Latest news with #Spurrell
The Guardian
20-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
UK cheesemaker welcomes new EU deal – but says it comes four years too late
A British cheese maker who was forced to sell his business because of a £600,000 loss caused by Brexit red tape has welcomed the new deal with Brussels – but says it comes four years too late. Simon Spurrell, who made headlines when he highlighted prohibitive export costs after the UK's exit from the single market, said he was delighted the 'grownups are back in the room' and he will now consider relaunching his business as long as the details are confirmed. 'It is good news but we could have had this from day one. It is just such a shame it has taken so long, we could have had this in 2020,' he said. His company's business model was upended overnight under the hard Brexit deal sealed by Boris Johnson with 20% of sales revenue disappearing immediately. The former prime minister decided to reject the EU's offer of a Swiss deal obviating the need for veterinary certification on food including red meat, poultry and shellfish because it would have meant the UK aligning itself with EU rules. A version of the Swiss deal, with most sanitary and phytosanitary checks eliminated, is now back on the table, with hopes it can be concluded within a year. Brexit meant Spurrell faced charges of £180 per veterinary certification on retail orders on the continent, even for cheese packs worth just £35. Initially Spurrell, who had committed to a £1m expansion for his growing Cheshire Cheese Company, tried to get around the new trade barriers considering warehousing cheese on the continent. But the costs were prohibitive and he sold to a larger business who had a distribution centre in the Netherlands and a legal entity to export to in Germany. 'They were exporting to themselves but it still meant the UK was losing out. They have to pay 5% of corporate tax and 20% VAT to the Germans and the transport costs have to be paid to the Dutch, so margins are tight. This deal potentially does away with that but we have to wait to see if it includes no checks for orders from individual customers,' he said. Even if not, this is huge news for small and medium-sized businesses, he said. 'Our biggest consumer market, 27 neighbouring countries that we lost, is open again. It is the small producers that lost out from Brexit. The biggest companies and supermarket chains were able to shoulder the costs. 'Now we can stop fishing in this small pond and cast our net wider again. Everybody has been waiting for this to happen. Just thank heavens the grownups are back in the room instead of people trying to make the EU to be the bad guys when it is the British government who cut us out of the market in the first place and rejected the original SPS deal.' He added: 'All the Tories were interested in was soundbites and sabre-rattling, not British business.' In 2021, the first year of Brexit trading operations, Spurrell lost £240,000 in wholesale and consumer business in Europe and was looking at another hold of £350,000 the following year before deciding to sell up. He said the alliance with Joseph Heler, a much larger concern, offered strategic means of dealing with costly Brexit trade barriers. 'If you are large enough you can mitigate the increased costs because the cost of the paperwork for one pallet of cheese can be spread across 100 pallets. It will also benefit all the customers in the EU because they can get a local delivery rate,' he added. Spurrell said the deal, which was undertaken for an undisclosed sum, was also great news for his workforce. All head office, production and warehouse staff will be retained while 14 additional full and part-time jobs will be created.
BBC News
29-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Merseyside Police: Preferred choice for new chief constable named
Cumbria's Chief Constable Rob Carden is set to take the top job at Merseyside Police later this Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Emily Spurrell said she had selected him as her preferred candidate after a "rigorous assessment and interview process".Spurrell said Carden, who is set to replace Serena Kennedy when she retires in September, had spent most of his career with Merseyside Police."Subject to the consideration of Merseyside's Police and Crime Panel, I am pleased he will continue Serena's excellent work delivering the best possible policing service for our local communities," she said. Carden, who followed in his father's footsteps by joining Merseyside Police in 1992, moved to Cumbria Police to take up its deputy chief constable role in 2022. He was promoted to chief constable the following said: "Rob is a very experienced officer who has already dedicated 20 years of his career serving the people of Merseyside, leading on a number of extremely high-profile and challenging incidents."He has done an excellent job as chief constable of Cumbria Constabulary and will bring a wealth of operational experience and a clear passion for policing to the role."Spurrell said Kennedy had been "an outstanding leader and a dedicated servant to the public of Merseyside, and I am very sorry she is leaving the force".The police and crime commissioner added she was confident of a smooth transition process before Kennedy and Carden. Wuhan repatriation During his time with Merseyside Police, Carden commanded the operation which led to the repatriation