Custom Solar Ltd, a renewable energy company based in Chesterfield, has been shortlisted in two categories at the The Solar Power Portal Awards which takes place in October.

Custom Solar specialises in solar photovoltaic systems and works nationally to design, install and maintain high quality solar systems for businesses, homes and the education sector.

They have recently completed one of the UK’s largest installations, and the largest rooftop installation in the UK, to be completed over recent years. The project was delivered for The Associated British Ports and included over 20,000 solar panels being installed across various operational buildings within the port, in addition to major upgrade works to support the electrical connection.

The project has been shortlisted for the “Commercial Rooftop Solar Installation of the Year” award and Custom Solar is also a finalist in the “National Solar Contractor of the Year” category. The winners will be announced at the The Solar Power Portal Awards ceremony which will be held on 17 October at the Hilton Metropole NEC, Birmingham.

Matt Brailsford, Managing Director at Custom Solar Ltd said: “We look forward to what should be a fantastic event in addition to some very well deserved recognition for all of the team at Custom Solar.”

Matt is from Chesterfield and was keen to keep their head office based locally:

“Chesterfield is one of the friendliest places in the world which makes working and living here a pleasure. Chesterfield is perfectly situated regarding transport links for a nationwide network of clients, and the business community, especially the Chesterfield Champions, are very supportive of each other and Chesterfield.”

Up to half-a-million small and medium-sized businesses in the UK could have been victims of cyber crime through their emails at an average cost of £27,000, according to research carried out by Lloyds Bank.

Dubbed ‘impersonation’ or ‘CEO’ fraud, cyber criminals are using ‘business email compromise’ to steal money or upload malware to corporate computers. Attackers typically hack the email accounts of senior personnel, such as chief executives, and then send messages to employees in their name, using the target’s rank to encourage either an unauthorised payment or the opening of links or documents.

Any payments secured usually go to bank accounts controlled by the criminals. The links or documents typically contain malware, which allows the criminal access to the firm’s computers.

According to industry reports on the Lloyds Bank research, 53% of respondents said they had experienced scammers posing as their boss and 52% said they had experienced fraudsters posing as suppliers to demand payments.

Andy Watterson, Business Crime Manager at East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire) said “These tactics are becoming increasingly popular among cyber criminals because employees tend not to question an email that comes from their boss, especially if it tells them to make a payment to what looks like a genuine supplier”.

He added: “Lloyds Bank calculated that about 500,000 SMEs in the UK have probably been affected by ‘impersonation’ or ‘CEO’ fraud. Lloyds also found that there had been a 58% rise in this type of cyber crime so far this year, with legal firms being the most at risk. Businesses need to make sure their staff are alert to this threat and are trained to recognise and block it.”

Later this month, the Chamber will be hosting its annual East Midlands Cyber Security Conference.

The theme of the conference will be ‘digital risk’, where delegates will be encouraged to take a ‘360 degree’ look at their business to identify the areas in which they use IT and data and learn practical measures and strategies to reduce the risk of attack, fraud or data loss.

By examining the consequences of a fraud, breach or data loss, delegates will be better able to assess the risks and consider what action they should take to reduce it, just as they would for other risks to their business, such as regulation, fire and flood.

Through a series of workshops, panel discussions, exhibitions and guest speakers, delegates will get practical guidance to steer their thinking on cyber security both from a technical standpoint and about the processes and governance needed to underpin it.

This event, which is free for Chamber members, is for all businesses, regardless of size or activity, and includes a networking lunch and exhibition.

Andy added: “Cyber criminals are getting cleverer by the day and the potential costs of not preventing cyber crime are increasing on a par with the risk, so companies must remain up to date about the latest risks and know what steps to take to remove them.”

The conference takes place at Chesterfield FC’s Proact Stadium on Thursday 27 September, starting at 9am. To see the full agenda and to book a place, click here.

David Williams, Chair of Geldards LLP (pictured), has been appointed Deputy Chair of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), which is a newly created position.

David has served on the D2N2 Board since 2016 and is already well-versed in the aims and priorities of the LEP. He will now help to lead the board as Deputy Chair, alongside D2N2’s newly-appointed Chair, Elizabeth Fagan, who took up the post in July of this year (2018).

D2N2 is the LEP for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. Its Board comprises of senior figures from the fields of business, local government, skills and training and the community and voluntary sector. This ensures that each of the different areas of business within Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire are properly and fairly represented, as D2N2 works to grow the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire economy.

Following the recommendation in the national review of Local Enterprise Partnerships, by Government, the position of Deputy Chair has been created on the D2N2 Board. This allows for greater flexibility and efficiency within the LEP, as well as providing greater support for D2N2’s Chair, in driving forward D2N2’s vision for a more prosperous and inclusive economy.

David is currently Chair of Geldards LLP, a prominent and prestigious law firm, with offices in Derby and Nottingham. In addition to this, David holds a number of positions in a variety of organisations. These include as Chair of East Midlands Business Limited, a Board Member at Derby College, Chair of the Derby Nottingham Metro Growth Board, Chairman of the Arkwright Society, and Director of Derby County Football Club.

Elizabeth Fagan, D2N2 Chair, said: “I am delighted that David has chosen to take up the position of Deputy Chair of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership at this important time in its development. The area is home to world-class businesses and knowledge bases, has a hard-working talent pool, a vibrant cultural offering and is a beautiful place to live, work and visit.”

“I believe that the power of D2N2 lies in the intersection between public and private companies and I hope that David’s considerable knowledge and experience will help make a positive difference. I look forward to working with him as we create and deliver a new strategy for high value economic growth that benefits all our communities.”

David Williams, D2N2 Deputy Chair, added: “I am pleased to be taking up the role of Deputy Chair with the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership and I look forward to the opportunities that we will face in the future. As we move forward and reshape our strategy to meet the needs of the modern and future economy, I believe that we have a lot to be excited about and a business community with enormous potential.”