Jackie’s dad lived with the effects of Polio all his life and when she decided she would be running for charity, The British Polio Fellowship seemed the natural choice, both as a fitting tribute to her dad, but also to thank the charity for the support her family has received from them over the years.

“Dad sadly died three years ago but I remember the lovely family holiday we had when I was five donated to us by The British Polio Fellowship,” explained Jackie. “When I decided to start running for charity, it seemed a fitting thing to do it for my dad and in gratitude for everything The British Polio Fellowship did for him and my family.”

Since 2003, the Great Manchester Run has been establishing itself as one of Britain’s leading 10k events, with over 40,000 people due to be taking part and all live on the BBC. When Jackie crosses the finish line on Deansgate, she is aiming to be on the way to raising over £1,000 for The British Polio Fellowship by the end of this year’s running season.

The Manchester run will be 45 year old Jackie’s first competitive race but with this run under her belt, she will be turning her attention to the Diva Devas Sprint Triathlon. Jackie started training nearly a year ago, losing three stones in weight in the process. Her efforts are being sponsored by colleagues from her school at Lymm in Cheshire, with two running with her on the day. Jackie also does voluntary work for Leigh Centurions Rugby League Club who will also be backing her bid for fundraising and personal achievement.

“My trainer Bob Beswick plays for the Centurions, so I’m sure he will be supporting me to,” said Jackie. “Bob is a personal trainer as well as rugby professional and I feel fitter than I’ve ever been in my life.”

“Although I reached my target weight some time ago, I wanted to keep training and reach my goals, as I never expected to be able to run this way when I first started training. Fundraising for The British Polio Fellowship while completing my own ambitions seemed a worthy thing to do.”

In an ocean of good causes, Polio and Post Polio Syndrome (PPS) can all too easily be forgotten. While the fight to eradicate Polio worldwide is being led by the Gates Foundation, it is easy to forget the 120,000 people still living with the condition and its effects in the UK. After competing in the Manchester Race, Jackie will turn her attentions to the Woman’s only Deva Divas sprint Triathlon at Chester Meadows on the 21 July, again raising money for The British Polio Fellowship.

“We are extremely grateful for Jackie’s fundraising efforts and wish her and everyone else running for the British Polio Fellowship this year every success,” said Ted Hill MBE, CEO of the British Polio Fellowship. “With so many worthy causes out there, we really do appreciate all those who pull on their running shoes and sponsorship forms on our behalf. Without them, we would not be able to offer the ongoing support we do to those living with the effects of Polio and PPS in Britain today.”

Anyone wishing to support Jackie’s fund raising efforts can do so by visiting her just giving page at: www.justgiving.com/Jackie-Mottershead

The British Polio Fellowship can be contacted free on 0800 018 0506 by email at info@brtishpolio.org.uk or visit www.britishpolio.org.uk

The warning comes after 100 employers were referred to HMRC by employment minister Jo Swinson following a campaign by Intern Aware on the issue. The 100 are being investigated under the NMW Act 1998 which currently requires workers over 21 to be paid £6.19 per hour.

The law allows unpaid work to be carried out by interns or those completing work experience, where an employer is offering a brief ‘taster’ of their firm or industry. Problems arise in the grey area between genuine short term placements and longer term roles that come with a right to payment – but where none is being made. Such internships have been branded “exploitative and often illegal” by Intern Aware, who are calling for all work experience placements to be paid.

The situation is presented as unscrupulous employers taking unfair advantage by sourcing free labour from people anxious to give themselves an edge in a competitive job market; but is far from being so clear cut. Work experience can be beneficial for both intern and employer alike, so long as they comply with existing employment legislation. Those exempt from NMW include:

• Interns of compulsory school age
• Students undertaking a work placement (of up to one year) as part of their course
• Volunteers – they are under no compulsion to work and can come and go as they wish
• A charity worker
• Work shadowing – where the individual is not expected to perform any duties

Interns not exempt should be paid the NMW, but the ambiguity of what the law allows, particularly in terms of work placements for students has led to an increase in enquiries on the subject to Oxley & Coward, amid concerns raised by law abiding employers.

“We are seeing increasing numbers of employers worried about HMRC investigation if they offer unpaid work experience placements and the fear for those eager to secure such placements must be that employers may be far less willing to offer them,” said Oxley & Coward employment law expert Amy Cusworth. “Ambiguity occurs where a short term internship becomes a real role which should command payment under the NMW, but the intern does not get paid. While true a lack of guidance is compounding the problem, this is unlikely to be accepted by HMRC as an excuse and employers need to get their house in order or face the consequences.”

