Business Action | June / July 2019

usiness 

ACTION 

north enterprise 

devon 

growth 

innovation 

news & views 

On the crest of a wave 

New people, new investment, new premises 

Penny Power OBE 

Is business easy? 

The writing is on the wall 

Hi-tech wall printer is first in the UK 

Blind Man Roy 

Construction champion to scale three peaks 

business-action.co.uk | June / July 2019 | @businessactionm

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CONTENTS 

business 

ACTION 

Web site | business-action.co.uk 

Online version | business-action.uk 

Vol 1 Issue 3 – June / July 2019 – distribution 2,500 across North Devon 

CONTENTS 

TDK-Lambda opens £1m EMC test centre........................................... 2 

Agency’s mission leads to bigger office.............................................. 2 

HR consultancy to open fourth UK office............................................ 3 

Ryanair launches Exeter to Alicante winter flights........................ 3 

Triple wins for legal team in regional law awards........................... 4 

Packaging firm maintains capital investment................................... 4 

Large format wall printer is first in UK.................................................. 5 

Editor’s view......................................................................................................... 6 

Business listings............................................................................................... 6 

North Devon to host new technology institute centre.................. 6 

North Devon Manufacturers Association 2019 Awards............... 7 

Biggin’ up beverages....................................................................................... 8 

Penny Power OBE: Is business easy?.................................................. 9 

From art to architecture................................................................................. 10 

North Devon Enterprise Day....................................................................... 11 

Heritage cob blocks......................................................................................... 11 

BBxpo: Bideford Business Expo.............................................................. 12 

People...................................................................................................................... 14 

Digital Agency’s Achievements................................................................. 15 

Intelligence in Business................................................................................ 15 

Magnetic Devon: From New York to Ilfracombe............................... 16 

Subscribe to Business Action.................................................................... 16 

Cheers! Brewery celebrates orders from across the UK............ 17 

In the Hot Seat: Jack Richards of Applegate..................................... 18 

Shaking off the corporate accountancy image................................. 19 

Quality and detailed design......................................................................... 20 

Co-founder on UK jewellery power list................................................. 20 

Blind Man Roy set to scale three peaks............................................... 21 

North Devon Show............................................................................................ 22 

EDITORIAL 

Robert Zarywacz 

Editor, Designer & Publisher 

t: 07971 176044 

e: robertz@business-action.co.uk 

@robertz 

ADVERTISING 

Alan Williams 

Advertising, Distribution & Publisher 

t: 07970 671192 

e: alan@business-action.co.uk 

© Need it Find it 2019. All information in this magazine is published in good faith. 

Any views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher, Need it Find it. 

Readers are strongly recommended to seek advice from an appropriate professional 

before taking any action on any topic discussed in the magazine and to check full 

terms and conditions of any products or services promoted in advertisements. 

INITIATIVES & CONSULTATIONS 

New recruiters service 

Gradsouthwest, the graduate 

job board for the South West, 

is offering free recruitment 

advertising for paid internships, 

placements and projects 

of up to 12 weeks’ duration in 

South West England and Wales. 

Gradsouthwest actively 

encourages students to 

gain work experience and 

employers to offer work experience. 

However, students and 

graduates often don’t know 

how to find quality roles and 

recruiters often don’t have the 

budget to advertise. 

Gradsouthwest is offering 

this service as a solution to 

these problems. The service is 

limited to two free recruitment 

adverts per company / organisation 

per year. The role must 

be paid at least minimum wage 

and must be a position which 

could be reasonably assumed 

to be at undergraduate or 

graduate level. 

■■Details gradsouthwest.com 

Agricultural consultation 

Exmoor National Park 

Authority is inviting comments 

on new guidance into how 

new homes for rural workers 

and farming families in the 

National Park can be applied 

for, as part of a public consultation 

running for six weeks until 

18 June 2019. 

The draft ‘Rural Worker 

and Succession Farm Dwelling 

Guidance’ applies to those 

working in land-based businesses 

in the National Park, 

such as farming or forestry, and 

is supplementary to existing 

national guidelines as well as 

those set out in the Local Plan 

for the National Park. 

The draft guidelines and 

comments form are available 

from the Exmoor National Park 

Authority web site, while hard 

copies are available at National 

Park Centres in Dulverton, 

Dunster and Lynmouth, 

Lynton and Porlock libraries, 

Exmoor House in Dulverton 

and West Somerset and North 

Devon Council Offices in 

Williton and Barnstaple. 

■■Details exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk 

Cover photo: Woolacombe waves by Robert Zarywacz 

Taking Teaching Further 

Petroc is looking to initiate 

innovative collaboration 

between micro SMEs and 

start-up businesses and Further 

Education (FE) as part of the 

national Taking Teaching 

Further programme. 

Taking Teaching Further 

aims to attract experienced 

industry professionals, with 

expert technical knowledge 

and skills, to work with FE in 

delivering masterclasses and 

collaboration. The objectives 

are to develop a programme of 

two-way secondments between 

industry and FE to embed 

digital and employability skills 

across the curriculum. 

Financial incentives 

are available for successful 

businesses. 

This provides the opportunity 

for academics and 

industry to work in partnership 

and deliver current 

skills required for students to 

enhance employability. 

■■Details 01271 852428 or 

projects@petroc.ac.uk 

Small Business Saturday 

The UK’s most successful small 

business campaign, Small Business 

Saturday, is returning on 

Saturday 7 December 2019. In 

2017, the campaign saw an estimated 

£748 million spent with 

small businesses across the UK 

on Small Business Saturday. 

Once again, the campaign 

will be highlighting 100 small 

businesses, one a day for the 

100 days leading up to Small 

Business Saturday 2019. For 

the past six years, the 100 have 

not only received exposure 

on Small Business Saturday’s 

social media channels and in 

the local and national press, but 

also joined the Small Business 

Saturday team in London at a 

number of official receptions. 

Applications are now open. 

■■Application details at 

smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com 

North Devon 

Enterprise Day 

The first North Devon 

Enterprise Day on Thursday 

24 October celebrates all businesses 

in the area. 

■■Details page 11 

@businessactionm | June / July 2019 | business action 1

TDK Corporation has officially 

opened its TDK-Lambda UK 

EMC Centre located next to 

its manufacturing facility in 

Ilfracombe. The company, 

which celebrates 60 years in 

power this year, welcomed 

Hiroyuki Yashiro, president of 

TDK-Lambda Corporation, 

who cut the ribbon at the grand 

opening ceremony. 

“It is an honour to welcome 

President Yashiro from Tokyo 

to perform our opening 

ceremony,” says Adam Rawicz, 

managing director of TDK- 

Lambda EMEA. 

“The opening of this EMC 

Centre is testament to the 

11 months after opening 

its Bideford office, Simple 

Recruitment has moved to 

bigger premises in Queen 

Street as a result of its growing 

success in North Devon. 

Growing team 

Established in Midsomer 

Norton in 2009, managing 

director Jayla Wilcox decided 

to open the North Devon 

office after holidaying here 

several times with family. 

Since opening in July 2018, the 

Bideford team has expanded 

to three members to meet the 

enthusiastic response from the 

area’s business clients and candidates. 

Permanent consultant 

Karen Wraxton and temps 

consultant Caitlin Wood continue 

developing and driving 

the business forward, assisted 

by branch administrator Charlotte 

Heath, who ensures the 

smooth running of the office. 

Building a reputation 

“We have well-known clients 

on board and a good candidate 

base and are growing 

every week,” says Jayla Wilcox, 

who attributes the company’s 

success to “building a good 

reputation for a good solid 

service, communication, honesty, 

reliability and integrity”. 

“We do care, whether we’re 

putting someone forward for 

a temp job or a career role,” 

Jayla adds. “We are changing 

continued inward investment 

by TDK Corporation and will 

enable the design teams to 

their life and we take that 

seriously.” 

Jayla started Simple 

NEWS 

TDK opens £1m EMC test centre 

Official opening: (from left) Hiroyuki Yashiro, president, TDK-Lambda Corp; 

Adam Rawicz, managing director, TDK-Lambda EMEA; Phil Scotcher & 

Geoff Wilby, joint managing directors, TDK-Lambda UK; Kazuhiko Sekimoto, 

general manager administration division, TDK-Lambda Corporation Japan 

continue to develop the next 

generations of world-class 

leading-edge power supplies.” 

Recruitment with many years’ 

experience of high street 

recruitment with the aim of 

The £1 million EMC Centre, 

which houses an anechoic test 

chamber, enables the company 

to perform EMC (electromagnetic 

compatibility) test 

measurements in full compliance 

with EN, CISPR and 

ANSI standards. This will allow 

TDK-Lambda to fully certify 

its power supply products 

onsite, without the need to use 

a third-party test house. 

In addition, TDK engineers 

will be able to provide a much 

deeper level of support, assisting 

customers to gain compliance of 

their end equipment. 

■■Details 01271 856600 or 

uk.tdk-lambda.com 

Agency’s mission to make recruitment simple 

leads to bigger office 

Expanding team: (from left) branch administrator Charlotte Heath, 

temps consultant Caitlin Wood, managing director Jayla Wilcox 

and permanent consultant Karen Wraxton 

Simple Recruitment welcomes clients and candidates to its new office: 

(from left) Charlotte Heath, Karen Wraxton, Jayla Wilcox and Caitlin Wood 

providing a ‘simple’, cost-effective 

and timely recruitment 

solution for both clients and 

candidates, where consultants 

listen to the needs and wants 

of each party. 

“We take great pleasure 

in making the recruitment 

process simple, so whether you 

are looking for the next step 

in your career or the newest 

addition to your team, we are 

more than happy to help.” 

Industrial and commercial 

Simple Recruitment specialises 

in both permanent 

and temporary recruitment 

services across industrial 

and commercial sectors. Its 

dedicated permanent division 

develops relationships with 

each client to understand 

their business, what a vacancy 

entails and what they require 

from a new recruit in terms 

of skill set, experience and 

personality, so it can ensure 

these goals are met. 

