On Friday 29th May, Lincoln Business Club was back at the YMCA Showroom on Tritton Road, and as ever, the room delivered.
Another brilliant morning of connection, conversation and community. The full format was in play: round-the-room intros, two rounds of table networking, and a packed agenda that covered everything from insurance law to civic leadership. Oh, and Christmas came up a lot. In May. We’ll get to that.
This month’s two-minute slot went to Meg Kirk, who introduced herself to the room. A brief slot, and one that can be challenging, but one that can open (van)doors. Thanks Meg for explaining about Lincs Van Hire, and your newish role.
The sponsor presentation came from James Ross of James Ross Risk Solutions – and with 35 years’ experience in his field, James knows a thing or two about insurance.
James brought the room up to speed on what a good insurance broker actually does – and it’s more than just finding you a policy. He walked through the principle of Utmost Good Faith (Uberrima Fides — yes, there was Latin), the importance of full disclosure when entering any insurance contract, and the often-misunderstood Condition of Average: the clause that means if you underinsure your property, your insurer can and will pay you proportionately less when things go wrong.
His example was eye-opening – insure a £1m building for £500k, suffer a £120k fire, and you might only see £60k back. That’s the kind of thing you only want to learn about before it happens.
James and his team work with everyone from sole traders needing public liability cover to large organisations with complex requirements – and they take the time to actually understand your business before recommending anything. Old school, personal, and expert. Particularly strong on commercial property, landlord insurance, fleet, and professional indemnity.
What we learnt: having the right insurance broker in your corner isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s the difference between being properly protected and finding out too late that you weren’t.
Thanks, James.
Joe Harper was back with an update from Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance, and the numbers behind the Mission Possible campaign are hard to ignore.
The LNAA covers 3,500 square miles. Right now, an average of 1.4 missions per day are missed due to capacity. A second helicopter would reach over 400 additional patients every year. That’s real people, in real emergencies, across this region.
If you want to help make that second helicopter a reality: ambucopter.org.uk/missionpossible
Then we heard from Alex Nightingale about the Lincoln Business Club Annual Golf Day, in support of LNAA, which is set for Thursday 10th September 2026.
Teams of four are £210, which gets you a breakfast sandwich, a full round with competition, and an evening buffet supper. Tee box, longest drive and nearest the pin sponsorships are also available from £35.
Not a golfer? There’s a planned cycle ride being organised by Chris Owen, and the Summer Social ticket at £15, buffet supper and raffle included. Event partners are Nicholsons Chartered Accountants and Cowens Group. Tickets via the QR code on our socials.
The morning’s keynote came from Sue Liburd MBE DL, High Sheriff of Lincolnshire, and it was a talk that quietly shifts your perspective.
Sue explored what civic leadership actually means in practice: not title, but responsibility. Not hierarchy, but the quiet, consistent work of bringing people together and strengthening the fabric of a community. She introduced the role of the High Sheriff – a non-political Royal appointment dating back over 1,300 years, still very much alive and relevant today, supporting the judiciary, police, emergency services and community initiatives across the county.
But the challenge Sue left the room with was more personal than historical: every business decision shapes the community around it. SMEs aren’t just economic units. They’re civic actors. The way you hire, the suppliers you choose, the way you show up in your community — it all adds up to something bigger than a balance sheet.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sueliburd/
Nicholsons Chartered Accountants are hosting a free open evening on becoming a Non-Executive Director — this Thursday 4th June, 5pm. If you’ve thought about it but never taken the next step, this is worth your time.
Community announcements are also coming in June from Caz and Lizi — keep an eye on the usual channels.
And Lincs Sound were live from the YMCA café again — always a great addition to the morning energy.
A huge thank you to James and Sue for their brilliant contributions this month. Thank you to our table sponsors, to Lincs Sound, and to all of you for coming along with laughter and good energy on a Friday morning. See you in June.
Next meeting: Friday 26th June — details on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/lincoln-business-club-31594021807
The Showroom
Tritton Road
Lincoln
LN6 7QY
The Showroom, Tritton Road,
Lincoln, LN6 7QY