“There is a significant problem in society where people are being exploited for no money when they should be being paid,” said employment minister Jo Swinson. “We have got to change attitudes and make sure companies realise it is not appropriate. Where there is a job that needs doing, then it needs to be treated as a job and not be done by someone who is not being paid. This attacks the national minimum wage.”

“While few would argue with the minister’s views, there is a real dilemma for genuine employers facing a demand for work experience placements, wanting to help, but not wishing to fall foul of the law,” added Amy. “It is not illegal to offer unpaid internships, but employers need to ensure such placements are genuine and not simply a means to sidestep NMW legislation.”

The Bible says the wages of sin is death, but for employers, the wages of an unpaid internship may be an unwelcome investigation by HMRC. For further information on this or any other aspect of employment law, contact Oxley & Coward Solicitors on 01709 510999, visit www.oxcow.co.uk or e-mail mailbox@oxcow.co.uk

Abigail Watson joined Oxley & Coward as the firm’s new Company Commercial Solicitor, taking over from Rebecca Stopford in April. Abigail’s appointment comes in the wake of several other new appointments this year, including Brad Whiteley and is the most senior to date.

An already impressive career has seen Abigail work at City firm DLA Piper for several years, where she specialised in non contentious company and commercial law matters prior to joining Oxley & Coward and has considerable experience of working on business asset and share sale and purchases and other business transactions common to the practice of commercial law.

“It’s an exciting time to be joining Oxley and Coward and I am really looking forward to the challenge,” said Abby when commenting on her appointment. “The firm obviously has a very long history, but there is a very forward looking attitude here too which businesses can relate to and I’m looking forward to meeting the local business community and playing my part in continuing to deliver the high standards of service they have come to expect from us.”

Abigail joins Oxley & Coward after the firm announced it was becoming a full Patron of the Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce and in the wake of the news that the firm assisted in the purchase of Portland Works in Sheffield under the guidance of the firm’s head of Commercial property Anthony Ogley as another example of ongoing work with and support of the region’s business community that Abby will be looking to build upon.

“The Business Breakfasts organised by Oxley & Coward have proved very popular and one of my first tasks will be to see that this continues,” explained Abby. “The next one is set for Thursday 16 May and I’m looking forward to meeting clients and members of the local business community on the day for a morning of networking.”

“We are delighted to be able to welcome Abigail to the team,” said Oxley & Coward’s Practice Manager Peter Hedley. “The role of company commercial solicitor is a key one for the Practice and Abby’s City experience is going to be a big advantage for us and our clients.”

Abigail will be able to advise Oxley & Coward clients on a wide variety of commercial law matters, including business acquisitions, company formations, reorganisations and restructuring, together with joint ventures, partnership agreements, shareholder agreements and commercial contracts where Abigail’s experience will prove invaluable.

“Oxley & Coward always recruit the very best people the profession has to offer and securing the talents of a solicitor of Abby’s calibre is always pleasing,” added Peter. The clients we currently serve have come to rely on our professional and experienced service and Abigail’s appointment demonstrates in a way no one can miss that our ambitions for the practice and our clients remain as high as ever.”

Originally from Doncaster, Abigail spent ten years living in York, then Leeds before moving to Epworth last year. When not in the office, Abby enjoys walking, running and swimming, although much of her free time these days is spent running after the recent 13 month old addition to the family!

For further information on Oxley & Coward Solicitors LLP, please call 01709 510999 or visit the website at www.oxcow.co.uk

Jon managed to knock an amazing ten minutes off his personal best this year, completing the 26.2 mile course in a respectable 5 hours 25 minutes and in raising over £5,034 has also significantly boosted footfall to his just giving page in the process too.

“I am delighted with both my time and more importantly with the amount of money I was able to raise,” said an exhausted, yet elated Jon after the race. “Beating both my fundraising total and my personal best by such a big margin is a great feeling and while I was just pipped at the post by Sonic the Hedgehog, I did convincingly beat the men dressed as rhinos!”

With a strong background in supporting charitable organisations with their public profile, BeyondPR has worked with Deafness Research UK and former tinnitus charity Action for Tinnitus Research (ATR) for ten years, although it was only in 2011 that Jon was ‘persuaded’ to go on the run.

Jon said: “The inspiration was a friend at Deafness Research UK who somehow persuaded me to take the challenge. I was jokingly asked if it was time I took the plunge and did some fundraising for them by running the marathon. A few glasses of wine later and the application was in the post!”

Jon’s fundraising page can be found at http://www.justgiving.com/jon-gardner and thanks to clients, friends, relatives, colleagues, and even strangers (!), Jon has already raised thousands of pounds for Deafness Research UK – a cause all too often overlooked in the plethora of good causes people can choose to support.

