross Street, Ryde.

The bigger premises make it easier todemonstrate the stock range, and theextra storage space means FinishingTouches can now decorate a completewedding from stock.

Jules Gregory said the range for hirenow includes 56 products, from tealights to table cloths, and a new rangeof stationery.

She said: “We have introduced awedding planning service, and are nowalso getting involved in other events. Wehave recently provided all the equipmentfor a christening party, a hen party, andthe Young Chamber awards night, sothere’s plenty of variety.”

The business is now in its third year,and Jules says the demand for productsthat can add style to an event has neverbeen higher.

The Enchanted Manor, a boutiqueretreat on the Island has launched a

new wedding package with RedFunnel to ensure a magical daywithout the legendary price tag.

The bride and groom can lookforward to an extra special journeyover to the Island with VIP entry to theship’s bridge and a special champagnereception with the captain includingchocolates and a certificate to markthe special occasion. The full weddingpackage starts at £1,900 per couple.

In addition to the VIP travel with RedFunnel Ferries, the happy couple can

look forward to a wedding and mini-moon in a deluxe honeymoon suitewith wine, chocolates and special gifton arrival at The Enchanted Manor. Thepackage also includes a champagnegourmet breakfast each morning,wedding venue hire with PA system,usher and witnesses if required.

For the wedding ceremony, couplescan choose from a choice of locations,including a traditional wedding room,an outside magical woodland area, afairytale themed outside setting orthe new Alice in Wonderland teaparty area.

St John Ambulance has launched acampaign to highlight the importance

of first aid skills after research revealedthat 60 per cent of people wouldn’t knowwhat to do in an emergency.

It is highlighting the most commonscenarios when people need first aid.

The charity is also offering a free pocket-sized guide, which details how to handlelife-threatening situations. It is availablefrom www.sja.org.uk.

Under Health & Safety (Legislation), (FirstAid) Regulations 1981 an employer isrequired to provide, or ensure that thereare provided, such equipment and facilitiesas are adequate and appropriate in thecircumstances for enabling first aid to be

rendered to employees if they are injuredor become ill at work.

The rules state that an employer mustprovide a suitable number of persons forrendering first aid to employees. Theymust have received proper training andhave qualifications approved by the Healthand Safety Executive, such as St JohnAmbulance, 4 Day First Aid at Work, alongwith additional training as appropriate.

An employer should make an assessmentof first aid needs appropriate to thecircumstances of each workplace.

There is no fixed level for the provisionof first aid but each employer mustassess what facilities and personnelare appropriate.

Doing it in style

An enchanted wedding venue

Stay up to date on first aid

Table decorations at the YoungChamber Awards event


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BETTER BUSINESS

10


T eam building activities can helpoverall performance byimproving communication,removing boundaries, and

developing relationships. During relevantactivities team members will often learnthings about themselves but moreimportantly will learn about their otherteam members too.

Team building events can vary frominteractive exercises to team assessmentsand group discussions.The key is to createa level playing field for all members to beable to participate as Simon Hedley,Business Development Manager forOndeck explained: "By assessing a team'scompetencies and behaviours, activitiescan be undertaken which display howindividuals can be integrated to providethe strongest and best performing unit."

There are many different ways ofbuilding effective teams and Phil Keen,Director of First Contact Active Leisuresaid: "One of the most cost-effective and

powerful ways of bonding individuals andbuilding a team is to have a sharedexperience, outside of the workplacewhich is fun and exciting."

Importance of having good teamsMost people are part of a team in someform or another. Whatever team you arepart of you will function better if you havea strong sense of worth and anunderstanding of the team's missions.

Every team member must feel valued inorder to perform to their optimum anddrive the overall success of the team: "Theproper functioning and successfuldevelopment of any company or

organisation largely depends on this teamwork efficiency," said Louise Eddom,Marketing Manager for Leopard.

Team building exercises may suit oneteam member better than the others andthis is a perfect opportunity for thestronger members to help and encouragethe weaker ones. "Certain exercises mayresult in the usual roles that differentteam members play changing, so that ateam leader in a work situation maytake a supporting role being lessexperienced in the chosen activitythan others," said Phil.

Generating team ethosPeople need to be aware of the team thatthey function within and you can reinforcethe team message by holding teammeetings, tracking the overall team'sperformance, and circulating team news.

Often the most effective way toencourage a team is self esteem."Respect for each other as well as oneanother's roles within the company, gelsindividual effort into team performance,"said Simon.

Successful team building exercises arethose in which the team can worktogether towards a common goal, whilehaving a chance to relax outside theirnormal working environment. There aremany different activities which lendthemselves to this, and each group willhave different requirements: "Team gamesand exercises can be both useful and funso long as the right activity is chosen for aparticular group," said Louise.

We interact with many groups or teams on a daily basis, and we can all facesimilar challenges brought about by the varying dynamics of different groups.Team building can help us to perform appropriately within our groups both inour working and personal lives.

Zara MacAlisterexploresopportunities forteam building.

The Island offers lots ofopportunities for teambuilding activities

Contributors

Simon Hedley, BusinessDevelopment Manager - Ondeckwww.ondeck.co.ukOndeck offer sailing, racing, andtraining experiences onboard theirvaried fleet of yachts.

Louise Eddom, MarketingManager, Leopardwww.leopard3.comLeopard offer team building andcorporate sailing and racing onboardtheir 100ft Super Maxi.

Phil Keen, Director - First ContactActive Leisurewww.islandactivities.co.ukSpecialists in organising group events,and can offer a wide range of teambuilding activities.

Team buildingfor business

How can teams help motivation?It's more enjoyable to work in a team than in isolation.

Interaction within the team can help problem solving andstimulate innovation.

Strong team ethos will generate a sense of loyalty towardsother members.

The competitive element will drive better individualperformance, improving the team's success.

JULY 2010


CHAMBER INTERVIEW

Information and communicationstechnology is crucial to manybusinesses. In his Expert's Viewcolumn Jonathan Thornton,Technical Services Director of Ryde-based IT provider, PC Consultantsoffers his views on how to get thebest from ICT.

The need for speed - part 1

Boo.com was a fashionwebsite launched in theautumn of 1999 and in

many ways a prime example ofdotcom fever. Having spent over$135 million of venture capitalin 18 months it was placed intoreceivership on 18 May 2000.

One reason cited for thedownfall of Boo.com was theslow loading times as a result ofthe speed of common internetconnections. At that time thebulk of users were connectingusing traditional dial-up internetwhich resulted in load times ofseveral minutes for the mainpage. Compare that with todaywhere using an averagebroadband connection wouldgive load times in seconds.

According to internet statisticscompany Ookla, creators ofspeedtest.net and pingtest.net -the United Kingdom has anaverage download internetspeed of 7.69 Mbps - effectively100 times quicker than dial-up.This of course has resulted in areal change in how we use theinternet, with developers anddesigners creating websites richin content. Take sites such asYouTube or BBC iPlayer, nowcapable of streaming highdefinition video - somethingwhich would have beenpreviously impossible. Orsatellite imagery from GoogleMaps combined with the StreetView option which would beunusable without broadbandconnectivity.

Yet while it is common to seedownloads speeds quoted,another factor is the uploadspeed of your connection, in thiscase the national averageupload speed is just 0.89 Mbps.Why is this important? Take for

example a small business whichhas a variety of staff, someoffice based with others workingremotely. The remote usersperhaps use some form ofsecure Virtual Private Networkconnection and directly accessfiles on a central office server. Inthis case upload speed isimportant as this determineshow quickly the data can besent from the central office andthen downloaded by the remoteuser. Take another example, thatof sending an email with avariety of attachments, photos,documents, etc.; upload speedis significant as this will affectthe actual time taken to sendthat email.

In reality the UK featurespretty far down the list when itcomes to internet speeds. Forthe 12 month period betweenMay and June this year Ooklaranked this country in 33rdplace. PC Consultants have anoverseas programming anddesign office in the Republic ofMoldova where the internetinfrastructure is significantlyfaster; as a country they rank inthird place with an averagespeed of 21.38 Mbps.

A fast, stable internetconnection is increasingly vitalfor a modern business asdowntime and speed can have areal negative impact. Nextmonth we will explore some ofthe current and upcomingoptions available to us hereon the Isle of Wight.

Contact:Jonathan at PC Consultants on01983 811711www.pcctechservices.co.ukJonathan.thornton@pcconsultants.co.uk

THE EXPERT’S VIEWINFORMATION & COMMUNICATONS TECHNOLOGY

sponsored by

Successful team building activitiesAn important part of team building is to assess the needs andabilities of the team, and select a suitable activity. Following theevent it's important to discuss the activity and evaluate theteam's achievements.

From sailing to clay pigeon shooting, 4x4 driving to RIB treasurehunts, there are many activities which lend themselves tomember participation, and the Island is the perfect place for it.With around half of the Island designated AONB, manycompanies travel here to give employees an opportunity to getaway from the hustle and bustle of the office.

Given the Island's location, one of the most popular teambuilding events is sailing, and there are many companies offeringdifferent sailing experiences from dinghy sailing to large, fullycrewed boats.

Sailing is an ideal platform to demonstrate the importance ofteamwork in achieving goals. Linklaters LLP, a London law firm,often retreat to the Island to take part in sailing activities. PaulDoe, Linklaters Secretarial Assistant said: "The aim is toencourage group collaboration, to strengthen exsisting bondsand create a feeling of friendship within the firm. The team spiritcreated by competing together on a boat has contributed to myworking relationship with many of my colleagues."