It also provides temps on 

both a short and long-term 

basis, covering many job roles 

from reception and PAs to 

production operatives, forklift 

drivers and more. 

Jayla concludes: “We get 

to know each and every one 

of our clients and candidates 

to ensure that the match is 

always perfect.” 

■■Details 01237 439500 or 

simplerecruitmentltd.co.uk 

2 business action | June / July 2019 | business-action.co.uk

HR consultancy to open fourth UK office 

Fitzgerald HR celebrated 

its 10th year in business in 

2018, and has experienced 

significant growth since 

Lucy Fitzgerald began the 

consultancy in 2008. From its 

head office in Barnstaple, the 

consultancy has expanded to 

include offices in Somerset 

and London. 

It is also opening an Exeter 

office in June in response 

to the growing demands of 

developing businesses in the 

South West. 

“This is a great time for 

businesses in the South 

West, and we’re excited for 

Members of the Fitzgerald HR Barnstaple and Wellington offices: (from left) Charlotte Pengelly, Helen Rook, Alice Hellmund, 

Emily Errington, Gemma Churchill and Vicki May 

the future,” says director and 

founder Lucy Fitzgerald. 

“Over the past 10 years, 

we’ve been lucky to work with 

amazing businesses, from 

start-ups to well-established 

organisations across industries 

and sectors throughout the 

South West. 

“Our success has been a 

result of the customised and 

personal service that we deliver 

to each and every one of our 

clients. Many of our clients 

consider us to be an integral 

part of their in-house team. 

“Our new office will 

mean that we can support 

more businesses across the 

South West and beyond, and 

continue to deliver our highquality 

service to new and 

established clients.” 

This summer, Fitzgerald 

HR is bringing back its HR 

talk sessions through webinars 

and seminars to help more 

businesses get the HR basics 

right to manage risk, compliance 

and comply with employment 

law, as well as attract and 

retain staff. Keep an eye on 

the Fitzgerald HR web site for 

more information. 

■■Details 01271 859267 or 

www.fitzgeraldhr.co.uk 

Lucy Fitzgerald, director and 

founder of Fitzgerald HR 

Ryanair launches Exeter to Alicante winter flights 

Ryanair is launching new 

winter flights from Exeter 

Airport to Alicante in Spain 

starting 29 October 2019. 

The announcement of the 

twice-weekly service was made 

days after Ryanair launched 

three new routes from Exeter 

to Malta, Malaga and Naples, 

its first ever flights from the 

Devon airport. 

It will also enable passengers 

to continue flying from Exeter 

to Alicante when Flybe stops 

its winter service in October. 

Flybe has confirmed the route 

will cease when it withdraws a 

jet aircraft from Exeter on 26 

October as part of its planned 

fleet reduction strategy. It is 

focusing instead on its Q400 

aircraft, which operate the vast 

majority of its domestic and 

European routes from Exeter. 

Matt Roach, managing 

director of Exeter Airport, said: 

“We’re delighted that Ryanair 

is expanding its network from 

Exeter and that there will be no 

gap in service for passengers to 

Alicante between the summer 

and winter timetable. 

“Ryanair has predicted up 

to 85,000 extra passengers a 

year though Exeter, taking our 

numbers above one million for 

the first time since 2007.” 

To cater for extra demand, 

Exeter Airport is investing 

£1 million in new passenger 

handling facilities in preparation 

for the peak season. 

Ryanair’s flights from Exeter 

to Alicante will operate twice a 

week on Tuesdays and Saturdays, 

and are on sale now at 

ryanair.com. 

■■Details exeter-airport.co.uk 


Slee Blackwell’s personal 

injury and clinical negligence 

team did not just win once at 

the recent Devon and Somerset 

Law Society’s awards 

ceremony, but returned to 

Barnstaple with three awards. 

Elizabeth Duncan won 

Legal Hero of the Year for her 

work in abuse law and stress 

at work cases. She was also 

Highly Commended in the 

Chartered Legal Executives 

category, while the department 

was Highly Commended 

in the Team of the Year award. 

The ceremony was held 

at Exeter Cathedral and was 

attended by lawyers from 

across Devon and Somerset. 

Elizabeth, who deals with 

personal injury and sexual 

abuse claims, was thrilled: 

“I feel hugely honoured to 

win this award from such a 

respected organisation. I am 

passionate about the work 

that I do and proud to be 

able to give people who have 

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Triple wins for personal injury 

and clinical negligence team 

in regional law awards 

Banner 2.indd 1 20/03/2019 16:20:58 

Slee Blackwell’s personal injury and clinical negligence team with their award 

felt powerless and voiceless a 

means to fight back, whether 

they have survived sexual 

abuse or workplace bullying or 

suffered life-changing injuries. 

I am touched and grateful that 

this award will help to raise 

the profile of those subjected 

to abuse in all its forms.” 

Clinical negligence partner 

Oliver Thorne said, “To be 

shortlisted in these award 

categories is an achievement 

in itself, but for the team to 

receive an award and then for 

Elizabeth to receive her awards 

was wonderful. The team have 

worked exceptionally hard 

this year and whilst I may be 

considered biased, the recognition 

is thoroughly deserved.” 

Oliver, who is based in the 

Barnstaple office and specialises 

in clinical negligence 

claims, added: “Unfortunately, 

it is a recognised fact that 

claims relating to clinical 

negligence and sexual abuse 

are on the increase both in 

the region and nationally. 

Our team continues to grow 

in order to accommodate 

the number of enquiries we 

receive. The team work tirelessly 

on helping often vulnerable 

people obtain the help 

and support they need and I 

am very pleased their efforts 

have been rewarded.” 

■■Details 01271 349957 

or sleeblackwell.co.uk 

Packaging firm maintains capital investment 

Atlas Packaging in Barnstaple 

has recently installed a 

Signode speciality bundler, the 

SigCORR, to work behind its 

new Bobst Expertfold 230 A2 

folder gluer. The recent investments 

are part of a larger 

investment strategy, which 

centred on the installation of 

a Cuir high quality flexo post 

print machine a few years ago, 

as the company continues to 

enter high value markets. 

To complete its print and 

gluing line, Atlas was looking 

for an innovative bundle 

strapping solution with the 

versatility and handling 

capacity for a multitude of 

different box types that would 

be coming from the new Bobst 

folder gluer. 

Vince McDermott, manufacturing 

director at Atlas, 

says, “The quality and reliability 

of Signode’s equipment, 

combined with their first-class 

support and back-up, made 

turning to Signode for a solu- 

Atlas Packaging’s new Signode speciality bundler 

tion a natural decision.” 

“An important factor for 

Atlas was to have a proven 

and reliable high-speed 

solution to avoid packaging 

operations causing production 

bottlenecks. The design 

of the machine is good and is 

specific to bundling multipoint 

glued cases. The key 

benefits we have experienced 

so far are faster packaging 

operations, improved and 

consistent bundle presentation 

and no indentation or marks 

on boxes.” 

Generating a £17 million 

turnover in 2017, Atlas 

Packaging employs some 135 

staff, producing corrugated 

cardboard boxes and packaging 

from its Roundswell 

base. Clients include national 

and local companies such 

as B&Q, ASDA, Riverford 

Organic Farmers, St Austell 

Brewery and Pall. 

■■Details 01271 344055 or 

atlaspackaging.co.uk 


A North Devon business has 

become the first in the UK to 

introduce a high quality printer 

that prints direct to walls. Wall 

Printer UK, started by Graham 

Atkinson, has invested in the 

£40,000 German-manufactured 

printer (pictured right) and 

already completed a project 

filmed for a programme to be 

broadcast on national television. 

The printer is suitable for 

applications both in business 

and homes, from printing 

corporate logos, promotional 

graffiti, innovative promotional 

designs and marketing 

murals to transforming dull, 

uninteresting wall spaces into 

entertaining and interactive 

sources of information, fun and 

fantasy in schools, hospitals 

and airports. It enables interior 

designers and homeowners to 

turn their dreams into reality 

and create the ambience they 

require in gyms, restaurants, 

cafés, hotels and homes. 

Graham, who is based in 

Barnstaple and previously ran 

a car valeting business, was 

searching online for products 

to buy and sell when he 

discovered the wall printing 

technology. After months of 

research, visits to the manufacturer 

and training in Germany, 

he returned with his printer to 

launch Wall Printer UK. 

“It’s a challenge bringing 

something new to the UK, but 

it’s already attracting a lot of 

attention,” says Graham. 

“We can print in detail a lot 

faster than a mural artist so we 

cause minimum disruption to 

a business or home when we’re 

printing. We can print a square 

metre of wall per hour and it is 

95% dry when finished. What’s 

more, there’s no mess, no dust 

and no fumes.” 

Graham can pack the 

printer into six bags and transport 

it anywhere it is needed to 

print. Images can be printed up 

to 3.8 metres in height with no 

limit to the width on vertical 

surfaces. For commercial structures 

with higher ceilings, Wall 

Printer UK can print conjoined 

images almost in unlimited 

height using a scissor lift. 

Images can be printed 

on most surfaces, including 

plaster, wood, stone, plastic, 

tiles, glass, metal and concrete. 

They are printed using a 

waterproof, scratch-resistant, 

chemical-resistant washable 

plastic-like UV ink with no 

associated solvent fumes or 

chemical releases and will 

retain their quality for three to 

six years or more outdoors with 

a transparent UV coating, and 

12 or more years indoors. 

For clients requiring creative 

input to develop imaginative 

images for their spaces, Wall 

Printer UK has teamed up with 

Barnstaple-based design group 

Really Different. 

As the first in the country, 

Wall Printer UK is attracting 

considerable attention and 

Graham has already participated 

in a high profile project 

filmed for a prime-time television 

programme with more 

filming likely to follow. 