“As well as having a professional relationship with the charity, it also strikes a chord with me personally, as I suffered with repeat ear infections and perforated ear drums as a youngster. Not only were the ongoing ear problems very uncomfortable leading to time off school and sometimes poor attention in the classroom, it may well have all been avoidable with better understanding and treatment. If my parents had been aware of the Deafness Research UK Advisory Service, the problems may have been much more manageable,” Jon added.

While now something of an ‘old hand’ at marathons with a hat trick of triumphs now under his belt, Jon admits that it was not all plain sailing when he decided to embark on his training programme: “When I first started training I was unable to walk a mile without hyperventilating, never mind run more than 26,” said Jon. “I was quite overweight and really out of shape. Looking back, my friend at Deafness Research UK did me a real favour as the London Marathon is the best thing I ever did,” he adds.

”We would like to congratulate all the runners like Jon who successfully completed the Virgin London Marathon for us,” said Vivienne Michael, Chief Executive of Deafness Research UK. “Their fundraising efforts are essential for ensuring the work of Deafness Research UK can continue and they can all be proud of the fact that their efforts will contribute directly to life transforming developments for millions of people throughout the country.”

Jon is now spending a week celebrating/recuperating in an undisclosed location, prior to returning to work and running with some new PR campaigns in May!

For staff caught up in such uncertainty of mergers, takeovers and potential business failures, communication is key. So often, employees are disgruntled not necessarily by ‘the news itself’, but by how the news is broken. There can be few things worse than opening the newspaper, turning on the tv or logging on to Facebook, for example, to find out from a third party that you might be about to lose your job.

For all the Hilcos, Newcos and Oldcos out there, we have some great news that should help companies love staff who may previously have felt a little unloved. We have designed intuitive HR software to help companies communicate better with their staff. The technology includes an integrated and secure office notice board and Intranet that is ready to use from day one – showing things like latest news, job vacancies, training opportunities, key contacts and company policies.

So come on captains of industry, love your staff more and communicate with them better. Remember, most brands are worthless without their most valuable asset – the people who deal with customers on a daily basis. Full details are available from ChorusHR on 0845 304 9828.

Bridget Stidworthy, Customer Services Director, Chorus HR

Alongside what is undoubtedly the great news of this particular business rescue story, there is also the challenging situation affecting any employees caught up in the negative effects of the recession, whether it be due to business failure, redundancy, merger or takeover.

We British can learn a lot from other countries when it comes to staff relations and communications. Companies can engage with employees more effectively and in doing so prepare people as professionally and sympathetically as possible for what lies ahead. Those who get it wrong do so at their peril; staff using Twitter, Facebook and other social media feeds to ‘abuse’ the company and tarnish its reputation is not unheard of. Such damage can take a company months or years to repair…some may never recover. Conversely, communicate with your staff more transparently and effectively and they will feel more like working with their employer, even helping out when it finds itself in a fix.

Smart technology solutions are now available to help companies keep staff informed and take the hassle out of internal communications. So there is no excuse for companies not properly announcing and explaining bad (or good) news to staff any more. Invest a few pounds in your people by adopting the latest HR technology, and you will reap far reaching benefits for years to come. Full details available from ChorusHR on 0845 304 9828.

Bridget Stidworthy, Customer Services Director, Chorus HR

The Bionic Ear Show tours the country with its message on hearing health, delivered by its popular and irrepressible presenter, Tobin May, and the ‘world’s largest ear’. Over the last five years, the show has blossomed, culminating in it being a finalist in last year’s National Lottery Awards. Over 100,000 children and more than 10,000 adults have now seen the Bionic Ear Show live.

The Sheffield Festival of Science and Engineering was the perfect opportunity for Professor Holley and the show to join forces once more, helping people to understand how the hearing system works, how hearing is lost, and how to look after it. The fun and interactive show also explains how current and future medical research could provide effective treatments for hearing loss.

“It’s a pleasure to be back in South Yorkshire, and the Bionic Ear Show is a perfect fit for a festival dedicated to science and engineering, since the ‘world’s largest ear’ is a little bit of both,” said Tobin. “The chance to link up with Professor Holley again was too good to miss and his insights into the very latest research gave the show some added excitement.”

Former teacher Tobin May employs a variety of techniques and activities to get the hearing message across, including a 22ft long display explaining how the ear works; plus group activities like ‘guess that tune’. Hearing loss is a growing problem in the UK, affecting one in six people – more than 10 million people, so the show’s messages are more relevant than ever. Tobin’s infectious style captures the imagination and no scientific knowledge is required to enjoy the spectacle.

