Business Action | April / May 2021

usiness

ACTION

north enterprise

devon

growth

innovation

news & views

business-action.co.uk | April / May 2021 | @businessactionm

CONTENTS WELCOME HEADER

business

ACTION

BIGGEST EVER ISSUE

Packed!Wearedelightedthat

thisissueofBusinessAction–

thefirstsincethethird

lockdownendedandthebiggest

ever–ispackedwithcontent.

Whenthefirstlockdown

startedayearago,wehadno

ideawhetherbusinesseswould

survive,whetheradvertisers

wouldbeabletosupportus

andwhetherthemagazine

wouldsurvive.

Ayearlater,wearethrilled

withandgratefulforthe

supportfromouradvertisers,

awardssponsorsandsomany

otherlocalbusinesses.

Wearethrilledtoothatthisis

theseventhissuewe’vebrought

toyousinceMarch2020.

ADVERTISING

Alan Williams

Advertising, Distribution &

Publisher

t: 07970 671192

e: alan@business-action.co.uk

North Devon abuzz

Whilemanybusinesseshave

beenclosedduringthe

lockdownsandstillface

EDITORIAL

Robert Zarywacz

Editor, Designer & Publisher

t: 07971 176044

e: robertz@business-action.co.uk

@robertz

massivechallenges,thereare

alsomanywhoarethrivingor

workingflatouttoadaptto

changedcircumstances.

Enterprise in action

Articlesinsidediscussthe

resumptionofshipbuildingat

Appledore,thesuccessofthe

KickstartScheme,which

providesbothemployment

placementsforyoungpeople

andvaluableskillsfor

businesses,andthe

announcementofthefinalists

ofourNorthDevonBusiness

Awards2021.

Wealsotestdriveanelectric

MG,thankstoBlightsMotors,

whileourBusinessActivists

answerquestionsoncommon

businessissues.

Wehopeyouenjoythisissue

andinviteyoutosendusyour

businessnews.

Wills, Probate & Lasting

Powers of Attorney

Alan Williams

01271 860105 / 07970 671192

wills.athome@yahoo.com

wills-athome.co.uk

Day or evening appointments in

the comfort of your own home

Wills: £75 Single

£110 Joint

Web site | business-action.co.uk

Online version | business-action.uk

Vol 3 Issue 2 – April / May 2021 – distribution 2,000

Welcome................................................................................................................. ii

Staff to benefit from company acquisition.............................................. 1

Exmoor: Chef wins enterprise award......................................................... 1

Support: New enterprise centre launches first activity..................... 2

Support: Smart skills programme provides advice and training.... 2

Work experience: Businesses sought for Virtual Insight Days...... 3

Funeral directors celebrate 30 years.......................................................... 3

Building merchant raises £8K for air ambulances............................... 4

Business directory – find products and services................................ 5

Manufacturing: Training tower to support GB Olympic team......... 6

Manufacturing: Manufacturer supports community hub ............... 6

South Molton: Dazzling slow fashion brand .......................................... 7

Engineering: Shipbuilding restart .............................................................. 8

Lynton: We sell it because we love it......................................................... 10

Lynton: New owners welcome you to guest house............................. 11

Kickstart: Trust creates 40 job placements............................................ 12

Kickstart: Kickstarting jobs for young people....................................... 13

Kickstart: Accessible wellness live or virtually.................................... 14

Kickstart: Games dream turns into reality.............................................. 15

Business Activists: Your business questions answered ................ 16

Electric cars: Garage accredited to service electric cars................. 18

Electric cars: B&B leads way with car charging point....................... 18

Electric cars: Electric Avenue – The MG5 EV......................................... 19

Leisure: Entertainment for every occasion............................................. 20

Business Action Awards 2021...................................................................... 21

Business Action Awards 2021: Judges.................................................... 23

Business Action Awards 2021: Finalists.................................................. 24

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.

business action | April / May 2021 | business-action.co.uk

Staff to benefit from

company acquisition

RGB Building Supplieshas

beenacquiredbyGrant&

Stone,joiningthelargest

independentbuildersmerchant

groupinsouthernEngland.It

willcontinuetradingas

RGBBuildingSuppliesacross

Devon,Cornwalland

Somerset,withitsheadofficein

Barnstaple.Themajorityof

RGB’sboardofdirectorswill

notchangeandcurrentchief

executiveKevinFenlonwill

remainleadingthebusiness.

Customerswillcontinueto

receivethesamehighstandards

ofserviceandwillnotseeany

changeswhenvisitingtheir

localbranch.Theacquisition

willallowRGBtofurtheradd

toandimproveitsoffering.

The£2.5millionproceeds

fromthesalewillbeshared

withRGB’s350employeesas

arewardfortheir

commitment,longservice,

loyaltyandsupport.

RGBchairmanColinWorth,

whoisretiringafter54years

withthecompany,says:“The

directorsofRGBwantedto

acknowledgethemanyyearsof

hardworkanddetermination

ourcolleagueshaveputinto

helpinggrowRGBintooneof

theleadingbuildersmerchants

intheSouthWest.Thanksto

them,wehavebuiltfantastic

relationshipswithour

customers,whohaveandwill

continuetobuybuilding

materialsfromastrongand

regionalindependentbuilders

merchant.

“Weareextremelyproudof

theRGBteamandwantedtosay

thankyouforeverythingthey’ve

doneforthebusiness.Welook

forwardtogrowingthe

companywiththem.”

KevinFenlon,chief

executiveofficerofRGB,adds:

“Thispartnershipisexciting

andwilldelivergreat

things.RGBandGrant&

Stonearecompletelyaligned

inourambitionsforthe

companyandhowweachieve

them.Wealsohaveashared

approachtoproduct

excellenceandoutstanding

customerservice.”

RGB’sbranchesinclude

Barnstaple,Bideford,

Hatherleigh,Holsworthy,

Ilfracombe,SouthMolton,

TivertonandWellington.

■ Detailsrgbltd.co.uk

Establishedin1987,Grant&

StoneGroupisanindependent

suppliertothebuilding,

plumbingandelectricaltrades.

ItsheadquartersareinHigh

Wycombeandithas44

branchesacrossLondonand

theSouthWest.In2020,it

achievedrevenuesof£140m.

■ Detailsgrantandstone.co.uk

RGB Building Supplies’ Hatherleigh branch

THIS NEWS ISSUE

Chef wins enterprise award

CarolineWestcott,aqualified

freelanceprivatechefwhose

familyhavebeenfarmingon

Exmoorforover500years,

haswontheExmoorSociety’s

PinnacleAward2021.The

awardprovides£5,000tothe

winnertoinvestin,ordevelop,

agoodbusinessproposal.

Carolinesays:“WhenI

heardIhadwontheaward,I

wasabsolutelythrilledand

gratefultotheExmoorSociety

forenablingmetodevelopmy

newbusiness.”

In2018,Carolinebegan

trainingattheAshburtonChef

Academy,Dartmoortoacquire

theskillssheneededtolaunch

anewcareerincatering.This

training gaveherthe

confidencetoprepareand

servefoodataprofessional

level.Throughthewinter

months,sheearnedaliving

cookingforgunsatlocalshoots

andtherestoftheyearworking

forprivateclientsemploying

peopleonanadhocbasis.

Coronavirushashadahuge

impactonCaroline’snew

businessandherideaisto

becomemoreflexibleby

acquiringarefrigeratedtrailer

enablinghertocaterforlarger

numbers,especiallyatoutdoor

events,andtofurtherdevelop

herbrand,publicityandrange

ofeclecticmenus.

■ Details07866599535

@businessactionm | April / May 2021 | business action 1

SUPPORT

New enterprise centre

launches first activity

The Node Enterprise Centre

inBarnstaplelauncheditsfirst

start-upactivityinMarchin

theformofaStartupClub

runninguntilMay.Thefullyfunded,after-hourssupport

programmeaimstohelpNorth

Devonresidentstostartand

growabusiness.Initiallyheld

online,StartupClubgiveslocal

peoplethinkingofstarting

theirownbusinessorlooking

toturntheirpassionintoa

careerresourcestheyneedto

setupandbegintrading,

includingweeklyexpert-led

workshopsandsupport.

Theeight-weekprogramme

includesworkshopswhere

individualscanlearneverything

theyneedtotransformanidea

intoanenterprise,from

creatingabusinessand

marketingplan,throughto

identifyingcustomersand

buildingabrand.

ConstructionoftheNode

buildingonRoundswell

EnterpriseParkwascompleted

inJanuaryandhasspacefor35

smallandmediumoffices,acoworkingspaceforupto50

peopleandanumberofmeeting

rooms.Itaimstoboostthelocal

economyandcreatejobsin

TorridgeandNorthDevonby

supportingpotentialhighgrowthandstart-upbusinesses.

StartupClubisrunbythe

operatorsofNode,TownSq,

whichalsooperatehubsin

Wrexham,West-Sussex,

OxfordshireandDenbighshire.

JulianDymond,community

managerattheNodeEnterprise

Centre,saystheright

environmentofsupportwas

keyforanyonethinkingabout

launchingabusiness:“For

some,theideaofstartinga

businesscanbedaunting.The

thoughtofhavingtogiveup

theirdayjobandtaketherisk

ofstartingfromscratch,

worryingabouthowtopaybills

whilebuilding.Thetruthisthat

mostbusinessesdon’tbeginon

agamble.Theyareside-projects

orideasthatarefosteredgently

untiltheyareinapositiontobe

workedonfull-time.

“However,itcanbedifficult

toknowjustwheretostart.The

StartupClubprogrammewill

giveindividualseverything

theyneedtoturntheiridea

intoanactualbusiness,and

they’llbepartofacommunity

ofpeopleonthesamejourney,

solvingproblemstogether.

Fromthebusinessplanand

legalstuff,righttheway

throughtomarketingandsales.

Itwillbedeliveredbyother

businessownerswhohavebeen

thereanddoneitthemselves

andunderstandthechallenges

weallfaceinourpersonaland

professionallives.

“We’dencourageanyone

consideringsettinguptheir

ownbusiness,orwhojusthas

anideatheywouldliketo

develop,togetintouchandsee

howourStartupClub

programmecanhelpthem.”

CouncillorRufusGilbert,

DevonCountyCouncilCabinet

memberforEconomyand

Skills,said:“ThisStartupClub

isthetypeofprogrammethat

willaddrealvaluetotheNode

EnterpriseCentreandthisis

exactlywhyTownSqhasbeen

broughtonboard.

“Startingabusinesscanbea

hugestep,buttheexperienced

teamatNodecantakeyou

throughtheprocess,onesmall

stepatatimetoequipyou

witheverythingyouneedto

know.Thisinitiativewillalso

helpfosterasupportive

communityatNodethatwill

enablestart-upsattosurvive

andthrive.”

TheNodeEnterpriseCentre

isfundedbyDevonCounty

Council,theHeartoftheSouth

WestLocalEnterprise

PartnershipandEuropean

RegionalDevelopmentFund.

Smart skills programme provides advice and training

TheSMARTSKILLSHub,

managedbyCSW,aimstohelp

Devon-basedsmalland

mediumbusinessesandother

organisationstoidentifyskills

gapsintheirexisting

workforceandprovidethe

trainingtheyneedtobecome

moreresilientforthefuture.

Theprogrammeisthe

resultofa£3.5millionbidto

theEuropeanSocialFund,led

byPlymouthCityCouncil,to

establishaskillsdelivery

partnershipwitharangeof

qualitytrainingandskills

providersacrossDevon.

SMARTSKILLSpartners

include:CityCollege

Plymouth,SouthDevon

College,Petroc,Focus

Training,UniversityofExeter

andLearnDevon.

SMARTSKILLSsupport

coversalllevelsfrom

introductorythroughto

leadershipandmanagement.

Anybusinesscanaccess

The new Node Enterprise Centre in Barnstaple

services,buttherewillbea

particularfocusonadvanced

manufacturingand

engineering,digital

technologies(includingAI

anddataanalysis),marine,

composite,environmental

futures,cleangrowthand

renewables,construction,

hospitalityandSTEMsectors.

TheSMARTSKILLSservice

offersinformation,adviceand

guidancetomatch

opportunitiestopathwaysinto

education,training,

apprenticeships,employment,

workexperience,volunteering

andself-employment.

SMARTSKILLSHub

advisersareavailabletoguide

businessesthroughavailable

skillsandtrainingoptions

andtolinkthemwithrelevant

trainingproviders.

■0800975511(Option6)or

cswgroup.co.uk/home/

employers-and-adults/smartskills-hub/

2 business action | April / May 2021 | business-action.co.uk

Businesses sought to host

school Virtual Insight Days

The Heart of the South West

Careers Hubisseeking

businesseswhocanhosta

VirtualInsightsessionabout

theirbusinessandindustry

foryoungpeopleduringJuly.

Coronavirushasprevented

workexperienceoverthepast

yearsothatyoungpeopleat

schoolorcollegehavemissed

outonvaluablecontactwith

industrywhichtheyneedto

helpformtheiropinionson

futurecareers.

DeliveringaVirtualInsight

Dayenablesabusinessto

reachalargenumberof

potentialfutureemployees

usingminimumresources.The

eventsdemystifyanindustry,

shareinspiringcareerpaths,

andprovideapersonal

introductiontothehost

companyorbrand.

Businessescanchoosethe

lengthoftheirevent,ranging

fromawholeorhalfdaytoa

shortsessionofseveralhours.

NEWS

New managers at country house hotel

Funeral directors celebrate 30 years

Funeral directorsDavidand

JennyWilliamsarecelebrating

30yearsservingtheNorth

Devoncommunity.

StartinginAppledoreat

ChantersHouse,Hubbastone

Roadin1991,ADWilliams

openedasecondofficeonThe

Pill,Bideford,followedin

2000bypremisesin

Ilfracombe,theninNortham

in2015andBidefordin2018.

Thecompany’seye-catching

yellowlogo,designedby

IlfracombeartistEmma

Haines,isattheheartofthe

firm’sethos.Thebutterflyhas

longbeenrecognisedasa

metaphorforthesoul’s

spiritualjourney,teachingus

toenjoythepresentandmake

themostofourtimehereon

Earth.Theyalsoremindus

thatdeathisjustanother

transformation.

Davidsaysthatgrowingup

andworkinginAppledore,

workingattheshipyardand

beingamaincontributorto

thecommunityisvery

importanttohim.

Theaimistofillthewhole

ofJulywithVirtualInsight

Daysorsessionshostedbya

varietyofemployersfrom

manydifferentsectors.

Theseeventsareoften

attendedbyyoungpeoplewho

haveneverconsideredacareer

inaspecificindustrybefore.

Thisopensupaworldof

potentialforthemand

introducesanumberof

interestedpotentialfuture

employeestobusinesses.

■ Fordetails,contactToni

Oatway,enterprisecoordinator,at

toni.oatway@devon.gov.uk

Virtual Careers Fair

TheHeartoftheSouthWest

CareersHubisalsohostingits

VirtualCareersFairon27,28

and29April.Thiseventis

aimedatYears7to13.

■ Employerslookingtotake

partcanfinddetailsat

learnbydesign.online/which-way

David and Jenny Williams of AD Williams. Photo: Raymond Goldsmith

“Istartedmyworklifeasan

apprenticeelectricianbefore

goingtoseaandthenstarting

workattheshipyard.Itwasin

itsheydaywiththeyard

building16shipsayear,butby

thetimeIlefttheyweretaking

ayeartobuildone,soItook

voluntaryredundancy.

“Previoustothat,two

shipyardcolleagueshaddied

andIattendedtheirfunerals.

Watchingtheproceedingstold

Trimstone ManorCountry

HouseHotelandCottageswill

openupfor2021withnew

managersrecruitedbyowners

PhilipandHelenMilton.

AndrewandCaroleBussey

bringtheirsignificant

hospitalityexpertisetomanage

alloperationsatTrimstone,

includingthereopeningofthe

TymeRestaurantforevening

mealsandforgroups,parties,

non-residentsandguests.

Afull-time,qualified

methatIcoulddothejob,soI

movedintothebusinessand

hereweare30yearslater.