Wall Printer UK will be 

giving live demonstrations at 

BBxpo business-to-business 

exhibition on Thursday 24 

October in Bideford. 

■■Details 07534 258992 

or wallprinter.co.uk 

NEWS 

Large format wall printer is first in UK 

First Thursday of every month 

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49 Torrington Street, East the Water, EX39 4DP 

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email@theriverbankbistro.co.uk 


NEWS 

Editor’s view 

Launching Business Action 

has enabled me to reconnect 

with many existing contacts 

and make new ones locally and 

across the region. 

Welcome to the third, 24-page 

issue of Business Action, the 

independent North Devonbased 

business magazine. 

16 years ago I joined 

ecademy, the world’s first social 

network for business, and 

helped run its North Devon 

club. In this issue, we are 

delighted to include an article 

by Penny Power OBE, ecademy’s 

founder, who discusses 

the challenges of running a 

business and how it’s not as 

easy as many people pretend. 

You can also download for 

free the first chapter of Penny’s 

book ‘Business is Personal’. 

Meeting people 

It was through ecademy that I 

connected with so many people 

in North Devon, including 

co-publisher Alan Williams. As 

global social networks grew, so 

I joined Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook 

and others, and connected 

with thousands of people 

worldwide. I still find this 

aspect of social media enjoyable 

and valuable, although never 

to underestimate the importance 

of face-to-face contact. 

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You can speak to us 

With social networks now 

imposing many restrictions, 

communicating becomes more 

challenging for businesses as 

digital reach shrinks. 

This is definitely not the case 

with Business Action. You 

can phone, email or message to 

speak with us directly. 

You don’t have to send press 

releases – you can if you want – 

as we like to talk to you to find 

out about you, your business 

and your story. 

This means that anyone 

in business in or near North 

Devon has the potential to 

access this news channel. 

You don’t have to have a big 

marketing department, PR 

agency or budget – just news. 

And we know that there’s lots 

of it out there. 

So pick up the phone or 

look out for us at networking 

events, the North Devon Show 

and BBxpo. We look forward to 

meeting you. 

Robert Zarywacz, editor 

■■Call 07971 176044 or email 

robert@business-action.co.uk 

info@futuredimensions.uk 

HYPNOTHERAPY 

Paul Holder 

New Life Hypnotherapy 

South Molton 

t: 01769 574711 

w: newlifehypnotherapy.org 

Landscaping 

CW Landscaping 

Bideford & North Devon 

t: 01237 474335 

m: 07960 930974 

Locksmith 

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w: northdevonlocksmith.co.uk 

BUSINESS LISTINGS 

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Removals 

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North Devon to host new 

technology institute centre 

North Devon will host a centre 

as part of a new Institute of 

Technology in the South West 

after the success of a multibillion 

pound bid in which 

Petroc is participating. 

The Institute of Technology 

in the South West 

will comprise centres located 

across Devon, Cornwall and 

Somerset, with state-of-theart 

facilities proposed for 

Barnstaple, Plymouth, Exeter, 

Truro and Taunton. 

In North Devon, it will 

create a bespoke engineering 

laboratory space, digital 

immersion facilities, other 

emergent manufacture 

capacity and additional spaces 

for research and learning, 

providing a new hub for 

quality engineering training 

and innovation. The initiative 

will revitalise part of the 

Petroc campus in Barnstaple 

to provide a multi-discipline 

engineering and advance 

manufacturing centre. 

The national initiative aims 

to establish unique collaborations 

between universities, 

Further Education colleges and 

leading employers, to specialise 

in delivering quality higher 

level technical training and 

provide employers with the 

skilled workforce they need. 

The successful proposal 

draws on expertise from 

partner organisations 

including the University of 

Exeter, University of Plymouth, 

Petroc, Bridgwater & 

Taunton College, City College 

Plymouth, Exeter College and 

Truro & Penwith College. 

A group of ‘anchor 

employers’ will lead the direction 

of the new Institute of 

Technology and ensure focus 

on the latest industry skills. 

Employers participating in the 

group include Oxygen House 

and the Met Office in Exeter, 

Babcock in Plymouth and 

TDK-Lambda in Ilfracombe. 

The bid is also supported by 

both the Heart of the South 

West and the Cornwall and 

Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise 

Partnerships (LEPs). 

Catering for up to 2,500 

students, in apprenticeship 

and full-time courses from 

post-16 level to Master’s 

degree level, the institute 

will help put the region at 

the forefront of digital and 

engineering education across 

the UK. 

Diane Dimond, principal 

and chief executive of 

Petroc, commented: “We are 

delighted to be part of this 

fantastic initiative for our 

region bringing specialised 

facilities and exciting careerenabling 

opportunities.” 

■■Details petroc.ac.uk 


The 2019 NDMA Awards 

recently recognised North 

Devon’s outstanding manufacturers, 

which continue to make 

a massive contribution to the 

area’s economy. 

Manufacturer of the Year 

Accord UK was awarded the 

title of Manufacturer of the 

Year for responding positively 

to legislative changes affecting 

core products, while launching 

six new products and planning 

for all Brexit scenarios. 

Award winners 

The winners of the specific 

award categories were: 

➤➤Apprentice of the Year – 

David Harwood of Eaton 

Aerospace 

➤➤Trainee of the Year – 

Thomas Beauchamp of 

Anglo Krempel 

➤➤Engagement in STEM & 

Schools – SEA 

➤➤Environmental Project of 

the Year – The Sign Maker 

➤➤Innovation of the Year – 

Helitune 

➤➤Team of the Year – Accord 

Q-Edge Team 

➤➤Business Transformation of 

the Year – Perrigo 

➤➤Exporter of the Year – Pall 

Life Science 

➤➤Product of the Year – SEA 

MANUFACTURING 

Outstanding manufacturers recognised 

Manufacturer of the Year Winner – Accord UK Ltd: (from left) Trudi Spratt 

of Anew SW, Alain Casavieille of Accord UK and Janet Phillips of Anew SW 

Schools and colleges 

The Schools and Educational 

Technology Awards recognised 

students for projects submitted 

in the under-16 and 16+ categories, 

while awards were given 

to teams in the primary school 

STEM challenge, in which 

600 pupils from nine schools 

participated. The challenge was 

to build a tower to hold a raw 

egg as high as possible for 30 

seconds from only uncooked 

spaghetti and marshmallows. 

Over and Above 

The awards ceremony included 

a brief introduction to the 

event’s nominated charity, 

Over and Above – supporting 

Northern Devon Healthcare 

NHS Trust – which was given 

by Richard Barnes of Beran 

Instruments Ltd, who himself 

recently received treatment for 

multiple life-threatening conditions 

at NDDH ICU. A raffle 

raised £1,915 for the charity. 

High standards 

Competition among awards 

entrants was tough and feedback 

from the judging panel 

highlighted the extremely high 

standard of entries and incredible 

diversity of manufacturing 

capability and innovation in 

the area. 

■■Details ndma.org.uk 

Paul Mullen with the primary school STEM challenge winning team from 

Southmead Primary School 

Paul Mullen with primary school STEM challenge Runners Up from 

Woolsery Primary School, whose tower held the most eggs for 30 seconds 

Right Way HR Services 

Safeguard your business Call us on 01237 426450 

• Advice on all aspects of employment law 

• Contracts of employment 

• Staff handbook • HR policies 

• Letters, templates and documents 

Call Richard on 07825 090782 

e-mail: richard@rwhrs.com 

Looking for independent financial advice? 

for a free initial consultation 

contact@dscottfinancial.co.uk 

https://dscottfinancial.co.uk 

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. 


FOOD & DRINK 

Finding Jobs for People and People for Jobs 

Temporary & Permanent recruitment solutions throughout North Devon! 

01237 439500 

In a recent workshop, I gave 

soft drinks the hard sell, with 

stats, trends and profit-boosting 

techniques that left attendees 

shaken not stirred. 

Here’s the low-down: 

Premium paving the way 

The soft drink industry is now 

worth over £8 billion, with last 

year seeing an annual increase 

of over 5.6% in value and 2% 

by volume. 

Luxury mixers (triggered 

by artisan gins), cordials and 

soft drinks have enjoyed the 

greatest uplift, as consumers 

seek out premium brands that 

deliver superior quality, strong 

brand stories and a play on 

provenance. 

No mocking the Mocktail 

Once a token gesture, 

mocktails now stand proud 

alongside cocktails as one in 

five consumers now define 

themselves as teetotal. With 

younger generations increasingly 

health-conscious, low 

and zero-alcohol alternatives 

are on the up . . . with sugar 

continuing as the #1 health 

concern for the fourth year 

consecutively. 

Stir in the art of ‘perceived 

value’ and mocktails make for 

serious profit-power. 

www.simplerecruitmentltd.co.uk 

Biggin’ up beverages 

Sara-Jane Williams of BrandLanterns on the profit-power of soft drinks 

Profit power 

With ‘restaurant typical food 

costs’ reported at approximately 

25-30%, but beverages 

at 20%, drinks provide a great 

opportunity to stretch profit 

margins. Furthermore, with 

pressure for hospitality to be 

more experimental, beverages 

are lower risk than new dish 

concepts. Give them the space, 

psychology and descriptions 

they deserve on a separate 

menu, and consider tabletalkers 

or postcards to get 

promotions front-of-mind. 

Emerging trends 

The coolest drinks right now? 

Innovative flavours (vegan 

and plant, medicinal, ethnic); 

bitter not sweet; cold-brew teas 

(nudging over coffees); superpower 

water (added minerals, 

vitamins, caffeine etc); 

digestive health (especially 

Follow us: 

those using traditional 

methods of fermentation, pickling 

and preserving); sustainability 

(not just packaging 

and processes, but also wonky 

fruits, peels and seasonals). 

Last but not least, the ‘freefrom’s 

(with gluten-free behind 

half of all the free-from sales 

value in 2018). 

