Welcoming new members to the Chamber group! April 2020

It’s been another strange month, not just for us but for all our members and businesses nationwide. We continue to do our very best for our members as things progress in these unprecedented times and are thrilled to welcome two new members to our member group this month.

Vitality offers wellbeing coaching, yoga & mindfulness, reiki, retreats, chat, pug hugs and whatever else you need to feel good about your life. Sessions can be one-to-one, group or bespoke packages for organisations. Given the current situation, business owner, Donna Booth has adapted the Vitality offering so that as many services as possible are available online. Free morning meditation and stress management chats can be viewed on their Facebook page while wellbeing coaching sessions and yoga classes are now available online. See the Vitality Retreat website for the full list of services.

 

The North West Highlands Geopark is a community company limited by guarantee and a charity in Scotland. The board comprises 7 community directors, one from each of the community councils within the Geopark who work alongside the other office bearers, directors and staff. The mission is to be a thriving and sustainable rural economy capitalising on the assets and people of the Geopark in partnership with local government, relevant agencies and local businesses.

 

Last month, our Chief Executive, Trudy Morris announced a 3-month Extension of Chamber Membership and offered a payment deferral option to any new members who join before the end of May. Learn more about this offer here.

To learn about how Chamber membership could benefit your business, see the Membership benefits page or get in touch with Fiona Levack, Business Development Manager to arrange an informal chat. The Chamber offers advice and support to businesses of all sizes, at all stages and in all sectors and we would be thrilled to hear from you.

In addition to chamber membership, many of our funded projects offer support and guidance to businesses in a range of ways. See the list of options, here.

Did you know that we offer a membership referral scheme? If you refer a business who joins the chamber, you could benefit from £50 off your next renewal. Read more here.

TWO Caithness-based businessmen are among the finalists in the Institute of Directors (IoD) Scotland Director of the Year Awards.

Martin Murray, of Dunnet Bay Distillers, is shortlisted for regional director of the year in the Highlands and Islands (sponsored by Highlands and Islands Enterprise).

Mr Murray is also nominated in the family business category (sponsored by Turcan Connell) and the innovation category (sponsored by the Scottish Government).

Dr Keith Nicholson, of Thurso-based Cyber Security Scotland, is nominated in the start-up category.

Each category features four finalists.

Fifty-four business leaders across Scotland have been shortlisted across 12 director categories and seven regional categories, out of almost 200 entries.

The other finalists in the Highlands and Islands regional director of the year section are Stephen Kemp, of Orkney Distilling, Lisa Kerr, of Gordonstoun, and Niall MacDonald, who was previously with Aquascot.

The awards celebrate individuals’ business accomplishments over the past year, with winners set to be announced on September 8 in Glasgow.

Malcolm Cannon, national director of IoD Scotland, said: “No business has been able to escape the strain of the last 12 months. From the ongoing Brexit delays to the current challenge of our lifetime with Covid-19, for the vast majority of business leaders it will feel as if they have been thrown curveball after curveball.

“However, in the most trying of times, we have seen business leaders demonstrate the highest levels of passion and commitment as they strive for success and make sure they emerge from all of this.

“These awards are testament to this, and our regional categories recognise the brilliant work of those who may not ordinarily have their voice heard.

“As with other key director categories, more leaders than ever before have been put forward for a regional award this year. The IoD works hard to represent our members all over the country and being able to celebrate their achievements is a highlight of our year.”

Source – John O’Groat Journal

Cavendish Nuclear has successfully achieved the prestigious Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) President’s Award.

The President’s Award is only given to companies which have won 10 RoSPA Gold Awards in succession; one a year for each of the last 10 years. Each Gold Award requires demonstrating a very high level of performance, well developed occupational health and safety management systems and culture, outstanding control of risk and very low levels of error, harm and loss. In addition, the company has also achieved the RoSPA Gold Medal Fleet Safety Award (7 consecutive Golds), which recognises an effective, cohesive corporate road risk management programme following RoSPA’s Managing Occupational Road Risk (MORRTM) principles to manage our greatest risk – driving.

