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Equilibrium Asset Management launch Greater Manchester community support scheme

Sam Whitear
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A wealth management company has launched a community support scheme in Greater Manchester, which gives the region’s charities, voluntary groups and not-for-profit organisations the chance to win grants of up to £500.

Wilmslow-based Equilibrium Asset Management continues to run identical initiatives in both Cheshire East and Chester and has awarded more than £11,000 in funds to a raft of organisations since 2015.

The Greater Manchester launch comes after Equilibrium broke through the £7 million turnover barrier, having also landed more than £100m of new assets under management in 2017.

Applications are now open to the scheme, which serves to support organisations that help disadvantaged people, promote sport and the arts, support education and develop and benefit the environment in Greater Manchester.

Equilibrium Asset Management Partner, Debbie Jukes said applications to the first round of this year’s Greater Manchester scheme can be submitted up until March 25.

She said: “We have taken great pride in being able to support the incredible work done by so many organisations in Cheshire East and Chester for the past three years.

“At Equilibrium, we are passionate about giving back to the communities we work in. We don’t want to help just one charity or community group – we want to help as many as possible. That is why we introduced our community support scheme in the Greater Manchester region.

She added: “We hope that plenty of applications will be submitted, and organisations that subsequently win funding will be able to use it to benefit the communities they serve.”

The community support scheme is one of many initiatives the financial planning expert runs as part of its charitable foundation, which aims to raise £250,000 for local charities by 2020.

Winners in round four of the 2017 community support scheme for Chester, which ran between September and December, included mental health charity, Chapter.

Applications are reviewed quarterly, with grants awarded ranging from £100 to £500. The scheme only considers applications from groups whose work benefits the local community.

Projects that promote party political activities or religious causes, projects that benefit or involve animals and commercial enterprises are not accepted.

Manchester Airport celebrates a bumper year

Sam Whitear
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Manchester Airport is celebrating a record breaking 2017 after more passengers than ever flew from the UK’s third largest airport.

Last year 27,791,274 passengers passed through the airport’s three terminals, an 8.5% increase year on year, with cargo up 9% to 123,576 tonnes.

The year saw the launch of new routes to destinations such as San Francisco, Muscat, Boston, Riyadh, Granada and Seville.  The first flight to San Francisco saw a 30-strong delegation of leading figures from the tech sector across the North head state side opportunity to meet leading US universities and funders, pitching investment and collaboration opportunities in the North.

Last year was also a good year for passengers flying to the Far East as both Cathay Pacific and Hainan Airlines increased their services to Beijing and Hong Kong to daily.  In November an economic report by Steer Davies Gleeve revealed that in its first year of operation the Manchester-Beijing route has driven a significant increase in exports, inward investment, and international student numbers into the North.

April saw a new VIP lounge open in Terminal Three. It was aptly named1903, after the year of the first Wright Brother flight.

The Secretary of State for Transport, the Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP, also visited Manchester Airport in July to see work begin on its 10-year, £1 billion transformation programme. In November the first apprentices through the airport’s on-site academy were rewarded with full time jobs and building work on the site is now well under way.

In August, the airport welcomed back Andrew Cowan from Stansted Airport, as he became CEO of the UK’s global gateway in the North.

In December the airport had its busiest ever Christmas period with 1,833,620 passengers jetting off – a 1.5% increase on December 2016.

Andrew Cowan, CEO of Manchester Airport, said: “It’s been another strong year for Manchester Airport as passenger numbers continued to grow and we celebrated the launch of a number of key routes.

“The start of the building work for the Transformation programme was another key milestone for the airport.  The project will allow us to unlock the full potential of our two runways and provide our passengers with a great customer experience.  As we look ahead to 2018, we expect that passenger numbers will continue to grow and we’re looking forward to the launch of a new route to Seattle with Thomas Cook Airlines.”

