THAME based portrait photographer, Mark Hewitson, followed up on his Small Business Sunday twitter win when he met Theo Paphitis in Birmingham on Friday, February 23.
Mark, who owns Mark Hewitson Photography in Thame, was selected by Theo Paphitis in June 2017, when he sent a tweet to the Dragons Den star as part of his Small Business Sunday initiative. The tweet about Mark’s business was retweeted by Theo to his 500,000 Twitter followers.
As a result of being part of the SBS family, Mark was invited to attend an exclusive winners event in Birmingham on Friday. As well as attending several seminars, part of the event involved meeting Theo and being presented with his certificate.
Theo Paphitis, Chairman of the Theo Paphitis Retail Group that encapsulates the Ryman Stationery, Boux Avenue and Robert Dyas brands, revealed at the event that only 0.68% of the 329,000 SBS entries since the inception of the award in 2010 have been chosen as winners.
Mark said: “Since winning SBS last June, I have seen an increase in both business headshot bookings as well as twitter followers. The event on Friday was a fantastic day which gave me many great ideas for taking my business forward in 2018, and concluded with me chatting to Theo about my business. I feel honoured to be part of the select group of winners of this exclusive business award.”
Mark has a reputation for creating beautiful family and pet portraits and can be contacted via his website at markhewitson.co.uk or on 01844 278015.
Anyone looking to be part of the #SBS family should tweet Theo @TheoPaphitis about their business on Sunday between 5pm and 7.30pm and include the hashtag #SBS. Six lucky businesses are re‐tweeted every Monday at 8pm and then reap the benefits of the #SBS networking opportunities.
A Thame firm, that installs integrated home technology, such as multi-room audio-visual entertainment and touch-of-a-button lighting and heating control, is celebrating after attending the recent ISE (Integrated Systems Europe) trade show in Amsterdam.
The Cyberhomes crew share their celebrations with their twitter followers
Cyberhomes, based at Station Yard in Thame, were named as DEALER OF THE YEAR by the home automation and control system manufacturer Control4. Cyberhomes has been installing integrated home technology systems since 2004, and Thamenews.net covered the opening of their state-of-the-art showroom in Howland Road, Thame, by the then Mayor, David Bretherton, in October 2007 (See LINK).
The company recently completed a luxury home in St John’s Wood, with home technology integration value in excess of £650,000, using 19 Control4 EA-3 and EA-5 control and automation processors and 16 Control4 in-wall touchscreens.
Cyberhomes Director, Ion Smith, said: “The Control4 range of products gives us great flexibility and scalability allowing us to specify it on projects ranging from a single home cinema room through to the whole house integration of some of London’s most prestigious homes.”
“Our presence in Europe and Asia continues to grow, bolstered by expanding dealer capacity and our local support in UK, Frankfurt, China, and Australia,” added Bryce Judd, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales for Control4. “These awards recognize the best dealers and distributors, and project awards give us the opportunity to showcase the stellar work dealers have done installing Control4 systems in homes, commercial spaces, MDUs and hotels, and even yachts.”
Cyberhomes work closely with developers, housebuilders, architects, interior designers and M&E consultants to integrate control and AV systems with the overall building design and performance. The Cyberhomes founders have a background in outside-broadcasting technology for the BBC and say that they take the same rigorous approach with the equipment, cabling and software behind home automation projects.
You can find out more by visiting the website: www.cyberhomes.co.uk
THE White Stuff store in Thame, needs just one more push to place Thame at the top of the clothing chain's league table for the most funds raised during this week's LIVE LOVE LOCAL event.
Throughout the week, White Stuff have been running a different activity each day, including childrens’ art and craft activitities, raffles, table tops sales of donated toys, toileteries etc, with the aim of raising as much money as possible for its chosen local charity, the Thame and District Day Centre. Tomorrow, Saturday, is the last day of the LIVE LOVE LOCAL campaign, and to help Thame take that No.1 spot, they’re running a cake-baking competition. Anyone can enter, so take along your signature bake for judging by mid-day – and eating by anyone who turns up, for a donation.
