Only Connect Business Networking Podcast

Small business owners and directors face a raft of changes that will affect the rights of their employees from October, 2026, and into early 2027. 

This podcast is a live recording of an Urbano speaker panel breakfast that discussed how these changes, including liabilities around workers’ rights, unfair dismissal claims, sexual and third-party harassment, tribunals and union recognition for employees, will affect businesses and to explain how to ensure the correct procedures and safeguards are in place.

The two main speakers you will hear are Debra Spurway and Hayley Preedy, directors of HR Dept London City & Central, both experienced advisors on matters relating to HR, Employment Law and Training & Development, with well-earned reputations for providing pragmatic and commercial advice to employers from a variety of sectors.

The event was hosted at SAGAL Showroom in Clerkenwell, with the session was facilitated by Mark Herring, Connector-In-Chief at Urbano Network. You will also hear contributions from those with HR and People responsibilities at different member companies.

For more details on HR Dept services, including a free download on the changes covered at this event, and to send enquiries to Debra or Hayley, please visit: HR Dept London City & Central

For more details on Urbano, including upcoming events, please visit Urbano Network.

Urbano Network is supported by Stewart Title, the specialist insurance company providing a suite of title insurance products for residential and commercial property transactions.

On this podcast recording of our recent Urbano speaker panel breakfast, you will hear from directors of member businesses from different sectors which do business internationally. On this pod, they share their experiences and offer advice on how to set up in Europe, including Ireland and Italy, the USA, Middle East and even Ukraine. They cover sectors including media, film & TV, construction and property related services, and cover issues such as regulations and taxation.

You will also hear about the power of an individual connection to create opportunities, which is the essence of what we help to facilitate at Urbano.

This event and podcast are sponsored by CAMA Assetstore, which provides sustainable storage solutions to film and TV production companies in the UK, USA and Europe. CAMA Director Michelle French opens with the news of CAMA receiving the King’s Award For Enterprise: Sustainable Business

To be part of our next event and to find out more about Urbano, please visit our website www.urbanonetwork.co.uk

At our most recent Urbano speaker panel event, we brought together a cross-section of member and other companies to look at how they can show their commitment beyond making a profit.

Most small business directors and owners share a belief that their companies should be kind to their employees, support their communities, and have the minimal impact on the environment. They are also generous supporters of charities and charitable projects. 

Without the resources that larger companies enjoy, demonstrating purpose can be costly and complex for SMEs. Social value - the measurement used by the government and its agencies to measure such activities for tenders - can appear onerous and dissuade smaller companies from tendering. Measuring sustainability can be challenging. B Corp certification divides many and is introducing new scoring that will stretch smaller businesses. CSR. ESG. EDI. The list goes on and on.

Our panel for this event was Michelle French - Director at CAMA AssetStore, who works with many leading production houses in film and TV, Steve Drury, Director at Rooff Construction, whose role includes leading on social value as part of the company's ethos and its tender submissions and Ben Schneider, Founder of IT Guys, a B Corp certified company. The discussion between the panellists and contributions from the audience was facilitated by Mark Herring, Urbano’s Connector-In-Chief.

This event was hosted at workplace designers SAGAL's showroom in Clerkenwell and sponsored by CAMA AssetStore. Urbano is supported by Stewart Title, which offers insurance solutions to the residential and commercial property sectors.

This episode features a recording* of Sophie Kennedy, Joint CEO of EQ Investors, one of Urbano's most loyal members and supporters.  EQ Investors are an award-winning discretionary fund manager, focused on sustainable and impact investing, based in the City Of London.

In this episode takes an in-depth and personal look at the challenges facing those in investment and finance to  deliver sustainable, wealth creation. During the course of her discussion with Mark Herring, she looks how those City are changing , what options there are for those individuals who want to look after their families for the longer term.

Included in the discussion are issues around labels like ESG.

Sophie also gives feedback on COP26 and how they worked with other B Corps to push for changes to company's Articles of Association as an important step to delivering measurable corporate benchmarks built around sustainability.