Providingthisserviceenables

youtomeetallsortsofpeople.

ItisaverysatisfyingjobandI

loveit.IonlywishI’d

discovereditasaschoolleaver.

“Asacompany,weare

dedicatedtoserveour

familiesattheirtimeofneed

whentheytrustustogive

theirlovedonetheservice

Albert the peacock at Trimstone Manor Country Hotel

propertyprojectsmanageralso

joinstheteamtocontinuethe

ongoingrestorationofthe

buildings,someofwhichareat

least3-400yearsold.Recent

improvementsincludeanew

fountaininthepoolarea,

renewedroofingandwindows.

Thehotelalsoadvertisesthe

fastestholidayaccommodation

wifiintheareawith300Mbps

downloadspeeds.

■ Details01271862841or

trimstone.co.uk

theydeserve.Beingafamilyrun,independentfuneral

directorsmeanswecanadapt

ourservicestotheneedsof

thefamily.

“Weareluckytohavesuch

awonderfulteamhelpingour

companytogrow.Withmyself

asthemainfuneraldirector,

thecompanyissupportedin

theIlfracombeareabyJack

Gallagher,whogrewupandis

wellknownandrespectedin

thearea.

“LynseyWheatleyworksfor

usfromtheNorthamoffice,

whereshegrewup,andiswell

knownforherwarmth,

compassionandknowledge.

AbigailWilliamsandTerri

Doodsonworkalongsidethe

teamtoeasethepressuresof

organisingafuneral.

“We’vebeenherefor30

yearsandlookforwardto

another30yearsofserving

thewonderfulpeopleof

NorthDevon.Ihavenoplans

toretire.”

■ Details0127186633or

adwilliams.co.uk

@businessactionm | April / May 2021 | business action 3

COMMUNITY NEWS

Building merchant raises £8K for

RGB Building Supplieshas

raised£8,400forDevonAir

AmbulanceandCornwallAir

AmbulanceTrustoverthepast

12months.

RGBreportsthatthe

supportithasreceivedforits

fundraisingeffortswas

overwhelmingdespitethe

impactofCoronavirusonits

branchoperations.

Themoneywasraisedfrom

acombinationofthesaleof

RGB’s‘Lovewhereyoulive’

charitycalendar,donationsto

itsbranchesandthesaleof

promotional‘bulkbags’.The

bagsareusedtocarrylarge

quantitiesofaggregates,suchas

sand,crushedstoneandgravel,

andRGBhadpledgedto

donate25pfromthesaleof

bagsthatcarriedthecharities’

logos–13,600bagsweresold

inthe12-monthperiod.

Chosen charities

Sinceselectingthetwoair

ambulancecharitiesaspartners

in2019,RGBhasraisedmore

than£14,000tohelpsupport

theservicesbothgivetopeople

acrossthetwocounties.

TracyOwen,business

supportengagementofficerat

DevonAirAmbulance,says:

“Wearesogratefulto

everyoneatRGBfortheir

continuedfundraisingefforts

throughoutthepastyear.

Despitethechallengesthey

facedduringthepandemic,

theyhaveremainedcommitted

supportersofDevonAir

Ambulanceandhaveraisedan

amazingamountofmoney.

“Wewouldalsoliketo

thankthosepeoplewhoeither

purchasedbulkbagsfrom

RGBoroneofthe‘Lovewhere

air ambulances

Jenny Naylor, HR director at RGB Building Supplies

youlive’charitycalendars.

Theircontributionhasmadea

hugedifferencetothe

fundraisingtotalandthe

serviceweprovide.”

VioletMcKenzie-Pegg,

branchmanageratRGB

Bideford,adds:“Wewouldlike

tothankallourcustomers,staff

andthelocalcommunityfor

supportingourfundraising

activitiesforDevonAir

AmbulanceandCornwallAir

AmbulanceTrust.It’sonlywith

theirhelpthatwe’vebeenable

toraiseasmuchaswehave

thesepast12months.”

Charity Calendar

ThreephotosofNorthDevon

scenesfeaturedinRGB’s‘Love

WhereYouLive’2021calendar.

AfterRGBaskedSouthWest

residentstosubmitphotographscelebratingtheregion,

photosofHuntshawWoods

andWelcombeMouthBeach

takenbyAndyDavey,and

ValleyoftheRockstakenby

WilliamGreatrexwereselected

forthecalendar.Andyand

Williameachreceiveda£100

vouchertospendattheirlocal

RGBbranch.

RGB’sVioletMcKenzie-Pegg

says:“Wereceivedover60

entries,whichallhighlighted

whatanamazingpartofthe

countrywelivein,soitwas

extremelydifficulttonarrowit

downtojust12.

“CongratulationstoAndy

andWilliamforhavingtheir

photoschosen–theyare

stunning.”

■ Detailsrgbltd.co.uk

4 business action | April / May 2021 | business-action.co.uk

DIRECTORY

ACCOUNTANTS

Cranford Business Services

Bideford

t: 01237 488077

w: accountsindevon.co.uk

Gareth Pollard Accountancy Services

Holsworthy

t: 01409 254817

w: garethpollardaccountancy

services.com

ANTIQUE MAPS & CHARTS

Old Folding Maps

South Molton

t: 01769 573935

w: foldingmaps.co.uk

ARCHITECTS

Sam Nolan RIBA Architect

North Devon & UK

t: 01271 325 236

w: northdevonarchitects.com

BRANDING & DESIGN

Boom Boom Media

Barnstaple

t: 01271 326694

w: boomboommedia.co.uk

BrandLanterns

Barnstaple

t: 01271 372620

w: brandlanterns.co.uk

BREWERY

Combe Brewing Company

Ilfracombe

t: 07973 488409

w: facebook.com/

CombeBrewingCompany

GT Ales

Chivenor

t: 01271 267420

w: gtales.co.uk

BUILDING SUPPLIES

Heritage Cob and Lime

Bideford

t: 01237 477431

w: heritagecobandlime.com

RGB Building Supplies

Branches in Barnstaple, Bideford,

Hatherleigh, Holsworthy,

Ilfracombe, Okehampton, South

Molton, Tiverton

w: rgbltd.co.uk

BUSINESS ADVISORS

Pound Lane Financial Management

North Devon

t: 07801 199671

w: poundlane.co.uk

BUSINESS SUPPORT

Be Ready Employer Hub

Devon

t: 01392 241124

w: readydevon.org.uk

CAR SALES & SERVICING

Blights Motors

Bideford

t: 01237 472282

w: blightsmotors.co.uk

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY

James Doble Commercial

North Devon

t: 01237 424053

w: jd-commercial.co.uk

CONSTRUCTION

Advanced Scaffolding

Barnstaple

t: 01271 321100

w: advancedscaffoldingltd.co.uk

COPIERS & PRINTERS

Clarity Copiers North Devon

Barnstaple & North Devon

t: 01271 374061

w: claritynorthdevon.co.uk

COPYWRITING & MARKETING

Zarywacz

North Devon & UK

t: 01271 879100

w: z2z.com

COUNSELLING & PSYCHOTHERAPY

Devon Coounselling Training

Barnstaple

t: 07522 841009

w: devoncounsellingtraining.co.uk

North Devon Counselling

Barnstaple

t: 07872 501606

w: northdevoncounselling.co.uk

DINING

Terrace Tapas & Wine Bar

Ilfracombe

t: 01271 863482

w: terracetapasbar.co.uk

The Royal George

Appledore

t: 01237 424 138

w: trgpub.co.uk

FINANCIAL ADVISERS

D Scott Financial

Bideford

t: 01237 426450

w: dscottfinancial.co.uk

Philip J Milton & Co Plc

Barnstaple

t: 01271 344300

w: miltonpj.net

GARDENING & LANDSCAPING

AB SEA Services

Torrington

t: 07799 478318

w: abseaservices.com

HEALTH & SAFETY

Safety Supplies Direct

Barnstaple

t: 01271 377558

w: safetysuppliesdirect.co.uk

HOLIDAY COTTAGES

Marsdens Devon Cottages

North Devon

t: 01271 813777

w: marsdens.co.uk

HOTELS

The Carlton

Ilfracombe

t: 01271 862446

w: ilfracombecarlton.co.uk

HUMAN RESOURCES

Fitzgerald HR

Barnstaple, Exeter, London &

Wellington

t: 01271 859267

w: fitzgeraldhr.co.uk

INSURANCE

Together Insurance Solutions

Barnstaple

t: 01271 347147

w: togetherinsurancesolutions.co.uk

INTERNATIONAL TRADE SUPPORT

International Trade Matters Ltd

Bampton

t: 01398 332881

w: internationaltradematters.com

IT & TELECOMS

Integra

North Devon

t: 01271 555 666

w: integra.im

JOINERY & CARPENTRY

Bespoke Timber Joinery &

Carpentry

Barnstaple

t: 01271 603411

w: bespoketimberjc.co.uk

LOCKSMITHS

MJS Locksmith

Bideford

t: 07532 139388

w: northdevonlocksmith.co.uk

SW Locksmiths

Holsworthy / Bude

t: 01409 255533

w: swlocksmiths.com

MANUFACTURERS

The Clovelly Soap Company

Clovelly

t: 01237 432280

w: theclovellysoapcompany.com

Smart Manufacturing

Bideford

t: 01237 471977

w: smart-manufacturing.co.uk

MASSAGE & BEAUTY

Essential Bodyworkx

South Molton

t: 01769 574474

w: essentialbodyworkx.co.uk

NETWORKING GROUPS

Business Networking in Barnstaple

Barnstaple

t: 0843 289 1339

w: bnibarnstaple.co.uk

Devon Partnerships

Devon

t: 07393 149855

w: devonpartnerships.co.uk

North Devon Networking Group

Barnstaple

w: northdevonnetworking.co.uk

Rise

Barnstaple

e: martin@duchyifa.co.uk

Torridge Business Network

Westward Ho!

w: torridgebusinessnetwork.co.uk

OFFICE SUPPLIES

South West Office Supplies

North Devon

t: 01271 889337

w: swofficesupplies.co.uk

PACKAGING

Atlas Packaging

Barnstaple

t: 01271 344055

w: atlaspackaging.co.uk

PHOTOGRAPHY

Tarkatography

Westward Ho!

t: 07977 414798

w: tarkatography.co.uk

➤ Listinginsixissuesof

magazinewithbusiness

nameandcategory,phone

number,websiteandtown.

➤ 12-monthonlinelistingat

needitfindit.ukNorth

PRINTING

Jamaica Press

Buckland Brewer

t: 01237 452333

w: jamaicapress.co.uk

RECRUITMENT

Cooper Golding

Barnstaple

t: 01271 349745

w: coopergolding.co.uk

Simple Recruitment

Bideford

t: 01237 439500

w: simplerecruitmentltd.co.uk

RETAILERS

Darlings Natural Health

Ilfracombe

t: 01271 867775

w: darlingsnaturalhealth.com

Ilfracombe Chocolate Emporium

Ilfracombe

t: 01271 867193

w: ilfracombechocolateemporium.co.uk

SHEDS

SHEDS 4 you

Bideford

t: 01237 459193

w: sheds4you.co.uk

SIGNS

Doubleuprint

Barnstaple

t: 01271 268 041 / 07866 420436

w: doubleuprint.co.uk

The Sign Maker

High Bickington

t: 01769 561355

w: sign-maker.net

SOLICITORS

Slee Blackwell Solicitors

Barnstaple, Bideford, Braunton,

South Molton

t: 0808 139 1606

w: sleeblackwell.co.uk

SPORTS EQUIPMENT

Aramis Rugby

South Molton

t: 01769 550284

w: aramisrugby.co.uk

TRAVEL AGENTS

Clare Flint – Travel Counsellors

North Devon & UK

t: 01271 828990

w: travelcounsellors.co.uk/clare.flint

WEB SITES

Peak Online

Bideford

t: 01237 721256

w: northdevon.peak-online.uk.com

WILLS

Wills at Home

West Yelland

t: 01271 860105

w: wills-athome.co.uk

BOOK YOUR £30 LISTING NOW AT needitfindit.uk

DevonBusinessDirectory

withbusinessnameand

category,logo,phone

number,addressandlinks.

➤ 6issuesofmagazinemailed

directtoyourUKaddress.

@businessactionm | April / May 2021 | business action 5

MANUFACTURING

North Devon training tower

to support GB Olympic team

The TX3 Total Training Tower,

design-engineeredand

manufacturedbyBarnstaplebasedDymondEngineering,

hasreceivedtheOlympicSeal

ofApprovalfromTeamGBand

willbeusedattheGBOlympic

andParalympictrainingvillage

forthisyear’sTokyoGames.

Dymonddevelopedthe

towerafteranapproachfrom

GBparacanoeathleteJack

EyersinMarch2020,afterhe

wasdauntedbytheclosureof

gymsandnotbeingableto

train.Withhissightssetonthe

Tokyo2020ParalympicGames,

Jackknewthatanytraining

timelostwouldhaveaserious

impactonhisperformanceasa

sprintcanoeist.Onalimited

budgetandwithlimitedspace

inhisflat,itwasonlywhenhe

beganworkingwithDymond

todevelopacustomsquatrack

builttoanelitestandardthata

solutionbecameavailable.

DymondaskedJacktolist

allhisrequirements,which

requiredtherackto:bestrong,

sturdyandrobust;beratedfor

loadsupto300kg;fitintoand

beuseablewithinastandard

sizebedroom;befreestanding;

haveenoughheadspaceto

enablepull-ups;andbemore

affordablethanexistingelite

standardequipmentavailable.

Dymondsetaboutdesignengineeringaracktomeet

theserequirements,involving

Jackateverystage.Iteven

testedtherackwithcrane

weightsupto500kg,witnessed

andverifiedbyagymowner.

TheresultingTotalTraining

Towermetalltherequirements

sosuccessfullythatDymond

hassetupajointventurewith

JacktomarkettheTX3toa

widermarketbase.Dymond

hasalsodevelopedanXL

versionforlargerpremisesand

gyms,andisdesigning

accessories,includingan

optionaldipsbar.

■ Details01271372662or

totaltrainingtower.co.uk

Manufacturer supports community hub

TDK-Lambdahasdonated

£2,000towardsequippingand

runningTheEarthRepair

Shopcommunitycentrein

Ilfracombe.Thecommunity

hubwasrecentlysetupinthe

towntoprovideinformation,

adviceandsupportfor

helpingresidentslower

carbonemissions,reduce

wastelevels,saveon

householdcostsandadaptto

climatechanges.

AlanDykes,financial

director,TDK-LambdaEMEA

said:“Sincemovingto

Ilfracombemorethan50years

ago,wehavebecomea

cornerstoneofthecommunity,

supportinginitiativessuchas

these.Wehaveastrongfocus

onsustainabilityand

continuouslystrivetoreduce

theimpactofouroperation.

Workingtogether,wecan

ensuretheseinitiatives

percolatefurtherintoour

community.”

■ Details01271856600or

emea.lambda.tdk.com/uk/

(from left) Alan Dykes, financial director, TDK-Lambda EMEA, Jamie

Woodger, cleaning and recycling shift leader, TDK-Lambda,

Councillor Netti Pearson, Sophia Henri, project manager, Earth Repair Shop

6 business action | April / May 2021 | business-action.co.uk

RETAIL

Two young North Devon womenhaveteameduptolaunchadazzlingnewslow

fashionbrand:dizzydaze.

23-year-oldfashiongraduatesEmilyBaglowandWhitneyStonemanstudied

togetheratPetrocbeforeEmilytookherBA(Hons)degreeinFashionandTextile

Design,specialisinginknitwearforfashion,atWinchesterSchoolofArt,while

WhitneystudiedforherBA(Hons)inFashionDesign,focusingoncommercialand

conceptualdesign,pattern-cuttinganddrape,atBathSpaUniversity.

Thepairtookuppart-timeworkafterreturningtoNorthDevonandmetupin

March2020todiscovertheybothhadsimilarambitions.Thisledthemtolaunch

dizzydaze,anewfashionbrandbuiltonsolidprinciples,basedinSouthMolton.