of British nationals from China's Wuhan province to Arrowe Park Hospital in went on to manage Merseyside Police's response to all phases of the Covid pandemic and led the security operation for a G7 foreign ministers' was also the strategic firearms commander for the policing operation that followed the November 2021 car explosion and fire outside Liverpool Women's assessment panel comprised representatives from policing, politics and the third sector, including Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram, former chief constable of Gwent Police Pam Kelly and the Anthony Walker Foundation's chief executive officer Kaushik Mistry. The process was observed by Barbara Murray, who chairs the Merseyside Police and Crime will now go before the Merseyside Police and Crime Panel for a confirmation hearing on 12 panel has the power to veto the PCC's preferred candidate. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
BBC News
10-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
More neighbourhood policing officers expected to be announced
The government is expected to announce plans to increase the number neighbourhood policing Manchester Police said the investment would help it in its focus on tackling burglary, robbery, knife crime, domestic abuse and antisocial behaviour - particularly in town centres. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) Ch Insp Steve Warriner said the force was now investigating "each and every offence" of retail crime that was Spurrell, chairperson of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, and PCC for Merseyside, said more neighbourhood officers would be "vital for building trust" and creating "safer" communities. Of GMP's retail crime initiative, Ch Insp Warriner said: "Businesses have now got the confidence because they know when we report it we'll take action."He said the force's focus on "repeat offenders" meant it had been able to take off the streets two who had committed 80 crimes between them."Ultimately a community that feels vulnerable as a result of people committing crimes such as shoplifting and not being held accountable," he said. Co-Op store manager Darryl Stuart-Cole said his shop in Ladybarn Court in Fallowfield was experiencing 20 incidents of shoplifting a week before GMP changed its approach."It lowers morale in the store to see these offender leaving without paying for goods," he said."It's very frustrating because they knew they could get away with it there was very little going to happen to them."He said although it is difficult to deter prolific shoplifters, the increased police presence was helping."For some of the smaller crimes, the police would not attend or communicate with us."Now the police attend every single time we call them no matter what size of the crime."We can see the difference, we have a good working relationship with the police." Matt Boyle assistant chief constable for local policing and prevention for GMP said new investment would allow the force to increase its neighbourhood resources and "be more preventative and more proactive" and put a bigger focus on communities. He highlighted the work the force had done in Victoria Park in Denton, where vandalism and anti-social e-bike riding was putting people off using the park."Our neighbourhood team have meaningfully put solutions in place to deter people away from those acts of crime and disorder," he said."We've used some enforcement powers where we've had to, but look at it today it's a well enjoyed well used park for the local community." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
CairoScene
01-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
No Walls Required: The Art of Reimagining Space in Saudi Arabia
Katy Spurrell operates with a rare duality in the art world—part strategist, part creative—bridging logistics and cultural vision. Her journey began in 1980s London, where a university job at a gallery introduced her to the art scene. 'I was a tea girl,' she says, undercutting any glamor with her characteristic English irony. After graduating with a degree in Art History, Spurrell initially aspired to become a curator. Instead, she entered the field of fine art logistics, overseeing the international movement of works by masters such as Rembrandt and Michelangelo. With a calm confidence earned through experience, she speaks of the high-stakes handling of artwork—transport, storage, preservation—with a pragmatism that suggests she's seen it all. Her career has taken her across England, Italy, China, and Russia, and now to Saudi Arabia, where she serves as Head of Art and Public Programming at Aimes, based in Riyadh. Aimes is a cultural agency dedicated to designing exhibitions and immersive experiences across the region. Among its most recent projects was a collaboration with the Royal Commission for AlUla and AlUla Moments, which brought the history of the Incense Road to life through a two-hour, multisensory journey inside a labyrinth of mud-brick homes—an experience that defied conventional museum expectations. Spurrell's arrival in Saudi Arabia coincided with a pivotal chapter in the country's cultural evolution. In the five years she has lived in the Kingdom, Saudi Arabia's art and culture scene has undergone a seismic transformation, gaining international attention with initiatives like the Diriyah and Islamic Biennales and MDLBEAST's Soundstorm. And yet, Spurrell recalls a quieter period, before the spotlight, when Jeddah—not Riyadh—was the creative capital. 