UKFast opens up tech campus to startups

Sam Whitear
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Leading Manchester technology brand UKFast is creating a 30,000 sq. ft. incubator space for tech startups at its newly expanded campus, with Tech Manchester managing the community.

The Tech Manchester initiative is dedicated to supporting the development of early-stage technology businesses and is making the FastForward working space at UKFast’s thriving tech campus its new home.

The region’s startups are set to benefit from subsidised space with zero business rates, whilst plugging into Tech Manchester’s network of mentors and links with existing incubator and accelerator projects, along with a host of benefits from UKFast.

Facilities at FastForward include meeting areas, TV and recording studios, an auditorium with room for 500 attendees, free parking, telephone and reception services, a yoga studio, slides and a health food café, as well as networking and conference facilities with an impressive bar area.

Tech Manchester leader Patricia Keating said: “With the combination of world-class working environments and support from Tech Manchester and UKFast, it’s an extremely attractive proposition for any UK tech startup.

“I’ve been excited about this move since the very first day I met Lawrence when he explained his vision for what Tech Manchester can do and what is possible if we all pull together.”

UKFast Campus in Birley Fields, Manchester, is currently home to a number of fast-growing businesses, including cloud hosting firm UKFast, cybersecurity firm Secarma and technology magazine BusinessCloud.

UKFast CEO Lawrence Jones said: “We started UKFast as entrepreneurs in a spare bedroom in a flat in Oxford Road and then took the plunge to rent a shared office space. That journey up to now gives us an insight into what tech startups need. For starters they won’t be paying business rates. This is something we can subsidise to offer a helping hand.”

UKFast Campus is located just off the Princess Parkway in Manchester Science Park, less than a mile from Oxford Road. The campus is set for further significant development before 2020.

Jones continued: “We’re a fast-paced business, but it’s very difficult to predict the exact speed we’re going to grow at. In order to ensure we have enough surplus to grow into, we acquired the building next door, even though we don’t need all of it yet. It makes perfect sense to offer that out for up and coming entrepreneurs to use.

“The rationale behind Tech Manchester and this startup space is to allow people that might not otherwise be able to afford to work in an environment like this, access to the space at significantly subsidised rates. There are a lot of office spaces being dressed up as tech incubator spaces and being let at exorbitant prices.

“Building a tech community is not just about space. It’s about encouraging the right types of passionate, forward-thinking entrepreneurs to hang out and collaborate.

“We have learned a great deal from the feedback from the thousands of people who have used our auditorium and existing UKFast facilities over the past three years. This extension is certainly very exciting.”

DigitalBridge appoints Missguided CDO to board

Sam Whitear
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Award winning Manchester tech business, DigitalBridge, has announced the appointment of Jonathan Wall to its board of directors, ahead of an exciting period of expansion.

Jonathan, who is currently the Chief Digital Officer of fashion brand Missguided and has also held the position of eCommerce Director at Shop Direct, joins existing DigitalBridge board members in his role. 

With expertise in leading mobile marketing strategies, as well notable successes in developing retail offerings across web and mobile apps, Jonathan is set to bring a wealth of valuable experience to his position. He is known for having nurtured an experimental in-house culture which has been a key driver of his success. 

Jonthan will help guide DigitalBridge’s strategy to engage with global retailers as the company looks to grow its operations beyond the UK market.

The appointment comes as DigitalBridge looks to transition into a period of exciting growth over the next 12 months. The company, which is headquartered in Manchester Science Park, specialises in developing space planning tools for the kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms market.

David Levine, CEO of DigitalBridge, said: “Jonathan has been a transformative influence at both Shop Direct and Missguided – two of the UK’s most forward-thinking digital retail businesses – so we’re delighted to bring him on board at this crucial stage of our growth.”

Jonathan Wall commented: “I’ve been keeping a close eye on DigitalBridge since the company launched in 2013, during which time it has evolved from smart start-up to emerging industry player in the UK and beyond. This is a great opportunity to provide some insights that will bolster the company’s global scale and reach in the coming years.”