Slow, sustainable and bespoke

Slowfashionisattheheartofdizzydaze’sethos.Allgarmentsarehandmade

toordersothatthereisnowastefromunsoldmass-producedcollections.

Aswellasofferingstandardsizes,dizzydazeoffersabespokemade-tomeasureservicetoensuregarmentsfitacustomerperfectly.

EmilyandWhitneyarealsocommittedtosourcingmaterialsina

responsibleyetcost-effectivewaytominimiseenvironmentalimpact.

Theyhaveadoptedtheseprinciplesinordertoturnthethrowawaycultureof‘fastfashion’onitsheadbyoffering

longlasting,highqualitygarmentswithcollectionsconsistingof

diversestatementpieceswhichcanbeeasilystyledand

combinedwithitemscustomersalreadyown.

Launched in lockdown

EmilyandWhitneyusedtheirtimeduringlockdowns

tobuilddizzydazefromscratch,includingtheir

branding,websiteandfirstcorecollection,

‘Unfazed’.Thisisaselectionofrelaxedknitsand

casualdesign,alongsideboldprintandcolour,to

createaversatilecombinationofmatchingsets

andsingularstatementpiecestobrightena

customer’swardrobe.

UnfazedlaunchedinMarch2021andEmily

andWhitneysaytheyhavehadabigger

responsethantheythoughttheywouldget,

withordersfromasfarawayasIrelandand

Singapore.

Trusted and unique

EmilyandWhitneyaimtorebuild

publictrustinthefashionindustry

throughdizzydazeandlovethe

ideaofbringingsomething

differenttoNorthDevon.

◼Details07470306027or

dizzydaze.co.uk

Dazzling

slow

fashion

brand

@businessactionm Models showcase dizzydaze’s | April / Unfazed May 2021 slow| fashion business core action collection

ENGINEERING

Shipbuilding restart

Appledore Shipyardisamajor

NorthDevonlandmarkandits

returntooperationssignalsa

massivevoteofconfidencein

thearea’sengineeringand

commercialcapabilities.

Harland&Wolffhaswasted

notimeinreconstructingand

rebuildingtheshipyardsince

acquiringitin2020.This

includesremovingandcarrying

outsubstantialsteelworkon

themaindockgates,which

chiefexecutiveJohnWoodsays

havenotbeentakenoutsince

theyardwasbuilt.

Stability and continuity

Havingseentheshipyardclose

in2019,it’sunderstandablethat

somepeopleinNorthDevon

mighthaveconcernsaboutthe

securityoftheyard’sfuture.

Whilelittleisguaranteedin

anybusiness,JohnWoodsays

Harland&Wolffiscommitted

The news that Harland & Wolff has restarted operations at its

Appledore shipyard is particularly welcome in such challenging

times. As well as taking on experienced employees, the company is

also launching its apprenticeship programme, offering skills

development across many functions. To catch up with all its news,

editor Robert Zarywacz chatted with John Wood, chief executive

officer of Harland & Wolff

tobringingmorestabilityand

continuity,whichisespecially

importantforprovidingmore

jobsecurity.

“Weareoverwhelmedbythe

interestinAppledore,from

boththeUKand

internationally,”saysJohn.“The

yardhasareputationfor

deliveringhigh-classprojects.”

Johnaddsthattimeand

timeagain,ownersfrom

aroundtheworldmentionthe

qualityoftheworkthatcomes

outofNorthDevon,withsome

sayingthatthey’rethebestbuilt

shipsthey’vehadintheirfleet.

Evenbeforetheyard

accepteditsfirstvesselsfor

refits,Harland&Wolffwas

impressedbyAppledore.

“We’rereallypleasedwith

thepositive,can-doattitude.”

Shipbuilding renaissance

Appledoremarkeditsreturnto

businessinMarchbyaccepting

itsfirsttwovesselsforrefitsin

itssmallerNewquayyard:a

fishingvesselandabarge.

Whilethesearemodest

projects,Harland&Wolffis

focusedonsecuringfabrication

worksuitableforthelarger,

119-metre-longcovered

drydock.Previously,Appledore

constructedelementsofthe

twoQueenElizabethclass

The reinstallation of one of the newly refurbished dock gates at Harland & Wolff (Appledore)

aircraftcarriersandbuilttwo

Róisínclasspatrolboatsforthe

IrishNavalService.Oncemore,

itsfacilitiesareavailableto

participateinsimilarprojects.

Johnpointsoutthat

Appledoreissuitablefor

handlingsmallervessels,which

complementsthecapabilitiesof

thecompany’smuchlarger

Belfastyard.Itfurther

increaseditscapabilities,

especiallyforrenewable,oil

andgas,anddefenceprojects,

wheninFebruaryitacquired

twositesinScotland:Methilon

theeastcoastandArnishon

thewestcoast.

“JoinAppledore,Belfastand

Scotlandtogetherandwecan

competewithanyone,”

commentsJohn.

Winning business

Havingestablishedsucha

formidablemaritimeand

offshoreengineeringcapability,

Harland&Wolff’sstrategyisto

developitsbusinessinsix

sectorsacrossfivemarkets.

Itisfocusingonproviding

technicalservices,fabrication

andconstruction,repairand

maintenance,in-service

support,conversionand

decommissioningtotheoiland

gas,defence,cruiseandferry,

commercialandrenewables

industries.Witharefreshofthe

Government’sNational

ShipbuildingStrategynowin

progressandduetobe

publishedintheautumn,

opportunitiesinshipbuilding

areexpectedtoincrease.The

originalstrategywasfocused

onnavalshipbuildingalone,

butSecretaryofStatefor

8 business action | April / May 2021 | business-action.co.uk

NEWHEADER

BUSINESSES

Defenceand‘Shipbuilding

Tzar’BenWallacehasstated

thishasnowbeenbroadened

fromnavalandcommercial

shipbuildingtosystemsand

subsystems.

Growing engineering skills

Whiletheincreasein

opportunitiesisgoodnews,

Appledoreneedstomaintain

anddevelopaskilledworkforce

ifitistocompetewithyards

bothintheUKandabroad.

JohnWoodbeganhiscareer

intheMerchantNavyasan

engineerontheSSCanberra,

builtbyHarland&Wolffin

Belfast.Thiswasfollowedby

extensiveinternational

maritimeandoffshore

engineeringexperience,giving

Johnadetailedunderstanding

oftheindustryanditsneeds.

Hebelievesthatolder,

traditionalshipbuildingskills

arepassedfromonegeneration

tothenextandthattheUK

needstotakeactionduringthe

nextfiveyearstoavoidlosing

Fishing boat ‘Barbara B’ is one of the first two vessels Harland & Wolff has welcomed for refits at Harland & Wolff (Appledore)

thesekeyskills.Healso

understandsthatalotofthe

previousAppledoreworkforce

arelocalpeopleandthatmany

arelookingtoreturn.

Apprenticeships launch

Thefirststageinachievingthis

isHarland&Wolff’s

announcementofits

apprenticeshipprogramme,

whichwillcoverthreedistinct

functions:trade(welders,

pipefitters,electricians,riggers,

fabricators);technical

(engineers,navalarchitecture);

andbusinesssupport(sales,

administration).Prospective

apprenticescanregistertheir

interestatharland-wolff.com/

careers/apprenticeships/

Theprogrammewill

combinepracticalon-the-job

training,one-to-onementoring

alongsideitsexperienced

workforce,shipyardtraining

facilitiesandtheopportunityto

‘earnwhileyoulearn’.

Thecompanywouldalso

liketohearfromanyrelevant

apprenticeswhohavebeen

unabletocompletetheir

apprenticeshipthroughthe

recentlossofemployment.

“Aswecontinuetorampup,

therewillbeopportunities

acrossawholevarietyof

trades,”explainsJohn.

“Wearelookingfora

workforcethatwantstobuy

intothefutureandbuilda

careerforthemselvesandthe

thenextgeneration.”

Withtheconnections

betweenthefourHarland&

Wolfffacilities,Johnenvisages

opportunitiesforapprenticesto

visitotheryardstofurtherthe

transferofknowledgebetween

themtoupskillthewhole

workforce.

“We’remakingsurethat

shipbuildingandfabrication

skillsareretainedandpassedon

tofuturegenerations.”

■ Detailsharland-wolff.com

Refurbishing the gates of the drydock at Harland & Wolff (Appledore)

@businessactionm | April / May 2021 | business action 9

CONSTRUCTION LYNTON

We sell it because we love it

Retail industry expertshave

waffledonforyearsaboutthe

declineexperiencedbynational

highstreetchains,butfewof

themhavecaughtontothe

reasonswhysmall,

independentstoresthrive.

ALittleofWhatYouFancy

inQueenStreet,Lynton

epitomisesthenewbreedof

independentretailerbringing

smalltownsbacktolifewith

sheerenthusiasmandlovefor

whattheydoandsell.Owners

DanielandLauraWhitfield

sumupthestore’sethoswitha

quoteLaurasaw:“Wedon’t

loveitbecausewesellit,wesell

itbecauseweloveit!”

DanielandLauraopened

theirshopandonlinestorein

August2020withthesimple

aimofspreadingtheirloveof

deliciousfood.Theystocka

rangeofartisanandawardwinningfoodwhichcontinues

togrow.

“Wehavealwayssupported

smallbusinesseswheneverwe

couldandgoodfoodhasalways

beenaviceofours,”saysDaniel.

“Eversincewemovedtothe

SouthWest,wehaveseenjust

howmanyamazingartisanfood

producersareactuallyoutthere.

Chief testers: Laura and Daniel Whitfield of A Little of What you Fancy, Lynton

Wesaidtoeachother‘wouldn’t

itbegreatifallofthese

productswereinjustoneplace?’

andthatwashowitstarted.

“Webeganbystockingthe

shelveswithproductsthatwe

sourcedfromtheSouthWest

withthepremisethattheywere

eitherartisanorawardwinning,andwefoundthat

thereweresomanysmall

independentbusinessesthat

stretchedallthewayacrossthe

country.”

Danieladdsthatthewebsite

hassomeexclusiveoffersnot

offeredinstore:“Wehavelots

ofmulti-buyoffersontheweb

site,sopeoplecanstockupon

theirfavouriteitemsandsave

somemoneyatthesametime.”

Productsrangefrom

liquoricetocheesestrawsand

fromspecialistoilstonougat.

Theyalsocompilebespokegift

hampersonrequest.

Runningtheshophasbeen

exceptionallyhardwork.

Laurasays:“Openingthe

shopinAugustwasabaptism

offire.Wewereinundated

withcustomerswantingour

bakedgoodsandhotdrinks.

We’reonlyasmallshopbutwe

willactuallyhavetoemploy

oursontohelpusthroughthe

nextseason.”

Referringbacktothestore’s

ethos,Lauraadds:“Without

doubt,thebestpartofthejobis

producttesting.”

■ Details07952327170or

alittleofwhatyoufancy.org

10 business action | April / May 2021 | business-action.co.uk

HEADER LYNTON

New owners welcome you to Grade II

listed guest house

There is a school of thought

thatweneverreallyown

anythingbutarecustodians

takingcareofwhatwehaveto

passontofuturegenerations.

StVincent’sGuestHousein

Lyntonhaspassedthrough

manygenerationssinceitwas

builtin1834anditspresent

ownersareMariaPerridgeand

fiancéCliveTaylor,whomoved

inon6August2020,opening

togueststhreedayslater.

Builtbymastermariner

ThomasGeen,captainofthe

Bristol-builtshipStVincent,

theguesthouseisaGradeII

listedbuilding,whichMaria

andClivearekeentocherish

andpreserve.

Takingonathrivingguest

housethatisalistedbuilding

soundsachallengeatanytime,

butMariaandClivefacedthe

addedcomplicationscreated

byCovidrestrictionswhen

sellingtheirownpropertiesin

LondonandKent,and

purchasingStVincent’s,aswell

ashavingtocloseforlockdown

shortlyaftermovingin.

However,thecoupleare

quicklyestablishing

themselvesassuccessful

proprietorsandattracting

bothlongstandingandnew

gueststobookstays.

Love at first sight

MariaandClivevisitedLynton

inlate2019lookingforabed

andbreakfastbusinessthey

couldpurchase.

“Inourfirstvisittothearea

inOctober,wewalkedpassed

StVincent’sandbothfellin

lovewithit,”saysMaria.

“Itwasnotonthemarket,

butwhenwecamebackin

Novembertoviewa

fewmoreproperties,

webookedtostay.”

Whentheprevious

ownersdiscoveredthe

reasonfortheirvisit,

theymentionedthat

theywerelookingto

sell,andMariaand

Clivejumpedatthe

opportunity,unaware

ofthechallengesthat

2020wouldbringfor

everyone.

A new chapter

StVincent’ssixen-suite

bedroomswerefullybooked

fortherestof2020untilthe

Novemberlockdown,and

MariaandClivehavemadea

goodimpressiononreturning

andnewguests.

Theguesthousehaseven

beenappointedan

accommodationproviderfor

walkersonOnFootHolidays

walkingtoursaftercompany

representativesbookedinto

stayincognitoandcouldnot

believethatMariaandClive

hadonlybeenrunningthe

businessforsuchashorttime.

Guestreviewshavealso

beenverycomplimentarywith

New owners arrive at St Vincent’s Guest House in Lynton

theB&Bmaintainingthehigh

reputationbuiltupoveryears.

MariaandClivedo

everythingtheycantomake

guests’staysasenjoyableas

possible.Thisincludes

collectingordroppingoff

guestsatLynmouth,

BarnstapleorMinehead,

offeringflexiblecheck-in

times,acceptingdogsand

offeringpackedlunches.

Withrestrictionslimiting

diningvenues,Clivestarted

preparingeveningmealsfor

guests,whichweresucha

successthatmanyguestsopted

todineineverynight.In2021,

StVincent’swillofferlight

lunchesandafternoonteasin

thegarden.

Allfoodpreparedand

servedislocallysourcedwith

fresheggsfromalocalDevon

farm,sausages,baconand

blackpuddingpurchasedfrom

alocalbutcherandbreadfrom

localbakers.Vegan,vegetarian

andotherdietaryoptions,eg

forgluten/lactoseintolerance,

arealsoavailable.

Inadditiontosuchahigh

levelofservice,Mariaand

Clivearerefurbishingthe

houseandgarden,takinggreat

caretorespectandshowcase

StVincent’slonghistory.

■ Details01598752720or

stvincentlynton.co.uk

@businessactionm | April / May 2021 | business action 11

KICKSTART

FEEL ELECTRIC

TRADE UP, PLUG IN

AT BLIGHTS MOTORS

FAMILY RUN FOR 88 YEARS

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

SALES

SERVICE

PARTS

RENTAL

TRADE UP...PLUG IN...WITH MG ELECTRIC

TEST DRIVE AN MG NOW!

Bideford

HANDY CROSS, CLOVELLY ROAD, BIDEFORD, EX39 3ET

01237 472282

www.blightsmotors.co.uk

Trust creates 40 job placements

The Northam Care Trustis

bothacharityandacompany

limitedbyguarantee.We

changedournamefrom

NorthamLodgetoThe

NorthamCareTrustinMay

2018.Wewereformedasa

charityin1978byagroupof

committedparentsofchildren

withlearningandphysical

disabilitieswhosharedavision

ofimprovingservicesand

supportfortheirchildren.In

the1970s,localauthoritiesand

policymakersreferredto

peoplewithlearningdisabilities

asbeing‘handicappedor

subnormal’anditwasthe

decadewhenlargeinstitutional

‘hospitalsforthementally

handicapped’werebeingclosed

downandreplacedby

communityfacilitieswith

accessibleservices.Institutions

breedinstitutionalbehaviours

andwhenthingsbeganto

change,parentsplayedabig

role,includingthosewho

originallysetupwhatisnowthe

Trust.Theirlegacyisthebasis

foroursuccess,butwehave

hadtoadapttochangingtimes

whereweallstriveforamore

informedandtolerantsociety

wherediversityisthenorm.

