Issuu

SURREY

BUSINESS THE OFFICIAL SURREY CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE MAGAZINE

CREATIVE BUSINESS FUNDING CREATING CONDITIONS FOR LONG-TERM GROWTH NEW RIGHTS FOR COHABITATING COUPLES

ISSUE 103

SURREY BUSINESS AWARDS All the ﬁnalists revealed MOTORING Honda Civic TRAVEL The beauty of Porto

TRANSPARENCY IN COMMERCIAL COURT

THE BIG STORY

GARY LINEKER THE ULTIMATE GOALHANGER

Surrey Chambers helps your business TODAY Membership gives you practical support, stronger visibility and valuable connections that help your business move faster. Whether you want to win new business, raise your profile, build your network or access trusted advice, Surrey Chambers gives you the tools, relationships and opportunities to make it happen.

PROTECT YOUR BUSINESS

NURTURE YOUR STAFF STA T FF TA

Access the helplines, services and support you need for added peace of mind

Solutions to help you support your staff, f keep up to f, date and grow

SAV SAVE A E MONEY & AV INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY Enjoy significant savings with member offers, discounts and productivity gains

EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE Tap into essential resources and join discussions on important business trends, learn AI and how to implement internally

T arrange a conversation, contact Surrey Chambers on: To 01483 735540

info@surrey-chambers.co.uk info@ @surrey y-chambers.co.uk

www.surrey-chambers.co.uk www.surrey y-chambers.co.uk

ISSUE 103

CONT ENTS 38 BIG STORY

38 Gary Lineker 12 years ago, former England footballer and Match of the Day presenter, Gary Lineker, co-founded Goalhanger, a media company which, in 2026, found itself at the top of the Sunday Times ‘fastest-growing UK companies’ list

SURREY CHAMBERS

8 Surrey Chamber News A round up of Surrey Chambers of Commerce members’ news 10 Surrey Chamber Events What’s on for Surrey Chambers members 12 Source In Surrey Connect with major buyers through Source In Surrey 14 Learning Skills Improvement Plan An introduction to the LSIP’s three action groups 17 Surrey Business School Leaders are learners: Help To Grow comes to Surrey Business School

SURREY

2026

BUSINESS AWA R D S

PLATINUM MEDIA GROUP

NEWS

20 National news A round up of important business stories from around the world 22 Local news A look at the business news stories across the South East

EVENTS

30 Surrey Business Awards Finalists for the 2026 awards are announced, and how to buy tickets for this prestigious event

44 44 A day at the races What it’s like to be treated to a Royal Box ticket at the world-famous Epsom Downs racecourse 46 Sussex Business Awards Entries have closed, so now tickets are on sale for the Sussex’s Blue Riband awards event

BUSINESS

24 Gatwick Airport How this maor international travel hub is creating the conditions for long-term economic growth 48 Cleankill A Cleankill technician has won a national pest control award

LEGAL

28 Mayo Wynne Baxter New rights are being proposed for cohabiting couples (the previously fabled ‘Common Law Marriage’): here’s what you need to know 36 DMH Stallard Transparency in the Commercial Court

FINANCE

26 Kreston Reeves Funding for creative businesses: Finance options beyond traditional bank loans

TRAVEL

50 Porto Tess de Klerk discovers this ancient and beautiful Portuguese city on the Atlantic coast 52 Crowne Plaza Hotel While in Porto, be sure to check out this MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) hotel

MOTORING

56 Honda Civic e:HEV A Japanese car Maarten Hoffman likes, and a hybrid at that! A review of the Honda Civic e:HEV

All rights reserved. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. The publisher cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions relating to advertising or editorial. The publisher reserves the right to change or amend any competitions or prizes offered. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written consent from the publisher. No responsibility is taken for unsolicited materials or the return of these materials whilst in transit. Surrey Business Magazine is owned and published by Platinum Media Group Limited.

Sur urr C ham amb mbe Surrey Su rre rey ey Ch Chambers ha ber ers rs

WINE CLUB

Something new is being uncorked...

WELCOME

WELCOME Welcome to the October issue of the Surrey Business Magazine. This month all eyes turn to Westminster, as Chancellor John Healey delivers his first Autumn Budget on October 28th. It has been a demanding year for many businesses, with labour and energy costs consistently the biggest pressures reported in Chamber surveys. Ahead of last year’s Budget, concern about tax rose to 68% of firms, and uncertainty is once again making it harder to plan and invest. What businesses need most is stability, and a Budget that backs growth rather than adding to the burden. That is why your voice matters. Surrey Chambers feeds members’ views into the British Chambers of Commerce Quarterly Economic Survey, the UK’s largest independent survey of business sentiment, and uses that evidence to make the case for Surrey businesses with government. The more of you who take part, the louder Surrey’s voice becomes. Beyond policy, the Chamber is here to help you grow through connections, international trade support, workshops and events that bring Surrey’s business community together. If you are not yet a member, there has never been a better time to join. Find out more at surrey-chambers.co.uk.

The Surrey Chambers Team

info@surrey-chambers.co.uk

CONTACTS

MEMBERSHIP: membership@surrey-chambers.co.uk INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND EXPORTS: exports@surrey-chambers.co.uk GENERAL ENQUIRIES: info@surrey-chambers.co.uk TELEPHONE: 01483 735540

WWW.SURREY-CHAMBERS.CO.UK PUBLISHER/EDITOR: Maarten Hoffmann maarten@platinummediagroup.co.uk EVENTS DIRECTOR: Fiona Graves fiona@platinummediagroup.co.uk COMMERCIAL MANAGER: Imogen Hunt imogen@platinummediagroup.co.uk TR AVEL EDITOR: Tess de Klerk tess@platinummediagroup.co.uk PL ATINUM MOTORING EDITOR: Maarten Hoffmann maarten@platinummediagroup.co.uk DYNAMIC MOTORING EDITOR: Fiona Shafer fionas@platinummediagroup.co.uk HEAD OF DESIGN / SUB EDITOR: Alan Wares alan@platinummediagroup.co.uk

WWW.PLATINUMMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

CEO COLUMN

By Helene Hall Chief Executive Surrey Chambers of Commerce

Surrey is stronger together: why it’s time to think like an ecosystem Surrey is home to more than 110,000 businesses. It has the second-largest economy outside London, three worldclass universities, remarkable businesses at every scale, and one of the UK’s most internationally connected locations. The talent here is extraordinary, and the ambition is real. Yet too often, those businesses operate in parallel rather than together. The question I keep asking is what Surrey could achieve if we chose to act like a community rather than simply a collection of companies. This month, I want to make the case for Surrey as a business ecosystem and ask something of every business in this county, whatever your size, sector or stage. WHAT AN ECOSYSTEM ACTUALLY MEANS An ecosystem is not a networking group or a membership directory. It is a living, interdependent community where strength flows in multiple directions. Where the established help the emerging, and the emerging bring fresh thinking to the established. Where procurement favours local suppliers. Where knowledge about AI adoption spreads peer to peer rather than sitting locked inside the businesses that have already figured it out. Where a retired business leader’s experience reaches a founder who needs it. Surrey Chambers supports organisations at every stage, from emerging

talent aged 18 to 35, through growing small businesses and scaling SMEs, to the enterprise anchors and Partner businesses that shape employment, investment and reputation across the county. Schools, colleges, universities, hospitals, military communities, care providers and the third sector are all part of the same Surrey economy.

The knowledge is ❛❛ here. The question is whether we share it ❜❜ .

Every one of those layers has something to give to the others. Surrey Chambers is the connective tissue that makes it function. But connective tissue only works if the parts it connects choose to move together. AI IS THE CLEAREST EXAMPLE OF WHY THIS MATTERS Earlier this year, this column made the case for AI adoption as the most powerful lever Surrey businesses can pull in a compressed market. Workers using AI tools save an average of 7.5 hours per week, according to LSE research, worth around £14,000 per employee per year. SMEs that have adopted AI are seeing productivity improvements of up to 133%, according to the University of St Andrews, and the BCC has named AI adoption as one of three things essential to breaking the UK out of its lowgrowth cycle.

But the businesses gaining the most from AI are not simply the ones that subscribed to a tool. They built structured workflows, learned from others who had gone before them, and had access to knowledge they could apply to their own context. That is exactly what a functioning ecosystem provides. A Partner business sharing what worked in an advisory clinic for smaller members. A Generation Next leader showing an established business a better way to use its tools. A university spin-out bringing research-grade AI knowledge into the commercial community. It is what Surrey Chambers is designed to make happen, and what the BCC AI Academy,

CEO COLUMN

available to all our members through our BCC partnership, exists to accelerate. WHAT I AM ASKING OF SURREY’S BUSINESS COMMUNITY This is not a membership pitch. It is a genuine ask, and it depends on where you are in your journey. If you are an established or Partner business, think about what you can give and gain. Share your AI adoption journey openly. Open your supply chain to local suppliers through Source in Surrey. The five Surrey Local Leader badges, covering ESG and Sustainability, Community and Business Support, Thought Leadership, Apprenticeships and Skills, and Source in Surrey, exist to recognise exactly this kind of contribution. Leadership in Surrey should carry visible weight.

some incredibly innovative start-ups, and we want to do far more to support and inspire the next generation of founders. That takes buyers choosing local suppliers, and investors backing ambitious businesses on their own doorstep. The innovation and ambition are already here. If you are an investor, mentor or experienced business leader, Surrey needs you in the room. The Give Back layer of our ecosystem, connecting experienced leaders with emerging busi-

The Surrey I want to see is one where large businesses actively support the growth of smaller ones and knowledge flows freely rather than sitting in silos. The next generation of leaders is mentored by people who have been there before, procurement keeps more value circulating locally, and AI adoption accelerates across the whole community because the businesses that have figured it out help those that haven’t. That is what I am working to build through Surrey Chambers, because I believe it is the most powerful thing we can do together in a market where individual resilience is no longer enough.

Surrey has everything it needs. ❛❛ The only missing ingredient is the decision to act as one. ❜❜

If you are a growing SME, come and find your peer group. The businesses around you are your greatest untapped resource, and the knowledge you need for your next step almost certainly exists somewhere in this network. Honest conversation about what is working and what isn’t is where some of the most valuable business development happens. If you are starting out, Surrey wants to back you. This county has produced

nesses through peer learning and investment pathways, is one of the highest-value things we can build together. And if you are a business leader considering what comes next, I want to make a personal ask. Stepping back doesn’t have to mean stepping away. If you have spent decades building something in Surrey, the next generation needs people like you. That could mean stepping into education as a teacher, visiting practitioner or governor. It could mean mentoring a founder ten years behind you, investing in a business that reminds you of your early days, or simply being there for someone who needs advice from someone who has been there. The experience you have built doesn’t have to retire when you do. Come and talk to us and we will help you find the right way to contribute. THE SURREY I WANT TO HELP BUILD Government policy around devolution remains uncertain, and I won’t pretend otherwise. But we don’t need to wait for government to tell us how to act like a community. That is a choice Surrey businesses can make right now.

Surrey has everything it needs: the talent, the businesses, the location, the ambition. The only missing ingredient is the decision to act as one. I hope you will be part of it. Come and find us at surrey-chambers.co.uk or at one of our events this autumn. Sources: Surrey’s Economic Growth Strategy 2025-2035, Surrey County Council | LSE / The Inclusion Initiative, Bridging the Generational AI Gap, 2025 | University of St Andrews Business School SME AI Study, 2025 | BCC Quarterly Economic Survey, March 2026

Helene Hall

CEO Surrey Chambers of Commerce Surrey Chambers of Commerce can be reached on 01483 735540, info@surrey-chambers.co.uk, @surreychambers www.surrey-chambers.co.uk

NEWS

CHAMBERS NE WS DRIVING VITAL AID TO THE FRONTLINE: ANSWERS INVESTIGATION’S MISSION FOR UKRAINE As businesses, there is a constant conversation about resolving complex dilemmas, managing risk, and finding clarity. For Surrey Chambers member Answers Investigation, daily corporate life centres on uncovering the truth. However, its latest corporate social

responsibility initiative looks beyond commercial challenges to focus on a far more critical, human objective: saving lives on the frontline. The award-winning local private detective agency has launched a dedicated fundraising campaign in support of the humanitarian volunteer group Help4Ukraine. This partnership focuses on purchasing, fully outfitting, and driving decommissioned ambulances straight to frontline medical teams in Ukraine, where reliable transport can mean the difference between life and death. When one thinks of Private Detectives Answers Investigation, the first thought is of busting corporate spies or catching cheating spouses in the act.

But recently, the company looked at its map of operations and thought, “You know what’s missing? A 1,500-mile road trip across Europe driving actual ambulances to a conflict zone.” Every vehicle sent through the initiative is packed to capacity with essential medical payloads—including trauma kits, triage supplies, and emergency equipment—before volunteer convoys make the arduous journey to hand them directly over to local medical personnel. The Surrey business community can make an immediate, practical impact. All fundraising is being matched penny for penny by Answers Investigation to double the pool – there is a GoFundMe page at https://gofund.me/f1de9cccd

LIFESTYLE FITNESS TO REOPEN JUBILEE HIGH SCHOOL GYM FOLLOWING £400,000 INVESTMENT Lifestyle Fitness is investing more than £400,000 to transform and reopen the gym facility at Jubilee High School in Addlestone, bringing a valued community health and fitness facility back into use. The new club is expected to open in November 2026, following a comprehensive redevelopment of the existing space. The facility will feature a brand-new gym, group exercise studio, specialist functional training area, dedicated recovery zone and upgraded changing facilities with a sauna. Members will have access to a programme of instructor-led classes including group cycling, mind-andbody sessions, functional workouts

and HYROX training, alongside free weights, cardio and resistance equipment. The recovery facilities will include stretching space, massage

The redevelopment has been made possible through collaboration between Runnymede Borough Council and Bourne Education Trust, alongside Lifestyle Fitness. The gym operated at the site until it closed in July 2025. Lifestyle Fitness has operated facilities at Jubilee High School since summer 2025, and the redevelopment will create a modern, inclusive environment for pupils, families and residents across Addlestone and the surrounding area.

guns and compression boots, while InBody body-composition analysis will allow members to monitor their progress.

James Lawrence, Managing Director of Lifestyle Fitness, said: “We’re thrilled to be investing over £400,000 to bring this muchvalued gym back to the Addlestone community.”

NEWS

TWM APPOINTS NEW PARTNER TWM Solicitors has announced the appointment of Krystal Ramsammy as a Partner in the firm’s highly regarded Private Client team, based in Leatherhead. Krystal joins TWM with more than 11 years’ experience advising individuals and families on a broad range of private client matters, including Wills, estate and succession planning, probate and estate administration, Inheritance Tax planning, trusts and Lasting Powers of Attorney matters. She has particular expertise in complex and high-value estates, trusts and succession planning.

client practice with responsibility for the strategic and commercial development of the department. A full member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), she was also shortlisted for Probate Lawyer of the Year at the 2026 Probate Industry Awards. Commenting on her appointment, Krystal said: “I am delighted to be joining TWM. The firm has an excellent

Before joining TWM, Krystal was a Partner and Commercial Head of Private Client at a national law firm, where she combined a substantial

reputation, particularly within Private Client, and from my first conversations with the team I was impressed by both the quality of the work and the collaborative culture. What attracted me most was the opportunity to help lead and develop the Leatherhead Private Client team while continuing to support individuals and families with the clear, practical advice they need during some of life’s most important moments.” “Private Client law is ultimately about people. I enjoy building long-term relationships with clients and helping to make complex situations feel clear and manageable. I am looking forward to getting to know our clients and colleagues, contributing my experience and supporting the continued growth of the team.”