Thame.net went along to the White Stuff shop earlier today to find out for ourselves what’s behind LIVE LOVE LOCAL, and to hear from Retail Assistant Beth, how the businesses and people of Thame have been getting behind the cause, to help our wonderful Day Centre, which, by the way has had its funding towards rent cut and may struggle to stay open into the future.
AN idea to bring a new event to the centre of Thame, has been proposed by a couple who run a Delicatessen and Lifestyle & Homeware shop in the town. (more…)
THOMAS Wylam, who is in his final-year at school, has completed a productive year developing his business idea, Cupcycl, after winning first prize in the Small Business Saturday Young Entrepreneurs Competition, held in Thame last December.
The competition, which was sponsored by CarmichaelUK, a specialist civil engineering and construction recruitment company headquartered in Thame, was open to young entrepreneurs under the age of 30 who had a great business idea and were based in Oxfordshire or Buckinghamshire.
Thomas’s big idea
Over 8 million paper cups are disposed of every day, but they aren’t made from easily recyclable materials and take 30 years to rot down in landfill sites. Cupcycl is a waste management project that aims to reduce the number of throwaway cups being disposed of via landfill by providing the infrastructure for throwaway cups to be properly recycled and turned into new goods.
The scheme will operate by providing collection points in local coffee shops and cafes. Consumers leave a coffee shop with their drink and once done consuming their beverage, drop the empty cup into the nearest collection point as they walk past. Thomas then empties each collection point once a week and once packaged and the different materials segregated, he ships these to a recently launched scheme, Cupcycling , run by James Cropper PLC who use the materials to manufacture some of the world’s most distinctive and technically advanced paper products.
How Cupcycl will makes money
CupCycl is a non-profit enterprise. The revenue comes from local business who pay a membership fee that covers Cupcycl’s fixed costs (the collection point, labour, marketing, waste couriers license) and a small fee per cup recycled through their collection point. Included in the budget is a minimum wage of £5.60 for Thomas himself, or someone else to collect the cups from the coffee shop/cafe.
On completing his first year, Thomas, who attends Princess Risborough Upper School, said: “Thame’s Young Entrepreneur Competition gave me the opportunity to take an idea and run with it. It’s fantastic to have gone through this process and get to where I am now, with a project that brings something unique to the local area.
“Thanks to the event sponsor, CarmichaelUK, the prize included not only the financial means to start up CupCycl, but also 12 months of mentoring. This helped me develop my scheme so that I could exhibit at Thame Food Festival, where I recycled the cups of over 1,200 visitors to my stand. I’m delighted with the interest I’ve had from other local event organisers, who may run this scheme at their events.”
Collection points in Thame
“The goal for 2018 is to install collection points in Thame so that coffee shop customers can dispose of their cups and ensure that they get recycled, rather than go to landfill. Currently, even cups put in recycling bins end up being picked out as contaminants and put into landfill, because recycling authorities don’t have facilities to separate the wax coating that waterproofs paper cups.”
Owen Mendez, Commercial Director of CarmichaelUK, the competition sponsors, said: “It’s great to be able to support innovation and encourage entrepreneurship in the next generation of business people.”
L to R – Sarah Fletcher, Thomas Wylam, Jemima King, Jackie Jarvis and Owen Mendez
Jackie said: “Thomas is really impressive, incredibly well-organised, and has a good business head on his shoulders. He took on board everything I told him about opening up opportunities, participated in my natural stress-free selling programme, and appreciated the value of tips from my book Quick Wins in Sales and Marketing.”
Sarah too was impressed with Thomas. She said: “Thomas attended one of my Facebook workshops and attended a private mentoring session. It was great to see him absorb information and come up with ideas for social media and how he could implement them. I’m looking forward to seeing his business progress and becoming a great success.”
Jemima said: “We discussed business planning, including the importance of budgeting and the implications of different business structures. We were impressed with Tom’s enthusiasm and commitment to running a business while completing his A-Level exams.”
The Young Entrepreneurs Competition has taken a break this year, but it’s intended to run it again in 2018. Sponsors are being sought and if any businesses in the local area are interested, they should contact Helen Johns at helen.johns39@gmail.com or on 0771 743 4983.
EMPLOYERS are finding it increasingly difficult to find the necessary skills within their workforce to meet the demands of a digital based business environment. Thame’s Lord Williams’s School has taken the initiative and invited local employers to share their skills requirements and explore ways of preparing students for the digital workplace.
