Businessplus Spring 2016 | Page 10

The team at Symingtons with Alison Wheelock and Karen Naylor BUYING POWER EXPLAINED On Wednesday 25th May, we have senior contract manager for commissioning and procurement, Roy Barraclough speaking from Bradford Council. At this lunch in Bradford, Roy will explain how the Council buys from third party suppliers and its annual worth. Importantly, he’ll explain how businesses can find out about key opportunities to supply to the Council and provide tips on improving the chances of winning new business. Roy has worked for the local authority for 25 years and has held positions in finance, housing, education and, more recently, procurement. To book, call 01274 206660 or email [email protected] STUDENT EXCELLENCE RECOGNISED IN AWARDS Verner Wheelock, the Skipton-based award-winning food industry training company, has announced the recipients of its first ever Excellence Awards. The Awards were launched in 2015 to coincide with the company’s 25th anniversary and recognise the achievements of students attending their courses throughout that year. HACCP Student of the Year was awarded to Emily Claydon, a quality assurance graduate at Taylor’s of Harrogate; the Food Safety Student of the Year Award went to Joanna Core, quality assurance manager at New Ivory Sauces and the Auditing Student of the Year was announced as Helen Keast, raw materials manager at Bakkavor Desserts in Highbridge, Somerset. William Ptolemy, technical manager at Sykes House Farm, a quality meat and poultry suppliers in Wetherby, won the individual Excellence Award. The tutors TRAINING GRANT FOR INSURER D E Ford have benefitted from a £7,715 training grant from the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership. The grant is being used by D E Ford to provide training and skills development to a number of employees, which will enhance personal development for individuals and develop their skills sets. D E Ford, a family-run business which specialises in insurance and risk management, currently employs 60 members of staff, 40 of whom underwent the training. The training programme focussed on staff development and will enable employees to deliver a better quality service to customers. The business has previously been recognised for its careers development, after winning a prestigious Best People Development award in 2015. Rob Allison, D E Ford’s operations director, said: “With the skills service, we’ll have the opportunity to invest in the capabilities of our employees, and ensure that our clients receive an excellent level of service. This will result in a strengthened company reputation, which will in turn help the business to grow. “We believe our people are vital to the success of our business and, through continued and increased investment of resource and funding, we will assist the development and improvement of their skills and knowledge which will benefit all of our clients.” 10 MEMBERS’ NEWS agreed unanimously that William was the obvious choice for this Award. Symington’s Ltd was the winner of the Verner Wheelock Company of the Year Excellence Award. Alison Wheelock said: “We chose Symington’s for the Award because the delegates interact and put effort in. They genuinely want to learn and put their knowledge into practice in the workplace.” GATELEY’S GERMAN LINK The Leeds office of national law firm, Gateley Plc, is showing no signs of stopping its expansion in the city. It has recently become the base for the regional Consulate of the Federal Republic of Germany and hired a new consultant. Mark Green, the Honorary Consul for Germany in the North of England, will be working for the firm on a consulting basis. In addition to 30 years’ experience as a corporate/commercial lawyer, Mark is a Public Notary, bilingual and dual qualified as a German Rechtsanwalt (lawyer). William Ballmann, corporate recovery partner and head of the Leeds office, said: “Becoming the regional base for the German Consulate supports our plans for increasing our presence in the city. Since entering the Leeds market, we have hired eight new partners and Mark’s appointment is just another step in the right direction and a sign of our commitment to Leeds.” Mark will be combining his role as a Consultant to the firm with his role as the Honorary consul covering Leeds, Manchester, York and other districts. West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce EVENTS AND TRAINING DATE TIME EVENT LOCATION MEMBER PRICE NON-MEMBER PRICE 6 April 12:00-14:00 Business Lunch National Centre for Early Music - York £30 £42 7 April 07:30-09:30 Pure Networking Leeds United Football Club – Leeds £20 £30 12 April 07:30-09:00 Pure Networking King’s Manor - York £20 £30 13 April 09:30-16:30 Methods of Payment & Letters of Credit Addleshaw Goddard - Leeds £354 £468 15 April 12:00-14:00 Leeds & Bradford Construction Lunch The Great Victoria Hotel - Bradford £30 £42 21 April 07:30-09:30 Pure Networking Kala Sangam - Bradford £20 £30 21 April 12:00-14:00 Construction Lunch Hazlewood Castle - York £30 £42 27 April 12:00-14:00 Learning Lunch: Marketing Your Business Bradford Chamber £20 £30 28 April 18:00-20:00 EU: In or Out? Join the Debate Yorkshire Building Society – Leeds No Charge Members only 29 April 12:00-14:00 Business Lunch Weetwood Hall - Leeds £30 £42 4 May 12:00-14:00 Meet the Chamber Bradford Chamber No Charge No Charge 4 May 12:00-14:00 Business Lunch Novotel - York £30 £42 5 May 07:30-09:30 Pure Networking The Leeds Club - Leeds £20 £30 12 May 12:00-14:00 Learning Lunch Clarion - Leeds £20 £30 13 May 12:00-14:00 Business Lunch with Leeds MPs The Met Hotel - Leeds £30 £42 17 May TBC Property Forum Bradford No Charge £20 19 May 07:30-09:00 Pure Networking Betty’s - York £20 £30 25 May 12:00-14:00 Business Lunch Cedar Court Hotel – Bradford £30 £42 26 May 12:00-14:00 Business Lunch Downe Arms - Scarborough £30 £42 1 June 12:00-14:00 Business Lunch Monkbar Hotel - York £30 £42 2 June 07:30-09:30 Pure Networking Leeds United Football Club - Leeds £20 £30 6 June 17:00-19:00 Property Forum The Grand - York £12 £18 9 June 12:00-14:00 Women’s Business Lunch Bradford Chamber £30 £42 15 June 09:30-16:30 Export Documentation & Import Procedures Bradford Chamber Business Park £354 £468 15 June 08:30-16:00 Eco Fair 2016 Leeds United Football Club - Leeds No Charge No Charge 21 June 12:00-14:00 Learning Lunch Bradford Chamber £20 £30 23 June 16:00-18:00 Meet the Chamber Leeds Chamber No Charge No Charge 23 June 16:00-18:00 Napoleons Networking Napoleons Casino - Bradford No Charge £24 24 June 07:30-09:00 Pure Networking York Theatre Royal - York £20 £30 1 July 12:00-14:00 Construction Lunch Village Hotel North - Leeds £30 £42 Prices include VAT at 20% TO BOOK AN EVENT, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL CHAMBER OR EMAIL [email protected] West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce EVENTS 11