1813 Club and Premier Members
1813 Club and Premier Members
Greater Birmingham’s leading companies Music charity
moves online An education and training charity that was planning to stage the UK’s largest youth proms at Symphony Hall has been forced to change its tune. Services For Education, which
works with 570 schools in Birmingham and across the region, has had to switch its focus online since the lockdown began. Until March, the organisation was
teaching music to 38,000 children in Birmingham and delivering 190 training courses for teachers in schools and at its conference facilities in Aston. Sharon Bell, chief executive of
Services For Education, said: “We quickly realised we needed to change and re-engineer our business model. “We needed to act in the short
term – to ensure that school children could still benefit and participate in music lessons and majority of our training courses could be delivered virtually – and also prepare for whatever shape the re-opening of schools might take.” The charity employs more than
200 people, many of whom would normally have been working in schools or delivering training courses. But with schools, rehearsal rooms and concert halls closed, the organisation has been forced online, and has had to embark on a major programme of teaching music remotely, producing videos, utilising online video conferencing via an online teaching platform. And within 14 days of lockdown
beginning, the teaching platform had been accessed by 182 schools with more than 1,900 logins recorded. Ms Bell said: “We are a charity
that works in a creative environment but as with every other business, we have had to protect our financial operation. “We have our eyes on the ‘now’
and on the future implementing a recovery plan called ‘Emerging Stronger’ and working on the basis that schools will be working towards being fully operational in September although recognising that we and they need to deliver an offer that is safe to both students and staff.”
28 CHAMBERLINK August/September 2020
Unity Trust Bank has appointed Mark Clayton as its new chief operating officer. Mr Clayton has joined the bank
after 23 years at HSBC, where he held a number of senior roles. Birmingham-based Unity Trust
is an ethical lender that supports businesses and organisations that share its philosophy to support economic, community and social change. In March this year, the bank announced a 30 per cent increase in lending growth during 2019, with more than £243m of loans going to socially responsible businesses. Mr Clayton said: “Having
focused on financial wellbeing and seen first-hand the positive impact it has made, I have a deep
Premier Membership
Contact: Gary Birch T: 0845 6036650
New chief at Unity Trust Bank “The last few months have
been unprecedented on many levels. Unity has adjusted working arrangements to keep colleagues safe while remaining focused on supporting our customers. “Amid this uncertainty I believe
Mark Clayton: aiming for ‘better banking’
understanding of the vital role that banks play in society. Unity’s ambition to deliver sustainable growth and make a positive and lasting change in the communities it serves were key factors in my decision to join the team.
that customers will seek out those organisations that provide excellent service, and we have a unique opportunity to demonstrate how banking can be better.” Unity CEO Margaret Willis said:
“Mark’s vast experience will be a hugely valuable addition to the team. These are uncertain times for many businesses and Unity will continue to adapt and respond quickly to their needs, ensuring customers remain central to our thinking.”
Specialist advice aids business acquisition
Specialists from Smith Cooper Corporate Finance, which has an office in Birmingham, has helped an East Sussex environmental services firm acquire a new business. Chaffin Works, Polegate, Eastbourne,
has bought a Kent-based traffic management business, ETMS Highways Limited, as part of an expansion plan. Chaffin offers a complete range of
environmental services, including tree surgery, vegetation management, fencing, landscaping, invasive weed control, arboriculture and ecological consultancy for a wide range of businesses and organisations in the highways, rail, local authority and utilities sectors. The firm sees its new acquisition as a
way of expanding its services. ETMS was established more than 30
years ago, by founder and chairman, Gerry Kilsby saw an opening for the provision of traffic control in the events industry. During the past
eight years, the firm
has become a significant force in this field, led by Martin Metcalfe. Chaffin’s operations director Tom Burks said: “We’re
delighted to have completed the acquisition of ETMS which puts us in an even better position to provide a holistic range of services throughout the UK. “All of us here at Chaffin Works are very
excited to work with Martin and the ETMS Highways team to support them in building on their great foundations and exploring mutual opportunities” Chaffin appointed specialists from
Smith Cooper to oversee the transaction. A team led by partner Dan Bowtell,
worked alongside the owners of Chaffins to formulate, negotiate, and secure the
Dan Bowtell: acquisition
acquisition of ETMS. Mr Bowtell said: “We are really pleased to have advised on another transaction for Chaffins. “The business continues to expand organically in the South East and this acquisition adds another service line in the continuing strategy of broadening the products and services offered.”
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