Louise added: "By provoking physical and mental challenges tobe overcome through leadership and co-operation, positiveemotions are evoked coupled with a sense of adventure, andultimately an overwhelming sense of achievement!"

Overall benefitThe benefits of a team building activity are clear in the improvedperformance of the employees which contributes to the teamperformance and ultimately the company's continued success.

Simon commented on the outcome a company can expectafter a day of team building and said: "The results areimmediately measurable and by fine tuning the team theperformance improvement can be measured and the learningexperiences aligned with success."

Daniel Potter from Mace Technology experienced team buildingwith Ondeck and said: "I cannot state enough how importantthese days are for bringing a team together and promoting unity.We have really noticed the difference in our suppliers' andcontractors' attitudes to each other since the last outing, it alsohelps to have a few funny stories to share a drink over."

Team building can be really beneficial to your company,providing it's organised properly. As with many things a badlystructured day out will be a waste of time and money and couldhave a negative effect on the team. There are many peopleoffering team building opportunities on the Island, and manydifferent activities are available to suit different requirements.

FEATURE

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T he Isle of Wight offers a uniqueenvironment in which to stageentertainment and sportingevents. The Island’s outdoor

venues are set against beautiful coastaland downland landscapes, or close toimpressive historical features. The ferrytrip from the mainland can add to thesense of occasion for Island visitors whoare attending one of the big summerevents, such as the music or outdoorfestivals. And of course the sail to theIsland to compete in racing competitions,or simply join in the fun during CowesWeek or the Old Gaffers Festival, is anadventure in itself. Island Businesswanted to find out how event organiserscapitalise on these natural assets in order

to stage successful and profitable events.One of the main focuses of effort is

maximising the Island’s potential whileprotecting its heritage and naturalbeauty. The Island’s heritage status andAreas of Outstanding Natural Beauty(AONB) are clearly a draw in marketingevents. "When people come down hereto walk or to cycle, they also take in allthat beautiful countryside," said ElaineCesar, Senior Events Officer for the Isle ofWight Cycling Festival.

On the other hand, this creates extraresponsibilities for promoters. "We workvery closely with the AONB and theycarry out analysis for both the Walkingand Cycling Festivals. And on ourwebsite and in our programmes, we

promote and emphasise the countrysidecode," Elaine explained.

The National Trust raised objections tothe three-day Hawkfest that will takeplace at East Afton Farm – site of thelegendary 1970 Isle of Wight Pop Festival– over the August Bank Holidayweekend. Meanwhile, a number of localresidents focused on potential damage tothe land when objections were raised tolast year’s Summer Madness event,

With the holiday season in full flow, the Island Business team talked toa number of event organisers about the unique opportunities andchallenges that event management on the Island presents.

Festival Island –how music, sport, and eventsput the Island on the map

James Kerr, CathyBudden, ZaraMacAlister, andDebs Allan explorethe Island's eventsector.

Fun at the Bestival

Photo: Carl Sukonik (2009)

JULY 2010

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FEATURE

Watch video reports and business profi les on www.islandbusinessonline.co.uk

explained promoter John Curd, who saidthat Island events promoters need to besqueaky clean when it comes toenvironmental impact: "We have got tobe careful with trees, hedges, andhedgerows, and the land generally. Afterlast year’s event, we had a team thatwent through the site with a finetoothcomb and picked up every singlepiece of rubbish," he said.

TravelMost Island events promoters work veryclosely with transport facilitators. "Theferry and bus companies have been veryhelpful. The thing is, it’s business forthem," said John Curd, a fact clearlyborne out by the sponsorship that theferry operators provide to various events.

"We have sponsorship for the Walkingand Cycling Festivals from Red Funneland Wightlink, which is invaluable," saidElaine Cesar.

"Wightlink promote us through theirmainland publications," said Darren Cool,Park Manager at Robin Hill. "They tellpeople about our events, and they putmoney in the pot to help us put them onand market them more successfully."

OvernersBringing visitors over from the mainlandand encouraging them to spend moneyon the Island is clearly a major economicbenefit of the Island’s event business.Interestingly, the breakdown of local andmainland attendees at Island events issimilar among the various festivals, withan estimated 50/50 split for the Walkingand Cycling festivals, Summer Madnessand the Garlic Festival.

Although it’s an extra cost, Darren Coolreckons the cross-Solent journey is a‘USP’ for Island events. "I think the greatthing about coming to the Island for anevent is that visitors have to come on theferry, which makes it a slightly differentweekend away; they've got to travelacross water and use different modes oftransport to get here," he said.

Bestival’s Rob da Bank said: "There’s somany people who now use our event aspart of their holiday; they come here andthey go on somewhere else, or they stayin a B&B while they’re at Bestival andcome in and out of the site; it’s becomean extended holiday event."

Council helpIsle of Wight Council backing is of coursecrucial to an event’s success. As well asdetermining whether events can goahead or not, through processes such asthe granting of premises licenses, it hasthe ability to raise the profile of Island-based events. The Council has a hugeamount of goodwill towards theMinghella Film Festival, the charitableevent that has famously attracted anumber of VIP visitors to the Island,according to the Festival’s ManagingDirector, Gioia Minghella.

While the Council was not initially keenon the idea of Summer Madness, JohnCurd said his 30 years of experience inthe music business and reassurances thatthe event would remain small-scalehelped him gain backing. "The Council isobviously concerned with trafficmanagement and how you get 10,000people on and off the site. Wepersuaded them to let us go ahead, and

last year was pretty successful. Weproved ourselves to the Council, as wellas the police, fire, ambulance, and thetraffic people," he said.

The Garlic Festival also has a goodrelationship with the Council, accordingto David Holmes: "They help us withthings like the bike racks, and while theCouncil gets a lot of bad press with theirred tape and bureaucracy – the volumeof form filling is daunting – they’vealways been very supportive.

"One of the greatest things they do forus is to promote our event on theirwebsite, as they do other Island events.It’s good that they understand that this isan event that is popular andworthwhile," said David.

"Ever since we started the Bestivalseven years ago, pretty much everyonefrom the Council, fire, police, ambulance,and ferries have all been up for aconversation with us," said Rob da Bank."But you don’t get any favours," hecontinued. "You still have to do thehealth and safety checks; there’s a lot ofred tape that you have to go through;the police bills are still big; and we haveto have a mobile hospital on site. Youpay a lot of money for these things, butif the event is a success, you can’tcomplain!" he said.

Securing licences and insurance isexpensive and time-consuming. "Thevolume of rules and regulations can beoverwhelming," said David Holmes. "Butyou soon realise that there is a potentialfor things to go wrong and so you aregrateful that it is as comprehensive as itis, because you need to have thoughteverything through carefully."

Cowes Week Walking Festival

Robin HillRobin Hill isfamous forhosting Bestival,which has growndramatically in ashort space oftime, picking up

numerous awards along the way. Thesuccess of the Bestival relationshiphas encouraged the board of directorsto explore more event opportunitiesat Robin Hill, according to ParkManager, Darren Cool.

In the past 10 years, the number offamily groups visiting the park hashalved, while the number of visitorswithout children has doubled. AsDarren pointed out, any sensiblebusiness has to evolve to take accountof a changing customer base.

"Our garden show is targeted at the40-years plus group that lives on theIsland, which is quite an untappedmarket. We've set out in the last fewyears to change the park from afamily attraction to appeal to all ages,and we've spent money developingour woodland gardens," said Darren.

Robin Hill will host an outdoor cinemaevent at the end of August inconjunction with Isle of Wight Radioand another event partner. "No-one'sreally done this on the Island beforebut we know there are a lot of visitorsat that time of year, and there’s notmuch going on in the evenings. Wethink this is an opportunity to tap intoanother new market," said Darren.

According to Darren, the managementteam has invested money inimproving infrastructure. "We sufferedin 2008, when nearly 3.5 inches ofrain fell on the site before Bestivalopened. We've put in new track ways,more drainage and better facilities forparking," said Darren.

Robin Hill won the Chamber ofCommerce Island Business of the Yearin 2009. "I think Robin Hill has astrong management team; we focuson customer service to quite atargeted market," concluded Darren.

See Darren talk about Robin Hill onIsland Business Online; and also visitwww.robin-hill.com.

Bestival

Right from the start Bestival has hada solid partnership with eventlocation Robin Hill. "Simon Dabelland Darren Cool are both very savvybusinessmen and saw the potentialof putting on what at the time was akind of risk. They have stuck with us– the first year was a big success,and it’s snowballed from there," saida justifiably proud Rob da Bankreflecting on another event sell-outin 2010.

"We never take it for granted thatwe will sell out, and we’re up to46,000 tickets now, which is a lot oftickets to sell," he said. Quality line-ups partly explain Bestival’scontinued success, but Rob alsoknows his customer base: "We’vedone a lot of research and only 25%of people say they come because ofthe acts; 75% of people say theycome because of the atmosphere.

"I think all the exciting ideas that wetry and do, whether that’s our greeneco fields, some of the unusual stuff– Morris dancing and the WI tea tent– and the local stuff, the food, are allpart of the picture," he reflected.

Another element of Bestival’s appealis its independent spirit in a marketthat often embraces corporatesponsorship. "We are 100%independent. We’ve been offeredmoney by some of the bigger festivalgroups, but part of Bestival’s successis that it’s got minimal sponsorship,"said Rob.

With a new a contract in place withRobin Hill for the next few years,"The future of Bestival is on theIsland," concluded Rob.