Comfy or Cool? 

Traditional? Trendy? Foodies? 

You know your customers 

best; the challenge is to 

find the balance between a 

beverage menu that’s within 

their comfort zone versus 

delivering new experiences 

that reinvigorate footfall. Seek 

supplier support with a dedicated 

beverage programme 

(or ask us) to keep your 

menu ahead of the game this 

summer and beyond. 

■■Details 01271 372620 or 

brandlanterns.co.uk 

Beautiful candles – Handmade in Devon 

SHOWROOM & STUDIO 

Lyn Candles . Lynton . N. Devon . EX35 6BS 

Tel: 01598 753321 www.lyncandles.com 

e-mail: lyncandles@btopenworld.com 

01271 267420 | info@gtales.co.uk 


ENTREPRENEURS 

Is business easy? 

Everyone else seems to think 

it is. This is how most business 

people feel. Terrified of the 

truth, hiding their own vulnerabilities 

and joining the world 

of fake that is now so prevalent 

in society. 

I feel really passionate 

about this statement. I called 

myself an ‘accidental entrepreneur’ 

for years. I actually feel 

vast numbers of us are now 

‘accidental’. The opportunity 

when we see a gap to make a 

difference is so much easier 

to launch, creating a web site, 

applying digital technology to 

our business model and the 

desire to be able to say “I built 

it and now they will come” is 

intoxicating. 

Is there a formula to success? 

You would think so from all 

the ‘marketers’ who sell their 

courses online and tell us: “You 

could be as rich as me, just pay 

me and I will show you how.” 

Quite funny really. No 

wonder they are rich (if they 

really are) as they appeal to our 

vulnerabilities to believe that 

we lack, that we are not rich, 

beautiful or wise enough. 

How about this? Imagine 

you were enough, imagine you 

could create your own definition 

of success and ambition 

and you stopped looking over 

your shoulders at other people 

and took control of your life. 

It is vital that we understand 

ourselves, respect, accept 

and believe in ourselves. Our 

character, our personality, our 

life experiences, our personal 

desires and how much we are 

personally willing to sacrifice. 

Then add in your skills, knowledge 

and the people you know. 

This is one huge mixing bowl 

of ingredients to create your 

future from. 

I work with people who are 

skilled. They have a defined 

and powerful skill that they 

have honed and invested in 

for a number of years. They 

look over the shoulder at the 

perception of the world and 

they can’t understand why 

their life has not turned out 

as amazing as the people they 

follow and ‘admire’. 

Penny Power OBE 

This is my take on this. 

Firstly, what is your benchmark? 

I coached a gentleman 

who was amazingly successful 

but had depression and was 

frustrated with his business. 

He laughed and laughed 

when I asked him who he was 

comparing himself with. “Mark 

Zuckerberg and Elon Musk” 

was his reply. His laughter 

came from a place of joy as 

he realised what a ridiculous 

subconscious belief system he 

was holding. It didn’t take much 

to make him feel incredible. 

Secondly, what makes you 

happy? This will be a great 

discovery. Write down your 

values, the top three things that 

are important. Then create two 

columns. The first, out of 10, 

how important is this value to 

you? The second, out of ten, 

how are you doing against this 

value? You will be amazed. 

Many people have a value that 

they are not recognising they 

are achieving, or worse still, 

they are chasing the wrong 

definition of success. 

Thirdly, what is the life and 

business you want to lead? Be 

very firm with yourself now. 

Vast numbers of people have a 

gap between ‘believed’ desires 

and their true ones. 

Many of us can be happier, 

just with some self-awareness. 

As Napoleon Hill said, What 

do you desire? Do you believe 

it is possible? What skills and 

knowledge do you need to 

make this happen? And, then, 

the big one: will you take the 

actions and create the change 

in habits and mindset to make 

your desires happen? If you are 

not willing, then re-define what 

your desires are. 

I truly believe that we can 

all achieve, but we must know 

what that means to us. Let me 

leave you with this thought: 

“What does success mean to 

you, and what is the life and 

business you want to lead?” 

■■Details pennypower.co.uk 

Penny Power OBE is an 

entrepreneur. She created the 

world’s first social network 

for business, four years before 

LinkedIn launched. Business 

Action editor Robert Zarywacz 

was one of the early members. 

Awarded an OBE in 

2014 for her contribution to 

entrepreneurship, she went 

on to build another business. 

In November 2017, Penny 

crashed and spent a year 

recovering and examining 

many aspects of being a business 

owner that are not in the 

‘rule book’. As a result, Penny 

wrote her latest book to help 

create a fair and honest benchmark 

on what it really means 

to be a business owner. So 

many people start a business 

to be free. Financially free, 

free to make their own choices 

and freedom of time. Penny 

believes, the ultimate freedom 

comes when you allow you to 

be free to be yourself. 

Penny’s book is on Audio, 

print and Kindle – available 

on Amazon. 

■■If you would like to connect 

with Penny and also have 

a free download of her first 

chapter, visit www.pennypower.co.uk/freechapter 


ARCHITECTURE 

From art to architecture 

Is it possible to manage a 

business in the South East 

from deepest North Devon? 

That is what Kevin Davies is 

doing, managing a 12-member 

architectural practice based in 

Staines, Middlesex from his 

Kevin Davies in his architects office and art gallery in Chulmleigh 

office and gallery in the centre 

of Chulmleigh. 

Kevin’s journey to Chulmleigh 

has taken him across 

the world after embarking on 

a sabbatical from his position 

at Robert Davies John West 

Cranford Business 

Services Limited 

www.accountsindevon.co.uk 

Old Stone, Cranford, Bideford, Devon, EX39 5QW 

07896 204 857 

Does your accountant... 

Listen to you and act on your needs? 

Explain your accounts in terms you understand? 

Arrange meeting at your convenience? 

Leaving you free to concentrate on what you do best! 

Ltd, the architectural practice 

established by his father. This 

intended six-month exploration 

of Africa extended to 

eight years, during which time 

Kevin and partner Sue started a 

family while establishing a lowimpact 

tourism site in Malawi, 

setting up the country’s first 

permaculture / tourism project 

and starting an architectural 

practice among other activities. 

It was their children’s education 

requirements and other family 

considerations that brought 

them back to Europe, first 

to France, and then, in 2012, 

to Chulmleigh, where Kevin 

rejoined his father’s practice. 

Now, as director and chartered 

architect playing an active 

role in managing the business, 

Kevin operates from his 

office in Fore Street, working 

remotely in between fortnightly 

visits to Staines. Kevin has overseen 

the growth of the practice 

from a team of six to 12 over 

the past seven years, operating 

Chulmleigh as a satellite office. 

He has a strong interest in the 

restoration, conversion and 

re-use of vernacular and listed 

buildings, as well as in working 

in conservation areas. Local 

projects include the Chulmleigh 

Congregational Church and an 

early 15th century Benedictine 

Tower in Cornwall, both are 

Listed Grade II*. 

He maintains his interest 

in sustainable and appropriate 

technologies in Africa, which 

has led to involvement in new 

projects in Kenya, Malawi, 

Somalia and Bangladesh as well 

as distinguished pioneering 

developments including the 

Sonda Orphan Care Centre, 

Ripple Africa Mwaya and the 

Cultural and Museum Centre 

Karonga. 

Visitors to Kevin’s office 

might be surprised to find it 

doubles as an art gallery called 

the Architects Gallery. Like 

many of Kevin’s interests which 

turn into a business, this sprang 

from meeting local artist Brian 

Denington and giving him a 

commission. This introduced 

Kevin to the artist community 

and the idea of opening a 

gallery and, one by one, artists 

contacted him. Now the gallery 

promotes a number of artists 

from Lapford, Torrington and 

Winkleigh, and hosts several 

shows a year to promote artists. 

Kevin explains that architecture 

and art dovetail well: “The 

lovely thing about being an 

architect is that you get out and 

meet people and everyone has 

a story, while the gallery brings 

people together.” 

This also explains Kevin’s 

involvement in the community 

with cricket and table tennis, 

Chulmleigh Old Fair and as the 

newly elected district councillor 

for Chulmleigh. 

■■Architects Gallery: 

01769 581765 or 

atelierthink.co.uk 

■■Architects Practice: 

01784 779106 or rdjwltd.com 


Thursday 

24 October 2019 

is North Devon Enterprise 

Day when all businesses can 

join together to celebrate our 

vibrant local business community, 

support each other 

and promote the vast range of 

products and services provided 

in the area. 

Take part 

Are you an enterprising 

business? Take part now by 

Heritage Cob and Lime has 

started manufacturing its own 

North Devon cob blocks. Based 

in East-the-Water, the company 

is known for manufacturing 

and supplying its awardwinning 

lime mortar and 

associated products across the 

UK. Its clients include home 

owners, artisan lime plasterers, 

traditional builders, architects 

and organisations who 

maintain historic buildings, 

including Buckingham Palace 

and Windsor Castle as well as 

St Anne’s Chapel in Barnstaple. 

registering to 

join the Enterprise 

Wave at ndevonent.uk 

Businesses are already 

registering for what we aim 

to be the largest independent 

enterprise community in the 

area – a collection of forwardlooking 

entrepreneurs 

committed to helping every 

business to succeed. 

On the day, we’ll celebrate 

at BBxpo with a panel session 

of North Devon entrepreneurs 

and the North Devon 

Enterprise Free Networking 

Buffet – open to all businesses. 

Let’s all share our experience 

and advice to help other 

businesses so all thrive. 

And share on social media 

– hashtag #ndevonent – to 

encourage everyone to join in. 

Heritage cob blocks 

North Devon 

ENTERPRISE 

Day #ndevonent 

Follow and connect 

Connect with @northdevon, 

@businessactionm and 

@needitfinditnow on Twitter 

and other platforms. 

■■Visit ndevonent.uk or email 

ndevonent@business-action.co.uk 

for full details. 

