On Thursday 25th May, Bracknell BID organised a ‘Meet Your Neighbour’ Business Breakfast event for BID area businesses at The Capitol Building, Oldbury, in the Southern Business Area.
Close to 50 attendees enjoyed a complimentary light breakfast with tea and coffee and time to network with other businesses.
Sean Griffin, the Bracknell BID Manager, gave a brief update on the BID’s current projects and future projects, before introducing two businesses resident to The Capitol Building (a Grade A multi-storey office building facility) to give a talk about their business and history.
Andrew Southgate, Director of Sales for UK&I Enterprise at UKG, gave a captivating presentation about UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group) and how the company became a world-leading providing of HCM, payroll, HR service delivery, and workforce management solutions. Andrew detailed how UKG was founded in 2020 as a result of the merger of Ultimate Software and Kronos, with a rich past in Kronos’s 40-year history – known for delivering the world’s first microprocessor-based time clock. Andrew highlighted UKG at a glance through its ethos ‘Our Purpose Is People’, defined through their workforce management solutions that help organisations drive better business outcomes, improve HR effectiveness, and make work a more connected experience for everyone.
Andrew summarised UKG’s journey to $3.6 billion in annual revenue and how UKG became a market-leader as a HR technology vender, as well as how UKG has become renowned as one of the best places to work through numerous workplace awards. Andrew stated how UKG help 75,000+ organisations across 150 countries in various industries, served by 15,000+ U Krewers (employees) globally; UKG’s customers range from a wide assortment of industries, with household brands including Amazon, Sainsbury’s, Co-Op, Apple, Network Rail, DHL, Google, Kellogg’s, British Airways, Nike, Adidas as well as Government Departments (DWP, Home Office).
Jenny Jackson, Deputy Director of Fundraising at DEBRA, gave a moving presentation on how Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), a painful genetic skin blistering condition, can affect people and their families. Jenny gave an update on the work DEBRA, the national charity for EB, has done since their previous talk in October, showcasing the emotionally-charged news story that has garnered national-attention and awareness for DEBRA and the disease EB over the past few days; Graeme Souness, Football legend and TV pundit, will be swimming the English Channel for DEBRA and aims to raise £1.1 million for charity, with over £400,000 raised in just a few days.
Jenny emphasized how 5,000 people in the UK live with intense pain from EB, described by doctors as one of the cruellest conditions children can have, and there is no cure. Jenny outlined the work DEBRA do in funding research and healthcare to support individuals and families affected by Epidermolysis Bullosa, and how businesses can get involved; Jenny detailed how businesses can have strategic partnerships with DEBRA to help achieve their ESG goals, such as through team building exercises where businesses can take over their DEBRA shops for the day to battle for the best sales. DEBRA also have a full programme of runs, challenges and high-quality events for client entertaining and staff incentives, for businesses to take part in.
Bracknell MP James Sunderland was also in attendance, giving a brief speech on the importance of DEBRA’s work and the lobbying made within government to help with repurposing drugs for health-conditions with no cure such as Epidermolysis Bullosa, the importance of UKG as a big business based in Bracknell, as well as the progress made by Bracknell BID on improvements to the area.
The Capitol Building is undergoing a major refurbishment; if you would like a tour of the available office-space, please email the Building Manager Katey Monaghan for a tour of the office-space.
Our monthly business breakfasts are a chance for businesses to meet, network, develop relationships and to understand what other Bracknell businesses have to offer to each other. You can view our previous monthly Business Breakfast events here.
The Capitol Building is a Grade A multi-storey office building facility, occupied by thirteen tenants across various sectors, including tech, life sciences and business service sectors. Capitol Building boasts world-leading businesses within their facility.
UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group) is a world-leading provider of HCM, payroll, HR service delivery, and workforce management solutions that help organisations drive better business outcomes, improve HR effectiveness, and make work a more connected experience for everyone. UKG help 75,000+ organisations across every industry anticipate and adapt to their employees’ needs beyond just work.
DEBRA is the national charity that funds research and healthcare to support individuals and families affected by Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) – a painful genetic skin blistering condition which, in the worst cases, can be fatal. DEBRA was founded in 1978 by Phyllis Hilton whose daughter Debra had EB – the charity was the world’s first EB patient support group.