Advertise from just £30 a year with Business Action

All plans include

➤ 6 adverts (if selected)

➤ 6 magazine listings

➤ online listing

➤ 6 mailed magazines

➤ plus more

Coronavirus has not only threatened existing jobs, but has disrupted

the lives of many young people just starting out in their careers. The

Northam Care Trust is creating 40 valuable job placements for young

people in North Devon through the Kickstart Scheme. We invited

chief executive Dr Len Lofts to describe the work of the charity and

how Kickstart is helping it and the young people on its placements

North Devon Kickstart success: (from left) Dr Len Lofts, chief executive of

The Northam Care Trust, and Sahara Stockwell, Kickstart district account

manager at Department for Work and Pensions Devon & Cornwall

Allthepeoplewesupportin

ourexpandingservice

continuum–including

residentiallodges(homes)for

peoplewithprofound

disabilitiesandcomplexhealth

needs;supportedlivingin

normalhousesinthe

community;ourseven-day-aweekdayservicesatRoseHill;

communityandenabling

servicesandourdomiciliary

careathomeservicesforolder

peopleandpeoplewith

dementia–arethepeoplewho

havethebiggestinvestmentin

ourservices.Itistheirfeespaid

tousbyDevonCountyCouncil

andotherlocalauthoritiesthat

enabletheTrusttoemployour

225-stronglocalstaffgroup.So

ineffect,thepeoplewesupport

areourbiggeststakeholders

andeverybitofgrowthis

Select plan

£30 Business Action Plan – 6 magazine listings

£150 Business Action Plan – 6 business card adverts

£275 Business Action Plan – 6 banner adverts

£400 Business Action Plan – 6 quarter page adverts

£750 Business Action Plan – 6 half page adverts

£1,375 Business Action Plan – 6 full page adverts

developedintheirinterestsand

tosafeguardandimprovetheir

qualityoflife.

Run as a business

Wehavetobeabusinessaswell

asacharity.Innon-Covid

times,beingacharitygivesus

accesstograntsthatsupport

ourstatutoryincomeand

governsthewaythatany

financialsurplusesmustbe

reinvestedinthedevelopment

andqualityofourservices.It

isn’teasyforanorganisationto

makeanannualsurplus(profit)

inthesocialcareindustry.For

allthepraisefortheNHSand

socialcareduringCovidandit

beingoneofthefastestgrowingsectorsinthe

economy,variousgovernments

struggletoinvestinit.

Webeganamodernisation

andexpansionplanin2018and

haveachievedallitsobjectives.

Covidbroughtusmassive

challengesaswellas

opportunitiestoinnovateand

wehavecontinuedtoexpand

andimproveallourservices.

Ourninetrusteedirectors

donotgetpaidorreceivea

dividend,asdirectorsofprivate

companiesdo.Theygovernthe

Payment options

Pay in full or by

12 monthly instalments –

with no extra charges.

Put yourself in front of

North Devon businesses.

Book online at business-action.co.uk/plans or call Alan on 07970 671192

12 business action | April / May 2021 | business-action.co.uk

KICKSTART

Kickstarting jobs for young people

Since the Kickstart scheme

waslaunchedbythe

GovernmentinJuly2020,

manyNorthDevonemployers

haveparticipatedinthe

programmebyofferingjob

placementstoyoungpeople.A

responsetothemassive

impactofCoronaviruson

employment,Kickstart

supportsyoungpeoplefrom

allbackgrounds.

Kickstartcomprisesa£2

billionnationalfundtocreate

hundredsofthousandsof

high-qualitysix-monthjob

Trustandworkonourstrategic

andbusinessplanningwiththe

Trust’sseniorexecutiveand

alsomakesurethatweadhere

toallofourresponsibilities

withtheCharityCommission.

Weworkwithmany

organisations,including

externalregulatorssuchasthe

CareQualityCommissionand

DevonCountyCouncilareour

trustedpartnersaswellasour

commissionerswhobuyour

servicesonbehalfofthepeople

wesupport.Wealsoworkwith

housingorganisationson

developingoursupported

livingwork–weprovidethe

careandthehousing

organisationsthetenancies.We

arenowstartingtoworkin

NorthCornwallwithCornwall

CountyCouncil.

Ourprojectedturnoverfor

thenewfinancialyearstarting

inAprilshowsanincreaseof

55%ontheyearjustending.

Ourprojectedturnoverfor

2024is£8.6million.Wehave

investedinourworkforceand

madeourowncommitmentto

improvingpayandconditions

bybeingaccountabletothe

peoplewesupportby

employingthebeststaffwecan

throughourrecruitmentand

trainingincludingour

involvementinthe

Government’sKickstart

scheme.

Kickstart placements

Wesawtheobviousvalueof

theKickstartschemewhenit

wasintroduced.Asoneofthe

firstorganisationstoapply,we

wereawarded30Kickstartjob

placementsinourownrightin

placementsforyoungpeople,

aspartofthePlanforJobs.

Fundingforeachplacement

coverstherelevantNational

MinimumWagefor25hoursa

weekplusassociatedemployer

NationalInsuranceand

employerminimumautomatic

enrolmentcontributions.

Thereisalsofundingfor

developingnewskillsand

supportformovinginto

sustainedemploymentafter

completionoftheKickstartfundedjob.Currently,

Kickstartprioritisesyoung

October2020andwehaveso

farfilled26ofthem.Wehave

nowappliedforafurther10job

placementstakingourtotalto

40.Thismeanswecanhelp

localunemployedyoungpeople

onUniversalCreditaged16-24

todeveloptheskillsand

trainingtheywillneedtofind

long-termemploymentwith

theaddedvaluefortheTrustof

encouragingthemduringthe

six-monthplacementtoremain

withusincareersinsocialcare.

Theschemedictatesthatwe

mustemployeachyoung

personinanewrolefora

minimumof25hoursaweek

onatleasttheNational

MinimumWagefortheirage.

Wepaymorethanthatat£9.66

anhour.TheDepartmentof

WorkandPensionsfundseach

youngpersonforthefullsix

monthssotheincentivesfor

employerstousethescheme

aremassive.NewDWPrules

putintoplaceinFebruary2021

meanthatemployerscanapply

foranynumberofjob

placements,meaningitismore

flexibleandmoreattractiveto

smalleremployers.So,ineffect,

wehavethepotentialfor40

fully-fundedplacements

including32frontlinecareroles

andeightcentralteamsupport

roles,includingadmin,

training,healthandsafety,

humanresources,socialmedia,

IT,propertyliaisonand

buildingsmaintenance,toadd

alotofextravaluetowhatwe

canoffertothepeopleneeding

oursupport.

ManyoftheKickstart

peoplewehaveappointedlost

previousjobsbecauseofCovid

peopleaged16to24.

InNorthDevon,Kickstart

ismanagedbyJobcentrePlus

throughSaharaStockwell,

Kickstartdistrictaccount

manageratDepartmentfor

WorkandPensionsDevon&

Cornwall,andcolleagueTony

George,employeradviser.

“Lotsofemployershave

madebidsthathavebeen

accepted,”saysSahara.“We

promotethesetothework

coacheswhopromotethemto

jobseekers.Thereisahuge

numberofjobseekersand

orareuniversityorcollege

graduatesnewtothejob

marketwithCovidmakingit

difficultforthemtofindwork.

Ifwecanretainmostofthe

Kickstartemployeesbeyond

thesix-monthplacement,then

itsavesonourfuture

recruitmentcosts,sousing

Kickstartreallyisa‘nobrainer’!

OurKickstartworkrecently

featuredonBBCTVSpotlight

andonBBCRadioDevon,

wherewealsohighlightedthe

experiencesofparentsand

familiesnowbeingableto

recommencetheirvisitstotheir

familymemberlivinginour

residentiallodges.Covidhas

separatedfamiliesfromtheir

lovedoneswesupportandwe

haveusedothermeansof

communicationtokeepthem

intouchincludingvideos,

ZOOM,photographsandour

EyeGazetechnology.

George Stocker

GeorgeStockermovedfrom

losinghissalesjobduring

Covidtounemployedtothe

roleofpropertyliaisonofficer

withtheTrust.Georgehasa

firstclassbusinessdegreeand

seestheKickstartopportunity

youngpeoplearegetting

fantasticopportunities.

“Employershavetooffer

wrap-aroundsupport,helping

keepCVsuptodateand

providingrelevanttraining.”

ReadaboutNorthDevon

jobseekersandemployers

benefitingfromKickstarton

pages12to14.

■ Visitgov.uk/kickstartorto

discussopportunities,contact

SaharaStockwell

sahara.stockwell@dwp.gov.uk

orTonyGeorge

tony.george@dwp.gov.uk

as“careerchangingandareal

eyeopenerintotheworldof

thecaresector–abrilliant

opportunity”.

Cerys Pilman

CerysPilmanlostherjobin

thelocalhospitalitytradeand

seesherKickstartsupport

workeropportunitywiththe

Trustas“lifechanginganda

newcareerpath”.

Jobcentre Plus support

Wehavehadthebonusof

supportfromtheBidefordJob

CentrethroughSahara

Stockwellandherwork

coaches.Theworkcoachesrefer

youngpeoplefortheTrust’s

Kickstartrolesandsupport

themintheirjobsearches.

Sahararecentlyfeatured

withtheTrustinaspecial

KickstartShowcaseEvent

involvingMimsDavies,

MinisterforEmployment.The

Trustnowworksintrue

partnershipwiththeDWPand

JobcentrePlusinjoining

togethertoofferreal

employmentopportunitiesto

youngpeopleinNorthDevon.

■ Visitnorthamcaretrust.co.uk

@businessactionm | April / May 2021 | business action 13

KICKSTART NEWS

Accessible wellness live or virtually

The Kickstart team at Aleafia Fitness and Wellbeing Centre in Barnstaple: (from left) Kaia, Gaia, Beth and Bonnie

The fitness sectorhasbeen

oneofthehardesthitduring

lockdowns,butthishasnot

stoppedLaurenLepley-Caldon

fromstartingupAleafiaFitness

andWellbeingCentrein

GammonWalk,Barnstaple.

Laurenhadplannedtoopenin

April2020,although

restrictionspostponedthe

openinguntilAugust.

Laurensaysthedelayin

openinggavethemmoretime

tolistentowhatpeoplewant

andtocomebackwithmore

ideas.Thisincludedmore

facilitiesformumsandholistic

treatmentsandtherapies.

Accessible wellness

LaurenselectedAleafiaasthe

businessnametoreflecttheaim

ofmakingwellnessaccessibleto

all.Itsmeaningis“tobeinthe

stateorconditionofgood

physicalandmentalhealth”.

Toachievethis,thecentre

includesgymspaceand

equipment,facilitiesformassage

andtherapies,thePlantBarcafé

and,fromMay,anewcrèche.

Michele,Lauren’shusband,

isheadcoachatthecentreand

workswithanumberof

freelancetrainersand

practitioners.Heaimstoteach

andeducateindepthtohelp

peopleovercomeeverydaylife

challengestheyface,usingas

histoolsnutrition,fitnessand

mentalwellbeing.

Supporting young people

Inadditiontosupportingits

clients,Aleafiaisworkingto

supportyoungpeopleby

offeringfourworkplacements

throughtheGovernment’s

Kickstartscheme.

DevonandPlymouth

ChamberofCommerce

completedtheapplicationand

SaharaStockwellmanagedthe

processforJobcentrePlus.

“Saharadiscussedeachof

therolesandwenttothe

jobsearchcoachestofindthe

candidates,”saysLauren.“She

madeitreallyeasyanditwasa

verysmoothexperience.Itwas

verywellmanaged.”

Aleafiahaswelcomedfour

Kickstartteammembers:Beth–

marketingandsocialmedia

assistant;Bonnie–personaland

businessassistant;Gaia–crèche

assistantandsustainability

leader;andKaia–frontof

house.Laurenishopingtheir

positionswillbecome

permanentattheendoftheir

placementsandisreallypleased

withtheircontributions.

“Theyhaveallworkedhard

andcompletedcourses.

Everyoneisavailabletodevelop

ineveryarea.”

Developing services

Withtheconstraintsimposed

bylockdown,Laurenandher

teamhaveappliedtheir

ingenuitytodevelopservices

thathelpclientstocontinue

improvingtheirfitnessand

wellbeingwhilethecentreis

closedforclasses.

TheresultisAleafia:

WellnessOnDemand,asuiteof

morethan50virtualwellness

sessionsthatisexpanding

weekly.Classesrangefrom

workoutstoyoga,barre,

cooking,meditation,dance

HIIT,dancefitness,dance

combat,stretchesandmore.

Therearesessionstosuitall

levelsandclientscancreate

theirowntimetablewithclasses

from10to60minutes,both

one-offsessionsandseries.

Classesaredeliveredviathe

Aleafia:WellnessOnDemand

app,whichclientscan

downloadtobookand

schedulesessions,watchprerecordedworkoutsand

wellnessseminars,andjoinin

livevirtualclasses.

Laurendidnotexpectto

developvirtualclassessosoon

andtheseweredrivenbythe

necessitycreatedbylockdown.

Theyhavebeensopopularthat

theywillcontinuetorun

alongsidethereopenedcentre.

Accessible fitness

Inlinewiththeaimofmaking

wellnessaccessibletoall,

Aleafia’sservicesareaffordable.

Clientscanchoosetopayfora

one-offliveclass,purchaseone

monthofunlimitedclassesor

buythreemonthsata

discount.Unlimited

OnDemandclassesarealso

availableforonemonthor

threemonthswithadiscount.

Justasimportantly,Aleafia’s

centreisverywelcomingso

thateveryonefeelscomfortable

andateaseontheirjourneyto

fitnessandwellbeing.

■ Details01271370127or

aleafia.co

14 business action | April / May 2021 | business-action.co.uk

NEGLIGENCE KICKSTART

Games dream turns into reality

A dream to publish video

gamesisbecomingareality

withthedevelopmentof

VoxStoryinBarnstaple.Lex

Barrowhasrunasuccessful

Barnstaplesoftwareandapp

developmentbusinesssince

2012,butin2020formed

CurrentYearGamingto

developVoxStory,acinematic

takeontabletoproleplaying.

Kickstart boosts resource

Recently,Lexsoughtto

increasethegame’s

developmentresourcewiththe

aimoflaunchingitin2021.

WithassistancefromTony

GeorgeofJobcentrePlusand,

usingDevonandPlymouth

ChamberofCommerceasits

gateway,thecompany

recruitedsixnewteam

membersonplacements

throughtheGovernment’s

Kickstartscheme,witha

seventhvacancyinprogress.

Ashley(whowasreferredby

thescheme,butpassedtheage

limitbeforesigningup),

James,Freya,Jamie,Phoebe

andJaydehaveincreasedthe

VoxStoryteamto12.

Lexisdelightedwiththe

boosttographicdesignand

PRtheKickstartjoinersare

achievingandhopesthe

companycanretainthemat

theendoftheirplacements.

Social gaming

Asanavidgamer,after

questioningwhynoonehad

everdevelopedagame

combiningtheessenceof

tabletoproleplayandmodern

onlinegaming,Lexdecidedto

developithimself.

HisaimisforVoxStoryto

updatetraditionaltabletop

gamingwithadigital,

cinematicaspect.While

keepingtruetothefeeland

gameplayoftabletop

roleplayinggames,thebig

screenexperienceletsplayers

seetheircharacters’actions

playoutalongsidetheirteam

members,fullyimmersing

everyoneinthegameplay.

“It’saverysocialgame,”

saysLex.“Wewantedto

enhanceexistinggamingand

makeitcinematicsothat

playerssitaroundabigTV

screen,tellingthestory

togetherandhavingalaugh.”

Onlyonepersonhasto

purchasethefullgameandall

otherplayerscanusethefree

characterappontheirsmart

phoneswhenplayingtogether.

Furthercopiesneedonlybe

purchasedtoplayremotely.

Smoother storytelling

LexbelievesVoxStory’s

Peak

Online

combinationoftraditional

gameplaywithadigital

platformenablessmoother

storytelling.

TheGameMastercreatesa

gameworldontheirPCor

laptop,whichtheyshareona

largerscreenorviaaprojector.

Theplayersconnecttheir

characterstothegameworld

viatheappontheirsmart

phones,tablets,PCsorlaptops.

