William Bain, Head of Trade Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, said:
“Business will welcome an Agreement in Principle between the UK and New Zealand covering trade in goods and services.
“We particularly welcome the intention to agree comprehensive chapters on market access, labour mobility and professional qualifications, digital trade, and green goods and services. In the year prior to start of the pandemic, the UK had a £366m surplus in services trade with New Zealand, with particular strengths in insurance, pensions, travel, communications, other financial services and intellectual property.
“New Zealand-UK trade is currently between £2-3bn per annum. When this agreement is translated into a final free trade agreement it should provide new opportunities for UK exporters as well as resulting in some small falls in the price of New Zealand wine and other goods imports.
“UK road vehicles, pharmaceutical and other manufacturing exporters will welcome these improved trading terms, with cars accounting for a fifth of all UK goods exports to New Zealand. The agreement on green trade also has the potential to set a new benchmark on a commitment to sustainability within free trade agreements globally.
“We look forward to engaging with the UK Government and the New Zealand Ambassador in the final stages of these negotiations and to giving our views on the draft text at the earliest opportunity.”
Have you always wanted to try improv but not sure where to start? Are you looking to challenge yourself in a fun way? Are you looking for some fun? Then you’re in the right place!
On Thursday 11th November from 6pm BST – 9pm BST JCI Edinburgh is hosting an Introduction to Improv workshop. What can you expect?
The main aim of this workshop is to have fun. We will start with a few group warm-up activities to ease you into the world of improv and then we will dive right in. We’ll dispel any preconceived ideas about having to be quick thinking and funny, and start learning some simple guidelines (not rules!) that will get you performing scenes almost straightway. We’ll play some different games and formats (some may be familiar if you’ve ever watched Who’s Line Is It Anyway?) that will show you just how much fun this beautiful artform can be. The keyword here is ‘Play’. Together we will create a safe space where we can leave our inhibitions behind and play.
There will also be pizza and drinks. Don’t miss out and book your spot today.
Tickets are £5 + booking fee for JCI members and £10 + booking fee for non-members. Book your place here.
Edinburgh could play an innovative global leadership role in creating a “bridge” between today’s carbon-fuelled aviation sector and the carbon free aviation industry of the future.
And in taking a more imaginative approach over the next 30 – 50 years, Scotland’s Capital could lay claim to becoming the world’s leading green tourism destination.
Edinburgh Airport’s Director of Communications and Sustainability, Gordon Robertson, told businesses attending an online forum on Green Tourism that “true leadership” would create a path that other nations might follow.
He was speaking at an online event organised by Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce in partnership with The City of Edinburgh Council. This was one of five themed events hosted for the city’s business community in the run up to the UN COP26 climate change conference next month.
He said: “What our country needs, and what aviation needs, is a bridge between current carbon-based aviation industry and a future, carbon free aviation industry. A bridge that might have an impact in surprising and welcome ways.
“What might this look like? Well, any bridge doesn’t need to be complex, but it does need to be widely supported and embraced.
“Imagine that we all, Scotland’s tourism and visitor industry, take responsibility for some or all of the aviation carbon emitted while our customers are in the air. Airlines can’t take it all, and why should they, when we all benefit from what they do. Th burden is surprisingly small when it is shared widely. Our calculation is that it is less than £5 per head per European passenger at current carbon prices.
“So, let’s say we find a way to gather funds to meet the cost of carbon, so every passenger flying into Edinburgh could do so carbon neutrally. We could then go further. We could say that not only could we meet the cost, in fact we will use those funds to generate some of the most exciting carbon reduction schemes right here in Scotland, and in Edinburgh. Things that would show leadership that other countries might want to follow.
“We could create that concept by creating a higher value for carbon for our travel trade scheme. It would create real carbon reduction schemes that otherwise might not happen.
“It could be criticised as another offset scheme that some people say simply avoids the problem or kicks the can down the road. But if the projects we invest in are in Edinburgh, and we can all see them, and we can see the results of them, then that is different. If it begins to solve problems that no-one here has the answer to then that is different too. And it could also bring rational and wise Edinburgh-wide investment decisions that focus on real solutions rather than posturing.
“This might be a true bridge to a new carbon free aviation future. We are excited about this because we hear target after target announced, but the practical delivery projects are short because there simply isn’t a revenue driven strategy. We want to help change the conversation.”
Mr Robertson told attendees that the Airport was still operating 60% down on the levels of pre-pandemic numbers. Despite the airport suffering massively through the past months, he added, they were determined to continue to play a leading role in the city’s journey to net zero carbon.
