Hampshire Business Leaders Urged To Do More On Diversity

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The positive contribution of neurodiversity to the workplace was one of the key themes of Hampshire Chamber’s latest annual general meeting.

Members were urged to review their company recruitment practices and view greater inclusivity as a strategic advantage in business. Guest speaker Marie Greenhalgh, Relationships Director at specialist education provider Inclusion Education, told the Basingstoke gathering that businesses which embrace neurodiversity are better positioned for future growth, especially as Gen Z enters the workforce with higher rates of cognitive variance. Marie said:

“In today’s competitive and evolving world, businesses need more than just traditional talent, they need diverse minds that bring fresh perspectives, creative problem-solving and unique strengths."

“Neurodivergent individuals, those with conditions such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and others, offer exactly that. They often possess exceptional attention to detail, creative thinking, resilience and strategic insight, qualities that are not only valuable but often rare.”

Marie’s call was echoed by fellow speakers Barry Smith, chair of Hampshire Chamber’s Basingstoke Business Strategy Group, and Matthew Cleaver, Chief Executive of Anvil Arts.

Their presentations complemented a meeting formally organised to review the Chamber’s business performance over the past year and confirm its Board configuration. Describing 2024-25 as a ‘year of investment’ which resulted in a small financial loss, Ross McNally, Chief Executive and Executive Chair, said the forecast was a return to surplus in 2026. And he stressed that events and training income had increased by 16%, one of a series of positive developments.

Ross said two external compliance audits had passed the Chamber’s support for international trade with 100% scores. Activities included the issuing of more than 5,700 documents, with nearly 800 being export or import declarations.

At the same time, more than 2,500 bookings had been made for Chamber training sessions, networking opportunities and other events.

Major occasions included the Southampton business symposium SOGROW, the annual Southampton Boat Show lunch, the fourth year of the Portsmouth & South Coast Business Week and, in Basingstoke, the business sustainability conference and expo Unlocking Hampshire’s Green Potential.

Ross also highlighted the signing of an international UK-EU accord between Hampshire Chamber and Drogheda & District Chamber in Ireland. There was a focus on skills too, with Ross reporting more than 400 engagements between businesses and the Chamber-led Local Skills Improvement Plan for the Solent.

Skills support was a key policy area where the Chamber had lobbied or provided direct insight to government, Ross explained. Other priorities flagged with Ministers included business grants and financial support, transport infrastructure and connectivity, CSR and sustainability.

The meeting, held at the Absolutely Offices in Grove House, Basingstoke, confirmed the re-appointment of Mandy Boughton of Ancasta Yacht Services as Chamber President, a role with both an ambassadorial and lobbying remit and the internal function of providing corporate governance to the Board.

As well as Mandy, two other non-executive directors were given the green light to serve a second three-year term of office: Andrew Kaye of South Hampshire College Group and Richard Thompson of RJT International.

Ross praised the contributions of former President Peter Taylor of law firm Paris Smith and fellow non-executive director Joe Jeffers of Hambledon Vineyard, who are both stepping down after seven years’ service each.

And he thanked Donna Jones, Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire & the Isle of Wight and Chair of the National Association of Police & Crime Commissioners, who was appointed a non-executive director in 2024 and stepped down earlier this year.

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Linda Andrews - Editorial Assistant, Nuse Online
May 1, 2024
3 min read

Contractor Clegg Construction has completed an exciting £5.9m renovation scheme to transform Maltby Grammar School near Rotherham into a community resource and education centre.

During the course of the project, Clegg invested more than £3m into the local economy by using local labour and materials wherever possible.

The company’s commitment to South Yorkshire provided local employment opportunities for those living in the area which also enabled reduced travel-to-work times and distances – helping the environment too.

Nine former Maltby Grammar School students, as well as a number of people from the Maltby area, were part of the workforce.

Pre-construction director at Clegg Construction Ross Crowcroft said:

“We are delighted to have handed over the repurposed and renovated Maltby Grammar School to Maltby Learning Trust."

“The building has had a distinguished past and now has a bright future as a superb community resource, providing local services and learning facilities."

“Clegg Construction takes pride in supporting local communities wherever we work, which has been aptly demonstrated by our commitment to the local economy in the Maltby and South Yorkshire area and the people who live there."

“We wish Maltby Learning Trust all the best as Maltby Grammar School once again comes to life to provide facilities for the local community.”

During the course of the renovation, Clegg worked with clock repair and dial restoration specialists, Smith of Derby Ltd, to repair the iconic clock tower at Maltby Grammar School – getting it working again for the first time in ten years.

The renovated Maltby Grammar School will accommodate local services, support wellbeing, employment and enterprise, and provide substantial learning opportunities.

The building will also extend Maltby Learning Trust’s post-16 specialist facilities and create an incubator space for training, apprenticeships and start-up support in the leisure and hospitality sectors.

Maltby Learning Trust CEO, David Sutton, said:

“We are thrilled with the work that Clegg Construction has done to renovate and refurbish the former Maltby Grammar School Building. The Trust will now be working to fit out the interior of the multi-purpose building to make it suitable for our sixth form, business, and community audiences."

“This project will make a huge difference to the area by offering a space for people to learn, reskill, work, and thrive. We are looking forward to opening the building later in the year with a series of events.”

Built in the early 1930s, the school closed in 2012 and had fallen into a state of disrepair after being mothballed.

The redevelopment project was part of a winning bid to the Government’s Levelling Up Fund secured by Rotherham Council, which focused on boosting the leisure and hospitality sectors in the area. The Levelling Up Fund provided £4.5m towards the project.

During the renovation, Clegg supported careers events at Maltby Academy, sponsored Maltby Learning Trust’s 2023 annual staff conference and awards, and also delivered 212.5kg of food, nappies and other donated items to Maltby Foodbank for distribution to local families as part of its commitment to the area.

Other members of the team involved in the scheme included Self Architects, engineer GCA Ltd and employer’s agent and project manager Cube.

Clegg Construction is a Midlands, East Anglia, and Yorkshire-based construction firm specialising in the delivery of public and private sector projects.

The company works with organisations of all sizes and specialities across a range of different sectors.

For more information visit here.

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Hampshire Business Leaders Urged To Do More On Diversity

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