Recent reports produced this year highlight the growing concern over the shortfall in digital skills and how this deficit threatens the productivity and competitiveness of UK businesses. The finding from the study conducted with 1,400 businesses by the British Chamber of Commerce (April 2017) revealed that 75% of businesses reported they had a gap in their existing workforce and 84% saying digital skills are more important to their business now than two years ago. Training in terms of cost, time and provider is quoted as a barrier to up-skilling the existing workforce, but what are schools doing to prepare young people for the digital workplace?
Nicky Stallwood, the Careers Manager at the school explained: “We know from conversations with employers how much digital skills are valued. However the recent changes to the ICT and Computer Science curriculum have meant that proportionately less students now have or take up the opportunity to learn these skills.”
In response to this digital skills issue both in education and in the workplace, local employers were invited to join senior school staff to explore what support might be developed with local employers to extend the digital skills learning in school. Dr Melanie Smans from Economic Development at the South Oxfordshire District Council, set the local scene by sharing the findings from the council’s recent Business Innovation Skills survey where a quarter of SMEs lack digital skills in their workplace.
Ditching ICT GCSE ‘was a mistake’
The school’s Head of Computer Science, Debbie Keith enlightened employers on the changes and U turns in government policy with regards to ICT and Computer Science. The Royal Society has criticised the government for rushing ahead with an unsuitable, more technical Computer Science qualification after ditching the more general ICT GCSE. The Royal Society’s report revealed that over half (54%) of secondary schools didn’t offer Computer Science at GCSE in 2015-16 due to staff shortages in the subject area, and budget cuts.
Managing Director of Groves, a large Haberdashery warehouse and distribution firm in Thame, and former pupil of the school made his expectations clear: “All students need a very good basic grasp of IT skills to ensure they succeed in employment now and in the future.’” Alun Rowe, Managing Director of Pentangle, a software development company in Thame shared his dismay at the current computer skills situation in schools: “In light of the current lack of digital skills at all levels across the UK, I find it, as both an employer and a parent, terrifying that our children’s access to computers in the classroom is being reduced as opposed to increased.”
Local group to work more closely with the school
As a result of the discussions at the school, Alun Rowe is getting together a group of interested employers to work more closely with the school to offer additional digital skills to students.
If you are interested in getting involved or learning more, you can contact Alun at Pentangle: alun.rowe@pentangle.co.uk
NOTE: Lord Williams’s School is an academy trust school for over 2000 students including Sixth Form. The Business Breakfast meetings are run three times a year and open to interested local businesses. Contact: Nicky Stallwood; E: n.stallwood@lordwilliams.oxon.sch.uk T: 01844 210524
South Oxfordshire District Council will be withdrawing the funding for the Market Town Co-ordinators, including Thame’s, Becky Reid, from the end of the year.
Thame Market Town Co-ordinator, Becky Reid
SODC is responsible for the Economic Development of its Market Towns, Thame, Henley and Wallingford, and it is from that department that Becky’s salary was covered. Thame Town Councillors at Tuesday’s meeting of the Thame Neighbourhood Continuity Committee (TNCC) considered the MTC role to have contributed positively to the economic vitality of the town (SEE REPORT from the recent Thame Business Forum meeting) and expressed disappointment at the withdrawal of the money by SODC.
‘We have been ignored’
The Town Clerk, Graham Hunt, said: “All three Market Towns, Henley, Wallingford and Thame, have put in significant justification for maintaining the post, but we have been ignored.”
Cllr Bob Austen, Chair of the TNCC, said that the only words he could think of for South Oxfordshire District Council, were those used in the novel, Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons (to describe Adam Lambsbreath’s cows): “..Graceless, Aimless, Feckless, and Pointless.”
‘Local businesses have benefited’
A spokesperson for the Economic Working Group of 21st Century Thame, with whom Becky has worked on many projects, including Small Business Saturday, the Great British High Street competition, the Food Trail, Business Surveys and Business forums, said: “It is very disappointing that this funding for the continued economic well-being of Thame, which SODC purports to support, has been taken away. Becky has been instrumental in bringing to fruition so many of the good things that have happened in Thame this year. These projects and events have helped local businesses benefit by keeping the visitors and local people coming into town, and contributing so much to Thame’s economic well-being.”