Paul Unsworth, Security, Health, Environment, Quality and Radiation Protection (SSHEQR) Director said, “These awards are testimony to everyone in our business being People Who Do The Right Thing to ensure continued excellence in health, safety and welfare in everything we do. I would like to thank everyone in our business for their engagement and involvement in achieving these awards.”

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) Health and Safety Awards are internationally-renowned and the longest-running industry awards scheme in the UK.

Organisations receiving a RoSPA Award are recognised as being world-leaders in health and safety practices and are recognised for their achievement in health and safety management systems and performance, including practices such as leadership and workforce involvement.

All businesses large or small are undoubtedly affected by the unchartered times we find ourselves in due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Here at Fibre 1 we are keeping our usual positive approach and outlook to working life supporting our customers to continue to work as close to normal as possible during these challenging times.

The change in how companies run their day to day business has shown how important it is to have a business continuity strategy in place allowing smooth transition to home working if required in situations such as the one we are facing now.

Now more than ever a reliable connection for both phone and internet access is key allowing the vital lines of communication with customers and suppliers to remain open.

The benefits of having a dependable VoIP system help with this allowing businesses to continue to work as efficiently as possible. With Openreach phasing out PSTN lines by 2025 and ISDN lines no longer available to purchase the world of VoIP will soon be the normality. VoIP systems come with a host of benefits which can help customers save money as the monthly costs include all local, national and mobile calls ensuring customers are not caught out by the addition of hefty call charges. The VoIP system gives customers greater control on how their calls are handled with the a number of features as standard including caller display, hunt groups, voicemail (email alert can be sent to be played on any device with speakers), call redirect along with a number of others. The Bria Stretto App is an addition to the standard monthly plan which allows an individual to have their office phone on their hand-held devices including mobile phones and tablets. The app increases the flexibility for employees who find themselves out of the office attending meetings etc, it means they can be contacted in the normal way without having to arrange for calls to be diverted to a mobile. The app also has functions which allow screen sharing and video calls adding much needed flexibility to those who regularly find themselves out and about.

Staff may be finding that their home connection is not up to the task of remote working, some carriers have also been restricting their networks in an effort to give a better experience for all. Whilst Openreach are not doing visits to properties during this time migrations of services are not affected as they require no work inside the property. Although we primarily deal with business connections, for the time being we would happily look at reviewing home connections for staff to see if we can help give a better connection.

There is a lot of buzz around Microsoft Teams at the moment and how it can help colleagues stay connected and work as they would if they were all together in their normal office environment. We are looking into the possibility of integrating Microsoft Teams with our VoIP systems, this is currently a work in progress project, but we hope to have further development on this in the near future.

Mobile phones are another key tool when it comes to staying connected while working remotely. Completion of a tariff analysis will ensure you are receiving the most cost-effective solution available. Having a modern up to date handset will enable access to all the latest app’s and mobile solutions available in the world of remote working. Working with several major network providers including O2, Vodafone and EE allow reliable coverage availability regardless of location.

FTTP is high on the agenda for 2020, offering the highest internet transfer speed among all contended services its availability across the UK is expanding at a fast rate. With more and more area’s having FTTP rolled out it is a good time to look at your current connection to see if or how this can be improved. Having a reliable fast connection can only be a positive for any business.

You can also read the latest Fibre 1 newsletter here.

Demand for hand sanitiser has led to a Caithness distillery being awarded funding to help the community.

The Ice and Fire Distillery at Latheronwheel has switched its normal operations during the coronavirus crisis to make this new product and distribute it free to those who need it, including public services such as doctors’ surgeries, local shops and care workers.

Awards of £9098.09 each have been made by both the SSE Beatrice Caithness Fund and the E.ON Camster Community Fund.

This has given the gin distillery the funds to purchase 4000 litres of denatured alcohol and other necessary ingredients to begin a large-scale production.

