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news opinion
Following the spectacularly successful 2012 Olympics, there is much talk about ’legacy’
One of the great legacies of the brilliance of London 2012 is the strength of Brand GB.
We have shown the world that while we may be quirky, perhaps a little bonkers, we know how to organise and how to win. We are also great people to do business with because we are charming, respectful, self-deprecating, and yet creative, confident and clever.
Team GB may now be resting up, but Brand GB should be out there in the global marketplace, feeding off the goodwill that we have built through perhaps the best Olympics ever.
There is another legacy. The Olympics has shown us that hard work and tenacity are as important as the possession of natural gifts. It’s incredible what can be achieved through dedication and self-belief.
This is an important lesson for our young people. It has been said elsewhere, but worth repeating, that the Olympics role models are where our teenagers’ gaze should be concentrating, rather than the preening and purposeless so-called ’celebs’ of Big Brother and other reality shows.
We have heroes and champions on these shores. If that does not inspire a new spirit of entrepreneurialism in our youngsters, and a new wave of global trading among our businesses, then nothing will.
The recession may be still with us, but the recovery can be fuelled by the high octane of 2012.
David Murray Publisher
www.businessmag.co.uk
Left: Wellstead Primary School at Hedge End Above: Library extension at the University of Portsmouth
Region’s best buildings judged
The second biennial 2012 Solent Design Awards, sponsored by the Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH) and the Barker Mills Foundation, has shortlisted some stunning new or redeveloped buildings, places or spaces across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight which inspire the community in a recession.
Uniquely for such competitions, the public will again be asked to vote for their favourite in an online poll at
www.solentdesignawards.org.uk, opening on October 1.
The Solent Design Awards aim to encourage quality developments and the shortlisted schemes show how places and spaces can lift communities and create richer experiences. Competition organiser Paul Grover of the University of Portsmouth said:
“Our area is a wonderful place to live and the Solent Design Awards recognise new developments which add to the quality of life it offers, to the workplace experience and to the appreciation of the environment in which we live.“
He highlighted the importance of the public poll: “We professionals will see the buildings or places in a particular context; it’s just as important that we know what the public think, as they are the people for whom it must add value. So the People’s Choice is a vital part of the scheme.
“The first Solent Design Awards in 2010 were very successful in identifying real quality. We want to celebrate what good design is adding to the community in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Even in the most difficult economic
times, good design matters more than ever, as it can add value without increasing costs.“
Winners in 2010 were the library extension at the University of Portsmouth, also the People’s Choice, and Wellstead Primary School at Hedge End. “When all the partners in the design process come together, great places can be achieved as these two projects demonstrated,“ Grover continued.
The awards are supported by the University of Portsmouth and the judging panel includes: Bryan Avery, design director of Avery Architects, best known for IMAX London and the Museum of the Moving Image; Professor Lorraine Farrelly, deputy head of the School of Architecture at the University of Portsmouth, and Terence O’ Rourke, architect and town planner.
New ruling on holiday pay will cost businesses
Holiday pay for the long-term sick could prove a ’fatal blow’ for small businesses. Leading Hampshire law firm Moore Blatch is warning that small businesses could be hit hardest by a recent Court of Appeal decision that has ruled employees should be paid for holiday accumulated while they are off sick.
The decision means employers may now face having to pay employees for holiday time they could not take while on long-term sick leave, with employees able to claim back that holiday pay even if they have now left the company.
“For businesses, particularly small to medium-sized firms, these additional costs could prove a fatal blow, as they may run into hundreds of pounds,“ explained Katherine Maxwell of Moore Blatch.
She added: “Employers are now in an unusual position where they may also owe backdated annual leave pay to employees who have been on sick leave for a long time. In the current economic climate, this is likely to be a cost firms can ill afford.“
Employees now have the right to either be paid the leave or to have it
carried over if they are off sick on a long-term basis and do not have the opportunity to take their holiday time.
In the October issue of The Business Magazine
• Law South East/The Legal 500 • Commercial Property • Christmas Hospitality • Manufacturing • Banking Update
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THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – SOLENT & SOUTH CENTRAL – SEPTEMBER 2012
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