Thame Town Council will continue to employ Becky for next year out of its reserves, but has stated that the following year, there would have to be an increase on the Precept for Thame Council Tax payers, if she is to be kept in post after 2018.
Committee members agreed that the Town Clerk should write to express, in the strongest possible terms, the concerns of the Council at the decision to cut £11k of funding for the Market Town Co-ordinators.
THAME’S loss of suitable business premises for growing firms to move into, is the fault of the government’s planning regulations, was one of the views discussed at Thame’s first Town Centre Business Forum.
The forum, held on Thursday, November 2, brought together several Thame town centre businesses and organisations, including 21st Century Thame, architects, recruitment agencies, cafe owners, hairdressers, therapists and accountancy firms. It was set up by Thame’s Market Town Co-ordinator, Becky Reid, to support and improve the economic vitality of the town centre by giving an opportunity for regular communication between local authorities and private business and other stakeholders in the town.
Government has ‘stymied’ us
Helena Fickling, who has a Architectural practice, told delegates: “Central government has stymied efforts to provide business space with its ‘Lawful development’ planning regulation which means that developers can change vacated officer buildings into apartments without planning permission for change of use.
“What happened with the Angus Fire building in Wenman Road in Thame illustrates the point.”
“There’s lots of space for new houses but not enough for employment space,” suggested another delegate.
Digital Thame, parking and spruced up town entry points
During an open discussion, delegates discussed their suggested priorities for the forum to focus on at future meetings. These included more information sharing between the local authorities and local businesses, a regular news letter, a ‘digital presence’ for Thame – perhaps an information App for visitors to the town where businesses could advertise, recruitment, a parking attendant for the town centre and improvements to some of the town’s entrances, particularly the ‘Waitrose’ roundabout in Aylesbury Road.
Sally Evans, who runs regular Artists and Makers fairs in the town hall, suggested that the international markets that come to the town should be better managed, citing crowded and blocked pedestrian areas making moving around difficult and unsafe at times, for pedestrians and wheelchair users.
‘Smelly’ toilets and the cost of cardboard waste removal
Another delegate complained about ‘smelly’ toilets and the Chair of the forum, Cllr Peter Lambert, suggested a joint cardboard waste recycling system, to possibly be used in conjunction with Windles, who have a recycling machine that turns cardboard into pellets that can be recycled. Such a scheme could replace the current system where independent businesses have to pay SODC per bag to have waste cardboard taken away.
The future of Thame’s economy
Becky Reid described her role as Market Town Co-ordinator and what she had been doing to support the town centre economy, including events like the ‘Dressed to Impress’ shop window competition, working with 21st Century Thame to up-date the shopping guide, the recent Art Trail and the business survey. Her Action Plan can be read in full HERE
Also at the forum, talking about his role as SODC’s Economic Development Officer, David Cookson talked about SODC’s Corporate Plan for Thame, ‘creating the right conditions for economic growth over the next four years’, including the branded SO Business website, which is a one-stop information and advise point for SMEs. His Action Plan for Thame has four priorities: Super-fast Broadband, providing Business Space in the district, working to fill skills and employment gaps in a district that has almost full employment; to improve engagement with businesses.
Future meeetings for Thame businesses
January 18, 2018 – Noggin Workshop ‘Data’. Times 3pm – 7pm. This will be a 2-part workshop with Businesses invited from 5pm. Details to follow.
Town Centre Business forums. 5.30pm. Upper Chamber, Thame town hall – 15 Feb; 19 Apr; 21 Jun; 13 Sept; 15 Nov; with an event on 1 Dec to celebrate Small Business Saturday.
THIS month’s Late Breakfast Thame meeting will be next Thursday, November 9, at The Spread Eagle Hotel, when the guest presenter will be Greg Lovett, of Fizz Accounting.
The first Late Breakfast Thame was nine years (and one month) ago. How has life changed for small businesses since then, and how might it change in the next nine years? Greg will discuss.
Thame is a dynamic town in Oxfordshire that has a lively business community. This meeting is an opportunity to meet some of these businesses in an informal networking atmosphere.