Now the company is making 

its own cob blocks from a 

North Devon vernacular 

mixture of sub soils, mixes, 

aggregates and straw, ideally 

suited to the wetter climes of 

the West Country. These are 

ideal for building and restoration 

work on traditional 

cob and earth buildings, and 

provide effective insulation, 

having a zero carbon footprint. 

Cob in its wet form is also available 

for wattle and daub work. 

■■Details 01237 477431 or 

heritagecobandlime.com 

Visit ideaengine.co.uk to see all the 

brands that we have brought to life 

online, in print, outdoors and in a 

whole host of other ways. 

ideaengine.co.uk 

01271 324594 or 07974306711 

Web, Brand, Advertising, Design, Literature 


BBxpo 

EXHIBITORS SO FAR . . . EXHIBITORS SO FAR . . . 

BNIB 

bnibarnstaple.co.uk 

Business Networking in 

Barnstaple (BNIB) is a team of 

businesses from across North 

Devon who meet weekly in 

order to expand their business 

through making new contacts 

and gaining new work through 

focused business referrals. 

Cirrusli 

cirrusli.co.uk 

Top-notch training in cloud 

and digital accounting 

systems across North Devon 

and Cornwall. 

CITB 

citb.co.uk 

The industry training board 

for the construction sector, 

helping it to attract talent and 

to support skills development. 

Clarity Copiers North 

Devon 

claritynorthdevon.co.uk 

Advice, demonstration, 

service, rental & sale of colour 

printers, copiers & MFPs 

(multifunctional printers). 

Dare2BU 

dare2bu.co.uk 

Working to make North Devon 

the most mentally healthy 

place to live and work. 

Devon Electric Heating 

devonelectricheating.co.uk 

Electric heating systems 

– supplied and installed – 

throughout the South West. 

Fernbank Advertising 

fernbankadvertising.co.uk 

Promoting your business 

through advertisements on 

bus shelters across the South 

West region. 

Fitzgerald HR 

fitzgeraldhr.co.uk 

With offices in Devon, 

Somerset and London, 

Fitzgerald HR provides Human 

Resources with the human 

touch to small, medium and 

large organisations. 

Jobcentre Plus 

dwp.gov.uk 

Engage with employers to 

identify bespoke labour 

market solutions creating 

opportunities for DWP 

customers. 

Thursday 24 October 

Devon Hall, Bideford College 

Presentation programme 

Build Your Personal Brand Online | Google Digital Garage 

Learn to identify your brand, build and protect your online 

presence, and share content to your network. 

Get Your Business Visible on Google | Google Digital 

Garage 

Get your business visible on Google Maps and Search. 

High Performance in the Workplace | Dare2BU 

1 in 4 people suffer with a mental health problem every 

year. How does it impact a business when employees have 

mental ill-health and what can businesses do to help improve 

employees’ well-being and their productivity? 

Benefits of Upskilling Your Workforce | Petroc 

Supporting your staff will bring benefits to you and them. 

This presentation will discuss specific qualifications, short 

courses or apprenticeships as a route to help your staff upskill. 

This interactive discussion will be an opportunity to explore 

the options for you and your business and staff. 

Celebrating North Devon Entrepreneurs 

A panel of local business people will discuss their own business 

experiences and answer questions on how to build a 

successful business in North Devon. 

North Devon Enterprise Day Free Networking Buffet 

The ultimate free lunch brings together business people to 

network and build new relationships on North Devon 

Enterprise Day. 

YOU CAN EXHIBIT – BOOK STAND(S) NOW at bbxpo.uk 

Learn Devon 

learndevon.co.uk 

Adult and community learning 

courses supporting people in 

learning new skills for leisure, 

returning to employment, 

improving their English and 

maths and improving their 

health and wellbeing. 

Marley Comms 

marleycomms.co.uk 

An expert leading bespoke 

cloud and on-premise 

telecommunications and 

technology company. 

Marsdens Devon 

Cottages 

marsdens.co.uk 

With over 400 holiday 

cottages across North Devon 

and Exmoor, Marsdens helps 

you get the most from letting 

your holiday property. 

Petroc 

petroc.ac.uk 

Petroc raises the aspirations, 

knowledge and skills of 

individuals, communities 

and business in Devon and 

beyond. 

bbxpo.uk #BBxpo 

Safety Supplies Direct / 

Tawsa 

tawsa.co.uk 

Tawsa Ltd is a Health & Safety 

consultancy, while Safety 

Supplies Direct specialises in 

supplying PPE and workwear. 

Simple Recruitment 


Specialises in both temporary 

and permanent recruitment 

solutions across industrial and 

commercial sectors covering 

the North Devon area. 

The Sign Maker 

sign-maker.net 

House signs, business signs, 

memorials, engraved plaques 

and wheel covers all made in 

North Devon. 

Tarkatography 

tarkatography.co.uk 

A passionate photographer 

concentrating mainly on food 

and interior images for web 

sites and magazines. 

Towergate 

towergate.com/locations/ 

bideford 

Through our trusted team 

in Bideford, Towergate has 

access to a wide range 

of tailor made insurance 

solutions. 

Utilities Warehouse 

pinkpigsavings.co.uk 

Based in North Devon, Nick 

Parry can show you how to 

make great savings on all your 

household bills. 

Wall Printer UK 

wallprinter.uk 

Introducing the UK’s brand 

new, innovative vertical wall 

printing technology for interior 

designers, graphic designers, 

advertising agencies, sign 

makers, painters, decorators, 

artists and start-ups. 

Wills at Home 

wills-athome.co.uk 

Alan Williams provides a 

personal wills and lasting 

powers of attorney service 

across North Devon. 

Zarywacz 

z2z.com 

Attract customer attention 

with communications from 

Zarywacz. From business 

journalism and copywriting 

to case studies, magazines, 

blogs and online content, 

campaigns and events. 


What is BBxpo? 

It’s five months to BBxpo and 

already it’s shaping up as North 

Devon’s biggest business-tobusiness 

event in 2019. 

What started out as a 

suggestion from co-organiser 

Alan Williams to host a business 

exhibition in Bideford 

in 2018 has now grown to an 

event that is attracting interest 

from across North Devon and 

the south of the county. 

What is the key to the 

event’s success? Co-organiser 

and Business Action editor 

Robert Zarywacz says it is 

because the event aims to be 

useful to everyone: “We want 

to give exhibitors the best 

possible value by being part of 

the event and that is why we 

are already promoting them 

in this magazine and on the 

BBxpo web site. 

“And we want visitors to 

benefit from meeting all the 

exhibitors, participating in the 

presentations and connecting 

with business people from 

across Devon at the networking 

lunch – all for free.” 

Andy Francis, the person 

behind the camera: I was born 

and grew up in North Devon 

and am proud to be part of 

its rapid growth and development. 

It has such a diverse 

lifestyle in some of the most 

beautiful surroundings so I 

am always out and about with 

the camera and often at photoshoots 

getting those images 

that are just right for customers’ 

web sites and magazines. 

I have been a passionate 

photographer for many years, 

concentrating mainly on 

food and interior images. As 

web sites have grown with 

faster internet speeds, these 

images can now be shown in 

improved quality and detail. 

My photography has 

evolved with the internet 

enabling me to deliver a costeffective 

quality product for 

web sites. Recent projects have 

been in partnership with Land 

Rover, Crew Clothing, Waitrose 

Kitchen, The Michelin 

Guide, The Sunday Times and 

Devon Life magazine. 

BBxpo 

Capturing excitement on camera 

I am privileged to have 

been appointed official 

photographer for BBxpo on 

PHOTOGRAPHER PROFILE 

Andy Francis of Tarkatography, official photographer for BBxpo 2019, 

discusses his photographic career in North Devon 

Thursday 24 October and look 

forward to meeting everyone 

on the day. 

VISITORS REGISTER FOR FREE bbxpo19.eventbrite.co.uk 

High performance in the workplace 

One in four people suffer 

with a mental health problem. 

This has a massive impact on 

our lives, our relationships and 

our economy. Living a happy, 

fulfilling and productive life 

relies on a healthy mental state. 

So how do we maintain a 

healthy state of mind? 

It seems to be an insurmountable 

problem. Even our 

doctors are baffled. 

But what if it isn’t? 

What if understanding 

mental health problems, and 

solving them, was far easier 

than we thought? What if 

human beings were, in fact, 

designed for success and it was 

simply a misunderstanding that 

has us struggling and suffering 

so much? 

This is what we have seen to 

be true . . . 

➤➤Our minds only work one 

way – from the inside out 

➤➤Perceptions and feelings 

don’t happen to us – they are 

created within us 

➤➤We live in the feeling of 

our thinking – we don’t feel 

circumstances (the outside 

world) we feel what we think 

(our inner world) 

➤➤Human beings are designed 

for success 

We have an intelligence that 

runs our body that we all know 

PRESENTER PROFILE 

Beccy and Debra from Dare2BU discuss the impact of mental health 

problems and what they will discuss in their BBxpo presentation 

Presenting at BBxpo: (from left) Beccy and Debra of Dare2BU 

about, rely on and trust. 

This intelligence beats 

our hearts, helps us heal and 

performs a million tasks every 

second to keep us alive. We 

don’t control this force, but we 

do reap the benefit of it. 

Our mind is exactly the 

same; it has an intelligent 

VISITORS REGISTER FOR FREE bbxpo19.eventbrite.co.uk 

system running everything 

behind the scenes. 

Our problem is, instead of 

understanding this amazing 

psychological system and 

benefitting from it, there is a 

widespread misunderstanding 

of it. This misunderstanding 

has reached epic proportions 

and is a major cause of all the 

mental health issues that we 

face and the mental health 

crisis we are witness to. 

Solving the problem is as 

simple as putting this misunderstanding 

straight. 

The main objection we have 

from people we work with 

when they see the simplicity of 

this is: “Why hadn’t we heard of 

this before?” 