MOST UK SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS ARE “FACING BIG DECISIONS ALONE” The Department for Business and Trade’s Longitudinal Small Business Survey 2024 found that only 25% of micro businesses, 35% of small businesses and 44% of medium-sized businesses sought any external information or strategic advice in the past year, down from 2015. The problem appears to come from the structure of most SMEs, where no board or internal peer group usually exists to test decisions. A 2018 study by Ultimate Finance found that 73% of UK business owners admitted to feeling lonely running their company. “I have seen that the higher leaders rise, the fewer people they have with whom they can openly test ideas or discuss difficult decisions without consequences. Many CEO’s and business owners carry the weight of decisions

such as pricing, senior appointments and investment, restructuring and succession largely on their own. When mentored, they feel they approach the most difficult decisions with a steadier hand.” - Donald Stuart, Managing Partner of Thexton Armstrong UK The FSB cites research showing that 70% of small businesses that receive mentoring survive for five years or more (double the rate of non-mentored entrepreneurs). Whilst Sage, the software firm, states that 89% of SMEs acknowledge that mentoring can help them to succeed. Unlike a board member, an employee or a consultant, a business advisor/ mentor has no stake in the business

itself. A co-founder, a senior employee or a consultant on retainer all have something to protect. A mentor does not, which may be why owners find it easier to think clearly in front of one and make fruitful decisions.

SURRE Y CHAMBERS E VENT CALENDAR OCTOBER 2026 ONWARDS...

BWIS EXCLUSIVE SPA AFTERNOON AND NETWORKING

LEADERSHIP WORKSHOP – OWN YOUR INFLUENCE

Unwind with Business Women in Surrey (BWiS) at an exclusive afternoon of relaxation, wellbeing, and networking at Pennyhill Park Hotel & Spa. Enjoy a traditional cream tea, full access to the award-winning spa facilities, and meaningful conversations with like-minded professional women from across Surrey. This event offers the perfect opportunity to recharge, build new connections, and invest in both your personal wellbeing and professional network.

Step from contributor to confident leader at this practical half-day workshop for aspiring and emerging professionals. Learn how to motivate teams, deliver effective feedback, run productive meetings and lead with confidence through uncertainty. Gain practical tools to strengthen your leadership presence and develop the skills needed to influence and inspire others.

FINAL BUYER SUPPLIER EXCHANGE

Thursday October 15th 10:30–14:30 Fetcham Park, Lower Road, Fetcham, Leatherhead, KT22 9HD

MEMBERS NETWORKING EVENING – WOKING

Join Surrey Chambers for the final Source in Surrey Buyer-Supplier Exchange of the year and connect with procurement representatives and fellow Surrey SMEs. Explore potential contract and supply chain opportunities through facilitated roundtable discussions, speed networking and one-to-one conversations with procurement experts. Representatives from Gatwick Airport and Supply Connect will be attending, with further buyers to be confirmed.

Join Surrey Chambers for an evening of connection, collaboration and community. This relaxed networking event is a great opportunity to meet fellow members, exchange ideas, introduce your business and build valuable new connections within the Surrey business community.

Wednesday October 14th 14:00–20:00 Pennyhill Park Hotel & Spa, London Road, Bagshot, GU19 5EU

Wednesday October 14th 10:00–12:30 Brooklands, Weybridge, Surrey

Thursday October 15th 18:00–20:00 Surrey Chambers of Commerce, Surrey

INDIA TRADE DESK: BUSINESS CLINIC Thursday October 15th 09:00–17:00 Surrey Chambers of Commerce, Block E, Dukes Court, Duke Street, Woking, Surrey, GU21 5BH

Book a free one-to-one appointment with the Surrey Chambers India Trade Desk for tailored guidance on doing business with India. Whether you are exploring the Indian market for the first time, looking to expand existing operations or need advice on regulations, compliance, market entry or potential partners, the clinic provides an opportunity to receive practical, expert-led support.

NETWORKING WITH NEIGHBOURS SUSSEX CHAMBERS Tuesday November 10th 09:45 - 12:00 Fetcham Park, Lower Road, Fetcham, Leatherhead, Surrey

Join Surrey Chambers and Sussex Chambers of Commerce at Fetcham Park for an evening of cross-county networking. Connect with businesses from across Surrey and Sussex, exchange ideas and explore new opportunities in a relaxed and welcoming setting. This popular event provides a chance to expand your network beyond your local area and make valuable new connections.

AFTER ALL YOUR HARD WORK: GETTING BUSINESS EXIT RIGHT

Tuesday November 3rd 08:30–10:00 Surrey Chambers of Commerce, Dukes Court, Duke Street, Woking, Surrey Join Surrey Chambers for a practical breakfast briefing exploring how to prepare for a successful business exit. Hear from Donald Stuart and Duncan Butler-Wheelhouse as they use real-world case studies to explore how business owners can maximise value, reduce risk and avoid common pitfalls. The session will also cover personal preparation, long-term financial security and include an opportunity to ask questions.

THE BUSINESS SHOW LONDON 2026 Wednesday November 11-12th 10:00 - 17:00 ExCeL London, Royal Victoria Dock, London, E16 1DR

Join more than 25,000 entrepreneurs, SME owners, start-up founders and senior professionals at The Business Show London 2026. Explore the latest ideas, tools and opportunities designed to help businesses start, scale and grow, while connecting with fellow entrepreneurs and industry experts from across the UK.

BUSINESS

Connect with major buyers through Source in Surrey Surrey SMEs are invited to attend Source in Surrey’s Buyer Supplier Exchange, a free event that connects ambitious businesses with major buyers and procurement experts across the county. Taking place at Fetcham Park in Leatherhead, the event will provide valuable opportunities to explore procurement and supply chain opportunities, build new relationships and gain insights from industry experts. Attendees can join facilitated roundtable discussions, book one-to-one sessions with procurement professionals, exchange business information and network with fellow Surrey businesses. Representatives from major Surrey businesses, including Gatwick Airport, Supply Connect and NESCOT, will be attending, with further experts to be confirmed. Event details: Date: October 15th, 10:30am – 2:30pm Location: Fetcham Park, Lower Road, Fetcham, Leatherhead, KT22 9HD Cost: Free to attend Refreshments: Tea, coffee and light lunch Parking: Free on-site parking Due to high demand, we will prioritise Surrey SMEs that have not previously attended a Buyer Supplier Exchange. Contact sourceinsurrey@surreychambers.co.uk to reserve your place. Only one representative per business. DISCOVER EXPORTING OPPORTUNITIES Surrey SMEs are invited to Introduction to Exporting: Opportunities, Benefits and Practical Guidance for Success, taking place on Tuesday October 20th 2026 at Sandown Park Racecourse. The free event will provide practical guidance for businesses considering

exporting, covering the benefits and opportunities available, government support, real-world experiences and export finance. Attendees will hear from experts and Surrey SMEs about the export journey, including common challenges, practical considerations and lessons learned. The programme will also include one-to-one sessions with export experts, providing businesses with tailored advice and valuable connections. Event details: Date: Tuesday October 20th 2026 Time: 10:30am–1:30pm Venue: Sandown Park Racecourse Cost: Free to attend, including lunch Focus: Export opportunities, support and practical guidance

Contact sourceinsurrey@surreychambers.co.uk to reserve your place. SOURCE IN SURREY AI TOOL An intelligent AI matchmaking tool that connects Surrey-based SMEs with buyers and procurement opportunities from larger businesses and public sector organisations. It helps businesses buy local, keep spending within Surrey and grow their customer base. Once registered, businesses provide information about their products, services and requirements. The tool then uses AI to identify and suggest relevant connections and opportunities, helping businesses find new customers, suppliers and partnerships more efficiently. Visit sourceinsurrey.co.uk

BUSINESS

Surrey Chambers of Commerce

is committed to providing the highest quality support and services to help your business trade successfully overseas.

Our team is on hand to issue you documents to ensure your goods reach their final destination, incl. Certificates of Origin, EUR1s and certified invoices.

Join our events and training courses to gain the knowledge and practical skills needed to navigate the complexities of international trade. in

Connect with over 75 overseas Chambers across the globe and benefit from B2B connections, local business advice, and potential market opportunities.

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id you know? ChamberFX delivered by Moneycorp enables you to manage currency exposure and payment needs quickly and hassle-free.

Members of Surrey Chambers can save up to 50% off our trade documentation costs.

Contact our International Tr

export@surrey-chambers.co.uk

01483 735540

BUSINESS

Strengthening Surrey’s workforce:

An introduction to the Surrey LSIP’s three action groups The Surrey LSIP 2026-2029 plan focuses on three key sectors: Manufacturing and Engineering, Construction, and Health and Social Care. In October, three action groups will take place across the three priority sectors highlighted in the report, where businesses can connect with education and training providers to discuss skills gaps and workforce challenges. The aim of our action groups is to strengthen the talent pipeline to ensure a secure future for our key sectors.

challenges are just one topic the action group will raise; the outcome will be to conceptualise solutions that can be implemented moving forward.

cruitment, retention and development must improve. Surrey’s population is ageing rapidly, with the 65+ age group predicted to rise from 19% to over 22% by 2030.

Green jobs are set to grow ❛❛ strongly, with growth of around

The Health and Social Care sector is unique as it is dominated by small employers rather than big organisations; however, this has created a limited labour pool and a low returner rate. The action group will focus on creating accessible entry routes for returners and on how to relieve operational pressures amongst caregivers to ensure consistency in the industry.

6% annually to 2030 and an increase of over 200% by 2050 ❜❜

Within the Manufacturing and Engineering sector, there is a noticeable age gap within the workforce, with only 5-12% being aged 16-24. If this trend continues, this will create future replacement risk and a weaker talent pipeline. Since 2022, there has also been a decline in key careers such as IT Business Analysts, Architects and Software Developers. These occupations are key to sustaining the manufacturing and engineering industry, as they manage internal operations and help shape the industry’s future. Evidently, a lack of clear career information impacts recruitment. These

Employment within the construction sector has remained flat since 2017, with a 2.2% decline in jobs since 2019 and sits around 13% below the national average, indicating under-representation within the industry. The plan also emphasises maintaining a green economy. Green jobs are set to grow strongly, with growth of around 6% annually to 2030 and an increase of over 200% by 2050. The action group will explore how to make the future of construction more sustainable, for example by focusing on decarbonising existing buildings. In the Health and Social Care sector, re-

If you would like to find out how to get involved in these action groups, please email lsip@surrey-chambers.co.uk

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ANNUAL CHRISTMAS LUNCH 8 DECEMBER

12:00-15:00

FOXHILLS CLUB & RESORT

Join us for our Annual Christmas Lunch and celebrate the festive season with the Surrey business community.

NEW MEMBERS

Surrey Chambers of Commerce welcomes its latest member companies

When you join Surrey Chambers of Commerce, your company details automatically get listed on this page alongside fellow new members. What a fantastic way to let the Surrey Business community know you are out there and ready to get those all-important connections.

Not Just Travel - Julian www.notjusttravel.net/ julianquerico Alex Orrow Photography www.alexorrow.co.uk

Cloud Data Protection www.cdpltd.co.uk

Respirex International Ltd respirexinternational.com

Fortis DPC Ltd www.fortis-dpc.com

FreshStance IT www.freshstance.co.uk

Gordons Partnership LLP www.gordonspartnership.com

DocuWare Ltd www.start.docuware.com/en-gb

Euro Solution Services Ltd www.euro-solution.co.uk/

Banstead Manor Care Home www.hallmarkcarehomes.co.uk/ care-homes/surrey/bansteadmanor-care-home/

The Little Box Office Ltd www.littleboxoffice.com HELPING YOU DELIVER RESCUE UNDER PRESSURE

Weir Training Ltd www.weirtraining.co.uk

Plus4Group Ltd www.plus4events.com

MFC International Ltd www.mfc-international.com

All new Chamber members are entitled to a one-off 50% discount for a company profile within this magazine. Contact lesley@platinummediagroup.co.uk for more details

If you are looking to join Surrey Chambers, then please do get in touch: sarah.butcher@surrey-chambers.co.uk or call 01483 735540. We look forward to hearing from you! @surreychambersofcommerce @surreychambers @surreychambersofcommerce

www.surrey-chambers.co.uk 01483 735540 @surreychambersofcommerce

BUSINESS

Help To Grow:Management course at Surrey Business School

Leaders are learners: What’s your development plan for 2026/27? A new academic year is the perfect time to pause, reflect and invest in yourself. As the new academic year gets underway and universities welcoming students back through their doors, it is a great opportunity for leaders to ask themselves a simple question: what are you going to learn next? The most effective leaders understand that learning does not stop when you reach the top. In fact, the opposite is often true. Markets change, technology evolves, customer expectations shift and new challenges emerge. The skills that helped you build and grow your organisation yesterday may not be the skills you need to lead it tomorrow. SO, WHAT IS ON YOUR DEVELOPMENT AGENDA FOR 2026/27? Are you planning to strengthen your strategic leadership? Develop your understanding of AI? Become more confident with financial decision-making? Explore sustainability, digital marketing or international growth? Or perhaps you have a specific business challenge that you would like to tackle with the support of experienced academics and fellow business leaders? At Surrey Business School, we believe professional development should be practical, relevant and shaped around the needs of businesses. Our executive and professional development offering provides a range of flexible options, from one-day courses designed to stimulate new thinking, to more focused programmes delivered over five to eight sessions, allowing leaders to explore a particular business challenge in greater depth. You might start with a one-day session exploring your organisation’s vision, mission, strategy and core values, giving you the opportunity to step back

from the day-to-day and consider where your business is heading and why.

can be one of the most valuable investments you make in your business.

Alternatively, you may want to tackle one of the major issues shaping business today, with learning opportunities around Artificial Intelligence, Sustainability, Finance, Digital Marketing, Global Strategies, Commercialisation and Creating New Ventures.

At Surrey Business School, we would love to hear what challenges you are facing and how we can support your development journey.

AND THERE IS MORE! Surrey Business School is offering the Help to Grow: Management Course, which started on October 7th. This open programme is designed specifically to support SME leaders and is 90% funded by the UK Government, making high-quality management development more accessible to ambitious businesses. The 12-week programme combines practical learning, peer networking and one-to-one mentoring, helping business leaders develop the skills, confi dence and knowledge to take their organisation to the next level.

If you have a question or would like to explore an opportunity for your business or if you would like to find out more about the programme, click below or please get in touch by email at sbsbusiness@surrey.ac.uk Because great leaders never stop learning.

SO, WHAT WILL YOU LEARN THIS ACADEMIC YEAR? Whether you have one day to spare or are ready to commit to a longer development journey, investing in your leadership skills

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GOLF SOCIETY SCGS 2026 FIXTURES

Thursday 5 November

The Swinley Forest Golf Club Secure your place and experience this exceptional Harry Colt-designed course.

NEWS BT TO BUY TALKTALK The UK’s biggest broadband provider, BT, has agreed to buy rival operator TalkTalk. The takeover would end months of speculation about TalkTalk’s future and mean services for its millions of customers will continue as normal. BT chief executive Alison Kirkby said it provided “a safety net” for those who rely on TalkTalk. The administrator, Alvarez & Marsal, said it also provided certainty for TalkTalk’s 900 staff. However, Virgin Media called the deal a “stitch-up” which allows BT to “tighten its grip” over the market. The government has the final say on the takeover, citing its importance to critical public services. TalkTalk has 1.5 million retail customers and one million wholesale customers across the UK.

DIESEL TOPS £2 A LITRE FOR THE FIRST TIME The average price of diesel has risen above £2 a litre in the UK for the first time, the RAC has said. Diesel has now hit an average of 200.01p a litre, and petrol prices are also still rising, reaching 174.71p a litre on average. The motoring group said price rises were “showing no signs of slowing, heaping more misery onto motorists”.

Over the past seven months, the Iran war has severely disrupted the production and transportation of wholesale oil and refined products from the region, causing prices to surge worldwide. Ukrainian attacks on Russian refiners have further constrained diesel supplies on the world market. China has also restricted exports of refined fuels.

NATIONAL NEWS BANK OF ENGLAND’S AI MARKETS WARNING Artificial intelligence (AI) could trigger financial market shocks and the UK needs to be prepared for them, the governor of the Bank of England has warned. Andrew Bailey said the central bank is watching the huge amounts of money being invested in AI “very carefully” and cautioned that “not everybody always wins”. The money that has been spent on and loaned to AI firms over the last few years in the hope of large returns is causing markets to value some of them as multi-trillion dollar businesses. Asked if he believed an AI bubble could burst, Bailey said: “You could see some correction of asset prices at some point.”