Watch the full interview with Rob daBank on Island Business Online;Bestival takes place 9–12 September.Further details are available atwww.bestival.net.

FEATURE

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Going to marketMarketing is another costly part of eventpromotion, but everyone agrees that asuccessful campaign is key to getting anIsland event off the ground, particularlywith regard to attracting mainlandvisitors. "We advertise quite heavily onthe mainland," said Elaine Cesar.

Targeting campaigns in the right areasis crucial. The Garlic Festival focuses onnational food magazines and TV shows,such as Saturday Kitchen, during whichthe event is likely to be mentioned.

Digital media have allowed some eventorganizers to reach out further to aninternational audience. The MinghellaFilm Festival uses social networking toengage with film fans overseas. Andaccording to Michelle Warner, Sales &Marketing Director for Cowes Week Ltd.:"Online media gives us an opportunity toextend the reach of our event."

Local press campaigns are clearly animport part of the marketing mix. TheCounty Press has been "extrasupportive" of the 2010 SummerMadness event, and the promotersdecided to offer the newspaper freecompetition tickets in exchange fordiscounts on advertising space. JohnCurd said the Island’s paper got behindthe event after its successful first year."They weren’t quite as supportive lastyear as they could have been, but theeditor and the main music journalistcame to the event, thought it wasfabulous, and now they assure us theyare on our side. I think they did a similarthing to John Giddings; they were a bit‘anti’ to begin with but now they arefully supportive."

The Council publicises its outdoorevents in the County Press and theBeacon as well as on Isle of Wight Radio.But as Elaine Cesar pointed out, most

Big Blue

Walking and CyclingFestivals

The Isle of WightWalking andCycling Festivalshave both beenrunning formore than 10years. Both have

benefitted from thorough businessplanning, according to Elaine Cesar ofthe Isle of Wight Council Events team.PR is targeted at national walking andcycling magazines, while local radiocampaigns reach Island residents.

"We encourage journalists toparticipate in the cycling and walkingevents and a few years ago, when weintroduced our Speed Dating Walk, awriter from the Daily Telegraph puthalf a page in the paper for us, andwe subsequently had 500 phone callsabout the event!"

Support from the ferry companies isinvaluable according to Elaine, andboth events benefitted until recentlyfrom sponsorship by Ordnance Survey.The Council continues to seekcorporate backing, and Columbiasportswear were clothing sponsor forthis year’s Walking Festival.

Elaine believes the benefits to theIsland economy from the two outdoorevents are immense. "Fifty per cent ofparticipants come from the mainland,and of course they stay here andspend time on the Island, so our hotelsand other local businesses benefit."

The Walking and Cycling Festivalsclearly benefit from Council ownershipand resourcing. Elaine pointed out thatthe Council raises the profile of otherevents through www.isleofwight.com.The Council is also developing aninformation pack for promoters thatexplains how to go about staging anevent. A blueprint of how to start anIsland event will appear on theCouncil website shortly.

The Cycling Festival takes place 18–26September; the (October) WalkingFestival is 22–25 October. For furtherinformation, watch the video reporton Island Business Online or visitwww.sunseaandcycling.com andwww.isleofwightwalkingfestival.co.uk.

The Garlic FestivalFrom smallbeginnings in1983, the GarlicFestival nowattracts over20,000 visitors.David Holmes,

Chairman of the festival, thinks this isabout understanding the event’s corecustomer base and giving satisfaction.

"I think people have a sense, whenthey have a day out, as to whetherthey have had value for money, andthat drives people to recommend theevent," he said. "I’ve got lots ofchildren; so, as you do when you’vegot children, you try and make surethere is something for everyone; forpeople of all ages."

The event’s organisers believe thatgood advance publicity is a key tosuccess, and to this end pass ontickets to opinion-formers. The GarlicFestival was recently featured in theSunday Times and the Daily Telegraph.

"Local food, which is one of ourcornerstones, has become somethingin which people are more interested;the media tend to be quite interestedtoo. And garlic is quirky, so that givesus our USP," said David.

Mindful of the economic downturn,the management team has held ticketprices in recent years. "We’ve donethat deliberately and willingly, but itwas a tough decision because in realterms, income is declining. And minorsponsorship is no longer quite so easyto come by," he said.

David said it’s important to keep aneye on the competition: "We travelaround constantly, looking at otherfestivals, and try to make oursdifferent each year. The last thing wewant is people saying, ‘We went therelast year and the year before, let’s notbother this year’, so I think you’ve gotto constantly re-invent yourself andup the ante to bring people backagain and again."

The Garlic Festival takes place over14–15 August. Further details areavailable by watching the video reporton Island Business Online and byvisiting www.garlic-festival.co.uk.

JULY 2010

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FEATURE


marketing spend is allocated to themainland, because both events aredesigned to encourage visitors to theIsland and increase tourist revenues.

The strategy is similar at Robin Hill,where 75% of marketing spend goestowards advertising to people en routeor through campaigns that are runelsewhere on the mainland. Theremaining 25% of marketing spend isallocated to the local press. But DarrenCool explained that the managementteam has changed their marketingstrategy following the results of a surveywhich showed that a lot more people arenow staying with family and friends onthe Island, rather than in guesthousesand caravan parks.

The team concluded that a good pitchto Islanders, for example offeringunlimited free returns for seven days,would put their venue high on the list ofplaces and events that they wouldrecommend to visiting guests.

Counting the costsObtaining licences, insurance, andrunning ad campaigns requires deeppockets, as Rob da Bank pointed out:"You need to have really good financialsupport; festivals aren’t cheap. It’smillions of pounds to put on a festival forover 40,000 people; even to start a5,000-capacity festival, you need tens, ifnot hundreds of thousands of pounds.

"At the end of the day, you've got totake a bit of risk. If the weather turnsbad and enough people don't come, ornot enough tickets are sold, there is arisk element."

Darren Cool agreed: "Any business hasto be a little open-minded if they wantto tackle open-air events. They arevery costly and very time-consumingto organise."

Photo: Julian Winslow

Film Festival

Summer MadnessSummerMadness is thebrainchild ofJohn Curd, apromoter withmore than 30years experience

in the music events business. He sawa gap in the market for a ‘boutique’event on the Island and spotted twofields adjacent to a farm atCarisbrooke that could accommodatearound 10,000 people. "I knew thefarmer," said John, "so I approachedhim and he said, ‘yeah, fine!'" A dealto rent the fields was agreed on theproviso that the promoter handledlicensing, traffic management, andother logistics.

Summer Madness has benefittedfrom a clear business plan. The eventhas a target audience of 30- to 60-year-olds, a group that John said isnot that interested in the usualfestival format of 50 bands acrossthree stages. The Summer Madnessconcept is simple; a few bands onone stage, with a headliner who willgo on at 9pm and come off at 10.30.

The Island has developed a festivalinfrastructure that reduces some ofthe headaches of staging events aswell as creating opportunities forlocal suppliers. "It has become‘Festival Island’ over the last coupleof years, and there is now quite a lotof equipment stationed on the Islandthat we can quickly access,"explained John.

John Curd’s business plan is to runSummer Madness for the next fouror five years, possibly becoming atwo-day event. "We don’t wantcamping, but a two-day event wouldhalve our costs. The Council haveindicated that if the 2010 event goesaccording to plan, they mightconsider it," he said.

Watch the full interview with JohnCurd on Island Business Online;Summer Madness takes place on 29August, the Bank Holiday weekend.Further details are available atwww.iowsummermadness.com.

Minghella FilmFestival

The MinghellaFilm Festival wasan idea thatAnthony hadlong before hedied, explainedGioia Minghella.Fulfilling her

brother’s ambition has been a truelabour of love for Gioia who likensthe experience to setting up abusiness: "A huge amount ofhomework, time, energy andresourcefulness were required,"she said.

The Minghella family was able todraw on existing family involvementin the field of performance arts, butapplying business principles – forexample, determining that a marketexists for the product, being able toaccess funding, and being able todraw upon and organize the talentsof a team of dedicated individuals –have all been crucial elements ingetting the event off the ground.

The Film Festival is using the latestmarketing tools to reach out to aninternational audience. "StephenIzatt of Thinkfarm has provided avery good website and my youngerdaughter has done a lot of socialnetworking for us; we tweet, and wehave got a Facebook page, and thatreally helps to promote the festival,"she said.

All of these factors have enabled thefestival to fulfil all of its aims, whicharen't just about celebrating AnthonyMinghella’s achievements, but alsoabout inspiring and helping youngpeople. Any money that is raised hasbeen directed towards local charitiesfor the benefit of young people, forexample the Youth Trust and theBarely Born Appeal at St Mary's. "Iknow that Anthony would have lovedthe event as a memorial because it’sa thing that is growing andultimately helps people," said Gioia.

For more on the Minghella FilmFestival, watch the video on IslandBusiness Online and visitwww.minghellafilmfestival.com

FEATURE

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SponsorshipThe economic downturn has affected theability of Island-based promoters tosecure corporate backing for events. Thedifficulties of Cowes Week to attract atitle sponsor to replace Skandia are well-documented, and the Council has lostthe backing of Ordnance Survey for itsWalking and Cycling Festivals. But localbusiness support is also crucial, accordingto Elaine Cesar. "Not only does it helpus, but we can promote the businessesnationally on the website, in ournewsletters, and in other promotionalmaterial," she said.

The Minghella Film Festival could nottake place without the generosity of thelocal business community according toGioia Minghella, who singled out forpraise the efforts of student members ofthe Island’s Young Chamber of Commerce.