But as Ludwig Wittgenstein 

said: “A man will be 

imprisoned in a room with 

an unlocked door that opens 

inwards so long as it doesn’t 

occur to him to pull rather 

than push.” 

Find out more at BBxpo. 


PEOPLE 

On the March: (from left) Heather Mock and Lorraine Irwin receive their 

award from Active Devon 

Two employees from Golden 

Coast at Roundswell claimed 

the top spot in Active Devon’s 

Big Devon March — a monthlong 

campaign to encourage 

the county’s workers to become 

more active on a daily basis. 

More than 1,000 people 

took part this year and it was 

Lorraine Irwin and Heather 

Mock from Golden Coast — 

the UK’s largest independent 

distributor of products for the 

swimming pool, hot tub, spa 

and sauna industry — who 

topped the leaderboard. 

Jamie Adams, managing 

director of Golden Coast, said: 

“It’s brilliant to see Team GC 

win big at this year’s Big Devon 

March. We employ 33 people 

at the company, who all love 

being active — everything 

from scuba diving to marathon 

running to boxing.” 

Lorraine and Heather 

recorded the highest average 

number of steps for the 2019 

Big Devon March — clocking 

up more than a million 

between them, and walking 

more than 200 miles in the last 

two weeks of the challenge. 

Heather, administration 

team leader, said: “It’s fantastic 

to place first, but it felt just as 

rewarding to have explored 

our beautiful region. I walked 

part of the Tarka Trail across 

North Devon and explored 

some of the pathways along the 

Tiverton to Taunton canal, as 

well as my daily morning and 

lunchtime walks.” 

Company accountant 

Lorraine added: “It was fun 

taking part in a team event and 

becoming more active. The 

challenge inspired me to take 

walks during my lunch breaks. 

“We both certainly feel the 

benefits of walking a lot more 

and feel both physically and 

mentally healthier.” 

Sean Mackney has been 

appointed principal and CEO 

of Petroc from 1 August 2019. 

Sean will take over from Diane 

Dimond, who is leaving the 

college in the summer as part 

of her retirement plan. 

Sean joins Petroc from 

Buckinghamshire New 

University, where he has 

served as pro vice-chancellor 

Research, Enterprise and 

External Relations and pro 

vice-chancellor Education. 

Kevin Finan, chairman 

of Petroc Governors, 

commented: “We are absolutely 

delighted with the 

appointment of Sean, who 

comes to us at a really exciting, 

if challenging time. We are 

confident that he will take up 

the mantle from Diane who 

has led us so effectively for the 

past few years and under her 

leadership we have achieved 

so much including becoming 

NicDex No:1 College in 2018. 

Sean has extensive experience 

in the FE and HE sectors as 

well as developing strategic 

partnerships with the business 

community and this will 

be invaluable for us in our 

next stage of development, 

ensuring we provide a high 

quality and relevant provision 

for our community.” 

Sean has more than 25 

years’ experience in the education 

sector. In his most recent 

role Sean has been responsible 

for Buckinghamshire New 

University’s partnership provision, 

with 5,000 learners in 

partner FE colleges in the UK 

and internationally. 

“I am passionate about 

working in partnership 

to improve learning and 

teaching, something I have 

done throughout my career 

with individual students, 

students unions and the NUS,” 

said Sean, “and I relish the 

opportunity to do this back 

in my home area of Devon, 

ensuring we provide the best 

possible opportunities for our 

community.” 

Sean’s previous roles 

include director of Student 

Education and Engagement at 

the University of Exeter, senior 

deputy chief executive at the 

Higher Education Academy, 

head of Learning and Teaching 

at HEFCE and head of the 

HE Regional Development 

Association – South West. 

Sean, who was born in 

Devon, holds a postgraduate 

qualification in education 

from the University of 

Manchester and is currently 

completing his doctorate with 

the University of Bath. 

Mark Speck has joined 

Barum & Dewar’s UK sales 

team as a regional sales 

manager with responsibility 

for developing business 

growth in the South West. 

His appointment underlines 

Barum & Dewar’s 

continued commitment to 

further improving client engagement. 

Mark brings with him extensive experience 

of the UK specialist packaging sector. 

Barum & Dewar are a market leader in the 

design, manufacture and supply of protective 

cases with a reputation for delivering innovative 

packaging solutions of the highest quality. 

Barum & Dewar managing director David 

Frame said: “Our business is all about building 

trusted relationships with our clients. Mark 

joins a highly motivated and expanding team 

at Barum & Dewar and brings not only professional 

integrity but enthusiasm and a desire to 

make a real difference.” 


DIGITAL AGENCY’S 

ACHIEVEMENTS 

A digital agency established 

in a one-bedroom flat in Exeter 

recently celebrated its fifth year 

in business and the acquisition 

of its 300th client. 

MiHi Digital, started 

by director Mark Worden 

in 2013 and now based in 

Broadwoodwidger, supports 

businesses throughout Devon 

and Cornwall in strengthening 

their online presence through 

web design, social media, 

search engine optimisation and 

strategic consultancy. 

In the past twelve months, 

the business has broken its own 

records by winning a total of 

69 new clients, launching 39 

web sites, and achieving growth 

of more than 30% for a fifth 

consecutive year. 

Mihi has achieved significant 

growth across all of 

its core service areas, with 

social media management 

and training both growing by 

more than 400% in revenue 

compared with the previous 

year. There was also strong 

growth in search engine optimisation, 

PPC management 

and web site design, which 

continues to be the agency’s 

leading service. 

Mark, who previously 

worked at a law firm, attributes 

part of this year’s expansion to 

even more recommendations 

from existing clients. 

“We are delighted to have 

had yet another busy and 

successful year at MiHi, seeing 

results which have surpassed 

all of our expectations,” says 

Mark. “We’ve launched a large 

number of new web sites and 

gained a lot of work through 

word of mouth and personal 

recommendations, passed on 

by our happy clients.” 

Now in its sixth year, Mihi 

continues to build its reputation, 

especially in the wedding 

and tourism industries, as well 

as developing a niche within 

film and television production. 

It also supports the Devon 

business community by sponsoring 

the Glamping Business 

and Alternative Accommodation 

of the Year category in the 

Devon Tourism Awards. 

“The glamping category is 

one that’s close to our hearts 

at MiHi,” adds Mark. “We’ve 

worked with more than 100 

hospitality businesses in 

recent years, many of whom 

have gone on to win national 

acclaim, so we’re looking 

forward to handing over the 

awards to those that really are 

at the top of their game.” 

■■Details 01566 232323 or 

mihidigital.co.uk 

DIGITAL 

Intelligence in Business 

A review of purchases made 

by businesses represented 

at Applegate’s ‘Intelligence 

in Business’ event identified 

combined potential cost savings 

of £35,000. 

As a technology business, 

Applegate offers a free, 

cloud-based eProcurement 

tool for buyers to help them 

find what they need. It is 

also working, in partnership 

with the Institute of Data 

Science and Artificial Intelligence 

at the University of 

Exeter, to develop machine 

learning systems – continually 

enhancing that tool – with the 

mission of saving businesses 

time, money and hassle in the 

purchasing process. 

Intelligence in Business 

explored what organisations 

are doing to develop the digital 

landscape across Devon, the 

ways in which businesses can 

recruit for the long term, the 

role of AI for business, and 

how procurement can often 

mean sourcing smarter. 

In line with the ethos 

of saving businesses time, 

hassle and money, Applegate 

reviewed a number 

of purchases by attendees, 

placing requests on its system 

to identify potential cost 

savings, which identified the 

£35,000 of cost savings. 

“All organisations are 

looking to achieve savings 

across their business,” said 

Stephen Roberts, chief executive 

of North Devon Hospice. 

“As a local charity, we have 

to ensure that every penny 

counts and can be used to 

support our care for patients. 

Through Applegate you are 

able to achieve efficiencies 

both in terms of time and 

costs across all aspects of your 

procurement activities.” 

In addition to keynote 

presentations spanning intelligence 

in apprenticeships, 

digital, Artificial Intelligence 

and procurement from Jack 

Richards (Applegate), Paula 

Byers (DigitalND) and Stuart 

Brocklehurst (Applegate), the 

event concluded with a Question 

and Answer session. 

The event at the Queen 

Anne’s Café in Barnstaple, 

was attended by organisations 

including North Devon 

Hospice, TDK-Lambda, Beran 

Instruments and Children’s 

Hospice South West. 

Stuart Brocklehurst, 

chief executive at Applegate, 

commented: “We are very 

pleased to have saved money 

for every organisation who 

raised a request for quotation. 

This event has proved highly 

successful for us in spreading 

the message of the importance 

of sourcing smartly and we 

hope that attendees found the 

afternoon useful.” 

■■Details 0345 600 7177 or 

applegate.co.uk 

Celebrating five years in business working with 300 

clients: Mark Worden, director of Mihi Digital 


NORTH DEVON 

A job in New York would be 

a dream come true for many 

people, so how does the Big 

Apple compare with North 

Devon? For Stacey Ferguson, 

who grew up in Woolacombe, 

working in New York was a 

fantastic experience, but the 

attraction of North Devon 

compelled her to return home. 

“You get a perspective on life 

and realise what’s important,” 

says Stacey. “This is what life is, 

not New York.” 

Stacey developed her career 

in the art sector in roles with 

Bonhams and Momart in 

London and for six years with 

Cadogan Tate in New York. 

Now she works remotely 

from Ilfracombe in business 

development for Articheck, a 

digital art condition report tool 

specially designed for galleries, 

museums, auction houses, art 

shippers, and conservators. 

Built on an app running 

on smart phones, tablets and 

PCs, Articheck enables users to 

create reports on the condition 

of paintings, paper art works, 

sculptures, antiques, books, 

photographs and other objects 

easily and quickly. It saves paper, 

saves time and eliminates many 

of the headaches of creating 

accurate, verifiable reports. 