GVA build Manchester team

Sam Whitear
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As part of its wider growth strategy and commitment to its regional offices, GVA announces it has made four new appointments to establish a Project Consultancy and Management team, based in Manchester. Barry Crichton has been appointed from Deloitte to lead this new team, strengthening GVA’s project management capability.

Barry brings more than 20 years of experience, and was a Partner within Real Estate Advisory at Deloitte, leading its Capital Projects business in the North. Barry has worked extensively with a varied client base to overcome complex real estate challenges and deliver building projects.

Barry is joined in this new team by Will Nightingale, Nick Wisken, and Jen Howard from Deloitte.  Will, formerly a Director at Deloitte, has more than 20 years of project management and consultancy experience in the office, education and infrastructure sectors. Nick was an assistant director at Deloitte, working closely with Barry to deliver real estate solutions for various Government departments. Jen Howard will join the team later this month and provide project coordination and support. Barry’s team will be completed by Peter Bates who is moving across from GVA Second London Wall. Peter will bring 30 years of construction experience, having led the delivery of a range of complex projects. This has included Scottish Power’s HQ building in Glasgow, as well as St Paul’s Square in Liverpool for the English Cities Fund and the Green Quarter development in Manchester for Crosby Living.

GVA is one of the leading project management businesses in the country, with a track record that includes Spinningfields Manchester, Westfield London and the Battersea Power Station development, delivered through its GVA Second London Wall.

Chris Cheap comments: “Barry Crichton is a highly regarded and talented project manager, and his appointment underlines the strength of our ambition to grow our Manchester operation offering local expertise and an end-to-end service that can navigate a property through its life cycle. To this end, Barry will play a crucial role in the hard delivery of our clients’ projects in the North, and we look forward to working with him and benefitting from his expertise.”

Barry Crichton comments: “I am joining GVA at a pivotal stage in its growth and specifically to help strategically drive the development of the project consultancy and management business. This is a great opportunity for me and for the team I bring with me, and I look forward to working with the rest of the GVA team to build on its success and further broaden the business’s client base and service offering.”

More hires revealed at Crowne Plaza and Staybridge Suites ‘double decker’ hotel in Manchester

Sam Whitear
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Four new recruits have joined Manchester’s first dual-branded hotel as its opening date edges closer.

Christian Bendixen, Martin Sromek, Nathaniel Farrell and Paul Davies are all now on the payroll at the 19-storey Crowne Plaza and Staybridge Suites which will open to the public in early 2018.

The building, containing 328-rooms, sits on Manchester’s bustling Oxford Road Corridor and is the city’s first ‘double pack’ concept hotel or ‘double decker’.

Paul Davies has become Operations Manager of Staybridge Suites after joining from iQ Student Accommodation.

Before that Paul spent three years in two IHG sister properties, the first year as Guest Relations Manager of the Crowne Plaza Manchester city centre and then two years as Hotel Manager of the Holiday Inn Express Manchester City Centre Arena.

Nathaniel Farrel, who has spent four years as a chef in Copenhagen, is now Executive Head Chef at the dual-branded hotel and links up with the team following a spell at Mercure Manchester Piccadilly Hotel. Prior to this he was Executive Head Chef at the Abode Chester and Executive Sous Chef at Hilton Manchester Deansgate.

Joining the Crowne Plaza as Food & Beverage Operations Manager from Holiday Inn Manchester City Centre is Martin Sromek, where he was Operations Manager. He previously worked at Grill on the Alley and Mercure Manchester Piccadilly.

Christian Bendixen, from Denmark, has been named Rooms Operations Manager at the Crowne Plaza. He worked at Hilton Manchester Deansgate most recently and also enjoyed spells at the Radisson BLU Hotel Sea Plaza Dakar, Senegal and Radisson BLU Scandinavia Hotel Aarhus, Denmark.

General Manager of Manchester’s first dual-branded hotel Andrew Fletcher said: “We very much believe we’ve made four fantastic appointments.