Playersrolldiceto

determinewhathappensand

actions.Dicecanberolled

digitallyorplayerscanroll

physicaldiceandentereach

rollintothegamemanually.

Thedigitalaspectmakesitfar

easiertokeeptrackof

inventory,spellslots,hitpoints

andothergamemechanics.

VoxStoryisdesignedtobe

intuitivesothatitappealsto

playersofallagesandabilities

andappealstotheworldwide

marketofgamers.

■ Detailsvoxstory.comor

followonFacebook,

InstagramandTwitter

ONE COMPLETE ONLINE SOLUTION

Vox Story's Kickstart team: (from left - back) Ashley, James, Freya, (front)

Jamie, Phoebe and Jayde

@businessactionm | April / May 2021 | business action 15

north

devon

businessACTIVISTS

QI need to start

selling online.

Where do I

start with an online

shop?

A Twokeyconsiderations

beforedivingstraightinto

anewonlineshopare:theweb

siteplatformandyour

marketingplan.

Therearemanywebsite

platformsavailablethattargeta

rangeofabilitiesandbudgets.I

liketoplacewebsiteplatforms

infourcategories:(1)Wix(2)

Shopify(3)WordPress(4)PHP

Framework.

Alotofpeopleareattracted

toWixandShopifyduetothe

lowcostandbuild-it-yourself

service,butfurtherdownthe

roadfindlimitationswithWix

andongoingtransactionfees

fromShopify.

WordPressisthemost

widelyusedcontent

managementsystem(CMS)

platformandcanhandlealmost

anythingyouneedyourweb

sitefor.

PHPFrameworkwillbe

yourmostexpensiveoption

andnotnecessaryforalotof

onlinesellers.

Havingamarketingplanis

keytoanynewwebsitesuccess.

Whenyouopenastoreonthe

highstreet,yougainpassingby

QWhat are the

best guidelines

for giving

credit to customers?

A Whenyou’resellingto

anotherbusiness,they

oftenexpectnottohavetopay

straightaway.Butallowing

customerscredithasacostand

canbearisktoyourbusiness,

sowhatshouldyouthinkabout

beforeyougoahead?

DoIhavetooffercustomers

credit?No.It’simportantto

understandwhatworksforyou,

notjustwhatyouthinkis

expected.Acashflowforecastis

essentialhere.Itwillhelpyou

WEB SITES

Andrew Bowers

Owner

Peak Online

t: 01237 721256

w: northdevon.peak-online.uk.com

MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTS

trade.Anewwebsiteislikea

shoponadistanthill–youmust

divertcustomerstofindyou.

Onlinemarketingoptions

aresearchengineoptimisation

(SEO),socialmedia,payper

click(PPC),emailmarketing,

and,averyeffectivetool,

affiliatemarketing.Affiliate

marketingiswhenyoupay

commissiontootherwebsites

fordivertinguserswhothen

makepurchases.

Ifyoudon’thaveexperience

intheseservices,it’simportant

tositdownwithanexpertand

planyourstrategywithyour

monthlybudget.

Susie Kevern

Chartered Management Accountant

PoundLane

t: 07801 199671

w: poundlane.co.uk

seetheimpactofdelaysin

gettingpaid.

QWhy is it

important for

businesses to

support staff with

their mental health?

How can I do this?

A Allemployeeshave

‘mentalhealth’andall

businesseshavea

responsibilitytosupportstaff.

Chronicstressthatisnot

addressedcanleadtoClinical

Burnout.Thispresentsas

severefatigue,anxiety,

concentrationandother

cognitivedifficulties,cantake

alongtimetorecoverfrom

andcanmakedoinganormal

jobalmostimpossible.What

processescanyouputinplace

tostaveoffstaffburnout?

►Developacultureof

acceptance:Ashumans,

multiplefactorsaffectour

mentalhealth.Theseinclude

ourhomeandworklivesalong

withourdifferingnaturesand

theimpactothershaveonus.

Allemployeeshavegoodand

baddays–weallneeda

supportiveworkenvironment

tofunctioneffectively.

►Openupanon-judgemental

dialogue:Associalcreatures,

weneedtotalkandbeheard

soputongoingsystemsin

place–don’twaituntil

Whataboutdiscounts?

Somefirmsofferasmall

discountforpromptpayment.

Ifyouincludethecostof

offeringcreditinyourprices,

youcanaffordtogive

somethingawayforquicker

payment.It’salsoworth

rememberingthatsome

customerspreferadirectdebit

optionasthisreducestheir

adminburdenwhilegivingyou

moresecurity.

I’mworriedifIdon’tgetpaid

nowImightnotgetpaidatall.

Youneedtoworkouthow

muchcredityoufeel

comfortablegiving.Thebest

planistostartsmallandlook

tobuildarelationship:

►Makesureyouhaveallthe

detailsyouneedfornew

HEALTH & WELLBEING

Kelly Smith

Counsellor

Devon Counselling Training

t: 07522 841009

w: devoncounsellingtraining.co.uk

employeesarestruggling. This

wouldideallyinclude:access

toaneutraloutletsuchas

external,professional

supervision,structuredpeer

supportandwheretogoif

theyarestruggling.

►Matchpeoplewithjobs:Be

personcentredinappraisals.

Bebraveenoughtotuneinto

employees’motivations.Job

satisfactionisthemainfactor

affectingjobretention.

►Considerflexibleworking:

Thinkoutsidetheboxwith

this.Thiscanmakeahuge

impactonwork-lifebalance

andthereforestaffstresslevels.

►Stafftrainingtoactively

improvetheirmentalhealth:

DCToffersProfessional

Supervision,Counselling

Servicesandbespoke

EmotionalResilienceTraining

fororganisations.

customers:therightnamesand

phonenumbers

►Askforreferencesfrom

currentsuppliersandmake

sureyoufollowthemup

►Keepyourbookkeepingup

todatesothatyouknowhow

muchyouareowed

►Sendstatementsand

remindersBEFOREthe

paymentisdue

►Mostimportantly,speakto

yourcustomersregularly;check

theyhaveyourinvoicesandask

whentoexpectpayment.

Handledwell,offeringcredit

canhelpyougrowyour

businessbutmakesureyou

operategoodcreditcontrol:a

friendlyphonecallwon’tcause

offenceandcanbuildvaluable

businessconnections.

16 business action | April / May 2021 | business-action.co.uk

Q&A ~ your business questions answered

north

enterprise

devon

growth

news

innovation

& views

Q Having

reached the

age of 50,

what should I look

for in my investment

strategy ?

A Beforeanyother

investment,useyour

PensionInvestment

Allowances.Theyarethebest

wayofinvestingmoneygoing.

Justforgettheword‘pension’.

Youcanputmoneyin,the

taxmanwilladd25%toyour£1

and,ifwanted,youcanpullit

alloutagainimmediately.

Whereelsecanyoumake25%

fornothing?Ifyoupayhigher

tax,youalsosaveextrathrough

yourtaxreturns.Youcaneven

investifyouhaveinvestments

inotherpensionand

superannuationschemes.

Foremployeesandtheselfemployed,youmayhaveno

earnings,butyoucanstillpayin

£2,880perannumnetandthe

taxmanwillgiveyou£720.You

canberetired(under75)and

evenreceivingpensionsanddo

FINANCE

Philip Milton

Managing Director

Philip J Milton & Company plc

t: 01271 344300

w: miltonpj.net

thesame.Ifyourearningsare

£12,570(sopayingnotax),

contributetoapensionand

receiveataxbonusof£2,514.

AndbecauseyouCAN

accessallthepotifyouareover

55(57from2028),thenwhyon

earthkeepemergencymoney

inacashaccountorcashISA

whenyoucanmakeacool25%

stillknowingthatinan

emergencyyoucangrabit?

Youcouldevenkeepthe

pensionincash,sonorisk.Do

this‘executiononly’withan

adviserlikeusandthereisno

costinvolvedinset-upeither.

Who can you ask?

Business owners are not ‘born’ and must learn how to run a business as

they go along. It’s not always clear who to ask when we have questions

about what to do.

QNow seems a

good time to

see if my

business idea works.

How should I start?

A Theuncertaintycreatedby

Coronavirusisleading

manypeopletoovercome

fearsthathaveheldthemback.

Startinganewbusinessis

oftenseenasahighrisk,

especiallyifyouhavetoresign

fromasecure,well-paidjob

andneedtoearnenoughto

supportyourselfandfamily.

However,youdon’thaveto

giveupnecessarysecurityto

developyourbusinessidea

andsomepeoplearedoing

thisintheirsparetimetohave

agoatachievingtheirdream.

Financeisoftenthefirst

barrier,butyouprobablywon’t

needlotsofmoneytostart

testingyourideainasmall

waytoseewhatworksand

whatdoesn’t.Whatyoudo

needistimeandcommitment.

BUSINESS START-UPS

Robert Zarywacz

Partner

Zarywacz

t: 01271 879100

w: z2z.com

It’sunlikelyyouwillsell

anythinguntilyougetyour

productsorservicesright,so

don’tborrowmoney.You

mightwanttosavesomeof

yourearningstofinance

materialsorequipment,orasa

cushionwhenyoufeelitisthe

righttimetogo‘solo’.

Workwithwhatyou’vegot

andtakesmallstepssothat

youprogresssteadilyeveryday.

Askquestions.Askother

businesspeople.Askour

BusinessActivists.Andface

yourfearstodevelopyour

businessideasandsucceed.

Thank you to our Business Activists for offering their time and expertise to

answer your questions.

We publish their contact details, as they are also happy to talk through

general enquiries and offer guidance, although will charge when you

require them to give specific professional advice.

If something is holding you back in your business, ask someone. Ask a

friend in business, ask a business you use, ask our Business Activists.

Someone will have the answer or be able to point you in the right direction.

Helping each other helps all our businesses and leads to greater prosperity

for all.

IMPORTANT: The answers on these pages are intended only as general

information. You should seek specific professional advice before taking any

action in relation to your own business.

Ask the Activists

Send business questions you have by email to

ask@business-action.co.uk

@businessactionm | April / May 2021 | business action 17

Garage accredited to service electric cars

North Devonisgearingupfor

theelectriccarrevolutionina

bigway.BlightsMotorsof

Bidefordhasbeensellingfull

electricMGmodelssincelate

2019andin202030%ofits

newcarsaleswereelectric.

“WenowhavethefullyelectricZSEVSUV,MG5EV

EstatecarandMGHSPlugIn

Hybridmodels,”saysdirector

TimBlight.

“Wereceivecomments

suchas‘loveelectric,wouldn’t

gobacktopetrol’and‘far

cheapertorunandservice’.”

Aswellassellingelectric

cars,Blightscanserviceand

maintainanymakeofelectric

carasanaccreditedmember

ofHEVRA(Hybridand

ElectricVehicleRepair

Alliance–hevra.org.uk).

“HEVRAmembergarages

areinspectedtomakesure

theyhavetherighttoolsand

technicianqualificationsto

workonelectricandhybrid

carscorrectlyandsafely,”adds

Tim.“AndasanMGfranchise

allourstaffincluding

technicians,salesstaffand

valeters,aretrainedonelectric

andhybridcarstobeawareof

theirdifferentrequirements.

“AtBlightsMotorswealso

havearapidchargeronour

forecourtwhichenablesmost

electricvehiclestochargetoa

fullbatteryin40minutes.”

BlightsMotorsalsoadvises

onallaspectsofpurchasingan

electriccar,including

governmentincentives.

Currently,theGovernment

offersaplug-incargrant

whichprovidesa£2,500

discountonthelistpriceof

approvedelectriccarswhich

haveamaximumlistpriceof

£35,000.Thereisalsoagrant

towardsthecostofinstallinga

homechargerofupto£350

percharger.

■ Details01237472282or

blightsmotors.co.uk

B&B leads the way with car charging point for guests

It’s not only the motor trade

respondingtotheintroduction

ofelectriccars.Withholiday

accommodationproviderskeen

toprovideallfacilitiestheir

guestsrequire,someare

startingtocaterforelectriccars.

TheEarlsdaleBedand

BreakfastinIlfracomberecently

installeda7Kwcarcharging

pointforguests,makingitone

ofthefirstbusinessesinthe

towntoofferthisfacility.

“Wehadseveralgueststhat

arrivedwithEVsorHybrids

anditwouldhavebeenreally

nicetohavebeenabletooffer

themachargepointatThe

Earlsdale.”saysLewisDaniels.

“WehavehadanEVcharge

pointonourwishlistsincewe

openedinearly2019.With

limitedchargingoptionsinthe

localarea,wewantedtomake

sureweofferedourguestsa

chargepoint,andwithmore

EVssettoappearinthenext

fewyears,itwasimportantto

ustostaycurrent.Wealso

strivetominimiseourimpact

ontheenvironmentandwe

believethatelectricvehiclesfit

wellwithourethosfora

sustainablyrunestablishment.

ELECTRIC CARS

The MG5 EV estate available from Blights Motors. Photo: Robert Zarywacz

Car charges: (from left) Lewis and James, owners of The Earlsdale in

Ilfracombe with their new car charging point. Photo: ilfracombefocus.co.uk

“Wehavehadgoodfeedback

sofarwithlotsofpeople

mentioningthattheyhaveseen

it.VisitIlfracombealsoshared

ourpostsonlineregardingthe

installationandtheyagreeit

willbeanincreasingly

importantfactorforvisitorsto

thetowninthenearfuture.”

Ready for the new season

“Weareveryexcitedtobereopeningon17Mayandare

hopingforabusyseason.We

aremakingsureweincorporate

socialdistancingandother

enhancedmeasuresthatwere

inplacein2020intothe2021

season.Wehaveused

lockdowntoensurethe

buildingisatitsbest,witha

newlyrenovateddiningroom

(completewithnewmenu)and

upgradedbedrooms.Wehave

alsousedthetimetostartafull

refurbishmentoftheoriginal

sashwindowsandhavehad

twonewleadroofsinstalled.

Wehavealsogotasmartnew

greycolourschemeforthe

frontofthebuilding,whichwe

hopeiswelllikedbyvisitors

andlocalsalike.”

■ Details01271863653or

theearlsdale.co.uk

18 business action | April / May 2021 | business-action.co.uk

My priorities as a driverare

differenttowhattheywerein

my20sandmyenvironmental

considerationshaveovertaken

manyotherconcerns.

FordecadesIhavelikedthe

conceptofelectriccarsand,

whileunderstandingthatall

transportplacesdemandson

theenvironment,hopethat

electricvehicleswillenableus

toreducetheseconsiderably.

Withthisinmind,the

invitationtotestdrivetheMG5

EVSWexcitedme,becauseit

wouldbemyfirstexperienceof

drivinganelectriccar.

Simple controls

WhenTimBlight,who

managesBlights’carsales,ran

throughthecontrolswithme,

theyseemedalmosttoosimple.

Anacceleratorpedalanda

brakepedal,andlargeknob

withN(eutral),D(rive)and

R(everse)settings.

TimmademadesureI

realisedthat,onceinDrive,the

caracceleratedswiftly.AndsoI

setoffonmyown.

WhiletheMGEVSWlooks

andfeelsjustasyouwould

expectofacar,drivingit

definitelyfeelsdifferent.

Accelerationisbothinstant,

withnolagafteryoupressthe

pedal,and,withnopausesfor

gearchanges,continuous.

Regenerativebrakingkicks

inwhenyouliftyourfootoff

theaccelerator,whichmeans

thatthecarslowsofitsown

accordandrequireslessuseof

thebrakepedal.Regenerative

brakingusesthedrivemotorto

regenerateelectricityandslow

thecardown.

Whilemytestdrivewas

necessarilylimitedatthistime

duetorestrictions,Iwouldbe

interestedinalongerdriveto

experiencedifferentconditions,

suchasmotorways.Thiswould

testtheMG’sthreedrivemodes

–Eco,NormalandSport–

whichenableyoutochoosethe

modemostsuitableforyour

journeyrequirements.There

arealsothreelevelsof

regenerativebrakingto

improvebrakingandoptimise

batterychargeusage.

