BUSINESS WEST MEMBER NEWS IN BRIEF


Bristol based Unite Students, The UK’s largest purpose- built student accommodation provider, has donated a further £5 million to the Unite Foundation. The Foundation works with universities to provide accommodation and scholarships to talented and ambitious students lacking family support. So far, there have been 118


Unite Foundation students with a further 50 scholarship students currently being selected for the 2016/17 academic year. Philip Bakstad, student


Devolution: focus on strategic planning B


uilt environment design, planning and regeneration consultancy Nash Partnership has recruited three new career experienced


members to its team. Ciaran Andrews, Paul Miller and Richard Mather-Jones


(pictured) have joined the practice’s Bath and Bristol studios, bringing with them a wealth of experience of working with public and private sector clients. Ciaran joins the practice’s architecture team from


London practice MRA Architecture & Interior Design and Richard joins from Stride Treglown in Bath. Paul has joined the practice’s urban design team from the London studio of international placemaking practice JTP.


Commenting on the recent recruitments, senior


partner Edward Nash said: “We are delighted to welcome Ciaran, Paul and Richard to the team, where they will each play an important role on a range of projects for our public sector and private clients. Through these appointments, and others to come, we are continuing to add to the breadth and depth of our


of high profile projects in Bath and Bristol, including a large mixed-use development and a scheme to create 58 new dwellings. It is also handling country house projects, factory developments and other urban renewal projects in Bristol, Bath, Cheltenham and Herefordshire as well as projects further afield in Chelsea, Berkshire and on the north and south coasts of Wales.


Protect against cyber fraud


UK law firms’ losses to cyber fraud have jumped by 40% in the last year as the costs of email hacking continue to rise, says Hazlewoods, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers. Hazlewoods says that the value


of funds lost to cyber frauds at law firms in the six months from November 2015 to April 2016 totalled £2.53 million, up 40% in the same period a year earlier. Hazlewoods explains that there


has been a sharp rise in the number of attempts by fraudsters to trick law firms into transferring


funds to them by hacking the email accounts of the firms’ employees, or more commonly, their clients. Hazlewoods warns that the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is duty-bound to take a hard line on firms that lose client funds to cyber frauds. In these cases the SRA expects firms to immediately replace the money lost from its own funds, without waiting for its insurance to cover the loss. If this is not possible, the firm and its owners risk serious reprimands from the regulator. Andy Harris, director at


Hazlewoods, said: “Every law firm needs to ensure that all its staff are trained to be vigilant, and treat with suspicion any request for a transfer of funds. “All employees need to follow


basic data security rules and staff should also be trained in identifying suspected phishing emails.”


For free online training courses to help business protect against cyber threats, visit


www.gov.uk/government/collec tions/cyber-security-training-for- business


design capability, urban renewal experience, conservation expertise and construction delivery. They complement our carefully tailored skillset of architects, planners and regeneration experts for clients involved in managing change for the built environment. “Regional city devolution is bringing a new focus on


the value of strategic spatial planning. The prospect of leaving the EU will endorse expectations of spreading economic, social and cultural growth more evenly across the country; creating the understanding and the intelligence this will happen is the task we are all involved in.” Nash Partnership is currently working on a number


Accountancy, investment management and tax group, Smith & Williamson, has announced three senior promotions in its Bristol office. Faye Hall has been made a


director while Helen Bassett and Jane Grimsted have been promoted to associate director. Mike Lea, managing partner


at Smith & Williamson’s Bristol office, said: “We are delighted to announce these senior- level promotions which recognise the hard work and commitment which Faye, Helen and Jane have shown to their clients as well as their contribution to the business over many years. Smith & Williamson has a strong culture of reward and recognition which translates into a long and dedicated service from our people and a loyal client base.”


SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016 insight 11


support coordinator at Liverpool John Moores University, said: “We decided to partner the Unite Foundation because of the invaluable support the scholarships provide to some of the most vulnerable students accessing higher education. We are incredibly proud of our first cohort of students who will be graduating this summer. To graduate without family support is a real achievement and our Unite Foundation students therefore deserve special recognition.”


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