VAPES SUBJECT TO NEW TAX The price of vapes is subject to a new tax that came into effect on October 1st. The aim is to make vaping less attractive to children and young people. The Vaping Product Duty will be imposed at £2.20 per 10ml of e-liquid. However, many customers will not see an immediate jump in prices, as sellers have six months to sell old stock at the pre-duty price. The government wants to reduce the appeal of vapes by

making them more expensive, as more evidence of their adverse effects on health comes out, particularly on children and young people. The vaping industry has lobbied against the new tax, saying that affordable vapes help people to quit smoking.

❛❛ Once a country is habituated by liars, it takes decades to get the truth back ❜❜ Gore Vidal

NEWS ALDI PROFITS UP BUT CEO REPEATS CLAIM OF UNFAIR TRADE PRACTICES AMONG RIVALS Aldi’s UK boss has accused rival supermarket chains of duping customers in some cases with loyalty discounts that start with “unrealistically high prices” and then drop.

are helpful “when they’re real and when they show realistic reductions”, but hit out at what he said were unrealistic reductions which “dupe customers”.

Chief executive Giles Hurley said discounts

Aldi is the only major supermarket chain that doesn’t run a loyalty scheme,

HEATHROW RUNWAY DELAYED Heathrow Airport has warned that its planned third runway could be delayed by four years because of planning and regulatory issues. The government had hoped the new runway, estimated to cost £33bn, would open by 2035.But Heathrow sees this deadline as increasingly difficult to deliver without further steps to simplify the planning process. It said that it hoped to secure planning permission by 2029 and then open the runway “within a decade”. The Department for Transport (DfT) said the project’s timeline had “always been ambitious” but that the chancellor’s efforts to streamline infrastructure and remove regulatory bottlenecks encouraged it, and it promised to keep working with ministers, airlines and stakeholders.

which millions of shoppers use. The UK’s official competition watchdog investigated supermarkets’ loyalty pricing schemes in 2024 and concluded shoppers “almost always make a genuine saving”. Hurley, who has made similar comments before, spoke as Aldi reported a 5% increase in sales to £19bn for 2025.

BECKHAM NETS £38M FROM FIFA WORLD CUP Sir David Beckham has netted a £38.5m payout from his sports, fashion, and media business after the 2026 Men’s Football World Cup helped it bring in record profits. The former England star’s DRJB Holdings, which includes the Beckham brand, reported an almost £50m profit in 2025, a 46% jump from the previous year. Sales rose from £72.2m to £84m. The rise was driven by a slew of advertising partnerships struck in the runup to the tournament, including with Bank of America, McDonald’s, Verizon, and PepsiCo Lay’s. Sir David, Britain’s first billionaire sportsman, was commonly seen in adverts during the summer’s World Cup.

NINE-YEAR BANKING FRAUD INQUIRY FINALLY HAS ALL THE EVIDENCE A review into whether Lloyds Banking Group attempted to cover up a £1bn fraud has finally finished gathering evidence, nine and a half years after it was commissioned. Dame Linda Dobbs, who is investigating wrongdoing at HBOS, which Lloyds rescued in 2009, said the final witness evidence “was at last received” at the end of September. However, the retired High Court judge said there were “still a number of steps that the review must carry out before completion”, including “conducting the final analysis”. The slow progress has attracted criticism from victims, while the government has also commented it “shares the frustration at how long processes relating to the issue are taking to conclude”.

❛❛ I simply refuse to deal with idiots. It has cut my social obligations in half. ❜❜ ― Julia Quinn, ‘On the Way to the Wedding’

RISK OF ‘UNINSURABLE HOMES’ IN THE FUTURE Homes being built today could become uninsurable in the future because of flood risk, the boss of insurance giant Aviva has said. Amanda Blanc said the risk of flooding is “absolutely increasing”, but based on current building patterns, 115,000 new homes will be built in flood zones in the next decade. “That doesn’t seem to

me to make sense. We need to think about where those homes are being built,” she told the BBC. About 6.3 million homes and businesses in England are at risk of flooding, according to the Environment Agency, and Aviva research found one in nine homes built between 2022 and 2024 are at medium to high risk of flooding.

NEWS MAYO WYNNE BAXTER APPOINTS NEW PARTNER Mayo Wynne Baxter has appointed Angela Arnold as a partner in its property team. Angela has more than 10 years’ experience in residential property and previously headed the residential property team at Rix & Kay Solicitors in Hove. Following

the firm’s acquisition by Knights in August 2025, she became a partner in its Brighton office. She has significant experience advising clients on residential property matters and leading specialist teams. She also serves as the president of the Sussex Law Society and is a

board member at the Sussex County Cricket Club. Angela will be based in Brighton, working alongside the firm’s established property team, building on its residential property practice and helping strengthen its presence in the region.

EXPANDED EXPO ANNOUNCED

LOCAL NEWS ❛❛ Whenever a king sees that his people are about to revolt against him, he starts a war with another country ❜❜ Napoleon Bonaparte

MCLAREN RECEIVES INVESTMENT FUNDS McLaren Automotive has confirmed details of a £500m investment programme, including a vehicle assembly facility and expansion in Woking. The investment forms part of a larger commitment from McLaren Automotive shareholder L’IMAD, and will enable McLaren Automotive to expand its production capability, increasing vehicle output to ensure McLaren Automotive cars are built in Britain. McLaren Automotive will design and build its future powertrains in-house for the first time, starting with two new engines and transmissions. The plans also include expanding operations at the McLaren Production Centre in Woking.

Three leading organisations from across the region’s food, drink and hospitality sectors are joining forces to create a major new trade showcase for 2027. Business South, Comax UK and Hampshire Fare will bring together producers, buyers, chefs, hospitality operators and industry suppliers at the Central South Food, Drink & Elevate Trade Expo, connecting the region’s exceptional producers with the businesses that serve them. Taking place on February 9th 2027, at the Hilton Southampton at the Utilita Bowl, the event will bring exceptional food and drink producers from across the Central South region together with buyers, chefs, retailers, hospitality operators and industry suppliers, creating a larger event with greater opportunities for everyone involved.

COUNCIL IS OWED MILLIONS IN UNPAID BILLS West Sussex County Council is owed more than £158m in unpaid invoices, councillors have been told. The figure – much of it related to adult social care – was revealed during a scrutiny committee meeting on September 18th. Jane Davey, Cabinet Member for Finance & Property, said the level of debt was having ‘a huge impact’ on the council’s cash flow. ‘Slow payments’ from organisations including the Integrated Care Board, other NHS bodies, and other local authorities are part of the problem. Ms Davey commented: “There have been a number of discussions at senior level with these partners to improve the payment of our invoices. Those conversations need to continue as we’re clearly not there yet.”

NEWS ROLLS-ROYCE OPENS NEW FACILITY Rolls-Royce has opened a new testing facility at its Goodwood headquarters as part of its ongoing £300m investment in the site. The Eric Platford Testway is named after Sir Henry Royce’s first chief tester and one of the most influential figures in the marque’s early history. It will enable engineers to introduce controlled inputs to the chassis, suspension, body structure and interior components in a repeatable environment. The testway comprises four parallel lanes, each 90m in length, which

VINEYARD SUPPORTS CHILDREN’S CHARITY West Sussex wine producer Abingworth Vineyard has announced a partnership with a charity providing free activity camps for children living with serious health conditions and their families. From 2027, it will donate a percentage of profits from bottle sales to Over The Wall Camp, with specially labelled bottles also helping raise awareness of the charity. The company will also sponsor the wine at the charity’s London VIP Reception in November 2026, ahead of the year-long partnership.

together provide eight surface profiles designed to stimulate specific vehicle responses, including cobblestone sections, random concrete waves for vertical variation, twist humps, and sine wave corrugations.

Founded in 1999 by Oscar-winning actor Paul Newman and UK businessman Joe Woods, Over The Wall Camp provides free residential activity camps to support children and families living with serious health conditions.

UNIVERSITY CONSIDERS SITE CLOSURE The University of Brighton says it is considering closing one of its three campuses from 2030 in favour of condensing its operation into two sites. A spokesperson for the university says it hopes to move its operation from its Falmer campus to its City

and Moulsecoomb sites, which it says will make it stronger and more sustainable. The university has not yet decided to close the Falmer campus, and it plans to consult on the changes, it says, also stating it would support closing the Falmer campus with investment in its two other campuses. Its vice-chancellor, Prof Sasha Roseneil, said “very difficult decisions” were needed to “address the financial sustainability crisis affecting UK higher education”.

❛❛ As the Joker once said, “When we understand that each day isn’t one day more, but one day less, we’ll start giving more value to the things that truly matter ❜❜

CALLS FOR FUTURE CEO West Sussex business leaders are being encouraged to apply for the next cohort of “Future CEO”, a fully funded business leaders’ development programme. It is designed to help ambitious business owners strengthen their leadership capabilities, tackle business challenges and drive future success. Delivered by the West Sussex Growth Hub, Future CEO brings together a selected group of business leaders who can step away from dayto-day pressures, gain fresh perspectives and focus on the bigger picture. Participants work through live business issues, drawing on the experience and insight of fellow leaders to explore new approaches, challenge assumptions and identify practical actions they can take back into their businesses.

HIGH PRAISE FROM DMH STALLARD EMPLOYEES Law firm DMH Stallard LLP has reported “exceptional levels of employee satisfaction”, with 100% of respondents to its latest annual staff survey agreeing that the firm is a good place to work.

sharing their views on wellbeing, leadership, rewards, development and workplace culture.

More than three-quarters of the firm’s workforce took part, with colleagues

The survey showed improvements across almost every measure

compared with the previous year. Confidence in the firm’s leadership rose to 97.6%, while 95.7% of respondents said flexible working arrangements helped them achieve a positive work-life balance. More than 90% said the firm supports their wellbeing, while nearly 90% said management supported them.

BUSINESS

Creating the conditions for long-term growth The UK’s long-term economic growth depends on investment. That was the clear message from a recent Oxford Economics report highlighting a £1.9 trillion investment shortfall in the UK over the past 25 years compared with other leading economies.

lifetime of major infrastructure assets. To highlight these findings, London Gatwick joined fellow transport and infrastructure organisations including Manchester Airports Group, Eurostar, Getlink, London St Pancras Highspeed and the Global Infrastructure Investor

For UK businesses looking to deliver major infrastructure projects, the report argues that long-term policy certainty, alongside a stable and proportionate regulatory environment, is essential to unlocking future growth. For London Gatwick, this debate is about more than economic theory; it directly affects the airport’s ability to invest in infrastructure, improve passenger experience and create opportunity across the South East.

One of the report’s ❛❛ central conclusions is that

CREATING THE CONDITIONS FOR INVESTMENT The Oxford Economics report examined why the UK has consistently lagged behind comparable economies on investment and what could be achieved if that gap were closed. The report found that had the UK invested at the average G7 rate since 2000, an additional £1.9 trillion would have been invested in the economy through growth-boosting projects – and £109 billion in the last year alone. Looking ahead, it suggests that closing the gap could increase real household disposable income by around £1,540 per year by 2040. One of the report’s central conclusions is that long-term investment relies on confidence. Businesses need certainty that the conditions they invest under will remain sufficiently stable over the

long-term investment relies on confidence ❜❜

Association in calling for policies that support long-term private investment. For London Gatwick, the discussion is particularly relevant as the airport prepares to deliver its Northern Runway Programme following the conclusion of the project’s eight-year planning and legal process in August.

Commenting on the report, Chief Executive Pierre-Hugues Schmit said: “London Gatwick is ready to deliver the infrastructure this country needs to grow. Our Northern Runway Programme will add £1 billion to the economy every year, create 14,000 jobs and bring significant tourism and trade benefits. As a business that must invest in and maintain our assets over the long term, our key ask for Government is to use the Budget to deliver a more stable and proportionate approach on key issues such as business rates and bring the policy certainty that we need to invest and stay competitive.” The Northern Runway Programme is one of the UK’s largest privately financed infrastructure projects and forms part of London Gatwick’s wider commitment to supporting regional growth through investment, connectivity and job creation.

BUSINESS

INVESTING IN THE PASSENGER EXPERIENCE Investment is not only about major infrastructure projects. It is also about ensuring passengers continue to benefit from an airport experience that evolves alongside future growth. With the Northern Runway Programme approved and long-term passenger growth anticipated, London Gatwick has launched its largest ever food and beverage tender, inviting operators to bid for six flagship hospitality locations across both terminals. Spanning more than 3,800 square metres, the tender represents one of the most significant hospitality opportunities currently available in the UK travel sector. It forms part of London Gatwick’s ongoing investment in the passenger experience, providing greater choice and ensuring food and beverage options meet the needs of the millions of passengers travelling through the airport each year.

Chief Executive, Pierre-Hugues Schmit (second from left), taking part in a discussion around the ﬁndings of the Oxford Economics report

the South Terminal, while healthy eating brand Tossed is set to open its first-ever airport restaurant in London Gatwick’s North Terminal in the coming weeks.

sources Officer. Kathleen joins London Gatwick from BT Group and brings extensive experience leading transformation, talent and culture programmes across international markets.

Alongside investment in ❛❛ infrastructure and the passenger

Announcing the appointment, Chief Executive Pierre-Hugues Schmit said: “Our vision - to be the airport for everyone, whatever your journey - means delivering an enjoyable, accessible and efficient passenger experience and making our airport a great place to work. Our people are what sets us apart and we are delighted to welcome Kathleen and the experience that she brings at such an important phase in our journey following the recent legal decision on our Northern Runway project.”

experience, London Gatwick continues to invest in its people. ❜❜

As part of this continued evolution, passengers are already seeing new brands arrive at the airport. At the start of the month, Fever-Tree opened a location in

Commenting on the wider transformation of the airport’s hospitality offer, Stephane Geffroy, Head of Retail at London Gatwick, described the current tender process as the airport’s largest ever food and beverage opportunity and highlighted the significant commercial opportunities created by future growth plans. Together, these developments reflect a broader ambition: ensuring that investment in growth is matched by investment in the passenger experience itself. INVESTING IN PEOPLE Alongside investment in infrastructure and the passenger experience, London Gatwick continues to invest in its people. In August, the airport welcomed Kathleen Maes as its new Chief Human Re-

As London Gatwick enters its next phase of growth, continued investment in infrastructure, passenger experience and people will remain central to delivering long-term benefits for passengers, businesses and communities across the South East.

www.gatwickairport.com

FINANCE

By Jamie Servante, Partner and Paul Strutt, Advisory and Assurance Manager, Kreston Reeves

Funding for creative businesses: Finance options beyond traditional bank loans The UK’s creative industries contribute more than £145 billion to the economy each year, yet many creative businesses still find it difficult to access traditional bank finance. Whether you run a marketing agency, design studio, production company or digital content business, growth often requires investment. Fortunately, plenty of alternatives to traditional bank finance exist.

doesn’t need to be repaid, if the grant conditions are met. Funding may be available for innovation, digital transformation, sustainability, skills development or export activity, with some programmes specifically supporting the creative industries. While competition can be strong, grant funding can help businesses invest in

which offer tax incentives to investors and can make fundraising easier. REVENUE-BASED FINANCE Revenue-based finance lets repayments rise and fall with revenue, easing cash-flow pressure during quieter periods. It can also be a good option for businesses with recurring income, such as marketing agencies operating on monthly retainers or digital businesses with subscription-based services.