“We all share in the ambition for a cleaner, greener future. It would be easy for us to prioritise recovery and recovery alone. Like others in the travel and tourism sector, we are all on our knees. We are breathing but not living yet, like others. So we could put tackling climate change in a box marked nice to do but not now – but we’re not and we won’t.”
He stressed that the Airport believed passionately in the achieving net zero and – in some areas of the business – they have already achieved that. The Airport is a signatory of the Edinburgh Climate Compact, providing leadership in the city’s drive to reach net zero by 2030.
However, he argued that it was essential that a more rounded view was taken of sustainability, balancing the many economic, social and cultural benefits that aviation and travel bring to the city to ensure a more shared, collective approach was taken.
Edinburgh is the second biggest gateway for international visitors in the UK outside London – in recent years 2.4 million foreign visitors came through the airport annually.
From teams coming back into the office once again to forging new relationships with clients across the world, it’s been a busy year for many businesses. So, to commend all the hard work, why not consider ordering a Harvey Nichols Hamper to celebrate the end of 2021?
With 55 hampers to choose from, you’ll find there really is a basket, gift or hat box to celebrate your team and business. Whether you’re looking to reward a colleague for their outstanding performance via the 156-piece Festive Feast Hamper or say thank you to a brand-new client with The Bartender Hamper, we’re
sure you’ll find the perfect present. This year we’ve also bolstered our selection of beauty and non-alcoholic gift sets so you can truly relax and enjoy some well-deserved time off.
And when it comes to lasting impressions, our Corporate Team are here to take care of all your gifting needs. Whether it’s to say a big thank you, or you’re after something more bespoke, our team are here on hand to help with your special requests. Simply call them on +44 207 259 4405 or email corporate.services@harveynichols.com.
From everyone at Harvey Nichols; we wish you a relaxing but Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
Download the full brochure here.
Helping businesses trade globally is a key mission for every Accredited Chamber of Commerce. Recently, businesses have been faced with a variety of new and significant challenges when operating internationally. The voice of businesses with direct experience of these issues needs to be heard – both on the immediate challenge of international trade, and on wider business issues.
In this 7-minute survey, we’re seeking your views on several broad areas:
• Current business conditions and pressures;
• Your investment plans;
• Barriers to trade;
• Impacts flowing from Brexit; and
• Priorities for the net zero agenda.
Your input is totally unique because it is shared directly to the most senior policy makers in UK government to create better trading conditions for your business.
Since 2016, tens of thousands of Chamber members have contributed to our research on trade and Brexit. The feedback we have collected from these surveys has helped your Chamber network to directly influence decision-making at the highest levels of government, including delays to the introduction of some scheduled post-Brexit border controls.
As a business community, our collective voice has never been more important. Have your say by taking the survey here.
A unique care organisation has joined forces with a leading recruitment firm to fill 120 permanent posts across Scotland in the coming year.
Time for You Care, an innovative Care-at-Home organisation that aims to revolutionise the perception of care with skilled staff and user friendly technology, has appointed ORB Recruitment in Edinburgh as their recruitment partner for the next 12 months.
As part of the work ORB will create a recruitment strategy and take responsibility for attracting candidates for the 120 permanent care practitioner roles which will be available initially around Edinburgh and the Lothians.
Alan Wallace, director at ORB Recruitment said: “We are really pleased to work with Time for You Care as their trusted and exclusive recruitment partner to help grow and develop this unique care provider.
“The firm has a really fresh approach and set of values for their staff and their clients, which truly place people at the heart of what they do. They invest in their team with training, development and an increased rate of pay which is well above the industry standard positioning themselves as industry leaders and taking a holistic approach to the ongoing development of this key working sector.
“Their ethos really matches with our own so we feel this is an ideal partnership and enables us to support them with their recruitment needs so that they can focus on which they do best, providing high quality care.”
Time for You Care deliver care services solely through their team of permanent care providers to offer service users continuity of care from someone who is familiar and can build a trusting relationship. They offer a flexible working experience that works for their team to ensure that they have loyalty and a low turnover of staff, which again benefits the service user and offer real career development and progression opportunities.
Melissa Singh, CEO at Time for You Care, said: “The challenges in our sector are well publicised but as a new and innovative care company looking to tackle these challenges head on we needed a partner who was also able to think differently and understand our business and the bigger strategy around people and growth. ORB has taken the time to understand our business and are certainly committed to the challenge.
“We are really excited to see what the partnership can deliver as part of an integrated recruitment strategy.
To find out more about the care jobs available with Time for You please contact alan@orb-recruitment.co.uk
For more information about ORB Recruitment visit: www.orb-recruitment.co.uk
Cabal rum stages live unsigned music gig with Vic Galloway at Edinburgh Cocktail Week
The luxury rum brand, Cabal, has launched a new initiative to support unsigned, up and coming artists and bands using Edinburgh Cocktail Week as the stage from 11th to 24th October 2021.
