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
Jun 24, 2024
2 min read

Two leading Yorkshire horticultural companies, Johnsons Nurseries Ltd and Palmer Landscapes, have joined forces to enhance the grounds of the newly established £9 million Highfield Care Home on the outskirts of Tadcaster.

Johnsons Nurseries Ltd, centrally located between Harrogate and York, supplied a diverse selection of plants chosen to complement the landscaping to the value of £30,000. This included 800 Euonymus Greenspire, over 1,000 bare root hedging transplants, 260 Santolina ‘Nana’, 100 Salvia ‘Caradonna’, 275 Pachysandra terminalis, 200 Hebe's, and 32 trees.

Meanwhile, Palmer Landscapes, headquartered in Pudsey, Leeds, took charge of soft landscaping for the project. Their contributions included supplying and installing over 450m³ of topsoil and 1,478m² of compost and wood bark for shrub beds. They also implemented irrigation systems, tree anchors, and root barriers for all the trees. In addition, Palmer Landscapes seeded and turfed over 6,000m² of land and carried out planting to enhance the project's green spaces.

The duo have transformed the grounds of Highfield Care Home into a vibrant oasis, where residents can enjoy a new home amongst beautiful grounds.

Set amidst serene and picturesque open parkland, Highfield Care Home offers a tranquil retreat with captivating views overlooking a serene lake. It is nestled in close proximity to the historic Roman Catholic church of Scarthingwell Park.

Highfield Care Home boasts 65 bedrooms, each designed to provide comfort and privacy for residents. The newly constructed two-story facilities feature spacious lounge areas, elegant dining spaces, and inviting communal areas, meticulously crafted to foster a sense of community and warmth along with recently transformed grounds.

Dedicated to meeting the diverse needs of its residents, Highfield Care Home offers round-the-clock residential care alongside specialised support for individuals living with dementia.

Johnsons Nurseries key accounts manager, Jack Witham, said:

“It has been great to work with Palmers Landscapes again, this time to enhance the grounds of Highfield Care Home."

"Seeing our plants flourish in a beautiful setting has been hugely rewarding knowing that we’ve contributed to creating a peaceful environment for residents, staff and visitors to enjoy for many years to come.”

Liza Murphy, General Manager of Barchester’s Highfield Care Home, commented:

“We are so grateful to the teams from Johnsons Nurseries and Palmers Landscapes for all of their hard work and generosity in helping us to create such a beautiful environment for our residents to enjoy."

"Our gardens look and smell wonderful with all the gorgeous planting. We are over the moon with how the gardens have turned out and we know how much joy the plants will bring to our residents not just in the summer months but throughout the year.”

Sam Isles, Contracts Manager at Palmer Landscapes added:

“Great all-round effort starting from the office team, the suppliers and finishing with the installation team. Hats off to Jack Tordoff and his team for creating such an impressive quality finish in a stunning and peaceful location. Its lovely to see theses spaces created for the residents to enjoy.”

Johnsons Nurseries was founded over 100 years ago and is one of the UK’s largest commercial nurseries. Johnsons has supplied plants and trees to a range of well-known sites, including Grantley Hall in Ripon, Forth Road Bridge, Scotland and the National Trust’s Studley Royal Water Garden.

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