Creative businesses often face ❛❛ different challenges to those in more

WHY FUNDING CAN BE CHALLENGING FOR CREATIVE BUSINESSES Creative businesses often face different challenges to those in more traditional sectors. Their greatest assets are frequently intangible: intellectual property, creative talent, client relationships and brand reputation. Lenders find these difficult to value compared with physical assets such as property or machinery.

traditional sectors. Their greatest assets are frequently intangible ❜❜

Cash flow can also be unpredictable, with upfront project costs often incurred long before payment is received. These factors don’t mean funding is unavailable, but they do mean that creative businesses may benefit from looking beyond conventional bank loans. GRANT FUNDING Grant funding can be an attractive source of finance because it usually

growth without taking on additional borrowing. EQUITY INVESTMENT For businesses with ambitious growth plans, equity investment may offer access to more capital than traditional borrowing. Rather than lending money, investors provide funding in exchange for a share of the business. This can be particularly attractive for creative technology businesses with scalable products or valuable intellectual property. However, business owners should carefully consider the implications of giving up equity, including sharing decision-making and future profits. Businesses seeking equity investment may also benefit from SEIS and EIS,

INVOICE FINANCE Waiting months to be paid can quickly put pressure on cash flow, particularly for agencies and production companies managing multiple projects. Invoice finance enables businesses to access funds tied up in unpaid invoices, improving cash flow without waiting for customer payments. ASSET FINANCE Many creative businesses rely on specialist equipment. Instead of paying for expensive equipment upfront, asset fi nance lets businesses spread the cost over an agreed period. This helps preserve working capital while ensuring the business has access to the latest technology. This can be particularly useful in industries where equipment has a relative-

FINANCE

ly short lifespan, helping businesses match the asset cost to the value it generates over time without committing significant capital upfront.

service launches. However, a successful campaign requires careful planning,

The right option will depend on your business model, cash flow needs and growth ambitions.

A growing number of non❛❛ bank lenders offer unsecured

ALTERNATIVE BUSINESS LOANS A growing number of non-bank lenders offer unsecured business loans with faster application processes and more flexible lending criteria than traditional high street banks. While interest rates are likely to be significantly higher, these facilities can provide quick access to funding for businesses with strong cash flow but limited tangible security.

business loans with faster application processes ❜❜

effective marketing and a compelling story that resonates with potential supporters.

Whether you are considering grant funding, invoice finance, equity investment or alternative business loans, understanding the full range of creative business funding options can help you make informed decisions. Professional advice and robust financial information will significantly improve your chances of securing the funding you need to grow.

CROWDFUNDING Businesses with a strong brand, loyal audience or innovative product may also consider crowdfunding to raise funds through customer pre-orders, rewards or equity investment from many individual backers.

PREPARING YOUR BUSINESS FOR FUNDING Whichever funding route you choose, preparation is essential. Funders will expect clear and up-to-date financial information, reliable cash flow forecasts and evidence of strong financial management. A clear strategy and strong grasp of your numbers can significantly improve funding prospects.

If you are considering funding for your creative business, get in touch with Jamie Servante, Partner or Paul Strutt, Advisory and Assurance Manager:

Crowdfunding can also generate publicity, test demand and help build an engaged community before a product or

FINAL THOUGHTS There is no one-size-fits-all approach to funding for creative businesses.

Call: +44 (0)33 0124 1399 Email: enquiries@krestonreeves.com Visit: www.krestonreeves.com

LEGAL

By Marie Stock, Partner, Family Team, Mayo Wynne Baxter

NEW RIGHTS FOR COHABITING COUPLES:

what you need to know Many couples live together, share bills and build a home without marrying or entering a civil partnership. Yet, legally, long-term cohabitation is not generally treated as equivalent to marriage or civil partnership. The Government’s consultation, “A Fairer End to Relationships”, asks whether cohabiting partners should have better financial protection if they separate. THE MYTH OF COMMON LAW MARRIAGE Many people still believe in ‘common law marriage,’ the idea that living together for long enough creates rights akin to those of married couples/

Schedule 1 of the Children Act 1989. However, this focuses on meeting the children’s needs. HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED? Cohabitation is a normal family arrangement, but many couples do not realise how financially exposed it might leave them. Sharing a home or paying the mortgage does not automatically create an entitlement to equity in the family home. The risk is particularly acute for someone who has reduced their hours, left a career or taken on most of the childcare and household responsibilities. That contribution may have helped the other partner maximise their earning power. The partner with the lower earning capacity may face financial uncertainty upon separation, at a point when they need a stable home and a fair opportunity to rebuild their life.

In England and Wales, cohabiting ❛❛ partners do not automatically have

a right to share the family home, savings or pensions if they separate ❜❜ couples in a civil partnership. However, in England and Wales, cohabiting partners do not automatically have a right to share the family home, savings or pensions if they separate. The outcome depends on legal ownership, contributions, trust principles and any agreement between them. Having children together could also allow for some financial relief under

GOVERNMENT PROPOSALS The Government is proposing a new legal framework for cohabiting couples in England and Wales. It would cover couples in a committed relationship

whose lives are financially and practically intertwined, if they have lived together for at least three years or share a child. The Government’s approach to reform is guided by four principles, which underpin all the proposals in the consultation: 1. Prioritising fair outcomes for children: Placing children’s welfare at the centre of decision-making by ensuring they are the court’s first consideration, regardless of their parents’ marital status, in order to support their stability and financial security. 2. P r o t e c t i n g t h e v u l n e r a b l e : Strengthening safeguards for those most at risk of harm or financial insecurity at the end of a relationship, including women, children and victims/survivors of domestic abuse (including economic abuse). 3. Providing a clear and accessible framework: Ensuring the new cohabitation framework and the law of financial remedies on divorce and dissolution are easy to understand, with more predictable outcomes, reducing conflict and unnecessary litigation, and improving public awareness of the law and confidence in the system.

LEGAL

4. Preserving the distinct status of marriage: Ensuring protections for cohabitants are propor tionate, targeted and clearly differentiated from the full legal consequences of marriage, maintaining marriage as a distinct institution. HOW WOULD THIS WORK? The starting point would be that each person keeps what they legally own. A court could move away from that position only where it was necessary to meet particular needs. The word ‘needs’ can mean different things to different people, making it a very personal and open-ended test that could lead to dispute and potentially court proceedings. Children’s needs would come first, and the aim would be to achieve a clean break as soon as possible. The consultation closed on August 14th 2026, and the Government is now analysing the responses. For now, these remain proposals rather than rights that are already in force. WHAT SHOULD YOU DO NOW? There are sensible steps you can take

now. A cohabitation agreement can record how you will share bills, own a property, contribute to home improvements and divide your assets if you separate. It can also record your intentions about financial support and can

Every unmarried couple ❛❛ should consider making or updating a Will. ❜❜

HOW CAN WE HELP? At Mayo Wynne Baxter, our experienced Family Team can help you with cohabitation matters, including: • Advising on your legal position as a cohabiting couple • Drafting cohabitation agreements to protect both partners

be reviewed when circumstances change. This can reduce uncertainty and future conflict.

Property ownership deserves particular attention. As joint tenants, the whole property passes automatically to the survivor on death. As tenants in common, each person owns a defined share, which can be left by Will. A Declaration of Trust can set out the agreed shares. Ever y unmarried couple should consider making or updating a Will. Without one, the survivor may not inherit automatically, even after many years together.

If you need any assistance with a Family Law matter, please do not hesitate to contact our experienced Family Team at Mayo Wynne Baxter on 0800 84 94 101. Our specialist team can advise you as to the best possible ways to resolve matters. Or email Marie at mstock@mayowynnebaxter.co.uk

EVENTS

Finalists announced for the Surrey Business Awards 2026 Following an intensive judging process and an exceptionally strong year for entries, the shortlist brings together an outstanding line-up of organisations, entrepreneurs and business leaders who are making a real impact across Surrey. Held in association with Surrey Chambers of Commerce, the Surrey Business Awards have become one of the region’s most prestigious celebrations of business excellence, recognising the innovation, growth, leadership and achievements helping to drive Surrey’s economy forward. This year’s finalists were selected following a rigorous judging process led

by an impressive panel of senior business leaders and industry experts. The panel included representatives from Heathrow Airport, Partridge Muir

SURREY BUSINESS AWA R D S

2026

The wait is over – the finalists for the 2026 Surrey Business Awards have been revealed, celebrating some of the most exciting, ambitious and high-performing businesses and individuals from across the county.

& Warren, Jensten Insurance Brokers, NESCOT, Different Straights, DMH Stallard, KPMG, The Jockey Club, Surrey Business School, Menzies, Moore Kingston Smith, Move Different, Thakeham, EMC and MHA. Attention now turns to the awards

ceremony, where the 2026 winners will finally be revealed. Taking place on November 19th at G Live in Guildford, the spectacular evening promises an unforgettable celebration of Surrey’s business community, with plenty of entertainment, recognition and opportunities to connect. Hosted by acclaimed comedian and business speaker Cally Beaton, the ceremony will be the culmination of months of entries, judging and anticipation, as the finalists take centre stage and this year’s winners are crowned.

With the finalists confirmed and anticipation building, the countdown to one of the biggest nights in Surrey’s business calendar is officially on. Purchase tickets online: www.platinummediagroup.co.uk/ events/surrey-business-awards/ buy-tickets/

FINANCE

THE 2026 FINALISTS Best Customer Service Award

Small Business of the Year

Further Reading

38 Black History Month Ten titles exploring history, culture and ethnicity in Britain

Travel

42 Óbidos Tess de Klerk explores this ancient Portuguese village that kings gave their queens for a gift

Girl Torque

46 BMW X7 Fiona Shafer, MD of MDHUB, test drives BMW’s latest offering, and picks up more than she intended to

What’s On

50 A brief snapshot of what’s on in the South East

26 Lucy McCarraher Writing yourself into the room: Books, visibility and female leadership 28 Black History Month Who is backing Black women in business?

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All rights reserved. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. The publisher cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions relating to advertising or editorial. The publisher reserves the right to change or amend any competitions or prizes oﬀered. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written consent from the publisher. No responsibility is taken for unsolicited materials or the return of these materials whilst in transit. Dynamic Magazine is owned and published by Platinum Media Group Limited.

EDITOR’S NOTE

Welcome to our October edition of Dynamic. The clocks go back this month and, inspired by Laura Hearn, I’ve promised my extra hour to a book. It is also Black History Month which has given us some of this issue’s best reading.

Gloria Steinem passed away in September and I have written our tribute. I grew up hearing her name from my mum who was offered two careers as a young woman in South Africa: secretary or teacher. She chose teaching, later retrained as a journalist and raised me to know I had more than two options. We owe Gloria rather a lot. Our Big Story is Afua Kyei who grew up in South London on Enid Blyton and Boyzone, became CFO at the Bank of England and now tops the Powerlist of Britain’s most influential Black people. In Spotlight, media and marketing guru, Stephanie Prior and and President of the Sussex Law Society, Angela Arnold write about their Jamaican heritage and their respective families’ journeys to the UK. Addtionally, I ask who is backing Black women in business.

Our columnists are on good form. Alex Bailey writes from a Texas airport about what home means. Laura Hearn took a thriller to Portugal and came home hooked on reading for fun. Natalie Montagnani explains why a business built on referrals works brilliantly until it doesn’t, while Camille Pierson urges us to put our phones down, which seems fair given we pick them up around 186 times a day! Sophia Lorimer has a challenge for anyone who has ever said ‘I can’t wear that’. Ask yourself why, who told you so and whether that is what you actually want. Further back are ten books for Black History Month and a Historical Spotlight on Una Marson and Dorothy Vaughan, one of whom has a crater on the moon named after her. I take you to Óbidos, the Portuguese village kings gave their brides as a wedding present. And Fiona Shafer collects her first speeding fine in seven years of reviewing cars. However you spend your October, I hope something here makes you think, pick up a book or put down your phone.

Editor, Dynamic Magazine tess@platinummediagroup.co.uk

CONTACTS

PUBLISHER: Maarten Hoffmann maarten@platinummediagroup.co.uk EDITOR: Tess de Klerk tess@platinummediagroup.co.uk MOTORING EDITOR: Fiona Shafer fionaas@platinummediagroup.co.uk COMMERCIAL MANAGER: Imogen Hunt imogen@platinummediagroupco.uk EVENTS DIRECTOR: Fiona Graves fiona@platinummediagroup.co.uk HEAD OF DESIGN / SUB EDITOR: Alan Wares alan@platinummediagroup.co.uk

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11-YEAR-OLD GIRL BECOMES CHESS GRANDMASTER A British child chess prodigy has become the youngest ever player to earn the woman grandmaster (WGM) title. Bodhana Sivanandan, 11, from London, secured her third and final WGM norm - a certified title-level performance - while representing England at the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, the International Chess Federation (FIDE) confirmed. It is the latest milestone in a remarkable rise for the schoolgirl, who has already become both Britain’s youngest women’s chess champion and to represent England internationally in any sport.

HAILSHAM SEEKS VIEWS ON WOMEN’S SPORTS IN THE TOWN Hailsham Town Council’s survey exploring women’s and girls’ participation in sport has now closed, with responses received from residents across the town. The survey formed part of the Town Council’s wider campaign promoting women’s and girls’ sport in Hailsham and was designed to better understand residents’ experiences, views and priorities when it comes to local sporting opportunities. Residents were invited to share their views on a range of issues, including the availability and quality of local sports facilities, the range of clubs and sporting opportunities, potential improvements and any barriers that may prevent women and girls from participating.

WOMEN’S BONUSES SMALLER THAN MEN’S Women in Britain continue to receive substantially lower bonus payments than men, according to human resources data firm Brightmine. Payroll records for almost 1.5 million employees as of July 2026 showed male workers received average annual bonuses of £5,442 compared with

£3,062 for women. The data also showed 14% of male employees received a bonus compared with 9% of females. The disparity widened with age: at 56, men received average bonuses of £8,817 compared with £3,769 for

women. Some of the biggest gaps were in finance and in professional and business services. Sheila Attwood, HR insights and data lead at Brightmine, said the findings suggested differences in progression, seniority and access to higher-value incentive schemes.

UPFRONT THE LATEST BULLETINS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

NATWEST ACCELERATOR SCALES UP ‘SHE SCALES’ INITIATIVE

MORE WOMEN CEOs ACROSS EUROPE’S TOP COMPANIES

NatWest Accelerator is launching its She Scales initiative nationwide across the UK following a successful pilot phase. For fintech professionals and the broader startup ecosystem, this expansion is a significant effort to bridge the gender gap in entrepreneurship by giving female founders structured access to networking, peer support, and practical growth expertise. The She Scales

The 2026 Fortune 500 Europe has revealed that women run 8.6% of companies on the list, up from 8.2% a year earlier.

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initiative is moving from a pilot phase to a permanent national programme under the identity “Where female founders build their future.” The expansion follows a pilot involving 13 NatWest Accelerator hubs. The programme addresses three priorities identified by female founders: a stronger sense of belonging, greater visibility for their businesses, and improved access to growth opportunities.

Companies led by female CEOs generated $1.2 trillion in revenue on this year’s list, up 24% from $1 trillion last year. Meg O’Neill (left), CEO of BP, is behind much of that increase. The share of revenues for woman-run companies is 8.0%, up from 6.7% last year but less than the 8.6% of companies women run. Also high on the list was Karin Rådström, who leads Daimler Truck, the world’s largest manufacturer of commercial vehicles, and by her own admission, is used to being the only woman in the room.

SPANISH FA PAYS FOR FERTILITY TREATMENT Spain’s football federation has become the latest organisation to support fertility treatment for female players, including egg-freezing. As part of its agreement, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) said that it will cover the full cost of egg-freezing treatment for all international players who have been called up at least twice.

“It’s important that female athletes feel they don’t have to choose between their professional and personal lives,” Barcelona midfielder Patri Guijarro said at the announcement. For female athletes, the window of peak performance and the window for fertility overlap, which researchers have noted has often made athletes feel as though they have to choose one or the other.

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Once we give up searching for approval, we often find it easier to earn respect.” - Gloria Steinem

NATIONWIDE PARTNERS WITH FEMALE FOUNDERS RISE Nationwide has become the sole banking partner of Female Founders Rise (FFR), one of the UK’s largest communities helping female entrepreneurs and nonbinary founders build stronger, more profitable businesses.

members as they grow and scale their businesses, bringing together Nationwide’s commitment to support businesses and local communities with FFR’s mission to

The partnership aims to strengthen support for FFR’s 12,000-plus

AFRICA MATCHES UK FOR LOW LEVELS OF FEMALE INVESTMENT According to data that starkly mirrors the UK’s story, female solo business founders and all-women founding teams received less than 1% of tracked funding across African markets, compared with 91% for male solo founders and all-male teams, figures cited at the She Code Africa Summit 2026. The figures, from Africa: The Big Deal reports, were cited by B4B Partners Managing Partner Napa Onwusah (above) during a discussion on women’s participation in technology and investment at the summit, which marked the organisation’s 10th anniversary. Onwusah said mixed-gender founding teams accounted for 8% of the funding, highlighting a significant disparity in capital allocation to women-founded businesses.

support early-stage female founders, from idea through to their first million. The Rise Report, one of the largest grassroots studies of female entrepreneurship in the UK, found that up to £310 billion of new value could be added to the UK economy if women started and scaled businesses at the same rate as men.