“With the opening of the first dual-branded hotel under one roof in the north of England now imminent, we feel we are building a talented team that has solid foundations and a strong can-do attitude that will look after our guests well.”

While the Crowne Plaza will contain 212-rooms over 11 floors, a 120-cover upscale restaurant, seven meeting rooms catering for over 200 delegates and a gym. Staybridge will have 116-rooms on the eight floors directly above and offer a warm, social and home-like environment through a mix of studio and one-bedroom suites.

The dual-branded Crowne Plaza and Staybridge Suites – not something that has been offered to people staying in Manchester before – is situated on The Oxford Road Corridor, an innovation district running south from Manchester city centre that is home to 70,000 students and a workforce of 60,000 people.

Global success for marriage proposal business, Captured Proposals

Sam Whitear
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One year on from its launch, Manchester-based marriage proposal business, Captured Proposals, has become a global success.

In just twelve months, the proposal planners have travelled over 50,000 miles, capturing the moment couples get engaged, the equivalent of travelling twice around the world.

Having joined the Manchester Hub of Entrepreneurial Spark, powered by NatWest, the world’s largest free business accelerator which provides a unique training scheme focused on developing the right mind-set and behaviours needed to become a successful entrepreneur, the company has captured proposals at glamorous locations all over the world; including Kenya, San Francisco, Paris and New York.

Manchester has been a sought-after location to pop the question with Cloud 23, King Street Townhouse and the Town Hall steps among the favourites.

Founder, Rob Illidge, who set up the company after being unable to find someone to plan and capture his own proposal, commented:

“It’s been a whirlwind year for us, and I’m delighted we have been able to help so many people plan and capture the moment they ask their partner to marry them.

I truly believe it is one of the most important moments in life that has previously not been captured, until now.

It marks the beginning of an incredible journey for a couple, and we’re lucky enough to be there from the start.”

250,000 people propose in the UK each year, with increasing numbers choosing to hire a proposal planner for the big moment.

Research carried out by Captured Proposals found that over 80% of women would like their partner to capture their proposal, with 60% stating that the first they would do is update Facebook.

Our Space set to come to Fore’s Windmill Green

Sam Whitear
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Our Space is set to take 13,600 sq ft at FORE Partnership’s Windmill Green development in Manchester city centre.

The global coworking firm, which focuses on well-being in the workspace for start-ups, freelancers and small businesses, has agreed a pre-letting on the ground and first floors of the building.

Our Space offers the first flexible workspace environment committed to connecting humans, nature and technology through thoughtful design and an unparalleled experience for members.

More than just a coworking space with hot desks and dedicated work areas, Our Space at Windmill Green will also offer fully-serviced offices for a diverse mix of companies and individuals.

Launched in Marbella in Spain, Our Space has several more locations in Dubai, Miami and Singapore coming soon.  Our Space will make its debut in the UK’s Northern Powerhouse with two new sites in Manchester and Leeds opening this year.

Basil Demeroutis, Managing Partner of FORE, said: “We designed Windmill Green with a forward-looking approach to work and how space can be used to inspire creativity and empower businesses, their staff and stakeholders.

“Our Space is the perfect fit for Windmill Green. Their philosophy sits very well alongside the environment we are creating and we think they are one of the most exciting coworking operators to emerge.”

Kevan Halliwell, Chief Executive Officer at Our Space, said: “Windmill Green was a natural choice for us given its excellent location in the heart of the city.

“Manchester plays a key role in our desire to bring a distinct and unparalleled workspace experience to the UK’s Northern Powerhouse.

“FORE’s commitment to both beautiful design and sustainability are values we also share at Our Space and we’re very excited to be part of the blossoming Windmill Green community.”

FORE’s Windmill Green will be an innovative and collaborative workspace, designed to energise and inspire when it opens next summer.

The highly sustainable, low-carbon building is being developed by FORE to create a bustling community in the heart of Manchester on Mount Street.