Charging and range

Aswellasspeed,chargingtime

andrangearemanypeople’s

topconcernswhenconsidering

electriccars.

Electric Avenue

The MG5 EV comes to North Devon

MG5 EV controls: well laid out and easy to use. Photo: Robert Zarywacz

Iwassurprisedtolearnthat

youcanchargetheMG5EV

SWbypluggingitintoan

ordinarythree-pinsocket,

althoughitwilltake18hoursto

reach100%.Afasteroptionis

toinstallahome7kWfast

charger,costingaround£400,

thatwillreducethisto8.5

hours,whilepublicrapid

chargingpointscansupplyan

80%chargein40–50minutes.

Afullchargewillcarryyou

for214milesincombined

conditionsor276milesin

urbanenvironments.

The MG5 EV as a car

Withsomuchfocusonfuel

type,Ididn’twanttoforgetthat

anelectriccaristheretodo

whatanyothercardoes:

conveyyou,yourpassengers

andyourluggagefromone

placetoanotherinrelative

comfort.TheMG5iscertainly

comfortableand,whilemy

focuswasprimarilyonthe

ELECTRIC CARS

A long time coming, affordable electric vehicles are now a reality.

While the environmental pros and cons are complex, editor Robert

Zarywacz broadly welcomes the concept and took up an invitation

from Blights Motors in Bideford to test drive the new MG5 EV SW

road,Ifeltcompletelyateasein

thedrivingseat.Ialsotookthe

opportunitytositintherear

seatsandfeelthatitwouldbe

spaciousandcomfortablefor

mostpassengersonalong

journey.Whenyou’respending

hoursinacar,thismakesall

thedifferenceand,asa

passenger,I’veexperienceda

fairfewcarsthathavefelt

crampedevenwhenmaking

shortjourneys.

AsthefirstEVestateonthe

market,theMG5has464litres

ofbootspace,increasingto

1,456litreswiththerearseats

foldeddown.Asforequipment,

theMG5EVincludesmostthe

ofthefeaturesyouwould

expect,includingrearparking

sensors,airconditioning,6-

speakeraudiosystem,satellite

navigation,andApple,Android

andBluetoothconnectivity.The

ExclusivemodelIdrove

includeskeylessentrywith

The MG5 EV is the first EV estate on the market. Photo: Robert Zarywacz

push-buttonenginestart,

heatedfrontseatandfolding

doormirrors.

The MG experience

Aswellasmyfirsttimedriving

anelectriccar,thiswasalsomy

firstexperienceofthelatest

incarnationoftheMGmarque.

OwnedbySAIC,MGcarsare

nowdesignedinMarylebone,

Londonandmanufacturedin

China,supportedbyengineers

inLongbridge.

Thecompanyisheavily

committedtotheUKmarket

andDanielGregorious,headof

salesatMGMotors,hassaidin

Autocarthat“Britishnessisa

vitalcomponentofitsoffer”.Its

UKsuccesswasdemonstrated

whenitsecuredpre-ordersfor

itsfirstbatchof1,000ofitsZS

EVmodelinjusttwoweeks.

Aswellasleveragingthe

marque’slongmotoringhistory,

MGisachievingcurrent

successthroughitscars’high

leveloftechnology,affordability

andseven-yearguarantee.

Verdict

Ihadnopre-conceptionsbefore

testdrivingtheMG5EV,either

aboutelectriccarsorMG.On

theday,Iwasimpressed.

Thecontrolsareclearand

welllaidout,therideissmooth

anditmanoeuvreseasily.While

itsvisualappearanceandfeel

aresomewhatlowkey,atthe

endofmyshorttestdriveIwas

sorrytohandbackthekeys.

It’snotsurprisingthatwith

theMG5EVExcitemodel

listedatjust£24,495onthe

road,WhichEVrecently

selecteditfortheirBestValue

EVAward2020andTotallyEV

namedittheirBestBuy2021.

The future is electric

It’sclearthatelectriccarsarein

theirinfancyandthatwe’llsee

rapiddevelopmentaswe

approachtheGovernment’s

deadlinetoendsalesofnew

petrolanddieselcarsby2030.

Muchworkisstillneededto

reducetheenvironmental

impactofallvehicles,from

manufacturetouseand

eventualdisposalorrecycling.

EncounteringtheMG5EV

demonstrateshowelectriccars

arebecomingpartofourlives.

■ Detailsmg.co.ukorBlights

Motorson01237472282or

blightsmotors.co.uk

@businessactionm | April / May 2021 | business action 19

LEISURE HEADER

An ideaforkeepingpeople

entertainedduringlockdown

hasdevelopedintoabusiness.

MiniGolf2U,basedin

Barnstaple,nowprovides

entertainmentforparties,

celebrationsathome,

corporateevents,residential,

retirementandchildren’s

homesandmanymoreevents

inavarietyoflocations.

Thebusinesswasstartedin

August2020byGraham

Atkinsonandwasalmostfully

bookedupforitsfirstmonth.

Entertainment for

every occasion

Grahamthoughtthewinter

wouldbemorechallenging,

butwashappilysurprisedby

thelevelofbookings.

Customerscanselectthe

sizeofcoursetheyrequire,

fromfourto18holesora

monsternineholes.Theycan

hirethecoursefromtwohours

upwards,evenovernight.The

coursecanbeusedindoorsor

outdoorsand,beingfully

weatherproof,canbesetupin

customers’gardens.

Thebusinesstookoffduring

lockdownbecausethecourse

canbesetupoutside,paidfor

withacontactlesscard,then

collectedandsanitised,ready

forthenextcustomer.

Aswellasprovidingfunat

privatecelebrations,MiniGolf

2Uhasbeenentertaining

customersatAffinityDevon

andhasbeenbookedfora

numberofNorthDevonevents

in2021.Itisidealforusein

warehousesandemptyoffices

forbusinesspartiesorteam

buildingandcanbesetupin

holidayhomesforvisitors.

■ Details01271316740or

minigolf2u.co.uk

Weʼre ready when you are

☑

Business networking

☑

Meetings & events

☑

Training seminars

☑

Team building

☑

Dining

01271 862446

stay@ilfracombecarlton.co.uk

ilfracombecarlton.co.uk

20 business action | April / May 2021 | business-action.co.uk

AWARDS

business

ACTION AWARDS

2021

North Devon’s independent business awards

And the finalists are . . .

Thank youtoallbusinesses

whohaveenteredourBusiness

ActionNorthDevonBusiness

Awards2021andeveryonewho

hasnominatedbusinesses.

Intheseuncertaindays,we

hadnoideahowmanyentries

wewouldreceive,sowewere

delightedwiththetotalof103

entries–almostthesameaslast

year’sawards.

Mindyou,youdidmakeus

holdourbreath.

Suchalargenumberof

entriesweresentonthefinal

weekendandMondaydeadline

day.Itwasabitlikeelection

nightwhentheresultsfloodin.

Itisclearthatentrantshave

spentalotoftimeandeffortin

preparingentriesandwethank

youallforthis.

Judging the categories

Thank youonceagaintoour

awardsjudgeswhohavegiven

uptheirtimetoreadyour

entries,lookatwebsites,then

choosefinalistsandwinners.

Allourjudgesarereal

businesspeopleandeitherrun

ormanagebusinessesinor

nearNorthDevon.They

understandthereality,

As an extra thankyoutoall

theentrantsinourbusiness

awards,eachonewasentered

intoafreeprizedrawtowin

anadvertisingpackage

comprisingabusinesscard

advertinsixissuesofBusiness

Actionmagazineworth£150.

Eachentrantwasassigneda

numberandoneofourjudges

thenpickedanumber,unaware

ofthebusinesschosen.

challenges,disappointments

andexhilarationofstartingand

runningabusiness.Whobetter

tojudgebusinessawards?

Eachofourjudgesis

independentandhasagreed

nottoentertheirbusinessin

theawards.Webelievethisis

vitaltoensuretransparency

andfairness.

Youcanreadaboutoureight

judgesonpage23.

High quality of entries

Thebiggestchallengeofawards

isdecidingwhoshouldwin.

Thequalityofbusinesses

enteringthisyearwas

exceptionallyhigh,makingthe

judges’decisionsverydifficult.

Insomecategories,there

weremanyworthyentrants.

Thiswasthecaseinthe

OutstandingNewBusiness

category,whichattractedmore

than20entries.

Wewereastoundedto

discovermoreincredible

businessesandhopetofeature

manyoftheseinfutureissues

ofthismagazine.

Sponsors support

Thank youtootoallour

sponsorswhosesupportenables

ustoruntheawards.

Organisingandpublicising

theawardstakesalotoftime

andtheyrequirealotofspacein

thismagazine,whichneedsto

bepaidfor.Sponsorshiphelpsto

coverallthis.

Pleasereadaboutallour

generoussponsorsoverthe

followingpages.

The finalists

Atlast,youcandiscoverwho

thefinalistsareinthe12awards

categoriesonpages24to29.

Announcement of winners

Whenweplannedourfirst

awardsin2020,wescheduledall

thedatesmeticulously,onlyfor

lockdownstoblastthe

programmetopiecesandwe

hurriedlypreparedaseriesof

videostoannouncethewinners.

Wehadhopedthatbythis

yearwewouldatlastbeableto

holdanawardseventwherewe

couldannouncethewinnersin

BUSINESS-ACTION.CO.UK/AWARDS

Advertising prize

draw winner is . . .

Wearedelightedthatthe

winneroftheadvertising

packageis...

Milk’s Up!

Congratulations!

Milk’sUp!launchedon1

April2020andprovidesgently

pasteurisedorganicwhole

milkproducedonafamily

farmbetweenGeorgehamand

Croyde.Thebusinesssupports

personandenjoyamassive

networkingparty.

Onceagain,thislooks

unlikelyandweapologisefor

thedisappointment.

Atpresent,wearepreparing

toannouncethewinnersonline

andwillpublishdetailsshortly.

We’ll meet some day

Wearedeterminedtoholdan

eventtocelebratebothour2020

and2021winnersinperson

whenconditionsareright.

Thankyouforyourpatience.

The excitement begins

Wehopeyouareexcitedto

discoverallthefinalistslisted

overthefollowingpagesand

lookforwardtofindingout

whowillwintheBusiness

ActionNorthDevonBusiness

Awards2021.

■ business-action.co.uk/awards

Special Award

Judgeswereparticularly

impressedwiththeyoungest

entrantintheawards–Kye

Woods–at14yearsold.

InrecognitionofKye’s

outstandingdemonstrationof

enterprisewewillbepresenting

himwithaspecialaward.

fourmembersofthefamily.

Thecowsaregrassfedand

organicwhichgivesthemilka

sweetcreamytastelikeice

cream–differenttoanymilk

youwouldfindinthe

supermarket.Theorganicmilk

issoldthroughavending

machine,withnoplastic

involved,andcustomerscan

reusetheircontainers.

■ milksup.co.uk

@businessactionm | April / May 2021 | business action 21

HEADER

22 business action | April / May 2021 | business-action.co.uk

MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTS

Susie Kevern

Pound Lane

Financial Management

SusieKevernisaChartered

ManagementAccountantwith

20years’experienceworkingin

businesseslargeandsmall.

Overthepast10yearsshehas

builtanindependent

consultancyadvisinggrowing

businessesonmanagingtheir

financestosecurehealthy

profitsandstablecashflow.

Currently,herclients

includenationallyrecognised

brandsaswellaslocal

businesses,insectorsranging

fromprofessionalservices

firmstomanufacturingand

retailbusinesses.

■ Details07801199671or

poundlane.co.uk

MANUFACTURING

Vikas Mahajan

Aramis Rugby

VikasMahajanfoundedAramis

Rugby(Europe)in2000and

officiallytookontheroleof

leadingAramisRugbyLtd

(worldwide)inAugust2013.

BorninIndia,Vikasisthe

thirdgenerationinafamily

businessestablishedsince

1927.Hegraduatedfrom

universitywithadegreein

Economics,Businessand

Accountancy.Inthemidnineties,heattainedaMaster’s

degreeinInternational

Businesswithspecialisationin

tradewiththeEuropean

Union.Hethentrainedwith

LufthansaAirlinesatits

CustomerLoyaltyprogramme

divisioninNewDelhi.Inthe

late1990s,heattainedhis

secondMaster’sdegreein

BusinessAdministration

(MBA)fromBremen

University,Germanywitha

Mike Matthews

Lineal Software Solutions

MikeMatthewsismanaging

directorofBarnstaple-based

LinealSoftwareSolutions,

whichbeganinthe1980sasa

businessapplicationsoftware

provider(accounts,stock,

MRP),andhasgrownto

becomeacomprehensive,

multidisciplinaryITcompany

withateamof25+employees.

AWARDS HEADER

Meet our awards judges

specialisationinGlobal

Managementand

Entrepreneurship.Today,allof

AramisRugbyscrum

machinessoldworldwideare

manufacturedatitsfactoryin

SouthMolton,Devonand

thenexportedworldwide.

■ Details01769550284or

aramisrugby.co.uk

PERSONAL FINANCE

Rod Martin

Together Financial Solutions

RodMartinbeganhiscareerin

financeover25yearsagoand

workedformanyyearsinthe

propertyinvestmentindustry

inLondon.Hethenmovedin

tothebankingsector,spending

severalyearsworkingwithin

themortgagesandwealth

managementsectorsduring

whichtimehealsoranhisown

businessesbothintheUKand

overseaspropertymarkets.

Rodisnowhappilysettled

backinDevonwhereheworks

withTogetherFinancialin

Barnstaplelookingafterclients’

pensionsandinvestmentsasa

FinancialPlanningAdviser.

■ Details01271346123or

togetherfinancialsolutions.co.uk

TECHNOLOGY

Mikeisformerchairmanof

theNorthDevonFederationof

SmallBusinesses(FSB)and

takesakeeninterestin

supportingNorthDevon’slocal

businessesandeconomy.Heis

afrequentspeakeratbusiness

eventsacrosstheregion.

■ Details01271375999or

lineal.co.uk

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Linda Middleton-Jones

International Trade Matters

LindaMiddleton-Jonesisthe

founderandmanagingdirector

ofInternationalTradeMatters,

acompanybasedinDevon.She

iswellknowninNorthDevon

forherworkwiththeNorth

DevonManufacturing

AssociationandSWMAS.

Hercompanyadviseson

internationalstrategicgrowth

planstoaccessnewmarkets,

compliancechecks,auditsand

authorisations.Additionally,

LindaisChairmanofthe

AcademicBoardattheInstitute

ofExportandisadirectorat

DevonandPlymouthChamber

ofCommerce.

■ Details01398332881or

internationaltradematters.com

RETAIL

Helen Pedlar

Pedlars of Ilfracombe

HelenPedlarispartofa150-

year-oldIlfracombefamily

business,nowinitssixth

generation.Helen’s

involvementwiththestore

startedatanearlyagebefore

shetookabreaktostudy

Textilesatuniversity.Today

thebusinessischaracterised

byitsfriendlyandhelpfulstaff

whoarehappytobeof

assistanceandalways

preparedtogothatextramile

toensurecustomer

satisfaction.

■ DetailsatFacebook

@pedlarsofilfracombe

DESIGN

Frank Stone

Kameleon

FrankStoneisacreative

thinkerwhostartedoutonthe

designtrailin1994,launching

hisfirstbusiness20yearsago,

andcurrentlydirectorof

KameleoninBarnstaple.

Withnoformaltrainingor

qualifications,Frankhas

establishedabusinessbuilton

strongreputation,long-term

workingrelationshipsand

excellentcustomerservice,

resultinginamixofclients

largeandsmall,local,national

andinternational,someof

whomhavebeenwithhim

since1999!

■ Details01271634417or

kameleondigital.uk

PERSONAL FINANCE

Rachael Taylor

SWIG Finance

RachaelTaylorhasbeenin

financeforthepast22years,

movingtoNorthDevonin

2007whereshewasalocal

commercialmanagerfor

LloydsBank.

In2019shestartedwith

SWIGFinanceasbusiness

managercoveringDevon

whereshecontinuesto

supportSMEswiththeir

businesses.

