<div class="editor-cover-image" data-dimensions="780:300" data-pmr-editor-image="" style="background-image: url(&quot;https://leaders-council-web.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/store/3f3ef5127b1c76bd0d1e574a3f68b288.jpg&quot;);"></div>

 <div data-pmr-editable="" class="medium-editor-insert-plugin">Our latest leadership roundup brings news of a raft of awards for a Hartlepool-based nursery, discounted fees for parents in North London, an environmentalism push in Frome, and opposition to the Internal Market Bill in Scotland. GTC Scotland urge teachers and parents to support amendments to Internal Market BillThe General Teaching Council for Scotland <a href="https://www.gtcs.org.uk/News/news/teachers-parents-asked-support-amendments-internal-market-bill.aspx">has written to teachers</a> in Scotland urging them to contact their local MPs about the Internal Market Bill, amid concerns that the bill will lead to a ‘watering down’ of the teaching profession in Scotland. Ken Muir, Chief Executive and Registrar of <a href="https://www.gtcs.org.uk/News/news/teachers-parents-asked-support-amendments-internal-market-bill.aspx">GTC Scotland</a> said, ‘The Bill means that GTC Scotland would seem to be expected to give full registration to teachers from any of the jurisdictions in the UK, irrespective if they are highly qualified or unqualified.‘Our key concern about the Bill is the extent to which current registered teachers, users of the education system and parents would feel that would be watering down the teaching profession in Scotland. Entry to our Register is predicated on a high standard of qualification, with the 76,600 people on our register having gone through tough times in gaining a degree or equivalent and a teaching qualification and I think many of them would be very upset if colleagues coming into their schools came in through a much less significant, less demanding route.‘There is a strong legal basis to the work we do as the body that regulates the teaching profession in Scotland. Given that the Bill excepts the legal professions across the UK from its requirements, GTC Scotland feels there is an equally strong argument for the teaching profession in Scotland to be excepted.‘As the professional body for all of Scotland’s teachers, we have written to our registrants and urged them to raise our concerns with their local MP. It is only by MPs supporting the amendments to the UKIM Bill that we can protect the very high standards that are set for our teachers in Scotland and protect the quality of teaching that our children receive and deserve.’Kidz Kabin to offer discounted fees until April The nursery school provider, <a href="https://kidzkabin.com">Kidz Kabin</a>, which has three schools in North London (Pembroke Studios, Fortismere and Shropshire Hall) is offering parents ten percent off their fees if they join between now and 31st March 2021. Kidz Kabin, which is led by Lynda Symons, places a strong emphasis on music and learning through playing and telling stories. Children also learn basic computer skills, how to grow fruity and vegetables, how to make slime and much more. The move may prove to be a blessing for the many parents who are currently looking to make savings in the face of mounting economic difficulties.Footprints Learning for Life are Hartlepool’s winningest nursery <a href="http://www.footprintslfl.co.uk/awards/">Footprints Learning for Life</a>, the Hartlepool-based day nursery led by Sharon Birch, has been revealed to have the highest number of awards across all the nurseries in the region. The nursery, which has been rated Outstanding by Ofsted, has won ‘Gold Investors in People,’ the ‘Nursery World Award for Team Development’, ‘Golden Apple Healthy Eating Award’ and many more.Talltrees Kindergarten display environmental credentials Emma Corner’s Frome-based nursery school, <a href="https://www.talltreeskindergarten.co.uk">Talltrees Kindergarten</a>, have asserted their commitment to the environment and eco-consciousness with a series of initiatives. Writing on their own website, they explain:‘We want to set a good example for the children and strive to look at ways to keep things as natural and eco conscious in the Tall Trees environment on a day to day basis.’The policies include the use of compostable vegetable materials rather than plastic bags, UK-made chemical-free nappies and homemade lavender baby wipes. They are also committed to recycling as much waste as possible.</div>

Our latest leadership roundup brings news of a raft of awards for a Hartlepool-based nursery, discounted fees for parents in North London, an environmentalism push in Frome, and opposition to the Internal Market Bill in Scotland.