CRICKET CLOTHING SISTERS PARTNER UP WITH SNAP A female-led cricket clothing brand is partnering with a sponsorship company to help clubs, schools and universities raise money for their women’s and girls’ cricket programmes. Maiden Cricket, the Chichester business founded by sisters who previously appeared on BBC’s Dragons’ Den, has announced a partnership with SNAP Sponsorship, which supports clubs, schools and universities seeking sponsorship for their women’s and girls’ cricket programmes. Maiden Cricket, meanwhile, produces clothing, teamwear and equipment designed specifically for female cricket players. Clubs will receive exclusive access to SNAP through Maiden. The companies say this will give clubs the tools needed to create sponsorship opportunities and generate additional revenue.

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This is not a men vs. women issue. It’s about people vs. prejudice.” — Laura Bates, ‘Everyday Sexism’ www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

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LONDON CRIME FALLS DESPITE PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS

Research from King’s College London suggests people significantly overestimate crime levels in the capital. A survey of around 5,000 people found that 62% believed crime had risen between 2019 and 2025 when recorded crime actually fell by 1.4%. Forty per cent thought the murder rate had increased although it fell by around 15%. Some offences, including shoplifting, have risen, which may contribute to the perception gap. Researchers said people are “far too negative about the realities in London”.

IN THE RIGHT

DIRECTION DELAYING SMARTPHONES LINKED TO BETTER CHILD WELLBEING Research involving 12,000 English primary schools suggests that delaying children’s access to smartphones may benefit their mental health. In schools where at least one in five families agreed to postpone smartphones, support needs fell by 8.2% while psychiatric disability claims fell by 6%. The study has

not yet been peer-reviewed, but its author described it as the “first causal evidence” that coordinated delays can improve children’s mental health. Campaign founder Daisy Greenwell said delaying a smartphone gives children back “more time, better sleep, real-world friendships” and space to focus.

PLASTIC BAG LITTER FALLS BY 80%

Plastic carrier bags found on UK beaches have fallen by 80% since charges for single-use bags were introduced. Figures from the Marine Conservation Society suggest targeted policies can make a measurable difference, even as plastic still makes up a growing share of beach litter. Volunteers recorded plastic in 87% of rubbish collected in 2025 compared with 75% in 1995. Catherine Gemmell said: “Simple policies can make a big difference.” She also pointed to the potential impact of a future drinks container deposit scheme

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Spend your money on the things money can buy. Spend your time on the things money can’t buy.” – Haruki Murakami, Japanese author

TURKMENISTAN TO TACKLE METHANE Turkmenistan, one of the world’s biggest sources of methane emissions, has begun repairing major leaks from its oil and gas facilities. Satellite monitoring identified more than 1,000 large methane leaks globally in 2022, with Turkmenistan responsible for many of the biggest. The country has now plugged eight major leaks and responded to 20% of the 192 alerts it received through the UN’s Methane Alert and Response System last year. The UN described the repairs as an “incredible first step”. Despite the progress, methane still accounts for around a quarter of global warming.

SOLAR POWER BECOMES DRAMATICALLY CHEAPER The cost of solar power has fallen to extraordinary new lows, with Chinese-made photovoltaic panels now costing around $0.12 per watt, down from $6 in 2000. This decline is unprecedented among major energy technologies and has helped drive record levels of solar installation worldwide.

The price falls are particularly significant as countries seek alternatives to volatile fossil fuel markets. Energy think tank Ember describes solar as “offensively cheap” and says 97% of the world’s population lives in countries where solar and wind potential far exceeds current electricity demand.

NEW FUND TARGETS GLOBAL FGM CRISIS A new $15.5m fund aims to support efforts to end female genital mutilation, with millions of girls still at risk each year. Although rates of FGM have fallen over the past decade, an estimated 4.4 million girls face the practice annually. The Her Horizon Fund has received $14m from the Wallace Global Fund plus $1.5m from an anonymous donor. The funding comes as support for health organisations tackling FGM has declined. Susan Gibbs said frontline groups have been “absolutely starved for resources”.

MARTHA’S RULE EXPANDS ACROSS ENGLAND Martha’s Rule is being extended to A&E departments across England, giving patients and families a clearer route to request a second opinion when they have concerns about care. The scheme was created following the death of 13-year-old Martha Mills from sepsis after her family’s concerns were not acted on. During hospital trials, 4,906 calls were made to helplines, with 241 leading to “potentially life-saving interventions”. NHS England says the expansion will strengthen patient safety and reassure families.

BREAST CANCER DRUG APPROVED IN ENGLAND Women living with incurable HER2-low breast cancer in England can now access Enhertu after a two-year campaign by patients and charities. The drug can extend life by an average of seven months, with some patients living up to three years longer.

NICE rejected its use in 2024 because of its cost but has now reversed that decision. The move has been welcomed by campaigners including Kathryn Hulland, who described it as bringing “a renewed sense of hope” for women and their families.

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Don’t think about making women ﬁt the world - think about making the world ﬁt women.” — Gloria Steinem

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TRIBUTE

Gloria Steinem By Tess de Klerk

have been aware of Gloria Steinem for as long as I can remember. My mum was a great admirer of hers, and I grew up knowing her name and hearing about her work. This was in South Africa at a time when society was still very traditional, and the choices available to women were limited. I remember my mum telling me that when she was young she had really only been given two career options: secretary or teacher. She became a teacher and, much later, retrained as a journalist. Gloria Steinem was one of the women who inspired that change of direction.

and backgrounds and remained involved in many women’s movements for decades. The world now looks different from the one in which Gloria began her career. A woman deciding to pursue a career, leave an unhappy marriage, manage her own money or return to education is not unusual in the way it once could have been. The choices are still not equal for everyone, with massive differences between countries and cultures, but the conversations are now often loud and proud. Gloria was the trailblazer who helped lay the foundations for this. I now understand my mum’s admiration for Gloria more than I did when I was young. At the time I simply knew that she was an influential woman whose name came up at home. I didn’t have any real sense of what it meant for a woman from her generation to look at someone like Gloria and see a different way of living and working.

“We owe her so much: for her passion and Gloria’s generation challenged ideas Gloria died on September 2nd 2026, at determination, for that had been accepted for a very long the age of 92, having spent more than five decades writing, campaigning and insisting on asking the time. They argued about women’s place the workplace, in the home and in sospeaking about women’s lives. She bedifficult questions” in ciety, and they made subjects that had came one of the best-known figures of the modern women’s movement and used her journalism to question ideas about what women were expected to be and what they were allowed to do.

When Ms. magazine appeared in the early 1970s, it covered subjects that women’s magazines at the time didn’t really discuss. Reproductive rights, domestic violence, sexual harassment, work, money and relationships all found their way into its pages. The preview issue sold out within days, and women began writing to the magazine about their own experiences. Some women had spent years thinking certain frustrations and problems were simply part of being a woman, but seeing those subjects discussed publicly gave them the language and courage to talk about what they had often dealt with on their own. Gloria’s work went much further than the pages of a magazine, though. She helped establish and support organisations including the National Women’s Political Caucus, the Ms. Foundation for Women and the Women’s Media Center. She worked with women from different generations 8

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been kept behind closed doors part of public debate. Younger women have grown up in a world shaped by some of those changes, which makes it easy to forget how contested they once were.

Of course, the conversation hasn’t ended. The questions have changed, and new ones have developed. Each generation has its own experience of what equality means and its own frustrations with what still gets in the way. Perhaps the simplest way for me to think about Gloria Steinem is through that connection between generations. A woman I knew about as a child had influenced my mum enough to help her pursue what she really wanted. And my mum then raised me knowing I could do the same. That is a long way for an idea to travel. We owe her so much: for her passion and determination, for insisting on asking the difficult questions, and for being one of the women who came before us and made it easier for the rest of us to ask our own. Gloria Steinem (b. Toledo, Ohio 1934, d. 2026)

Gloria Steinem at the LBJ Library, 1975

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E VENTS

HER FUTURE SELF

Women, wealth and wellness By Anya Sizer, Patient Advocacy Lead, London Women’s Clinic

n the morning of September 7th, I welcomed a room full of businesswomen to something rare: a few hours that belonged entirely to them. As host of the first Her Future Self: Women, Wealth and Wellness event at The Grand Brighton, my hope was simple: not another task, but permission to slow down and take stock. Through keynote talks, expert Q&As and conversations over coffee, four speakers offered four ways to care for yourself: a nervous system reset, fertility guidance, emotional support and a financial checklist. Here is what our attendees took away.

The Float Spa has been around since 2015 and was developed by Camille because she wasn’t very well herself, and she used flotation therapy to overcome her own PTSD, anxiety and depression. FERTILITY, BODY AND MIND Professor Nick Macklon, Medical Director at London Women’s Clinic, spoke about everyday steps supporting fertility over time: eat a Mediterranean-style diet; maintain a healthy BMI; avoid smoking and vaping; limit alcohol intake; consider a fertility health check if you are unsure where you stand

“Stress is actually very healthy but it is understanding stress that really matters.” Camille Pierson

THE MICRO RESET METHOD Camille Pierson, founder of The Float Spa, opened with what she calls the Micro Reset Method: three small habits that take only a few quiet seconds, wherever you are. 1. The physiological sigh: two inhales through the nose, one long slow exhale through the mouth, repeated for about thirty seconds. 2. The ten-second transition: a brief pause, feet on the floor, one slow breath, before stepping through the door, opening the laptop or picking up the phone. 3. Protecting your drain: identifying whatever is depleting your energy that week, and treating the fix as ‘fixed and essential’, the way you would treat a meeting with your boss.

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Samantha Kaye, Anya Sizer and Camille Pierson

Professor Nick Macklon, Medical Director at London Women’s Clinic

Anya Sizer

I followed with a softer, more personal note on the emotional side of fertility. Drawing on research from Jacky Boivin, I spoke about stress often being a reality of fertility treatment but one that doesn’t impact success rates once in a clinic. My key points to support you on the journey:

Mental health is an enormous part of the fertility journey, and for me the real value was building a holistic picture of how finances, fertility and stress fit together. It is essential that women all over the country can have conversations like these.

• Build a nurturing toolkit • Support your mind, body and soul • Balance fertility and work

Looking after your future self, physically, emotionally or financially, means taking small, kind and consistent steps. For many attendees, the real gift was simply permission to stop, in the middle of a busy week, and sit quietly with what their future self might need.

“Small, consistent changes can make a meaningful difference over time” Professor Nick Macklon

WHAT THEY DID NOT TEACH YOU IN SCHOOL Closing the morning, Samantha Kaye, Wealth Management Partner at True Potential Wealth Management, offered a different kind of self-care: financial peace of mind. Her five priorities for every woman’s financial wellbeing were: 1. Income 2. Life insurance 3. Wills and power of attorney 4. Savings and ISAs 5. Pensions

Her Future Self: Women, Wealth and Wellness, sponsored by London Women’s Clinic, is intended to be the first of many such mornings. I am already looking forward to hosting the next one.

“Money is a big stress and a worry for lots of people. Allowing yourself to get your finances in order, whether that is before you think about having a family or while you are building one, is really important too” Samantha Kaye

Financial education many of us never received at school, a starting point rather than a finished plan. LOOKING AHEAD By the end of the morning, I had reconnected with old friends, made new ones, and taken away plenty myself. Finance, fertility and stress are closely connected: financial worries affect stress levels, and stress in turn affects fertility. Bringing that mix together felt like exactly the conversation Brighton needed.

ABOUT LONDON WOMEN’S CLINIC For more on London Women’s Clinic, visit londonwomensclinic.com. 2 Stirling House Guildford GU2 7RF www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

FE ATURE

The

Alex Bailey Column

COMPANY OF THE YEAR 2022

We are delighted to have Alex Bailey contributing to Dyna and CEO of Bailey & French, and a global expert in huma She founded leadership and culture consultancy Bailey & team delivering work across 155 countries, in all markets large blue chips as well as those at the most senior levels

LEAVING HOME TO GO HOME By Alex Bailey

’m waiting for my flight from Texas back to the UK. As always, leaving feels more emotional than I expect. Not because I am leaving somewhere I love for somewhere I don’t. Quite the opposite.

It always feels like I’m leaving home to go home. This afternoon, leaving Texas, the familiar things felt unusually vivid: the last hug, the heat outside, the road stretching towards the airport and the loudness of the trucks. Perhaps we notice the texture of home most sharply when we are about to leave it. I’ve spent much of my life moving between the United States and the United Kingdom. Different chapters of my life have unfolded on both sides of the Atlantic, and over time I’ve developed deep roots in each place. Family, friendships, memories, opportunities and a sense of identity are spread across both countries, which means every departure carries a mixture of gratitude, excitement and sadness. When people ask where home is, I often struggle to answer. The truth is that home isn’t one place anymore.

“Different chapters of my life have unfolded on both sides of the Atlantic, and over time I’ve developed deep roots in each place.” 12

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amic. She is an organisational psychologist, author, anising leadership, culture, and the world of work. & French which has grown organically to a global s and industries and trusted by the board/execs of s of central government.

Texas feels like home. Sussex feels like home. And while that is a privilege, it can also be surprisingly difficult. As I sit here reflecting on this trip, I find myself thinking about the people who make a place feel like home in the first place. The friends who have known you through multiple versions of yourself. The family members who don’t need an explanation because they already know the backstory. The people who remain a constant presence despite the years, the miles and the busyness of life. As an organisational psychologist, much of my work focuses on helping people navigate change. We talk a lot about resilience, adaptability and courage. We celebrate those who embrace uncertainty and step into new challenges. Yet what I’ve learned, both personally and professionally, is that our ability to navigate change is often strengthened by something much quieter.

from people who matter enormously to me. The conversations over coffee. The familiar faces. The shared history. The feeling of being known. Yet there is something reassuring about knowing those connections endure, regardless of geography. For much of my life, I assumed that growth came from moving forward. Chasing the next opportunity. Taking the next leap. Beginning the next adventure. I still believe that.

“Whether I’m leaving Texas or The strongest people I know are leaving Sussex, I’m not simply But I also believe growth comes not necessarily those who stand departing from a location. I’m from understanding what grounds us along the way. The people we independently. They are often the people who are deeply rooted in stepping away from people who return to, the places that restore us the relationships that remind relationships that sustain them. matter enormously to me. “ and us what really matters. They have people who celebrate Connection.

their successes without envy, challenge them when needed and remind them who they are when life feels overwhelming. As women, particularly those balancing careers, businesses, family responsibilities and personal ambitions, we often place enormous value on our ability to carry things alone. Strength can become synonymous with self-sufficiency. But increasingly, I find myself questioning that idea.

As I head to my gate shortly, I know I will feel the familiar pull between two worlds. Part of me is already missing Texas. Part of me is relieved to return to Sussex and see my family again. For a long time, I thought I needed to choose between those feelings. Now I realise I don’t. Having more than one place that feels like home isn’t a conflict to solve. It’s something to be grateful for.

The older I get, the more I realise that resilience is rarely a solo act. Behind most successful people is a network of family members, friends, mentors and communities providing encouragement, perspective and support. The stabilising force of familiarity allows us to step into uncertainty with greater confidence.

Because if leaving feels difficult, it’s usually because we’ve been fortunate enough to build a life filled with people worth missing.