For more information on EQ Investors, click here: EQ Investors

For more information about Mark, Talent Lab & Urbano Network - and to leave feedback - click here:  https://www.talentlab.co.uk/networking/

* The sound quality of this episode was affected by a very loud air conditioning unit which we couldn't turn off.  The important messages are still audible though with an industrial background.

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Talent Lab brought together three very knowledgeable and experienced bid professionals to share their experiences. The discussion led on to what would improve the process - and ultimately help create winning submissions, including lessons shared on how to write better Invitation to Tenders (ITTs).

Panel:

• Caroline Brock, Director, Talent Lab
• Mike Raynor, Raynor Bid Consultancy
• Samantha Burns, Head of Bid Management and Direction, EiB

Facilitated by Mark Herring, Director, Talent Lab 
and Producer of the Urbano Network Only Connect Podcast

Also available as a video: https://vimeo.com/912701916

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Speakers

Christian Logue, Director at Sagal Group

Debra Spurway, Director at HR Dept

Jo Geraghty, Director at Culture Consultancy

Mark Herring - Director at Urbano & Talent Lab

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Simon is a founding director of global architecture practice, Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM) where he leads a design studio of 200 architects.

Simon is a frequent writer, critic and advisor, a visiting professor at Harvard, a trustee of the London School of Architecture and the Chickenshed Theatres Trust.

In 2020, Simon was elected the next president of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and took up the role on September 1st.


On his election, Simon said he wanted to create "a more open, productive, engaged and reinvigorated RIBA" that addresses "global climate change and architecture's pivotal role in a post-pandemic world."

This event will hear from Simon on his plans to deliver on his priorities and where he sees the future of architecture within the fast-changing landscape of the built environment, leading into an interactive Q&A, with networking to follow.

Our hosts - The Building Society - is a co-working space and collaborative community for everyone working within the build environment sector, created by Urbano Members Structural & Civil Engineers, Elliott Wood. This is a place where we can all start to engineer a better society. 

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Introduction to the Security Overlay to the RIBA Plan of Work', and its place in RIBA work stages

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Urbano has championed green and sustainable business practices since 2002 in Shoreditch where we created our first networking community. To achieve the targets in the Paris Agreement will involve more collaboration, more engagement, and a different way of measuring profitability. 

Urbano has highlighted and supported environmental awareness in business since 2002 and support organisations like the Good Law project. We will also be looking to undertake an audit for Urbano's parent Talent Lab to become a UK member of B Corp, the global body for-profit businesses to demonstrate their commitment to having a positive impact on society and their environment. This event will look at the steps that for-profit companies need to take to become a member of B Corps UK with Urbano Supporters, EQ Investors. 

SPEAKER Kate Sandle - Director of Programmes & Engagement at B Corp UK. 

Since the launch of the B Corporation movement in the UK, Kate has been key to building the community of companies who are reinventing business. By voluntarily meeting higher standards, Certified B Corps are distinguishing themselves by measuring their impact and offering a positive vision of a better way to do business. 

As Director of Programmes & Engagement at B Corp UK, Kate works with existing B Corp members to strengthen the community and delivers campaigns to champion and build awareness of the movement. Kate will share with us how they are driving and promoting the role business plays in society 

This event is supported by EQ Investors, who recently scooped the award for 'the best adviser firm for ESG' at the Professional Adviser Awards 2021. are a purpose-driven investment management firm helping individuals and institutions who care about social and environmental impacts.

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https://historicengland.org.uk/whats-new/news/greening-historic-homes/

Using the report as a starting point, we look at the specific challenges around retrofitting in historic and listed buildings, and traditional homes - especially those in conservation areas - where owners are looking to install heating and power systems in line with government targets to reduce zero carbon emissions.

About our Guest Speaker
Peter Cox is Managing Director at Carrig Conservation International Ltd and a Fellow at The RSA. Peter and his company Carrig International have a proven track record in dealing with all levels of listed buildings, protected structures and monuments. Peter Cox is well known and respected internationally and contributes much to international standards, Government policies and lectures extensively on the international stage. 

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