VenuesMost of the large events that take placeare outdoors and to be successfulfavourable relations with landowners andhost venues are just as important asgood weather. The Garlic Festival startedat The Garlic Farm but is now run by aseparate organisation. "Having conceivedand helped to run the festival for anumber of years, we are delighted that itcontinues to flourish under the currentmanagement," said the Garlic Farm’sColin Boswell.

Finding venues was a difficult issue forGioia Minghella. "Although we havesome marvelous places here, we'd loveto put on music concerts, but you need avery large concert area in order to makethat possible. And whilst we havewonderful open-air summer events here,such as those at Osborne House, indoorauditoriums with fantastic sound facilitiesthat are really worthy of the quality ofevents we are bringing here is somethingthat challenges us."

Island opportunities"Island events represent an opportunityfor local businesses insofar as we alwayswanted to use local businesses that werewilling to support us,” said John Curd."Last year, nearly 95% of our labour waslocal and all the toilets were locallysourced because there is now a lot ofequipment on the Island," he explained.

David Holmes said the Garlic Festivalteam tries as hard as it can to make surethat the majority of the food and


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Tel: 01983 284300 - e-mail: [email protected] - www.ondeck.co.ukBases in: UK: Cowes/Gosport/Portsmouth/London; Portugal: Vilamoura; Antigua: Falmouth Harbour and USA: Charleston SC

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Also:

> Corporate hospitality> Cowes Week - Sailing and shoreside hospitality> Atlantic sailing> Caribbean regattas> RYA Sailing and Powerboat school> Bespoke Industry Regattas> Bareboat and skippered charter

Cowes WeekAt its peak,Cowes Weekcould claim8,500competitors andaround 100,000visitors each

year. Although the regatta hasrecently had difficulties in attractinga new title sponsor, following thewithdrawal of Skandia in 2008, itsimportance to the Island economycannot be underestimated.

The economic climate has had aninevitable impact on an already verycompetitive sponsorship market, andconditions continue to be quitechallenging, according to MichelleWarner of Cowes Week Ltd. However,she remains firmly optimistic that theevent will continue to attract hugenumbers of competitors andspectators, as well as the interest ofcorporate partners: "Cowes Week isa unique event and a greatsponsorship property and we arestill working hard to secure aheadline sponsor."

Cowes Week Ltd. has attracted anumber of new supporting sponsorsfor the 2010 event, including Gill,Tropicana, and Mountgay Rum. Thelatest on the title sponsorship is thatongoing discussions are taking placewith three prospective sponsors, butMichelle acknowledged that there isonly an outside chance of securing adeal in time for this year’s event.

Cowes Week has been going since1826 and it’s a very successfulsporting event. In spite of the currentdifficulties, Michelle stressed that theregatta is under no threatwhatsoever. In spite of the verychallenging economic conditions, shesaid Cowes Week Ltd. has got a solidbudget in place. "To the outsideworld, it will all look to be businessas usual, and the event is in reallygood shape," she concluded.

Watch the full interview withMichelle Warner on Island BusinessOnline; for more information onCowes Week, which takes place 31July–7 August, go towww.cowesweek.co.uk.

FEATURE

18


produce sold is from local suppliers andlocal sources: "The festival is a veryimportant market place for some of theIsland’s food producers."

The Bestival management teamunderstood the mutual benefits orworking with local suppliers from thestart. "It’s was absolutely essential thatwe developed a good relationship, notjust with Robin Hill, but the wholeIsland," said Rob da Bank. "Our ethoshas always been to try to work witheveryone from local food suppliers tolocal traders and craftsmen, so that theevent is as Island-focused as possible."

John Curd calls the Isle of Wight the‘Festival Island’: "Over the last few ofyears, we’ve had the Isle of WightFestival and then Bestival, and the WightAir event for a while, which went toBrighton last year," he recalled.

The fortunes of Wight Air, which hasdisappeared from the national festivalcalendar after only 1 year at Brighton,demonstrate what a tough market it isfor event organizers. But the gap in themarket will hopefully be filled by Island-based marketing company Into the Blue,which launches the sports event ‘BigBlue’ at Yaverland on 17–19 September."An emerging event will take time togrow, but we hope that the localcommunity will lend its support and willsee the long-term benefits of having anextreme sports festival on the Island,"says Jo Grindley, Managing Directorof Into The Blue.

Credit CrunchWith its lack of a headline sponsor,Cowes Week is counting the cost of theeconomic downturn, but in 2009,despite the global recession, entrynumbers held up really well according toMichelle Warner: "I think people need a

little bit of respite. There’s all this doomand gloom and people need to spendtime doing the things they’re passionateabout – Cowes Week is one of thosethings," she explained.

Rob da Bank agreed: "Even with therecession, people of all ages still want togo to festivals."

In spite of tough trading conditions, theevents promoters we spoke to areoptimistic about the future. GioiaMinghella said: "Our festival next yearwill focus on the films that Anthonyproduced. We worked with local filmdirector Bruce Webb, who founded theIW Short Film Festival, this year, and nextyear we are going to expand our ownfilm competition."

Darren Cool believes that with theCouncil’s encouragement, more events canhappen on the Island. But he stresses thatpromoters need to develop great ideasand be committed to staging them here.He advises promoters to fully engage withthe Council and get them onboard.

Flying the Island flag"I think many people on the Islandunderestimate the importance of the bignational events that happen here, saidDarren Cool.

"They probably do more to put the Isleof Wight on the national andinternational map than all our tourismdestination marketing."

Waving her Island flag with anenthusiasm to match that of her latebrother, Gioia Minghella said: "The Isleof Wight needs great events; it needsthings to be really successful and reallyworthy of a world stage. We want tohave an event here, like Cowes, which isthe sailing event in the calendar. Weneed to aim to have cultural events ofthe same class."

Cycling Festival

SPECIAL REPORT

20


This development has encouragedcutting edge marine, composites,green energy industries, and othercompanies to relocate here.

Additional, apparently unrelated factorssuch as the Isle of Wight music festivalshave also raised the Island's profile withmainland businesses and investors whohave property requirements, according toNick Callaghan from Hose Rhodes Dickson.

There has been little difference here in theeffects of the financial crisis, with anapparent continuing lack of available creditfor business. Investor and occupier demand

has seen either a flight to quality, a movetowards discounting, or inertia. The currentcommercial market trends reflect this.

IndustrialLaurie Gavaghan of Gavaghan Jones LLPremembers driving to Cowes and seeingthe giant hovercrafts leave what was thenthe British Hovercraft Corporation (BHC)factory on East Cowes seafront. "At thattime most employment was in the touristsector or with the major employers such asBHC, Elliot Turbo Machinery, Britten-Norman, or Temperature. Times have

changed and many of the old factories andthe few examples of heavy industry havelong gone.

Laurie continued: "Twenty years agomany people thought the Island was slowlysinking forever into high rates ofunemployment and little business potential,but if you look around today, thankfully,they have been proved wrong.

"Business is growing at a steady rate andthe Isle of Wight has one of the mostencouraging economic growth rates in theSouth East. The commercial property sectorhas and will play an important role in theIsland's continued success," Laurie believes.

According to the British PropertyFederation: "The commercial propertyindustry is a significant part of the UKeconomy. It provides competitive space inwhich to do business, is an important assetfor pension fund and individual investment,and contributes to the provision of jobs andregeneration in our communities."

This is just as true for the Island as it is forthe mainland. When firms like BHC andTemperature closed, many thought it wasthe end for these sites. But investors heldon to the sites, and some, such as the oldTemperature factory site have beentransformed into successful industrial parks.

Laurie went on: "We should also considerthe impact on the Island economy thisgrowth in the commercial property sectorhas had. Millions of pounds have beeninjected directly into the local economythrough the development of new sites andthe expansion and redevelopment ofexisting sites in Newport such as Dodnor,River Way, and the St Cross Business Park.

"Many local contractors, sub-contractors,and suppliers have benefited from thisexpansion and growth in the commercialsector. Once units are built and occupied,

Traditionally, the Island's employment and socio-demographic profile,together with the stretch of water separating us from the mainland,have meant it was 'different' here, an unknown quantity. But local andregional agencies have identified unique selling points, such as theIsland's stable workforce, and have pump-primed development.

The Island'scommercialpropertymarket

Edited by LouisaMamakou, withcontributions fromHose RhodesDickson, GavaghanJones LLP, Scotcher& Co, GullyHoward, WatsonBull & Porter, andNatural Enterprise.

The Hermitage, St Catherine'sDown. Imposing hotel with large

grounds and woodland, SOLD.

Credit: Gully Howard

JULY 2010

21See digital versions of Island Business Magazine on www.islandbusinessonline.co.uk

CHAMBER INTERVIEW

Security issometimes treatedas an afterthoughtby businesses butin today's world it is vital to considerall aspects of security at work as partof your essential business operations.In his Expert's View column MarkLee, Director of Lifeline AlarmSystems will bring you the latestupdates, information, and tips toreduce crime locally and withinyour business.

The walk-in crime

This month we areconcentrating on an areathat has affected many

local businesses. One of therecent areas in which we haveseen an increase in crime iswhat is known as ‘walk-in’burglaries. This has beenespecially so in the commercialand business sectors.Businesses and staff membersalike have experienced lossesfrom callers to their buildings.During economicallychallenging times manyorganisations have chosen toreduce staffing costs or jobshare. As a result receptionareas may be manned by multi-tasked staff who carry outadditional activities whileothers remain completelyunattended. If this is true inyour business, take a fewmoments to consider someessential points.