LEADERSHIP ROUNDUP: GTC Scotland opposes Internal Market Bill, Kidz Kabin offers discounts, Footprints Learning for Life in awards haul, Talltrees champion environment 

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 <div data-pmr-editable="" class="medium-editor-insert-plugin">Founded in 1996 from a small office in southwest London, <a href="https://www.coffeehunter.com/">Mercanta The Coffee Hunters</a> has grown into a business that sources a huge variety of outstanding coffees from 20 different producing countries. It boasts an experienced team of coffee hunters spread across six warehouses on three different continents. By and large, the company has been able to cope well in pivoting to deal with the challenges of the ongoing Covid-19 situation, and it is more the challenge of having to continue to lead such a diverse team spread all over the globe that keeps director, Stephen Hurst, on his toes from a leadership perspective. <a href="https://youtu.be/_8DETjNrdU4">In an honest interview with the Leaders Council’s Matthew O’Neill</a>, which featured on our leadership podcast series, Hurst was pleased with the ability of the business to pivot over the last few months as many of the company’s clients in the hospitality sector were affected quite quickly.He explained: “The pandemic has affected us quite considerably. We supply artisan craft and speciality coffee roasting companies in the UK all over the world and they in turn supply the out of home café, restaurant, and hotel sector, and that has been heavily affected by Covid closures and that in turn affects our clients who supply them, which then has a knock-on effect on us who source the beans.”Fortunately for Mercanta, the pandemic has not had a detrimental impact on its supply chain.Hurst added: “The supply chain of buying raw unroasted coffee beans is complex anyway so Covid didn’t do much to intensify that. It is the falling demand for the product and our clients closing that has really had the biggest effect. From the supply side, we have not had the problems we usually have though. We move coffee beans from complex inland locations, for example countries vulnerable to labour strikes and natural disasters, and we have seen trucks stuck at borders that they have been unable to cross because of restrictions, but by and large it isn’t a wholesale problem on the supply side.”While the virus has had a tangible effect on the customers that Mercanta supplies, the issue has been somewhat offset by an increase in home consumption and more demand for clients who supply retailers.Hurst said: “Some of the things that have happened, like a huge switch to home coffee consumption, has seen coffee consumers become more discerning which is good for the kind of quality coffee beans we supply. Some of our clients who considered rationalising the number of product lines they had have changed their minds because grocery sales have been so strong they’ve kept certain lines of our products on that they perhaps wouldn’t have carried on with and may have discontinued.“In terms of us directly adapting, we have found ways to alter our business which has a lot of laboratory tasting sessions which have been affected, but we’ve adapted protocols to deal with that. Rather than travelling out to our labs across the world like we normally would, we had a live Zoom call where we hosted a coffee cupping and tasting session with one of our suppliers in Brazil hundreds of kilometres away.”The use of technology has been a significant help in keeping the UK branch of the business connected with Mercanta’s various outposts across the world, but even in the everyday environment of running the business pre-pandemic, maintaining an inclusive business across such a small but diverse team has been one of Hurst’s biggest challenges, by his own admission.“Our business is unusual. We are a relatively small company but are spread across five or six locations like Seattle, Dubai, Glasgow, Kingston-upon-Thames and Singapore, so keeping the business inclusive is challenging, just in terms of making sure everyone is in the loop and up to date on matters.”Yet working with such a team and presenting Hurst with such a challenge has, in his view, helped him blossom into an inclusive leader.“As a leader, I try to be inclusive and hands on to include myself in the day-to-day activity of the company. I look after some of our customer accounts myself, I’m involved in the day-to-day lab testing and coffee tasting we do and also strategy planning. One of the biggest issues to contend with is the geographical and multicultural diversity of our 23-strong team across multiple time zones and locations. That management can be challenging but it is something I relish when I wake up every day.”Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@asthetik">Mike Kenneally</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/">Unsplash</a></div>

Founded in 1996 from a small office in southwest London, Mercanta The Coffee Hunters has grown into a business that sources a huge variety of outstanding coffees from 20 different producing countries.