Perhaps that is why driving to the airport never gets any easier either way. Whether I’m leaving Texas or leaving Sussex, I’m not simply departing from a location. I’m stepping away

alex@baileyandfrench.com www.baileyandfrench.com www.rapidreculturing.com www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

FE ATURE

Laura Hearn is a former BBC journalist, now storytelling consultant and founder of Flip It - a podcast and platform helping people and businesses use storytelling as a tool for clarity, connection and change. This month, for Dynamic, Laura looks at why we read, and what we can get emotionally and intellectually from this pastime

What a thrille me about rea By Laura Hearn

ast week, on a welcome few days’ change of scenery in Portugal, I took a book with me. It was for work purposes. And although it was a thriller rather than a heavy read, I still thought of it as something I needed to get through. Yet, a few pages in, I stopped thinking about work. I wanted to know what happened next. I cared about the characters, the choices they were making and the things they couldn’t quite say to one another. I looked forward to picking the book up again, and in the middle of their story, I kept recognising parts of my own. I hadn’t realised how much I’d missed reading until I was doing it again. I read and write all day, in one sense. Messages, articles, emails, headlines. My days are full of words. But I had forgotten what it feels like to stay with one story for long enough to become absorbed in it. I’d find myself thinking about a character while I was doing something else, then come back to the page to see what they did next. Being away gave me room for that. At home, I can always think of something that needs doing. I might sit down with

“Wolf explains that reading asks us to draw on our memories, imagine places and people we haven’t seen, and consider what life might feel like from someone else’s point of view.” 14

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ler in Portugal reminded ading - and work a book, then remember a message I ought to answer or reach for my phone without thinking. In Portugal, I opened the book and carried on reading. I loved holding an actual book again, too. I liked feeling how far I’d got as the pages shifted from my right hand to my left. When I finished it, I could remember where I’d been when I read certain scenes. Then I began thinking about who I could pass it on to, and the conversation we might have about it afterwards. After I got home, I came across Maryanne Wolf ’s writing about deep reading. She studies what happens in our brains when we read, and her work helped me understand why those hours in Portugal had meant so much to me. Wolf explains that reading asks us to draw on our memories, imagine places and people we haven’t seen, and consider what life might feel like from someone else’s point of view. We make connections between what’s on the page and what we’ve known in our own lives. Sometimes those connections lead us somewhere unexpected. That was what had been happening to me. I was caught up in the plot, but I was also wondering why a character had acted as they did. Their lives were made up; my responses to them were real. I’d put the book down and find that a conversation or a decision in it was still on my mind.

“A novel asks something else of us. You can suspect a character is making a mistake, but you have to keep reading to understand why they made that choice.”

It made me think about work, too. As business leaders and founders, we spend so much of our time responding. A decision is needed. Someone wants an answer. There’s another problem to solve before we’ve finished thinking about the first. It can become difficult to give one thing our full attention, particularly when the answer isn’t obvious. A novel asks something else of us. You can suspect a character is making a mistake, but you have to keep reading to understand why they made that choice. You may change your mind about them as you learn more. There’s value in spending time with a story that doesn’t give us all the information at once. Books can help us find words for things we’ve felt but haven’t known how to express. I noticed that happening as I read: a character would say something, or struggle to say it, and I’d think about a conversation I needed to have in my own life. For anyone leading a team, finding the right words matters. Wolf writes about the time and attention deep reading needs. I recognised that as well. At first, I sometimes had to bring myself back when my thoughts wandered. Then I’d get into the story and forget to check how many pages were left in the chapter. For women building businesses, time can feel hard to claim when there’s no clear outcome to show for it. That was part of why I’d let reading for pleasure slip. If I had half an hour, there was always something useful I could do with it. But I came back from Portugal glad I’d spent those hours reading. I’d enjoyed myself. I’d also had space to imagine, question my first impressions and follow someone else’s journey. Those are things I want room for in my life, including the part of it I spend at work. The fact that it was a thriller mattered. I hadn’t chosen it to improve myself or learn a lesson. I wanted to find out what happened. That was enough to bring me back to the book each day. I’m grateful it came to me through work. Otherwise, I might still be telling myself I’d read for pleasure when I had more time. Instead, I’ve finished it, I know who I want to give it to, and I’m looking for what to read next. You can listen to Laura’s podcast, Flip It, wherever you get your podcasts, and you can connect with her at www.ﬂipitglobal.com www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

FE ATURE

Natalie Montagnani is an entrepreneur, Business Growth Coach & Strategist, and tech start-up Director. With Founder of Ignite, where she advises senior female leaders and business owners on commercial growth, lea

BEYOND REFE

How women can get more proactive about bringing b By Natalie Montagnani

new client recently found herself facing a dilemma many successful business leaders would probably quite like to have. Her business had grown; they enjoyed a strong reputation, and had happy clients and years of expertise behind them. New business came through recommendations, relationships and people who already knew the company. In other words, they were doing a lot right. But when we started talking seriously about the next stage of growth, it became clear that relying on referrals just wasn’t going to cut it. And I see this a lot. For many women, particularly those running service businesses or leading professional firms, growth has happened relatively organically. They’re excellent at what they do, build strong relationships, look after their clients, network locally, get known, and people recommend them. That can work brilliantly. Of course, until it doesn’t. THE REFERRAL TRAP Let me be clear: I LOVE referrals! They’re one of the strongest indicators that you’re doing good work. They arrive with trust already attached; they’re often easier to convert, and because they’ve come from someone you like, they’re often nice people too (always handy)! But there’s an uncomfortable truth about building a business predominantly through referrals: you’re putting somebody else in charge of your pipeline. That’s not necessarily a problem when there’s plenty of work coming through the door. But what happens when a major client leaves? When the market changes? When you want to grow faster than your existing network can support? FROM WAITING FOR TO CREATING Being commercially proactive doesn’t mean treating every human interaction as a sales opportunity. It simply means becoming more intentional about where your next piece of business might come from and being prepared to do something about it. A useful place to start is by asking: 16

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Where do we actually want our next £50k or £100k of revenue to come from? Not simply “more clients”, but which services, which types of clients and which parts of the market offer the greatest opportunity? Who are the people we should be talking to? Existing clients, previous clients, warm contacts, strategic partners, prospective clients. Who already sits within touching distance of the business? What problem are we solving for them right now? People rarely buy a service simply because it’s good. They buy because something needs fixing, changing or improving. Be the paracetamol, not the vitamin. And are we actually moving opportunities forward? Starting conversations is one thing. Commercial confidence also means following up, asking for introductions, suggesting the next meeting, making an offer and, yes, sometimes actually saying: “Would you like to work with us?”

h 25 years’ commercial experience, she is also the adership and building more profitable businesses.

ERRALS

business through their door

YOUR BIGGEST OPPORTUNITY I recently explored a simple question with a client: Are you actually maximising the commercial opportunity already sitting in front of you? In her case, that meant looking at her existing customers and getting curious about them: • What are your clients trying to achieve next? • What problems are emerging that you could help solve? • A re there services or expertise you offer that they don’t even know about? • W here could you add more value — and potentially generate more revenue as a result? • A nd when did somebody last sit down with them, without an agenda, and simply ask what was coming next? We can become so focused on finding the next client that we overlook the opportunity sitting within the relationships we’ve already built. Sometimes growth doesn’t require another hundred leads. Sometimes it requires better commercial conversations with the people who already know, like and trust you.

“By all means, celebrate every referral that lands in your inbox, but don’t make them your entire growth strategy” COMMERCIAL CONFIDENCE IS LEADERSHIP CONFIDENCE I strongly believe that this matters for women beyond the immediate revenue, because something changes when you know you can create business. It would mean being less dependent on luck, algorithms or somebody remembering to recommend you. You could have more intelligent conversations about growth because you understand how opportunities actually move through the business. It would mean that you don’t just deliver. You contribute to growth. That creates confidence, influence and options, which is why I think we need to stop treating commercial skills as something that belongs exclusively to the sales team, because commerciality belongs in leadership.

“Let me be clear. I LOVE referrals! They’re one of the strongest indicators you’re doing good work”

BEYOND REFERRALS So by all means, celebrate every referral that lands in your inbox, but don’t make them your entire growth strategy because the shift from waiting for business to creating business isn’t about becoming more salesy. It’s about becoming more commercially powerful. And I think that’s a shift more women should be encouraged to make.

Natalie Montagnani Founder of IGNITE Women in Business 07900 153503 ignitewomeninbusiness.com Connect with Natalie on LinkedIn or drop her an email to natalie@ignitewomeninbusiness.com www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

B I FGE A STU ORE Y 18

“You don’t need to be a mathematician, you don’t need to be an accountant, and you don’t need to be an economist. What we’re looking for is fresh perspectives, and we want the best people”.

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THE BIG STORY

AFUA KYEI Afua Kyei is a British financial executive who has been chief financial officer (CFO) of the Bank of England since 2019, having cut her teeth at Ernst & Young and Barclays Bank. She also topped the 2026 Powerlist of most influential Black people in the UK. Dynamic looks at the rise of the prominent and highly respected financial expert

fua was born in London to Ghanaian parents and attended Old Palace School, a private secondary school for girls in Croydon. According to her interview with the BBC in November 2025, “she grew up in South London, reading copious numbers of Enid Blyton books and listening to Boyzone, got six A levels and went to university a year early.”

She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemistry from Somerville College, Oxford, where she was selected to join Professor Sir Jack Baldwin’s research group; her Organic Chemistry research on creating anti-tumorous molecules using Organic Synthesis was published in an international science journal. She graduated with a Master’s degree and received a Junior Research Fellowship in Organic Chemistry from Princeton University. In 2023, Afua was elected an Honorary Fellow of Somerville College, Oxford University. She worked as a junior researcher in organic chemistry at Princeton University and trained as a chartered accountant at Ernst & Young in London. www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

POST UNIVERSITY AND EARLY CAREER During the Global Financial Crisis, she was an Investment Banker at UBS from 2007 until 2012, in the Financial Institutions Group and in Mergers and Acquisitions, Group Strategic Advisory. She was part of the team that advised RBS during the financial crisis on its divestments mandated as part of EU State Aid remediation, its participation in HM Treasury’s £282bn Asset Protection Scheme, and its £33.5bn capital issuance to HM Treasury. She left Ernst & Young in 2012 to join Barclays Bank, where she was the Chief Financial Officer, Mortgages and played a key role in Barclays’ strategic cost transformation program, TRANSFORM, whilst in the Investment Bank and as Group COO, which led to a net cost reduction of 17% in 2012-2015.

been central to the Bank’s leadership and decision-making. Afua oversees the financial governance of the Bank’s balance sheet, which peaked at over £1 trillion during the Covid pandemic. She has been responsible for modernising the Bank’s funding mechanism as reflected in the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023. She is also a Director of the Bank of England Asset Purchase Facility Fund, Alternative Liquidity Facility, and previously the Covid Corporate Financing Facility. She is a member of the Bank’s Executive Board, which oversaw the upgrade of the UK’s Real Time Gross Settlement System in 2025, the Critical National Infrastructure, which processes over £780bn in payments each day. The new system went live in 2025, after its previous upgrade in 1996.

“At the age of 36, Afua Kyei was recruited by then Governor of the Bank of England (now Prime Minister of Canada) Mark Carney”

Of her career, she has commented on the role played by those around her. She said her parents, who moved to the UK from Ghana to go to university at 18, have been her biggest role models.

MOVE TO THE BANK OF ENGLAND In 2019, at the age of 36, Afua Kyei was recruited by then Governor of the Bank of England (now Prime Minister of Canada) Mark Carney as Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director of the Bank of England.

“My mother came to Liverpool, trained to become a midwife and enjoyed a 40-year plus career working for the NHS. My father has enjoyed a long career in the oil industry. I saw them juggling work and home. They instilled really strong values in us,” she said.

Afua is the Executive Director at the Bank of England responsible for finance, strategy, performance and tax. She is co-executive sponsor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and co-executive sponsor for the Bank’s Climate Change disclosure. Since her appointment in June 2019, she has

The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street, where Afua Kyei has had her office for the past seven years

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The top 10 list in full, with Powerlist’s comments

HONOURS AND AWARDS Afua’s achievements have earned her widespread recognition. She was named CFO of the Year at the Women in Finance Awards UK in 2021, honoured with the Freedom of the City of London two years later. Also in 2023, she was elected as Honorary Fellow of Somerville College, Oxford, and listed as the UK’s most influential Black person in the Powerlist 2025 and 2026. She also topped the Empower Global Executives Role Model List as the leading female executive of 2024 and was elected Honorary Fellow of Somerville College, Oxford. As a keynote speaker, Afua shares her experience of navigating leadership as a Black woman in finance, the importance of inclusion in decision-making, and the future of purpose-driven business. Whether addressing the G20, COP, or private boardrooms, she speaks with insight, empathy, and conviction, inspiring others to lead with both excellence and equity.

“Perhaps her highest-profile accolade came towards the end of 2025, when she was honoured as the UK’s most influential Black person in the Powerlist 2026.” She was also recognised in the 2024 Women of the Year Awards. In 2024, Afua was honoured as the top female on the Empower Global Executives Role Model List 2024, supported by YouTube. To mark International Women’s Day 2025, Afua was named on The Independent’s Influence list as No.17 in the 50 most influential women in the UK. Of her Honorary Fellowship, awarded in 2023, Afua said, “To be invited to be an Honorary Fellow of Somerville is the greatest honour and took me completely by surprise! I loved my time at Somerville. It played such an instrumental role in my career, and I made lifelong friends.” Perhaps her highest-profile accolade, however, came towards the end of 2025, when she was honoured as the UK’s most influential Black person in the Powerlist 2026. This list recognises the most powerful people of African, African Caribbean, and African American heritage in the UK. The Top 10 list (right) indicates the depth of quality of the Black UK nominees, shortlisted from hundreds of considerations. Afua is a keynote speaker and represents the Bank at national and international fora, including the International Monetary Fund, G20 and COP, as well as with industry and in the community. She is married, has four children, and is passionate about “achieving better outcomes for society and driving cultural changes within organisations.”

Afua Kyei Afua Kyei became the Bank of England’s first black executive and youngest executive director when she was appointed to the top job at the age of 36.

Ian Wright MBE, OBE “Ian Wright is a generational icon whose legacy in British football, media, and advocacy continues to transform lives.”

Dame Pat McGrath, DBE “Hailed by her legions of fans as the ‘mother of make-up’, Pat McGrath is a bona fide industry legend.”

Pamela Maynard “Pamela Maynard is the first-ever Chief AI Transformation Officer for Microsoft Customer and Partner Solutions (MCAPS).”

Joshua Siaw, MBE “Joshua Siaw MBE is a partner at the leading global law firm White & Case LLP and Director of the Firm’s Africa practice.”

Tunde Olanrewaju, CBE “Tunde Olanrewaju is the managing partner for Europe and a senior partner in McKinsey’s London office.”

Steven Bartlett “At 19, Steven Bartlett disrupted the marketing industry. Now he is redefining global media with The Diary of a CEO – the world’s second biggest interview podcast.”

Emma Grede “Described as the ‘real mastermind of the Kardashian empire’, business mogul, built a multimillion-dollar fortune with the launch of talent and marketing agency ITB.”

Sir Idris Elba, OBE “Hollywood movie star, musician, filmmaker, activist: Idris Elba is categorically not a man to rest on his (very many) laurels.”

Ije Nwokorie “As the CEO of one of the UK’s most iconic footwear brands, Ije Nwokorie is leading a radical shakeup of Dr Martens.” Kyei said topping the list was “incredibly humbling”. She says she saw obvious differences in the workplace growing up. “I didn’t see so many women in big leadership roles who had families, and I know that there are lots of women who think that they need to choose between work and having a family. What I love about the Bank of England is that we really support working families and working parents.”

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FE ATURE

THE MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR In conversation with Tracey Ledger, Sales Director, Eastbourne Coaches

You made the leap from a secure role in the NHS into business. When did you realise you were ready? I don’t think you are ever quite ready for these types of decisions, especially when you’re coming from such a stable career and are later in life. Julian and I had worked together on and off over many years. I had always supported him in his business ventures, and he had always supported me in my career choices. It felt quite natural to take the step. What were your biggest fears? My biggest fear was losing the financial security my salary gave us. I was also going into a business that, in many respects, I didn’t know much about. Could I achieve what we needed to achieve?

hen Tracey Ledger left her secure NHS career to join her husband Julian at Eastbourne Coaches, she knew she was taking a gamble. After years as an operations manager overseeing doctors’ practices, she swapped a reliable salary for the uncertainties of running a growing business.