Ice and Fire director Jacqueline Black said: “These two funding awards are fantastic news and will be very welcome. The fact that we can supply hand sanitiser for up to the next 12 months is going to be such a benefit to the local community.

“Covid-19 is not going away any time soon so I think that using hand sanitiser is going to be a part of daily life, and the ability to give it to people free is fantastic.”

The sanitiser is made to the World Health Organisation guidelines and can be used in a variety of container types and sizes, depending on people’s preference – spray, pump or squeezy bottles.

The E.ON Camster Community Fund is managed by Foundation Scotland.

Eilidh Coll, Foundation Scotland’s Caithness-based representative, said: “This product will be distributed free of charge across Caithness as the two funding panels from SSE Beatrice and the E.ON Camster Community Fund worked together to reach a swift solution.

“Trudy Morris from Caithness Chamber of Commerce was also instrumental in helping the distillers obtain the necessary licences to purchase denatured alcohol.

“David Sutherland from Highland Council ensured that the product could swiftly be put through trading standards and Highland Council will ensure that all groups involved with the community response, such as those preparing meals and delivering to households, will gain access to the sanitiser.

“This sort of partnership working means that the sanitiser will be available quickly to those who really need it.’

Ice and Fire Distillery started making the product in early March from duty-paid ethanol after being approached by a local medical practice.

Due to the cost of using spirit alcohol it was costing £300 to make 10 litres of hand sanitiser and, as demand for the product grew, the distillery operators decided that if they wanted to continue helping the community they would have to source funding.

The joint funding will allow the distillery to make 4000 litres of hand sanitiser to be distributed free to frontline services, key workers and care providers as well as vulnerable members of the public over a 12-month period.

Jacqueline said: “Without the financial aid and support from the local panel of the Beatrice wind farm fund, this project would not have been possible.

“Their support was the catalyst for all the other agencies coming on board to provide a truly triple-helix approach to the project. This really shows how the local community can benefit from the fund and how vital the fund is at a time like this”

Fiona Morrison, community fund manager at SSE said: “We are delighted that the team at Ice and Fire Distillery came to us to discuss their project. Supporting business activities usually sits outwith our funding criteria but we could see the huge difference this project was making to the local area, so we turned the application around quickly and our panel decided to make an award.

“To have the support of Caithness Rural Transport shows what great work is being done in communities to support each other through this unprecedented time.”

Source – John O’Groat Journal

The Coronavirus outbreak may have prevented the Highlands and Islands’ renewables sector from gathering physically. However, it can’t stop us from celebrating the Scottish Highlands and Islands Renewable Energy Conference (SHREC) on 30 April.

That’s why, for the first time ever, Harper Macleod LLP are going to deliver a digital SHREC experience.The full SHREC has, of course, been postponed, with both the conference and the Highlands and Islands Renewable Energy Awards now being held on 24 September.

What can you expect from virtual SHREC

To allow for as any people who are interested to view the virtual SHREC, Harper Macleod are planning to deliver a recording of the conference to your inbox on 30 April. 

Originally, the 11th Annual SHREC was set to tackle the theme of climate change and take a wider look at the environmental and economic benefits that renewable energy brings to the Highlands, Islands & Moray. 

That will still be a theme, but led by Paul Wheelhouse MSP, Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands, speakers from the original SHREC programme have agreed to deliver their insights which will no doubt reflect the sector’s, and the country’s, coronavirus experience.

Other contributors include David Bone, Head of Energy and Natural Resources at Harper Macleod and the only man to have spoken at every SHREC, Audrey MacIver, Director of Energy and Low Carbon at HIE, and George Baxter, Director of Development at Green Power International, one of the leading independent renewable energy developers in the UK.

The law firm are also delighted to say that Nicky Marr, who will once again host the Awards when they take place, will still host a panel discussion. Nicky is going to be joined in video conversation by a panel of people looking at renewables in the Highlands and Islands from a different perspective, including:

• Terry Stebbings is the co-founder of Proterra Energy, which was set up in 2012 to design and install micro hydro schemes in Scotland;
• Ryan Felber is the local Implementation Adviser at Resource Efficient Scotland, which helps organisations reduce costs by saving energy and water, reducing raw materials use and managing waste efficiently.