How can it happen? A callermay visit a reception orentrance area which is mannedby one person. The caller maythen make a request, or ask aquestion, that forces themember of staff to leave his orher post to obtain the answer.Once this has happened what ison offer to the opportunisticthief? Alternatively, callers mayeven make a quick 'walk-inand grab' to a company'sunmanned reception.

What is the risk? In manyreception areas the caller mayoften find easy targets. Thesecould include items such aslaptops, handbags hanging offthe backs of chairs, coats inreception containing keys andwallets, information and dataon computer screens, to name

just a few.How can you prevent it? Here

are a few basic tips on how toreduce this particular threat:• Keep handbags, coats, and

other personal belongings ina safe area such as a lockedroom or cupboard.

• Try to answer all requests orquestions whilst remainingat your post.

• If you do have to leave yourpost unattended, make sureall valuables are kept outof sight.

• Lock or password protect allcomputer screens if they areleft unattended.

• Consider additional securitymeasures such as a CCTVcamera covering reception,fit a chime to the front door,and fit locks or securitywires to laptops.

These are just a fewsuggestions on one aspect ofbusiness security. Pleasecontact either your local CrimePrevention Officer or yoursecurity specialist formore information.

Don’t forget too, that with thecoming of warmer weather, thiswill lead to many of us leavingdoors and windows open athome too. So the same applies,keep front doors on a chain, orbetter still locked, do not leaveitems such as wallets, keys, orhandbags within easy sight orreach from doors and windows.

Contact:Mark Lee at Lifeline AlarmSystems on 01983 521621,[email protected],or www.lifeline-security.co.uk

THE EXPERT’S VIEWSECURITY FOR BUSINESSES

sponsored bynew employment opportunities are generated. A diverse range ofbusinesses occupy these units, all employing local labour in skilled,non-skilled, blue collar, and white collar jobs. Diversity is one wayto secure the long-term viability of the Island economy, and willhelp see us through and out of the current global recession."

At the larger end of the industrial sector, supply and demand hasbeen influenced by SEEDA funding and lobbying, particularly inCowes and East Cowes.

Nick Callaghan said: "Hose Rhodes Dickson have recently sold sixacres in East Cowes for up to 220,000 square feet of newindustrial, warehouse, and office development, and are advisingseparately on a large distribution requirement. There is furtherlarge development potential at BAE in Cowes. Smaller units inNewport and Ryde remain popular with local companies andinvestors because of low rents (in absolute terms), but any growthpotential here is likely to be largely from restricted local supply."

However, it's also worth recognising that size does not matter -when it comes to commercial units! If you drive around the Islandyou will see that in business areas like Dodnor and River Way, largeareas are given over to industrial units.

This is not the only formula for success, medium-sized estates atNicolson Road in Ryde and small schemes at the Embankment inBembridge are not only successful but vital for the local economyas they provide access for new businesses to start and grow.

OfficeLow risk office space for young businesses is offered in theInnovation Centre at Newport's St Cross Business Park, home toNatural Enterprise, with serviced office space ranging from one to20 people on a flexible easy in, easy out lease agreement.

Graham Biss, Managing Director of Natural Enterprise, explained:"We provide very short-term leases, which removes all the risk outof taking on a property. I expect interest to increase, particularlyfor office space, as confidence returns, but obviously the economicsituation is still fairly fragile. It's all about allowing people to get onthe property ladder without too much risk attached."

However, Nick Callaghan pointed out that the office sector hasseen little take up of space so far and supply is likely to increase asa result of the Council’s policy to not renew leases, as part of theircost-saving programme. This will lead to opportunities for newentrants to the market, although many prospective occupiers havevery specific requirements.

InvestmentInvestment into commercial units can come from a variety ofsources ranging from large pension funds to small local investors.Commercial units represent very real investment opportunities andcareful investors can benefit not only from the income generatedby these investments but the potential of capital growth propertyincreases in value. Investment into this sector makes good financialsense and also contributes to the growth of Island businesses.

Generally though, there is little investment property obviously onthe market, across all sectors on the Island. "Larger investors arereluctant to sell without a better home for their money," said Nick,"and other financial markets have been volatile alternatives. MuchIsland commercial property is too small for mainstream funds, butthere is demand from private pension and trust funds, and highnet worth individuals. Small, high yielding lots offering relativelysecure income and reasonable lease terms remain popular. A fewmore properties are going to auction; a clear sign of vendors

SPECIAL REPORT

22


looking for certainty in what has been anuncertain market, and an opportunity forgenuine cash buyers."

It goes without saying that people lookingto invest on the Isle of Wight are lookingfor a strong return on investment; in thisthe Island is no different to the mainland.

RetailIt’s not very long ago that the Island hadonly a few national retail brands but now ifyou look around in Newport nearly everymajor high street brand has a presence onthe Island, with many in multiple locations,again creating more employment.

This has inevitably affected local tradersbut, perhaps in a positive way; you onlyhave to look at the range of high qualityspecialist niche market outlets which havesprung up all over the Island. The growth inthe retail sector is strong and vibrant; only afew years ago many thought towns likeVentnor and Ryde were dying on their feet,but now you can see a steady recovery.

Tony Scotcher, of Scotcher & Co,commented: "The bulk of our business sofar this year has been the letting of smallershops with one or two notable largerexceptions such as the former Woolworth'sin Shanklin and Cowes.

"As regards mainland buyers andoccupiers, being a smaller Island, a gooddeal of our business is disposals tomainland applicants who still like to comeover here for the quality of life, but do ofcourse have to create a situation wherethey can generate an income either ondevelopment, retail, or other businesses.

"This situation hasn't changed much,apart from the fact that the volume ofapplicants able to proceed is always goingto be less in a recession. Given thedifficulties still in obtaining funding and,coupled with a shortage of certain types ofproperties at prices people are prepared topay, we will continue to be in for a bit of abumpy ride for the next 12 months or so."

Again, with a mixture of national and

local investment, business is alive andgrowing at a steady and sustainable pace.Of course, shops do come and go but thisis nothing more than the usual ebb andflow of trends and tastes. The importantfact is our high streets are very much openfor business. As with the industrial sector,investment opportunities exist in retailproviding the opportunity for similar returnsin terms of income and capital growth.

Within the retail sector, food and non-food discounters are very active as NickCallaghan explained: "Lidl’s Newport storeis rumoured to be their most profitable inthe UK; Aldi have secured their firstconsented site and are chasing marketshare. ASDA, the Island’s 'missing' foodsuperstore still want to be here, with HoseRhodes Dickson helping their search. At the'top' end, Waitrose will open in East Cowesin September. On the high street thepicture is similar, with top national multiplestaking advantage of a few prime highstreet voids to relocate from secondarypositions. However, all retailers remaincautious on rent."

Hotel and leisureIn the hotel and licensed leisure sectors,well-run businesses in good locations arestill popular, but mistakes can be expensive."The key, as ever, is a good 'offer' in agood location," said Nick. "There has beenlittle activity in the budget hotel sector, withmost plc parents putting expansion on holdin view of wider economic circumstances."

For Watson Bull & Porter, who sell mainlyhotels and small B&B properties, last yearwas a difficult market due to the lack offunding for these businesses, as theirRegional Manager for the Island, AnthonyRoper, told us: "Very few banks wouldconsider lending and in most instancesfunding would be no higher than 50%.

"But since October 2009 we have seena marked increase in enquiries and havesold over four million pounds worthof property."

DevelopmentAll sectors in the property market have abearing upon each other, and there ishealthy competition for developmentopportunities. Hose Rhodes Dickson areseeing renewed demand for smallerresidential development sites as localdevelopers become more confident aboutend sales, whilst at the volume end of themarket, major UK developers are increasingtheir on-Island activity which indicates greatconfidence in the future of the Island.

Gavin Chambers, Director at GullyHoward, said: "Developers seem to belooking at sites again and there seems tobe some cautious investment." Their adviceis for customers to be realistic about theprice from the word go. The appetite forrisk in the commercial property market issubdued and it's vital that guide prices areset with thought out commercial rationalein order that competitive bids can allow theagent to get the best figure that the markethas to offer at the time.

The futureWhat does the future hold for the Island,with the recession set to affect us for yearsto come? There is bound to be a knock-oneffect for industry and businesses, but thereis also a positive side with interest rates atan all-time low. This could be a good timeto invest. Low interest rates are also causingprivate investors to search for better ratesof return, with commercial propertyinvestment an attractive option. The Islandhas a reputation for innovation and whenone sector has closed there havealways been those with vision seeking

Low risk office spacefor young businessesis offered in theInnovation Centre atNewport's St CrossBusiness Park, hometo NaturalEnterprise, withserviced office spaceranging from one to20 people on aflexible easy in, easyout lease agreement.

Pascall Offices,Westridge Business Park, Ryde.High quality building with twostorey offices to rent.

Credit: Gully Howard


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COMPANY PROFILE

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T his is HMP Isle of Wight – thenew brand name for the morefamiliar Parkhurst, which is nowjointly managed with Albany

and Camp Hill prisons.Most people think of it as the place

where people go to be locked up. Butthe service’s managers look at itrather differently.

Deputy Governor Ian Young, an Islandman now at his ninth prison in his 28thyear in the service, said: “Our focus is onthe outcome that the vast majority ofprisoners will be released at some stage.Our job is to do our best to reduce therisk of that person re-offending.”

That simple principle lies behind thewhole ethos of HMP Isle of Wight – andIsland Business was granted a lookbehind the scenes to find out just whatit means to be a manager in theprison business.