Users create reports which 

record an item’s name, artist or 

From New York 

to Ilfracombe 

What is it that attracts business people to or back to North Devon? 

In this issue’s Magnetic North Devon feature editor Robert Zarywacz 

talks to Stacey Ferguson who returned to Ilfracombe from New York 

maker, creation date and other 

details, along with photographs 

which can be annotated. Information 

can be entered using 

dictation, typing, copied from a 

database or uploaded in bulk via 

Stacey Ferguson with Polly 

CSV files. Once uploaded to the 

web portal, each report is locked 

for editing to provide a legally 

verifiable audit trail. Updating 

details creates a new version of 

the report so that changes to 

the item can be recorded and 

assessed through comparisons 

with previous reports. 

Condition reports are 

essential in the art world for 

cataloguing, insurance, shipping 

and other purposes, and 

Stacey works by phone and 

email with clients across the 

world, from Hong Kong and 

Singapore to the USA. She also 

travels to London every week 

to attend events and art fairs 

and to meet colleagues. 

Stacey is grateful for her 

experience of working in 

New York, and loved the 

city’s 24-hour heartbeat, the 

opportunity to see and hear 

great music, and being part 

of the ex-pat Brit community, 

although she warns that everything 

there comes at a price. 

“I would encourage 

young people to explore, but 

remember what is back home. 

Remember the quality of life 

and simplicity here. This is 

really living.” 

Stacey now enjoys walking 

with her daughter and dog on 

Woolacombe beach before a 

day of connecting with clients 

in the UK and internationally. 

She is also a keen supporter of 

the arts in the South West and 

would like to see North Devon 

develop and attract more high 

profile artists and exhibitions. 

■■Details articheck.com 

What attracted your 

business to Magnetic 

North Devon? 

Share your story to 

news@business-action.co.uk 

business 

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Action in towns and villages 

across North Devon, although 

cannot guarantee you will 

receive a free copy. 

We are delighted that a 

number of businesses are 

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Please pop into any of the 

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The Square 

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mooplehog.co.uk 


BREWING 

Cheers! Brewery celebrates 

orders from across the UK 

It’s often said that what’s 

most important when starting 

a business is to choose 

something you enjoy doing. 

It’s no surprise then that the 

founders of GT Ales, Gary 

Jarvis and Toby Marsh, share a 

passion for beer. 

The two lifelong friends 

started the business six years 

ago, brewing 100 bottles 

a week in Gary’s garage. 

Following the instant demand 

for their beer, the business 

moved to its current premises 

in an ex-aircraft hangar on the 

old Chivenor airbase where 

they now brew 3,200 bottles 

every week. 

When asked what it is 

that customers like about GT 

Ales, Gary replies: “We use 

the world’s finest ingredients 

to produce unique products 

which are truly hand crafted. 

“We use local producers 

wherever possible, including 

local printers for labels and 

a local brewshop for certain 

materials. The malts we use 

are all grown in the UK, and 

we use hops grown in the UK 

as well as from all over the 

world, including New Zealand, 

USA and Europe. 

Cheers! (from left) Gary Jarvis and Toby Marsh of GT Ales 

“We have now been established 

for six years and last 

year were awarded CAMRA 

‘Brewery of the Year’ for North 

Devon out of 18 breweries 

from across the region. 

“We are continuing to grow, 

and are still run entirely by 

myself and Toby, hence the 

name. The brand is becoming 

more and more recognisable 

and demand is now being 

received from businesses 

further afield, and so GT Ales 

will be seen in various parts 

of the country, with a proud 

offering from a North Devon 

producer. 

“We currently supply 

around 50 pubs, local shops, 

restaurants and holiday parks 

in North Devon, as well as 

several locations in Exeter. We 

feature in various beer festivals 

nationwide and have just taken 

our first order from a distributor 

from the West Midlands.” 

GT Ales’ range of beers 

include Thirst of Many, Blonde 

Ambition, North Coast IPA, 

Dark Horse and Lazy 8 with 

small batches of its GT# Series 

produced throughout the year. 

■■Details 01271 267420 or 

gtales.co.uk 

Attract customer 

Attention! 

with your marketing, PR 

and communications 

Wills Property Trusts (in will) 

Children’s Trusts (in will) Funeral Plans 

Probate Lasting Powers of Attorney 

Wills: £70 Single / £105 Joint 

u business journalism u technical writing u 

u case studies u blogs & online content u 

u magazine production u campaigns u 

u events u project management u 

Call Robert Zarywacz on 

01271 879100 

25 years of business communication 

Z 

A 

R 

Y 

W 

C 

COMMUNICATE IN SPEECH, PRINT & ONLINE 

A 

Z 


IN THE HEADER HOT SEAT 

Jack Richards of Applegate 

1. What was your first job? 

I worked for a sports coaching 

company turned sports artist 

agency as an admin assistant 

from the age of 16. Bizarrely, 

I organised an office renovation 

in my first six months. I 

am still confused as to why I 

was trusted to do this . . . but it 

turned out okay. 

2. What is the best 

business advice you’ve 

ever received? 

‘Don’t do too much on your 

own’. I am a ‘yes’ person, and 

whilst that is great, I have had 

to admit that I am not the best 

at everything. What I have 

learnt is a business is filled with 

experts and it is always best 

to recognise that and use that 

knowledge to broaden my own 

understanding. 

3. What do you enjoy most 

about business? 

Positive conversations. In a 

world that can sometimes be 

just a bit gloomy, it is incredible 

how many positive conversations, 

cheery coffees and 

optimistic propositions I have 

shared. Going to work can be 

very refreshing. 

4. What technology could 

your business never be 

without? 

Artificial Intelligence. We lived 

without it, but it now makes our 

lives much easier and rather 

more exciting. We have two 

programmes running which 

have been set up through our 

partnership with the University 

of Exeter. As a technology business, 

PCs are rather important 

too, but significantly less 

glamorous than AI. 

Each issue we put a North Devon business personality in the hot 

seat and ask them 10 questions. This issue we asked Jack Richards, 

marketing communications executive at Applegate 

5. Describe your business 

management / style 

Our business is managed in 

such a way that is inclusive of 

employees at all levels. From 

apprentices to directors, all staff 

are made aware of decisions 

and the vision of the business 

– included in discussion and 

decision making along the way. 

6. How do you go about 

personal development? 

My personal development 

seems to be never ending. From 

a Degree Apprenticeship and 

working towards CMgr status 

to project management and 

external event attendance, it is 

safe to say I have a lot going on 

in terms of my professional and 

personal development. I think 

that Applegate strikes the right 

balance between providing 

support and giving me 

autonomy to jump into the deep 

end and just learn to swim. 

Applegate Marketplace offers 

‘Applegate’ – the eProcurement 

Marketplace which helps 

buyers source the products 

and services their organisation 

needs. While Applegate’s 

database provides information 

on millions of products 

and services from many 

thousands of companies – the 

60,000 registered buyers can 

simply fill out a request for 

quotation and obtain multiple 

quotes, from different 

suppliers, in line with best 

purchasing practices. 

7. Is there anything about 

yourself that you want to 

change? 

I think it’s quite important to 

learn to be happy with yourself. 

So, I’d quite like to be more 

like that. I always worry about 

underperforming or me not 

being the best I can be. 

8. Social media: yes or no? 

Preferred network? 

Yes, yes, YES! Not just as 

a digital marketer, but as a 

person too. I love the fact that 

on social media, I can see 

where my friends are and all 

the cool things they are up 

to. I’m a Londoner, so social 

media connects me to everything 

and everyone I know. 

LinkedIn is great for expanding 

my professional network, 

generating leads and keeping 

up to date with contemporaries. 

But, no preferred 

network – I like them all. 

9. How do you wind down 

when not working? 

Apart from drinking wine? Let 

me think. I do like to travel and 

visit new places, so winding 

down for me often involves 

heading off somewhere for 

some exploring. 

10. Do you have a motto or 

favourite quotation? 

No – I am not one of those 

people, I’m afraid. 

I’ve heard the phrase ‘Be 

More Jack’ float around of late, 

which I rather like. 

ABOUT APPLEGATE MARKETPLACE 

In partnership with the 

Institute of Data Science 

and Artificial Intelligence 

at the University of Exeter, 

the company now develops 

machine learning systems, 

continually enhancing the 

matching of suppliers to buyers’ 

requests – ensuring the 

best possible result for buyers. 

The company is a Strategic 

Partner of the US Department 

of Commerce International 

Trade Administration. 

■■Details 0345 600 7177 or 

applegate.co.uk 


Barefoot accountants: (from left) Mel Willis, Barbara Harris and Nicola Blong 

Shaking off the corporate accountancy image 

Barbara Harris of Cranford 

Business Services is one of a 

growing new breed of accountants 

– women, who dress 

casually and can tell a joke. 

She realised early on that 

many clients are scared by the 

fancy suits and plush offices 

and, as she wasn’t interested in 

the ‘corporate’ image, started 

her own business taking on 

other clients. 

“Originally, it was just for 

me and my husband Ian as 

money was tight and we could 

save by doing our own tax 

returns,” says Barbara. 

She quickly realised 

that there were other selfemployed 

people and those 

who owned a single rental 

property, for whom paying the 

bills was the priority but profit 

easily eaten away. 

“It’s also a matter of 

knowing your strengths and 

playing to them, letting others 

play to theirs. By keeping 

overheads low, we can pass 

this saving along to those 

smaller clients. Working 

for the occasional client in 

evenings and weekends from 

a home office while working 

full-time soon led to one parttime 

member of staff, then a 

move out of the house. Being 

self-employed, it can be difficult 

to switch off and if you’re 

not careful you find yourself 

living to work rather than the 

other way round. 

“So many people in North 

Devon / North Cornwall’s 

rural environs enter selfemployment 

because there 

is no real alternative, often 

doing more than one type 

of work – now colloquially 

referred to as ‘slashies’. 