Six finalists have been selected, and will perform on stage throughout the fortnight, culminating in a final show, hosted by BBC Introducing presenter Vic Galloway on Sunday 24th October.
Vic Galloway said: “It’s exciting to be working with Cabal, bringing together the worlds of music and delicious rum. As a champion of up and coming artists across genres, it’s always great to give local musicians new platforms to showcase their wares. With help from Cabal, six different acts will have the chance to record new material in Edinburgh’s Chamber Studio – a superb, state of the art recording studio. This is a great opportunity for them, and I’m delighted to be involved.”
The six acts are:
– BOOTlace, an indie rock five-piece: 14th October at 4pm
– Macon Heights, electronica duo with female vocals: 15th October at 6pm
– Chris Glen and Alan Ross, a guitar and harmonica duet: 16th October
– Ihsan Kerr, solo singer songwriter: 21st October at 5pm
– Nicola Taylor, a solo pop artist with acoustic band: 22nd October at 7pm
– FERNS, hiphop infused original jazz band: 23rd October at 4pm
Thanks to the collaboration between Cabal and Edinburgh Cocktail Week, the artists will receive a variety of support, including recording new material at Chamber Studios in Edinburgh.
Managing Director of Edinburgh Cocktail Week, Gary Anderson said: “As an exciting new local rum, we are very thrilled to welcome Cabal Rum to the Cocktail Village this year. We look forward to seeing festival-goers enjoying an introduction to the brand through Cabal’s menu of delicious cocktails, and we are especially looking forward to the line-up of live music they have programmed for our entertainment stage, featuring some of Edinburgh’s up-and-coming musicians.”
Cabal will be in the cocktail village at Festival Square throughout the fortnight, retailing it’s first expression Cabal No.1513 aged rum and serving up the Cabalerosignature serve along with a selection of music inspired cocktails:
- “Strawberry Fields” is a refreshing fruity concoction of Cabal No.1513, Campari, strawberry, grapefruit and lime, garnished with mint
- “Get Figgy with it” offers the perfect combination of Cabal No. 1513 with orange, fig liqueur and grenadine
- “Stage Dive” mixing up Cabal No. 1513 and passion fruit falernum for a twist of the Caribbean
Wristbands for Edinburgh Cocktail Week are available at www.edinburghcocktailweek.co.uk and priced from just £8. With an ECW wristband, visitors can enjoy £4 signature cocktails at 100 of Edinburgh’s finest cocktail bars and at the biggest ever cocktail village at Festival Square – it’s packed with 20 pop-up bars, live music, entertainment and tasty street food.
About Cabal
Cabal No.1513, which was officially launched in May 2021, is created using a combination of pot and column distillation techniques with rums from prominent distilleries in Guatemala, Guyana, Trinidad, Panama and the Caribbean, tropically aged at origin. The liquid is then finished in Pedro Ximénez casks in Speyside, creating a unique, complex, yet smooth taste profile.
Bottled at 43% ABV, Cabal No.1513 is non-chill filtered, and there is no added colouring, flavour or sugar, leaving a high-quality, natural rum.
Cabal No.1513 was awarded gold in the super premium golden rum category at the recent Spirits Business Global Spirits Masters 2021 and a silver at the DBSB Autumn Tasting.
There’s a unique ingredient in Cabal, People. To create its liquid, Cabal brings together whisky drinkers, spirit lovers, rum champions, liquid specialists, trade experts, and literally the couple next door, to experiment and sample until the perfect result is achieved.
The people who make up ‘the Cabal’ want to feel connected, to be involved, to experiment and to contribute. It’s this likeminded spirit that sets Cabal and all of its expressions apart.
Find out more and buy online at www.cabalrum.com and stay inspired at www.facebook.com/Cabalrum, www.instagram.com/cabalrum and www.twitter.com/CabalRum
Cabal No.1513 is distributed in the UK through bbb drinks and is available to both on-trade and off-trade outlets and online platforms across the UK. Export will also be a key channel and Gold Medal Marketing in Alberta, Canada, has already been appointed as a regional distributor.
Harpalion Spirits
Cabal is a Harpalion Spirits brand. Founded by two entrepreneurs passionate about the complexity, creativity and integrity that surrounds rum and its taste, Harpalion Spirits is wholeheartedly committed to using consumer insight to create its liquid, brand, story and future, with more than 200 people involved in the Cabal journey so far.