■ Details01872223883or

swigfinance.co.uk

@businessactionm | April / May 2021 | business action 23

The North Devon Business of

the Year Award 2021isonce

againsponsoredbyPhilipJ

Milton&CompanyPlc.

Thewinnerwillbeselected

bytheawardsjudgesfromthe

winnersofthe12awards

categories–businessescannot

enterthemselves.

Philip J Milton & Company plc

Wearedelightedandproudto

offerafullyindependent

financialandinvestment

planningserviceandweadvise

uponallaspectsofclients’

financialaffairs.Thecompany

continuestoexpandits

operationsandalsooffersan

AccountancyandTaxation

servicealongwithaWill

Writing,Trusts,Estatesand

ProbateDepartment.

TheCompanyisauthorised

andregulatedbytheFinancial

ConductAuthority(FCA)and

isoneofthelargestandlongest

establishedIndependent

FinancialAdvisersinNorth

Devon.Weareregulatedatone

ofthehighestavailable

AWARDS

North Devon

Business of the Year

sponsored by

categories,beingoneofavery

fewauthorisedtoundertake

discretionaryinvestment

managementandtoholdclient

money.Consequently,weare

requiredtomaintainsizeable

andverystrictfinancial

resourcesatalltimes.The

Company’saccountsaresubject

tothoroughindependentaudit

andfullaccountsarepublished

andsubmittedtotheFCA

regularly.Also,theFinancial

OmbudsmanServiceand

FinancialServices’

CompensationSchemeapplyto

enhanceinvestorprotection

againstfinancialloss.

Withwelloverthreedecades

ofexperience,wealsoboast

someofthehighestfinancial

services’qualificationsinthe

country.Staffareencouraged

andsponsoredtoachieve

qualificationsbeyondthe

industrystandardtoensure

thatwecontinuetodeliveran

excellentservicetoclients.

■ Details01271344300or

miltonpj.net

BARNSTAPLE

Advanced Scaffolding

isanaward-winning

scaffoldingcontractoroffering

affordableservices.Itachieves

thisbygivingallitscustomers

thehighestlevelsofcustomer

careandservice,experience

andexpertise.Ithasafully

qualifiedworkforceof49,and

healthandsafetymattersare

paramount.Itoffersthesame

consistentlyhighlevelofservice

forsmallorlargeprojectsand

hasnationwidecontractswith

Aldisupermarkets,Lloyds

bankandMarks&Spencer,

predominantlyinthesouthof

EnglandandWales.

■ advancedscaffoldingltd.co.uk

WESTWARD HO!

Everything Westward

wasestablishedinthesummer

of2012just57stepsaway

fromtheseainWestwardHo!.

Itisaretailgiftshopselling

Devonsourcedgifts/

photography/jewellery/

cardsandinteriorsandDevon

foodanddrinkfrom70+local

suppliers.Italsooperatesa

busyonlinestoreandoffersa

freelocaldeliveryserviceto

surroundingvillages.Itsells

viaFacebookandInstagram,

andisveryactiveonthese

socialmediachannels.

■ everythingwestward.co.uk

Best Employer Finalists finalists

CLOVELLY

The Clovelly Soap Company

produceshandmadenatural

soap,skincare,bathproducts

andhomefragrance,allmade

fromnaturalingredientswith

sustainabilityattheheartof

everythingitdoes.In2020,it

movedtoanewbuildingat

theVictorianClovellySchool

soitcouldemploymorelocal

people.Theteamiskeytoits

successanditmaintainsa

collaborativeapproachto

managementtoensurethat

staffarehappyintheirwork.

■ theclovellysoapcompany.com

ILFRACOMBE

Foot Candy

providesgoodquality,

fashionableladiesfootwearat

affordableprices.Therehadnot

beenashoeshoponIlfracombe

HighStreetforanumberof

yearsuntilFootCandyopened

inSeptember2020.Thestoreis

modernandcomfortableso

thatcustomersgetthefullretail

experience.Nowladiescan

shoplocalandtreatthemselves

whenevertheywant.

■ facebook.com/FootCandyUK

SOUTH MOLTON

South Molton Scaffolding

isafamily-runscaffolding

companywithmorethan30

years’experience.Itprovidesa

scaffoldingaccessserviceatan

affordableprice,butstill

providingthehighestqualityof

healthandsafety.Itpromotesa

friendly,hardworkingethos

throughoutitsteamof25,from

newapprenticestoitshighly

trained,professional

scaffolders,friendlyofficestaff

andrightonthroughtothe

companymanagement.

■ scaffoldhirenorthdevon.co.uk

Best Retailer finalists

BARNSTAPLE

Home Sweet Home

isafamily-runkitchen

showroomandhomewares

shopwhichopenedin2019.It

providesbespokedesign

kitchensatanaffordableprice.

Allkitchensaremadetoorder

andofveryhighquality.The

homewaresshopprovides

uniqueandluxuriousitemsto

enhancecustomers’homes

andcansourceandsuggest

itemsforcustomers.

■ homesweethomeltd.co.uk

ILFRACOMBE

Terrace Tapas & Wine Bar

servesfreshlycooked,

authenticSpanishtapasand

welcomescustomerstoenjoy

thewarmthofitsserviceand

unhurried,relaxedstyleof

dining.Itemploysateamof15

inmanyrolesthatincludebar

management,waitingstaff,

chefandkitchenassistants,

kitchenporters,cleanersand

runnerswhoallworkinthe

restaurantinIlfracombe.All

itspermanentstaffhavejust

completedapprenticeships,

whichwereundertakenonfull

industrywagetoprovidethe

fullrewardfortheirwork.

■ terracetapasbar.co.uk

BARNSTAPLE

Sew@Home

isaspecialistshopprovidinga

varietyoffabricstoenable

consumerstocreatebeautiful

garments,developandbuildon

existingskills,uncoverhidden

talentandproducesomething

wonderfullyunique.Itwas

establishedinJuly2019bya

motheranddaughterteam.

Whenaskedforanobscure

fabricnotinstock,Sew@Home

willgoallouttosearchforit.

Duringthepandemic,ithas

providedfabricsforscrubsand

facemasks.

■ sewathome.net

24 business action | April / May 2021 | business-action.co.uk

AWARDS

Business-to-Business

Excellence finalists

Consumer Service

Excellence finalists

BARNSTAPLE

Cooper Golding

operatestwohigh-quality

recruitmentdivisions:Cooper

GoldingRecruitmentprovides

afullrangeofrecruitment

servicesfortheSouthWestand

beyond,whileCooperGolding

SpecialistTalentlinksspecialist

talentwithengineeringand

manufacturingbusinesses

acrosstheUK.

■ coopergolding.co.uk

ILFRACOMBE

Savona Foodservice

isanindependentfoodservice

supplier,providingatrusted,

flexiblesolutionforchefs.

Originallyknownas

IlfracombeWholesale

Grocers,itre-brandedthree

yearsago.Itemployssome160

staffwhosupportcustomers

acrossSouthWest,Southern

andCentralEngland.

■ savonagroup.co.uk

BARNSTAPLE

Baby Sensory North Devon

isafranchisecoveringNorth

DevonstartedinNovember

2018.Itsclassesofferafull

sensoryexperienceforparents

andbabies,including

techniquestoencourageearlier

communicationbetween

parentandbaby,andparent/

babybondingamongmany

otherthings.

■ babysensory.com/northdevon/

BARNSTAPLE

The iLab

openedin2011andhas

establisheditselfasthego-to

placeinNorthDevonforall

smartphoneandtabletsales

andrepairs.Withaclose-knit

teamofsevenstaff,itevolves

eachyearbyaddingnew

productsandservicesin

responsetodeveloping

technologyandpopulartrends.

■ theilab.co.uk

MONKLEIGH

Giffords Chartered

Accountants

offersadynamicandmodern

approachtoaccountancyand

cutting-edgetaxservices,yet

hasold-fashionedvalues,

puttingclientsfirst.Itoffers

thefullrangeofaccounts,

businessandtaxationservices,

providingfriendly,efficient

andspecialistadviceneeds.

■ giffordsca.co.uk

BIDEFORD

Smart Manufacturing

wasfoundedin1986andnow

operatesan800-squaremetre

factoryequippedwiththelatest

technologywithitsexperienced

andcapableworkforce.Ithas

addedafurther400-square

metrededicated‘clean’

assemblyareatoincrease

productivityandenhancethe

qualityofitsoperations.

■ smart-manufacturing.co.uk

BARNSTAPLE

Devon Podiatry

comprisesBSc(Hons)Pod

qualifiedexpertsinthefieldof

disordersofthelowerlimb,

fromgeneralfootcaretomore

complexproblemsassociated

withmusculoskeletal

dysfunction.Itoffers

individuallytailored

healthcareservicestoallage

groupsfromchildrentoadults.

■ samdolby.co.uk

ILFRACOMBE

Torrs Park Dental Practice

isanindependentfamily

practicethathasbeenoperating

formorethan100years,35of

themunderthepresentowners.

Itsteamof11offershigh

qualityholistichealthcarewith

atailoredindividualapproach

toensureeachclientreceives

theverybestcare.

■ facebook.com/

torrsparkdentalpractice

E s t . 1 9 8 3

Sustainable Corrugated Cardboard

Packaging with the environment at heart.

Packaging

Solutions for

our Planet.

Also passionate about our Community and

supporting our Charity of the Year 2021.

Roundswell Business Park,

Barnstaple, Devon, EX313TT.

+44(0)1271

344 055

sales@atlaspackaging.co.uk

www.atlaspackaging.co.uk

@businessactionm | April / May 2021 | business action 25

BARNSTAPLE

Aleafia Wellness Centre

isawellnesscentre,focusedon

holistichealth,withan

additionalonlinepresence.It

hasfiveemployees,fourof

whichareunder24,anda

numberoffreelancetrainers

andpractitioners.DuetoCovid

andthelockdowns,ithadto

rethinkhowitdeliveredits

servicestothelocalcommunity

withoutbeingabletoopenits

physicalpremises.Itcreatedthe

Aleafia:WellnessOnDemand

smartphoneapptoremedythis

problem.Itnowoffers120+

classeseachmonthliveonline

throughtheappanddesktop

option,includingyoga,

strengthandconditioning,

danceandmuchmore,allatan

affordableprice.

■ aleafia.co

ILFRACOMBE

Savona Foodservice

isanindependentfoodservice

supplier,providingatrusted,

flexiblesolutionforchefs.

Savona’sstrategicprogramme

ofsystemreplacementsto

providethelatesttechnology

solutionsisradically

improvingitscustomer

APPLEDORE

The Coffee Cabin

openedon20March2014and

pridesitselfonoffering

friendlyservicewithgreat

coffee.Itmakes99%ofwhatit

servesin-house,including

sconessweetandsavoury,

cakes,cookies,shortbread,

soups,stews,chowdersand

curries.Itisalsorenownedfor

itscrabsandwiches.Ituses

localsuppliers–sausages

bacon,gammon,beef,chicken

andporkfromFHeards,

WestwardHo!;fishandcrab

fromthewetfishshopin

Appledore;breadsfrom

CountryCottageBakery,

Bideford.Itcancaterforany

dietaryrequirementsasit

makeseverythingin-houseand

haslotsofreturningcustomers

withallergieswhotrustitto

preparefoodforthem.During

lockdown,itdecidedtorunas

atakeawayonly,evenwhen

allowedtohavepeoplesitting

in,asitfeltthiswasbestfor

everyone’ssafety.

■ facebook.com/

22TheCoffeeCabin

AWARDS

Digital & Online

Achievement finalists

sponsored by

Integraiscommittedtoprovidingtheverybestcommunication,

internetandITsupportforbusinessesfromitsofficesinNorth

DevonandEssex,includingmanagedITsupportandhosted

telecomsviaourownVoIPsystem.

Since2010,we’vebuiltareputationforpersonal,friendlyand

professionalservicethatdoesn’tcosttheearthandhaveworked

withawiderangeofbusinesses,puttingtherighttoolsand

supportinplacetohelpthemgrow.

Withover50years’combinedexperienceinourexpertteam–

andapromisetoalwaystreatyouasanindividual–youcanbe

surethattheadvicewegiveistherightadviceforyourbusiness.

■ Visitintegra.im

propositionandexperience.It

includesanewERPsystem

featuringePOD(electronic

proofofdelivery)andlive

customerordertrackinganda

sophisticatedecommerce

system.

■ savonagroup.co.uk

Excellence in Hospitality

& Tourism finalists

ILFRACOMBE

The Earlsdale

isamodern,high-endadultsonlyBedandBreakfast.Builtin

1885,thecurrentproprietors

acquiredthebusinessin2019

andhaveputconsiderabletime

andresourcesinto

sympatheticallyrestoringthe

building.TheEarlsdaleoffers

sevenrooms,whichsleepupto

14guests.Allitsroomshave

beenupgradedandrenovated

toahighstandard,giving

guestsanunrivalledand

surprisingexperience.Ituses

localsupplierswherever

possible,whichincludeallfood

andbeveragesrightthroughto

localtradespeopleandartisans.

During2020itmatchedits

2019occupancyandrevenue,

evenwithareducedseasondue

toCovidandbalancing

necessarysafetymeasureswith

guests’comfort.

■ theearlsdale.co.uk

BARNSTAPLE

Sciencedipity

isaCommunityInterest

Companywhichhasinspired

youngstersinsciencesince

2014.WhenCovidforcedthe

endofworkshopsforschools

andgroups,communityand

ILFRACOMBE

Hele Cornmill and Tearoom

isa16thcenturywatermill,

theonlyremainingworking

millinNorthDevon.2021is

the10-yearanniversaryofthe

Jonesfamilypurchasingthe

milltopreservetheGradeII

listedbuilding.Itservescream

teasaswellastraditional

Devonshiresplits.Allcakes

aremadeonthepremiseswith

freshlymilledwholemealflour

fromorganicwheatsourcedin

Dorsetandmilledonsite.

Eachseasonitwelcomessome

10,000guests.Whenopenas

normal,itusuallyprovides

full-timeworkforthree

peopleplusuptonineparttimeworkers.Itworksto

accommodatealldietary

requirements(egglutenor

dairy-free)orlifestylechoices

(vegan)andwillgooffmenu

forchildrenorspecialdiets.

■ helecornmill.com

corporateevents,itresponded

bylaunchingSciencedipity

Stay-in-Scienceonlineclubsto

continueitswork.These

includedpracticalfunscience

classesforchildrenandfamilies

withthekitdeliveredtotheir

homes.Theclubsare

certificated,sochildrencan

workstowardtheBritish

ScienceAssociation'sAward.

■ sciencedipity.co.uk

BARNSTAPLE

Top Meadow Farm

isafamily-runretailbutcher

focusedonsourcingproduce

fromsmall-scale,high-welfare,

sustainable,localfarmsaswell

asitsownorganicfarms.Ithas

aretailshopinButchersRow

andanecommercestore,

whichhasbeenvitalduring

thepandemic.Itsonline

systemsautomatemuchofits

managementofsalesanddata,

includingintegrationwithits

UKmainlandcouriersystem,

managinglocaldeliveryzones,

emailmarketing,GDPR

handlingandgenerating

packingslipsandinvoices.It

alsousessocialmediachannels

formarketingandsales.

■ topmeadowfarm.co.uk

LYNTON

St Vincent’s Guest House

wasbuiltin1834andthe

businessacquiredbythe

presentownersinAugust2020.

Sincere-openingtogueststhree

dayslater,theyhavequickly

establishedareputationforhigh

levelsofserviceandhaveeven

beenaddedasan

accommodationproviderbya

specialistwalkingtourholiday

organiser.Thebusinessoffers

sixen-suiteroomsandhas

startedacceptingguests’dogs.

Thehouseandgardenareinthe

processofbeenupgradedand

redecorated,includingnew

carpetstoallrooms,French

polishingoforiginalwoodwork

andmore.Whenmany

businesseshadtorestrict

numbersofdinersdueto

Covid,theproprietorsstartedto

offereveningmeals,whichwere

suchasuccessthatanumberof

guestsoptedtoeatinevery

nightoftheirstay.In2021,light

mealsandafternoonteaswillbe

availableinthegarden,bothto

guestsandthepublic.