“This is an area that could 

cause some problems for them 

in future years. HMRC rolled 

out their latest acronym MTD 

(Making Tax Digital), which 

finally went live in April. This 

leads to quarterly reporting 

of income and expenditure. 

Presently only for those who 

are above the VAT threshold 

of £85,000 turnover, the 

‘HMRC initiative that will 

revolutionise the UK tax 

system and ultimately bring 

an end to self-assessment’ has 

at least one flaw for those who 

need to keep costs low and 

that is the requirement for the 

majority of business owners to 

maintain digital records using 

compatible software. And this 

definitely has cost implications. 

There are systems 

available at lower costs to 

enable Excel to communicate 

to HMRC computers, but 

increasingly it costs to use 

Excel. And if you then have to 

send income and expenditure 

for each type of business you 

run, it’s not just the money 

but the additional time it 

takes in an already packed 

working week. 

“Is there an upside to this? 

Well, if you have to do this 

four times a year, then the 

actual tax return at the year 

end should be quicker. 

“From the point of view of 

the small accountant, there 

have already been changes 

and cost implications at Cranford. 

In the past few years, 

as we attracted new clients, 

we have tried to encourage 

them to let us have their 

paperwork every few months 

so it becomes a good habit. 

This quickly made us realise 

that storage space was going 

to be a headache. Although 

the volume of paperwork isn’t 

more, we still need to book it 

in and be able to work on it 

then get it back out to clients. 

Also, we needed more people 

to complete the work to meet 

the new deadlines.” 

To meet these demands 

Cranford has a new office and, 

shortly Barbara and her two 

existing colleagues will be 

joined by a third. Barbara also 

remains very conscious of the 

need to provide the service 

clients want at a cost they can 

still afford. 

“To keep costs down we 

have our office at the bottom 

of the garden rather than 

paying rent on offices in town 

and we meet up with clients 

at a time and place to suit 

them and stagger our opening 

hours to provide a value for 

money service. 

“We are now waiting to see 

how the new tax system will 

actually work in real time. 

RTi for payroll was introduced 

14 years ago, requiring 

employers to send an electronic 

return to HMRC every 

time they pay their staff, yet 

we still encounter instances 

where HMRC maintains that 

its system received different 

information from that which 

was sent, leading to investigations 

that can take months 

and considerable work to 

resolve.” 

So with changing times 

ahead for tax, is there anything 

that will stay the same? 

“Oh yes, as the temperature 

rises on those warm sunny 

days with gentle winds, you 

will still find us sitting up on 

the decking with the parasol 

up, sunscreen on and our 

sandals off . . . still practising 

barefoot accountancy.” 

■■Details 07896 204857 or 

accountsindevon.co.uk 


DESIGN 

Quality and detailed design 

One of the oldest clubs in 

golf, Muirfield in Scotland, has 

recently completed a major 

redevelopment. Part of the 

redevelopment process was the 

creation of the new Muirfield 

Room, which was carried out 

by Barnstaple-based Bobblehat. 

“This was tremendously 

exciting for us and is testament 

to our attention to detail and 

quality of workmanship,” says 

sales director John Courtney. 

“As the building dates 

back to 1891, every detail was 

scrutinised and signed off by 

their heritage committee who 

were great to work with.” 

This is the second major 

golf-based refit undertaken 

by Bobblehat, who two years 

ago designed and fitted out the 

Centurion Club pro-shop near 

St Albans. 

■■Details 01271 328003 or 

bobblehat.co 

Co-founder on UK jewellery power list 

Katie Nickell, co-founder and 

creative director of Barnstaple-based 

Kit Heath, has been 

named Brand Champion on 

Professional Jeweller’s Power 

List 2019. 

Professional Jeweller 

honours leaders across the UK 

jewellery trade and recognises 

Katie for bringing innovation 

back to the forefront of the 

business. The listing places 

Katie among prestigious business 

leaders from De Beers, 

Tiffany and Swarovski. 

This advert can be 

yours for 

£125 a year. 

Call 07970 671192 

Katie and brother Kit 

Heath founded the design 

partnership in 1984, taking 

inspiration from the beauty 

of their North Devon home 

and timeless British style. Kit 

had melted down the family 

candlesticks to create sterling 

silver jewellery that he sold 

to friends and family. He also 

sold to gift and jewellery shops 

from his VW camper van while 

Katie collaborated and led the 

creative side until both took 

non-executive roles in 2000. 

Professional Jewellery 

recognises Katie’s achievements 

since returning to the business 

full-time in 2014. This includes 

winning Fashion Jewellery 

Brand of the Year at the PJ 

Awards and, in 2018, moving 

away from a US distributor to 

dealing direct with US retailers. 

It says the firm is now doing 

well in a tough market and 

Katie has brought innovation 

back into the business. 

■■Details 01271 312029 or 

kitheath.com 


In his Blind Man Roy blog, Roy Imeson describes living with Retina Pigmentosa and his year of fund raising with his children: (from left) Ollie, Laura and Roy Imeson 

Blind Man Roy set to scale three peaks 

Eye tests are a routine for 

many of us, but for Roy 

Imeson of Ilfracombe they 

brought to light deterioration 

in his peripheral vision, leading 

to a diagnosis of Retina 

Pigmentosa (RP), which the 

RNIB defines as “a group of 

inherited eye conditions that 

affect the retina at the back of 

the eye” causing permanent 

changes to vision. 

The diagnosis came as a 

shock to Roy, who is a father, 

Exmoor Explorers Scout 

leader and strategic partnership 

adviser covering the 

Heart of the South West for 

the Construction Industry 

Training Board (CITB). 

“I was lost for reasons 

and worried about going 

forward and supporting my 

family,” says Roy. “I made a 

call to the RNIB helpline and 

was overwhelmed by all the 

support that followed. The 

help included a home visit 

from a couple of supportive 

people. After time, I received 

white cane training, support 

with finding further support 

such as a ‘Blue Badge’ and 

discounted bus journeys.” 

With support from his 

employer and the government’s 

Access to Work scheme, 

Roy continues to work across 

Devon and in London. Instead 

of driving himself, Roy is 

provided with a chauffeur 

through Access to Work, CITB 

and Ilfracombe and District 

Community Transport. 

“I couldn’t have asked for 

a better employer,” adds Roy. 

“They give me scope to be who 

I am and have provided me 

with high-tech tools.” 

These include a microphone 

designed to pick up 

Roy’s voice and cancel out 

background noise as well as 

dictation tools. 

With this support, Roy is 

working with as many small 

rural construction companies 

as possible to attract, train and 

retain new talent. 

“I’m still talking to people 

and giving presentations, 

although I don’t see the audience 

and am learning new 

skills to get feedback.” 

Remarkably, Roy is one of 

only two people registered 

blind in the UK construction 

industry and is working 

to improve access: “It has to 

increase. People need to be 

aware that deaf and blind 

people still need to work.” 

Roy is also working to 

increase awareness of RP and 

raise funds for the RNIB, 

which is funded solely by donations. 

In 2019, he and daughter 

Laura and son Ollie are taking 

part in a year of fund raising, 

which includes an expedition 

in July to scale the three 

highest peaks in the United 

Support Roy’s Go Fund Me campaign at 

gf.me/u/sxhxwz 

Kingdom – Ben Nevis, Scafell 

Pike and Snowdonia – plus 

walks along the Once Brewed 

section of Hadrian’s Wall and 

the English National Three 

Peaks in the Yorkshire Dales. 

Roy is very grateful to Ilfracombe 

and District Lions Club 

for offering to pay for fuel 

for the trip and he welcomes 

any further sponsorship or 

support for the expedition. 

He explains: “I also wish 

to promote mental wellbeing 

via my challenges and attitude 

towards life, and support 

other families with this rare 

genetic problem. There are 

some tough decisions and 

it can feel very frustrating 

and lonely. Please feel free to 

contact me to ask questions or 

offer support.” 

While RP has a major 

impact on his life, he is able 

to discuss it with humour and 

discusses how he manages the 

challenges in his Blind Man 

Roy blog. 

■■Details blindmanroy.com 

Call 01271 326694. 

info@boomboomedia.co.uk 

visit www.boomboommedia.co.uk 


North Devon Show – Wednesday 7th August 2019 

The North Devon Show is a 

celebration of all things rural. 

Our traditional, annual one 

day show has something for 

everyone. 

We have livestock classes 

– sheep, cattle, horses and 

ponies, and an open dog show, 

alongside pig and poultry 

exhibition marquees, sheep 

shearing demonstrations and 

NEW for 2019 – an education 

and petting area. 

In our horticultural 

marquee there will be floral 

art demonstrations and horticultural 

classes for everyone 

to enter. 

Demonstrations will take 

place all day in our countryside 

area: ferret racing, 

archery, fly casting, thatching, 

stone walling, charcoal 

display and many more – 

come and have a go at clayzer 

at no extra charge. 

There are 400 trade stands 

throughout the showground 

including a food hall, arcade, 

members mall, and crafts and 

gifts marquee. 

Our main ring and Tarka 

ring will offer you a wide 

range of attractions all day, 

with our vintage vehicles on 

display and parading our main 

ring. Don’t miss the fast and 

furious inter hunt relay. 

As well as our circus and 

fairground, we have introduced 

a music stage to the 

centre of our showground, 

which is NEW for 2019 with 

acts commencing at 10.00am. 

Our show opens at 8.00am 

and runs all day – please come 

and join us. 

E-tickets are available to 

purchase on our web site or via 

our advance ticket outlets or 

our gates on show day. 

■■northdevonshow.com 

Business Action is exhibiting at the North Devon Show 

Meet the publishers and editor of Business Action magazine and the organisers of BBxpo 

business 

ACTION 

business-action.co.uk | BBxpo.uk 

Need it 

Find it 

Visit us at the North Devon Show on the Need it Find it stand in the Arcade

Business Action | June / July 2019

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