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Things are looking up says Timpsons boss

Friday, February 20, 2015 ‹ Back To Latest News List
One of the best known names on the UK's high streets will urge entrepreneurs and their financial backers to ditch the cautious approach and take a chance on the recovering economy.

John Timpson, chairman of the Timpson group of companies, will be delivering the upbeat message at a special dinner in Wrexham.

It's being organised by the Wrexham Business Professionals (WBP), an influential group of accountants and solicitors, who will be joined by their guests, including other senior figures from the local business community.

The event at the Ramada Plaza in Wrexham on the evening of Tuesday, March 25, is being held to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the group that was established to raise the profile of expertise that exists in the region and beyond.

The other VIP guest on the night will be Martyn Jones, President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). He has had a distinguished career which began in a medium-sized firm and an international practice before he became a lecturer.

Three days later the group will welcome Dame Clara Furse DBE, one of the best known figures in the world of global finance. She will be the guest speaker at a breakfast meeting at the Ramada on Friday, March 28.

Dame Clara Furse DBE, who became a member of the Bank of England's Financial Policy Committee last April, is a former Chief Executive of the London Stock Exchange. She is also a non-executive Director of Nomura Holdings Inc, Amadeus IT Holding SA, and the UK's Department for Work and Pensions.

First up, though will be John Timpson, who is also known as a keen supporter of social enterprises and for working with ex-offenders.

The company he heads has more than 800 outlets across the UK and is involved in shoe repairs, key making, photo processing, watch repairs, dry cleaning and other services.

Timpson's is proud of being the most active recruiter of ex-offenders in the UK, while Mr Timpson and his wife, Alex, were foster carers for 31 years during which time they cared for 90 children.

In 2011, the family-run firm opened a Jamie Oliver-style chef training academy restaurant called the Oyster Catcher on Anglesey where Mr Timpson and his wife have a holiday home and already ran an extremely successful restaurant, The White Eagle.

Speaking about the current business climate in advance of his address to members of WBP, Mr Timpson said: "Lots of businesses are still a bit cautious. But I don't really think they need to be.

"I think things are very much on the mend, as the Government – not the Opposition – is saying.

"There are loads and loads of really good people about and the banks are starting to love us again, although there's still some way to go before they're where we'd like them to be."

On the subject of new entrepreneurs, Mr Timpson said: "This is definitely a time for people with ideas to back them, as long as they can find the money to do it.

"I think we've now reached the stage where we're looking at opportunities and not problems."

Mr Timpson said he and his wife had started the Oyster Catcher, in the rebuilt former Maelog Lake Hotel at Rhosneigr, after being impressed by the success that celebrity chef Jamie Oliver had made of his 15 venture, a chef school for disadvantaged youngsters who would find it to get a job elsewhere.

He explained that training at the Oyster Catcher was based on a two-year programme, the first half of which the 16 cadets on each annual intake spend at Coleg Menai and the remainder in the kitchens at the Oyster Catcher or on placement with first-class restaurants such as those run by Jamie Oliver and Heston Blumenthal's famous Fat Duck at Bray in Berkshire.

Mr Timpson said: "From the 2011 intake we eventually took on nine young people full-time and there were eight from 2012.

"The third group of cadets joined in January this year and are doing fine. I met them all for lunch a few weeks ago and I'm pretty hopeful there are some stars amongst them."

"On Anglesey there are plenty of young people with lots of boundaries to employment, and that's why we decided to start the Oyster Catcher.

"We're not talking about the most straight-forward, easy to teach people but we're proud of doing it because some of them wouldn't get a job otherwise."

Gill Atkinson, a founder member of WBP and a Director of Coxeys Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditors, was delighted they had been able to attract such a stellar line-up of speakers.

She said: "We're really looking forward to hearing from all our speakers and I am sure our members will learn a great deal and be inspired by their collective wisdom.

"The dinner will I am sure be a fitting celebration of the first five years of Wrexham Business Professionals.

"We are really proud of what we have achieved in bringing together Wrexham's accountants and solicitors as well as the wider business community as part of our pro business campaign.

"Wrexham is a fantastic place to do business, something that was emphasised when four firms from the town were among those honoured at the Wales Fastgrowth 50 Awards.

"Our mission is to work together for the greater good and cement Wrexham's reputation as the commercial capital of North Wales."