I’m lucky to have a great support network around me, including Julian, my family, friends and old work colleagues, who all encouraged me. But essentially, I decided to put those fears aside and start my new journey. How did your background in travel and marketing help? My very first love was travel. I worked for local and national travel agencies, so I had a good understanding of what customers looked for when choosing their holidays.

“Eastbourne Coaches is a family-run business providing private coach hire, I also worked for a local PR and marketing company, helping to Eastbourne Coaches is a famiday trips and holidays.” ly-run business providing private launch an arts and theatre magacoach hire, day trips and holidays. Tracey has been instrumental in developing its holiday offering, driving sales and building customer relationships, bringing together her early experience in travel, marketing and healthcare. Her approach is simple: treat every customer as you would a member of your own family. In its first eight months, the holiday division generated bookings of over £170,000, and the business is expected to exceed £1m in annual turnover. 22

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zine. That taught me how to understand audiences, reach potential customers and navigate competitors, as well as the importance of networking with local businesses. Transport has traditionally been a male-dominated sector. What has your experience been? It’s been really positive and very welcoming. I’ve also joined the ‘Women in Bus and Coaches’ group, which supports, represents and encourages women working in the profession.

“Nothing is more satisfying than seeing our progress. It keeps you grounded.” How has your understanding of customer experience influenced the business? Having spent a long career assisting customers and patients, I’ve learnt how important communication is. Even when things don’t quite go to plan, customers won’t necessarily remember what went wrong. They’ll remember how you resolved the issue for them. Julian and I decided very early on that our tours needed to be personal. I want every customer travelling with us to feel they’ve been considered and looked after. Our advertising strapline is ‘We don’t pack your suitcase’, but we do everything we can to make a holiday as easy as possible, including home pick-ups. We also ensure attraction admission fees are included in the packages. You run the business as a husband-and-wife team. How do you balance work and personal life? It’s hard because there’s no clear line between work and home when it’s your business. Everything goes into it, and you have to accept that life will look very different for a while. We make sure we get out for dinner semi-regularly, turn our phones off and enjoy each other’s company. When we go away for trade events, we try to add an extra night so we can have an evening away from it all. What are the advantages of working so closely together? At least we get to see each other! In my previous job, I

worked extremely long hours, so for many years we were like ships passing in the night. We know each other well and completely trust one another. We can be honest when we disagree and have a healthy debate. We have the same goal, and we both strive together to achieve it. How do you stay motivated during tougher periods? We focus on our goal and look back at where we started. Nothing is more satisfying than seeing our progress. It keeps you grounded. What does success look like to you? We want to keep growing our fleet and what we offer, while remaining a stable, safe operator of high-quality coach tours and private hire services. For me, success is written on our customers’ faces when they come off one of our tours and have clearly had a good time. It’s in the written comments telling us everything they loved about travelling with us. It’s also in the proud look my husband gives me when he welcomes me back from a tour. The look that says, “We did it.” Finally, what would you say to women considering a bold career change? It’s a bit like having children. You can never be truly prepared for a step this huge, but you take that leap of faith anyway. Just do it and don’t look back. I’m sure you’ll find, as I have, that it’s possibly one of the best decisions you’ll ever make. www.eastbournecoaches.co.uk www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

SPOTLIGHT

In our exclusive Spotlight feature, we highlight women who are doing good things in their community. They’re not always seen but we think they should be.

SPOTLIGH T Stephanie Prior Stephanie Prior is Founder and Managing Director of Prior Media & Marketing

MY CHAPTER IN A BIGGER STORY

henever I face a challenge, I think about my great-grandmother. She was part of the Windrush generation, leaving Jamaica to build a life in the UK before eventually bringing her family here to join her. I often wonder what that must have felt like. The courage it took to leave home, the uncertainty and hardships she faced and the sacrifices she made in the hope of creating greater opportunities for her family. If we go further back, our family history includes ancestors who were enslaved. It is difficult to comprehend what previous generations endured, but knowing where I come from has strongly influenced how I approach my own life. When something feels hard, I remind myself of the strong roots I come from. It gives me perspective. The challenges I face are very different, and I have opportunities that my ancestors could never have imagined. For me, that creates a determination to say yes, push myself and make the most of those opportunities.

always been easy. But when I look at what I have built, the clients who have trusted me and the relationships I have developed, I can feel proud. And now, becoming a mum has made me think about all of this differently again. I look at my son and think about the generations that came before him. From my great-grandmother making that journey from Jamaica to the life we have today, a thread connects us all.

“When something feels hard, I remind myself of the That is what Black History Month That attitude has taken me on quite a journey! strong roots I come from.” means to me. It is about recognising I studied at Goldsmiths, University of London, pursued modelling opportunities, became Miss Sussex and competed in Miss Universe Great Britain. I then built a career in media and marketing before taking one of my biggest leaps and starting Prior Media & Marketing. Along the way, I’ve had plenty of moments when I have questioned myself. Starting and growing a business certainly hasn’t 24

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the people whose courage and sacrifices created opportunities for the generations that followed. My great-grandmother probably never imagined that one day her great-granddaughter would go to university, compete in Miss Universe Great Britain or build her own business. I hope she would be as proud as I am to be part of Her Story. www.prior-media.com

Angela Arnold Angela is a Partner at Mayo Wynne Baxter Solicitors, specialising in residential property, and is the President of the Sussex Law Society

COURAGE, CONNECTION AND THE TOMORROW PEOPLE

efore the courtroom, there was soil. Before there was a presidency, there was a seamstress’s needle and an engineer’s steady hands. Angela’s story did not begin in a boardroom. It began with a family who crossed an ocean so that the next generation could go further. This Black History Month, we celebrate the President of Sussex Law Society, a lawyer whose story is about heritage, resilience and the courage to go first. Angela comes from a Jamaican farming family. Her mother came to the UK as a seamstress and their father as an engineer. They arrived with skill, grit and a belief that what you build with care will outlast you. That was their legacy, and Angela carries it into every room she enters.

That belief has shaped her time here. As President of Sussex Law Society, Angela has given back to the local community and supported the people who will lead tomorrow. “Tomorrow” is a word that always makes Angela smile. As a teenager, Angela loved the TV series The Tomorrow People, whose heroes could “jaunt” through time and space to solve problems instantly. “It was a pipe dream,” Angela laughs, “but my connections across Sussex have been the next best thing.”

“I’ve felt fear at every stage, and I still move past it. Visibility matters.”

Angela took the long road into law and qualified later in life. She doesn’t see it as a delay. She sees it as an advantage. By the time she qualified, she had years of experience with people, teamwork and real-world challenges. “I came into the law with a deep understanding of people,” Angela says. “Collaboration isn’t a buzzword for me. It’s how things get done.” Colleagues call Angela a courageous leader, a change agent and a natural collaborator. What sets her apart is how openly she talks about fear. “I’ve felt fear at every stage, and I still move past it. If people see me do that, I hope they’ll believe they can do it too. Visibility matters, because someone is always watching to see if it’s possible.”

Those connections include serving as a Non-Executive Director of a local cricket club, where Angela takes on challenges for the greater good and opens doors that others can walk through. “I don’t shy away from a challenge. It’s part of my make-up.” The next chapter has now begun at Mayo Wynne Baxter as a residential property partner. For Angela, the move is deliberate: a chance to build within a great organisation and to leave a legacy that lasts beyond her own career. “Every journey is a lesson,” Angela reflects. “Some of the challenges I’ve faced need only be remembered through the victories.”

With a new season ahead, Angela remains hungry for the next challenge. The Sussex was never part of the plan. Angela seeds her parents planted have grown into first came to the county as a locum with a The Tomorrow People, 1973 a legacy of their own, and it is still growing. local Kent and Sussex firm, with no intention of staying. Then came a proposal too compelling to turn No time travel is needed, just the courage to keep showing up down, and she swapped West London for Sussex. She has nev- so that tomorrow’s leaders can follow. er looked back. “Wherever you live, you should contribute positively to your community,” she says. “You build so that others www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk www.sussex-law.co.uk can reap the rewards in the future.” www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

FE ATURE

By Lucy McCarraher MBE, Chair of Forbes Books UK and author of The Significance Shift

WRITING YOURSELF INTO Books, visibility and fema

hen I founded the Business Book Awards in 2017, I thought I had created an impeccably fair process. We had 150 entries, a judging panel of ten women and ten men, a broad range of categories and rigorous judging criteria. Then the results came in.

authors as ‘staking out their territory in their own business arena’. Writing a book turns knowledge that may have previously existed in meetings, processes, presentations, conversations and inside your own head into intellectual property with your name on it. That changes how other people see you.

Every single one of our eleven winning books was written by a white man.

I’ve watched it happen repeatedly with the women I’ve published and mentored. Cybersecurity expert Jane Frankland was already blogging, making videos and active on social

The authors were excellent. The books deserved to win. The judges had done nothing wrong. So I went back to the entries and discovered something disturbing: only one third of the books submitted had been written by women. The problem wasn’t simply who was winning; it was who was putting themselves forward in the first place. That discovery eventually led me to write A Book of One’s Own, about why more women should write business books. I interviewed more than 50 female authors and explored the barriers that stopped women from turning their expertise into books.

“One theme kept recurring: women didn’t necessarily doubt their knowledge or experience; what felt uncomfortable was putting themselves out there.”

One theme kept recurring: women didn’t necessarily doubt their knowledge or experience; what felt uncomfortable was putting themselves out there. Because writing a business book involves making quite a bold statement – I know something about this. I have something useful to say. And I believe other people should listen. That is not just authorship. It is leadership.

VISIBILITY ISN’T VANITY Women can spend years and decades becoming extremely good at what they do while remaining surprisingly invisible outside the organisations, businesses and professional circles in which they operate. They lead teams, build companies, advise clients, develop ideas, solve problems and accumulate years of experience and judgment, but expertise and visible authority are not the same thing. When I wrote A Book of One’s Own, I described women 26

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publicly about why more women needed to write their business books, facilitated women-only book-writing programmes and actively encouraged them to enter the Awards. Within three years, we had equal numbers of entries from men and women, and that balance was reflected in our finalists and winners.

O THE ROOM: ale leadership media before she published IN Security. The book increased her visibility, led to speaking opportunities and gave her a platform from which to campaign for greater gender diversity in her industry. She didn’t become more expert because she wrote a book; the book made her expertise more visible. I also saw what could happen when we deliberately encouraged more women to claim that visibility. After the first Business Book Awards, I highlighted the lack of female representation, wrote A Book of One’s Own, talked

The women had not suddenly become more knowledgeable, experienced or capable. They had started putting their knowledge into a form in which it could be seen, judged and recognised. AUTHORITY ISN’T THE DESTINATION Seven years after writing A Book of One’s Own, my thinking has moved on. I still believe women need to claim authority for their expertise, but I no longer think authority is the destination. It is what allows our ideas to travel. I call what comes next The Significance Shift: the move from private expertise to public usefulness. But that cannot happen if our ideas remain invisible. Before our thinking can make a difference, we have to be prepared to put it into the world. That is why writing a business book can be such a powerful act of leadership. A book can become the centrepiece of an authority platform, with its ideas travelling through articles, podcasts, talks, workshops and media. If standing on stages is your idea of hell, the book can travel without you, carrying your experience and wisdom into rooms you may never physically enter. It changes the question from ‘What have I achieved?’ to ‘What have I learned that other people can use?’ For women, there is one more question we need to ask: ‘What happens if we don’t?’ If experienced women don’t articulate their ideas, claim authority for them and put them into the world, those ideas don’t get to shape the conversation. Other voices fill the space. Writing yourself into the room isn’t about ego, vanity or becoming a celebrity. It’s about deciding that what you have learned is worth sharing, and giving your ideas the authority to travel beyond you. We don’t simply need more women in the room. We need our thinking there too. Lucy McCarraher MBE is Chair of Forbes Book UK. Lucy is founder of the Business Book Awards, and co-founder of Rethink Press and Book Magic AI – the multi-award-winning app for entrepreneurs and experts writing their business books. She is the UK’s most experienced business book mentor and has guided 1,000+ entrepreneurs through planning and writing their books. Lucy was awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the King’s New Year’s Honours List 2026 for her services to publishing and diversity.

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FE ATURE

Who is backing Black Black History Month felt like a good moment to take a closer look at funding for Black women in business. What I found wasn’t quite the story I expected, and the better half of it has barely been reported. By Tess de Klerk

n Dynamic, we come back to the funding gap regularly, whether through venture capital or a bank manager, and we all know that there is room for improvement. Black History Month seemed a good moment to narrow it down to what happens to Black women in particular. I assumed it would be a harder version of the same story, and some of it is, but much of it wasn’t what I expected. One thing that has been said, usually by people who mean well, is confidence. Or the lack thereof. The idea being that Black women don’t pitch and don’t apply, and that with a bit more self-belief the numbers would start to move. A lot of public and corporate money has gone into that theory, mostly on workshops, panel events and inspirational breakfasts. What I found instead were lending figures that make the people in question look like rather shrewd judges of their own chances. The British Business Bank surveys small firms every year about borrowing, and its 2024/25 report found 59% of Black entrepreneurs expected difficulty in getting finance, a higher proportion than any other group asked, while the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry has found that 44% of Black African business owners and 39% of Black Caribbean business owners fear prejudice from financial providers before they have picked up the phone. That all looks like nerves until you put it next to what the same bank found in 2020, the last time it properly looked at who actually gets a yes: 39% of Black entrepreneurs had loan applications approved, compared with 67% of white entrepreneurs. It seems a Black woman who hesitates over a form she expects to be refused isn’t short of self-belief so much as doing the maths. It gets worse at venture capital, the investment money that backs businesses hoping to grow fast, where what is telling is how little has been measured about Black women lately. The figure everybody quotes, 0.02% of UK venture capital going to Black women founders, covers 2009 to

“In 2020, 39% of Black entrepreneurs had loan applications approved, compared with 67% of white entrepreneurs” 28

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k women in business? One thing that has been said, usually by people who mean well, is confidence. Or the lack thereof.

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FE ATURE

2019, and there is still no comparable, regularly updated figure for Black women. Diversity VC’s Equity Record found fewer than 20 Black professionals in investment decision-making roles across British venture capital, which helps explain the rest. The numbers here are problematic, which is part of the problem itself. Most of the research clumps all women as one group or ethnic minority businesses as another rather than looking properly at the intersection of the two. So some of what follows is about women in business generally, because that is where we can find the numbers. Where there is evidence specifically about Black women, it is worth paying attention to, and the picture is usually worse. Government’s Women and Equalities Committee reported on female entrepreneurship in October 2025. It concluded that voluntary schemes had

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achieved very little and that government would have to act, recommending a national strategy with ministerial oversight, a target for 10% of public contracts to go to female-led businesses, a target for the British Business Bank to allocate at least 30% of the finance it makes available to female-led businesses and a tax incentive for people investing in women-led businesses. The response in January leaned heavily on the Invest in Women Taskforce and on schemes already running. We will see what the autumn budget does with it. Which would all be pretty disheartening if it were the whole story, but it isn’t. The more interesting part, and the part that very little is written about, is how much people have built by

“The Invest in Women Taskforce has convened £635 million in capital commitments to back female entrepreneurs, again through women investors”

giving up waiting for institutions to come around. The Black Equity Organisation runs the F100 Growth Fund, backed by a £1 million partnership with Sky, taking up to 15 Black-led British businesses through months of workshops, financial planning and mentoring before a demo day at Sky’s headquarters. Founders can receive up to £15,000, and it asks for no share of the business in return, which is a big deal since most early money expects a founder to hand over a piece of what she’s building. In Brixton, Black Seed has raised more than £5 million to back Black-led startups, set up by Karl Lokko, Cyril Lutterodt and Yvonne Nagawa with the declared aim of building a Black Silicon Valley in the neighbourhood two of them grew up in. The big institutions are moving too, albeit at a slower pace. The Government has put together £500 million of backing for under-represented investors and fund managers, including a

“What Britain seems to lack is not energy so much as permanence, and Ireland is worth a look at that.”