Formed from the merger of Parkhurst,Albany, and Camp Hill, HMP Isle ofWight is now the biggest in the country,and has embarked on what the

Governor Barry Greenberry calls "anever-ending journey to perfection".

The merger was designed not just tosave money – although it did achieveefficiency savings of £3 million.

A key element of the prison’s re-structuring and development was thedesire to create a positive environment inwhich staff and the 1,700 prisoners aretreated as members of a team.

HMP Isle of Wight is not just thebiggest prison, it is also the furthestahead in the way it has modernisedalong business lines.

There are now clearly marked lines ofresponsibility all the way from theprisoners to the Governor. Every prisonerhas a personal plan which is subject toregular review with his line manager,the prison officer.

Those plans are built around the lengthof sentence, the risk to the public, andthe risk of re-conviction, and the aim isto gradually push the prisoner to thepoint where he has gained the social andpractical skills needed to stand on his

own two feet, and to live within thelaw once released.

It’s an easy enough target to writedown, but HMP Isle of Wight is aCategory B prison which is alwaysoperating at close to 100 per centcapacity. This means that at any onetime, there are about 1,700 prisonersbehind bars, and some of them havecommitted offences that would shock us.

The job titles of some members of themanagement team are a clue to theareas of expertise needed to achievethe ultimate goal; the successfulrehabilitation of offenders into law-abiding community life.

Paul Campbell is Director of Securityand Operations. A prison officer all hislife, he moved to the Island seven yearsago, and now has the job of ensuring asafe perimeter so that prisoners stay in

It’s a £37 million Island business, and its name is known throughoutthe world. But the chances are you’d be perfectly happy never to getbetter acquainted.

Island prison isbig business

Kevin Wilsonreports on why theIsland prison is abig business.

HMP Isle of Wight

25Watch video reports and business profi les on www.islandbusinessonline.co.uk

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COMPANY PROFILE

26


prison, and no-one from the outsidecan smuggle goods in.

Neil Borton is Director of Safe Custody.His role is to keep prisoners safe oncethey are inside, and his remit includesdeveloping strategies to reduce the riskof suicide, self-harm, and violence, andto take account of equality issuesincluding race and disability awareness.

Dougie Graham is Director ofResidence, with the job of managing thecells and workshops across the site’s 23prison wings, as well as ensuring thatpolicies and procedures are carried outby the uniformed staff.

Glyn Christal is Director of CentralServices. His remit includes health andsafety, catering, the development ofcommunity links, as well as the allocationof work.

Colin Craven is Director of Learningand Skills, with the aim of equippingprisoners for work by providingopportunities for academic andvocational learning.

Colin said that it was easy for thecommunity to focus purely on the prisonas a place to lock up offenders. “We dothat, of course, and do it well,” he said.“But we try to create a positiveenvironment where prisoners areworking to a daily plan that is designedto carry them through their sentence in aconstructive way, so that they are readyto integrate into society.”

Deputy Governor Ian Young is theservice’s chief operations officer,responsible for the output ofthe directors.

He said: “The re-organisation has givenus a flatter management structure and astronger system of performance

management so that we all know whatwe have to do, and how to measure it.

“We work on the principle that nothingwe do is perfect. We know we have a lotto put right, and I think that beinghonest about that is very important.

“Our focus is on the individual prisonerand the individual member of staff,being clear about what theirresponsibilities are, and having regularmonitoring to check progress.

“In the past, we haven’t been sopositive about tackling our problems. Wealways had talented individuals but nowwe have a talented team with betterinformation systems to support us.

“And we won’t allow the disruptiveelement you get in any prison tospoil things.”

Contrary to popular myth, prisoners donot spend all day in their cells. They havea ‘working day’ which could includeanything from brushing up on IT skills orstudying for a degree, to re-buildingbikes and wheelchairs for shipment to anunder-developed country.

The site has huge gardens which needcultivating, and there are factory units forwood and metal products. Prisonershave, in fact, manufactured many of themetal sections that are used to make thesite secure, including the bars on theirown cell windows.

Other workshops include desktoppublishing, printing, and a pottery thathas just begun producing items for ashop in Shanklin.

This model of linking up with thecommunity is vital to the service’s – andthe prisoners' future.

Integration into the Island community isan important part of the prison’s

development. Barry and his teamrepresent the prison on a range of Islandpartnership groups, and a new‘community payback’ scheme has beenlaunched, with the aim of enablingprisoners to carry out community workwhich does not jeopardise anyone else’spaid employment.

Ideas for the future include Isle ofWight branded products – including useof the name Parkhurst – being producedon the Island rather than being imported,and the service is also now activelyworking on a scheme to establish aheritage centre on the site which wouldbe open to visitors, and which couldopen up opportunities for otherlocal businesses.

Colin Craven said he was exploring theoptions for developing some kind ofsocial enterprise, and added: “It wouldalso be fantastic if we could get somebusinesses interested in coming in to dosome workshop sessions for us.”

"It has beenunsettling for some,and challenging foreveryone. Butsomething had to bedone because ourstandards ofperformance weregoing into decline,and now that themerger has beencompleted, we areon a never-endingjourney to perfection.We want to be theflagship of the wholeprison service."

Members of the HMP Isle of Wight senior management team include (fromleft) Neil Borton, Paul Campbell, Deputy Governor Ian Young (centre),Dougie Graham, and Glyn Christal.

A cell

COMPANY PROFILE

28


If the task of providing 1,700 prisonerswith meaningful daily activities was notchallenging enough, the service has alsogot the small matter of externalmonitoring and inspection to deal with.

Prison funding is allocated on a regionalbasis by the Ministry of Justice. HMP Isleof Wight is part of the South East region,and has just under 50 headlineperformance targets against which it ismeasured annually.

A new prison rating system has alsobeen introduced, which includes surveysof prisoners themselves as well asexternal scrutiny, which may incorporateunannounced visits.

There is an Island-based IndependentMonitoring Board and a CrownProsecution inspector, and a Prison andProbation Ombudsman.

All these bodies have their ownexpectations, and the service must beable to develop and implement actionplans to deal with all of them.

As with any business, the biggestpressures are financial. National estimatesshow that each prisoner in a Category Bprison costs £25,000 a year, and everycut in funding makes it more difficultto maintain the work, education,counselling, and life skills thatare available.

Prisoners themselves play a part in this.Some of them act as mentors to helpothers learn to read, others are trainedby the Samaritans to act as ‘listeners’ tohelp with problems, and some workalongside officers on the induction ofnew prisoners.

Even so, cuts in funding will make itmore difficult to achieve the ultimate aimof reducing the risk of re-offending.

Ian Young said: “We have prisonerswho are over the age of 80 and wemaintain what we call an ‘end of lifeunit’. We have prisoners who are inwheelchairs, and one third of ourprisoners are from an ethnic minority. Wehave to be able to help people in a hugerange of different circumstances and that

presents us with tough challenges.”It was recognition of the need to

respond to the tough challenge ofoperating a modern prison service thatled to the re-organisation of the Islandprison service.

“It has not been an easy time,” saidBarry. “It has been unsettling for some,and challenging for everyone. Butsomething had to be done because ourstandards of performance were goinginto decline, and now that the mergerhas been completed, we are on a never-ending journey to perfection. We wantto be the flagship of the wholeprison service.”

As part of that commitment toexcellence, Barry has been keen to buildrelationships in the Island community,and he invited HM Lord Lieutenant MajorGeneral Martin White to join the SeniorManagement Board last year as a non-executive member.

He has been able to advise ondeveloping essential links with the Isle ofWight community, and in addition, withhis extensive military experience leadinglarge organisations, has been able toprovide strategic business adviceas necessary.

Whichever way you look at the prisonservice, we’d always prefer to be on theoutside looking in.

But the team running HMP Isle ofWight want the whole Island – includingbusinesses – to start thinking of them aspart of the community. Almost all theprisoners come over from the mainland,but the staff who work there are localpeople, doing a difficult job inchallenging circumstances.

As Paul Campbell, Director of Securityand Operations, said: “The publicgenerally don’t want to know what goeson here, and we can easily understandwhy. They just want to know thatprisoners are well and truly locked up,and that is certainly a massive part of thejob we do. But there is much, muchmore to it than that.”

Despite the handicap of its ageingbuildings, the Island prison service issetting high standards nationally in anumber of areas; advising theGovernment on dealing with olderprisoners; developing a commonframework for assessing medicalconditions that will apply consistently atall prisons; and pioneering programmesto reduce the risk of repeat offending forsex offenders, to name a few.

As our tour came to an end, a group ofnew prisoners were being escorted to FWing, the induction wing, and the firststage of what is likely to be a longjourney through the prison systemwas about to begin.

HMP Isle of Wight is on an equally longjourney, and it is doing so on theplatform of a solid business frameworkthat makes achievement of objectiveseveryone’s responsibility.

The door will not open for those newprisoners for many years, but the prisonitself is keen to open doors, so that itcan share experiences and find new waysof working co-operatively with the wholeIsland community.

Only time will tell …

The exterior of HMP Isle of Wight

HM Lord Lieutenant Major GeneralMartin White

F Wing interior

CHAMBER MATTERS

30


I t is being billed as the Grand CentenaryBall, and will be held at Cowes YachtHaven on 4 August, and will feature a

series of stage sets, performers, and musicreflecting one hundred years of history.

Some tickets are still available for what isregarded as the Island’s top corporate event,which provides an opportunity forbusinesses to reward staff, celebrate theirown performance, or to provide corporatehospitality to clients during Cowes Week.