Mercanta director talks Covid, coffee and the challenges of leading a small team spread across six different countries

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 <div data-pmr-editable="" class="medium-editor-insert-plugin">Our latest leadership roundup brings news of Dr Kathy Alexander’s push for reform of the Solicitors Regulation authority, high praise for a gas and heating specialist, and a new way to receive online trauma risk management in the Covid era. Strongmind provides online trauma risk management training An organisation which provides expert training to organisations on mental health awareness, personal resilience and trauma management has launched <a href="https://strongmindresilience.co.uk/2020/09/08/new-virtual-trauma-risk-management-training-by-strongmind/">an online trauma risk management (TRiM) course</a>. Devizes-based Strongmind Resilience Training says that, as far as they are aware, this is the world’s first such online course. People who take part in the course will be able to make their way through the TRiM course at their own pace and will also gave virtual support from one of Strongmind’s high-experienced mentors. Founder and director <a href="https://strongmindresilience.co.uk/2020/09/08/new-virtual-trauma-risk-management-training-by-strongmind/">Richard Dorney said</a>, ‘Our team has built on years of experience delivering TRiM courses to develop an excellent form of blended learning. This uses video, and live interaction. In addition, a series of online modules provide essential information and links to additional resources.’Highgate Hill Solicitors director calls for reform of SRADr Kathy Alexander, the experienced solicitor who founded Highgate Hill Solicitors and Justice for Lawyers <a href="https://www.theparliamentaryreview.co.uk/organisations/highgate-hill-solicitors">has called on the SRA</a> (Solicitors Regulation Authority) to improve it’s democratic accountability. ‘A committee elected by the members would enable a <a href="https://www.theparliamentaryreview.co.uk/organisations/highgate-hill-solicitors">better understanding</a> of the work of the solicitors, especially among the black and ethnic minority firms,’ Dr Alexander said, ‘and would allow the SRA to follow an updated and democratic approach.’ Dr Alexander has spent much of her career dedicated to helping small firms deal with large regulatory bodies. In 2018 she was commended as the best volunteer in Islington for her work with children and refugees. And in 2016 she was invited to speak at the Polish Parliament on the subject of risky currencies.TradeForce Gas &amp; Heating comes in for praise Mike Charalambous’ Islington-based TradeForce Gas &amp; Heating have come in for <a href="https://www.tfgas.co.uk/our-reviews">a raft of praise</a> from their clients. The company provides both domestic and commercial gas and heating services, and their clients include KFH, Chestertons, Ventana and Sloane Stanley.‘Its so refreshing to find a company thats does exactly what they say,’ said Gina Charilau, ‘Very happy with the service and the reasonable price.’</div>

Our latest leadership roundup brings news of Dr Kathy Alexander’s push for reform of the Solicitors Regulation authority, high praise for a gas and heating specialist, and a new way to receive online trauma risk management in the Covid era.

LEADERSHIP ROUNDUP: Strongmind provides world first, Kathy Alexander calls for SRA reform, and TradeForce come in for praise 