■ stvincentlynton.co.uk

26 business action | April / May 2021 | business-action.co.uk

AWARDS

BARNSTAPLE

The Gasman & Son

wasestablished10yearsago

andisnowoneofthemost

successfulheatingcompanies

inNorthDevon.Itemploys10

engineers,threeofficestaffand

twoapprenticesandis

recruitingmoreengineers.All

itsengineerslivelocally,but

coverthesouthofthecountry

uptoBirminghamandWales.

Inadditiontoitsdomestic

customers,itspecialisesin

supportingpharmaand

electronicsfactoriesaswellas

carehomesandhotelchains.Its

corebusinessisplumbing,gas

andsteamengineering.Ithas

wonallitsbusinessbywordof

mouthandrecommendations,

includingitscontractswith

largenationalcompanies.

■ 07805906807

BIDEFORD

Moreton House

isafamily-ownedstately

homeofferingavenuefor

privatefunctionswithon-site

accommodation.Thecurrent

ownershavebeenworkingon

therestorationand

redevelopmentofthisGrade

Excellence in

Construction finalists

sponsored by

Weareoneoftheleadingindependentbuildersmerchantsinthe

SouthWestoperatingoutof20locationsacrossDevon,Cornwall

andSomerset.Atourbranchesyou’llfindawidearrayofhigh

qualityproductsinstock,includinglandscaping,plumbingand

heating,heavysideandlightside,decorating,andgeneralbuilding

materials,aswellasdedicatedkitchen,bathroomandbedroom

showroomsinmanylocations.

Ourbranchteamsarehighlyknowledgeableandareonhandto

offernecessarytechnicalassistance,recommendproductsfromour

extensivestock,andassistwithanyprojectsyou’reundertaking.

Whetherit’sourknowledgeableandreliablestaff,orourgreat

rangeofproducts,weaimtogothatextramilewhetheryou’re

building,maintaining,renovatingorrepairing.

We’redelightedtobeinvolvedinrecognisingalocalherointhe

constructionindustry,asectorveryrelevanttoourbusiness.

■ Visitrgbltd.co.uk

IIlistedGeorgianhousesince

2015.Itwassufferingfrom

dampproblems,roofleaks,

dryrot,wetrot,woodworm,

death-watchbeetle,andwas

institutionalinappearance.It

wasjustfourdegreesindoors

atthetimeofpurchase.The

ownersgaveuptheircareers

forthisprojectandworkwith

localbusinessesandsuppliers,

includingarchitects,builders,

tradesandcrafts,tocreatea

stunningvenue.

■ moretonhousedevon.com

SOUTH MOLTON

South Molton Scaffolding

isafamily-runscaffolding

companywithmorethan30

years’experience.Itprovidesa

scaffoldingaccessserviceata

affordableprice,stillproviding

thehighestqualityofhealthand

safety.Itpromotesafriendly,

hardworkingethosthroughout

itsteamof25,fromnew

apprenticestoitshighlytrained,

professionalscaffolders,

friendlyofficestaffandrighton

throughtothecompany

management.Itcurrently

suppliesscaffoldaccesstonine

differentnewbuildsitesin

NorthDevon,alongwithmany

largecontractjobsforPearce

ConstructionandWest

CountryMaintenance.Ithas

builtalargecustomerbaseof

localbuildersandroofersand

looksafterthebusinessesthat

helpedtobuildthecompany.

■ scaffoldhirenorthdevon.co.uk

Outstanding New

Business finalists

Young Entrepreneur

finalists

ILFRACOMBE

Foot Candy

providesgoodquality,

fashionableladiesfootwearat

affordableprices.Therehadnot

beenashoeshoponIlfracombe

HighStreetforanumberof

yearsuntilFootCandyopened

inSeptember2020.Thestoreis

modernandcomfortableso

thatcustomersgetthefullretail

experience.

■ facebook.com/FootCandyUK

BIDEFORD

Moreton House

isafamily-ownedstately

homeofferingavenuefor

privatefunctionswithon-site

accommodation.Theowners

beganrestoringthehousein

2015,openingpartiallyin

2019beforeopeningproperly

in2020justbeforelockdown.

Theylookforwardtoopening

properlyasafunctionvenue.

■ moretonhousedevon.com

SOUTH MOLTON

Emily Baglow

& Whitney Stoneman

are23-year-oldfashion

graduateswhometatcollege

andreunitedaftergraduation

tolaunchdizzydaze,aslow

fashionbrandcommittedto

designingandmakingbespoke

stylishgarmentsusing

sustainablematerialsand

productionmethods.

■ dizzydaze.co.uk

LYNMOUTH

Liam Drew

age20,wonthetenderto

operateHolein1Lynmouth

andopenedthegreensinApril

2019.HealsostartedTwo

ScoopsTricycleicecream

businessforweddinghireand

isintheprocessofrefurbishing

aformercafeinLyntonin

ordertotransformitintoa

smallrestaurant.

■ holein1lynmouth.co.uk

BARNSTAPLE

Home Sweet Home

isafamily-runkitchen

showroomandhomewares

shopwhichopenedin2019.It

providesbespokedesign

kitchensatanaffordableprice.

Thehomewaresshopprovides

uniqueandluxuriousitemsto

enhancecustomers’homes

andcansourceandsuggest

itemsforcustomers.

■ homesweethomeltd.co.uk

BARNSTAPLE

Top Meadow Farm

isafamily-runretailbutcher

focusedonsourcingproduce

fromsmall-scale,high-welfare,

sustainable,localfarmsaswell

asitsownorganicfarms.It

openeditsretailshopin

ButchersRowin2020and

operatesanecommercestore,

whichhasbeenvitalduringthe

pandemic.

■ topmeadowfarm.co.uk

WESTWARD HO!

Jemma Broadstock

age25,startedherfirst

businessat15before,more

recently,establishinga

successfulvirtualassistant

practice.Followingitssuccess,

shehaslaunchedVirtually

Done,anonlinecommunityto

supportentrepreneursand

offersgroupprogrammes,1:1

mentoringandonlinecourses.

■ instagram.com/virtuallydone

BARNSTAPLE

Stacey Ibbotson

age20,spottedagapinthe

marketandopenedafabric

shopwithhermother.Stacey

hadnopreviousknowledgeof

fabric,sewing,stockand

suppliers,accountingor

business.Shehasnowlearned

howtorunasuccessful

businessandalsohowtosew

andmakegarmentsherself.

■ sewathome.net

@businessactionm | April / May 2021 | business action 27

CLOVELLY

The Clovelly Soap Company

produceshandmadesoap,

skincare,bathproductsand

homefragrancefromnatural

ingredientswithsustainability

attheheartofeverythingit

does.Itexportshandmade

soap,candlesandskincareboth

underitsownbrandand

privatelabels.Itcurrently

exportstoIceland,Singapore,

EUAmazon,Netherlands,Italy,

Germany,MalaysiaandChina.

AdistributorinSingapore

stocks10shops,adistributorin

Icelandstocksthreeshopsand

ithaslotsofsmallstockists

throughoutEurope.

■ theclovellysoapcompany.com

ILFRACOMBE

Lambland

isaretailersellingBritishmadefootwearandcustommadesheepskinrugsonline

andthroughashopon

IlfracombeHarbour.Itflies

theBritishflagoverseas,

promotingBritish-madeitems

viathird-partymarketplaces

suchasEbayandEtsyaswell

SOUTH MOLTON

dizzydaze

isaslowfashionandinteriors

brandnewlylaunchedbytwo

aspiringdesignerswhosharea

colourfulvision.Eachpieceis

designedandhandmadefrom

itssmallNorthDevonstudio.

Allproductsaremadetoorder

withlimitedstocktominimise

environmentalimpact.

dizzydazeaimstocelebratethe

natureofhand-craftsmanship

andcreativedesign,while

movingtowardsamore

sustainablefuture.Aswellas

standardsizing,itoffersamadeto-measureservice,which

ensuresitemsfitperfectly.

■ dizzydaze.co.uk

BARNSTAPLE

Dymond Engineering

providesaresponsivesheet

andtubemetalfabrication

service,offeringdesignand

value-engineeringwitha

solutions-focusedapproach,as

wellasspecialistexpertisein

shopfittingsanddisplay

equipment.Itmanufactures

sub-contractmetalworkfor

leadingfit-outcompanies,

joinerycompaniesand

manufacturers.Recently,ithas

diversified,quicklygaining

AWARDS

International Trade

finalists

sponsored by

FoundedbymanagingdirectorLindaMiddleton-Jones,

InternationalTradeMattersLtdprovidesindependenttailored

supporttoSMEsandmicrobusinesses.

Levelsofengagementcanincludeatelephone-basedExport

Responsesupportservice,helpandadvicewithexport

documentationandaccreditations,orafully-embeddedExport

Managertooperateortrainyourexportdepartment.

■ Visitinternationaltradematters.com

asonitsownwebsite.It

exportsworldwideandits

mainmarketsareFrance,

Germany,USAandAustralia.

Ithasalsoestablished

relationshipsinNewZealand

andNorthernIreland.

■ lambland.co.uk

Made in North Devon

finalists

sponsored by

BIDEFORD

Peak Online

startedin2014inHongKong,

movedbacktotheUKin

Cardiff,theninJuly2017

movedtoNorthDevonwhere

ithasexpandedlocally.It

exportsitswebdesignand

TheSignMakermanufactureshighqualitysignsandmemorialsto

suitallbudgets,offeringahugechoiceinmaterials,fontsand

images.Italsoprovidesamassiverangeofstandardsafetysigns,

postersandequipment.

Wemakesomanydifferentsignsjustthewayyouwantthem–

housesigns,homesignsandnameplates,doornumbers,memorial

plaques,businesssignsandwheelcovers.Ifyouneedadvicewith

anyofthesigns,plaques,businesssignage,memorialsorgiftsdo

callus01769561355.

OurmainworkshopsarebasedinNorthDevon,butwesendour

signsallovertheworld.Weknowweareluckytobesituatedinthe

countryandourwebsiteshowshowwecareforourcountryside.

Visitourwebsitetoseethehugevarietyofsignageweoffer.You

canplaceordersbyphone,emailorviaouronlineshop.

■ Visitsign-maker.net

recognitionforitshigh

quality.Anexampleisthe

TotalTrainingTower(TX3),

anelitestandardhomegym

towerdevelopedinpartnership

withaparacanoeathlete.

■ dymondengineering.co.uk

LYNTON

Moat House

beganhandcraftingwooden

sunglassesin2013afterinitially

makingapairfromafallenoak

limb.Fromthis,theideawas

digitalmarketingservicesto

clientsinHongKongaswellas

inAustralia,China,Japan,the

MiddleEastandUSA.By

offeringafullrangeofservices,

clientsonlydealwithone

personforeverything.Some

foreignsclientsexporttothe

UK,sobenefitfromthePeak

Online’slocalknowledge.

■ northdevon.peakonline.uk.com

BARNSTAPLE

ThreadLOXX

startedjustunderoneyearago

andnowattractscustomers

fromallovertheworldto

purchaseitsproductsonline,

withmostsalesfromtheUSA.

Thebusinesssellsmainly

ToggleLOXX,adreadlockhair

tiesolutionithasdeveloped

andmanufacturesitselffroma

rangeofqualityhardwoods.

ThreadLOXXhasbeen

approachedbysalonsand

locticiansaboutstockingits

itemsanditnowhasstockists

aroundtheworld,including

theUSA,Finlandand

Australia,aswellintheUK.

■ ThreadLOXX.Etsy.com

borntomanufacturewooden

sunglassesasasustainable

businessandMoatHousehas

solditsproductsatshowsand

festivalsacrossthecountryand

morerecentlyfromitswebsite.

Ithasalsowonawardsfor

sustainability,qualityandstyle.

AllMoatsunglassesaremade

fromre-purposedor

responsiblysourcedhardwood.

■ moat-house.com

BARNSTAPLE

ThreadLOXX

startedjustunderoneyearago

andisnowsellingits

ToggleLOXXdreadlockhair

tieproductsacrosstheworld.

ToggleLOXXistheonlyhighqualityhardwooddreadlock

accessoryavailableandis

recognisedandlovedbythe

dreadlockscommunity.They

aremadeonlyfromquality

hardwoods.Alotoftimewas

spentondevelopmentand

productionduringlockdown

andgreatcareistakento

ensurethateachitemis

finishedtothebestpossible

standard.Theirqualityis

confirmedbymorethan200

5-starreviewsonEtsy.

■ ThreadLOXX.Etsy.com

28 business action | April / May 2021 | business-action.co.uk

ILFRACOMBE

Ellie Court

Savona Foodservice

Ellieisashiftsupervisorfor

SavonaFoodservice.Shetakes

careoftransportrouting,

organisespickingschedules,

pickingandloading,sorts

NATOPSandsubstitutionsand

processesinvoices.Newtothe

industry,Ellie’straining

covered:transportrouting;

QnetexERPsystem;ePodand

scannertraining;management

training.Ellieisan

encouragementandinspiration

eventolongstandingcolleagues

whohaveyearsofexperience

andknowledge.

■ savonagroup.com

ILFRACOMBE

Kayne Harvey

Terrace Tapas & Wine Bar

Kayneissecondchefinabusy

kitchen.Hepreparesthefood

freshlyeveryday,cooksto

orderunderpressureand

supervisesjuniorstaff.He

completedhisapprenticeship

undertryingcircumstances,

includingissueswiththe

trainingprovider,buthis

AWARDS

Highest Achieving

Learner finalists

sponsored by

AtlasPackagingistheUK’sleadingindependentcardboardbox

company.Ourmainaimistoprovideourcustomerswiththebest

bespokecorrugatedpackagingandtodothiswehaveour

owndesignandproductionservice.Ateverystepoftheprocessit’s

conductedaccuratelywhilstkeepingourpriceshighlycompetitive.

Weunderstandthatlongwaitingtimes,costsandpoorquality

canharmtheimpressionofyourbusinesses.ButhereatAtlas

Packagingwehavetheadvantageofhousingbothdesign

andmanufacturingfacilitiesonsitewhichallowsustofasttrack

theprocessofmakingyourcorrugatedpackaging.Wekeepour

pricesfairandcompetitivetoensurethatthehighestquality

standardsaremaintainedthroughouttheprocess.Andwith

constantreinvestmentandconsultationweareabletoofferstateof

theartprintingandmanufacturingservicestomaintainqualityat

itsverybesteverystepoftheway.

■ Visitatlaspackaging.co.uk

motivation,persistenceand

determinationenabledhimto

succeedandheshoweda

maturitybeyondhisyears.

Duringthistime,hisskilland

dedicationhasgrown,along

withhisconfidenceinhis

work,contributiontothe

businesssuccessandtheteam

heworksin.

■ terracetapasbar.co.uk

ASHREIGNEY

James Timms

Harvey Precision Tools

Jameshasrecentlycompleted

anadvancedapprenticeshipin

engineeringtoolmakingwhile

workingatHarveyPrecision

Tools.Hehasachievedalevel3

BTECinmechanical

engineeringandaNVQ3in

engineeringtoolmakingaswell

ascompletinghisadvanced

apprenticeship.Allthetime,

Jameshasappliedhimself

completelyandwithfulleffort.

Hehasbothanaptitudeandan

interestinmakingcomplex

partsutilisingmanydifferent

precisetoolmakingprocesses.

Hehasshownaparticular

aptitudeforworkinginthis

environmentandhis

dedication,willingnesstolearn,

commitmentandattitude,as

wellashisabilitytoadaptto

Covid-19restrictions,have

beenextremelyimpressive.

■ ValleyViewFarm,Ashreigney

Embedded global

trade expertise for

your business

Export

Manager

Export Manager Service is a great way to bring

expert skills and experience into your company and

can be delivered from as little as one day per month

by an international trade specialist

INTERNATIONAL

TRADE MATTERS

Unlock your Export Potential

internationaltradematters.com

Overseas Business Development | Compliance | Training & Support

@businessactionm | April / May 2021 | business action 29

Business Action | April / May 2021

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