Tickets cost £99 per person plus VAT, or£950 plus VAT for a table of 10, and includea five course gourmet dinner and freetable wine.To book or for more information, callthe Chamber on 01983 520777, or [email protected].

W ightsail 2010 was launchedlast month in a partnershipbetween Cowes-based

Pelican Racing and the Isle of WightChamber of Commerce.

The fun event pitched crews ofChamber members, many of themnovices, against each other in a seriesof races, with expert skippering fromCowes-based Pelican Racing,supported by skippers from other

sailing organisations.The racing was followed by a

barbecue supper, laid on by CowesYacht Haven, and the £10 entry feeswere donated to the Toe In TheWater charity.

The Chamber’s Membership Officer,Kerstine Andrews, said: “The eventwas such a success, with lots ofpositive feedback, so we are alreadylooking forward to next year!”

ChamberPeople

Best everBallpromised

New sailing event

The Island Chamber's Cowes WeekBall is always a special occasion,but this year’s event is set to bethe best-ever.

A new sailing event for Island businesses is set to become aregular fixture.

J oining the Isle of Wight Chamberof Commerce was the perfectmove for Abigail Salsbury.

Just one month into her new job asEducation Business Partnership andYoung Chamber Officer, she is stillpinching herself.

“It is a dream job for me,” she said.“It encapsulates so much of my previousexperience and my interests – and it’s onthe Isle of Wight, which I love!”

Abigail has always been active inyouth work. From the age of 13, shewas involved in a Council for YoungPeople in her home area of North EastLincolnshire. Later, in the space betweenfinishing her degree and starting studyfor her Masters in International Politics,she worked in Manchester’s YouthParticipation Office.

Then, back in the Grimsby area, shejoined the Building Schools for theFuture programme, where shespecialised in administration and

consultation – both of which areimportant elements of her new jobon the Island.

“The job is all about getting involvedwith students, working with them anddoing what I can to help them make themost of the opportunities that cometheir way,” she said. “It’s something Ireally believe in, and when thisopportunity came my way, I certainlygrabbed it!”

Abigail has been visiting the Islandevery year for as long as she canremember, staying with friends of thefamily. When she’s not at work, sheloves sailing, and is already puttingthe word round that she’d like to crewon a boat.

She said: “I can’t think of anywherebetter to live than the Island. The qualityof life here is great, and so is the sailing.That’s another reason why this job is soperfect for me.”

Abigail Salsbury

JULY 2010

31

CHAMBER MATTERS

Read Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce news on www.islandbusinessonline.co.uk

NEW MEMBERSHeritage01983 [email protected] Cottage, Main Road,Ningwood, PO30 4NWProperty maintenance

Build Centre01983 52421801983 [email protected] View, Newport, Isle ofWight PO30 5FABuild centre – builders merchantBig Screen Media

01983 89898301983 [email protected] 2, 2 St Thomas Square,Newport, Isle of Wight PO301SNAdvertising on digital media forindoor and outdoor events.

Solent PhotographicServices01983 [email protected] Folly Road, East Cowes, Isleof Wight PO32 6JAPhotography for commerceand website advertising.

Esplanade Garden Cafe01983 [email protected]

The Esplanade, Shanklin, Isle ofWight PO37 6BQCafé, serving a wide range ofdrinks and freshly cooked food.

Barwick Cottages01983 [email protected] Farm Lane, Rookley, Isleof Wight PO38 3PALavender and Rose SelfCatering Cottages set on a 16acre small holding in an area ofoutstanding natural beauty incentre of Island.

Little Idyll01983 [email protected] Cottage, Main Road,Ningwood Isle of WightPO30 4NWGuest accommodation

Four Seasons CookeryAcademy01983 [email protected] Arctic Road, Cowes, Isle ofWight PO31 7PJCooking Academy – providinghands–on cookery lessonspromoting healthy eating –both privately and communitybased. All recipeshand–written. Providing CIEHaccredited courses – levels 2and 3 in food safety.

The Hartland Hotel01983 [email protected] Victoria Avenue, Shanklin, Isleof Wight PO37 6LT16 bedroom hotel open allyear. Restaurant, indoorswimming pool, gym, detoxcabin.

Cliftonville01983 862197info@cliftonvillehotel.wanadoo.co.ukwww.cliftonvilleguesthouse.com6 Hope Road, Shanklin, Isle ofWight PO37 6EAFamily run guest house,centrally located. Ninebedrooms all en–suite withtea/coffee facilities and TV.Evening meals available. Carparking. Well behaved dogsaccepted.

The Fernbank01983 [email protected]–iow.co.uk6 Highfield Road, Shanklin, Isleof Wight PO37 6PPBed and breakfastaccommodation.

Wight Wanders01983 281662info@wight–walks.co.ukwww.wight–walks.co.uk22 Broadfields Avenue, Cowes,Isle of Wight PO31 7UD

Cinderockers Party Room01983 [email protected] High Street, Wootton Bridge,Isle of Wight PO33 4LUThemed childrens' partiescatering for 4–15 years. Facepainting, games and costumes.

Rapanui Clothing Ltd01983 [email protected] Weavers Yard, Lane End Road,Bembridge, Isle of Wight PO355USRapanui make a range ofeco–fashion clothing for18–35s from organic fabrics ina wind powered, fair wearfoundation audited factory.They also make custom ecoclothing for other businesses,brands or events.

Isle Of Wight ComputerGeek07840 698791contact@theisleofwightcomputergeek.co.ukwww.theisleofwightcomputergeek.co.ukProfessional website design,search engine optimisation,SEO, PC and computer repairs.24 hours Islandwide service.Offering Chamber members a25% discount on websitedesign and search engineoptimisation.

The Auckland Hotel01983 86296001983 [email protected] Queens Road, Shanklin, Isleof Wight PO37 6ANModern accommodation in atranquil setting. Beautifulgardens, choice of breakfast,generously presented, fivecourse menu.

Floor Design IW Ltd01983 40106601983 [email protected] Lane, Sandown, Isle ofWight PO36 9AZFlooring contractor and retailer,supplying and installers ofcontract and domestic floorcoverings.

IOW Eating Disorders &Obesity Service01983 [email protected] Cottage, Freshwater, Isle ofWight PO40 9HLThis is a specialist psychologicalservice for people sufferingfrom eating disorders –anorexia, bulimia, binge eatingdisorders and those who havemild to severe weightproblems.

K eith and Lisa Gordonare offering anythingfrom a one hour sail

to 28-day adventures on sailand motor yachts, powerboats and RIBs.

Their new business,SailforFun, operates fromCowes, Solent harbours, andother south coast ports.

Keith, an airline pilot,started sailing 18 months agoand was immediately hooked.

“Our aim is always toprovide an experience thatpeople will remember, andwe have put a brilliant teamtogether to make sure that’swhat happens,” he said.

Charter skippers includeRichard Falk, who skipperedthe Singapore entry in the2005 Clipper Round the

World Yacht Race, and EmmaPontin, who has skipperedmany transatlantic crossings.

“We love sailing and ourmotivation is to help peopleto enjoy their time on thewater,” said Keith.

“We quote prices which arefully inclusive, and can tailorthe experience to suit justabout everyone, whether it isfor a corporate event, teambuilding, a star gazing night,or simply a group of friendswanting a sail around theSolent for the day.”

For more information, goto www.sailforfun.co.uk.

Sail for funA new skippered yacht charter business is putting theemphasis on fun – with no hidden extras.

Lisaa and Keith Gordon

Sailing for fun!

M ore and more organisationsare signing up to offer specialrates for Chamber members

across the full range of goods andservice, including travel, accommodation,health and beauty, marketing, design,storage, training, and many more.

For example, Sail For Fun is offering a10 per cent discount on its corporate

yacht charter fees, and an extra 10 percent off the first 10 bookings receivedthis season. Find out more [email protected].

Shred-It, the on-site documentdestruction company, is giving a 15 percent discount for a one-off clear out ofarchives, and a free data securitysurvey. Call 02392 654100 formore information.

A 10 per cent discount is on offer toChamber members from Laser TechLimited, who specialise in events,laser displays and advertising, and bigscreen televisions. [email protected].

Meanwhile, if you are in need ofrefreshment, Kevars Café on Ryde HighStreet is giving Chamber members a

five per cent discount across itswhole menu.

The benefits available to Chambermembers are constantly updated, andyou can find full details of these andother member to member discounts atwww.iwchamber.co.uk. Click on‘products and services’, then‘member discounts’.Contact [email protected] ifyou would like to offer a discount toChamber members.

The discount scheme operated by theIsland’s Chamber of Commercecontinues to add value for members.