The company, head quartered in Edinburgh, is backed by entrepreneur Richard Dixon, Chairman and led by CEO Claire Kinloch, also CEO of strategy consultancy, Genoa Black.
www.linkedin.com/company/harpalion-spirits
Edinburgh Cocktail Week
Edinburgh Cocktail Week launched in 2017 with the vision to create a new, experiential festival that inspires and excites people to come together, celebrate and support Edinburgh’s incredible cocktail culture, and create life-long memories. The social format of event is designed to move people around the city – introducing them to new tastes, flavours and venues, with customer spend invested into local businesses and jobs at a time of year that can be quiet for the hospitality sector.
Due to its popularity in the first year, ECW expanded to a seven-day festival in 2018, featuring more than 100 bars, a week-long programme of events and experiences, and the addition of the flagship ‘Cocktail Village’ at Festival Square filled with 20 pop-up bars, masterclasses and entertainment. More than 15,000 people attended Edinburgh Cocktail Week 2018. Cocktail Week continued to flourish in 2019 with an expanded Cocktail Village, a new Cocktail Forest, collaborations with 5-star venues, and the introduction of ‘Cocktail Domes’ on the rooftop of The Glasshouse Hotel. In 2019, 18,000 people visited ECW, injecting at least £2.5 million into the local economy and directly supporting 200+ business and 1000+ jobs.
Edinburgh Cocktail Week is now established as the UK’s biggest cocktail festival outside of London and is proudly supported by Essential Edinburgh.
Social media:
Instagram – @edinburgh_cocktail_week_
Facebook – @edinburghcocktailweek
Twitter – @edcocktailweek
Hashtag – #ECW2021
Shepherd and Wedderburn has promoted 12 solicitors to Associate in its latest round of internal promotions, while 16 Associates have become Senior Associates, all effective 1 October.
Andrew Blain, Managing Partner of Shepherd and Wedderburn, said: “I would like to congratulate our new Associates and Senior Associates and thank them for the contribution they have made, and continue to make, to the success of our firm. Their new roles are in recognition of their skill, hard work and commitment to providing the highest quality service to our clients. I wish them all the best as they embark on the next step of their careers with Shepherd and Wedderburn.”
New Associates
Abby Doig (banking and finance): having joined Shepherd and Wedderburn as a trainee in 2014, Abby advises on a broad range of cross-border deals for the banking and finance team and is an integral member of the services regulation practice.
Roddy Forgie (media and technology): Roddy joined the firm as a trainee in 2013, before qualifying into the media and technology practice, where he is now involved in delivering the trade and commerce offering, focusing on international trade matters and complex commercial contracts, particularly for regulated businesses.
Dan Boynton (pensions): Dan joined the pensions team as a newly qualified solicitor in 2016, and advises a range of trustee and employer clients, with a particular focus on data protection and pension scheme investments.
Sarah Leslie (employment): Sarah first joined the firm as a summer placement student in the pensions team. Sarah is now an integral member of the employment team and advises across all areas of employment law and HR issues.
Kara Gallagher (infrastructure): Kara has considerable experience advising funders, public sector clients and private sector clients on PPP, NPD, PFI and hub projects. Kara’s experience spans a number of sectors, however, she has a particular focus on health and education.
Gabby Ives (property): Gabby joined the English Property Unit in London in 2017. She works with a number of the firm’s key clients on a range of transactions, including sales/purchases, leasehold matters and real estate financing.
Lucy Mulreany (banking and finance): Lucy trained at Shepherd and Wedderburn and joined the banking and finance team on qualification. She specialises in the Scottish aspects of funds finance, securitisation and real estate finance matters.
Kirsten McKinnon (private wealth and tax): Kirsten joined the private wealth and tax team two years ago and has continued to develop a particular interest in rural succession and the complex issues it presents.
Craig Brodie (property): Craig has been part of the firm’s property and infrastructure division since 2017, with a particular focus on commercial and residential development, strategic land, regeneration projects and leasing.
Alistair Kennedy (infrastructure): Alistair has been with Shepherd and Wedderburn since 2014 as part of the non-contentious construction team, where he acts for a broad range of clients including funders, developers and public sector bodies.
Thomas McFarlane (commercial disputes): Thomas joined the firm as a newly qualified solicitor in 2014. He has wide-ranging experience in the field of litigation and dispute resolution, advising both commercial clients and individuals in relation to a variety of contractual and delictual claims. Thomas appears regularly on behalf of clients in the Sheriff Court and has experience in a variety of Court of Session actions, as well as in alternative methods of dispute resolution, such as mediation.
Scarlett Leigh (property): Scarlett joined the London office as a trainee in 2014, qualifying into the English Property Unit in 2016, where she has developed wide-ranging experience across the areas of investment, landlord and tenant and energy and renewables.