'It wasn't a government-led art scene; it was a grassroots movement developed by collectors and artists,' Spurrell tells #SceneNowSaudi. The establishment of the Ministry of Culture in 2019 marked a turning point, shifting not only the center of artistic gravity, but also the mechanism of opportunity—placing institutional direction at the helm of cultural production. Asked where she sees herself in this fast-moving landscape, Spurrell answers without hesitation: 'I'm the Granny.' The affectionate nickname, given to her by young Jax-based artists, had taken on added meaning—she had just become a grandmother. Her role may evolve with the seasons, but her approach is unwavering. 'I think the word nurture is the most important—to nurture people, allow them to take their own path,' she explains. 'It's not about leading; it's about me saying, 'Here's a lovely pair of hands—off you go.'' That ethos extends beyond her work with Ministry-backed exhibitions. At Aimes, she has led the development of some of the Kingdom's most ambitious creative projects, from the inaugural Noor Riyadh to the forthcoming exhibition at the King Fahad Cultural Center—set to open in September in the very venue that once hosted the first opera performed in Arabic. But Spurrell's influence reaches beyond formal institutions. She is equally committed to carving out alternative spaces for emerging creatives—artists still unaffiliated with galleries or major platforms. Think underground, reimagined for a new generation. 'We've hosted everything—heavy metal bands, once banned in Saudi, theatre workshops, open mic nights, architectural workshops. A Jeddah-based collective called Sindibad even pulled up with a truck full of art.' It's a vision that has defined Spurrell's work across continents: finding room for art where it seemingly doesn't belong. While working in Italy, she staged exhibitions in a 15th-century castle in Bari and in Renaissance palaces in Ferrara. Her work resists the sterility of white-cube galleries. Instead, it thrives in spaces never intended for cultural production—merging artistic vision with logistical prowess in a model that now finds fertile ground in Saudi Arabia. True to her British sensibility, Spurrell discusses these projects with self-effacing understatement. Asked what benefits have come from her unconventional approach, she replies drily, 'Not a lot.' In 2021, Aimes launched the first edition of Noor Riyadh inside a conference center in King Abdullah Financial District—an industrial space with concrete floors and no walls to hang artwork. 'You don't have walls to put works on, so you have to build the space from scratch,' Spurrell says. 'It's a full-scale production, not just an exhibition.' Even staff members familiar with the building were surprised by its transformation. But the format comes with challenges. Unlike traditional museums with fixed infrastructure, each new venue requires fresh investment—climate control, security, structural adaptation—tailored for museum-standard works. And then there's the matter of the audience. In cities like New York or Paris, museum-going is second nature—tourists make a beeline for the Met or the Louvre. But in Saudi Arabia, cultural tourism is still finding its rhythm. Exhibitions set in unconventional or remote locations don't fill themselves. Still, Spurrell points to an unexpected reward. 'The surprise—people are amazed when they realize they're in a space they didn't expect to see an exhibition in.' Throughout her work, one theme recurs: community. Art, in its many forms, becomes a vehicle for gathering. 'A lot of people come to Saudi thinking it's going to be an easy deal—like, 'We're going to make money, and then we'll just turn around and go home,'' Spurrell reflects. 'That's not how I see it. When I came here, I wanted to contribute—not for my own legacy, because it's not mine—but to leave something meaningful.' She expresses a sense of timing—of gratitude for arriving in the Kingdom at a moment of cultural construction. 'The energy of the Kingdom is incredible,' she says. That energy is mirrored in the spaces she's helped animate. Spurrell takes what once lived underground and makes it public. The Aimes warehouse in Jax becomes a cultural incubator throughout the year. On one evening, Saudi men belt out 1970s Italian disco under a spinning disco ball; on another, once-banned heavy metal takes the stage. Young Saudis and the international crowd converge, drawn not just by spectacle, but by a hunger for shared experience. 'We try to give people a place to create,' she says. An upcoming edition may center around Arab funk. Her career advice often echoes a broader life philosophy. Her willingness to embrace nontraditional spaces reflects a deeper openness to uncertainty. 'I've never had fear,' she says, recalling her experiences across China, Russia, Italy, and Saudi Arabia. 'I think you just need to pick yourself up and go.' That instinct—to adapt to the rhythm of a place rather than impose one's own—has quietly shaped her approach. She doesn't dictate tempo. She listens for it. Her work is shaped by this responsiveness: fluid, intentional, and unafraid of the unconventional. Asked what guidance she would give to young people hoping to enter the field, Spurrell answers without hesitation: 'My belief is that you don't have to be academically brilliant—you just have to be courageous.'