As collaboration between Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Sheffield, the Sheffield Festival of Science and Engineering (17-23 March) aims to celebrate all that is best about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) across South Yorkshire. With more events taking place here than in any other city outside London, it serves to underline the region as a major international centre for research – including into hearing loss.

Professor Holley is based at the Department of Biomedical Science at the University of Sheffield – one of the top departments of its type, not just in the UK, but in Europe. Rapid progress in hearing research has been made and Sheffield has been at the heart of it. This unique department has benefited from Deafness Research UK grants supporting cell physiology, stem cell research and much more.

Professor Holley explained that while research can take many years to filter through to clinical trials, great strides have already been made in discovering the genes involved and converting stem cells into inner ear hair cells. While such exciting discoveries are a cause for optimism, it is important to maintain a sense of perspective on the timescales involved.

“Few people appreciate that it can take anywhere from 15 to 25 years to take a development from the research stage to full clinical trial and ultimately to licence new treatments for use in humans, said Professor Holley. “Our Biomedical Science Department is pursuing some of the most exciting and ambitious projects in deafness research and thanks to funding from charities like Deafness Research UK, this exciting work is able to continue.”

“Deafness Research UK remains committed to supporting world class research, and vital labs like the one in Sheffield receive our support,” said Vivienne Michael, Chief Executive of Deafness Research UK. ”Until we find a cure, the Bionic Ear Show is one way we get the message on hearing loss across and the Sheffield Festival of Science and Engineering was the perfect chance to link up again with Professor Holley to do that.”

Anyone who would like the Bionic Ear Show to visit their school, community group or event free of charge should contact Laura Turner at Deafness Research UK on 020 7164 2294 or email Laura at laura.turner@deafnessresearch.org.uk. You can find out more about the show at: www.bionicearshow.org

Supported by the likes of the Rt. Hon. Keith Vaz MP and Paralympic silver medallist and London 2012 hero James Crisp, the games were the annual opportunity for Fellowship members who had got through their regional heats to go head to head with over 140 fellow competitors from nine other counties comprising of East Midlands; Scotland; Home Counties; North of England; North West; South of England; Wales and Western; with Yorkshire coming out top overall.

Yorkshire golds came from David Howells in Standing Darts; Chris Bilton and Brenda Stewart in Dominoes; while Rosemary Bilton and Ken Edwards knocked the spots off the competition to secure 5s and 3s gold. Silver came for Joan Robson in Cribbage, who narrowly missed out on gold to legendary player and British Polio Fellowship stalwart Brian Rowley from the East Midlands. Ann Kay came a very creditable second in the Bowls; while Peter Beckett’s bronze in the Draughts was a vital contribution to the region’s nine medal tally, up against some excellent players from the East Midlands. Yorkshire’s main hope in the Kurling, Catherine Mitton, narrowly missed out, under fierce competition and some excellent play from the North West’s Bob McCarthy. Christine Lumb scored silver in the Scrabble, prompting a double celebration as her husband Gordon is the Games Maker, with overall responsibility for organising the Games.

The Games were followed by a gala dinner and awards ceremony on Saturday evening where gold silver and bronze winners were personally presented with their medals by Paralympian swimmer James Crisp, who inspired everyone with his own personal story of triumph over the adversity of Polio. After all the formal medal presentations and photos, James made himself available to have more informal photos taken with competitors, proudly wearing his own London 2012 silver medal.

Ted Hill, Chief Executive of the British Polio Fellowship, said: “Our warmest congratulations go out not only to our overall winners Yorkshire, but to every competitor and British Polio Fellowship member who came along. This year was undoubtedly our best games ever and proof that for many of our members, Polio and Post Polio Syndrome (PPS) has not hindered their determination to succeed. The games were played very much in the right spirit of competition mixed with fair play and this year’s success will be a spur to making the 2014 games even bigger and better again.”

While the Indoor Games have been held in Leicester for 10 years and in Walsall for as many years prior to that, all agree this year’s games had an extra special buzz. This was in part due to the Olympic efforts required from many just to get there in the snow and the star quality delivered through the support of James Crisp. Add in local MP Keith Vaz taking time out to lend his support and an ITV crew filming for local television all added some additional spice and gave competitors a small insight into the sorts of pressures faced by James and his fellow Paralympians in 2012.

“The increased interest in and coverage of this year’s National Indoor Games is very welcome and much appreciated,” added Ted Hill. “We have all felt real public support for our endeavours and this has clearly flowed from the heroics of James and his fellow Paralympians, who have done so much to give a positive profile to our competitors. Despite Polio and PPS, they continue to strive to fulfil their own dreams of achievement, and that this is something that not just those with Polio, but everyone can get behind and support.”