New Senior Associates
Neil Casey (property and infrastructure disputes): NeiI joined Shepherd and Wedderburn in October 2014, initially working in the commercial disputes division before joining our construction and special projects team. Neil works mostly on landlord/tenant disputes, construction disputes and general property disputes as well as a variety of contract disputes and debt recovery matters.
Laura McMillan (commercial disputes): Laura joined Shepherd and Wedderburn as a trainee in 2011, and works in the commercial disputes team in Edinburgh, with a focus on disputes relating to finance and insolvency.
Nathaniel Buckingham (property and infrastructure disputes): Nathaniel joined Shepherd and Wedderburn as a trainee in 2013, following a previous career as a civil engineer. Nathaniel’s role involves helping clients navigate and resolve their construction disputes.
Leigh Herd (property and infrastructure disputes): Leigh joined the firm as a trainee in 2012, qualifying in 2014. Leigh is part of the property and infrastructure disputes team, specialising in contentious construction, with her experience ranging across the field of construction, engineering and major projects disputes. Leigh is an accredited specialist in Construction Law by the Law Society of Scotland, the Vice Chair of the Scottish Branch of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and the External Examiner for the LLM in Construction Law for the University of Strathclyde.
Andrew Winton (commercial disputes): Andrew deals with a broad range of commercial disputes, with a particular focus on industrial disease claims, and completed his dual qualification exams last year.
James Bulpitt (banking and finance): James is a member of the banking and finance team in Edinburgh, focusing on funds finance, securitisation, receivables finance and general banking.
Katy Fitzpatrick (banking and finance): Katy joined the firm as a trainee and specialises in banking and finance. She is dual qualified in Scots and English law and primarily advises clients on real estate finance, project finance and corporate and commercial banking matters across the UK.
Alexandra Lane (rural): Alexandra joined the firm’s rural team in Aberdeen in 2017. She advises on a variety of rural property matters and specialises in agricultural holdings matters, both contentious and non-contentious.
Pamela Binnie (property): Pamela has a strong property background and has had exposure to a broad range of commercial transactions for clients including investors, landlords, tenants, housing associations, developers, healthcare operators and banks.
Emma De Sailly (rural): Emma joined Shepherd and Wedderburn’s rural team in 2014. She specialises in all types of rural property work, including acting for the owners of landed estates, forests and farms.
Siobhan Dunphy (property): Siobhan joined Shepherd and Wedderburn as a solicitor in 2014 and acts primarily on commercial leasing, investment sale/purchase and real estate finance transactions. Her clients include pension funds, banks, and property investors, and she also regularly acts alongside London law firms on referral matters – advising on the Scottish property aspects of cross-border investment and real estate finance portfolio transactions.
John Townsend (property): John joined Shepherd and Wedderburn in 2011 as a trainee. His work revolves around the commercial property sector, with a focus on office and retail property and renewable energy developments.
Emma Guthrie (property): Emma has been at the firm for eight years since starting as a trainee in 2013. She is part of the commercial real estate team and works on a variety of transactions, primarily on acquisitions/sales. She also deals with asset management across a diverse range of property types in Scotland including retail, office, industrial and hospitality.
Magdalena MacLean (planning): Magdalena joined Shepherd and Wedderburn in 2018, and is qualified in Scotland, and England and Wales. She advises on a wide range of contentious and non-contentious consenting and environmental matters
John Vassiliou (immigration): John joined the firm in March 2021 and works on a diverse range of matters ranging from sponsor licences and recruitment of foreign workers to complex British nationality work. John was recently appointed to the editorial board of the Journal of Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Law, and has been invited to teach an annual guest seminar at the University of Glasgow’s LLB honours immigration course.
Gillian Moore (employment): Gillian joined the employment team as a newly qualified solicitor in 2013. She provides clients with pragmatic, solution-focused advice on the full range of employment law and HR issues, including disciplinary and grievance matters, long term and persistent absence, performance improvement, employment status, and family and flexible working arrangements.
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The Coronavirus pandemic has changed the property requirements of many, both personally and in business. Now that we can meet in person again, Anderson Strathern has arranged a free pop up clinic at its Haddington office on Saturday 30th October.
If you have concerns or questions relating to residential house sales/purchases, estate agency, rural land and business or commercial property, they’re here to help.
You can book a 20 minute appointment by contacting Sandra Harvey via email Sandra.harvey@andersonstrathern.co.uk or over the phone 01620 822127, including a brief indication of your enquiry and your preferred appointment time. Please note there is no fee for the initial appointment and no obligation to take things further.