A rooftop terrace with stunning views over the city-scape and its own apiary, a cycle hub, living walls and open spacious floorplates are taking shape at the building, which is now mid-way through construction.

The highly sustainable building is designed to achieve BREEAM “Outstanding” – only one other building in Manchester city centre has this top sustainability rating.

Working with architects tp bennett, care has been taken to select materials that are contemporary but also take their cue from the surrounding area.  As Windmill Green evolves over the coming months, a new ornamental façade, incorporating terracotta glazed tiling and glass, will replace the original brickwork which has now been removed.

Knight Frank and Lambert Smith Hampton are the joint agents for Windmill Green and advised FORE on the letting.  Colliers International advised Our Space.

AJ Bell appoints head of innovation

Sam Whitear
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Investment platform AJ Bell has appointed a head of innovation to spearhead initiatives that use technology to improve its service to customers and drive further growth in the business.

Andrew Teale, who is based at AJ Bell’s headquarters at Salford Quays, will lead a new innovation group whose members include chief executive Andy Bell and digital strategy director Tim Huckle.

The group will draw on experts from various areas of the business for individual projects, including customer services, product marketing and technical services.

It will also work with fintech firms based across the north west to share and develop ideas.

The formal creation of the group follows a series of company initiatives designed to help customers engage and interact with their investments as easily as possible.

These include enabling clients to request portfolio valuations and stock market quotes via Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. They can also now get portfolio valuations via Apple Watch and can view AJ Bell’s investment videos via Apple TV.

The latest launch is the AJ Bell Google Chrome extension, which enables customers to keep track of their investments with a single click directly from their web browser taskbar.

During 2018, the innovation group will be exploring a range of initiatives, including ones based on Blockchain and Open Banking technology.

Andy Bell said: “Innovation has always sat at the core of the business, right back to when we launched the UK’s first online SIPP in 2000.

“Given the rapid pace of change in the fintech world, we feel now is the right time to create a specialist innovation group to further enhance the services we provide to our customers.

“People’s lives are becoming increasingly busy and they are used to keeping on top of things while they are on the move.

“We want to explore ways in which we can sensibly use technology to make it as easy as possible for them to manage their investments and save for the things they love doing.”

 

Clough & Willis advises JamJar Investments on two investment deals

Sam Whitear
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Bury law firm Clough & Willis has acted for JamJar Investments on two investments into its portfolio; Chronext AG and SID Group.

JamJar Investments is a venture capital investment fund based in London. The firm was established in 2013 by the three founders of Innocent Drinks – Richard Reed, Jon Wright and Adam Balon – as well as Katie Marrache and Paul Chiappe. It provides seed investment in early stage consumer tech and offline companies. Previous investments include Graze, Deliveroo, BlueBottle Coffee, Gojimo and Propercorn.

Chronext AG is a luxury German-based watch dealer, which enables customers from around the world to buy and sell high-end and vintage wristwatches via its website. This is the second equity stake JamJar has taken in the company.

SID Group trading as Fiit.tv is a new entry in the healthcare and fitness sector. It operates via a mobile app that allows people to take fitness classes from their own home whilst monitoring their progress with a connected heart monitor.

The team at Clough & Willis was headed up by Guy Lachlan who is a commercial solicitor in the Corporate and Commercial department. The firm advised on various aspects of the deals including the Investment, Shareholders’ and Advisor Agreements, Organisational Regulations and Articles.

Katie Marrache, partner at JamJar, said: “Chronext has grown from strength to strength since we first invested. Bringing the offline luxury second hand watch industry online provides more choice for consumers, more liquidity for dealers and online penetration for watch brands.  Fiit.tv is also a concept we are really excited about. Taking a tracked class from your living room is more convenient and makes improving easier to monitor and more fun.”

Guy Lachlan added: “JamJar continues its proactive and flexible investment approach in the consumer sector, continuing to pick early winners in emerging markets.”

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