The value of Chambermembership

CHAMBER MATTERS

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Chamber Events = Other Events = Must be pre-booked = •

6 JulyMediation MattersseminarFor Solicitors and surveyors &those interested in DisputeResolution, Quay Arts,Newport 1300-1600 £7.50(includes light lunch, tea &coffee) •Contact Grant Vincent [email protected] telephone 07540 333 340

6-9 JulyThe Prince’s Trust ExploreEnterprise courseHelps people to explore andtest their business ideas, writebusiness plans, and start theirown businesses or achievealternative goals in education,training, or work. •Tel. 02380 622666 or [email protected]

13 JulyFunding for GrowthA Solent Innovation andGrowth Team event: Quay Arts,Newport, Tuesday, 13 July0900-1130. The event is free,but places are limited. ContactKaty Patterson on 01489 889882 to book. •

23 JulyPGL Activity Event,WoottonTo include: abseiling, highropes, zip wires and dragonboat racing, BBQ andrefreshments. 1800-2100,£6.00 per person which PGLwill donate to charity.Call 01983 520777 or [email protected] •

29 JulySpeed NetworkingJoint event with HampshireChamber of Commerce andWinchester BID members. Free,1730-2000, University ofWinchester Business School. •To book email Sara Gangai [email protected]

2 AugustIW Chamber Cowes WeekCruise and buffet lunchleaving Thetis Wharf, Cowes1130-1500, £25.00per person •Call 01983 520777 or [email protected]

4 AugustIW Chamber GrandCentennial BallCome and celebrate the last100 years with us at Cowes

Yacht Haven. •Call 01983 520777 or [email protected]

14 SeptemberBlueberry Café Event,ShanklinDetails tbc.Call 01983 520777 or [email protected]

22 SeptemberDeli Event, Seaview Hotel,Seaview.An evening of delicatessendelights including a selectionof fine cold meats, olives,cheeses, and fine wines. Guestspeaker to be announced.£7.00 per person •. Call01983 520777 or [email protected].

5 OctoberMurder, mystery, anddinnerVentnor Towers Hotel. Comeand experience an evening ofentertainment organised by‘Caught Red HandedProductions’. An evening witha difference, which will createa lasting memory!The evening will include a 3course evening meal. £15.00per person. 1900-2230. • Call

01983 520777 or [email protected]

18 NovemberIW Chamber CentennialQuiz NightCome along and join us for afantastic quiz night. Sign upyour teams (no more than 5)or register your name and wewill allocate a team for you.There will be a £100 prize forthe winning team!A hot meal will be included.Cost TBC •Call 01983 520777 or [email protected]

26 NovemberIW Chamber BusinessAwards For Excellence2010Cowes Yacht Haven, detailstbc. Any Island business isinvited to nominate itself foran Award in any category anda business may also nominateitself for more than onecategory. Nominating yourbusiness for an Award will giveyour company a unique chanceto maximise its Island-wideexposure for free! •Call 01983 520777 or [email protected]

CLASSIFIEDS

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Apollo BlindsIsle of Wight, John Youle.Tel. 01983 [email protected]/isle-of-wight

Stagegear Rentals3 Quivey Cottage, Main Road,Arreton, PO30 3AG.Tel. 0870 3450352Email: [email protected]: www.stage-gear.co.uk

Our Classified section is the perfect place to advertise your products and services. It's also incredibly cost-effective with a classified ad costingfrom just £8 per column centimetre. Call 01983 245505 to book your classified advert.

Advertise here from just £8per column centimetre.Call 01983 245505 tobook your classified advert.

Boost your business!Advertise here fromjust £8 per columncentimetre.

BLINDS / AWNINGS

CORPORATE EVENTS

CATERING

BUSINESS SERVICES

BUSINESS UTILITIES

BUSINESS UTILITIES

BUILDERS AND PLUMBERS

CAR BODYWORK

JULY 2010

35

CLASSIFIEDS


Open Sauce Systems Ltd.Low cost, flexible phonesystems and servers. Idealfor new businesses.01983 220028www.opensaucesystems.com

Profound IT LimitedBespoke software development, consultancy,and business systems integration.01983 883000www.profound-it.co.uk

ICT

Creedence TrainingAcademy & ConsultancyFreshwater, Isle of Wightinfo@creedencetraining.co.ukwww.creedencetraining.co.uk01983 759213

TRAININGAdvertise here from just£8 per columncentimetre. Call01983 245505 to bookyour classified advert.

Place youradvert herefrom just £8

GRAPHIC DESIGN AND WEB APPLICATIONS

ICT

TRAINING

COUNSELLING / LIFE COACHING

SIGNS AND GRAPHICS

SURVEYORS AND ARCHITECTS

WORKWEAR

An emotionally intelligent workforce increasesproductivity and saves money

Help your staff to:Manage Stress, Reduce Anxiety, Increase Self ConfidenceManage Time EffectivelyNLP, CBT, HG Qualified TherapistTo find out more, call Relaxing Times07791 656 545 Email: [email protected]

Excessive business insurancepremiums?

We may be able to save you money on yourlarger insurance premiums.For a free, no obligation quote please contact01983 521359 or email us [email protected]

THE BACK PAGE

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TUFF Steve Blamire is known as a

free-thinking and sometimesradical business consultantwho contributes innovationand an inventive flair.In Steve’s monthly column,here and on Island BusinessOnline, he’ll be musing on awide range of subjects.Contact Steve [email protected]

CHANGING TIMES

Cartoonist: Rupert Besley

Our RUBS section is where we pass on stuff we come across that wethink is really useful – it does what it says on the tin! If you have a tipthat you think is really useful let us know and we'll share it here.

Your forum for export adviceExport Talk' is UK Trade & Investment(UKTI) South East's international tradeforum; a forum where members canreceive free impartial advice from theUKTI team of international trade experts,share export knowledge andexperiences, plus network withlike-minded companies.Email the 'Export Talk' team [email protected]/forum.

Reduce junk mail and cold callsA new website has been launched tohelp consumers reduce unwanted junkmail and cold calling. StayPrivate.org willallow you to simultaneously sign up tothe Mailing Preference Service (MPS) andthe Telephone Preference Service (TPS).http://stayprivate.org.

MATiSSE Cost Savings CalculatorTake the MATiSSE Smarter-Working CostsCALculator challenge and see how muchyour organisation can save! This threestep tool produces a report which showsthe areas you could save money on.www.savings.computer-assets.co.uk/matisse.

TT--ZZeerroo is a tool that providesindependent sustainable refurbishmentadvice to users, with the option of linkingdirectly to the suppliers, manufacturers,

and installers of any measures youchoose. It is designed for thoserefurbishing their own homes, homesthey manage, or the homes of clients,taking you through a series of simple steps.www.tzero.org.uk.

Dell Outlet storeDell Outlet sells refurbished andreconditioned computer equipment whichis limited in quantity. These are productswhich have been returned to Dell for avariety of reasons including cancellationand specification changes. Prices in thestockroom exclude VAT and delivery. DellOutlet Systems do not come withmonitors as standard. All products havebeen tested and repackaged to Dellfactory standards and come with a fullservice pack. High demand - so startshopping now - to get the system that'sright for you!www.dell.co.uk/outlet.

Join LinkedInOver 65 million professionals useLinkedIn to exchange information, ideas,and opportunities. Stay informed aboutyour contacts and industry. Find thepeople and knowledge you need toachieve your goals. Control yourprofessional identity online.www.linkedin.com.

The benefits of flexible manufacturing networks andlocal supply chains.

Afew years ago I wasworking on a project thatinvolved trips to the

Tampere region in Finland and theEmilia-Romagna region in Italy.What really struck me in bothregions were the incrediblydynamic economies built aroundthe micro and SME sectors.Emilia-Romagna in particular hada really interesting manufacturingsector, built around ‘flexiblenetworks’ apposed to enormousfactories, and often referred to asone of the best examples of‘cooperative capitalism’.

At the time I was really excitedabout the potential to export thiskind of model back to the Island,as it would really complement thestructure of our economy.Production is geared to demand,generic machinery often switchesproduct lines, and supply chainsare local. And althoughproduction is primarily for export,it is relatively immune fromboom-bust cycles and globaleconomic shocks due to theflexible nature of the businessesand the short supply chains .

And if you are thinking wellthat’s all lovely but I guess theylive some form of subsistencelifestyle that is far from true, thelocal wage is double that of theItalian national average and 45%of its GDP comes fromcooperatively owned enterprises.

Similarly in the Tampere region Idiscovered a mass of micro-business producing very highquality craft and design productspredominantly for export. Againthey were built around small localsupply chains with a flexiblemanufacturing approach.

I was intrigued to find out howthey achieved these models andas a result I was lucky enough to

be taken to visit a local college.What I witnessed was quiteincredible, they had a pod-basedsystem where each studentspends a period of time learninga certain craft (wood, metal,glass, textiles, etc.) and then, asthey progressed, they wouldnarrow down to one area ofexpertise. The quality of the workon show was outstanding,including ornately inscribedhunting rifles, delicately inlaidguitars, and beautifully craftedtextiles. Once the student hascompleted their studies they canthen move either on to advancedstudies at university or start theirown micro-business and utilise arange of local support structures.

But what became apparent wasthat in both Tampere and Emilia-Romagna the process began inpre-school. Both systems don’tbegin formal education untilchildren are seven years old andlearning is centered around play.This philosophy continues in theworkplace where work-lifebalance is the focus and play isutilised to generate an extremelyproductive workforce andcohesive community.

I still think that this kind ofmodel could work for the Islandand create an economy free fromthe shocks of the past year or so.But to achieve it would need ahuge shift in approach, as it is notsomething that can be ‘bolted-on’to our existing system. Thecurrent economic climate presentsa great opportunity to rebuild oureconomy in a more sustainableform, but that takes someonewith a vision and the capacity tomake it happen. Maybe thepending overhaul of our localeducation system may presentsomeone with that opportunity?

Stunning investments for high flyers!This magnificent Isle of Wight waterside location has buyers flocking to the new development at Island Harbour. These luxury 4 & 5 bedroom holiday homes are now complete and ready to view. All properties include their own private mooring.

Prices from £270,000 25% already sold (stc)

IslandHarbourDevelopment.co.uk 02380 230 101 01983 292 114

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FROM SOUTHAMPTON Red Funnel Car/Passenger Ferry

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island business magazine, july 2010

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