These local organisations incorporate renewable and energy efficiencies into what they do and they’ll share the reasons for doing so and their journey to where the currently find themselves.

Get involved

While SHREC won’t be live, Harper Macleod would love for you to get involved. 

If you have any questions you would like the panel to discuss, please email DigiComTeam@harpermacleod.co.uk by Monday 13th April.

It’s been a surreal month, not just for us but for all our members and businesses nationwide. We continue to do our very best for our members as things progress in these unprecedented times and are thrilled to welcome Coastline Fashion to our member group this month.

Coastline is an independent womenswear store available online and ‘popping-up’ all over the Scottish Highlands. Coastline clothing combines smart / casual ‘lifestyle’ brands and each piece is individually selected with our customer in mind. Recently, business owner Lesley Ann Sutherland revealed that she had purchased a van for coastline and looks forward to transforming it into a mobile fashion store. We can’t wait to see it!

 

Earlier this month, our Chief Executive, Trudy Morris announced a 3-month Extension of Chamber Membership and offered a payment deferral option to any new members who join before the end of April. Learn more about this offer here.

To learn about how Chamber membership could benefit your business, see the Membership benefits page or get in touch with Fiona Levack, Business Development Manager to arrange an informal chat. The Chamber offers advice and support to businesses of all sizes, at all stages and in all sectors and we would be thrilled to hear from you.

In addition to chamber membership, many of our funded projects offer support and guidance to businesses in a range of ways. See the list of options, here.

Did you know that we offer a membership referral scheme? If you refer a business who joins the chamber, you could benefit from £50 off your next renewal. Read more here.

The future for Subsea 7 at its Caithness yards looks “very positive”, according to site manager Willie Watt. The company, which makes pipeline bundles for oil companies, is busy with two contracts and is tendering for other work. Mr Watt was speaking just before two towheads were due to be transferred from Wick harbour to Wester.

One is a conventional towhead and is due to be moved today (item printed 13th March 2020), while the other – the biggest to be moved through Wick – is 285 tons and will be transported in two stages on Monday and Tuesday (16th & 17th March).

It will be taken from the harbour to the Lochshell business park and then transferred to a special trailer before going on to Wester. The towheads are for the Buzzard field which is over 100 kilometres north-east of Aberdeen.

To get the massive towhead through Wick, modifications have to be made to the road network and overhead cables moved. The pipeline bundles – one measuring 250 metres and the other 5.3 kilometres – are due to be launched in late summer.

Subsea 7 is also busy with a contract for the Snorre field which lies in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. Last week, the company launched its biggest ever bundle which weighed 10,500 tons. “It was really challenging but very successful,” Mr Watt said.

He explained the bundle is for the Snorre East oilfield while another is to be built for Snorre North. Subsea won an order for three bundles for the field, one of which was installed last July, with the third one due to launched shortly.

The company employs over 120 people at its sites at Wester and Hastigrow. “We will be busy all the way through to September and are pricing various work and working with clients to secure further orders,” Mr Watt said.

“The oil price has dropped and coronavirus is having an effect on loads of things but our long-term prospects look very positive. Our product is right for the North Sea and matches the requirements of our clients.”

The biggest crane assembled at Wick harbour was used to offload the three towheads for the multimillion-pound contract for the Snorre field. Twenty trucks were needed to take the crane to its position on the north river pier and assemble it in preparation for the lifts.

The three towheads and a protection structure were lifted off a special monohull vessel and transported to the company’s Wester site and then to their various locations along the track to Hastigrow.

The pipeline bundles incorporate the largest diameter pipe assembled in the far north and include the control umbilicals required for the development.

The Snorre field is sited within the Tampen area of the Norwegian North Sea and has been operational since August 1992.

Source: The John O Groat Journal and Caithness Courier