£400 million British Business Bank programme which started this year. At least half of that programme’s investment targets female fund managers. The Invest in Women Taskforce has convened £635 million in capital commitments to back female entrepreneurs, again through women investors. But money is only one part of the support needed. This year’s Rise Report, which asked 2,225 female founders across the UK, found that founders put considerable value on other founders, their own networks and mentoring, while formal accelerator programmes trailed behind. What women want is somebody a couple of steps further down the road who will pick up the phone. That is more or less what the National Black Women’s Network has been doing for over 20 years under Sonia Brown MBE, what Hatch Enterprise does through its programmes for founders from ethnic minority backgrounds and what the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Black Business Association does within the chamber system. There is a much older version of this. Depending on where a family comes from, you might know it as susu, esusu or simply a partner: an informal arrangement in which a group of women pay into a pot on a regular cycle and take turns drawing out the full amount, held together by trust rather than credit records. Researchers have increasingly treated these as serious financial arrangements with their own rules and ways of handling risk, which is a nice way of saying the academic world has taken a long time to notice what communities have made work for a long time. What Britain seems to lack is not energy so much as permanence, and Ireland is worth a look at that. National Women’s Enterprise Day has run there since 2006, through Local Enterprise Offices, and has grown to around 2,200 attendees across 14 locations in a day, with women making up 64% of those in year-round training. It is not the day that does the work so much as having an office you can walk into on a wet Tuesday in March, when the bank has said no, and you need somebody who has seen it before. Sonia Brown’s argument is that we have most of the pieces in this country and almost nothing joining them up. A couple of those pieces are close to home. BARCO, the Blackled anti-racism organisation working across Sussex, takes over the Brighton Centre in October with Black History, Our History, and runs a development programme for creative talent aged 18 to 35. Afrori Books has turned a bookshop into something much closer to a community sitting room, with a book club that meets all year rather than once each October. The measure of all this will be slow and nothing to do with launch events and photo ops. It will be whether the F100 cohorts are still running in five years, whether that £500 million reaches the fund managers it was promised to and whether there are places for women with a decent business plan and a refused loan application to go on a random Tuesday afternoon. www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

WELLBEING

By Lesley Fitzpatrick

A menopause policy is only as good as the culture behind it

here is a big difference between having a menopause policy and being a workplace that genuinely supports women through menopause. I think we need to start there.

Increasingly, businesses are recognising menopause as something that belongs on the workplace agenda. Policies are being written, wellbeing initiatives introduced and conversations encouraged. That is progress, but a beautifully written document sitting somewhere on the company intranet means very little if the woman experiencing brain fog, anxiety, exhaustion or a sudden loss of confidence still doesn’t feel able to tell her manager that she is struggling. An effective menopause policy shouldn’t simply demonstrate that an organisation has thought about menopause. It should change what happens when somebody needs help by starting with the woman, not the symptoms.

• A quiet space when somebody is feeling overwhelmed. • The option of regular weekly or monthly check-ins with a trusted, designated wellbeing contact - someone women can speak to openly and confidentially about how they are managing, what support they may need, and whether any reasonable adjustments could help them remain well and effective at work. FLEXIBILITY IS THE IMPORTANT WORD A policy should provide a framework, but managers need enough understanding and discretion to respond to the person sitting in front of them. Because what somebody needs in January may not be what she needs in June. Menopause isn’t static, and workplace support shouldn’t be either.

One of the biggest mistakes we make when discussing menopause is looking for a standard experience. The reality is that there isn’t one. For one woman, hot flushes may be incredibly disruptive. For another, they may barely feature. She might instead be experiencing insomnia, heart palpitations, anxiety, joint pain, memory problems or a complete loss of confidence that seems to have appeared from nowhere. Imagine being highly experienced in your role and suddenly struggling to recall information in a meeting. Imagine waking repeatedly through the night and then being expected to perform at your usual level the following morning. Imagine experiencing anxiety for the first time in your career and wondering whether you’ve simply become bad at your job. A good menopause policy recognises this individuality and therefore creates room for an open conversation rather than a checklist. MAKE SUPPORT PRACTICAL Workplace menopause support doesn’t always require huge organisational change - sometimes relatively small adjustments such as these can make an enormous difference: • Flexible start times following disrupted sleep patterns. • Greater freedom to take short breaks. • Temperature control. Adjustments to uniforms. • Home working where the role allows it. 32

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“An effective menopause policy should change what happens when somebody needs help by starting with the woman, not the symptoms”

TRAIN THE PEOPLE HAVING THE CONVERSATIONS For me, this is where policies either become meaningful or fall apart. You can have the most comprehensive menopause policy in the world, but if a line manager feels embarrassed discussing it, doesn’t understand the symptoms or unintentionally dismisses what somebody is experiencing, the policy hasn’t worked.

appears less confident, more forgetful, more emotional or less resilient than she once was, what happens next? Does somebody ask what has changed? Or does the organisation immediately start looking at performance?

“Ultimately, the best Women can reach menopause at exactly the point in their careers when they hold menopause policy enormous knowledge, experience and leadpotential. Losing that talent because is one women aren’t ership nobody recognised what was happening frightened to use.” isn’t simply a women’s health issue.

Managers don’t need to become menopause experts, but they do need to know how to listen. They need to understand that symptoms can affect concentration, sleep, confidence, mental health and physical wellbeing. They need to know what adjustments are available and where to signpost somebody who needs further support. And importantly, they need to understand that a woman asking for support isn’t asking for lowered expectations. Often, she is asking for what she needs to continue meeting them.

LOOK AT PERFORMANCE DIFFERENTLY This is perhaps the conversation I would most like businesses to have. When an experienced, capable woman suddenly

It’s a business issue. Good menopause support therefore needs to sit alongside conversations about retention, leadership, absence, flexible working, wellbeing and progression, not exist as an isolated policy that gets discussed once a year. CREATE A CULTURE WHERE THE POLICY CAN ACTUALLY WORK Ultimately, the best menopause policy is one women aren’t frightened to use. Nobody should have to reach crisis point before asking for help. Nobody should feel that mentioning menopause will make colleagues question her competence. And nobody should have to quietly manage debilitating symptoms because she fears being perceived differently once she speaks up. Such culture doesn’t come from a PDF, it comes from effective leadership. It comes from managers being educated, conversations being normalised and women seeing that asking for support doesn’t negatively affect how they are viewed. So yes, businesses should have menopause policies. But the more important question is this: ‘If one of your most valued employees walked into work tomorrow struggling with menopause symptoms, would she know who she could talk to, would that person know what to do, and would she genuinely feel safe having the conversation?’ If the answer to any part of that is no, the work isn’t finished. Because a menopause policy shouldn’t exist to prove that a business takes menopause seriously. It should prove useful when a woman needs it most.

Lesley Fitzpatrick is a Menopause & Wellbeing Specialist, Corporate Menopause Speaker and Consultant and founder of The Fitz Method, which combines menopause education, movement, strength training, nervous-system regulation, nutrition, and stress management. www.alignworthing.co.uk

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WELLBEING

Breaking u By Camille Pierson

et me ask you something. When did you last sit in a waiting room, queue for a coffee or lie in bed for a few quiet minutes before sleep without reaching for your phone?

If you struggled to answer that, you’re not alone. And you’re not weakwilled. You are up against something that has been very carefully engineered to be as compelling as possible. The infinite scroll, the autoplay, the perfectly timed notification- none of these is an accident. They are the product of significant investment designed to keep your attention exactly where it is. The more time you spend looking at the screen, the more data is harvested, the more advertising is consumed. You are not the customer. You are the product.

Camille Pierson is a wellness entrepreneur, founder of Float Spa, and a qualified naturopathic health coach specialising in behaviour change and nervous system regulation. With over a decade of experience in the wellness industry and a background in marketing, Camille brings a unique blend of science, strategy and real-world insight to her work. Following her own personal health challenges, she has developed a deep understanding of stress, resilience and sustainable wellbeing. Camille is passionate about helping individuals and organisations move from burnout to balance through practical, accessible tools that create lasting change.

The average person now picks up their phone around 186 times a day. At an average daily screen time of roughly four to five hours, that adds up to somewhere between 1,500 and 1,800 hours a year spent on a device. More than ten full weeks of waking life, every single year. Sit with that for a moment. This matters because the cost of that transaction is becoming increasingly hard to ignore. Research has consistently linked compulsive scrolling through negative or distressing content to reduced life satisfaction, heightened anxiety, and an increased risk of secondary trauma. And it isn’t only us. Ofcom data shows that in 2024, almost a quarter of children aged 5 to 7 owned a smartphone, with parents reporting increasing difficulty managing screen time and online behaviours across all age groups. Research suggests a 52% increase in children’s screen time between 2020 and 2022, and that nearly 25% of children and young people now use their smartphones in ways consistent with behavioural addiction. Children who get access to digital devices before they develop the cognitive strategies to manage them risk never fully recovering their attention spans. That sentence deserves a moment of stillness. Then there is what constant phone use does to our relationships. Not in dramatic, obvious ways, but in the quiet erosion of presence. The half-listened-to conversation. The meal eaten alongside a screen. The reflexive reach for the phone in the middle of a moment that deserved our full attention. We are physically together and mentally elsewhere, and we have normalised it so thoroughly that we barely notice it happening.

“Persistent with behavioural addiction. Children who get access to digital devices before they develop the cognitive strategies to manage them risk never fully recovering their attention spans.” 34

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And then there is the comparison trap. Social media was not designed to show us real life. It was designed to show us the edited, filtered, highlight-reel version of other people’s lives, at the very moment we are sitting in our own unedited reality. The research on this is unambiguous: passive scrolling through other people’s carefully curated content consistently drives down self-esteem, increases

up with your phone anxiety, and deepens feelings of inadequacy. We know this. We do it anyway. That is the design working exactly as intended. SO WHAT DO WE ACTUALLY DO ABOUT IT? The answer is not to throw your phone into the sea, tempting as that occasionally sounds. It is to bring the same principle I have talked about in earlier columns into your relationship with your phone: acknowledgement first, then small and consistent change.

so ordinary it barely registers, can pull the nervous system back into alertness at the precise moment the body is trying to complete its overnight repair work. A broken night’s sleep is not always about stress or worry. Sometimes it is simply about where the phone is sitting. Switch to night mode from early evening. If the phone must be in your hand in the hours before sleep, a blue light filter reduces some of the physiological disruption, though it does not address the stimulation of the content itself.

“Your phone is a tool — Set phone-free windows. Choose a remarkable one, but Use your Micro Resets. Those two periods in your day where the somewhere along the way, small, intentional pauses we disphone goes face-down, silent and earlier in this column series on ‘do not disturb’. The first hour many of us stopped using it cussed are just as relevant here. Before you after waking and the two hours before bed are the highest value tar- and started being used by it.” reach for your phone out of habit gets. Your morning cortisol should be rising naturally to bring you into the day, not spiking in response to emails and news before you have had a single conscious breath.

Keep it out of the bedroom. This is the single change I recommend most consistently. Light exposure within two hours of bedtime can disrupt the sleep-wake cycle. When the sun goes down, the body is designed to produce melatonin to induce sleepiness, and screen light directly interferes with that process. An alarm clock costs less than a week’s worth of coffee. It is a worthy investment. And it is not only about falling asleep. Research suggests that one in two people who wake in the night for no particular reason will reach for their phone. That single habit,

or boredom, pause. One breath. One moment of noticing. Often, the reach is not about the phone at all. It is about discomfort, restlessness, or the need for a brief escape. The Micro Reset gives you a way to meet that need without the cost. Your phone is a tool — a remarkable one, but somewhere along the way, many of us stopped using it and started being used by it. The good news is that awareness, as always, is where change begins. You noticed. That is already something.

Camille x

www.camillepierson.co.uk www.thefloatspa.co.uk

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FE ATURE

“Breaking fashion rules isn’t the point. Having the freedom to choose what’s right for you is.”

F EM A LE S

The fashion rules yo By Sophia Lorimer

“I

can’t wear that because…” is one phrase I hear far too often, and it’s usually followed by “I’m too old”, “my legs aren’t nice”, “I can’t wear that colour”, “I can’t wear prints”, “that’s not professional”, “I’m the wrong body shape” … honestly, the list goes on. What I find so fascinating is that women often say these things not because they’ve tried them and decided they don’t like them, but because they’ve picked up rules somewhere along the way. We dress through other people’s lenses and take that as the blueprint for our own style. I know how powerful that need to belong can be because, growing up, I used clothes very differently. I used them to fit in, blend in and not express who I was. I wore the same clothes as everyone else because I thought I would be accepted and, looking back, I wore things I didn’t even really like because they made me feel like I belonged. As adults, I don’t think that need necessarily disappears; I think the rules just become more sophisticated. Nowhere do I see this more than in business. We swap the playground for the workplace, but there is still an unspoken idea of what someone successful, credible or professional is supposed to look like. We learn the uniform of the room and start dressing to belong there. But when everybody follows the same blueprint, what happens to the person underneath it? Something I’ve seen over the years with hundreds of women I’ve worked with is that the more authority we give other people over what we wear, the less we practise trusting ourselves. I’ve watched clients pick up something they love, something that makes them light up, only to shy away because somewhere along the way they have been told they shouldn’t wear it. I also see women dressing according to comments they received years ago. Somehow those comments have made their way into their everyday wardrobe and become rules without ever being questioned. Instead of having fun and enjoying what we wear, we worry about getting it wrong.

Dynamic Magazine is pleased to have Sophia Lorimer as its columnist for Female Style at Work. A sustainable stylist and founder of Fine-Tuned Wardrobe, Sophia helps people feel confident in what they wear while making more conscious choices. She has spoken at the House of Lords, spoken at Channel 4 and been featured in Forbes Magazine, Good Housekeeping and The Sun. She was also named Sustainability Champion of the Year at The Dynamic Awards. 36

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ST Y LE AT WOR K:

ou’ve been following without question I recently took this conversation onto social media around colour rules, and it sparked such an interesting discussion. My point wasn’t to bash colour analysis or tell anyone not to use it; it was about having the autonomy to wear whatever colour you love, and how that makes you feel. If someone tells you a colour you absolutely love isn’t ‘your colour’, who gets the final say? As a stylist who empowers women, that question matters hugely to me because I don’t believe my role is to hand someone another set of rules. I can give you knowledge around fit, proportion, colour, styling, fabrics and how you might put things together, but ultimately, you are the person wearing the clothes. I believe expert advice should give you more agency, not take it away. Especially in business, the aim shouldn’t be to dress you up as somebody else’s idea of a leader. It should help you use your clothes intentionally, so the person walking into that meeting, onto that stage or into that room still feels unmistakably like you. Something I never expected happened when I stopped trying to get fashion ‘right’. I stopped trying to dress like my idea of what a businesswoman should look like and started trusting myself enough to wear what felt like me and aligned with my values. I became more creative, experimented lots and customised pieces. My personal brand became stronger because I wasn’t trying to look like everybody else in the room. I became more comfortable taking up space as myself.

dismissing those. What I’m inviting you to do is dig a little deeper into who made them, when you adopted them and whether they’re helping you or keeping you stuck in someone else’s idea of how you should look.

It was about deciding that how you wanted to look and feel mattered, that your voice mattered and that you didn’t need to blend in because somebody else had decided what the rules were.

say, “I can’t wear that…”, ask yourself three things: Why? Who told me that? And do I still believe it? You don’t need to break every fashion rule for the sake of breaking it. Keep the rules that serve you and question the ones that don’t.

“I also see women dressing according to comments When so much of business and leadis about knowing what you they received years ago. ership stand for and having the confidence Somehow those comments to make your own decisions, surethe way we show up deserves the have made their way into lysame thought. their everyday wardrobe So, I want to set you a challenge this As I spoke about at Ideas Fest reand become rules” month. Every time you hear yourself cently, it was never about the clothes.

Breaking fashion rules isn’t the point. Having the freedom to choose what’s right for you is. Not all rules are bad. You may follow rules that are useful for you, and I’m not

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