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 <div data-pmr-editable="" class="medium-editor-insert-plugin">In our latest series of leadership quotations, we hear from Ewen Stevenson on banks charging customers for basic services, from Rishi Sunak on the government’s plans for the North, from Emma Marshall on the bureaucracy facing accountancy firms, from Ghulam Mustafa on the regulation burden in the property sector, and from Marius Foster on the effects of the government’s decision to ban agency fees. Ewen Stevenson‘We will have to look at charging for <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/coronavirus-news-covid-tier-3-lockdown-vaccine-uk-cases-deaths/">basic banking services</a> in some markets, because a large number of our customers will be losing us money.’ (HSBC’s Group CFO on the potential end of free accounts).Rishi Sunak‘I absolutely share my colleagues' frustration at restrictions. Of course that's frustrating if you're having to live under these things and you want to know when it's going to be over. But I also share their <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/coronavirus-news-covid-tier-3-lockdown-vaccine-uk-cases-deaths/">passion and ambition for the North</a>. I want my constituents to make sure they have the same opportunities that everyone else does. The conversation can't always just be about what's going on in London, marvellous as London is.’ (The chancellor of the exchequer in response to 50 backbench Tory MPs setting up the Northern Research Group to ensure the North is not left behind)&nbsp;Emma Marshall‘With each week that passes, we find ourselves <a href="https://www.theparliamentaryreview.co.uk/organisations/marshall-accountancy">under more and more scrutiny</a> and pressure by way of burgeoning local and central bureaucracy. We want to spend more time adding value to clients’ businesses by growing them and contributing more to the economy, and this is presently being stifled by the ever-increasing amount of regulatory red tape we have to wade through.’ (The <a href="https://www.marshallaccountancy.co.uk">Marshall &amp; Co</a> founder on the struggles accountancy firms face as a result of red tape).Ghulam Mustafa‘The <a href="https://www.theparliamentaryreview.co.uk/organisations/london-accommodation-centre-uk-ltd">mandatory introduction</a> of licensing fees and document verification to the letting sector have proven to be both costly and time-consuming. For larger companies, overcoming these obstacles may be easier – they may have more resources at their disposal, or even a dedicated compliance department. As a small family-run business, we struggle with the wealth of new legislation imposed on the lettings sector every year.’ (The <a href="https://londonaccommodation47.co.uk/page/about-us">London Accommodation Centre</a> director on the regulation burden in the property sector)Marius Foster‘Letting agents have <a href="https://www.theparliamentaryreview.co.uk/organisations/john-hilton-estate-agents">legitimate costs when setting up a tenancy agreement</a>, such as referencing tenants, credit checks, right to rent checks and check-ins at the property. Like any business, costs need to be borne. If these costs are not passed on to the landlord, it means financial cutbacks from letting agents, which would impact the service to tenants and landlords alike. If costs are passed on to landlords, the risk is that this could force landlords to unwillingly self-manage their properties, which could lead to much wider implications.’ (The <a href="https://www.johnhiltons.co.uk">John Hilton Estate Agents</a> director on the downside of the government’s decision to ban agency fees).Paul Griffith‘It’s <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/coronavirus-news-covid-tier-3-lockdown-vaccine-uk-cases-deaths/">about time</a> that governments actually recognise what a great job the travel and tourism industry is doing in controlling the spread of the virus.’ (The CEO of Dubai Airports responding to news of discussions over a quarantine-free travel arrangement between the UK and Dubai)&nbsp;</div>

In our latest series of leadership quotations, we hear from Ewen Stevenson on banks charging customers for basic services, from Rishi Sunak on the government’s plans for the North, from Emma Marshall on the bureaucracy facing accountancy firms, from Ghulam Mustafa on the regulation burden in the property sector, and from Marius Foster on the effects of the government’s decision to ban agency fees.

LEADERS IN THEIR OWN WORDS: Stevenson, Sunak, Marshall, Mustafa, Foster, Griffith

Amber Williamson is the Founder and Chief Executive of Digital Willow, a growth marketing agency; generating leads and growing sales for businesses.

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LEADERSHIP ROUNDUP: GTC Scotland opposes Internal Market Bill, Kidz Kabin offers discounts, Footprints Learning for Life in awards haul, Talltrees champion environment

Mercanta director talks Covid, coffee and the challenges of leading a small team spread across six different countries

LEADERSHIP ROUNDUP: Strongmind provides world first, Kathy Alexander calls for SRA reform, and TradeForce come in for praise

LEADERS IN THEIR OWN WORDS: Stevenson, Sunak, Marshall, Mustafa, Foster, Griffith

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